Chapter Seven
"Now you behave, all right?" Papa told Smartette. "Do what Gerard tells you and help the Clockworks with whatever they need."
"Yes Papa." Smartette nodded.
"I promise I'll take good care of her, Papa Smurf." Gerard assured. "And I'm sure Clockwork Smurfette will enjoy the girl company."
Clockwork Smurfette whirred happily, hugging Smartette. The smart Smurfette giggled and hugged her back.
"Well, I'd best be off." Papa announced. "I must smurf back to the village."
"Let's see how long it takes for Brainy to smurf a letter over." Smartette laughed. Papa chuckled and waved goodbye as Feathers took off, soaring through the skies. Smartette waved until the Clockworks excitedly dragged her inside, whirring and chirping. Gerard chuckled as he began the tour of the castle. Smartette smiled broadly at everything. She loved every single detail, every stone and tapestry of the castle. The Clockworks had to hold her hands and pull her along otherwise she'd be left behind. She was greatly relieved that her memories of her human life returned when they did. She could somewhat remember walking through the castle when she lived with Gerard as a child. Gerard was happy to have Smartette in the castle, having missed the girl when she used to be his betrothed. Though the boy was now a king and the girl now a Smurf, the two enjoyed each other's company even now.
Then, Gerard noticed the look on Smartette's face. "Lady Sophia, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Smartette nodded, smiling a little at Gerard referring her to her human name. "It's just that I'm worried about Archer."
"Ah yes." Gerard nodded. "I heard about the trouble with Balthazar targeting baby Luna."
"You heard too?" Smartette groaned. "Yeesh. It's like the entire forest knows."
"I was hoping my knights would find Balthazar and we could stop him." Gerard admitted. "But he seems to have disappeared altogether."
Smartette sighed. "Even if we do find Balthazar, I don't know what we're supposed to smurf. He's a dangerous wizard."
Gerard sighed. "I'm so sorry, my dear Sophia. I wish there was something I could do to help."
Smartette smiled at her former fiancé. "Thanks anyway, Gerard."
Papa took a breath of the warm summer air, letting the sun caress his face. He sighed, smiling a little. Besides working with his potions or spending time with his family, one of the things Papa loved the most was riding Feathers through the air. The wind and the sun made for a wonderful flight. Feathers, sensing her rider's delight, cawed in happiness and did a few loop-de-loops. Papa yelped a little and his grip tightened on the stork's plumage. He laughed as Feathers climbed higher in the air, performing acrobatic feats and cawing in delight.
"Easy there, Feathers!" Papa laughed. "Before you knock me off!"
Feathers cawed, as though to say, "Oh all right." She leveled out over the trees, gliding smoothly through the air.
Papa patted the stork lovingly. "You truly know how to make me feel better, don't you girl?"
Feathers cawed, seeming to smile at her caretaker.
Papa's smile broadened. "You're a good stork, Feathers. A very smurfy stork indeed."
Feathers somehow managed to turn her head and nuzzle Papa fondly with her beak. Papa stroked her beak with a gentle touch, smiling. But suddenly, Feathers' head shot upright. She looked all around before finally landing on a high tree branch. Her gaze moved everywhere, looking through the trees.
"Feathers?" Papa whispered, a little fearful. "What's wrong?" He could feel the bird's muscles tensing and her feathers raised in agitation. If birds could growl, Feathers would be downright snarling. Papa looked around, finally noticing shapes and shadows flashing by. Papa felt fear creeping up his spine like a spider. He leaned down closer to Feathers, gripping her plumage tightly. "Feathers, we have to smurf out of here." He jumped as something whizzed past his head. "Now!"
Feathers took off just as a volley of arrows hit the branch she used to rest on. The stork climbed higher into the sky as a band of fairy and pixie men flew after them. Feathers dodged arrows and spears. Papa ducked before any of the sharp projectiles could pierce his skull.
"Come on, Feathers!" Papa urged. "You can do it!"
Feathers cawed as she swooped through the air, flapping her wings furiously. The winged humans persisted, fluttering quickly after their target. Papa ducked as another arrow shot past his ear. He looked up and noticed a lone cloud in the otherwise clear skies. "Feathers! Time to disappear!" Feathers looked to the cloud and immediately shot upward towards it. Papa held on as tight as he could. The fairies and pixies followed close behind. But they shot through the cloud and found nothing on the other side.
"He's hiding in the cloud!" one of the pixies realized. "Find him!" They dove back into the cloud and started shouting, sometimes bumping into one another. But no matter how hard they searched, the Smurf and his stork disappeared altogether.
Papa and Feathers poked their heads out of the cloud before the latter carefully drifted down from the cloud. "Good work, Feathers." Papa whispered. "Let's smurf out of here." Feathers flapped her wings and quietly took off. However, they didn't get very far before they heard someone shout, "There they are!" and Feathers had to speed up.
Suddenly, a long bola wrapped around Feathers' body, pinning her wings to her sides. A shorter bola looped around Papa and tied him to Feathers' neck. The stork suddenly plummeted from the sky, hitting tree branches before slamming into the ground. Feathers cawed pitifully while Papa groaned in pain. He struggled against his bonds, but he was stuck tight. The pixies and fairies landed in a circle around their captives. Some of them panted.
"Something tells me he's more trouble than he's worth." One groaned. "What now?"
"We can set the bird free." A pixie said. "We just need the Smurf."
"What do you want with me?" Papa demanded. "I mean you no harm!"
"It's not you, Papa Smurf." A fairy said. "It's just business."
"Balthazar wants the kid." Another pixie added. "And if he can't have a worthless child, surely he'll accept a powerful wizard like you."
"Let's just take him back to Balthazar's home and get on with our lives." Another fairy urged.
"So you know where Balthazar lives?" Papa asked. "Maybe if you smurf me free we can talk and—"
"We're tired of talking." The first fairy interrupted. "And we're tired of Balthazar's threats. You must understand; we have no choice." He looked to the other pixies and fairies. "Take him."
Papa stared worriedly, tugging futilely at the bonds that held him to Feathers. The stork tried to stand, but some of the fairies held down her legs and head to prevent her from attacking them. Papa's mind raced with ideas of how he could possibly get out of there, but every idea fell short. He could only imagine how the Smurfs would respond. Dear gods, Archer would probably go into a near comatose state or on a complete rage with her arrows.
"Yipes!" a pixie yelped as he jumped back. "Watch where ya shoot those arrows!"
"I didn't shoot that." A fairy said, staring at the arrow that pierced the ground. Papa stared at the arrow for a moment and his eyes widened.
"Archer…" he breathed.
"Get away from my papa!"
The fairies and pixies jumped away, some of them taking flight and floating off the ground, as a large falcon landed hard on the ground next to Feathers and Papa. More arrows flew from the predator's back, and soon the wielder was revealed: a very, very, very, angry Archer Smurfette.
"Let's get out of here!" a fairy yelped as he and his comrades took off.
"Where are you going?" a pixie demanded.
"Sorry, but no Smurf is worth getting eaten by a bird!" a fairy shouted.
"Or killed by that crazed Smurfette!" another fairy added before he and his brethren disappeared.
"Cowards!" another pixie shouted. Suddenly, the falcon Archer rode gave a great cry and suddenly flapped her wings, the gusts of air sending some of the pixies flying backwards. The falcon grabbed the ropes holding Feathers' wings and took off into the air, pulling the stork after her. Archer jumped down to the falcon's legs and pulled a knife from the sheath at her hip, slicing through the ropes that held Feathers' wings to her sides. Feathers flapped her now-free wings hurriedly, flying beside Archer's falcon friend. Archer jumped to Feathers' neck and freed Papa before going back to her falcon.
"Thanks Archer!" Papa said gratefully.
"Don't mention it!" Archer assured. "Let's just go before they come back!"
"Look out!" Papa cried as another spear hurdled past them. "Let's smurf out of here!"
The two birds climbed higher in the sky, carrying their riders to safety. But the pixie men flew close behind, launching spears and arrows. Archer fired back with her own arrows, her eyes set in a furious glare. The pixies flew about in a flurry like a horde of angry bees. Papa lost track of how many pixies attacked them; he was too preoccupied with keeping his head attached to his neck. Archer managed to knock aside any arrows that came at her; she even caught one, spun it in her hand, and shot it back at the pixie who fired it. Her fury made the pixies steer clear, mostly because they didn't want to be shot.
Papa spurred Feathers higher into the air. He looked down to see a group of pixies surrounding Archer, swinging their spears. "Come on, Feathers, we have to help her!"
Feathers cawed in agreement and dived down towards Archer and her falcon. The stork cawed fiercely and shot past the pixies, scattering them and giving Archer's falcon the opportunity to follow Feathers up into the skies. Archer turned and saw the pixies swarming Papa and Feathers like hornets. Archer took her final arrow from her quiver and loaded it into her ebony bow, aiming for the swarm of pixies attacking her father. She fired it, hardly thinking but clearly aiming for a pixie advancing towards Papa with another bola.
The pixie turned and his eyes widened at the sight of the arrow. He dived down fast, the arrow barely missing his feet.
Papa didn't even have time to react. The arrow struck his chest and he suddenly shouted in pain.
Archer's eyes widened. "No…no….."
I missed.
Papa, in shock from the pain, suddenly slipped off Feathers' back and began free-falling out of the sky.
"He's ours!" a pixie cheered. "Let's go!"
"No!" another pixie yelped, pointing to the falcon swooping down towards them and ready to swallow them whole. "Let's get out of here!" The pixies flew off, fearful of what might happen if they let Archer or those birds capture them.
Archer drove her falcon down towards Papa, but Feathers was closer and faster. The stork pressed her wings to her sides and straightened her neck, shooting like a white arrow towards Papa. When she got down close enough, Feathers extended her long, slender legs and gently snatched her caretaker out of the air. Once she had Papa in her talons, the stork spread her wings and abruptly halted her speedy descent. She flapped her wings hard to avoid the tree branches and glided through the air, not landing until she found a small clearing. The stork softly laid Papa on the ground before resting on her own two feet. Feathers leaned down and nudged Papa with her beak, cawing sadly. Archer landed her falcon hurriedly and dismounted, running to Papa's side. She knelt down beside him, reaching for him but retracting her hands quickly.
"I did this…" she sighed despairingly. "Dear gods in heaven I shot Papa Smurf."
Feathers cawed worriedly, staring at Archer with her beady black stork eyes full of concern.
"Come on, Feathers." Archer urged, scooping up Papa and pulling him onto the stork. "We have to smurf back to the village." She thanked the falcon and let her fly off before Feathers took off towards the village. Archer kept a firm grip on Papa, but she felt guilt gnawing on her stomach. I shot Papa. I shot my papa. She blinked away tears, trembling a little. She remained on edge until Feathers finally touched down in the village.
"Archer!" Brainy scolded. "Papa told us not to smurf out of—" He finally noticed Papa's limp form and his eyes widened. "What in Smurf's name happened to Papa?"
"Attacked by pixies." Archer said hurriedly. Feathers leaned down and let Archer slide down to the ground with Papa in her arms. "Papa's been shot and he needs help. Go get Dabbler and smurf him over to Papa's mushroom. Quickly!"
Brainy nodded and ran off to find the semi-official doctor of the village. Archer hurried over to Papa's home, pushing the door open with her foot and running upstairs, placing Papa in his bed. She stared at his still form, paying more attention to the arrow, her arrow, in his chest. Archer put her hands to her mouth and suddenly stumbled back, almost falling into a nearby chair. Oh Papa. She couldn't even speak, she was too shocked. Papa I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.
"Archer!" Dabbler called as he hurried inside, shutting the door behind him. "I'm glad you're here; I need your help."
Archer only nodded and came to Dr. Dabbler's side. "What can I do?"
"Just hold him down for now." Dabbler instructed. "I have to smurf that arrow out and he's not going to be very happy when I pull it out."
Archer swallowed and put her hands on Papa's shoulder and chest, gently pinning him to the bed. Dabbler took a hold of the arrow and yanked it free in a swift, smooth movement. Papa's teeth grit in pain and he growled.
"Ouch…" Papa groaned.
Dabbler smiled a little. "Sorry Papa. I just had to smurf this arrow….." His smile disappeared when he noticed the obsidian arrowhead. The tension in the air seemed to raise. Dabbler only stared at the bloody arrowhead, too in shock to say anything. He knew at once that only one person, or Smurf, used obsidian for her arrowheads. Dabbler turned and stared at Archer, who stared back with that same fear.
Papa shakily pushed himself upright. "Archer…" Suddenly, Archer ran off and out the door, disappearing down the stairs. "Archer!" Papa moved to run after her, but a burst of pain in his chest made him groan and lay back down.
"Take it easy Papa." Dabbler soothed, setting the arrow down. "You'll be all right."
Papa hurriedly took the arrow and stuffed it under his pillow. "Dabbler, nosmurf can know about this. I was attacked by pixies and fairies. Archer came to help. But nosmurf can know it was Archer's arrow that hit me. Promise me you won't tell."
Dabbler bit his bottom lip, but finally sighed. "Well, it is the duty of the doctor to upkeep the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement." He smiled softly, pulling some gauze from his bag. "You just sit tight for now. You can smurf over to Archer's and talk to her when your wound is dressed."
Archer shoved her mushroom door open and slammed it shut behind her, startling Gutsy as he bottle-fed Luna on the couch.
"Lassie?" Gutsy raised a rusty eyebrow.
Archer stomped off without a word, into the kitchen, and slammed the door shut. Gutsy jumped, sharing a look with Luna.
"Do ye 'ave any idea?" Gutsy asked.
Luna only shrugged.
Gutsy resumed Luna's feeding, glancing towards the kitchen door now and then. A while later, someone knocked on the door and Gutsy stood to answer it. "Oh! Papa. What are ye doin' here?"
"I was hoping to talk to Archer." Papa said. "It's important."
Gutsy's eyes traveled to the bandages around Papa's chest. "What happened to ye?"
"Attacked by pixies on the way home from King Gerard's." Papa replied simply. "One of them shot me."
"That's a smurfing lie and you know it!" Archer's voice shouted from the kitchen.
Papa sighed through his nose. "Gutsy, why don't you and Luna smurf over to Smurfette's home? I need to talk to Archer alone."
"Uh, sure Papa." Gutsy nodded. "Jus' be careful. You know how Archer's temper gets."
Unfortunately. Papa mentally groaned as Gutsy left. Papa shut the door behind him and walked further into the spacious living room. "Archer?"
"Go away." Archer droned from the kitchen.
Papa sighed. "You know I can't do that." Archer growled and stomped from the kitchen, glaring at the ground. She refused to look Papa in the eyes after what she accidently did to him. Papa came up to Archer and gently tilted her head up. "Archer, you can't blame yourself for this."
"I shot you." Archer growled. "It's like my attack on Smurf Village when Gargamel smurfed control over me."
"It's nothing like that." Papa assured. "You came to help me when the pixies and fairies attacked."
"And then I shot you." Archer pushed Papa away. She held her head in her hands, groaning. "Dear gods what is wrong with me?"
"There's nothing wrong with you, Archer." Papa insisted, stepping closer to his daughter.
"There are a lot of things wrong with me." Archer ticked off the things on her fingers. "I can't protect my baby or any of my family; my emotions are out of control; my magic is getting more chaotic."
"Then for Smurf's sake, why don't you ask for help?" Papa half-demanded. "I can help you; the other Smurfs can help you. If you would only ask."
"I don't need anysmurf's help." Archer growled, her back to Papa.
"You clearly do otherwise we wouldn't be smurfing this conversation." Papa insisted firmly. "Your problem isn't about protecting your family. It's about you not being able to ask for help when you need it. Why do you feel you must smurf everything on your own? Why can't you realize there are people here who can help you? Who love you and hate seeing how unhappy you are."
"I don't need help." Archer snarled, her fists clenching. "I don't want help."
"Please, Archer. I can't stand seeing you like this." Papa pleaded. "You've changed so much. Your health is smurfing over the edge. You're not the same Archer Smurf that I dragged into the village after finding out she's been living in the forest for thirty years. All I want is to help you and I don't understand why you must bear all this weight on your shoulders."
"That's enough, Papa." Archer snarled warningly.
"I know you want to protect everysmurf and so do I." Papa continued. "I'd take an arrow for them any day. One little mishap like today won't change anything."
"That's enough, Papa."
"I don't know what I'm supposed to smurf if you keep up with blaming yourself for everything that's going wrong now. It's not your fault. I could tell you that a thousand times and you still wouldn't believe me because of how stubborn you are! Tell me how I can help you and maybe—"
"I said enough!"
Archer spun around, waving her hand as though to emphasize her statement. Instead, she launched a blast of blue energy that hit Papa and sent him flying into a wall. He grunted as he hit the ground, clutching his now-throbbing chest. He pushed himself to his knees, sitting back on his ankles and staring at Archer. The tomboy Smurfette stared back, then looked at her hand. She turned and darted up the stairs, her braid flying behind her. Papa winced at the sound of her bedroom door slamming.
"Well," Papa groaned, standing shakily. "That didn't work as planned."
A/N: I know you're all probably confused by Smartette and her relationship with King Gerard. And I'm sorry I haven't gotten her origin story up. She's a character that belongs to a friend of mine and we've both been having a hard time getting stories finished. Hope you're enjoying the story anyway!
