Return to the Glen

~Co-Authored by Drekmost and Dunwynner~

Chapter 1

"Daddi, it's time to take a break, the rest of the family will be here any minute!"

Gruffi nearly fell off the ladder as his daughter burst through the door. "Hold on a minute, kiddo," he said, trying to regain balance. "I have to replace this ceiling board. The earth keeps leaking through."

Tessi rolled her eyes in exasperation as she steadied the ladder at its base. "If you had packed the earth tight enough to begin with, we wouldn't have this problem."

"That would have been easier to do if someone hadn't run off to tinker with the damn pipes before we'd even finished repairing the collapse. I swear, sometimes you're as flighty as your Aunt Sunni was at your age."

"Aunt Sunni wouldn't know which end of a screwdriver to use."

"And you wouldn't know a teaspoon from a teapot!"

Tessi laughed and made a face. "True enough."

Gruffi laid down the hammer and wiped his brow, looking up to survey his work. It had been four years of backbreaking labor, but a glimmer of the Glen's former glory was finally beginning to shine through the wreckage. The main hall had been the most difficult to restore. The inverted glass dome that had once looked up through a pond on the surface, letting in natural light, had proved impossible to replace. For now, they would have to rely on lamps, however he was already making plans for a new chandelier.

Tessi continued to hold the ladder steady as he climbed down. "They'll be coming in through the northern tunnels, right? Y'know, I was thinking of adding a system of vents and mirrors through to allow more surface light and air into those passages. Actually, we could start with this hall. I think it would give a much pleasanter feel to the Glen."

Gruffi snorted and turned toward the passage. "A system like that would never work. Do you realize what kind of maintenance that would require?"

"I know that Daddi, I've already figured it out. Milicent said she knows a protection spell that would keep the mirrors from dulling and keep the vents free from debris. It would probably work! The spell would only need to be recast every couple of years."

"No way, no how!" It may have been convenient to use human magic to fix the Glen, but Gruffi was wary of relying on it too heavily. Fixing the Glen was one thing, but making the Glen run on magic was something else entirely. "This is a gummi problem and we are going to fix it with gummi methods."

"I thought that the whole point of the Glen was to eventually learn to live side by side with humans. Besides, Millicent has already helped us with the Glen in so many other ways. Why is this any different?"

"Our life here can't be dependent on humans. It's not smart and it's not safe."

"I'm not talking about humans; I'm talking about Millicent. She's practically one of us."

Gruffi sighed. He knew there was no way to change his daughter's mind. When he and Tessi had moved into the Glen four years ago to start their repairs, they had found Millicent living in the ruins. She was clearly some kind of runaway, but when they'd asked her where she'd come from her answers had been evasive, as if talking about her past was painful. She'd quickly warmed to Tessi, however, and they had become close friends. On top of everything, Millicent had also turned out to be a budding sorceress, and her magic had been a significant help in the first couple of years when huge piles of dirt and debris needed to be removed from the Glen's interior.

"I like Millicent too, kiddo, but the fact is we don't really know much about her. And say what you like, she's not a gummi bear."

Tessi's body tensed and she looked away, obviously angry. "Maybe not, but besides you she's the closest thing I have to family out here."

Gruffi rubbed his neck, feeling guilty. His daughter had been an enormous help over the past four years. Even when they argued, Gruffi was secretly proud of her headstrong attitude and commitment to rebuilding a home that she had never truly known. Without her, the task would have been nearly impossible, but he sometimes wondered if it had been selfish of him to bring her so far from her familiar surroundings in Ursalia—her home, her friends… even her mother, Ursa (although the two of them never really got along). Tessi had always been positive about the move—even embraced it— but still, there was a lot she'd had to sacrifice.

"Alright," Gruffy relented. "Give it a try with Milli, but not until you've figured out how to maintain those vents the old fashioned way, got it? I don't want that spell up for more than a few months, and after that you're on your own."

Tessi threw her hands up, exasperated. "But that's a waste! It's so much extra work!"

"We don't need to take shortcuts, Tessi. Doing things right takes time. That's the gummi way!" He punctuated this last statement by clapping her on the back, smiling.

Tessi groaned, smacking her face against her palm. "If I had a copper piece for every time I've heard you use that silly phrase, I'd be the richest bear in Dunwyn."

"You know that's not actually saying much…" Gruffi said, ruffling her hair.

Gawain watched the walls of the quick-tunnels blur past at an alarming speed. He slumped into his seat and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop a rising surge of queasiness.

"Are you alright, sweeti?" His mother, Sunni, put a protective arm around his shoulders. "Do you need us to stop the quick-car?"

"No! Mommi, I'm fine!" He shrugged her arm away and focused on steadying his breathing. Sunni leaned forward and laid a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Buddi, could you slow down the car, dear?"

Gawain forced himself to open his eyes and sit up straight. "I said I'm fine! Leave it alone, Mommi."

His mother's face was stern. "Gawain, if you need to take a rest all you have to do is tell us. I don't want you feeling sick on your first visit to the Glen."

His baby sister Hunni squirmed in the seat next to him. "Are there going to be other kids at the Glen?"

"No stupid, it'll just be us and Uncle Gruffi and Tessi. It's going to suck."

Sunni shot her son a warning look. "The Glen is a wonderful place to grow up, Gawain. Remember that when I was living there my only playmates were Uncle Cubbi and Tummi and we were never bored. When we arrive you should ask Tessi to show you around."

Never bored? Living in a dark cave with only seven bears? Somehow Gawain was skeptical as to how much fun he would be having.

"Besides Gawain," his mother turned to him again "I spent a lot of time with Calla, and Cavin too. You can visit your godparents now that we're in Dunwyn."

Gawain had heard a lot of stories about his godparents, but had never met them. Well, at least not that he could remember. They visited Ursalia when he was born, but now that Calla was Queen she could find very little time to shirk her royal responsibilities, and Cavin was needed in the castle as the new Captain of the Guard. Maybe visiting the castle wouldn't be that bad. He would get to meet humans for the very first time. Tessi could introduce them to Millicent, the girl they had found living in the ruins of the Glen. Apparently, Calla had agreed to take her as a ward.

The tunnel widened into a torch lit cavern. The quick car slowed to a halt beside the loading dock. Gruffi and Tessi were waiting. It had been years since Gawain had seen his uncle and cousin and his sister was too young to even remember them. Tessi was taller and more muscular than Gawain remembered and she'd cut her rust-colored hair short, close to the skull. She waved at him as they approached.

As soon as the quick car stopped, Gruffi offered Sunni a hand which she took and pulled into an embrace. "Welcome home, sweetheart," he said, lifting her from the car.

"Oh, Gruffi!" Sunni's eyes were shining as she looked around. "It just… brings back so many memories."

"Hey, Aunti Sunni!" Tessi put a hand on Sunni's shoulder. "It's been a long time!"

Sunni laughed. "Tessi! Last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a water sprite. Hunni dear, do you remember your Cousin Tessi?"

The younger bear had climbed out from the quick car and was hiding behind her mother's tunic. Tessi bent to one knee. "Do you remember me Hunni?"

Hunni shook her head, one paw in her mouth. Her shyness made her seem younger than her actual four years. Tessi plucked her up from the ground and perched her on her hip. "Hi, my name is Tessi. Do you want to explore your new home?"

Hunni's shyness melted away at the idea of exploration. She nodded vigorously and gave a short shout of "Yes."

"How about you, Gawain?" Tessi beckoned to Gawain, who was still sitting in the quick car.

"I'm still feeling a little sick," he lied. "Can I just lie down for a little while."

"Then I'll show you your room. I fixed up several rooms special for you guys."

Tessi helped him out of the quick car and guided him and Hunni through the caverns while Gruffi gave a tour to the adults. "We're in the northern tunnels right now, the sleeping quarters are in the southern wing. The great hall is in the center of the glen and everything branches out from there. We'll have to pass through it to get to your rooms."

The great hall was much bigger than any area of the glen that Gawain had seen so far, but it paled in comparison to the grandiose halls and domes of Ursalia. He thought back to the Midsummer Feast only a few weeks ago: the elaborate decorations and savory dishes weighing down tables that seemed to stretch on forever, each surrounded by at least fifty bears. The noise and camaraderie of that day was a sharp contrast to the dim dusty hall in front of him hollowly echoing with only the sound of their pawsteps. Gawain felt as lonely and out of place as if he were wandering a stranger's tomb.

He had long ago tuned out Tessi's voice as she explained her plans for further renovations, but when she stopped talking and looked at him to respond, he gave a noncommittal shrug and grunted.

"You don't like that idea?"

Gawain realized that was not the response he should have given. "Um, sorry, what did you say?"

"Using the underground river as our primary water source? The water there is so pure, and the filtration system we use now is pretty substandard."

"Then that would make sense." When Gawain gave a halfhearted nod Tessi turned her back to him in an irritated gesture.

"Nevermind Gawain, it's not like I can't tell when your uninterested." She stopped suddenly and gestured to her right. "That room is yours. Hunni's on the left and your parents are the next over. I'm right across the hall and Daddi is next to me." She held the door open for him. "Actually, this room used to belong to uncle Cubbi, and Hunni is in Aunt Sunni's old room."

Gawain surveyed the room with interest. This was going to be his bedroom for the rest of his childhood years. In reality it was bigger than his bedroom in Ursalia, but the dirt walls and dim lighting made it seem suffocatingly small. Or maybe he actually was suffocating. How did they even pump air down here?

"Anyway, let me know if you need anything." Tessi said curtly. She shifted Hunni to her other hip and shut the door behind him.

Gawain crossed the room and lay down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, tracing the outlines of encroaching roots with his eyes. How far underground was he? Five meters? Ten? The weight of the earth above his head must be enormous. For several minutes he focused only on that fact, as if his anxious thoughts were an actual barrier that could keep the entire place from collapsing. Eventually though, he allowed his mind to wander. He wondered how long it would be before the other gummis suspected he was faking illness. He was hoping for at least several hours. With any luck, he'd be able to hide out here in his room until tomorrow morning.

"Gawain, are you in there?" His father's voice came from just outside the door. Gawain sighed. Apparently luck would never be on his side. The door opened and his father's face appeared, full of concern.

"Gawain, I just wanted to check up on you."

"I'm not feeling very good, dad. I think I just want some time alone."

Buddi moved into the room and sat down on the bed, much to Gawain's dismay. He could definitely sense a lecture coming.

"I thought it might make you feel better to talk." His father smiled, almost apologetically. "I know you were less than ecstatic about our move here."

Gawain took a long breath in through his nose before answering, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. How hard was this for his father to understand? "Why wouldn't I be ecstatic about living here, dad? I can already tell I'm going to love it. I mean, if I can overlook the fact that we are living alone in the dark in some cramped tunnels that were meant to house literally hundreds more bears. I'm just so ecstatic." Gawain shifted into a sitting position and drew his knees up to his chest, immediately regretting his sarcastic tone. "I'm just really tired right now. It's been a long and kind of disappointing day and I just want to sleep."

Gawain expected his father to scold him, but Buddi's voice was gentle as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I know the Glen might seem like a downgrade now, but just think of the way your mother talks about it. There's so much to explore here— so many new things to see and do and learn. It's going to be a whole new way of life for us… for you. You can get away from all that Barbic posturing and just be yourself for once."

Gawain lifted his head to look in his father's eyes. They were kind, hopeful, but that didn't stop the icy feeling starting to twist in Gawain's chest. He hugged his knees tighter, trying to shove that feeling down without giving it a name. "My test of bearhood would have been this year…" He murmured, looking down at the blankets.

"Exactly," Buddi's brows furrowed. "Here we won't have to deal with that kind of thing. It's ridiculous to put that kind of pressure on you, expecting you to fit some kind of brutal Barbic mold..."

"So you brought us here because you knew I couldn't cut it as a Barbic," Gawain said flatly. "Because I'm too weak. Is that what you're saying?"

"It's not a question of being weak, Gawain."

"Then I guess I just don't understand. You keep acting like I should be the one who's happy to be here but I'm not, dad! You're the one who made this choice. Not me. I know you think I'm a failure but I never wanted to run away. You didn't even give me the chance to show you..."

"Gawain," his father's voice was surprised, hesitant, as if he were searching for how to answer without setting him off again. "Listen to me. You don't have to prove anything…"

"Okay," Gawain's throat was tight as he pushed off the bed. "Sure. At least here I won't be able to embarrass you anymore, right?"

"Gawain!" His father's voice was sharp now but Gawain didn't stop. He walked straight to the door and out into the hall without once looking back.

The Glen's kitchen was still barely functional. There was running water and some of the cabinets had been restored, but the oven and all-important stove, where the gummi berry juice would be prepared, were only partially complete. Sunni stood in the entryway and ran one of her hands along the intricate carvings along the lintel of the door. The cracked, soot-stained woodwork was infinitely precious now— a miraculous survivor of the Glen's destruction. When she was a cub she'd never paid much attention to the smaller details of her home, these glints of history left from the time of the Greats, imprinted in the wood and stone of the Glen's rooms and passages. So much of it was lost now, never to be recovered, and there was so much she'd never even noticed. Tears pricked at Sunni's eyes but she didn't bother wiping them away.

Gruffi was behind her, his paw gripping her shoulder. "Are you all right, kiddo?"

Sunni nodded, turning into him so that her head came to rest on his shoulder. "It just… doesn't feel right without her. I miss her so much."

"I know. We all do." Gruffi put his arms around her. His strong, familiar presence made her feel like a cub again. "Remember, this is what she would have wanted. This was always her home, even when it was taken away from us."

Sunni nodded again. She knew that that was true, even more than Gruffi did. It was Sunni who had cared for Grammi in her last days. She had been there as the final stages of Gumbonic plague had run their course through Grammi's aged body, had held her hand in the final moments. She hadn't been able to say much, but the words she'd whispered before her death were clear and full of love.

"The Glen…" Grammi had murmured, squeezing Sunni's hand gently as her last breath ebbed away. "Return to the Glen..."

AN: Thank you so much for reading! Hopefully more will be on its way soon. Feedback is appreciated. :D