Story Paws: A Mystical Old World Story : Toxics 12

CHAPTER XII.

THE TROOP OF NINE They had been travelling for hours.

The moon was high and the path hard to follow.

Pippi stayed close to Felicity and nudged her unhelpfully.

Georges brought up the rear,

With Gus in front of him.

These two were becoming good friends in a symmetry typical of this simple world,

Felicity,

The oldest and the newest,

Tradition and new beginnings.

Many of the followers had decided to stay in the temperate north.

The matings would go on for many weeks and Ruben had suggested politely to each and all that a different way of supporting the quest might be to support the old world's traditions and honour the contests with their presence.

He realised he needed to condense the quest group for speed and efficiency.

Looking at the newly shrunken group,

Felicity wished Ruben had consulted her.

How could they defeat a small army of toxics with just nine members?

Furthermore,

What was Ruben thinking of taking along two saplings,

Scrat and Little Green?

The only decision that made sense was the one to include Wolfgang.

She couldn't remember when she'd named Luparta 4000th Wolfgang,

But everyone adopted the name instantly.

Felicity,

This group that Ruben has accepted make a good team,

Said Pippi,

Hearing Felicity's anxious thoughts.

Thorn may look small,

But he will grow,

And a thorn is not to be underestimated.

They are the enharmonics of the Luparta.

Little Green has the promise of immense powers.

All happens as it should.

Even Wolfgang was probably supposed to join the quest.

Would you like to know the strengths of the team?

She added.

Yes,

Please.

I have some idea,

But I'm not entirely sure.

Well,

As you know,

Ruben has agility amongst his other attributes,

Pippi said,

Laughing,

And Georges his immense strength and knowledge of the old ways.

Gurs has his spines and his ability to understand all languages.

Zip has vast geographical knowledge,

And his kind have a special relationship as messengers for the aquatics.

I presume you and Wolfgang will be good fighters if there's a fight?

Felicity asked,

Finally.

There will be danger,

And maybe battles,

Who knows?

Is that glow around Little Green useful?

It fades and brightens sometimes.

Ruben said something about her having a vast spirit or harmony or something.

Is the light connected?

She said,

Her words loud in the night air.

Pippi hushed her.

Do not speak of her spirit so lightly,

Felicity,

She said in a whisper.

The aura of the greens is the very heart and life pulse of our world.

We are all connected with it,

But the greens have a special connection.

The ordained Stipple Greens carry the strongest pulse.

It's laid along with the knowledge and keeps the cycle of energy and light flowing.

They are the most spiritual of our world,

And their light shines out in the darkness.

Do you see how Little Green's glow lights our path along with the moon?

Yes,

Said Felicity,

It was true.

Little Green's phosphorescent glow shone ever brighter,

But it dims when scratch shatters.

Yes,

Said Pippi,

It does.

Body and mind and soul are one.

Scratch drains with his chatter,

But the strength of Little Green's light suggests a young green of great importance.

The loss of her family will have further dimmed her light.

Finally Ruben stopped marching.

They were far from Thornton now.

They had passed through smaller hedgedowns and were in a broadly open expanse of winding rivulets.

They had hopped and jumped over the tiny waterways for the last hour.

Felicity was exhausted.

Ravenous also,

Of course.

The troop gathered together.

Georges was slurping the stream noisily and Wolfgang growled at him to be quiet.

As Georges raised his dripping chin,

Ruben said,

Where's Seb?

Everyone looked around.

Little Green took a deep breath and concentrated.

Exhaling slowly and smiling hard,

Her light gradually increased until it illuminated the patch of ground and its immediate surroundings.

Looking behind her,

Felicity could see Gus's three-pronged shape and Georges's huge head,

With little clouds of steam emanating from his nostrils in the damp night air.

She,

Pippi and Scratch stood close to Ruben.

Wolfgang was retracing their steps,

Trying to pick up Seb's scent.

Pippi joined him.

Ruben looked at Felicity.

Okay,

He said finally.

Felicity went over to him.

She tentatively laid a hand on his arm.

He took hold of her hand with both of his and then surprised her by pulling her close.

He held her tightly for a brief moment.

Then he raised his voice and said,

Wolfgang and Pippi,

You know what to do.

Scratch,

Please source food.

Georges and Felicity,

You help him and all three of you stay near this spot.

Little Green,

You're with me.

I need your marvellous light.

Don't worry,

We won't be long,

Ruben said.

And then he left.

They won't be far,

I'm sure,

Gus said as he and Georges trotted up to Felicity.

Wolfgang is an experienced tracker and Pippi is a fine young lupata.

If they can't scent him,

No one can.

But it's so dark.

Where would he go?

Asked Felicity.

She felt vulnerable here in the open night without Ruben or Pippi.

Georges was wonderfully brave,

But possibly not the most intelligent,

And Gus was a toxic after all.

Her fear carried to Scratch and he began to whimper.

Felicity tried to put her arms around him.

It was about the same height as her but only because of his fluffy top growth.

His face was somewhere on a level with her shoulder and he was prickly.

Why did I beg to come?

He sobbed.

I'm too young.

I should be at home with my family.

I want to go back.

I want to go back.

He was really crying now.

Felicity was getting wet.

Georges rumbled,

Thorn 6060,

Where is your pride?

Shhh.

I hear something,

He said suddenly.

They all listened hard.

They could hear splashing and shouting.

Felicity thought she heard a growl.

Over here quick,

Urged Georges,

Calling them to his side.

He stood and faced the noise with his head lowered.

By common accord,

They were deathly silent.

A faint glow appeared in the distance,

And grew incredibly strong.

It seemed to dart to the left and right.

With it came shouts and splashes and finally arriving in a chaotic bundle came little green with Ruben holding one of her outstretched branches.

He tried to speak but couldn't.

Toxics,

He finally gasped,

Hands on his knees as he tried to fill his chest with air.

Felicity felt fingers of panic tingle up her spine.

Follow my light,

Said little green.

Her tone was calm and steady in spite of running.

Come on everyone quickly.

Ruben and I have seen a safe hide.

Pippi and Wolfgang are leading them away,

But they might double back.

Please,

She begged.

Her hypnotic voice drew them forwards.

Felicity grabbed her shawl now full of stodpoles and they followed.

Little green held onto Georges' matted mane on one side and Scratt held the other.

Gus took big strides on his prickly long limbs and Felicity found herself scooped up by Ruben in one swift motion.

He was damp with sweat but warm and it was lovely to simply be carried for a moment.

He must be utterly spent,

But still he strode.

They reached the place very soon.

It was a meeting of streams that overlapped as the ground rose and fell,

Except it was cleverly hidden from view by some large bushy ferns.

Ruben said,

This is not brilliant,

The toxics may find us,

So be prepared.

Felicity and Scratt stay well back if it comes to anything.

They waited for hours and hours or so it seemed.

Finally they heard the flooding of Lupata pours on the ground.

The rhythm sounded steady as it approached.

Without warning a huge head appeared around the corner of their ferny hollow.

Ruben stepped forward.

Welcome and welcome,

He said to Wolfgang and Pippi with relief.

We lost them about five hundredths away,

Pippi said.

We should be safe for the night.

Was it the same ones who were in Thornton?

Asked Scratt,

His voice trembling a little as he spoke.

No,

Ruben replied to him,

They are obviously more travelling the temperate north than we suspected.

This is not a good sign,

Said Gus,

His voice was sombre.

No,

Agreed Wolfgang,

He was limping.

What was the howling?

Asked Felicity.

I had to call Wolfgang to my aid,

Said Pippi,

She sounded irritated.

You did very well my little cub,

He said to her.

Scratt snorted and everyone went quiet pretending they hadn't heard him.

Pippi nipped him sharply on the muzzle and then started licking his front paw with care.

They seem to have made friends,

Thought Felicity.

She was smiling and thought Ruben was too,

As he said with a slightly odd voice,

Let's eat.

To everyone's delight he kept some sticky buds in his jacket and he produced them with relish.

Georges ate all the stog balls and no one minded.

He asked for a sticky bud but Scratt threw a stick at him instead.

He stomped off to sleep outside as guardian whilst they slept.

He claimed he could go three days without sleep.

When I was in my prime,

He began and they all told him to shut up,

Politely of course.

Felicity settled down in her favourite position with Ruben on one side and Pippi on the other.

She lay quietly,

Hoping they would reach the shore tomorrow without further toxic scares.

She looked at the outline of Georges standing firmly in the moonlight.

Little Green had long extinguished her glow and was fast asleep beside Scratt.

She raised her head above Ruben's shoulder and could see the long,

Dark slope of Wolfgang's back as he slept alone and fully stretched out between Georges and them.

Tomorrow I shall think of a better name for Little Green,

She thought.

The moon passed over the top of their shelter and slowly sank out a few.

A rustling in the ferns told of a night creature snuffling for food by the water.

The first bird tentatively drilled its early morning call.

Felicity finally fell asleep.