Chapter Two: Messages
"This is boring!" Sunni Gummi sighed as she sorted through yet another bag of berries. They taken enough in for the winter but with that chore aside, another was soon along to take its place. She was supposed to be sorting the yellow berries. But it was a winter wonderland outside. She'd rather be playing in the snow. Or better yet, in Ursalia. She and Buddi always seemed to find something to do but she couldn't see him much lately. The Quicktunnels had frozen over and until they thawed the trip to Ursalia was treacherous and would take days. She sighed.
"We know Sunni. You've told us all ready." Grammi's voice was said with a tad bit of aggravation.
"Yeah, so why don't you just hush up and work."
Sunni growled at Gruffi but shut her mouth. She was used to his strict and rather gruff statements. Instead of standing up for herself, she just went back to work. Berries, berries berries. Her eyes were straining and her fingers felt like they were going to fall off. She sighed. In her mind, she longed to be with Buddi. He would find something to do.
"Sunni, you know you won't get anywhere if you don't do anything."
"Huh?"
Cubbi smiled at her and then threw a handful of berries at her. "You're daydreaming again, Sunni. You've got that I've-got-no-idea-what-I'm-doing-look."
"I was just-"
"Don't tell us you were just." Gruffi snapped and pushed another basket into her hands. "Just finish sorting this bunch."
"Oh, I'm gonna be sick of berries when I'm done."
"That's fine. We can use the Gummiberry juice. Now get to it."
"Oww," she said absentmindedly. "I bet Buddi's having fun."
"What was that?" Gruffi turned to her with a dangerous edge in his voice. Sunni crossed her arms.
"I said that I bet Buddi isn't doing this."
Grammi sighed faintly. She knew that she and Buddi liked to play together but as of the late, had no been able to. She calmly sorted a few more berries and then looked up at the yellow furred girl.
"Yes, but Barbics live a different life than us. They don't need juice."
"I know, I know."
She went back to work. Her mind was in it but her heart wasn't. She'd rather have been outside. But her duties as a Glen Gummi came before play. In her heart, she knew that there were times when she could play where Buddi was probably been put through martial arts training by Ursa. Still, she was not thinking of that now. Right now, the only thing on her mind was that she was bored and tired of berries.
The hours clicked by, but very slowly. She tried to make it fun but after time, trying to beat her score for sorting was boring. Every hour she always sorted about the same, perhaps one bag or two.
"Oh, Gruffi my fingers are gonna go Charlie Horse. Can't we take a break?"
"Absolutely no-"
"Of course you can Sunni. You too Cubbi." Grammi answered before Gruffi could. Gruffi turned to her with a glare. But Grammi merely returned it.
"Aw, Lighten up Gruffi. After all, they're only children."
"But they're gummies! They've got as much responsibility as we do."
"Gruffi Gummi,"
The two cubs looked at each other and shrugged. Cubbi leaned close to Sunni,
"There they go again."
Sunni and Cubbi were more than use to the two's arguments so merely waited to see who would win this battle.
The outcome seemed known almost from the start. Grammi won.
"I'll go too." Tummi got up. Gruffi looked ready to protest but a glare from Grammi quieted him. Grammi just said,
"Be home by dinner."
"Don't worry about that." Gruffi said sternly. "The day Tummi's late to dinner is the day the sun forgets to set."
The three cubs rushed from the room and down into their rooms to grab their snowsuits. As soon as Sunni was alone, she shivered. She looked around but saw no open window or even a crack for the entrance of a draft. She opened the door and called out,
"Did someone leave the doors open?"
Her answer was unanimous. "No."
She stepped back into her room and tied on her hood. But inwardly she shivered, "Then what was that sudden chill?"
* * *
A mist of rainbow colors swirled by Buddi's face. He turned and was met with another Gummi. She was female, a little older than him, fifteen or sixteen. She was tall and she had the muscles of a Barbic. But her face was of a Glen Gummi with smaller and narrower eyes. The eyes themselves were ocean blue and stood out against her snow-white fur. Her hair was silky and an even lighter white shade. It was the only thing covering her. Her eyes were empty and emotionless at first glance.
However, the cub looked closer and saw tears filling her eyes. They spilt and she spoke.
Her voice was empty and soft.
"The sea is restless, Buddi. The wind carries the scent of destruction and ruin….
A hot warmth in his throat sent Buddi back to consciousness. He opened his eyes slowly and found that he was wrapped in blankets, naked and dry. He was still a little cold but much better than he remembered feeling. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. He saw a patch of red and tried to look upward. But he was still too weak from the cold to do that, so he instead diverted his eyes up. He caught a flash of blond hair and then Ursa's face. He was cradled in her arms.
"Ursa?"
The Barbic leader looked down and smiled with relief. Buddi tried to sit up but Ursa merely pinned his arms and told him,
"No, don't."
Buddi knew it was useless to argue; besides he felt safe in her arms. He was still cold but the warm blankets were helping. Ursa held a mug to Buddi's lips and said in a kind but commanding voice,
"Here. This'll help."
Buddi forced his hands from the nest of covers, shifted enough so that he could sit up a little more, and took the mug from Ursa with shaking hands. He drank. It was warm and sweet. The taste was faintly familiar. He took a moment and then recognized it. It was Grubbi's herbal tea. Ursa always gave to him when he was sick. He guessed that she gave it to him now because of its heat. It did help. But his hands were still trembling.
Then, he felt warmth spread over his fingers and his shaking hands steady. Ursa grinned at him faintly and tightened her grip on his younger hands. Buddi finished the mug off and then Ursa took it from him. She tightened the blankets and held him closer to her, for body heat. Buddi forced the tremble from his voice and asked,
"What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us that." A voice called in. Buddi looked up and Gritty walked in. he threw a handful of wood into the fireplace behind the two and the fire blazed higher. Ursa shifted her position so Buddi was closer to the fire. He held out his hands and slowly felt his body begin to become warm.
"Well?" Gritty asked as he sat down by them. "We're waiting."
Ursa however didn't press the subject. Rather, she asked the child in her arms, "Feel better?"
"Uh huh," he said slowly. "Still a little cold though."
"Understandable." Ursa looked at him now with determination and worry in her eyes. "Now, if you'll kindly tell me what happened to you." She shot a glance at Gritty and chuckled. "Before Gritty has breakdown.'
"I would if I could but I can't."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Cause I don't know myself."
Buddi stretched further to the flames so Ursa set him down by her knees, closer to the heat. She pulled the blankets close around him and then asked,
"Buddi, why don't you just tell us what happened from the time you entered the slopes until I found you. I found you maybe an hour later. I was worried sick that you were already a Popsicle."
Buddi managed a feeble smile. "You? Worried? I'd have paid money for that."
Gritty had to laugh, despite the disapproving glance from Ursa. He reached out, ruffled some of Buddi's hair and said, "Sick or not, you're still Buddi."
Buddi pulled the covers closer and scooted a little closer to the fire. As he glanced into the crackling flames, he said, "Well, I could tell you what I remember."
"Good enough." Ursa took off her cloak and covered his head, trying to warm his face and ears. She scrubbed a bit at his cheeks, trying to get the extra water from his fur. He tried to scoot away but Ursa merely pulled him onto her lap and finished by tying her cloak around his shoulders so that it added more warmth around his neck and cheeks.
"Stop, already!" Buddi tried to swat her hands away but his hands were still too cold to really aim well. She caught his hands and said plainly,
"Stop it Buddi and just talk."
"Fine. I was trying to stay ahead of you but then when I was waiting for you-"
But before the child could finish he got another taste of the vision's power.
* * *
Sunni stripped her wet clothes off and stepped into the warm tub. She and the others had gotten back a few minutes ago but only Tummi had gone to dinner. Sunni wanted to change first. But when she was cold, a hot shower was a priority or at least a hot bath.
The waters felt good but it could not ward off the internal fear and chills she'd been feeling. They were always there. Even when she'd been having fun they were there. And as the hours wore on, the feeling grew. In fact, she didn't know what was going on in her head but she did know that she didn't like it. It was beginning to feel like the beginnings of a migraine.
She sighed and sank beneath the waters. She just wanted to stay there and feel safe. But no matter how warm the water was or how many bubbles she created, the security did not come, at least not completely. She did admit that it did ease the pain in her head but it did absolutely nothing for her nerves.
"Oh what's wrong with me?!" Sunni slammed her fists against the water, causing some droplets of water to spill onto the floor. She leapt out, wrapped a towel around her body all the while saying, "Stop it!"
But she had not even begun to beg for a halt. Now as she pulled on a nightdress, she felt the air around her shimmer and shift shape. She looked around, fear shining in her eyes. Then the scene shifted back, but it became just a bare empty landscape.
"Where?" she looked around and saw Igthorn in the distance. She frantically looked around for shelter but found none. She saw something else that made her shudder. An ax. Igthorn had an ax, bloodstained on the blade. She wasn't liking this. She tried to crept closer without being seen but Igthorn actually turned, met with her eyes and grinned an evil smile that made her skin crawl.
As Sunni crept to him, her feet stepped on something warm and wet. She looked down, her heart pounding.
Blood was beginning to stain her fur.
A sickening feeling rushed over her heart and she ran. Her eyes filled and overflowed with tears as she ran. She saw a horrid sight in the distance. Igthorn grabbed someone by the head and yanked him in front. It was Gruffi. A swipe of the ax and Gruffi collapsed. Blood spilled over the ground. Sunni saw the others behind him, just waiting for death.
"No!" The girl, terrified and heartbroken, ran. The ground slid under her feet and she went spiraling to the ground. Blood splattered her face. More spilt as one by one the Gummies fell. Even the Barbics landed by the girl's face. Tears fell and Sunni ran again, searching. It was her best friend that she found last. Buddi was still and cold. Sunni looked at him and laid her cheek against his chest. She wasn't crying anymore, her emotions had sealed. Tears slid from her eyes silently. Then a hand touched her cheek.
She looked up. A white Gummi stared back down at her.
"The sea is restless, Sunni. The wind carries the scent of destruction and ruin."
Then Igthorn was behind her and swung. The girl was divided before Sunni's eyes and the blood poured over her…
Sunni screamed, shook and finally she collapsed to the ground.
* * *
"Stop it!" Buddi grasped his head in both hands and screamed again. Gritty and Ursa rocked back in shock. Buddi grabbed Ursa's shirt and then Gritty's, begging from each the same thing:
"Make it stop! Make it stop! I don't want to see this!"
"Buddi…what are you?" Ursa couldn't finish. Buddi grabbed her by the collar and screamed again,
"Make it stop Ursa. Please make it stop. It's that vision again! I don't want to see you die! Don't make me!"
Gritty and Ursa looked at each other. Buddi buried his face into Ursa's chest, whimpering.
Finally, the vision passed and Buddi loosened his grip on Ursa.
But while he loosened his grip, he did not pull from her. He hugged her tightly as if to confirm that she was still alive. The vision had been more vivid. He was fighting tears. He was tempted to cry but tried not to. Ursa looked down at him and brushed through his hair. She could feel him trembling. Gritty swallowed and in a gentle voice full of concern, said softly as he placed a hand on Buddi's shoulder,
"Buddi…"
Buddi shook again and whispered, "Igthorn."
* * *
Sunni, only half conscious, whispered to herself, "Igthorn."
* * *
The two cubs, said in unison, despite that they were separated by miles:
"The sea is restless. The wind carries the scent of destruction and ruin."