I don't know when things became as bad as they were.
Maybe it was when Dad fell sick and left the job of Chief to me.
Or maybe it was when The Hyena started sending her "Tax Collectors"
Maybe it was when our food supplies ran low and the few coins our small village had remaining were taken by that Bandit.
I really don't know when things really got bad.
But I do know when they turned for the better.
It was when He arrived.
The Storm King.
I can't believe I thought he was one of The Hyena's goons when we first met.
And less than a week later after he arrived and our village became a happier and livelier place than it was in months, perhaps even years.
The Hyena was gone, her goons arrested and set to work in the Quarry as their sentence.
Our Trade routes opened up once again without the fear of highwaymen robbing us on the roads.
Our community wasn't big, It was only four hedgehog villages built near the forested and mountainous area of the Savannah, With a few villages of Turtles further away closer to the dryer parts of the region.
And the Storm King managed to connect all of us.
He gave us jobs, protection, opportunity.
Even now, almost a week after he left to continue his campaign, I can still see children running around with small wooden masks and sticks, playing pretend as the Storm Kings army.
"Wahh! You won't defeat us evil Hyena!" A young hedgehog yelled in a deep voice as he swung a stick around at another hedgehog with a cloth mask over his eyes.
"Oh no! The Storm King has come to stop my evil!" The second child yelled dramatically, "But you won't attack! I have a hostage!"
The child playing as The Storm King chuckled to himself before saying "You fool! While we were fighting, I sent my soldiers to free the hostages while you weren't looking! I win!"
The second child acts as if injured before falling to the floor "Curse you Storm king!" He yelled.
"No! Curse you Hyena!" And with another yell he threw the stick aside and jumped on top of the Hyena, rolling on the ground and laughing.
Hah, to be young.
The two children soon turned to look at me.
"Oh, Good Morning miss Cheryl" They both said.
"Good morning to you too kids"
You know, I think I'll miss having the Storm King around these parts.
At least If I ever feel like getting another audience with him, I can just visit the Storm Base here.
It's a perk of being The Chief in charge of the biggest Hedgehog Village in the region.