A New Dawn
Chapter 7
Tension Builds
Sunni felt as if she was marching to her impending doom as they reached the City gates that afternoon. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she simply could not help being nervous. While away she too had too much time to think and reached a very similar conclusion as the one that Buddi had. But, unlike Buddi, she had kept her feelings to herself. There simply had been no one she could've talked to.
Oh, Calla might have understood, but while Sunni had been thinking too much, Gruffi had also kept her hands busy picking berries, and she barely even saw her best human friend during the time she had been in Dunwyn. And she didn't dare attempt to speak with the other Gummies due to Gruffi being around all the time.
Sunni thought as they walked through the Gates. Her legs felt numb and weak and she barely was able to keep herself upright and walking, and her winter's cloak suddenly felt too heavy and hot despite the freezing weather. Oh, how she hoped nobody notices her sweating bullets.
The Barbics had not come out to greet them. Although Gruffi complained loudly about this 'rudeness', Sunni understood. It was the way their culture works. Barbics were not ones for physical and emotional signs of affection. It's the deeds they do that counts. And she knew that while Ursa and the others were friendlier and less hostile towards them they simply had not gained enough respect from them to be considered as their fellows.
If Sunni had been feeling nervous, then Buddi must've felt at least ten times worse. He knew as soon as Sunni was in the City, because he'd been watching through the window above as the Glens entered the main courtyard. The young Barbic desperately wanted to run away and hide, but that was being cowardly, and Ursa had drilled it into his head that Barbics don't run from their problems. Even impossible dilemmas such as this one.
Buddi sighed, before making himself move, through the corridor and down the stairs his heart racing a mile a minute and his throat drying up. He passed Ursa and Gritty's rooms without a second thought, as both of the Barbic leaders had left the City to train in the nearby ruins among the mountains that surrounded them. Buddi hated the mountains, they were nothing like the trees in Barbic Woods and they frightened him.
He was then in the streets, walking towards the small section of buildings the Glens now called home. The sound of arguing was heard, growing louder. That was Ursa's voice. Buddi froze in his tracks. His mother had returned earlier than expected, and Gruffi, by the gist of what he was hearing, had decided to get on her wrong side again trough judging their way of live.
"Would you two please just stop it?" a new voice interrupted, younger, angrier. Sunni. "We haven't been back for five minutes and you two are already arguing! Is it really so hard for you adults to get along?"
"Sunni," Grammi began after a few minutes of awkward silence, but whatever she was about to say was silenced by angry footsteps. Buddi barely had time to react when the door flew open and Sunni nearly ran into him. "Buddi!"
"Hey," the Barbic teenager rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Great, this was going so well…not! Why do Ursa and Gruffi always have to ruin this with their petty rivalry? The pair stood there for a moment, trying to collect their thoughts.
Sunni still felt angry at the adult's behavior, but she had been caught off guard when she nearly ran into Buddi. Now that she looked at him properly she noticed he looked…tense. Nervous. Worried. What was going on? Had it something to do with Ursa? Sunni wouldn't have put it beneath the Barbic leader to worry her only cub so.
Oh, Ursa didn't mean to, but she does, and that is the crux of the matter.
"Sunni?"
The Glen girl looked him in the eyes. "Yeah?"
"Let's get outta here. I need to talk to you in private."
Sunni nodded, and followed Buddi.
In the immediate silence following Sunni's outburst, everyone stood still, motionless.
Ursa was still mere inches away from Gruffi, her breath still fast and angry as she averted her eyes anywhere that was not the other's shocked faces. She turned away from the short male, trying to regain her bearings and ignoring Griity's concerned gaze on her back.
Grammi was gazing in the direction of the door, through which Sunni ran. She was concerned about the girl's sudden anger outburst – she was not the type to get mad at someone else too easily, annoyed, yes, but Sunni rarely ever got mad. Not really.
Cubbi sifted, uncomfortable. What in Gum's name is going on here? Sunni had been tense lately, he knew that, and she had been thinking a lot lately, but he'd never seen her yell at Gruffi like that, the only exception being that one time when he and Gritty nearly fell to their deaths after Ursa had used the horn on Igthorn when they first met the Barbics. Something was off, he could feel it. But what? He needed to know!
Ursa abruptly left the room then, followed shortly by Gritty – who looked worried - muttering a feeble excuse. Grammi left too, then, probably to go see where Sunni had run off to or to start on dinner, Zummi and Tummi went off to their rooms. Cubbi was left standing alone, bewildered, dazed and worried for his 'sister' figure.
To be resumed….
