Chapter Four: Friendship
Chapter Four: Friendship

Ursa and Gritty smiled as a bleary eyed cub walked into the kitchen. Buddi rubbed his eyes and then looked up to see two adults and also the two he happened to be closest with looking at him, small smiles playing at their lips. Buddi felt his face grow hot and knew his cheeks must have turned cherry red.

Ursa gave a small and low chuckle and said,

"Thought I was gonna have to wake you for lunch, Buddi."

Buddi blushed a deeper red. Ursa smiled and motioned him to her with one hand. When he got close enough, she pulled him onto her lap. He knew she wanted to know something by that stubborn and determined look in her bright eyes. And he thought he could guess what and sighed deeply.

Ursa quickly confirmed his suspicions.

"Buddi," she looked him directly in the eye. "You woke up twice last night. I've never known you to have two nightmares in one night. And I've known you thirteen years. I've never known you to call for me either. Even when you were little, you waited for me to come or you came to me. I know you saw terrible things last night. The fear in your eyes told me that much. And now you're going to tell me exactly what you saw," she tightened her grip on him. "Or I'm not going to let you go."

Buddi sighed again. "Can't I eat first?"

Gritty cut in, "After you tell us."

Buddi groaned deeply. "Fine. I'll tell you."

The cub didn't hesitate. He told them about seeing the woods burn again. Of that prophecy he heard as he saw everything he loved die. He tried not to let his voice crack but he knew that it must have at least twice. By the time he finished, his throat was dry and Ursa handed him some water and gave him a small squeeze.

"There's one, Buddi." She gave him one of her rare slow smiles. Usually when she smiled it was instantaneous but her slow smile was used for comfort and it spread slowly across her face, altering her expression from stern and serious to caring, in gradual steps.

Gritty winked at the cub with his one eye. "Get through one more, cub."

Buddi sighed. "That wasn't a dream."

Gritty and Ursa exchanged gazes. But then turned back to Buddi. He swallowed and told them.

Told them about the spirit, about his struggle to breathe, and finally, the spirit's fierce warning. Finally, he looked up at Ursa from his position in her lap.

Ursa smiled at him and hugged him gently. "Buddi, it'll be okay. I promise."

The cub looked at her, eyes wide and innocent. She ruffled his hair. "I mean it, Buddi. That's a promise."

Buddi gave her a smile and nod in return. Then, he leapt up, grabbed a small breakfast cake from the counter and raced outside. Ursa was still stunned at the cub's energy. She knew she had been that wild but it was hard to believe now that she was an adult. It was amazing how much a few years had changed her.

She remembered when she was eighteen, when she'd first lifted her sword. She'd been immature, reckless. She was still a tad reckless but that was in her nature. But she also found incredible was that as a Barbic female, she would usually have asked for help when it came to raising cubs. But raising Buddi had come naturally to her. She never had asked for help. She still didn't. She knew him inside out, much to his dismay at times. She always knew what he was feeling, when he was sad, worried, or lonely.

When he had been an infant, it had only taken her a day or two to recognize his different cries. When he was hungry, hurt, or cold. She could still tell by the way he acted what he felt. More than that though, when he was little, he'd been very close to her and still was although they did not reveal it much.

She smiled to herself and followed the cub outside.

The ground was wet from the recent rain. Spring was coming.

Ursa sat down on the fountain edge; an arm draped over one of her knees and watched the child.

He'd taken one of the racket sets out. They were slender sticks, a tad flattened at the end. She remembered the game. She'd played it when she was little and then even more when she was a teenager. Cubs just thought it was fun but now as she was an adult and could look with a grown up's perspective she saw the game had improved her agility and traction.

To play, it had a small ball, not very big. Buddi could hold it in the palm of one hand. The paddles at the ends of the sticks were slender too so one had to have good hand and eye coordination to play. The Barbics threw the ball at the wall and tried to hit it back before it hit the ground. When tossed between players, the goal was to keep it in the air.

Ursa ducked suddenly as the ball missed Buddi's racket. She caught it in one hand and stifled a chuckle with the back of her hand as he lost his traction and fell to his knees and then onto his face.

He got up and jogged over to him. She handed him the ball back and said,

"Watch your feet, Buddi. You're slipping up."

Buddi pouted, playfully. Then, held his racket out to her. "You play."

Ursa pushed it back. "No, Buddi. I've got some stuff to do. I just decided to check on you for a few minutes."

Buddi's grin fell. She never spent time with him anymore, unless it was night or training. He sighed, deeply.

"You…you can't take fifteen minutes from your day to play with me?"

Ursa gazed at his eyes, so pleading. She sighed herself and said,

"Buddi, those eyes of yours should be declared lethal weapons. But I can't. I need to train myself. I've been slacking."

Buddi grasped her hands.

"Ursa, come on! You never hang out with me anymore. How long could one match take? Just one?"

Ursa groaned. He had a point. In Barbic Woods, she had hung out with him more. Because he was a swinger and was actually pretty hard to keep up with. It had been more fun in the woods. He was truly at home there. She smiled, memories overtaking her reason.

"All right, you win Buddi. I'll go get my racket."

Buddi beamed. She was true to her word and came back out, her racket in hand. It had a slender paddle than his. Buddi tossed the ball to her.

She hit it back easily. She purposely hit it low so he could give her a decent hit back. He did, hit it hard. She returned it, her strength restrained so he could keep up. Over the years, Ursa'd learned how much strength was too little, how much was too much and what amount provided a fun challenge.

She kept her strength restrained until a particularly high hit. She caught the ball on the end of her paddle, held it high over her head and bounced it up and down, in hopes of irritating the cub. It worked.

"No fair! Ursa, that's cheating! You're too tall!"

The Barbic leader chuckled as the cub tried to jump up and knock the ball down. Ursa smiled and finally tossed it back.

They went for about another hour before Ursa put an end to it.

"You're tired Buddi. I can tell." She took the child's racket and smiled. "You're quite good though Buddi. But for now, I think we both need a break," she noted the way he had a hand to his belly and smirked again, "and a bite."

The two walked in. Buddi said,

"Ursa? Know what?"

"What Buddi?"

"You're still a good playmate."

She gave the boy a grin.

"Thanks kid. I may be an adult but everyone learns to play when they're children and some things you just don't forget how to do."