A Swan's Grace: Chapter 6: Meanwhile

While Lilacfeather is taking care of his family, the squirrel, (whose real name is Nuttooth) is running himself ragged searching for the cygnets. An hour ago, near the wall of Grandroar II, he lost the footprints and the scent. He will not give up, though. After he has searched for signs for 3 hours, he spots a small shelter and decides to ask permission to rest there. He knocks, and out steps a swan, by her looks about 3 years old, who reminds him maddeningly of someone, though he is not sure who. “Do come in. There’s room for all,” she says in a sweet voice. He obliges, then stops with a gasp. He now realizes why this swan reminds him of someone. That someone is Lilacfeather, and this must be her mother, seeing as there are 2 little cygnets behind her, and they look exactly as Lilacfeather had described them, too. He nearly faints, then, coming to his senses, he tells them his story, and the next day they set off for his home.

A Swan's Grace: Chapter 5: Waiting

Lilacfeather and the squirrel agree. The squirrel will follow the scent of the cygnets’ footprints and try to find them, if Lilacfeather will stay back at his house and take care of his family. Lilacfeather is reluctant, but she must see Petalwing and Nettlebill again. She finds that is not hard to take care of a squirrel family. Every morning, she gathers nuts, and in the evenings she curls her wing around the fuzzy little bodies and keeps them warm. She is ever watching, watching, for some sign that the squirrel is returning with her family, but she is disappointed. Still, there is hope, and she with never stop hoping. At night, she sometimes tells the little squirrels stories to ease them to sleep.

A Swan's Grace: Chapter 4: Searching

Lilacfeather spends the next week searching for her siblings. Whenever she feels like giving in, she thinks of them, lost, and shivering, and she finds strength to go on. She no longer sits and writes poems by the lake, nor really gets any sleep at all. She finds no sign of Nettlebill or Petalwing until the 4th week of searching restlessly. She spots 2 sets of tracks and a few drops of raspberry juice heading towards the spot where they had seen the rose. “Well, at least they’ve eaten,” she thinks. She decides to take a rest. She sits by a tree, and watches a squirrel following the scent of a nearby nut. Tracking its scent. She stops, considering the idea that has just come to her. If a squirrel can smell a nut…but he might be too busy. Besides, she’s never met a squirrel before. What if she offends him? Still, he’s her only hope…she walks over to ask the squirrel if he will help with her plan.

Weekly Pet Interviews: Mickey the Rat

Hi, I'm Mickey. I'm a rat. My brother Mechisedec and I have lived with the Food Lady for around 9 months, now. My bro's a little tanner than I, and a bit plumper, too. (Ouch! Sorry, Melk, I didn't mean it!) Sometimes a tall man with glasses comes and takes the floor off our cage, and Melchisedec and I are forced into pink and blue boxes with handles while he cleans it. Mmmm,when is lunchtime? I'll just climb up the wall to get the Food Lady's attention-she always seems to think it's odd that Melk and I need so much food. I like to gnaw on the fun red stick she pokes in for me. Ahh, here she comes with the Pirate Booty...(crunch, crunch.)

A Swan's Grace: Chapter 3: The Most Beautiful Rose

One day, Lilacfeather is taking the youngsters for a walk, when Petalwing cries out “Oh, Lilacfeather, Lilacfeather, look at this rose!” Lilacfeather turns, and sees the most beautiful rose she has ever seen. She has inherited her mother’s love of flowers, and this one’s pastel pink petals and simple sweetness is almost irresistible…she snaps out of it. There seems to be some sort of magic around here, and she doesn't like it. She turns to tell the others that they are going back home…but where are the others? She is alone. She almost cries. All these years she has spent looking after them, and now they seem to have just disappeared into thin air?! This is just too much. Lilacfeather has to find them. You can’t simply allow the only people you have left to slip away from you.

A Swan's Grace: Chapter 2: Responsibility

Every morning, when Lilacfeather wakes up, she takes the younger 2 out for a morning swim in the pond and catches them some breakfast. Since they cannot go to school without a parent giving them permission, she also takes the responsibility of teaching them which plants and fish are good to eat, which areas are the best to find them in, and how to tell a fresh berry from an old one. She also makes sure that they make no attempt to climb over the wall which King Grandroar II erected 4 years ago. She is very busy, but she somehow manages to find time to sit by her favorite rosebush by the lake and write poems in her head. Lilacfeather loves Nettlebill and Petalwing a lot, and every night she nestles them under her wings and sings them to sleep.

A Swan's Grace: Chapter 1: Lilacfeather

Lilacfeather is a young, gorgeous swan. She is very artistic and can find beauty in the ugliest toadstool. Her favorite colors are lilac, peach, and rose, and she likes to sit by the stream and compose poems and paint pictures about it. Looking at her, you would not think that she had a care in the world, but it is not so. When her youngest sibling had just been born, both of her parents went missing, and she has taken care of her younger brother and sister ever since. Her brother and sister’s names are Nettlebill and Petalwing (4 months). She herself is 1 year old and takes good care of everyone. Petalwing and Nettlebill are very nice little swans, and not much trouble, so Lilacfeather has never had to do anything desperate. Still, she wishes her mother and father would come back some day. Every night, to lull herself to sleep, Lilacfeather thinks of the memories she has of her mother and father. These thoughts always cause very happy dreams.