DOUBTS
Days passed, becoming weeks.
Shen was sure that Ning and the others were hiding in a nearby place rather than having left and gone very far... For a simple reason...
Rose had informed them of the large number of guards present for at least five kilometers along the perimeter of the castle because of which no one could roam freely, not even humans!
It was by no means the right time to attempt to escape, especially since the overall morale was not the best.
Apart from the peacocks, the other animals had come out very shaken by this experience!
Hostility towards humans had reached very high levels, and not even Kang could temper that growing anger!
It was winter, it was cold and that year the snow had returned, albeit a little late compared to the few times it had arrived.
The icy wind penetrated the cave and the humidity made the whole situation worse.
During the first days of January Rose had been concerned about having blankets for everyone, as well as insisting with her father that they be put back in the wing of the palace used for them. Apparently the collector wanted to keep them in those cold, smelly dungeons as possible, perhaps as punishment. But when, in the end, after a few days one of the albino peacocks became ill, they were finally brought back inside the castle, that is, to the surface, not among its foundations.
Shen was worried, not for himself, but for the obvious blurring of any chance of escaping. The guard had been doubled and now everyone was wearing collars with rubies so that Derek could submit them to his will even by force!
He was wrong! He had trusted that the diversion worked, without bearing in mind that there was any chance of something going wrong, deep down there was, and that was the main reason why, for humans, it had been so easy to capture them.
"Those who have never made a mistake have never experienced anything new!" the Master had told him wisely, but this was not enough to astound his anger. It would take months, if not years, for the situation to improve to allow them another attempt. It had already been difficult when humans didn't suspect anything, now it seemed really impossible!
Meanwhile Kang and Tai were very concerned about the escaped animals. With such cold temperatures and the storm raging for days it was amazing to say the least if someone had survived without adequate shelter!
Their prayers were heard when the long-awaited news came one morning.
The weather had improved by allowing the airship to take flight and thanks to good visibility Derek was able to locate Wan, whose mantle stood out among the snow-covered white plains. It was enough to follow her to find the others too!
So, finally, after more than two months, all the animals were caught again.
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They had been locked up in the rooms. Too small to accommodate all of them. The peacocks found themselves huddled next to each other, and this only increased the tension already present.
Jun had a high fever and had been transferred to another area, cared for by humans... a problem! Even though Rose kept reassuring them that he was okay, few could believe her!
"They've arrived!" Dishi's voice made everyone turn to him,"I'm not in full shape, but they're doing pretty well!" He informed them of the ferret, referring to Derek and his precious cargo.
It was frustrating to have to speak on each other and divided, with the interlocutor, by iron bars, but since there was no alternative Shen and the others adapted.
"You have no idea! It seemed that the blizzard wanted to erase our tracks and help us escape, but at the same time obliged us to stay hidden preventing us from a possible escape! Nature that contradicts itself! Incredible!" Deshi said as he was busy licking a honey soup paw.
"We discovered a flaw in the plan at our expense!" "Food?" said Wan, peeping from the bear's legs. Cheng asked extremely sure that he had answered well. "That's right!" Replied Bao who, probably, had been the one who had suffered the most from the lack of stocks.
"Winter escape wasn't a great idea apparently!" Tai said that because of his height, he could see others and make himself heard despite the fact that he was behind many of the young peacocks.
"Bad! The water was not lacking, but we could not resist the humans precisely because we were exhausted!" Pei said as he stuffed himself with apples.
Since the last fugitives had returned, despite the lack of space, a good side had been the one concerning the daily ration that had doubled! Surely it was to allow those who had returned to recover, but everyone, no one excluded, could eat to satiety and at least this helped to lighten the tension!
"Shen... I have to say you made a really nice plan!" Pei said with obvious sarcasm. "And I must point out that you and everyone else did not protest when he proposed to implement it in the middle of winter!" Lang Min said he's tired of everyone picking on him.
"Indeed... we haven't even thought about such an eventuality! There is no point in continuing to blame him for our mistakes!" Wei observed. Shen sighed as far as possible from the bars at the door and from which everyone was facing.
"We hurt without touching, we can tell truths or lies and we must never be judged for our size! What.." Sheng was interrupted by an Xian alteration who screamed at him a "Shut up!" Ending the debate.
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After just two and a half months, animals were released on the Reserve.
Everyone, no one ruled out, had suffered much for that forced segregation, which is why they were replaced on the reservation so early.
The snow was still there, but the temperatures were bearable.
"We have to leave as soon as possible!" Said Xu while he was stretching "You really think there's a chance for us?" Lei skeptically asked.
"Of course it is!" He insisted "On the panty unless everyone demoralizes! Nothing Is impossible and if we die in the effort then it will! I'd rather perish than live a caged life!" Xu said "my hero... you were late! Many people are opposed to making another attempt! " Ji explained, "And I am one of them!" Said Xia trying to do not sink into the fresh snow by walking in tentons so that we can identify the most solid layers.
Zhong and Jie were reached shortly afterwards. In contrast to the situation, between them, at that time, the love was blossomed and about two months ago. He was a melanic leopard while she was a jaguar, but this difference of species did not seem to affect the two lovers.
Mei watched the group from a distance and ran in the direction of Lang Min. New loves had blossomed, but not the ones she hoped for.
Unfortunately, the situation was complicated: Lang Min was in love with Shen and would put her tail on the fire that Shen also felt something for the female peacock.
Yes, he had seen it in his eyes! Having spent a lot of time with the aforementioned peacock, he knew him well by now!
Since the escape plan had failed, another goal had been put in his head: get them put together!
The fundamental problem was that... had no idea how to do it!
Telling them all wasn't really the case, but getting them back together on their own seemed even more difficult since they avoided each other, probably for the same reason!
The peacocks were complicated! If they got together it was for life, romantic, but if one of them had died the other would follow him soon after... but not even finding a soul mate was easy!
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It was the big day! Finally Rose, after a punishment she didn't think could end, would go back to school!
Her father was angry with her when he protested about the idea of reexcluding animals in small rooms, piled on each other, and made them pay dearly!
Although it had been a benefit to the common goal: given its perennial presence, the profile of a new plan had begun to take shape!
Only now she would have to face Sam, her anger or the joy of fixing the tear that she had caused to their relationship... even though he could swear that things like that don't heal overnight...
In the classroom she was well received by the teachers, the same could not be said of her classmates who had once again become cold and dodgy towards her. Except for Caleb and Beatrice who received a warm welcome.
On the other side, Sam avoided his gaze and was on the bench with Adam. Since he had failed, however, apart from Theo, he had managed to find a friend, his peer.
"What was it like to find yourself in the Stone Age?" Beatrice asked curiously. "How?" Asked to refer Rose, "Didn't your father not ban you from using any electronic device? Did my mother understand wrong?" She asked her friend for a lost. "Ah, yes! It's true!" " Even though I followed half the bans!" Rose thought before continuing, "No, I'm sorry, but you got it right! Only now I'm back to normal life, so we could text each other all the time!" She said then exchanged an accomplice look with Beatrice.
"Rose, pick up where we left off please!" The teacher's voice caused both girls to jolt and the respondent began to seek some help from those whose eyes crossed with her, only to be disappointed not to receive any suggestions ... that book called "Metamorphosis" was terrible! First it wasn't his kind, second, Kafka had some rather macrabe ideas in terms of writing that didn't help his reading at all!
Thirty seconds later, she took a note on the log and was forced to wait in the hallway, in front of the classroom door, in punishment, just to change, that the Professor called her back. She had to admit that the teacher of letters had, yes, antiquated methods for imparting discipline and order, but extremely effective!
That's because she was the only one who was so screwed up that she ended up in the hallator at least once a week!
He could say that as a start it was not bad, but now it remained to be seen how he would cope with his former friend: from this it would depend on whether to call the day "bad" or "great"!
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Once the lessons were over, Rose ran to the library. If he hadn't changed his habits, it was very likely that Sam was there.
Bingo, his former best friend, and Adam sat on the stairs to reach the highest books even though they were using them for another purpose.
"Day!" She whispered to the girl "MA IF IT is ... afternoon!" Adam answered, lowering his voice as soon as he was picked up by other people who were trying to read in peace.
She looked up at the sky! How could it be? Surely she had to have other obvious skills, but not to her! Because otherwise he couldn't explain how Sam found a friend in that slit. Adam's fame had never been good and that's why Rose decided that he would get to know the boy better in an attempt to discover some dormant qualities!
Otherwise he was simply the first, no, second substitute that his former best friend had found in the absence of their solid friendship, the tear of which seemed wider than expected, since he was not dignified her with a look or an ounce of attention from When she came in!
"It's a saying!" Said Rose, "Could you tell your friend that I'm sorry if I behaved like an arrogant egotist and that I'm here to make up for it?" She asked to Adam. He made a confused expression and then replied, "My friend feels great!" He said, "So you can talk to him directly!" And soon after Adam's attention he returned to the book he was reading.
"Tell the girl she's wasting her time!" Sam suddenly said to his friend. "But are you dumb?" Adam asked confused not understanding why he had to play the part of the phone. Rose sighed, evidently he knew nothing of what had happened. She and Sam were known because they in turn knew the famous collector, but it was not always a good thing and no one had become aware of the latest facts in the reserve.
"Tell my friend..." Rose continued undaunted …."that my job from the beginning was to help them, but I was selfish and they were the one who paid the consequences" to that sentence Sam stared at her with the tail of his eye.
Considering that he had spent most of his life in the castle, he could say that we had been missing for a long time! The fact that she had finally understood their task was a step forward, of course! In those last months he had known that some animals had been fugitives for a long time, but "consequences" had heard nothing! Obviously a punishment had been given and now curiosity urged him to do what he promised not to do: talk to her!
He would have forgiven her, but not right away! He had to understand first how much he had made him suffer so that he would never treat him like that again! Although he was certain that their friendship would always stand up to everything!
"Now that I've found out that the person I was seeking approval of has no connection to me, I've decided to do the right thing and turn my back on them!" The girl continued to speak, "Who were you looking for approval from? And what task are you talking about?" Adam asked that he didn't understand anything. "The family is not in the blood. That's why I consider you like a brother! Only... I only got there now, not being able to spare you my pain for a life I didn't choose! Now I understand that my destiny is to follow in my mother's footsteps! And I need to know if you're with me!" She finished telling.
Is there no connection? Turn your back on him? Isn't the family in the blood? But what had she smoked?
After a first moment of confusion, Sam cursed himself inwardly before saying, "I'm with you! I have always been and a quarrel, even of this size, will never change anything!" He answered by barely holding back tears. Rose was right: he really had a heart of butter!
The two embraced happily.
"But I want to be updated on everything! You have to find a way to enter the reserve without crossing your father and..." a chorus of "Shh" silenced the boy and the trio walked out of the library. Rose and Sam because they seemed eager to recover those months of separation and Adam because he wanted to understand something in that strange situation!
"... and Teo and Adam will help us!" He said it all in one breath Sam as soon as the heavy door closed behind them.
"All right! As long as Caleb and Beatrice come too!" Says the girl.
The friend made a face, but eventually decided to accept. If you said yes without hesitating, he wouldn't have been less... hoping those two weren t too tedious!
The best friend is the one who brings out the best in us!
True friendship resists time, distance and silence!
True friendship is not a slave to time, but is strengthened with it and with all the evidence that life will appear before him!
This is what I think and I wanted to share by writing this chapter!
I hope I did it!
See you soon,
X-98