Hi ppl! I'm bored today, so I decided to post chapter 7. Enjoy! :D
Chapter 7. The Lizards
( Also titled, Two Pathes Crossing )
It was midday. The two parties were close to meeting. Suddenly, there came a hiss from behind Shasta.
"SSSSHHHHISSCK!"
"What was that?" Shasta asked.
"It's probably just a slow-worm. No need to worry about them. They're harmless." Icis answered.
"Ssssssss. We not sssssssssslow-wormsssssss. We lisssssardssssss."
"The lizards!" Willow shouted, loud enough for The Warden and Santhy to hear.
NO! Shasta thought.
Icis drew her sword, ready to fight, when suddenly there came a bird's cry.
"KRREEOHAAA!"
The lizard tried to run from the heron, but the heron grabbed the lizard and -gulp- swollowed it. The heron looked around and saw a second lizard. -Gulp- down that one went to.
"I am the law! Warden of Marshwood Hill! Who are you?"
"I am Shasta the Warrior. And my companions are Willow, Gobo, and Icis." Shasta said.
"Ah, so you are Shasta the Warrior, great-grandson of Martin the Warrior." the Warden said.
"How did you know?" Shasta asked.
"Martin saved my father's life. Come out now Chrysanthemum, it is safe." the Warden said, turning his head toward a clump of underbrush.
Shasta was speechless! Out of the underbrush came Santhy. Santhy walked toward Shasta. When she was no more than a foot away, they embraced. Completely unconscious to the world around them. When
they broke apart, Santhy pulled the sword out from under her skirt and handed it to Shasta saying, "I believe this belongs to you Shasta the Warrior."
Shasta smiled as he put the sword in his belt.
"Who are they Shasta?" Santhy asked, motioning to Shasta's companions.
"Oh! They are Willow, Gobo, and Icis. They escaped from Fort Caladeer with me." Shasta replied.
"I'm Chrysanthemum. But please, call me Santhy." Santhy said.
"Yes, if you call her Chrysanthemum, she'll shake you half to death. I made that mistake, I'm never making it again." Shasta added.
Santhy stamped her footpaw, trying to convince Shasta that she was mad.
"I see you smiling Santhy." Shasta said.
"Hhhmmmph!" Santhy said, flicking her hair in Shasta's face.
"Fffftt! Santhy, watch where you flick your hair!" Shasta said as he spat her hair out of his mouth.
Santhy giggled. Shasta scoffed.
"I think those two are a perfect match." Icis whispered to Willow and Gobo.
Willow and Gobo nodded in agreement.
"Shall we be of then?" the Warden asked.
"Yes let's." Shasta said.
An hour later, Shasta asked Santhy, "How's Mother?"
"Besides sad, and terrified about loosing you again, she's fine." Santhy replied.
"That wasn't very encouraging Santhy." Shasta said.
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth."
Santhy saw a tear roll down Shasta's cheek.
"Don't cry Shasta. Noonvale's not far away. We'll be there in two days."
Shasta embraced her, kissing her cheek for comfort. Santhy glanced at the cloak Shasta always wore. It was too short to be any use in the winter, because it only covered his back. She wondered why he never took it off. But in the end, she decided to drop the subject.
Soon, the Warden stopped. He pointed with his huge wing and said, "Look there, do you see the cave on the mountain?"
"No, our eyes are not as good as yours. But Santhy and I know that mountain. That is the route to Noonvale?" Shasta answered.
"Yes. Chrysanthemum came up from the valley there. This is where I leave you to go on alone. The mountain is not mine. These are my marshes. And I alone am, THE LAW!" he said as he flew away.
On to the Gawtribe's land. Shasta thought bitterly. I'll probably have to fight Dakka again.
An hour later, there came sounds of the squirrels who called themselves The Gawtribe.
"Oh, here we go again." Shasta muttered.
"This is The Gawtribe's land. Who are you?" said a female squirrel.
"I will speak only with Dakka. Where is he?" Shasta said.
"I am here. This is our land. You have to pay to pass." came Dakka's voice.
"Dakka let us pass. It's me Shasta the Warrior." the young mouse replied.
Dakka swung down from the trees. He looked at Shasta and said, "If you defeat me in single combat, I will let you pass. Just like last time eh?"
"Agreed. Just like last time." Shasta replied.
Shasta had Santhy hold his sword. Shasta and Dakka circled each other. Dakka said, "I'll let you have the honor of making the first move mouse."
Shasta circled once more, then lept at Dakka. But Dakka was ready. He threw Shasta off him. The young mouse landed on his back which seemed to hurt the young mouse a lot. For he gasped as his wounded back scraped across the dirt. Dakka took this chance and pinned Shasta down. The big squirrel clawed at Shasta's face. But Shasta was fast. He quickly got out from under Dakka, grabbed the squirrel's tail and and pulled. Hard. Soon, just like last time, Shasta overpowered Dakka.
"Had enough...squirrel?" Shasta asked, panting.
Dakka, who knew he could never defeat Shasta, replied, "Enough, mouse."
Shasta let him up.
"You and your companions may pass in safety." Dakka said to Shasta.
"Thank you Dakka, Leader of The Gawtribe." Shasta replied.
"We have wasted enough time here. Shall we continue?" Icis asked bitterly.
"Yes." Shasta answered.
Santhy handed Shasta's sword to him. Shasta put it in his belt. They moved on. Two hours later, Shasta started to lag behind. Santhy looked over her shoulder to see Shasta breathing hard and moving slower than the rest of them were going. Santhy, being infront of the group said to Willow, "Willow, why don't you lead for awhile?"
"Alright." the young squirrelmaid replied.
Santhy dropped back to where Shasta was.
"Shasta my dear, are you alright?" the mousemaid asked.
"I'm fine Santhy." he replied.
Santhy looked at the scrapes on Shasta's arm.
"No, you're not fine. You're hurt."
"I'm fine."
"Gobo! Willow! Icis! Shasta's hurt!"
"No I'm not."
"Shasta look at your arm. It's full of scrapes from your fight with Dakka."
"I saw some marigold a while back." Willow said as she jumped into the trees racing off to gather some of the plant.
Santhy made Shasta sit down on a rock and wait for Willow to get back with the marigold. Icis was getting very annoyed. Gobo was a little worried.
"The scrapes don't hurt Santhy." Shasta said. It's my back that hurts.
"They don't have to. They can still get infected if they're not treated soon enough. Now sit still. Here comes Willow with the marigold." Santhy replied.
Willow swung down from the nearest tree and handed the infection-fighting plant to Santhy. The mousemaid put the herbs on the scrapes on Shasta's left arm. As soon as it was bandaged, Santhy looked
at Shasta and said, "Well grumpy, I'll bet now that your arm is bandaged, you'd fell better if we were on the move."
"Yes, I would Miss Bossy-mouth." Shasta replied.
"Well come on then!" Santhy said as she got up and started running.
Shasta jumped up and caught up to her easily. He rushed passed her yelling playfully, "If you thought you could out run me, then you're a nettle-brained frog! Ha ha!"
It was close to nightfall. The five travelers were stopping for the night. Santhy and Willow unpacked the ration-packs. Willow found more than enough in the pack to make a pot of wild-vegetable and watershrimp soup. And to Gobo's delight, there was hotroot pepper in the area. Being an otter, he added
a lot of the hotroot to his share. After eating, they laid down and fell asleep. Willow and Gobo both slept near the fire pit. Icis slept over to the side. Shasta and Santhy slept with their heads touching. The two mice could not be separated.
Two days later, Shasta and co. were back in Noonvale. Icis and Blackheart were talking, Gobo was over chatting with the otter-twins Mystie and Elppir, Santhy was explaining everything to Coati, Luna, and Pallum, and Shasta was talking with an overjoyed Seraphia.
Hope y'all liked it! An' y'all know the drill, R&R! :D
