Padra

There is nowhere better to be on Midsummer Night than here on the shore by Mistmantle Tower. The sky's still light, just turning violet with traces of red to tell us it'll be fine again tomorrow. The sea is as gentle as a cradle and some of the animals have built fires to cook fish or roast acorns. Fingal's taken the boat out. Moles don't care for swimming, but they do love a trip in a boat. Sepia, Crackle, Scatter and all that lot are putting lamps on bark boats and floating them across the sea. There's Catkin, going to join them. Tide and Swanfeather are having a wonderful time splashing about. So was Ffion but she's exhausted now, and last I saw her she was falling asleep on Needle's shoulder.

A few hedgehog fiddle players are out, so animals are up and dancing. There's Urchin and Juniper coming to join in - last I saw them they were playing squirrelly games to do with running up trees and jumping up and down on branches. Tipp and Todd made a sort of summer shelter for Crispin and Cedar - not that they need it, but they appreciated it so they're sitting there watching Almondflower playing dares with the waves. Hello, Whittle! Urchin was asking where you were.

Hello, Hope! Thank you, but I couldn't eat another berry. Tell you what, though - there's a little hedgehog there, her name's Popple, and I think she'd love to dance. She might, if you asked her. Good evening, Mistress Tay! Do have a fish. All right then,don't. Fingal will eat it if he gets back without capsizing. Oops, there's a mole in the water. Not to worry, there are half a dozen otters all swimming to the rescue.

Crispin's got that thoughtful look on his face, as he does when he gazes out at the mists. There aren't many animals who know what lies beyond them. I'll nudge Catkin to get him up to dance.

Look at them all, the young creatures of Mistmantle! I wonder what's going to become of them, and what adventures they'll have?