The Squirrels of Feckenham have occupied a place in the soul of Mercia, like no other creature. With establishments such as http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=2396539&highlight=]The Nutty Squirrel Tavern & Shoppe III, and events like the http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=2423236&highlight=]Feckenham Royal Squirrel Hunt, authorized by http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=2272016]the late King Cullan himself, it only made sense to interview Jane Myxti de Balboa-Blount, Countess of Ossulstone, to find out how her squirrels became so legendary. Here are her own words on the subject:

“Squirrels have held a place in my heart for quite some time. As a child back in Navarra, I would secretly feed the squirrels outside. My obsession, however, did not come until after I arrived in England. Most of the records and books highlighting this great time in history were destroyed by the Great Purge, so I’m glad to be able to share my story.”

“In Staffordshire, Ludlow (Thuglow) and Shrewsbury (Shrewsbully) had an amazing rivalry. This rivalry led to all sorts of mischief. Squirrel tossing became a fun way to get rid of the large squirrel population. We sent the pesky ones to our neighbors. Still, the squirrel population continued to grow, so during a bake-off, I decided to think outside of the box. I needed to beat Anonymoose from Shrewsbury and her moose cookies, so I decided to help the Ludlow population by....well....that’s a secret. Let’s just say that I tied for first place with my squirrel cookies.”

“My obsession grew and those cookies become a major part in my life, as well as those in Stafford. Eventually, I was called away to defend England during the Battle of Carlisle. The squirrel population there was terrible. I was unable to make my squirrel cookies. I don’t remember much about battle, but I am told that without the cookies, I became like a berserker. I killed a few enemies and even stole some of NNGO’s cookies. I really wish those records survived.”

“Over time, I started to see the value in squirrels. I have a spy network of squirrels and attack squirrels. They are highly unreliable, because, they are, after all, squirrels, but they do try. Squirrels are now an everyday part of life in Mercia. I have named several taverns in Scotland and England The Nutty Squirrel. I am even leading an army with a squirrel name. Don’t be alarmed if you see squirrels in armor, but do not cross them. Squirrels are the unofficial mascot of Mercia.”

After hearing the longing in Myxti’s voice, this reporter diligently searched the warehouse of those rare documents saved from the Great Purge, and after must sneezing from the dust found http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=672791&highlight=]records of the Squirrel Attack of 1457 and http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=1357467&highlight=]an account of the cookie theft. It is good to know that not all was lost from that time.

Julianna for KAP
http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=2434332]The Right to respond to any KAP article is located in the International KAP offices.