"What do you mean, I can't see her?!"
Buddi was seething. Ursa'd just told
him that she didn't want him and Sunni spending that much time together. She
said she had already cancelled all their play dates up until next week. Buddi
was angry and was very close to throwing a tantrum, which he hadn't done in
four years.
Ursa crossed her arms. "Don't you
raise your voice to me. You heard me."
Buddi stomped his foot. "You're
mean! That isn't fair!"
Ursa looked at him stunned. "Buddi,
you sound like you're throwing a tantrum."
Buddi flung his arms down as he
stomped his foot again. "AM NOT! YOU'RE BEING UNFAIR, MEAN! I HATE YOU!"
Ursa stared at him. He had never
said that to her! She swallowed and then felt the anger come.
"Buddi?"
"WHAT?!"
She grabbed him hard by the ear. He
yelped in pain. She pointed to his room.
"Go to your room."
Buddi flung her hands off. "Fine. Mijet!"
Ursa instantly threw her hand out
and let it connect with his cheek. "Buddi Timba Barbic! If I ever hear
you say that again, I'll wash your mouth with soap, understand?"
Buddi narrowed his own eyes. He was
angry, he didn't think. "Mijet! Mijet! Mijet!"
Ursa snatched him by the nape of his neck and tugged him towards the bathroom in his room. He realized what he had done and immediately started to apologize. But it was too late. Ursa closed the door behind them and shoved Buddi into the sink. She put a bar of fresh made soap in her hand, ran it under the water a bit, pried Buddi's muzzle open and shoved it in.
Buddi immediately tried to spit it out but Ursa clamped his muzzle shut with her hand. Buddi started to gag, to even bat his hands around.
Ursa didn't budge.
"You move that around!" she commanded. When Buddi didn't, she squeezed his cheeks, making the soap break and move. She kept that up for six minutes before she unclamped Buddi's mouth and gave him leave to spit it out.
He gagged, spat and then gasped for air. He still had that horrid taste in his mouth, Ursa spoke,
"I don't want to hear you curse again or the same thing will happen, understand?"
Buddi nodded, he couldn't talk.
Now that the punishment was over, Ursa lent her aid and helped him get the taste out. She took some herb mixture and told him to swish it around. It tasted good. But Ursa told him he couldn't swallow it; it would make him sick. Buddi spat it out when told and rinsed. Ursa patted his back and said,
"I hate doing that Buddi but I don't want to hear that language."
Buddi nodded and gasped out, "'Sa?"
"Yes?"
"I…I'm sorry I said I hated you."
Ursa smiled. "I know, Buddi. I also know that you were angry."
Buddi nodded. "Still am. Am I ever going to get to see her?"
Ursa nodded. "Of course, I just want you two to lighten up on the amount of time."
Buddi sighed. He knew that Sunni would probably agree and inwardly, he saw her point. He finally gave in.
"Okay, can I see her next week?"
Ursa sighed, "I guess so. But this week I just want you to spend some time with your own clan of Gummies."
Buddi moaned, "Ursa, we're all Gummies…"
"But we're strong!" she interrupted. "You've seen how soft the Glens are. We're stronger than that."
Buddi sighed. "Ursssaaa…"
She shook her head and put a finger over Buddi's lips. "No, don't argue. Go outside and practice your shooting with the bow."
Buddi nodded and jumped outside and swung down to the floor of the forest.
He was mad at Ursa but knew better than to push her too far. He went out beyond the trees to the small open field. His arrows could go further here. He drew his arrow and put it in the bow. A sound startled him and he pointed his arrow up as he lost his grip and it flew in an arch straight up and landed over a dune. Buddi winced.
He remembered what Ursa had told him shortly after they came back:
"Our
weapons are limited right now. If you go out with three arrows, you come back
with three. If you lose them, I'll tan your backside until it glows."
Buddi
winced and grabbed his backside. He didn't doubt her words. When Ursa said
she'd tan his backside until it glowed, she meant it. Buddi knew that from
experience. She'd made that same threat a little time after they'd moved to
Ursalia. She'd said, "If you touch a crossbow, I'll tan your hide until it
glows like the stars." Foolishly, he'd dared her words and played with an
abandoned crossbow he'd found. Ursa had found him, taken it away and then
tugged him to his room. After she closed the door, she sat down, pulled him
over her knees, yanked his pants down and smacked his bottom until it was flame
red and tears were streaming down his face.
He'd never touched another crossbow.
Buddi headed after the arrow, he had to get it back. He wasn't about to go through that again. He raced down over the field and then poked his head up over the rise of field.
There was a sight he'd never seen. It was a castle, huge, with a gate with a Gummi head on the front gate. Buddi had heard of this city from both legends and Sunni. He knew it.
"Gummadoon."