The three of them looked at one another as if waiting for a cue, but only silence followed. Only less than a moment had passed when the wrapping continued. This time followed by a voice: "Hello? Bob, Greg, You buggers in there?" Bob motioned toward a stack of firewood while looking intently at Greg. Greg nodded.

"You best get behind that stack of wood" Greg whispered to Lamburga, "And I wouldn't come out till we say it's ok, are you good with that?" Lamburga nodded and quickly, but quietly, made his way behind the pile; taking care to cover himself with a ratty old blanket that was sitting atop the wood pile. Bob was busy wiping up the tea with a towel while Greg made his way to the door.

"You deaf out there? No need to yell, you scared poor Bob out of his chair yeh!" Greg said as he went for the door handle. As the door cracked open Lamburga knew that the beavers were right about one thing. A Gust of bitter, bitter cold wind came rushing in along with a whirlwind of snowflakes desperately trying to intrude on the nice warm den. Standing in the doorway was a tall feathery figure, long skinny legs with a muscular upper build. A short beak with the longest tail Lamburga had ever seen on any creature before. It was a Sparrow, Light brown chest with dark maroon markings all along it's back, you could barely tell though as it was now wearing a blanket of snow. The sparrow was so tall; it had to bend down just to peer into the doorway. Greg stood only inches in front of it with his neck craned upward, not intimidated in the slightest.

"Well! You comin in or what? Can't have you out in that weather eh?" Greg said with a warm smile, inviting the large sparrow into the den. The sparrow had to crouch down quite a ways to fit through the door, but once inside he seemed to fit just right. Almost as if the beavers built their den as tall as the bird for his own benefit.

"Jeeze Greg, it's white wash out there. I tried flying through it and had to stop, and then I saw the smoke coming from your chimney and knew where I was. Had to land and at least try to take shelter, don't know if I would have made it, especially not without at least one cup of birch bark tea!" Said the sparrow with a chattering grin, looking over at Bob, who was already making more. Lamburga was still in hiding, crouched down motionless not sure of what to think about the sparrow.

He seemed friendly enough, and if they were friends of Greg and Bob's, then they couldn't be that bad. They did however mention that humans weren't from around these parts, and that Lamburga was the first human to be seen around here in quite some time. Was that a bad thing? Is that why Greg told him to hide in the first place? Lamburga had quite a few questions he still needed answered, but he was still so hungry.

The two beavers and the sparrow carried on a quiet conversation over by the stove; it was too hard to make out what they were saying from behind the woodpile. Lamburga knew that he had to get closer to hear what they were talking about. Actually he could barely even see them through the pile of birch and maple. He crept cautiously toward the fireplace, taking care not to ruffle the old blanket too much as to not be noticed.

The closer he got the better he could make out certain words. They were still talking too quietly for him to hear the whole conversation, but he could hear a few things that certainly peaked his interest. Familiar words like "5 day forecast" and "Rhubarb pie"; even some that he had most recently learned like "The Pangurian Guard" and "Uklan". Words that when combined created a sense of tension between Lamburga and the rest of the room that was seemingly unaware of his presence. He wasn't sure how they got on such a topic, or if it was even something they were discussing; but he didn't like it. He knew he needed to get closer.

Lamburga crouched down, almost on his hands and knees, and crept slowly toward the coffee table, moving no more than an tired inchworm would. All the while the Greg was using dramatic hand gestures to explain some wild story that they all seemed to remember. Their laughter was the perfect cover for the sound of the blanket dragging behind him.

He was halfway to the driftwood sofa, everything they were saying was becoming much clearer now; but he was still out in the open. If they turned and looked all they would see was a big lump under a blanket sitting completely out of place. Realizing how exposed he was, Lamburga began to make his way to the driftwood sofa. The sofa that gave him such discomfort moments ago was now his only shelter from being seen by the large bird, it was a safe zone. ...or so he had hoped.

The whistling stopped again, followed by that same clanking noise, and with that the three of them were making their way toward the coffee table.

"Not like them to be doing these types of things you know? It's very strange... as if they are expecting something to happen soon..." said the large sparrow.

"They do this type of thing every winter, yeh. I wouldn't think too much into it." Greg said, trailing off toward the end of his sentence. Whatever it was they were talking about, Greg and Bob didn't seem too concerned.

"Yes I know but what if it does happen? What if what Tanner said was true? I know everyone doesn't believe him but-" Bob cut him off before he could finish. "-Everyone doesn't believe Tanner because he's a drunk. Nothing but a big lush eh."

"Lush or not, he was right before. And I have half a mind to believe him this time too." Said the large bird. There was a hint of fear in his voice, whatever they were talking about was no laughing matter now. He imagined that they must have been having a more light-hearted conversation over by the stove while bob was making the tea.

"This is fantastic tea Bob, it smells a bit off though..." Said the sparrow, now sniffing at the air directly around his head. Bob and Greg looked at each other, thinking that maybe what he was smelling was actually Lamburga. But not a moment after that Bob looked at the sparrow and began to nod.

"Actually, I smell it too... but I don't think it's the tea." Said Bob. The three of them sat for a moment, sniffing in unison trying to scout out the source of the smell without getting up from their seats. Bob did get up though, and waddled over to the stove thinking maybe he had left it on; but it had been off the whole time.

"Maybe thar was something in the fire, a bug crawl in it or something." Said Greg trying to draw the attention back to the conversation. Lamburga must have really felt the stresses involved with almost getting caught, his heart was racing. He wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a big sigh of relief when he heard the bird and Greg continue their conversation. But it was a very short lived one, for Bob dropped whatever it was in his hands and it shattered all over the floor. This created a very uneasy silence that made Lamburga's heart skip two, maybe three beats.

"Oh, are you alright Bob?" the sparrow said.

"Yeh Rory, m'alright. Just a bit of clumsiness I spose." Said Bob in an uneasy tone. Rory, the sparrows name was Rory Lamburga thought to himself.

"Well then let me help you clean it up-" but Rory couldn't get it all out, for Bob was persistently motioning Rory to stay on the sofa.

"You sure you're ok Bob?" Rory insisted, for at this point Bob was shaking like a leaf. Making wild hand gestures to Greg who was blankly trying to interpret what they could possibly mean.

"FINE, said I was Fine Rory! Just a bit hyped up from so many cups of tea is my guess!" Said Bob now frantically looking for a towel. Lamburga could hear Rory sniffing the air around him again.

"That smell seems like it's actually getting stronger..." Rory said looking over at Greg with a half concerned grin on his face. Greg was still puzzled by what Bob was trying to tell him, thinking it must have something to do with Lamburga, but he was too afraid to look over at the woodpile out of fear that it might give him away. Suddenly, it was apparent. Apparent to everyone but Rory anyways, were the clouds of smoke that began carelessly drifting up to the skylight from behind the driftwood sofa.

"Must be what you said earlier Greg, cause that smells like burning." Rory said while wrinkling his beak in distaste. Greg sat totally still very unsure of what to do, and Bob began making his way back to the table with a big wet towel.

"Say Rory, you ever notice how much shorter you were in that picture by the stove?" Bob said, gesturing Rory to go and take a look. Rory curiously obliged not thinking much of it "I didn't know I was in that picture... How long ago was it taken?" Rory said lifting himself off the sofa, taking a few quick strides over to where the stove is. Bob hurriedly shuffled toward the source of the smoke while Rory was looking away. Greg assisted by jumping to his feet and hurrying over to Rory to try and keep his attention in the kitchen, and his gaze away from the Sofa.

"Yeh, Yer in that one alright. Look at the bottom left!" Bob said raising the towel above his head. Lamburga completely unaware that he was about to be flogged with a wet towel, and even more so unaware of the fact that his blanket had caught fire and was sending up smoke signals like a lone survivor from a plane crash trapped on an uncharted island.

Unfortunately Greg was unsuccessful in keeping Rory's attention to the picture on the wall once Rory discovered that it wasn't him in the photograph, but instead a stuffed penguin that Bob won at some fair. Rory turned his head just in time to behold Bob mercilessly beating something behind the sofa with the wet towel, and Greg had just enough time to let out a big sigh and thrust his palm into his own forehead.

"Bob!" Yelled Rory.

"Yeh Rory?!" Yelled Bob.

"...Bob?!" Rory yelled a second time.

"Greg!" Bob yelped almost posed as a question, as if asking for a little help with the far gone situation.

"Me?" Greg replied as if saying 'what do you want me to do about it, you're the one beating the poor guy.'

"AH! Why!?" Lamburga exclaimed quietly as Bob was thumping away at his back with the soggy cloth.

"Shut yer mouth!" Bob yelled back trying his best to put out the flame.

"Hey don't tell me to shut my mouth!" Greg protested.

"Not you, him!" Bob Replied

"Me?!" Rory looked more confused than ever. He began making his way over to the scene of the flogging, as Greg pulled on his arm trying to keep him away. But it was no good.

"Alright then what's going on?" Rory said making his way behind the sofa only to see a smoldering lump of blanket. Lamburga lay motionless underneath hoping to not be detected by the large sparrow.

"That's right, just an old blanket caught fire. All is well now yeh? Should we get back to the tea?" Bob insisted.

"I think you should maybe toss that thing outside, it could start up again-" but before Rory could finish that sentence Lamburga let out a groan. Bob stepped on Lamburga's hand while trying to direct everyone away from the scene, but Lamburga just couldn't help it. Bob must have weighed far more than Lamburga once thought.

"Did your blanket just... moan?" Rory suggested, not quite believing it himself. The two beavers stood motionless, completely unsure of how to answer that question. Greg added his own notion:

"Must have been the floorboard yer standin on." But Rory saw right through his poor excuse, and lifted the blanket. Lamburga was completely and utterly exposed.

"...a... a Human! Human!" Rory yelped jumping back about ten feet in the air, causing him to crash into the ceiling. The whole den shook as he began his struggle to try and back into a corner, any corner farthest away from the human as possible. He jumped up on the counter and knocked off every dish, mug, and tea pot in sight. His wingspan causing dust and feathers to stir through the air, much like the many snowflakes that had earlier tried to make their way into the den. Greg Followed suit, knocking many things over in an attempt to calm Rory down, while Bob helped Lamburga to his feet and apologized for giving him such a beating.

"Human! It can't be, a human?! All of Pangura and I stop here?!" Rory was now screeching as he desperately tried to make his way to the door. Greg, however, stood firmly in his way persistently trying to calm him down.

"Rory it's alright, it's fine. Just calm down a moment yeh." Greg said, trying his hardest to keep the situation under control.

"Calm down? Calm down?! There is a human in Pangura and you want me to calm down?! Do you have any idea what this means, we have to tell everyone. All of Pangura must know we must-" Rory was cut short again by Bob.

"Pangura can't know Rory..." Said bob, matter of fact like.

"Why the heck not?!" Rory exclaimed this at the top of his massive lungs, as if he were asking someone far away from where they were. Bob looked toward Greg and Greg looked over at Lamburga. He stared at him for just over a minute before giving Rory, who was now panting un-controllably, any form of answer.

"Because Tanner was right..." Greg said with a heavy sigh, his eyes drifted toward the ground and Rory's breathing stopped just like that. So there they stood, Greg between Rory and the door, Lamburga next to Bob, and the light peering in from the ceiling making it's own presence noted on the chair Bob was sitting in moments ago.

"Did you just say..." Rory trailed off looking upward at the ceiling, piecing together a puzzle in his own mind.

"Yes Rory, Tanner was right." Greg affirmed once more.

"Then that means..." Rory was still piecing it together, but it was obvious that he now had more pieces solved than before.

"That's right." Bob proclaimed, putting a hand on Lamburga's shoulder. Lamburga was very confused by all that just happened, but knew that if he asked the question, he'd more than likely just be more confused. He figured if they wanted him to know something, they'd tell him. Rory calmly walked away from the door, over to the sofa, and plopped down hard. Still staring blankly at the wall, and occasionally at Greg or Bob. Greg walked over and sat Lamburga down next to him as Bob made his way over to the kitchen to clean up a little.

"I'll put on more tea for us, yeh?" This was more of Bob's statement than it was a question, as he was already putting the kettle on. The four of them remained silent as they all tried to figure out how they were going to tell Lamburga why it was that he was there. Lamburga remained silent because he knew that an explanation was due, and that it was coming soon. And the only sound that could be heard in the den was the high-pitched hissing of the kettle, and the periodic clanking together of the clay mugs as Bob prepared their last cup of tea for the day.