Chapter Five: Return of Gummadoon

Chapter Five: Return of Gummadoon

Buddi stared, his eyes unbelieving. He'd only heard of Gummadoom in legends.

Buddi closed his eyes, straining to remember. He'd been six when she'd first told it to him.

Flashback: Seven Years Ago

A six-year-old Buddi grabbed a ball he had and threw it hard.

Gritty dodged to the side as he came into the room. He turned to Buddi and crossed his arms.

Buddi giggled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Gritty sighed deeply and walked over to the cub. Buddi looked up at him from the floor. He loomed over him like a giant.

Buddi stood up and he still only came to the adult's knees. Gritty slipped his hands under the cub's arms and scooped him up. Buddi looked at him curiously. The adult smiled.

"Buddi, Ursa wants you to go and get ready for your bath."

The cub groaned. "Aw, do I gotta?"

Gritty nodded, "Go and get your night clothes. Ursa'll be here in a minute."

Buddi sighed but although he hated it when bath time came around, he was an obedient child. He nodded and Gritty sat him on his feet. After the cub had gotten past two years, he'd proved to be a mischievous but fairly obedient child. He hardly ever disobeyed any of them. Granted, he didn't always like it but he always did as asked.

Gritty watched the cub run off to his room and smiled. He had been a terror at two years and had been very mischievous at three. But he and the others tolerated it because they loved him.

"Gritty?"

The Barbic turned as his best friend came in. She smiled and was about to ask about Buddi when the door opened and Buddi ran in. Ursa smiled and scooped him up, resting him on her hip. She thumbed his nose.

"Ready for a bath?"

Buddi groaned, "No but you'll give me one anyway."

Ursa smiled and left for the bath hut with Buddi beside her.

She walked into the hut, Buddi reluctantly trailing. She had his bath warmed and ready. The cub undressed and got in. Ursa still had to help him wash and she knew that she would not be able to for much longer. When he turned seven, he could do it himself. She knew that day was coming so she treasured these small things Buddi still needed her help for.

Ursa took a handful of melted herbs and scrubbed through Buddi's short brown hair. Buddi closed his eyes obediently. As Ursa helped him rinse, Buddi said,

"Mama Ursa?"

She smiled, "Yes, Baby?"

"How come there's no more gummies?"

Ursa bit her lower lip. She knew this subject would come up.

"There used to be Baby. Centuries ago, there were hundreds, thousands. But humans learned of our secrets and wanted them all for their own uses. Our ancestors didn't want war. So they left and fled across the sea."

"But we're still here."

Ursa nodded. "We Barbics decided to stay. We fought together in our woods and we held the humans off. Eventually they seemed to give up on us."

"How'd the others escape?"

Ursa smiled and scrubbed the cub's face, getting some of the sauce he'd gotten on his cheeks at dinner off. She went on,

"The Knights of a Gummi city called Gummadoon helped give them passage to freedom. Their leader was the best of the knights, Sir Plucki. But they couldn't escape themselves. They retreated back into the city. Then their magicians cast a spell that made it disappear, the whole city vanished and is said to return only one day every hundred years. Unless there's severe danger."

Buddi splashed some of the water and said, "You think I'll ever meet the knights?"

Ursa smiled. "It's just a legend baby." She smirked at his innocent hopes though, "But who know?"

End Flashback

Buddi crept towards the city. He hated to admit it but adult gummies made him nervous. If he was to meet a child Gummi, his age or younger, he was fine. But if it was an adult…Buddi's shyness would kick in. He hadn't been shy with Sunni but when he first met the Glen adults, he'd almost died. After the battle with Igthorn, the adults decided that their clans needed to get to know each other better. Ursa and Gritty had formally introduced Buddi and shoved him forward. When Grammi spoke to him, he'd run behind Ursa and buried his face into her hip.

Gradually he grew to feel comfortable around the Glen adults though.

But Buddi had to get his arrow back. He wasn't about to take a spanking from Ursa. He crept closer.

The front gate was guarded. He didn't want to confront anyone, just get back his arrow and get out.

The cub glanced about and then started to the left wall. He spied the footholds in the stone easily and slowly began to ascent upward. Ursa had taught him how to find footholds when she taught him how to climb trees and mountains. It came in handy here. Buddi managed to get up to a small break in the city's wall and slipped through.

Buddi gazed down. Infiltrating was a skill he was blessed with. Ursa always told him that he was blessed with sleuth. Now it worked to aid him.

Buddi gazed downward and his jaw fell.

He'd never seen so many gummies.

The cub glanced about and finally spied his arrow. It was pierced in the ground by some training grounds. He saw a few gummies training, they looked to be knights. The cub slid down the wall and moving in the shadows made his way over towards it.

As he neared it, a staff was knocked from a blond haired Gummi. He leapt down and went to retrieve it.

* * *

"You're losing your touch, Sir Plucki."

The leader of the Gummadoon knights smiled tolerantly.

"We'll see when I get back, Sir Gumlittle."

He leapt down and went to retrieve his sleep horn. He'd gotten it knocked from his hand and now spied it by some cartons. Gummadoom had returned because the wizards had detected Celina's aura. She was a traitor Gummi and they sensed that the Gummies left behind would have difficulty dealing with her. So their wizards canceled the spell that kept Gummadoom from the world and it returned.

The knight spied his horn and knelt to pick it up. As he did, he nodded an arrow and a hand snatching it. He looked up.

A cub stared back at him, with bright frightened eyes.

"Hello, child," he told him calmly. "Who are you?"

The cub backed up, not saying a word, eyes still wide and his cheeks burning deep red. Sir Plucki knew all the children in Gummadoom, this child was new. Sir Plucki walked after him, slowly.

"Calm down, lad." He stated, bewildered at the cub's fear. "I'm a knight, I'm not going to hurt you."

The other knights heard the commotion and came over. They too saw the child, and were stunned and confused at his fear.

Buddi felt like dying. He hated talking to strange adults. He might say the wrong thing. If Ursa had been there, he'd be hiding behind her. But she wasn't, so Buddi backed up until he hit a corner and could back up no more. Buddi's cheeks and neck were burning.

The knights looked the child over.

He was a small child, physically but his face said he was about twelve to thirteen. His fur was a light tan color and his right eye had a patch of darker fur over it, a unique characteristic. He wore a blood red tunic and a dark black hood but no shoes or boots.

"What's your name, lad?" Sir Gumlittle tried.

Buddi remained silent, petrified.

"What's going on here?" a female voice called. The knights turned as Councilor Wooddale came through.

Sir Plucki answered, "A new cub. He won't tell us anything."

The female Gummi turned to the child and smiled. "Well no wonder. He's shy."

She stretched her hand out towards him and Buddi reluctantly took it.

She turned to the knights. "I'll get the child settled and try to get some answers."

They nodded and watched as the female Councilor gently led the child away.

* * *

Buddi was starting to calm down but he was still uncomfortable. He had been shown a spare room by the councilor who called herself Wooddale and then he was gently probed with questions. At first Buddi had answered with a headshake or a nod. But he gradually decided he would speak to her.

"What's your name?"

Buddi looked up at her.

Wooddale was thrilled, this was an improvement. He was so shy, it frightened the Gummi wizard. His self-esteem was very low. But she had seen in his eyes that it wasn't by abuse or by lack of attention. That comforted her.

Buddi swallowed and said, "Buddi. My name's Buddi."

He went on, "I'm a Barbic Gummi. I live in the woods by the city."

The female Gummi smiled. "We aren't going to hurt you, why did you not talk?"

Buddi shrugged, "Ursa tells me I'm too shy for my own good."

Wooddale nodded. "You are."

Buddi seemed embarrassed at that. His cheeks burned a brilliant crimson.

Wooddale got up.

"You seem like you would be embarrassed to come to dinner. I could have someone bring something to eat up to you."

Buddi shook his head. "I need to go home."

Wooddale shook her own head. "No, child. It's already dark. It's too late."

Buddi looked at her, "But Ursa'll worry!"

Wooddale looked at him, "Who's this Ursa?"

Buddi paused a minute before answering, "She's like my mother. My guardian."

Wooddale nodded. "What were you doing where she couldn't see you?"

Buddi crossed his arms, "I'm not a baby. I've been able to go out beyond our woods for almost five years. I'm thirteen."

Wooddale was surprised. He looked small for a thirteen year old but then so had Sunni.

"I'm sorry, lad. I'm sure your guardian will find you."

Buddi nodded and as she left, she called to him,

"I'll send you some food."

* * *

Duke Igthorn wandered about his castle, his ever-present footstool behind him.

"Why doesn't Dukie just throw mean lady out?"

The duke sighed in exasperation, "Because you don't throw out someone who can make your head disappear with a thought, mushroom mind."

"Stop your bitching," a cruel voice called in. Igthorn looked up and Celina appeared before him. She smiled,

"Just to stop your complaining and keep you happy, I'm going to waste some energy to give you what you want."

Igthorn swallowed and said, "And what do I want?"

Celina sighed and filed her nails a bit. "You want Lady Bane for your bride and you want a way to take Dunywn."

She smiled.

"I can give you a way to have both. The rest is yours."