The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 14

LADY DURHAMS.

WILL YOU GRANT ME ANY FAVOR I ASK?

WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY WANT TO ASK WITH SUCH A SERIOUS LOOK IN HIS EYES?

AND ISN'T HE STANDING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE...?

IF HE'S ASKING ME FOR SOMETHING AT THIS LATE HOUR,

COULD IT BE...?!

WHAT I WANTED TO ASK WAS...

NO! I CAN'T AGREE TO SOMETHING SO SHAMELESS...!!

WOULD YOU WRITE ME A POEM?

A... POEM?

MY OLDER BROTHER WAS VERY FOND OF POETRY WHEN HE WAS ALIVE.

UNLIKE MOST NORTHERNERS, HE ENJOYED NOT ONLY THE POEMS OF SCHOLARS,

BUT EVEN THE SONGS SUNG BY WANDERING BARDS.

I WANT TO OFFER HIM A POEM WHEN I VISIT HIS COLUMBARIUM TOMORROW...

PERHAPS BECAUSE I'M A TYPICAL NORTHERNER,

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT MAKES A GOOD POEM.

I'VE HEARD THAT NORTHERNERS HAVE ALWAYS DISLIKED THE POEMS AND BARD SONGS.

APPARENTLY, THEY FIND LOVE SONGS SO EMBARRASSINGLY SENTIMENTAL THAT THEY CAN'T STAND LISTENING TO THEM.

HOW CAN THEY NOT UNDERSTAND ROMANCE?! THEY'RE THE ONES I CAN'T UNDERSTAND!

I HEARD YOU GRADUATED AT THE TOP OF YOUR CLASS FROM LEYTON ACADEMY.

SURELY YOU KNOW HOW TO WRITE POETRY, THEN?

WELL, I'VEWRITTEN A FEW POEMS FOR ASSIGNMENTS, BUT...

STILL, ASKING ME TO WRITE A TRIBUTE TO A WAR HERO?!

THAT'S A LITTLE... NO, THAT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE...!!

I'M AFRAID MY WRITING ISN'T NEARLY GOOD ENOUGH TO CONVEY SUCH SENTIMENTS!

THAT DOESN'T MATTER.

I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL POET, SO THERE WILL PROBABLY BE PLENTY OF AWKWARD PARTS!

THAT DOESN'T MATTER EITHER.

BUT...!

DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY YOU WANTED TO REPAY ME?

THIS IS A LOT OF PRESSURE, BUT...

I SUPPOSE THERE'S NO BACKING OUT NOW!

ALL RIGHT, FINE!

A SQUIRREL NEVER GOES BACK ON HER WORD!

I'LL WRITE YOU A POEM!

JUST DON’T BE TOO SURPRISED BY HOW WONDERFUL IT IS WHEN YOU HEAR IT!

THEN I’LL LOOK FORWARD TO IT, LADY DURHAMS.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

BIG BROTHER!

YOU WERE WAITING, RIGHT? CHIRPIE IS ALL READY, TOO!

THESE CLOTHES ARE SO SHINY AND PRETTY!

NOW YOU FINALLY LOOK PRESENTABLE.

THE CLOTHES YOU BROUGHT WEREN'T SUITABLE FOR MEETING MY FATHER.

YOU CAN KEEP THAT OUTFIT.

REALLY?! IT LOOKS SO EXPENSIVE!

THANK YOU, BIG BROTHER!

BY THE WAY, BIG BROTHER, WHAT ARE THOSE FLOWERS FOR?

I WENT TO THE GARDEN EARLY THIS MORNING AND PICKED IT FOR MY FATHER.

I'M NOT SURE IF HE'LL LIKE IT, THOUGH...

THEY'RE SO PRETTY! I'M SURE YOUR FATHER WILL LOVE THEM, TOO!

DO YOU THINK SO?

I WANT TO LEAVE ALREADY. WHAT'S TAKING THE TEACHER SO LONG?

I'M SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING, CHILDREN!

OH, YOU'RE FINALLY HE-?!?

SISTER LULU?!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FACE?!

TEACHER, DID SOMETHING HAPPEN LAST NIGHT?

SISTER, DID YOU NOT GET ANY SLEEP?!

NO, I SLEPT JUST FINE. DON'T WORRY.

I PRACTICALLY STAYED UP ALL NIGHT WRITING THAT POEM.

No, that's not right...!!

This part should be written more like this...!

HONESTLY, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE DUKE WILL LIKE IT, BUT I DID MY BEST...!!

BY THE WAY, WHERE IS THE DUKE?

HIS GRACE HAS SOME URGENT MATTERS TO ATTEND TO, SO HE'LL BE LEAVING SEPARATELY LATER.

PLEASE ALLOW US TO ESCORT YOU THERE FIRST.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF HE COULD COME WITH US...

HE MUST BE EAGER TO VISIT HIS FATHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

I CAN'T KEEP MAKING THIS CHILD WAIT ANY LONGER.

ALL RIGHT. THEN LET'S GET GOING.

wow, it's so beautiful!

I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A LAKE HERE. IT’S BREATHTAKING.

THAT'S WHERE MY FATHER IS. FOLLOW ME.

FATHER ONCE TOLD ME THAT BLANDUS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE NORTH, BUT ALSO THE MOST DANGEROUS.

MOST DANGEROUS?

WHY?

BECAUSE IT'S ON THE BORDER.

WE GET TO ENJOY SCENERY THIS BEAUTIFUL,

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER EMPIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LAKE COSTAN.

THAT'S WHY MY FATHER WAS THE GUARDIAN OF THE NORTH.

HE WAS ALWAYS PROTECTING THE NORTH, PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ANINVASION AT ANY MOMENT.

NOW... MY UNCLE IS THE GUARDIAN...

HOKAN'S SENSE OF LOSS COMES NOT ONLY FROM LOSING A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER,

BUT ALSO FROM LOSING THE KNIGHT HE ADMIRED MORE THAN ANYONE.

THE DEPTH OF THIS YOUNG CHILD'S SORROW

MUST BE FAR BEYOND ANYTHING WE COULD EVER COMPREHEND...

HOKAN.

I WROTE A POEM FOR YOUR LATE FATHER, THE FORMER DUKE, TO HONOR HIS NOBLE LEGACY.

A POEM?

YES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR IT?

YOUR VALOR HAS SEEPED INTO THIS LAND,

YOUR SUFFERING HAS FADED, WHILE YOUR GLORY ENDURES.

MAY THE FROST UPON YOUR BLADE AND THE SORROW IN YOUR HEART BOTH MELT AWAY.

WE SHALL PROTECT THE LAND WHERE THOSE YOU CHERISHED WILL REMAIN,

AND ENSURE THAT LOVE AND JUSTICE FIND THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE.

MAY YOU WALK WITHOUT HESITATION INTO THE REALM OF ETERNAL REST.

THOSE NAMES YOU LONGED FOR BENEATH THE MOONLIGHT,

HAVE EACH ENGRAVED YOUR NAME UPON THEIR HEARTS.

LAY DOWN YOUR SWORD AND SHIELD WITHOUT REGRET, AND REST IN PEACE.

WITH DEEPEST LOVE AND RESPECT,

I OFFER YOU THIS POEM AND THESE FLOWERS.

THIS IS A LITTLE EMBARRASSING.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK YOUR FATHER WOULD HAVE LIKED IT?