Hello everybody, I bring you the next chapter! I assume all of you agree on thinking Asterix's move wasn't the cleverest move to do, but… he's an adventurer, he has always been, so I guessed even as a child, he had this adventurer soul that moved him to go and face trouble.

Well, I'd like to say in this chapter, there'll be a continuation of the flashback we saw some chapters before. I hope you'll like it

Well, I'd like to give a special thanks to Drummergirl for helping me editing this story. I'm really, really, really grateful to her, she's awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the fifth chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 12. Again?

It was late afternoon, and in the forests surrounding the irreducible Gaul village, as summer was almost upon them, the trees were green and the large leaves crowning the tops of these trees provided shade where it was nice to rest.

But for those who were in this forest right now, there was no time to rest. Among the trees of this thick forest were several legionary patrols of Totorum camp. All of them were scared, and rightly so. They knew they would soon have to face at least the chubby Gaul… at least. Had they enlisted in the legion for this? If anyone had told them they would be in this situation, none of them would have even considered joining the legion, even if it was for the greatness of Rome.

But now they were here, stealthily advancing… or at least, as stealthily as possible… something quite difficult considering the type of terrain they were traversing, towards the village where the worst enemies they had ever fought lived. And all this for what? To capture a child? But if they already had their druid, why expose themselves to such risk? On top of that, none of their neighbors had accepted their request for help, so they had to do it alone. By Jupiter, it wasn't fair!

Caius Marsupialus was ahead in the patrol closest to the village. He didn't like this idea at all, but what other option did they have? That senator Overanxius was obsessed, and contradicting him could be a terrible mistake.

They stopped when the village wall appeared before their eyes and the smoke from the chimneys of the various houses rose into the blue sky where there was no longer a remnant of the clouds that had unleashed their fury last night. It was no secret after the Gauls' visit – and with so little time to repair the camp – many of the legionaries had been forced to sleep outside that night, in the intense rain, cold wind, and dazzling lightning followed by the dull sound of thunder. Yes, it had been a very, very long night for most, and some were beginning to feel the effects of staying overnight in such conditions.

"AAAATCHOO!" A loud sneeze escaped from one of the members of the Centurion-led patrol. This caused everyone else to shudder in fear and immediately turn to the source of the noise.

"By Minerva, Marcus Ubiquitus, be quiet," Caius Marsupialus whispered with a slight touch of nervousness in his voice. The last thing they needed was to alert the Gauls of their presence sooner than absolutely necessary, and if they made noise like the one this legionary had just made, then they had more chances to be discovered.

"Sorry," replied the man responsible for the noisy incident. He had done everything possible to not let it out, but finally, the sneeze had made its way outside before the poor legionary could stop it.

"Centurion, is it absolutely necessary that we attack the madmen?" one of the legionaries asked. This legionary, like most of them, found it difficult to hide his trembling legs. Caius Marsupialus breathed a sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes, it is," he replied sadly. Nothing caused him more fear than having to carry out that order, but as a Roman soldier, it was what he had to do. Those were his orders.

"But Centurion, this is a suicide mission, by Mercury," protested another of the legionaries. They didn't care if they were following orders; it was one thing to go to war, but going on an impossible mission was entirely different. And facing the Gauls was – without doubt – an impossible mission.

"Do you think I don't know?!" the Centurion shouted, momentarily forgetting where they were and the danger they faced.

"Sshh do not raise your voice Centurion… it is very risky," said another of the legionaries, rebuking his superior for raising his voice.

Caius Marsupialus smacked his face with the palm of his hand, why were his soldiers so maddening? He looked again at the legionary who had spoken to him in such an insolent way and said through his teeth, always trying not to raise his voice too much:

"Then don't give me reason to do it, by Juno."

While all this was happening, another of the legionaries suddenly turned his head and cocked his ear and when the sound of a twig snapping reached him. He immediately blanched, and with evident nerves, said to his superior:

"Centurion, I think I heard something… over there,"

The other members of the patrol also paid attention, and when another stick broke, Caius Marsupialus ordered:

"Quick, everyone hide!"

It wasn't necessary to repeat the order twice, because in the blink of an eye, none of the patrol members were in sight. They all hid in the brush, watching for any movement that might occur.

They got quiet as though they were statues, holding their breath, eyes darting from side to side of their vision field, scanning every tree, every thicket, every little blade of grass they could see. They feared what might come before them, and honestly, almost wished that whatever it was wouldn't appear.

Another twig snapped. This one sounded even closer than the previous ones. Who or what was approaching? The Romans were so scared that in these moments, they wouldn't have been able to move even if they had tried. Then suddenly, out of the trees appeared… a boar?! Had they been scared by a simple boar? And what was a boar doing so close to the town of maniacs? If the Romans were aware, these animals were the favorite dish of the Gauls, so it was something unusual that one of these specimens walked so close to danger. It made no sense.

Many of the legionaries let out the breath they had been holding until then. If it was only a boar, then there was nothing to fear. Little by little they started to come out of their hiding places when they were sure it was just a false alarm.

"Dogmatix, Dogmatix! Let's go!"

That scream startled them. Although not with the same intensity they were used to, since the scream clearly belonged to a child and not to an adult. And Caius Marsupialus knew exactly who this child was. Perhaps the gods had finally taken pity on his situation and decided to give him a gift. Without wasting time, he turned to his men.

"Okay soldiers, by Jupiter, hide again and keep quiet," he said next with a big smile on his face. They wouldn't have to face the Gauls after all.

Asterix was slightly confused… again. He had gone to the forest a lot of times using his secret exit and he practically knew it like the back of his hand… at least as far as he had dared to go. But this time, when he entered in it, he found it… different from the other times. It was the same forest without a doubt, but something had changed… the trees had grown larger… there were places where there were more trees and… conversely, places where the lack of trees had created new clearings the little Gaul couldn't remember. Fortunately, Asterix had never relied on trees for guidance, always preferring to use rocks and other immovable elements on the ground. It was something his father, Astronomix, had taught him and he now thanked Tutatis sincerely for it… otherwise, he would surely have been lost on more than one occasion, especially now.

The blond Gaul kept walking among the trees. He wanted to find Getafix. He wanted to demonstrate that despite his condition, he could help, and he didn't need to be watched all the time. Being honest, since his first fight with the older boys in the village, the Gaul boy had always felt this need to prove he wasn't useless, especially to Fulliautomatix. He wanted to show them he could also do great things. That was why he often ran away from the village.

He was well aware that every time he did, his mother scolded him. But that didn't bother him at all any of the times he did it. All he wanted was to show he could be trusted… that he couldn't be considered a liability.

"With that size you'll never be able to do anything right." this phrase remained engraved in his heart forever at the same moment it came from the lips of the boy who said it.

It also wasn't easy to forget how they had mocked him… and although Asterix had sincerely forgiven them and he considered all of them his friends… the offenses were still present in his mind, like an open wound that hadn't yet healed.

Truth be told, even though he knew the other children had said all that without malicious intent, just to get a reaction out of him… he couldn't deny their words had planted doubt in his heart. Was his stature really an impediment to getting things done right? He didn't believe it, but every time he thought about it… the uncertainty took over his being and then he felt the need to go to the forest to face any danger, however small it was, and demonstrate – at least to himself – that it didn't matter what height he had. What was important was the courage and ingenuity he kept in his heart and mind… something Getafix had told him after the party that was held in his and Obelix's honor.

Flash back

After the party, the adults were clearing the tables and the decorations used on them while the children played innocently. Despite the fight that had taken place before the celebration, the party had been a success, and Asterix and Obelix had enjoyed it as planned.

At that time, both Gauls were playing with the gifts they had received. Obelix in particular was clearly having a great time with his wooden dog. His face shone with genuine joy.

"Look Athterikth, my dream hath come true. Now I have a puppy and I'll name him Dogmatikth. He'll be my betht fwiend… after you, of couwse"

"I'm very happy for you, Obelix," replied the shorter Gaul with a smile on his face. He was really glad his best friend was so happy… but as for him… he looked at his wooden sword with sadness in his eyes. He was still thinking about the fight they had had before with the older children. As he had already said, he didn't want them to stop being friends, but… everything they had told him made his chest hurt and he wanted to cry… although he did everything possible to hide it… especially from Obelix.

There was, however, a pair of eyes that watched him closely… focusing on the young Gaul's pose and the usual lack of brightness in his eyes... yes, there was certainly something wrong with Asterix, and it was time to talk to him.

"Asterix, come here, please," said the person who had been watching the boy.

Asterix looked up at the person who had spoken and saw his druid standing there, his hands behind his back and a neutral expression on his face. The little Gaul was surprised and thought it strange the bearded man wanted to speak to him.

"Yes, Getafix. I'm coming," answered Asterix. He put the sword on his belt, and when he turned to go with the druid, someone grabbed him by the shoulder. The boy turned and saw his face reflected in the eyes of his friend, who also looked at him with an expression of fear. Then, the red-haired Gaul said:

"Oh Athterikth, by Tutatith… ith it for the fight? You thouldn't have thaid it wath you."

Asterix turned again and looked at his best friend with a forced smile. He didn't know why Getafix had called him, but he couldn't allow his best friend to worry so much about him… especially when Obelix had not done anything. He said to him:

"Obelix, don't worry. I'm sure isn't anything important. I'll be right back."

Obelix still seemed unsure, but seeing the smile on his friend's face, it calmed him enough to let him go. When Asterix turned again to leave with the druid, Obelix stepped forward and asked:

"You promithe?"

Asterix looked over his shoulder and replied:

"I promise."

Then he ran to Getafix who had been waiting patiently for him. When he reached his side, the old druid motioned for him to accompany him, something the blond Gaul didn't dare deny.

They walked silently until they reached Getafix's cabin. Then the druid opened the door and let the boy enter. Asterix was looking at the ground the entire time. He suspected what the druid would talk about with him. Getafix entered next and closed the door behind him.

He then urged the boy to sit on a stool while he did the same. After doing this, Getafix stared at the little Gaul for a long time. The boy, however, looked at the hands that rested on his knees. He didn't dare to look up at his druid, almost as if he was convinced he had done something wrong and was going to be punished for it. Suddenly Asterix heard the old man sigh, and then his soft, calm voice said:

"Asterix… first let me tell you I haven't brought you here to scold you. You have done nothing wrong. However, I want you to tell me the truth, please."

The blond boy opened his eyes wide and looked at the druid, then tried to feign confusion.

"What truth? I don't know what you mean Getafix,"

The old druid shook his head, he wasn't willing to allow Asterix succeed with this… not this time. That would only hurt him more.

"I think you do know what I mean. I want to know what happened before, and what was the reason that led you to fight."

The blond Gaul shifted uncomfortably on his stool and began to play with his hands, it was clear he was looking for an excuse to escape this situation.

"I said before-"

"And yet, I'm afraid I don't believe you," Getafix cut off, crossing his arms. He was unwilling to allow the child to bear all the blame on his conscience. He wanted, at least, to lighten some of that burden. Asterix, for his part, pretended to be surprised, although it didn't go very well.

"No?"

Getafix shook his head again while saying:

"No, so we won't leave this place until you tell me everything."

Asterix flinched, frightened at the druid's declaration. Then looked at the druid with pleading eyes in one last attempt to avoid what Getafix wanted him to do.

"But-"

"No buts young man, I want you to tell me what really happened."

Again, Asterix was cut off by the older man. The village druid cared too much about all the villagers and was unwilling to allow any of them to be sad, worried, or upset about something that could be fixed.

Asterix lowered his head and in a barely audible voice said:

"I… can't…"

Getafix rose from his seat and crouched beside the blond Gaul. He put a hand on his shoulder to let him know he wasn't mad at him… he just wanted to help him. So, in the softest voice he could, he asked:

"And why can't you?"

The little boy looked to the druid and back at his hands, then said with a trembling voice:

"I don't know…"

Getafix placed his hand under the boy's chin and gently lifted his head, forcing the young Gaul to look him in the eye, and then in a soft, but at the same time firm voice spoke to him again:

"Come now, little one. I know you very well. You are very smart and you also have a big heart… but there are many times when it isn't good to lie… even if it is to protect others. So tell me about it."

Asterix stared at the druid. Then he looked down at his hands again, and was silent for a while. When he looked up at the long-bearded man again, asked:

"By Tutatis Getafix, do you promise you won't tell anyone? And that anyone will punish any kid if I tell you?" The last thing Asterix wanted was for the others to be mad at him for confessing everything, especially after telling them he accepted guilt to avoid breaking their friendship. Getafix looked sympathetically at the little Gaul, and simply answered:

"I promise,"

Asterix kept silent for a few more seconds, as if trying to find out if Getafix was telling the truth or not, and then he nodded.

"Okay, I'll tell you…" he finally gave in and began to relate the story: "They… the older children… they messed with me for being short… at first I didn't care, but later…" at this point in his story he stopped, trying to contain the tears that had gradually accumulated in his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and continued:

"They began to say that I was useless… and I… I told them it wasn't true, but the more I did it the more they told me… and in the end…" his words came out choppy with the hiccups resulting from the contained crying "I c-couldn't h-hold it n-no more and hit Fulli-automatix…"

After this confession, tears began to run down his cheeks a second time. The old druid immediately wrapped his arms around the boy and whispered reassuring words. When the young Gaul had calmed down a bit, he said:

"Getafix… I'm so ashamed."

The druid stroked his long beard and his face took on a thoughtful expression.

"I won't deny what you've done is wrong, but I'm proud you're able to accept that you've made a mistake. That shows you are strong, Asterix."

"What? I'm strong?" asked the boy, raising his head in surprise. He never imagined Getafix would say something like that to him.

Getafix smiled at the boy's reaction, and then explained softly:

"Yes, you are. You'll see, Asterix; there are different forms of strength."

Asterix rose from his seat. He couldn't believe what his druid said. How could various forms of strength even exist? That made no sense.

"Really?" he asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice. But Getafix didn't seem to care about the boy's lack of confidence, because despite being very intelligent, Asterix was just a child. So, Getafix decided to explain it to him in the simplest way he could so that the little one would understand:

"Yes, there is the physical strength, which seems to be the only one that most people notice."

"And I don't have it…" said the blond Gaul, lowering his head in shame.

Getafix also rose from his seat and crouched in front of the little Gaul. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, which caused Asterix to look up at him. Then the druid said:

"That may be true, although I have reservations about that," the druid said the last part more to himself than to the little Gaul "but nevertheless, as I said, there are other types of strength, such as intellectual strength, strength of will, and compassion, for example."

Asterix put his hand on his chin in thought, frowned, and turned his gaze to the ground, thinking about what his druid had just said to him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of what Getafix had just told him. It wasn't that he didn't believe him… it was just that…

He looked up at the old druid again and said:

"I don't think I get it, Getafix."

The old druid couldn't blame the boy. Everyone – especially in the village – associated strength with only the attribute of physical strength. Still, Getafix didn't give up.

"Tell me one thing. Why did you decide to present yourself as the sole person responsible in your previous fight?" he asked.

"Well… 'cause I didn't want us to stop being friends because of that," the blond Gaul replied after thinking about it for a moment. Truthfully, he hadn't cared at all about bearing all the blame. After all, he was the first to hit another child.

"So, you value the friendship you have with others?" the druid asked again with a slight smile on his face.

"Of course," Asterix replied. He almost seemed offended Getafix could think otherwise.

"And would you do anything to protect them?" The village druid kept asking, ignoring the tone used by the young Gaul.

"Of course I would," Asterix replied again, this time with pride. No one would harm his friend if he could help it.

"So that says a lot about you. It shows you are brave for accepting guilt and compassionate for not wanting anyone else to be punished… and that, my friend, is a sign of strength," Getafix explained with a smile still on his face.

Asterix widened his eyes. He would never have thought that could be so. After listening to his druid, the only thing he could say was:

"Oooh."

Getafix continued:

"Also, the fact you want to remain friends shows me you are kind. Kindness is another form of strength."

Asterix blinked a few times after hearing these words. The more he listened to the druid, the less he remembered what the other children had told him. He had almost forgotten it and was no longer as sad as before. Now animatedly, he added:

"I'd never thought about it."

Getafix nodded, knowing Asterix had understood everything he'd explained to him. Inwardly, he was slightly proud of this small success… because, without a doubt, being able to help any of the villagers was more than enough reward for the druid. To finish the conversation, he spoke again:

"In short, my little Asterix, you may not be physically strong, but surely your courage and your goodness are a symbol of the strength that you keep within you, so you are neither weak nor useless, understood?"

"Yes Getafix!" replied the boy joyfully. Now he probably wouldn't care any longer what the other children might say to him, remembering what Getafix had just said. Asterix no longer had to worry.

"Thank you very much Getafix," he said as he hugged him. At first the druid was surprised the blond Gaul hugged him, but he soon returned the hug while answering:

"You're welcome, little one. Now go play with the others."

"Yes," replied the young boy, and instantly he ran out of the druid's cabin with a huge smile on his face.

End of flashback

Asterix clearly remembered each and every word the village druid had said to him, and while it was true everything Getafix said helped him to forget most of the events of that day… it was also true Asterix still felt the need to prove he wasn't useless… at least, he needed his friends to see that. And Asterix thought now that Getafix might be in trouble, it was a good moment to do that.

The young Gaul continued to advance among the trees as he followed Dogmatix. The white puppy had his nose pressed to the ground, sniffing here and there, trying to find the druid's trail. He was well aware if something happened to Asterix, it would have serious consequences… so two priorities coexisted in his mind, finding Getafix as soon as possible, and making sure nothing bad happened to the little Gaul.

Dogmatix continued advancing with Asterix behind him until suddenly a particular smell reached his nose… a scent that made him stop short… a scent he would have been delighted to perceive on any other occasion, but not now! Not when Asterix couldn't fight! He raised his head from the ground, and looking at some bushes, he began to growl. Asterix stopped a short distance from him and was surprised at the small animal's reaction.

"What's going on, Dogmatix?"

In response, Dogmatix began to bark.

"Dogmatix, by Belenos, what's wrong with you?"

The blond Gaul approached and knelt next to the small animal and picked him up from the ground. He was worried about what might be happening to Dogmatix. He had never seen him like this before. Not that he had known him for a long time, but still… he was sure that wasn't his normal behavior… and it was starting to scare the boy.

Asterix was so focused looking at Dogmatix that he didn't notice there was movement around him. That is, until a broken branch caused a gasp to escape his lips and he turned around as fast as he could.

He found an unmistakable face he would have preferred not to see again. It was Caius Marsupialus.

Asterix backed away, scared to see him. No! This couldn't be happening again! If the Romans took him, they would take him to Rome. He couldn't allow that to happen! He had to prevent it at any cost!

As for Caius Marsupialus, he smiled at the reaction of the little Gaul. Not that he liked to threaten children, but considering this particular child was actually one of the most dangerous Gauls among the irreducible, then it was, more or less, as if that Gaul, as an adult, was scared of him, and that made him feel important. Frightening one of the irreducible Gauls was a dream come true. He walked a little closer to the blond Gaul and said cheerfully:

"Surely what he's doing is trying to warn you we are here."

Asterix backed away further until his back hit something. Looking over his shoulder, he saw another Roman legionary who was also smiling. The next thing the young Gaul saw was that he was surrounded by Romans. He pressed his small hands against Dogmatix, while the puppy kept barking, his face showing his animosity against the Romans.

The legionnaire next to Caius Marsupialus then said in a cheerful voice:

"It seems we won't have to face the Gauls after all, right Centurion?"

"That's right, my brave man, we have what we wanted without suffering unnecessary damage," replied Caius Marsupialus. It was truly a blessing from the gods that precisely the Gaul they needed had come out to meet them and that would free them from confronting the other villagers.

"Well soldiers, take this child, by Jupiter."

The little Gaul was terrified. He had nowhere to escape, and the Romans were getting closer and closer to him. How could he escape? He looked down at Dogmatix who was still barking in his arms incessantly. It was clear that his best friend's pet wasn't going to fall without a fight. Seeing this, Asterix decided he was also not going to allow the Romans to catch him so easily. He left the puppy on the ground and immediately Dogmatix ran to one of the soldiers and bit his leg. The reaction was instantaneous. The legionnaire in question screamed in pain and lifted his wounded leg while jumping with the other.

Asterix saw the gap generated by the Roman and without hesitation ran towards it, passing under the legionary's legs. Unfortunately, his action didn't go much further, as another of the legionaries next to the one who had received the bite hurried as fast as lightning and caught the boy by the back. Asterix was suddenly raised from the ground and his torso was surrounded by the arm of one of the Romans. The blond Gaul waved his arms and legs trying to get rid of his captor. Naturally it was completely useless.

"No! By Tutatis! Let me go! No! I don't want to come with you!"

"We don't care what you want or don't want, by Pluto. All I know is that I'm following orders, and as far as I'm concerned, I have no intention of letting you escape," said the Centurion.

Dogmatix saw what had happened to Asterix and ran to help him by biting the legionary who had caught him in the butt. That legionary let out a cry of pain, but didn't release Asterix, a fact that caused the puppy to increase the force of action of his jaws, but it didn't help. The Roman still didn't release the blond boy.

Then, the legionary who had been bitten first by Dogmatix approached him with his spear in his hand and hit him on the head, rendering the poor puppy unconscious.

"That will teach you not to mess with a Roman legionary, animal," said the first Dogmatix's victim with a smirk on his face.

"No Dogmatix! By Belenos! Why did you do that?!" Asterix yelled when he saw what had been done to his best friend's pet.

The legionary holding the blond Gaul looked at the unconscious animal. The place where he had been bitten still hurt. The puppy was very fierce for being so small. Still, there was something that intrigued the Roman.

"Centurion, what do we do with this animal?" he asked as he tried to keep Asterix from slipping out of his grasp.

Caius Marsupialus turned to look at Dogmatix. Honestly, he hadn't thought about it… but they certainly couldn't leave him there… he could wake up anytime, and then…

"We'll take him with us. If we leave him here he could lead the Gauls back to us before we're ready."

The rest of the patrol members gulped with fear at the idea of the Gauls coming after them again, so they knew for a fact their superior was right and simply replied:

"Understood, Centurion."

After picking up Dogmatix from the ground, they headed back to their camp. From this moment on, time was crucial. The sooner they took Asterix away, the sooner they would escape the fury of the fearsome Gauls… or at least, that was what they expected.

Okay… how many of you guessed this would happen? And how many of you would like to guess what will happen after that? Do you think the Gauls will discover what happened and attack the Roman camp again? Or maybe Getafix and Asterix will be taken to Rome? What do you think? I'd be glad to hear your hypothesis.

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who follow it or have it among their favorites: MyCelestialFury.

See you in the next chapter