Chapter Two: Anger through Fight
Buddi almost slept in the next day
but Ursa came in at eight and woke him up. It was back to the old schedule she
said. Buddi remembered that schedule too well. Eight o'clock wake up; eight
thirty to forty eat breakfast; nine o'clock to noon, play; noon to three,
training and then freedom the rest for the day until dinner. Then he had four
hours before he had to get ready for bed.
Buddi hadn't slept well the night
before; his thoughts were on Sunni. He didn't know what to do. He still wanted
to spend time with her; he still wanted to play with her. But he was still
confused, he wanted answers. He didn't know what to do and that frustrated him.
He got like Ursa.
He was angry.
He didn't know why he was angry but
he hated Fate. He hated that their two clans argued like children. He hated it.
"Buddi!"
Buddi looked up. Ursa came into his
room, ready to wake him up as she had been doing for the last few days. She was
surprised to find him awake. She sat down by him and said,
"Why are you up already, Buddi?"
He shrugged, "Woke up."
Ursa pulled him up from the floor.
"Well, get dressed and then go eat breakfast. Gritty and I think we'll have a
bed frame done for you by this afternoon."
Buddi nodded. Ursa left, after tossing
him a freshly washed tunic and his hood.
Buddi washed his face and hands and
dressed. He pulled his hood on and then after sticking his flute into his belt
swung out into the canopy. He had about ten minutes before the food would be
ready so he swung about, like a little monkey. Finally a few minutes later,
Grubbi came out and called up,
"Hey, Little Monkey. Breakfast!"
Buddi swung down and landed on the
balcony. Grubbi pulled him inside and sat him at his place beside Ursa and
Gritty. The others were gathered around too. The nine other Barbics were there,
including, Ryo, Mari, and Lundi. Grubbi served them all and Buddi ate quickly
and then leapt up.
Ursa snatched Buddi by his shirt.
"Whoa, slow down Speedy."
Buddi pouted. Ursa was about to say
more when Grubbi chuckled, "Let him go play Ursa."
Buddi turned to Ursa, "Yeah let him
go play, Ursa."
Ursa sighed, "Go on, Monkey."
Buddi tore outside. Ryo ate and then
followed the cub. He didn't know why but lately he felt an odd wind about, a
premonition. He had to do something about that carefree teen. And he thought he
knew what. Ursa would be all over him about it but he didn't care.
"It's time that cub grew up."
* * *
Buddi was playing his flute when Ryo
grabbed the cub's flute away. Buddi whirled around, eyes wide.
"Hey!"
Ryo merely put his flute into his
belt and said,
"You need to train some kid. Ursa
uses the same style when she trains you. You need some variety."
Buddi narrowed his eyes. "Ursa
doesn't seem to think so."
"She's soft on you, kid."
Buddi got up. "Just give my flute
back."
Ryo shook his head. "One match kid.
Then you can have it back."
Buddi trembled in his stance. He was
angry, furious. It wasn't fair.
"Not fair!"
Ryo narrowed his eyes. "Life is
never fair!"
Buddi stomped his foot. "Fine! But I
don't gotta like it!"
Ryo grabbed the cub by his arm and
dragged him to the clearing. It was empty for the moment because of the early
hours. Ryo went to the sack of weapons and materials and tossed the cub a metal
mask.
Buddi looked at the adult baffled.
Ryo removed a small spear that wasn't dull but sharp and deadly and tossed it
to Buddi. He slipped a mask over his own face and then pulled Buddi's onto his.
The cub looked through the eye slits with a perplexed expression.
Ryo explained,
"This is a real fight, kid. The
masks will protect your face and neck. Now let's see what you have, kid."
That said, he ran and swung his
spear at Buddi. The cub went into a roll and blocked his next hit. He countered
with a series of moves that Ursa taught him; she called it, Yulia Moi Til.
Ryo was forced back temporarily and
he regained his balance. Swinging his spear, he knocked the cub's spear away.
Buddi jumped back, rolled and snatched it up. But the next second, Ryo knocked
him onto his back. Buddi growled. He hated it when Ryo did this. Ryo was always
teasing him, always cutting him down, embarrassing him.
Buddi swung his spear back and it
had Ryo back up. As he hit, he hissed,
"I'm sick of you insulting me. I'm
sick of being pressured and I'm plain sick of people trying to make me
something I'm not. In other words: LEAVE
me alone!"
Ryo raised his eyebrow at the cub's
strength and countered, trying to knock his feet out from under him. Buddi was
too smart for that and jumped. The spear flew under his feet and he did a kick
in midair, sending the adult backward. Ryo charged forward and delivered a kick
to the cub's chest and then swiped his feet out from under him. The cub tumbled
onto his back and Ryo jabbed his foot into the cub's neck, not too hard but
enough to keep him pinned down.
He smiled at the cub, particularly
at the cub's anger.
"You've got the talent, little one.
You just need to embrace it. As you grow, I'll have to toughen up on my
training."
That said, the adult removed his
foot and let the cub up. Without another word, he walked off.
Buddi sat up, the anger still
flowing in his veins and his chest heaving.
A hand put itself on his shoulder.
The cub pushed his mask up and turned around. Gritty pulled him up. The cub was
sweaty, hot and tired. Gritty handed him his water canteen. Buddi drank
greedily. As he drank, Gritty wet a cloth and wiped the sweat from the cub's
face.
"Impressive, partner."
Buddi stared at him. "You saw?"
Gritty nodded. "And I wasn't the
only one." He pointed up. Buddi looked up and saw Ursa drop down from the
branches above.
Ursa took Buddi's hand in hers and
asked him, "Buddi? You never do that good with me. What happened?"
Buddi shrugged, "he…he made me mad."
Ursa sighed. "Buddi, you can't give
into anger like that. You're lucky that was just training and not a battle.
Anger clouds your judgment."
Buddi sighed. "I know. I know."
Ursa smiled. "However, you do have
the talent. Ryo was right on that account."
Buddi moaned, "But I hate it!"
Ursa nodded along with Gritty,
"We know that, partner," Gritty
stated, "But that is a minor detail. You need to know how to fight."
Buddi groaned, "Why me?"
He turned and swung into the trees.
But as he did so, he found himself questioning,
"Where in Gum's name did that come
from?"