Chapter 1: A Stormy Smurf
Another crash of thunder caused him to jump and run to his trembling beakers. Today had been a horrible day to try this new experiment. He should have regarded the almanac with more care, and for sure he should not have sent Tracker out for his ingredients when the clouds began to roll in so black.
"PAPA SMURF! PAPA SMURF!"
His door bangs open and he quickly grabs hold of his frail, frightened glasses. With a long, drawn out sigh he glances over his shoulder. "What is it, Brainy?"
Brainy walks around the table to where he is sure Papa Smurf can see him before clearing his throat, causing Papa Smurf to roll his eyes. "Has Tracker returned with the—"
"No, Brainy. But when he does, you'll be the first to hear about it, I'm sure." He slowly releases his glassware and shakes his head. "But looking at this storm...I'd be more concerned about having to send a rescue party."
"A rescue party? But, Papa Smurf, if Tracker can't find his way home, who could possibly find him?"
Papa just shook his head. "We'll just have to see it out, Brainy...As it is, it's too dangerous to send anymore of my little smurflings out to look for him."
"I was just about to say the same-"
"Brainy…"
"Eh—I'll let you return to your experiment, Papa Smurf." Brainy then says with a sheepish smile, backing slowly towards the door.
"Thank smurfness…" Papa grumbles under his breath as he heard the door shut softly again. He could put up with Brainy's constant interruptions, but even he had come to his limit today.
"Oh smurfness me, now where could that root be hiding?" Tracker Smurf sighs to himself, holding his hand over his eyes to brace against the harsh, wet wind. He sniffs the air, but it only leads him to frown. "How odd, I can't seem to get a scent of anything but this wind."
He then shook his head and continued onwards, deeper into the forest. "Papa said that I should be able to find some here...But he had said the map was old. It could have all died out."
Tracker sniffs the air again. "Ah! There they are!" He scurries over to a large clump of dark orange and red flowers and digs out the roots from under them. He plants the stems back into the dirt and stuffs the roots into a little sac.
"Ohhh!" He then exclaims as the strong wind blows off his hat. "Come back here you!" He grabs up his sac and chases after his hat, finally catching it once it gets snagged in the branches of a large fallen limb. "There you are!" He snatche his hat and places it back upon his head just as a large flash of lightning illuminates the sky. He jumps back and looks more closely at the fallen limb. "What in smurf?!"
Tracker drops the bag and moves away some of the leaves and gasps. His eyes hadn't been illusioned by the lightning afterall. He reaches under the branch and come in contact with a cool blue hand. He gently feels upwards at the wrist for a pulse. "Oh smurf!" He gasps and then strains to lift the branch. He manages to get it to shift just enough that he can wiggle under the limb himself to push the limp form out from under the branch.
He then ever so gently turned them over and gasps again. "A smurfette!" He looks around himself, feeling bewildered and confused at where this smurfette could have possibly come from. "Well, I certainly can't leave you here, miss." He then nods to himself. He ties the strap of his sac to his pants and then gently lifts the unconscious smurfette. With another flash of lightning, Tracker is able to make out some scratches and cuts, but beyond that she doesn't seem very bad off, thankfully. Nevertheless, he carries her as fast as he can back to the village. After all, he wasn't an expert like Papa Smurf and Doctor Smurf.
"It's okay, miss, you'll be okay in no time." Tracker whispers to her when she makes a soft whimper of pain.
After a few minutes, the village finally comes into view. He rushes with her into the village. "PAPA SMURF! ANY SMURF! HELP!" He shouts upon entrance. He feels exhausted from the long run and how unaccustomed he is to carrying a fellow smurf around, and cold and drenched from the pouring rain and sheer wind.
Lights flip on throughout the village and several smurfs poke their heads out their windows and doors. "Say, what's this racket, Tracker?" Hefty yawns, looking out his door.
"I need help carrying her to Papa Smurf." Tracker grunts, looking winded.
Hefty blinks and then looks at the form with his eyebrows up in surprise. "Where the heck did you find her?" He asks, quickly relieving Tracker of her.
"Out in the forest. She was knocked out by broken limb." He pants.
Hefty nods and carries her after Tracker who rushes to Papa Smurf's house and pushes the door open. "Papa Smurf!"
Papa Smurf looks over from his chair and the book he is reading. "Ah, Tracker, back with the-" He stops as he sees Hefty enter with the injured smurfette. "Great smurf!" He hops up and clears off a table. "Bring her here, Hefty."
"Yes, sir, Papa Smurf." He lays her out on the table.
"Hefty, go get Doctor."
Hefty nods and runs out to do as he's told. Papa meanwhile straightens her out and begins checking her for injuries. He then glances over at Tracker who still stands by the wall. "Bring me that water, Tracker."
Tracker brings him the water and Papa Smurf gently wipes the mud off of her face and arms. "You found her out in the forest?"
"Yes, sir." He nods.
Papa Smurf nods. "She has a bad hit on the head and a few broken ribs...But she'll be just fibe with a little time."
"Is she one of Gargamel's creations?" Tracker looks at him.
Papa looks at him hesitantly. "No, Tracker...I don't think so…" He looks at the door as Hefty enters with Doctor. "Ah, Doctor. She has a concussion and some broken ribs."
"Do we know her name?" Doctor asks as he pulls on some gloves.
"I have a guess, but I may be wrong."
"Any guess is better than no guess." Doctor says as he gets his instruments ready.
"Animalia...Animalia Smurfette." He finally sighs.
Tracker and Hefty both look questioningly at Papa, but before they can ask their questions, Doctor shoos them out of the house. Instead they take a seat on Papa Smurf's porch steps and wait.