All Things Probable IV
Graduation

Kim Possible is owned/copyrighted by Disney and its affiliates, etc. etc.
Chapter 8

Welcome Back to Kwitcherbeliakin

Grimm stood in a wide parking lot. Though perhaps that might have been too generous a description. It was little more than an expanse of beaten dirt, carved out from a forest of trees that surrounded him on every side. The scent of pine was in the air, along with the moist, earthy smell that always accompanied the riotous growth between spring and summer.

He was leaning against a black SUV. There were a number of other cars in the lot, most of which looked as if they'd been parked there for some time. He sighed and looked around at the towering trees, though his glance occasionally strayed to a construct some distance away. It was a gate made with stone bases that supported sturdy log poles. Perched at the top of a pair of these poles was an arched wooden sign that said, Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin.

Beyond the camp entrance he could see an array of cabins and simple buildings that stretched away towards a sparkling sweep of blue which marked a nearby lake. Grimm heard a whimper from inside the SUV, and sighed again.

'You may as well come out, Rhonda.' he said. 'Just get it over with.'

'No!' she wailed softly. 'Bad road! Bad road!'

'Yesterday you said you were OK with nature stuff - what happened?'

'Not this nature stuff! Every time I come here, something terrible happens!'

'It wasn't all terrible.' Grimm sighed.

Uncle Jim came around from the front of the SUV, where he had been talking to the CIA agents who had accompanied them to the camp. 'Is she OK?' he said, doubtfully.

'Rhonda has... a history with this place.' said Grimm. 'They go way back.'

Uncle Jim scratched his head. 'Well if you know the Chief already, that's good.' he said. 'But if she's got some kind of problem...'

'There's no problem.' Grimm broke in quickly. He didn't want Uncle Jim to think twice about the assignment. 'She just needs a minute. Go ahead and let Sakituya know we're here.'

Jim nodded and walked off towards the camp gate. The black suited agents were letting down the ramp to the trailer and starting to unload their gear. 'Come on, Rhonda...' he said cajolingly. 'You're embarrassing me in front of the CIA...'

Rueful poked his head out of the door and sniffed, then bounded out of the SUV and started scurrying around. Grimm heaved a breath of relief, because if Rueful had come out, it meant Rhonda was sure to follow. And indeed, Rhonda's face slowly leaned out from behind the armrest of the back seat. Rhonda eased her body out to the doorway slowly, looking back and forth. And Grimm waited patiently as she probed one foot outwards onto the running board, then the other.

'There's no... giant bears, right?' she said in a high pitched whine.

'Not a one in sight.' said Grimm. 'Come on babe, you know as well as I do the Great Bear doesn't work that way. The times he appeared to us were all under extremely weird circumstances. Nothing like that this time around. I doubt any mystical entities care a fig about this case.'

'I meant the normal giant bear that's usually here.'

'No sign of him either.' said Grimm.

Rhonda closed her eyes and let out a deep slow breath. Then she gingerly lowered one foot onto the earth outside the SUV. She hesitated, as if waiting for some kind of explosion, but there was none forthcoming. She bit her lip and lowered her other foot.

'See?' Grimm smiled indulgently. He took her hand and pulled her out of the vehicle. 'Nothing to worry about.'

With her eyes still closed, Rhonda took several deep breaths and managed a couple of baby steps away from the SUV with Grimm guiding her. Soon they were walking through the arched gate and into the camp itself. Rhonda had her face scrunched up and her whole body was trembling as if she thought a guillotine blade would drop from the gate onto her.

'Nothing here but fresh air and sunshine.' said Grimm.

'Well...' said Rhonda at last, '...so far so good...'

'Welcome back, young Rhonda.'

At the sound of Sakituya's voice, Rhonda yelped and nearly fell over. Grimm looked over towards the largest cabin, which served as the main hall of the camp, and saw the Indian Chief walking towards them. He looked the same, with his brown poncho and vest, breeches worn over his jeans, and his Blackfoot headdress atop a crown of dark, but greying hair. He held his beaded staff as usual, and his wrinkled face was smiling, though there seemed to be a grave look in his eyes. Uncle Jim was beside him.

Rhonda looked wildly around as Sakituya approached. 'Where's...he?' she said, her voice quavering.

Chief Sakituya stopped in front of them, shaking hands with Grimm. 'Gentle Paw?' he said. 'Truth be told, I am not sure.'

'You still don't keep him leashed?' Rhonda wailed.

Sakituya chuckled. 'I do not control Gentle Paw.' he said. 'Any more than I can control any other beast of the woods. He is free to come and go as he wishes, and I am sure he will return soon. He will be very pleased to see you again.' He turned to Grimm and they both nodded to each other politely. 'Otaatoyiwa.' he said. 'It is good to see you again as well.'

'Chief.' he answered. 'Thanks for letting us base here for our... investigations. Uncle Jim tells me the grass vandals that we're trying to hunt down struck somewhere nearby?'

Chief Sakituya nodded. 'Yes - though I fear it is more than mere vandalism. We will hold a council soon, and discuss the matter more thoroughly. For the moment, we must make sure that you and your tools are properly settled.'

Uncle Jim scratched his head and shrugged. 'Well normally when I introduce and coordinate different teams, it takes a lot longer. But as you already know each other, there's not much for me to do this time out.'

'I hope the rest of it goes just as smoothly.' said Grimm, and he thought he caught a flash in Sakituya's eyes at the words.

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Soon Rhonda was standing in the entrance of a cabin. In front of her, she saw two desks, a couple of chairs, and on either side of the log walled room, there were two bunk beds. One of them looked neat, but dusty, as if it was hardly ever used. The other had a twisted and misshapen frame, with only one squashed mattress at the base.

She winced, her mind flashing back to the weeks of misery she'd spent in this cabin many summers ago. Terrified and trapped, as she thought, with the camp's grizzly bear mascot. 'Uh, aren't there any other cabins free?' she said.

Chief Sakituya shrugged as the black-suited CIA agents ferried boxes and suitcases into the cabin. 'The other cabins are reserved for when summer guests arrive.' he said. 'Besides, Gentle Paw has never allowed anyone else to use this cabin since you were here as a child. He seems to think it is yours, whether you claim it or not.'

'Will he be OK with me?' said Grimm, carrying in some of their bags.

Sakituya smiled briefly. 'He understands you are... special to young Rhonda.' he said, and Rhonda blushed furiously.

Once their personal bags were stowed, they left the agents to handle the rest of their equipment, and stepped back outside of the cabin. From above and behind them, there was a sudden chorus of twitters and squeals. Grimm turned and saw a number of small animals perched on the eaves of the cabin. Songbirds, raccoons, and squirrels formed a high-pitched chorus. Rhonda smiled and waved up at them weakly. 'Hi, guys.' she said warily. 'How's it hangin'?'

The forest animals flapped their wings and thumped their feet while Rueful also waved from his perch on Rhonda's shoulder. There was a large hawk in the center of the animals clustered on the roof, and it let out a shrill cry. 'What?' said Rhonda. 'Say hello to my best... friend? Who...?' But she whirled and looked behind her. About twenty yards off to one side, the wall of the forest loomed, and there was a sudden thrashing sound from the trees and undergrowth.

Rhonda shrank behind Grimm as a huge grizzly bear burst forth from the foliage, loping towards them. Despite its size, the bear conveyed an almost puppy-like sense of friendliness. But Rhonda kept Grimm between her and the bear as if it were a giant scorpion.

'And hello, Gentle Paw.' said Grimm. Gentle Paw was shambling around both of them in a wide circle, seeming utterly delighted at the sight of them, though his dark eyes, peering out from overhanging tufts of fur, were mostly fixed on Rhonda. 'Looks like the gang's all here.'

'Why me?' Rhonda moaned.

'Come on.' Grimm said. 'The last time you were here, you were letting him lick your face.'

'Yeah, but I've had time to think about it since then!'

Chief Sakituya simply stood outside of Gentle Paw's capering circle, smiling and shaking his head very slightly. Gentle Paw skidded to a heavy stop in front of them and started raising and lowering his head in a series of low growls. Grimm didn't have any idea what it meant, but Rhonda suddenly flinched.

'Show me what?' she said, timidly, and Gentle Paw nodded and shambled off to the edge of the woods again. He paused at the edge and started yowling, then shuffled back a few paces. From the shadow of the overhanging trees, three brown shapes tumbled out into the clearing. Three bear cubs, each about the size of a juvenile dog, lined up beside Gentle Paw, staring at Rhonda with open mouths and wide eyes.

Rhonda looked wildly over at Chief Sakituya. 'Kids?' she squeaked. 'Gentle Paw's got kids?'

'Cubs, young Rhonda.' said the Indian chief with a smile. 'As I said, he is free to come and go. That includes finding a mate, if he wishes...'

'Oh great, now there's four of him!' Rhonda groaned. 'So where's the missus?' Gentle Paw grunted as he re-approached, the three cubs scampering around him. 'Oh, 'too wild'?' Rhonda scoffed. 'Around this place, who can tell?' But she stiffened and shrank back as the bear cubs started snuffling at her knees.

Grimm nudged Rhonda gently, for it felt like she was about to jump onto his shoulders to get out of their reach. 'Easy, hot stuff.' he said. 'They're just like teddy bears - you like teddy bears, don't you?'

'Aw cheese...' Rhonda squeaked, standing stock still with her arms and legs clamped at her sides, her eyes squeezed shut as the bear cubs continued to inspect her. Each of them started licking at her hands, and growling. At that point Rhonda jerked her arms up and glared at Gentle Paw. 'What have you been telling these guys?' she said, her voice rising. 'I do not taste like berries - what is with you?'

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Rhonda tried to keep her distance, but the cubs were so playful and curious they kept following her, and she wound up skittering from cabin to cabin. The cubs even seemed to enjoy that, as if it were a game of tag. And while Gentle Paw didn't join in, he watched all the proceedings from a distance as if seeing his cubs playing with Rhonda was the proudest moment of his life.

Grimm took the opportunity to address the Indian Chief less casually. 'You never told me you were a member of the CIA.' he said. 'It looks like I'm not the only one who guards his secrets.'

'Member of is perhaps too strong a way to say it.' said Sakituya. 'But I have known your uncle for some time. His wife is a great lover of animals, and horses especially are her friends. It was through their ranch that we came to know each other. They once required medical assistance with some of their foals, and heard that our camp had experience in treating both humans and animals...'

'That doesn't explain how you came to join with Uncle Jim in his... profession.' said Grimm. In the background, Rhonda was squealing and dashing towards the mess hall with the bear cubs in pursuit.

Sakituya shrugged. 'Indians have a long history with aiding your government in times of great need.' he answered. 'The Navajo code-talkers of World War 2 for example...'

Grimm nodded. 'And my uncle...?'

'If he has not told you the specifics... then it is not my place to tell.' he said. 'You may ask him though, if he is disposed to speak of it.'

Grimm actually smirked and nodded again. 'Well answered.' he said. 'Since you know as well as I do that if it's a top secret subject, no one is allowed to say anything.'

'You are testing me, Otaatoyiwa?' said Sakituya with a faint smile. 'And I trust I have passed?'

'My uncle said he trusts you.' Grimm said. 'That goes a long way. As for me, I say - trust but verify. The last time we were out here, me and Rhonda were nearly killed because information was withheld.'

'As always, your lessons in caution are well learned.' Sakituya said. 'But caution is not far removed from wavering. And I think in your work here now, you may be required to take a firm stand.'

Grimm raised an eyebrow. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

Sakituya gave him a slow smile. 'I must withhold that information, at least for now.' he said. 'At the council, you will hear many things. Then you will decide what to trust, and what to verify.'

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Their gear had been organized and put away, and transmitters set up which were powerful enough to allow communication with Jade at the ranch. Rhonda seemed to have ditched Gentle Paw and his cubs, at least for the moment. She and Grimm met at the camp gate to say goodbye to Uncle Jim.

'You're all set to go.' said Jim, looking out from the window of his SUV. The two agents were in the second vehicle, expressionless from behind their shades as they had been the entire trip. 'I'll be keeping tabs on things and coordinating through your hacker. And you'll be coordinating through Chief Sakituya. I look forward to hearing your first field report.'

Grimm shook his hand and nodded. 'You won't be disappointed.' he said. 'After all, part of our motto is that we can do anything.'

Jim paused. 'What's the other part?'

Grimm shrugged and smirked. 'If you pay enough money.'

Jim chuckled. 'You will actually be compensated - if you come through.' he said. 'They may not be your usual rates, but...'

'In this case, I'm content to do it as an investment.' said Grimm. 'But of course, money never hurts...'

'Good luck.' Jim nodded, then the tinted window was whirring shut. The SUV motors hummed, and with a crunch of dirt and gravel, they were driving off. Once both SUVs had gone, the sounds and smells of the forest seemed to close in on them again, along with a vague feeling of isolation.

'Well, o.k...' said Rhonda clapping her hands and looking around. 'Let's get this over with - so where do we start?'

Grimm turned and started back towards the gate leading into the camp. 'By having frank discussion with our host.'

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Sakituya was waiting for them in front of the main hall. Gentle Paw seemed to be taking a nap in a patch of sunlight on the porch. His cubs were curled up and snoozing beside him. Grimm was about to speak, but Rhonda shushed him with a nervous glance at Gentle Paw's furry hulk. She tiptoed into the hall, gesturing the others to follow her silently. Once they were inside, she closed the door gingerly, then heaved a great sigh.

The cabin had an earth floor, with a fire pit in the center. A wide hole was carved into the roof to allow smoke to escape. At the moment though, the pit was cold and empty, except for the black charred stones that lined it and a few stubborn fragments of charcoal. Sakituya had gone to a table and taken a seat on one of many sawed logs that served as stools, and motioned Grimm and Rhonda to do the same. Rueful was hopping from stump to stump curiously.

'So it's just us now?' said Rhonda, taking her seat and still looking around nervously. 'We're it for the whole mission?'

'Not quite.' said Chief Sakituya with a shake of his head. 'There are more who will be joining us here, as I said. There must be a council.'

'Before that happens,' said Grimm, 'I want to talk, just the three of us.'

'And I call that no one is allowed to say "This is my way of telling you"!' Rhonda chimed in.

'Yeah.' said Grimm, nodding. 'Don't keep any information from us because you thought we knew it already.' Despite their familiarity, the fact that this was an actual mission for the CIA made Grimm want to make things more... formal somehow. 'Our mission is to identify, and if possible, track down and capture the person, or persons, who have been burning symbols into grass fields. It's been happening all over the world, and the CIA wants answers.'

'And once we do that, we're outta here!' Rhonda chimed in, as if determined to make that point from the outset.

Sakituya nodded, but also sighed. 'I understand, my young friends. Your uncle has explained this to me already. And I have promised to help you in any way I can.'

Grimm nodded. 'We'll start our investigations by analyzing the marked field outside your camp.' he said. 'Uncle Jim says you're in charge on this, so we'll follow your lead and clear any reports we make with you first.'

Sakituya did not speak, he merely nodded.

Grimm and Rhonda shared a glance. Sakituya did not seem to be forthcoming as their 'leader' so far. So Grimm tried prompting him again. 'Before we go to the site, is there anything about this mission that we should know? Any information you may have gathered on your own?'

Sakituya now looked at them both very keenly. For a few heavy moments, he still did not speak. Then finally he said, 'You speak of this as a mission, Otaatoyiwa.' he said. 'But that does not come close to encompassing the mystery that has brought us here. Do you remember what I once said to you, about a coming storm?'

'Yes.' said Grimm, nodding.

'The storm is about to break.'

There was heavy silence for several seconds. Rhonda looked pale, and Rueful was shivering where he crouched on a table.

'O...k...' said Grimm slowly. 'And what exactly is the nature of this storm?'

'I do not know.' said the Indian Chief, shaking his head.

Grimm tapped his finger on the table, but Sakituya did not volunteer anything else. 'When exactly will it break?' he tried again.

'I do not know.'

'But you think it has something to do with the symbols being burned into the ground?'

'Yes.' answered the Chief.

'What, exactly?'

'I do not know.'

Grimm sighed. As usual, trying to get usable information from the Chief was like trying to pull teeth. 'All right...' he said, fighting to remain patient. 'Maybe first you should tell us what you do know.'

'I only know that there is more to your mission than meets the eye. You, and your government may think this to be simple mischief. Or you may think it is the secret doings of groups with sinister motives. But it is more than that. And there will be yet more to come.'

There was again another pause. 'What makes you think so?' Grimm ventured.

'Because Sskipoyiwa has hinted as much when he...'

'What?' Rhonda squealed, jumping to her feet. 'Maze is mixed up in this? Jeez, you should have said that first!' She was leaning forward, looking furious. 'Where is he? I never did get to thank him for sending me on that little vacation to the spirit world!'

'Calm yourself, Katasiistsikoowa.' said Chief Sakituya. 'He is not here now, nor do I know where he is hiding. But he is nearby, and I have spoken with him.'

Grimm felt as anxious and angry as Rhonda looked, but he bottled it up in his desire for more information. 'How do you know he's involved with the grass damage? Did he admit to it?'

'Not directly.' said Sakituya. 'Sskipoyiwa's words must be sifted to find any truth hidden in them. When I examined the field beyond the forest, I recognized the signs of Maze's shadow medicine. I do not think he is responsible for destroying these fields. But he is using his shadows to mask whatever is causing the damage.'

'Letting them do it without detection.' said Grimm, who knew from experience how hard it was to track the shadow shaman. 'That explains why they haven't been caught. But you can sense him?'

'If you are imagining that I can lead you to him, I must disappoint you.' said Sakituya. 'When a person feels the night wind, he still cannot tell you from where it comes. Still, I urge you to exercise caution while you are here. He blames you for defeating his schemes, and I do not doubt he still seeks revenge.'

'So what's with the grass thing then?' Rhonda said. 'He used funky symbols last time to make golems, right? Is he trying that again?'

'No, that was different.' said Grimm. 'The symbols he used back then were Hebrew. The symbol being burned into the ground now isn't.'

'That is true.' said Sakituya. 'Whatever medicine is linked with this symbol, it is unknown. I cannot tell what it may stand for, or what its purpose might be. I only know that Sskipoyiwa hinted that he was responsible for the one that was set in the plains beyond the forest.'

'He must have teamed up with someone else again.' Grimm said, shaking his head. 'There's no way he could pull off a global operation on his own. He wasn't able to go anywhere with his golem scheme until he brought in Monkey Fist.'

'But Monkey Fist is still on ice.' said Rhonda. 'And Maze isn't really part of the super-villain club. I doubt he could just knock on the door of Dementor or the Mather. It's gotta be someone else he knows...' She suddenly snapped her fingers. 'Dr. Drakken!' she said. 'Didn't you say he signed on with the statue caper? Maze knew him too!'

Grimm shrugged. 'Yeah, but remember? Drakken was the one who finked the location of their base to Possible. Maze wouldn't team up with someone who double-crossed him. Besides, we already talked with Drakken, and he was was too busy playing with his plants to mount any kind of global operation.'

Rhonda looked less sure, but was squaring her shoulders. 'Well... then I think we overlooked something. It wouldn't be the first time Drakken hoodwinked us. And angry villains don't always stay mad at each other - if they think they can take over the world by teaming up.'

Grimm was shaking his head. 'I don't think it's him.' he said.

'But Drakken is...' Rhonda spluttered, but Grimm had turned to Sakituya.

'I want to visit the site where the mark is, and conduct a scan.' He said. 'If there are more clues, that's where they'll be.'

Sakituya nodded. 'As you wish - I will supply you with the location. There is little I can tell you besides what I have said already. Perhaps your instruments will reveal more...'

Rhonda leaned back with her mouth open, stabbed with a sudden resentment that Grimm had so casually dismissed her ideas, and noting that he had said I instead of we.

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Rhonda maintained a frosty silence as they rode the Ksikkihkíni, following a map that Sakituya had given them. But Grimm didn't seem to notice, which only annoyed her further. He was focusing on the horizon, quickly leaving the forest behind them and reaching a wide expanse of plains. Tall grass was rippling far beneath them like an ocean of shifting green waves as far as the eye could see.

Grimm hit the dashboard communicator. 'Jade, you copy? We're clear of the forest and on our way to the site.'

'Loud and clear, G-man.' came Jade's tinny voice. 'Looks like the transmission boosters are doing the trick. So the Chief isn't coming with?'

'No room on the bike for three.' said Grimm. 'Besides, he keeps saying he doesn't know anything.'

'Not sure what we can gather, either.' Jade answered. 'Going over Killigan's lawn didn't turn up much. Why should this site be any different?'

'Won't know for sure until we look.' said Grimm. 'Besides, Sakituya said his 'council' would be assembled and ready by the time we get back.'

'Council? What the heck's that?'

'Beats me.' said Grimm. 'He's in charge, so he must have some other people in mind to add to the team. We'll see. But he did spill one useful piece of information - Maze is involved in this.'

Jade sounded like she was gagging for a second. 'The golem jerk?' she squeaked a moment later.

'Yeah. So dredge up all the intel on him that we've got, and pass it on to Uncle Jim. Maze is already on the wanted list because of the golem scheme, so the CIA should be made aware. If we can find Maze, we can track down who he's working for. And once the CIA has names and faces, the case should wrap up pretty quick. But be sure to beef up security at the ranch. Sakituya said Maze was probably hiding somewhere nearby, and we can't rule out that he might go after you.'

'Yeesh, thanks for the nice surprise...'

'And look for more while I'm scanning the grounds. Looks like we're nearly there - stand by.'

Rhonda had been sulking through the whole exchange, staring off at nothing, but then she felt the bike turning in a sweeping semi-circle. It was then that she looked down and saw, black against the thick grass, a gaping swath of earth that was bare of any vegetation. It had the same shape as the other symbols, clearly visible from their high vantage point, and looming larger as they descended.

With the Ksikkihkíni nestled among the tall reeds of the surrounding grass, Rhonda stepped gingerly through the stalks. There was a light wind, which filled her ears with a constant hissing sigh as the grass rustled around her.

But only a few feet from the bike the grass suddenly ended, and the charred ground which formed the symbol was beneath her feet. Grimm was several paces into the bare patch, bent almost to his knees, and sweeping his communicator back and forth. The computerized whine of the scanners sounded out of place in the empty plains.

'You getting this, Jade?' Grimm said.

'Yeah.' Jade answered, her voice sounding flat. 'But the readings are the same as the ones we took at Killigan's - just like I told you...'

And Rhonda started to tune things out as he and Jade went back and forth, trying to fine-tune the scans to pick up anything new. Instead, she simply wandered around the border of the symbol, kicking idly at the bare earth and stirring up puffs of dust. Except for the wind rattling the grass, everything was quiet. With just her, Grimm and Rueful there, and no other humans, animals or structures within sight in any direction, it felt lonely. Just for something to do, she began humming the Blackfoot chants she habitually practiced in her backyard retreat.

Omahkkiaayowa, Nitohpoksiiyikitapiiyi...

'Come on, there has to be something...' Grimm muttered.

'Sorry, G-man. It's just plain incinerated. There's no trace of chemicals, radiation or anything else...'

'Sakituya said this happened about three days ago.' Grimm said. He was near the edge of the burn now, and paused. 'This is strange.' he said. 'The burn ends sudden - very sudden.' He kept the scanner focused on the border between the charred ground and the surrounding grass.

At her work station, Jade had her chin propped on her wrist and elbow as she watched the camera view. 'Yeah.' she said, yawning. 'But if they used a laser of some kind, you'd expect to see that...'

'After three days? Except for the ashes having blown away, it still looks fresh. There ought to be something starting to grow back, even if it's just weeds.'

And looking again, Jade found her own interest rising. The borderline between the burn and the grass did still look like it had been carved with a scalpel. The ragged look of nature trying to send plants back in to the void was totally absent, as if something was stopping any regrowth from happening.

'Whenever my dad made me weed the garden, sometimes I'd see things poking up through the ground again in a few hours.' Grimm said. 'Out here in the wild, grow back would come even faster. So what's preventing it?'

Jade was running several spectrographic graphs now, darting her head up and down as she checked the camera footage against multiple program windows. 'I... don't know.' she said. 'That is weird...'

Grimm was taking out some small containers from his hip pouch. 'I'll collect samples from the soil inside the burn area, and from outside.' he said. 'We'll swing by the ranch on the way back to Kwitcherbeliakin. Once I get them to you, use everything you've got to find out what the difference is.'

Omahkkiaayowa, Nitohpoksiiyikitapiiyi...

Rhonda simply kept humming while she strolled inside the burn area. Rueful had hopped down from her shoulder and was darting in and out from the grass border. Her eyes were unfocused, squinting slightly against the glare of the sun, which was high and white in the sky. And then she paused.

The burn area seemed dimmer to her somehow, as if it were lying under shade - even though it was fully exposed to the sunny sky. And outside the burn area, that shade seemed to disappear, with the green tips of the high grass blazing almost yellow under the sunlight. She stood with her mouth hanging open, looking back and forth between the grass and the burned earth. She approached the edge and stuck her hand out into the grassy area. It felt warmer there as well, with a clear feeling of the sun beating down on her arm. But inside the burn area, it was more shadowy, and colder.

The sound of Grimm's scanning, and his chatter with Jade also seemed to be fading, with the rustling of the grass seeming louder and louder. A flash of movement that was not waving grass caught her eye, and she started. Something had slid across her field of vision, a shape hidden deep in shadow behind the grasses that surrounded her, and she heard a brushing sound that was not the rustling grass...

'Ready to go?'

Rhonda nearly shouted when Grimm laid his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, and in the moment when she broke eye contact with the area she had been looking at - the shape she thought she had seen had disappeared. She stared back, trying to catch a glimpse again, but it was gone, and she was no longer certain she had seen anything.

'You all right?' Grimm said.

'Yeah..' Rhonda said. 'This place just... feels weird.'

Grimm looked around. 'Well, I've scanned as much as I can for the moment. Let's drop these first samples off with Jade, then get back to the camp. We can come back again later if we need to.'

Part II: Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

When Grimm and Rhonda had been loaded up in the CIA's vans and driven off, Jade had spent her time in the log cabin room getting things ready. She had never been the kind to let grass grow under her feet, and after an intense session of going over the computers that had been set up, she was finally satisfied. She'd used their own equipment to go through the systems, cleaned out the CIA's tracking devices, established links to her system in Riddleton, quadruple-checked to make sure they couldn't be tracked, and a number of other things, mostly to make this remote station as much like home as possible.

But eventually it was all set up and ready to go, and she found herself with some time to kill. So she slipped a communicator into her pocket, then set out to explore the ranch. But that didn't take long either. Ranches, in general, weren't big on novelty. They were working and living areas for livestock, and if you had no experience with animals, that didn't leave you with much to do. So she wound up merely kicking her heels and wandering from place to place. She wished she were wearing her normal sandals, but the thought that she might bump into Josh kept her wearing the dress and heeled shoes, uncomfortable though they were.

She caught sight of a woman in jeans and a hat riding through a field with a number of other horses following after her. That had to be Grimm's aunt. When Rhonda had told her that Grimm's aunt was Ms. Darken's sister, her mouth had hung open for almost a full minute in amazement. Then she felt angry at herself, because for all her skill in finding secrets and hacking information, this particular tidbit had totally escaped her.

She was distracted by the arrival of several girls, who looked to be her own age. They had ridden in on a number of bikes and trooped into the ranch, making a bee-line for the front door. There was a blonde girl who seemed to be leading them, with her walk as more of a strut. Then they seemed to notice Jade, and diverted to where she was leaning against a fence post for one of the horse pens.

'Who are you?' said the blonde girl, and there was an almost Donnie-Stoneport-ish disdain in her voice and eyes.

'Who's asking?' Jade said, her dander going up at once, even though she didn't know any of these girls.

The blonde girl tossed her hair and kept a smile hitched in place, but her eyes narrowed, making the smile almost a leer. 'Priscilla Fairchild.' she said. 'And you?'

'Jade Omo-sa.' she answered. Priscilla and the girls clustered behind her shared a quick series of glances as if they were communicating telepathically.

'Not a relative of the Probables, then.' said Priscilla when she turned back. 'And I haven't ever seen you at school. What are you doing here?'

Jade was liking these strangers less by the second. None of them were smiling now, and they had the air of a street gang who had found someone on their turf. But since she was on a gig for the CIA, she had an excuse for trotting out one of Grimm's favorite lines. 'Nunna.' she answered. 'As in, nunna your beeswax.'

A black-haired girl behind Priscilla started forward, saying, 'Why you...' but Priscilla held up a hand and she desisted, stepping back. Priscilla's eyes had now become a glare. 'Since you're new here we'll let that slide.' she said. 'But strangers ought to be more polite, especially when they're all by themselves.'

Jade sniffed. She had helped Grimm going up against Monkey Fist and his golems, so she wasn't at all scared of a pack of territorial girls. Still, there were at least six of them...

'Afternoon, girls.' came a voice, and a shadow loomed up behind Jade, making her start. Grimm's aunt had ridden up and was looking down at them all from her mount, a horse with a brown coat and white spots. 'What brings you to the ranch? School's out for the summer.'

'Mrs. Probable!' said Priscilla, and her face had immediately relaxed into a wide-smiled simper. 'We were just saying hello to Josh's... cousin?' she ended with a nasty look back at Jade.

'She's our house guest.' Mrs. Probable answered, adjusting her hat. 'She'll be staying with us for a few days.'

'Oh, how... lovely.' Priscilla said through gritted teeth.

'A bit out of the way for a bike trip.' said Mrs. Probable, looking over to where the girls' bikes were leaned against the entrance gate. 'Is Josh... expecting you?' And Jade couldn't help noticing that while Mrs. Probable's face was smiling and polite, the tone of her voice had dropped a few degrees in temperature.

'We just popped by to give him his invitation to the barn dance.' said Priscilla, fishing out a red envelope. 'Is he... here?' And now Jade noted that all of the girls were red-cheeked and a couple were giggling openly as they looked around.

'He's inside.' said Mrs. Probable, neatly dismounting and hitching the horse to one of the fence poles. 'Go ahead and leave it with me, I'll see it gets to him.'

'Ah... of course.' said Priscilla hesitantly, but she handed the envelope over to Mrs. Probable all the same. The other girls looked crestfallen.

'Thank you.' she said. And for a few moments there was awkward silence. 'Well, enjoy your ride back out.' she said at last.

It was clearly not the way the girls seemed to have wanted things to go, but they muttered several variations of good day before heading back towards their bikes. Priscilla kept her simpering smile in place, the last to turn away. 'Do tell Josh we said hello.' she said, before turning and leaving.

'Oh, I'll make a point of it.' said Mrs. Probable, and her smile had become brittle.

With a last glare at Jade, the girls herded out through the gate, mounted their bikes and started riding off. Mrs. Probable remained there staring after them until they were out of sight down the gravel road leading to the ranch.

'Cheese, who were those harpies?' Jade said out loud, then remembered that Mrs. Probable was still there. 'I mean... such uncouth behavior.'

Mrs. Probable was unhitching her horse and stroking the side of its head while it snorted softly. 'Just some of Josh's classmates from school.' she said, but without any enthusiasm. 'They all seem to have their caps set for him, and at such a young age. Bit early in years for them to want a fella.'

Jade wasn't sure how to react. She wanted to laugh, because Mrs. Probable sounded just like Grimm's mom, and guilt, because like the other girls, she also liked Josh. 'Bit early in years?' she thought. She turned and hobbled after Mrs. Probable, squeezing through the horizontal poles of the corral. 'There's a dance?' she said. 'I wouldn't mind a look - I won't be hacking... uh, I mean, doing tech support the whole time.'

Mrs. Probable was entering the stables, and Jade saw her drop the dance invitation into a drum barrel with TRASH painted on it in white letters. 'Fixing to go?' she said. 'Well I'd watch out for that local posse, if I were you.' she said, starting to lead her horse away towards a stable. 'I don't know if you've ever seen the way hens treat the odd one out, but it ain't pretty.'

'Oh I can handle a bunch of...' Jade said, but then caught herself. 'I mean, I'm sure we'll get on famously.'

Mrs. Probable now looked at her curiously, and Jade, uncomfortable under her stare, turned and started looking around inside the stable. A few horses were penned, standing quietly, snorting occasionally. The musty smell of a barn was all around them. To cover the silence, she picked an apple out of a hogshead barrel and approached one of the pens that had a lower gate. A pony with a cinnamon colored coat was housed in it. Jade stepped up, holding the apple out, and feeling like Mrs. Probable's eyes were boring a hole in the back of her neck.

'Be careful...' Mrs. Probable started, for the pony had stepped up, but it took a gentle bite from the apple in Jade's hand and stepped back, its horse lips twitching in a circle around its teeth as it chewed.

'Nice horse.' said Jade.

'No she isn't.' said Mrs. Probable, blinking. 'This one's been as feisty as blazes. Had to keep her apart from the others.'

'Maybe she just likes apples.' Jade shrugged, as the pony stepped forward again, took another bite, then stepped back.

'Didn't like much of anything...' said Mrs. Probable. 'Up until now, it seems.' The pony had stepped up again and laid its nose on Jade's shoulder, sniffing. The warm breath puffed across her neck.

'Aaaah! What's it doing?' Jade said, shivering.

'Saying hello, looks like.' said Mrs. Probable, chuckling. The pony kept snuffling at Jade's shoulder. 'Just put up a hand nice and slow, pet her cheek gently.' Mrs. Probable said in a soothing voice. Jade did so, and the pony seemed to relax, letting out a quiet snort. 'Looks like she's taken a shining to you, missy.'

'Ah, don't bond with me.' said Jade, though she kept petting the pony. 'I can't take you home, Dad would never let me keep a horse.'

'Your dad doesn't like animals?' said Mrs. Probable.

'He doesn't... like much of anything.' said Jade sullenly. There was another silence, but focusing on petting the pony kept it from feeling awkward. The pony twitched her tail and lowered her head, and Jade switched to scratching behind her ears. 'Does she have a name?' Jade asked. 'Rainbow... sparkle or something?'

Mrs. Probable let out a bark of laughter and shook her head. 'Actually hadn't named her yet.' she said. 'Feisty ones usually get names like Twister or Thunder, but that just seems too on the nose.'

There was another silence, except for a munching sound as the pony slurped the last of the apple from Jade's hand. 'Well... gotta go.' Jade said, stepping away uncomfortably. 'I mean, good day to you, Mrs. Probable.' She started out of the stables and was headed back into the brightness of the corral when she heard Mrs. Probable call after her.

'I'll teach you to ride her sometime, if you want.' she said. 'And call me Gina. Easier for you and me.'

Unable to think of anything to say, Jade simply nodded and went back outside. 'Well that was kind of weird...' she thought. But as she was slipping back out through the corral fence, she heard a beep from her communicator.

'Jade, you copy?' came Grimm's voice. 'We're clear of the forest and on our way to the site...'

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Flying back to the ranch on the Ksikkihkíni was a lot faster than the drive. Without any winding roads to navigate, they could cruise directly over the terrain, and were back at the ranch in less than half an hour.

Uncle Jim dropped by while they were at their cabin handing off the soil samples to Jade. 'I'm impressed - you move fast.' he said. 'You haven't been on the job for more than a few hours, and you've already identified one of the perps.'

Grimm had to fight back a satisfied smirk. 'Identifying Maze only makes it trickier.' he said, talking to him while Rhonda and Jade were chatting at the other end of the cabin. 'If there's one thing he knows, it's how to hide.'

'But if he is involved, then the CIA wants him for sure.' said Jim darkly. 'He was one of the masterminds behind the golem attacks, so even setting aside the recent grass damage, he's got a lot to answer for.'

Grimm nodded. 'But I'd advise against sending a flood of CIA agents into the forest, banging pots and pans together. You won't drive him out of hiding that way.'

'How do you advise proceeding then?' Jim said. 'We can't just leave him on the loose. That was what wound up happening after the golem situation, and now he's returned.'

'For the moment, let us go back to the camp and keep working with Sakituya.' said Grimm. 'We got hints that Maze is in hiding somewhere in the forest. We still might be able to... ferret him out.' he ended with a meaningful glance at Rueful, who was perched on Rhonda's shoulder.

Jim followed his glance and nodded. 'A scalpel vs. a bulldozer.' he muttered. 'Understood. You think Ms. Fatigable and her pet can do this?'

Grimm nodded. 'The last time we were there, she was able to find paths that even Maze couldn't.' he answered. 'Rhonda may not like Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin, but there's something about that place, and her, that just... click if she's there for any length of time. Rhonda owes Maze some payback, and Maze has a grudge against Rhonda. I get the feeling, with both of them in the same general location, Maze will eventually come to us. When he does, we'll be ready for him.'

'All right then.' said Jim. 'Keep the reports coming, and - good work.' Then he turned and went back towards the main house.

While Grimm and Uncle Jim were talking in the corner, Rhonda was talking to Jade. 'You think it was Maze out at the site?' Jade said. 'Did you see him?'

'Not... really.' Rhonda confessed. 'It was more of a feeling. I haven't told Grimm yet, but I think he's right that you should set up some kind of security here at the ranch. I'm not scared of him, but if he came after you...'

'Well now that I'm clued in, he's gonna have the devil's time trying!' Jade said defiantly. 'We'll see if his shadow gimmicks can deal with a triple-layered sensor net and a bunch of needlers.'

'Just as long as you don't wind up getting Josh.' said Rhonda slyly. 'How are things going there?'

'Haven't seen him since we got here.' Jade shrugged. 'But it looks like I'm not his only fan girl. There were a whole bunch of them here a while ago trying to get him to some kind of dance.'

'A dance?' Rhonda said. 'Sounds romantic...'

'Shut up...' Jade said, digging at the floor with her shoe but blushing.

'And staying right here at the ranch could give you an edge over the locals...' Rhonda said. As much as Jade had hassled her and Grimm after they had started shipping, she was rather enjoying turning the tables on her. But this time Jade didn't answer, she only mumbled.

'Ready to leave?' Grimm was approaching now, and looking business-like again. Rhonda shared a quick glance with Jade, then nodded. Grimm also looked to Jade. 'I'm counting on you to find any differences in those samples.' he said. 'That could be important.'

'Word up, G-man.' Jade said.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

An hour's flight found Grimm and Rhonda returning to Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin. After stowing the bike, they saw Chief Sakituya beckoning to them from the entrance of the main hall. When they started towards him, he disappeared inside.

'Wonder what he wants?' Rhonda grumbled.

'He probably...' Grimm started, but he stopped as they entered into the hall.

Chief Sakituya was standing near the fire pit. The long table had been pushed to the side of the room, and the fire pit was surrounded by a number of Indians, all of whom were staring at them with deep eyes. Others were seated on the sawed stumps scattered through the hall. There were many older Indians with grey hair, and many that seemed to be of middle age. There were also several young men, with a wide variety of dress styles. But all of them seemed to have the same blank, grim expressions. For several seconds, there was heavy silence.

'Sur-priiiiiise...' Rhonda said to Grimm through the corner of her mouth.

Wrong footed, but determined not to show it, Grimm focused his attention on Sakituya. 'So this is your... council?' he said carefully.

The Indian chief nodded solemnly, and turned to the assembly. 'My good friends,' he said, raising his voice. 'Though we meet now under dire circumstances, it is also with cause for hope and gladness. The Great Bear Spirit has chosen a new Priestess to join us in our time of need. Allow me to present to you, Katasistsikoowa, and her friend, Otaatoyiwa.'

Silence fell again, and the faces looking at them did not show any reaction, either positive or negative. Grimm folded his arms and looked back at them defiantly, while Rhonda muttered. 'Should we... come back later...?'

'Chief Sakituya,' said a deep voice from a corner of the room. It was spoken by a man with a wrinkled face. His long hair was hanging in one thick braid behind his head, and he had one feather tied behind his ear. His stocky frame was mostly covered with a weathered duster. 'It is unbecoming for you to make jokes, especially now.'

Sakituya turned to him. 'I assure you, Enkoodabaoo, it is no jest.' He gestured to Rhonda. 'She is the Bear Priestess.'

The man called Enkoodabaoo was now scowling slightly. 'But they are mere children.' he said. 'And they are white.'

At this, Rhonda groaned and shook her head. 'Looks like Maze's fan club is here.' she said.

The similarity between Enkoodabaoo's reaction, and what Maze had said when he first saw them, was not lost on Grimm either. 'Chief, if this is the crew that's supposed to be helping with our mission,' he said carefully, 'Then maybe we should take time out so you can sort the ones who actually want to be here?'

'It is important that we take council now.' said Sakituya, looking coldly at Enkoodabaoo for a moment. 'I fear we may have only a little time left before matters become more serious. When that happens, we will not have the luxury of time for peaceful chatting.'

'No!' said Enkoodabaoo, shaking his head. And while he did not raise his voice, the displeasure was heavy. He was starting to walk towards Grimm and Rhonda now, threading through the others who remained seated. 'I will lend my aid to the tribe as always, but to trust these matters to children? They should leave now so we can...'

There was a heavy thudding from behind, and a roar that sounded like a rasping, grating breath. Rhonda flinched, but Gentle Paw and his cubs had rushed into the hall and around her. They formed a wedge between Enkoodabaoo and Rhonda. Enkoodabaoo halted in alarm, stepping back as Gentle Paw reared up like a thundercloud with his teeth bared.

'Ikkinikinsstiwa, enough!' barked Chief Sakituya, holding up his hand.

But Gentle Paw continued growling down at Enkoodabaoo, and to Grimm's surprise, Rhonda actually darted around the angry bear and got between him and the cowering Indian. She reached up and tugged at his massive forearm. 'Hey!' she shouted. 'Come on, calm down! Everything's cool here, everything's cool...'

Gentle Paw got back down on all fours, his growl ebbing down to a low thrumming in his throat. His cubs remained poised, their glittering eyes fixed on Enkoodabaoo. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence, though.' Rhonda muttered into Gentle Paw's ear. 'Wish I was as sure...'

The effect of this on the assembled crowd was swift. Everyone was now speaking in low, whispered Blackfoot to each other, nodding and looking impressed. Enkoodabaoo had stepped back a few paces and was looking back and forth between Gentle Paw and Rhonda, his face a study in pure astonishment.

Sakituya laid a hand on his shoulder. 'I forgive your doubt.' he said, then turned to the assembly again. 'Perhaps when you heard the rumors, you came here expecting to see something more legendary?' The crowd did not answer. 'You should remember my friends, that people do not start out being legendary. They become legendary through their actions. Legends... are earned over time.'

'But...' Enkoodabaoo said, but he fell silent as Gentle Paw let out a prolonged threatening growl, though the bear did not move from his crouch at Rhonda's side. The higher pitched growls of his cubs joined in, Rueful had also leaped down onto Gentle Paw's back to lend his own growl to the chorus.

'Come on guys, indoor voices...' Rhonda sighed, and the animals quieted.

After that, no one spoke for several seconds, and then Sakituya nodded. 'If this sign was not enough, then our cause is already in peril, because only together can we stand against what is to come. Let us all unite in this matter now, and set aside your doubts. I doubt none of you - least of all Katasistsikoowa.' When no one spoke again, he nodded. 'Let us begin the council.'

During all of this, Grimm had said little and had not moved, except to turn his observational skills onto the watching crowd. Taking the lead wasn't his strong suit - especially with large groups. He preferred small teams with people he trusted, and he was feeling quite out of his element. But he did note the change in aspect among the Indians after the bears had come to Rhonda's defense. But he felt unsure about this 'council' and its purpose. Sakituya had said there would be others joining them in the investigation. Grimm had thought he meant a few more specialists, not what looked like a whole tribe of Blackfoot Indians. What help could they possibly be? He had no idea how to take control in a situation like this. Working silently from the sidelines was what he and his team did best. So he kept his face impassive, and decided simply to play along for the time being. Then if he had any doubts, he would meet with Sakituya alone. He tapped Rhonda's shoulder, and they took seats on the only two vacant stumps left in the hall.

The Indians had turned their attention largely back to Sakituya, though several of them were still looking at Rhonda with interest. Rueful had skittered back onto her shoulder, and with a last whuff, Gentle Paw turned and started loping back to the hall entrance with his cubs behind him. 'We are met,' said Sakituya, 'Because certain signs have drawn us here. The field beyond the forest was destroyed as a warning, a sign of a great threat.'

'And let me guess.' Grimm thought. 'You don't know what it is...'

'We do not know exactly what it is.' said the Indian Chief, and Grimm had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes. 'But there is no doubt that Sskipoyiwa has a hand in it.' At these words there was a renewed outbreak of quiet muttering from the assembly. 'His shadow medicine has become very strong.' Sakituya continued. 'But Katasistsikoowa has tasks to fulfil, and we cannot allow him to interfere.'

'But what can we do?' said Enkoodabaoo. 'If this girl is truly the Bear Priestess, then she has powerful medicine of her own which we cannot hope to match.'

Sakituya nodded. 'That may be so.' he answered. 'But there is also great strength in numbers - and in true friends. Therefore all of you will play a most vital role in the coming events. I turn to you for your help, for each of you has medicine of your own as well. Courage, loyalty, strength of will, and your own talents. All these are needed. From this moment on, the camp must be guarded. And our keenest huntsmen must find Sskipoyiwa, if possible.'

The assembly muttered again, and many were nodding in agreement.

'You will coordinate with me, and together we will protect this camp, to maintain a safe haven for us all while we are here. This will give Katasistsikoowa the guard she will need in order to act swiftly when the time comes. If there are any who object to this, you may now speak.' Sakituya ended with another glance towards Enkoodabaoo, but the grizzled Indian merely shrugged and stepped back to join the others in the surrounding semi-circle.

Sakituya nodded. 'Very good. Your aid will be most welcome.' He turned to a weather-stained Indian who had said nothing, but stood closest to Sakituya the whole time. 'Samoset. You are the most travelled, and know the lands both in and around the camp. I trust you to form the most able teams for both guard, and hunting. All of you will follow his instruction, unless otherwise directed. Once that has been accomplished, I will give further instruction. That is all I will say for now.'

Many among the assembled Indians looked back and forth among each other, but then they rose from their seats and followed Samoset out of the hall. Soon only Sakituya, Grimm and Rhonda were left. Grimm frowned. It hadn't been much of a 'council', and he wasn't sure he felt comfortable with them guarding the camp, especially knowing what Maze was capable of. 'You know, you could have told us about this beforehand.' he said.

Sakituya looked bemused. 'This is my way of...' he started, but Rhonda broke over him.

'Hey, I called no one was allowed to say that!' she snapped. 'And I want that to be a standing rule!'

Sakituya now chuckled softly. 'As you wish.' he said. 'But as I recall, I did inform you both that there would be a council, and that there would be others in attendance.'

'But you didn't say what kind of council it would be, who would be coming, or how many.' Grimm said. 'I know you're in charge of this mission, but neither of us like being kept out of the loop.'

Sakituya looked at them evenly. 'Do you object to these arrangements?'

Grimm sighed. 'My only objection is that we don't know any of these people, and we're supposed to entrust them with our security?'

'Do you trust me?' said Sakituya, and the question hung uncomfortably for several seconds before Grimm answered.

'Yes.' he said, 'But that trust takes a hit when you spring surprises like this.'

'Then I will say this for your comfort,' said Sakituya gravely. 'I am the Chief of the Blackfoot tribe in these parts. I know each of the persons whom I have called to be here. And I would trust any one of them with my life.' When Grimm didn't answer, the Indian chief sighed. 'As with the last time you were here, trust does not come easily to you, Otaatoyiwa.'

'Sometimes mistrust undeserved is safer than rashness.' Grimm said.

Sakituya shrugged. 'Then, as legends are earned over time, so I hope our actions will earn your trust.' he said. I think you will find my people to be able and skilled in their craft. In any case, you would not find Sskipoyiwa with your machines.' he said. 'His woodcraft is strong, and you will need my people in order to manage any kind of effective defense.'

'We'll see.' Grimm answered. 'But you also said we would hear "many things" at this council. We didn't hear all that much.'

'That is a matter of perception.' said Sakituya. From what I saw, much was accomplished. You have seen our tribe now, and they have seen you. Moreover, they have seen with their own eyes a glimpse of the power that Katasistsikoowa holds, which will give them cause for thought, as well as motivating their efforts. They will act firmly now, both to defend the camp and to hunt for Sskipoyiwa.'

'Well, I was kinda hoping to learn more stuff about this danger that's supposed to be coming.' Rhonda muttered. 'How are we supposed to deal with it if we don't know what it is?'

'When my people find Sskipoyiwa, it is my hope that we will learn much more.' said the Indian chief.

'I'll be impressed if they do. I remember what happened last time we tried to find him.' said Grimm, wincing at the memory of time spent scrambling around with Team Possible, trying to track down Monkey Fist's hidden lair. 'If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be.'

'Though perhaps he is more relaxed this time.' came a deep voice from across the hall.

Grimm and Rhonda leaped to their feet. Standing in a shadowed corner and looking totally at his ease, was Maze himself. He was staring at them with slitted eyes, and a thin lipped smile.

'You...!' Rhonda spluttered, lurching forward with a fist raised. But Grimm put a hand on her shoulder and held her back.

Even Sakituya looked surprised. 'Sskipoyiwa.' he said. 'Why have you come here? I need only raise my voice and...'

'...And I would vanish from your camp as easily as I entered.' said Maze. 'And then how would I answer your questions?'

Grimm paused, connecting several strands of thought in a splintered second. Now that the object of their investigations was right there in front of them, he didn't want to squander the opportunity. He didn't doubt that Maze wasn't boasting, and that he could escape at any moment. But if they were patient and played it cool, they would eventually have him. The moment would come when he would let Rhonda dash at him like an angry rhinoceros, but for now, he wanted to fish for information. 'Sskipoyiwa.' said Grimm. 'I see you've got some new hardware.'

Maze adjusted his gauntlets and his eyepiece. 'I have grown to... appreciate the marvels of technology.' he said. 'It affords me certain advantages. More than ever, I can come and go without detection - as you can now attest.'

'So what's your game?' Grimm growled, and he felt Rhonda still straining against his grip. 'This is your big revenge for failing with the golems? Ruining golf courses?' Maze didn't answer for several seconds. He simply stood there with that amused smile on his face. 'Come on Maze - you didn't come here just to stare at us.' Grimm said at last.

'As always, you have many questions, Otaatoyiwa.' Maze drawled, examining his gauntleted hand. 'Let put one to you. How do you know I didn't do all of this merely to draw you forth from your hidden refuge for an attack?'

'Because if the name of the game was assassination, you'd have struck already.' Grimm said. 'That says to me - you want something from us.'

Maze laughed. 'If it pleases you to think so.' he said. 'Still... I would advise you to sleep lightly, and armed. I could strike at any time...'

'Go ahead and try it you lousy...!' Rhonda shouted, but again, Grimm pulled her back.

'So what exactly do you want?' said Grimm. 'You know we're mobilizing to capture you. You could save us the trouble and just give yourself up now.'

Maze chuckled. 'You would be bored by such an easy victory, Otaatoyiwa.' he said. 'You always enjoy demonstrating your skills - to deny you that opportunity would be... cruel.'

'You set a mark in the fields outside the forest.' said Grimm, trying again. 'Why? Who are you working with?'

'As I said - to set you a mystery worthy of your keen and understanding mind.' Maze drawled. 'As to who I am working with? How do you know I am not acting on my own?'

'Because of your new toys.' said Grimm. 'You don't do science any better than you do ballet, so don't tell me you made them yourself out of sticks and dirt.'

'These?' said Maze, gesturing to the equipment he wore. 'Let us simply say they came to me... out of the blue.' Rhonda blinked at this, and stopped struggling against Grimm's restraining hand.

While they spoke, Chief Sakituya had lowered a hand to his hip, where a small drum hung from his belt. And he had begun lightly tapping it. The sound was barely audible, but Maze's eyes twinkled. 'I see that Sakituya wishes to end our little talk. Very well, I have said all I intend to... for the moment. I have even given you some information you did not have before. Now let us see if the cunning fox can unravel the strands I have so generously given you. Farewell, for now - I will be watching.'

There was a rustle of movement from the entryway as several of Sakituya's tribe dashed into the hall. But the shadows in the corner of the room spread quickly, as if the sun was moving in super-fast motion. Maze's form blended into the darkness and vanished.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

'I have to say I'm not too impressed with the security so far.' Grimm muttered, stepping back into their cabin. Rhonda and Rueful followed him in, but Sakituya remained on the doorstep.

'I did not expect Sskipoyiwa to enter the camp so brazenly.' said Sakituya, shaking his head. 'My people will be on their guard now - it will not happen again. If you will excuse me, I must go and inform Samoset and the others.' Grimm nodded, and Sakituya left, closing the wooden door behind him.

There was a silent pause which stretched out for minute until Rhonda spoke. 'So - what do you think?'

Grimm sighed. 'I'm not sure. Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire. Sakituya's people might be able to counter Maze's shadow abilities, and after last time? I know it'll take more than our tech to track him down.'

'So why'd he come here?' said Rhonda. 'Just to dance in front of us and yell neener neener neener?'

'No. I was guessing in the hall, but now I'm sure of it.' said Grimm. 'He wants something.'

'Well if it's a fight he wants, let's just go to one of the clearings in the forest!' Rhonda growled. 'I'll bear up on his sorry butt if he's got the guts to show!'

Grimm shook his head. 'I doubt it'll be that simple.' he said. 'You saw that gear he was wearing? It wasn't just cosplay. That's real tech he's got on - I've never seen anything like it.'

'Sure we have.' Rhonda said. 'Drakken, Dementor - they're lousy with widgets and bee-bops like that.'

Grimm sighed. 'I said already - I don't think it's them.'

'Aw, come on!' said Rhonda, feeling the bite of resentment again. 'You heard what Maze said - out of the blue? Blue? Drakken? This has his fingerprints all over it!'

'It's too obvious.' said Grimm, his voice hardening. 'Misdirection - oldest trick in the book. Make people think it's something other than what it actually is. We've used the trick on others too many times to fall for it ourselves.'

'Why?' Rhonda snapped. 'I mean, what harm would it do to just call Drakken up and ask him again? There's no rule that says we can't make double sure. And I thought you said you listen to your peeps - you're sure not listening now.'

But Grimm was stepping around her and moving to the door. 'I don't want to discuss this anymore.' he said flatly. 'I need to go see Sakituya and find out...' But as he opened the door, he stopped on the doorstep of the cabin porch, and so did Rhonda.

Standing at the foot of the stairs looking up at them was one of Sakituya's tribe. He was a young man, looking about their own age. He was muscular and athletic looking, wearing a simple outfit of jeans, a brown shirt, and what looked like a vest made of hand-stitched animal hides.

He had no idea who he was, but based on nothing more than the way he was looking at Rhonda, Grimm disliked him at once. He didn't seem to heed Grimm at all in fact - his attention was totally focused on Rhonda. 'Who are you?' said Grimm.

'I am Corey.' he said at last. 'Corey Proudheart.'

Grimm scowled. 'Of... course you are.' he said dryly. 'Can we help you with anything?' and in his mind he thought, 'Like finding the exit?'

'Not all of our tribe is as skeptical as Enkoodabaoo.' said Corey, only giving Grimm a half glance. 'I believe in our Chief, and I have come to pledge my service to the Bear Priestess.'

Rhonda was looking at him as if she'd been struck dumb. 'Ah...' she started, but Grimm broke over her.

'She's not suffering from lack of service.' he said. 'If she wants help, she'll ask for it.'

Corey turned his eyes fully to Grimm now, as if appraising him. 'Perhaps you should let the Bear Priestess speak for herself, instead of presuming that you speak for her.' he said calmly.

Grimm blinked, at a loss for words. 'Oh, no you di'nt!' he thought angrily.

Rhonda could sense Grimm's anger flaring up and stepped forward. 'Thanks.' she said, thinking fast. She didn't want to start their partnership with the tribe by having Grimm putting Kung-Fu moves on the local hottie. She blinked inwardly. Did I just think he was a hottie? 'I... I'm glad you're willing to help out - just... make sure Maze doesn't get into the camp again.'

Corey nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. 'I will guard your cabin with my life.' he said, his voice sounding utterly dreamy.

'With your eyes will be just fine.' Grimm growled, whisking himself and Rhonda quickly back into the cabin.

'Yeah his... eyes.' said Rhonda under her breath.

Grimm pushed the door nearly to, and talked more quickly. 'I'm gonna go see exactly what Sakituya and his peeps are doing to guard the camp.' he said quietly. 'In the meantime, we have to assume that security isn't airtight, and that we're both targets. Keep your gear ready at all times, and stay inside for now.'

Rhonda was still feeling miffed over Grimm's stubborn refusal to even try contacting Drakken, and didn't answer right away. But then she felt his hand laid gently aside her cheek and heard his voice speaking softly in her ear.

'Please?' he said.

Rhonda shrugged. 'Okay...' she said resentfully.

'Thanks, babe.' he said. 'I'll feel better knowing you're out of harm's way as much as possible.' He paused with his hand on the door handle. 'We should put our own security measures in place.' he said. 'If you want to help out, see what you can come up with.' Then he was gone.

Rhonda stared at the door for several minutes after Grimm had left, tapping her foot on the floorboards. 'All right fine, be that way.' she thought. 'I acted without you when I was Poxorza, I can do it again!' 'Rueful?' she said out loud, and Rueful leaped down with a furry-pawed salute as if waiting for orders. 'Think you can get the local weasels to help keep an eye out for Maze? They're night-time animals and they range all over.'

Rueful thumped his foot enthusiastically on the floor and nodded, following Rhonda as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Grimm was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Corey. She looked up at the roof of the cabin and cleared her throat. Nothing seemed to happen.

'Guys?' she said, timidly. After another pause, she raised her voice a little. 'Guys? Come on, I know you're out there, you never leave me alone whenever I'm here...'

There was a scampering, pattering sound, and a few squirrels craned their necks, looking down at her from the rooftop. A pair of weasels darted out from the surrounding forest, and several birds lighted onto the cabin roof, including the large hawk which had been there earlier. All of them were looking at her curiously.

'Uh... thanks.' she said, feeling weird. This was different than hanging out with the animals near her house in Riddleton. She knew them fairly well, but the wild animals at Kwitcherbeliakin just felt different, like giving a speech in front of a crowd of strangers. But she went on. 'Listen, there's a guy named Maze hiding somewhere in the forest, you know about him, right?' The assembled animals all chittered, chirped and nodded.

'Well, I need you guys to make sure he doesn't sneak into the camp. If he tries, raise some kind of alarm, okay? Make as big a racket as you want. Are there any owls out there?'

At this, the hawk screeched loudly, and a few seconds later, a brown owl glided over the treetops and fluttered onto the cabin roof.

Rhonda nodded. 'Great! Spread the word to all your buddies and see if you can find where Maze is hiding. If you spot him, let me know. That cool?' the animals all nodded again, filling the air with their chirps and squeals.

'Okay, now don't neglect your families and stuff. You can still hunt and everything like you usually do. Just add this to your routines for a while. I wish we had some guards too...'

But Rueful was shaking his head now, and let out a squeak that sounded like 'Mmm -mmm!'

'We don't need any? Why not?' The hawk on the roof let out a shrill cry again, and Rhonda blanched. 'Who's already standing guard?' she squeaked.

Rueful turned and jabbed his paw towards the neighboring cabin. Gentle Paw was shambling slowly towards her, with his cubs trailing behind him. Rhonda's first instinct was to run up the nearest tree. But the bears lined up in front of the porch, looking out at her along with the rest of the animals. She stood there trembling for several seconds.

'So you guys are... on bodyguard duty?' she said. Gentle Paw nodded and snuffed loudly. His cubs were nodding and drooling with their mouths open. Rhonda sighed, fighting with the phobias she had built over several weeks at the camp when she was a kid. At last she drew her hand across her eyes, wiping away some nervous sweat. 'Well, yeah I guess Maze would think twice about barging in if there are bears on patrol. Okay, you're in. But please... don't eat me!'

At this, Gentle Paw and his cubs let out rasping, short gasps with their heads bobbing up and down.

'It's not funny!' Rhonda said. 'I've been scared of bears my whole life - I wouldn't even ask except... it's Maze we're talking about here. And he... well you know what he did last time.'

The bears went quiet, except for one mournful sounding growl from Gentle Paw.

'Well... that's it for now.' said Rhonda uncomfortably. 'Carry on, or something.'

The animals all paused, their heads bobbing back and forth, then they scattered and disappeared into the nearby woods or into the air. Gentle Paw and his cubs remained on the cabin porch, and stood at either side of the door. Rhonda was about to flinch her way past the bears and back inside when she felt a prickle that said she was being watched. She turned and saw Corey, standing a few yards away. He was looking at her and smiling. He gave a short bow of his head, then stepped around another cabin and out of sight.

Later inside, Rhonda sat on her bunk bed, looking down at her communicator. She had called Jade, and told her about the council, about Maze's sudden appearance, and everything she could remember about what he had said. She also voiced her suspicions about who Maze was working with, and Grimm's refusal to take it seriously.

'So you really think Maze and Drakken are behind all this?' Jade said.

'It all fits, Jade.' she said. 'Drakken supplies Maze with new tech, and death rays while Maze uses his shadows to make sure they can pull it off without anyone noticing.'

'But why?' Jade said. 'What do they gain from torching grass?'

'I won't know until I ask them.' said Rhonda. 'Can you get me in touch with Drakken? I think he'd be a little more loose-lipped about what he's up to. You know how he loves to brag if someone just gooses his ego a little.'

Jade winced a little. 'Could be tough. I think he's in transit. You remember he said he was moving to a different lair.'

'Either that, or he's coordinating with Maze right now. Keep trying.' said Rhonda. 'And don't let Grimm in on it, okay? He's digging in his heels, but...' She sighed deeply. '...I think he's wrong onthis.'

Jade whistled. 'Wow.' she said. 'I've never heard you question Grimm before.' she said. 'Guess graduating didn't just get you a diploma - it's made you a strong independent womaaaaaaan!' She ended on a sing-song note, raising her hands and waving her fingers.

Rhonda chuckled. 'I guess being Poxorza made me see that I can do things on my own for a change.' There was a high pitched growl from outside. 'Gotta go, I think Grimm's coming back.' she said quickly. 'Keep me posted, but do it on the down-low!'

'On it - peace out!' And the communicator screen went black.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Seated in the Crow, Maze turned off his own communicator screen. He had used the equipment on the Crow to eavesdrop on Katasistsikoowa and her friend. The Lorwardian tech had made it absurdly easy, compared to the odyssey of his weeks working with Monkey Fist on the Ultra-Atmospheric Jammer. He smiled darkly as he exited the cockpit and stepped out into the still air of a hollow which formed a pocket in the high cliffs of a mountainside.

The Crow was nestled in the hollow, and Maze glanced aside at an ancient statue of the Great Bear Spirit. He wondered briefly if Otaatoyiwa and the others would guess that he was using this hollow as a refuge - the very place where they had first defeated him months ago. But even if they did, it would not matter. Through the devices given to him, he now had the power to contend against his enemies, or escape, whichever he wished.

He stepped out to the edge of the hollow, looking down on the forest far below as evening fell and the shadows of night began their slow gathering. He allowed himself a mirthless laugh. He had gone to Kwitcherbeliakin, expecting that Otaatoyiwa, with his sharper mind, would fall for his ruse. But of all people, it was Katasistsikoowa who had responded. If he were not so eager for success in his gambit, he might have been even more amused by the irony.

'Who would have thought that you would prove to be the most useful to me, Katasistsikoowa?' he thought grimly. 'I suppose I should be grateful now that you were delivered out of the world of spirits. For now, I shall let you ponder some more. I shall allow more discord to grow between you and your friend. And then, I think you will be prepared to help me instigate the invasion, and destroy the white man's world...'

Coming Soon:

Chapter 9

Diverging Paths

Author: In the interest of getting chapters out faster, I will probably forego drawing a lot of pictures in the future, if any at all. I've just got too many other things going on, coupled with the fact that my drawing muse seems to have run out of gas, at least in terms of the fanfiction pages. Too much effort vs. too little payback. I just need to manage my time better to get the story done. Unless inspiration hits me really hard with an image that I think just has to be conveyed :)