Berganashio - Chapter 28

Jovie and the three small totters made it back to the waterfall. The totters had refreshed themselves with the cool water. They caught several fish and cooked them over a small fire.

"I'm glad we made it back to the waterfall, but I'm at a loss of what to do next... Tomorrow morning will be here before we know it." Jovie stated, with a discouraged voice.

"The rest of the fairies have been buried alive in the caverns... and we're powerless to save them..." Papa mumbled softly. He was trying to not let his children hear him.

"What are we going to do?" Sister totter asked. She had heard them both.

Brother totter was quietly floating in the water. He looked oblivious to any of the other’s concerns.

"All we can do is keep moving tomorrow and hope that we come across someone who can help us." Jovie tried to muster all the hope she could, deep down inside, but she just felt paralyzed and scared. A small tear slid down her face, but she wiped it away quickly, so that papa and sister totter couldn't see it.

"What if there are more sea-wolfs that come for us?" Sister totter asked.

Papa totter and Jovie looked at one another, quietly waiting to see which one of them was going to address her question.

Papa totter answered her, "We'll do whatever we can to escape and survive, dear."

Jovie took a deep breath. "That is all we can do!"

That night it was difficult for them to fall asleep, but eventually, they did. The next morning, they arose and continued hiking, but had no real idea of where they were going. As they trekked, they tried to keep an alert watch out for any more sea-wolfs that might be out on the prowl. They had packed up as much leftover cooked fish as they could fit in their backpacks. They had no idea how long they would be traveling.

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The three meerbird counsel members were sat in the treetop counsel nest. It had felt like a whole lifetime had slipped by since he had been with the rest of the mob. Keenwai was glad to be home, even if it were just for a couple days. Grinyella took a deep breath. "I understand the predicament, chief Keenwai. You want to show your commitment to the formed alliance with the merfarie kingdom. But, at the same time, we know little, to nothing, as to why the fairy villagers are even a threat to the merfarie kingdom at all... We trust your judgement though." She paused for a few seconds. "And we have no other choice other than to meet the merfaries at the caverns of Mem for battle. They are expecting us to meet them there."

Podder questioned. "And what if the fairies are not there, what if they've left?"

Keenwai was exhausted. He felt some regret about the alliance that had seemed like a good idea until now. He addressed Podder's concern. "That is a possibility... But the merfarie king and queen seemed convinced that the fairies would be there... according to a prophetic dream that their queen had about them."

"We're all trusting her dream?" Podder was unimpressed about the situation and very uneasey. "It all seems hasty and I am not one for unnecessary haste," Podder spat.

Grinyella slowly looked at Keenwai and Podder. "Podder, the alliance has been formed and we must not make a fool out of our chief of the mob!"

Keenwai's face grew warm. He felt embarrassed for a moment and sat in awkward silence. The three of them remained quiet. Keenwai pushed his own internal conflict aside. Sitting very still, he felt gratitude for Grinyella and Podder. It felt as if he could see both of them in a fresh light, since he had been back. All of their greatest qualities were more apparent to him, more than ever before that he could recall! Grinyella's loyalty, commitment to the yearly anointing ceremonies, and her wisdom were better than gold. Podder's care, strength, and even his reservations were more invaluable than silver. Keenwai remembered his personal anointing of admiration that he had been imparted with during the most recent anointing day.

"Could this be what admiration feels like?" He wondered aloud to himself, not realizing he had said anything audibly. Grinyella and Podder looked confused and asked him what he meant.

Keenwai shook his head. "Oh, it's nothing... I was just lost in my thoughts for a moment. And I didn't mean to say anything."

Podder was still unsettled. "Now is no time for daydreaming!"

Keenwai cleared his throat. "I am most grateful for you both, as part of this counsel, over the meerbird mob. You have maintained order while I was away." His jaw was set. "We will join the merfaries in battle against the fairies at the caverns of Mem. The alliance will be honored."

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Larkin's sword flashed back and forth with another merfarie warrior in the open part of the courtyard. Sweat poured from his face. They were practicing for the battle that was quickly approaching. Villi was also practicing her sword fighting. She was skilled, strong, and especially fearless. She felt annoyed by her older sister's disagreeable nature lately.

Pori glared at them from her second story bedroom window with very strong distaste. "I don't want to believe it! And I'll have no part in it! It is an unnecessary war!"

Bry was busy climbing up Cotton's back legs and then sliding down Cotton's head. As always, Cotton didn't mind. He was always amused by Bry's childish antics and proclivity for fun. The merfarie children were the first real family that he had truly ever experienced. Until meeting them, he had never felt as if he fit in anywhere.

"I can't stay here anymore!" Pori had balled her fists up and angrily hit her bedframe. "I need to get away from all the battle preparations."

"You mean forever?" Bry stopped sliding down Cotton's head for a moment.

Pori shook her head. "No, not forever. I just need something to distract myself is all."

"We could play hide and seek, Pori!" Bry yelled.

At first Pori shrugged but then she froze at his suggestion. "Bry, you're brilliant!" Pori grabbed her little brother, swirling him around with a surprising level of exuberance. "We will play hide and seek and I know exactly where we can go hide today... Yes, we'll hide from Villi and Larkin and all other other merfaries here at the kingdom."

"Where we gonna' hide, sis?" Bry was elated.

Pori answered, "Let's go back to visit Whisper the dwarf and his giant friend… that’s where we’ll hide!"

Cotton raised his furry brow, but didn't say a word. He was glad to see Pori happy again. Without further ado, the three of them covertly slipped out of the merfarie kingdom, not telling a soul where they were going. This time, Pori and Bry both rode on Cotton's white back. He ran powerfully, with quite an impressive pace.

They were getting closer to the circular mountain range, but then Pori spotted four tiny creatures in the distance.

"Stop, Cotton!" Pori screamed.

Cotton, the albino sea-wolf, came to a jarring stop, which flung the two merfaries off of his back. It was fortunate that they had wings because they fluttered up to avoid hitting the ground. Their fins shimmered in the sunlight.

"Look there! See those shapes moving over there?"

Cotton and Bry looked where she pointed. They walked closer and they were waving their arms wildly.

"They're trying to run away, they are likely scared of me," Cotton nodded. "I am a sea-wolf after all... and most creatures are terrified of my kind."

Pori and Bry had almost forgotten that he was a sea-wolf at all because he was so docile and agreeable. The two merfaries looked at one anther, without a word, they both flew as fast as they could to catch up to the running shapes.

"Wait! Stop! We come in peace!" Pori yelled at the top of her lungs.

The shapes stopped in their tracks. They appeared to be three brown furry creatures and a fairy.

"She has legs and no fins like us!" Pori gasped. "She's a fairy!"

Bry yelled. "They must be spies!"

"We are not spies at all!" Brother totter barked.

"Just a family of wandering totters and one fairy, in desperate need of help!" Papa totter added.

Pori inquired further, "What kind of help do you need?"

Jovie eyed Pori with slight suspicion, as she had never seen a merfarie before. She had only heard how arrogant and heartless they supposedly were. In this particular situation, there was not much to lose, so she told the truth.

"All of the fairy vine villagers are stuck! They are stuck in the caverns of Mem!"

"Why is this? What happened?" Pori asked. Her eyebrows were raised high in surprise.

"There was a loud boom and then an avalanche happened and the rocks covered both entry points of the caverns. All the fairies are stuck, except for me! And if we don't figure out how to get them out, then they'll likely starve and die in there very soon!"

Pori smiled with deep satisfaction, which seemed like an odd response to Jovie and the totters. She suddenly remembered how easily the childish giant had thrown the large boulders the day before in the valley. The giant had made the boulders seem like they were nothing but pebbles. The cogs of her mind spun wildly. She plotted. It was looking like she had a unique way to save the trapped fairies. Also, just possibly, she thought that she might be able to put a complete stop to the battle that was supposed to happen tomorrow. This was why Pori had smiled.

"Can you help us?" Sister totter asked directly.

Pori had a lot at stake because she knew that she would be considered a traitor by her own family, but she had to do what she felt was right. This felt right to her. Finally, after a pause, Pori answered. "Yes, I have an excellent idea! The timing here couldn't have been better!" She looked down at Bry. "Bry, I think we have some more friends to play hide and seek with now!"

Jovie and the three totters had confused expressions, but waited to hear more about Pori's idea or plan.

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Author's Note:

To read chapter 29, follow the link below: