There was once a town called Corderland. The inhabitants of this land were all various animals who were able to communicate with each other. There were no hierarchies besides the skill separations of each animal, such as those able to fly, those with arms and legs, and those not able to do much with their arms at all. All animals are able to find their place regardless and were able to express themselves as needed.
The story starts with a benevolent vampire bat named Navette. She often spent time in her small and homely cabin, storing fruits from her garden and sewing clothes for her and others. On this day in particular, she was finishing off an open-ended patterned shirt that could also be interpreted as a dress. She liked to sing to herself, as she often did as she worked on her projects. She heard a rapping on her door and shouted a breathy “come in!” In came her friend Bits, an Angora goat.
“Good morning, Navette,” he bleated in excitement, “I’ve brought you some honey from Ive’s shed for your jam!” He carried a basket of jars on his horns, tilting his head over so that it would fall on the ground.
“Why, thank you Bits! I really appreciate it,” she jumps up, flapping her wings and holding her project in the air. “I just finished the garment you requested too; I hope you enjoy it!” She wraps the apparel around Bits, avoiding the accessories and jewelry clad on his neck, and buttons it at the bottom. It fit perfectly on his fluffy exterior, and it was plaid with beautiful complementary tints of green and pinks.
He squeaked with excitement, “thank you so much!! It’s beautiful, and even matches my earrings!” He flopped his ears, said earring being deconstructed soda cans he’d found in the forest. Navette claps, “you look wonderful!”
Suddenly, a knock booms once again through the cabin door, startling the friends. “Have you seen the plants today, you guys?”
“Oh, Taz! No.. I haven’t,” She opened the door for him. “Why?”
Taz was a tender sugar glider constructing his own plot of land for plants to grow, after Navette taught him how to tend a garden and he fell in love with it. “Well, I’d rather you see for yourself.”
The friends all were led outside, eyes glazing through the worried looks on the various townsanimals’ faces, to see that all of the gardens were sucked dry of their color and their life.
The gardens inhabiting Corderland fulfilled almost all of the villagers' needs, and if they ran out of stock.. then this would be extremely dire. “What happened?” Bits exclaimed.
“Well, I heard from a friend that it might have been the family of cutworms that have been avoiding us,” Taz explained.
“I wonder if they’re just scared? Do you think I could help them?” Navette fidgets. She often doesn’t feel nervous, but she usually doesn’t meet new people anymore.
Bits seems to hesitate, “It’s worth a try, but if they can hurt our plants, I’m worried they’ll hurt you too.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay, I have on my extra protection for the winter today. I would rather take a chance at getting hurt than our whole village getting hurt without me trying.”
As Taz and Bits informs the village occupants, Navette slowly glides her way through the forest, trying to memorize where they’d fled once before.
She approaches a small house with two soil walls and a piece of debris next to the river, not too far away from Cordlerland. She makes sure to be quiet, as to not startle the family.
“Hello?” she whispers, after she sees one of the cutworms roam out of the house. They seem to be confused where the voice came from. “Oh, up here!” She inches towards the ground and eases her wings. The worm contracts its body.
“No, you don’t need to be scared,” she makes sure that her demeanor is humble and quiet. “I’m from the town next to your house. I saw that you all got hungry and ate from our gardens.”
Some other worms emerged from the house.
“We didn’t know they belonged to you,” they squeaked, as their bodies were small.
“I wouldn’t have either. Do you not have food of your own?”
The family declined. “Before we found this place, we had no food at all. We’ve fallen sick and all of your food just looked so appetizing..”
Navette frowned. “You’ve fallen ill? Maybe I could take you to the town’s nurse… we could always help you make a garden of your own.”
“That would be nice…” The family’s bodies perked up.
She invited the family into her claws and soared back into the town. Bits rushed to her as soon as he saw her. “Did you make it okay?”
“Yes, it went perfectly!” She shows him the worms taking home in her claws. “This is my friend Bits,” he greets them. “They spent a long time without food, so I’m taking them to get checked up at Nurse Sloan’s.”
“I’m glad you made it okay, but I hope they do too!” Bits seems to tilt his head. “Does that mean I can tell the others to take steps in recreating the gardens?” “Yes, you should…” Navette looks down at her new friends. “They were wondering if they could have their own garden too, since they hardly have any food of their own.”
Bits enthusiastically concurs, so before Navette goes to the nurse’s, she gives him the directions to their house and goes on her way.
She arrives at Nurse Sloan’s, giving the cutworm family to the nurses. After waiting some time, a rabbit nurse comes out with results.
“Hello Navette, it’s great to see you today!” the rabbit happily skitters her feet. “The family you brought are in great shape, they just need lots of hydration, so make sure they have lots of water at their home.”
“Thank you, nurse,” Navette is given a small basket which her cutworm friends were residing in for now. “I guess I should get you guys home now, I’m sure some friendly hands must have brought you some crops by now!” She leaves as she gives everyone farewells, beelining her way to the family home.
On her way, she sees Taz and Bits. They greet her as she puts the family in their place. There are plants scattered around their homes now. “I’m glad that went well,” Taz sighs. “It’s just going to be a bit of work redoing our gardens.”
“I feel like I’m always expecting the worst when these things happen. But it’s always okay in the end.” Bits finds a place to lie on the grass next to the river, and his friends join him.
The sun sparkles through the trees as it lowers into the ground. Navette thinks for a minute. “Whatever it is, I always want to help.”