Chapter 3

They had walked for a while when the squirrel suddenly stopped and looked at her.

"What's your name?", it asked

" I'm Tina", she said, shivering. "And you?"

"I'm Ratatosk. Come now!" And the squirrel continued jumping further into the forest.

Tina regretted having spoken the moment she'd finished. You shouldn't ask a talking squirrel about their name, or anything else for that matter. It can't be a good sign talking to someone like that.

When the squirrel saw that Tina didn't follow, she called out,

"Hurry, hurry! The wolves will come! They must know you are here already! She can sense it!"

"Who?", Tina asked.

"The Witch queen! She must know you are here!" And with that, Ratatosk began jumping further into the forest, and this time Tina followed.

When the darkness was almost complete, Ratatosk stopped and announced, "We're here!"

Tina looked around, shivering. She saw nothing different, only forest and trees around them. "What do you mean? Where's 'here'?"

She was so cold now when the sun was down and just hoped that 'here' would mean a fire. It didn't matter any longer that it would be a fire together with Ratatosk. It was better than being in the forest, cold and hunted by some unknown witch queen.

" With our friend!", Ratatosk said. "Fay lives here! And we can stay with fair!"

"I can't see any friends, or anyone else for that matter", Tina protested.

"Because fay lives up there!". Ratatosk pointed up at the tree she sat in.

Tina looked up but saw only branches.

"You need to climb! And quick! They will come for you! They are already on their way, looking for you!"

Tina was just about to protest that she couldn't see any house to climb towards when she heard wolves howling in the distance.

"You see! They are coming! Hurry! Climb the tree!"

That decided it. House or no house, she couldn't stay where she was. She got hold of the lowest branch and swung herself up.

"Come now!" Ratatosk was already jumping up the tree.

Tina soon lost sight of the squirrel, but she kept climbing. The darkness was complete now, and she had to feel each branch before she stepped up. Then suddenly she heard Ratatosk's shrill voice next to her, "We're here! Stay! I'll go and talk to my friend."

Tina heard Ratatosk disappearing up the tree, and she followed the sound with her gaze. And yes, up there she saw a weak light and something that looked like a treehouse. She heard a knock on the door and a creak as it opened.

"I found her! She came! Our savior is here! I didn't fall from a tree, I found her! I found her!"

Ratatosk squealing voice must have been heard through the whole forest, Tina thought.

A bored voice replied, "Ratatosk, what are you talking about? You did fall from a tree again, didn't you? Or did you eat Old Bear's mushrooms?"

The voice belonged to someone who seemed to have had this conversation many times before and already knew the outcome of it.

"No, I didn't! I didn't eat his mushrooms! She came, our savior came! She's really here!"

"Why would I believe you now, Ratatosk? You have fallen from a tree before, many times. The signs have never been right."

" But this time they are! I promise! I didn't fall from a tree, the signs were right! She's here now! I will show you! Let us in!"

"How many times have you seen the signs, Ratatosk?"

"But this time it's real! She's really here!"

"Go away, Ratatosk. You bring bad luck."

"Please, let us in."

"No!"

"I'll owe you a favor."

They went silent for a moment, then Tina heard the creaking of the door as it opened up more and the voice said," Where is she then, Ratatosk?"

"She's down there!".

"So bring her then..."

Tina heard footsteps disappearing back into the house and leaves rustling as Ratatosk jumped down the branches. The sound came closer until it was right next to her. "We're welcome to our friend! I told you fay would be good. Let's go!"

Ratatosk didn't seem to understand that Tina had overheard the entire conversation, but she decided to not say anything. It seemed easier with Ratatosk. Instead, she took hold of a branch and climbed up.

As she emerged into the light of the treehouse, she saw the friend Ratatosk had spoken to. A strange being with ears and a tail, half-human and half cat. Tina tried not to stare, but the being studied her with a disinterested look. "So this is the savior, huh, Ratatosk?" fay mocked.

"Yes, this is her! I found her! She came, she came!"

The cat-being sighed, then turned and walked back into the house and Tina and Ratatosk followed fair.

They came into the small hut, where a fire burned in the corner. Tina shivered violently now and only wished she could get warm. But the cat being didn't pay her any attention. Fay just went to sit in front of the fire and left them standing in the small hallway.

Ratatosk jumped up on the bed next to the cat being and said, "I told you she would come! You need to help us!"

"No, I won't."

"But why not?"

"You know what she'll do when she gets to you, don't you? She will make a collar out of you, for her coat."

"But we're safe here..?"

"No, we were safe. Until you came."

"But Lynx, please! Help us! She's cold!"

Tina looked between them, confused. They seemed to know each other, but she wouldn't have called them friends.

"Look at her!", Ratatosk said and pointed at Tina. "Look how cold she is!"

Lynx looked at Tina for the first time since she'd entered. "Did you fall from a tree too?", fay asked.

"I fell..", Tina said, unsure what to answer.

"Look how cold she is!", Ratatosk chipped in.

"Yeah.. Why are you only wearing a dress?", Lynx asked suspiciously.

"It was summer where I came from", Tina said. "There wasn't any snow there."

"No snow? What do you mean by 'no snow'? There is always snow here."

"See, see!", Ratatosk said. "I told you she wasn't from here, I told you she had come! I didn't fall from the tree."

Lynx looked at Tina one last time, then turned back to the fire. Tina turned to look at Ratatosk, who just shrugged and made an obscene gesture at Lynx's back.

Should I say something?, Tina thought.

Ratatosk had begun to circle a finger next to her head to show what she thought about Lynx, but before fay got the chance to see it Tina took a step inside the hut.

"Please, please help me."

"Why?", Lynx said, fair back still turned against Tina.

"I'm cold and hunted by some witch queen. I don't know how I ended up here or even where I am. Please.. I'll do anything for you. Please, help me." It went silent for a moment, then Tina heard Lynx say, "Deal!" And fay got up, gestured towards the chair by the fire and went to get a blanket and a cup of warm tea with honey.