Growing Up

The Barbics, Glens and any other Disney characters are copyrighted to Disney and we claim no ownership. However, any new characters are copyrighted to Ulisa, Silver Fox and Cheetah the Furry. This plot is a collaboration of Ulisa, Silver Fox, and Cheetah the Furry.

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But he had some time. He got to his feet and wandered about the woods, looking for some small game, perhaps a bird of some sort, just to replenish his food supplies. He knew that there would, most likely be more game further up north but he was not about to go on that chance.

"Grubbi-"

"Ursa Marie Barbic, stop arguing with me! You put me in charge and by Gum I mean to fulfill that position. You're cuddling the cub!"

"What?" how…how dare he accuse her of such unbarbic behavior…of such…

"Motherly instinct, Ursa." Grubbi cut in but his voice was not accusing. In fact, Ursa swore she heard a hint of amusement in his otherwise authoritarian tone. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Ursa had fallen silent at his recent outburst so he took her silence as an opening to go on. "You've raised Buddi since he was born so you're his mother. You're a warrior and a leader but to Buddi you will always be a mother first. And the different psyches in you are trying to override each other. I know that the leader and warrior and to some extent, the mother, wants Buddi to succeed. They want him to be strong and handle himself. But the mother in you just wants to protect him, shield him from all this pain and torment you know he'll go through. You can't let that side take over Ursa."

"I'm not."

"You are. If you aren't then why should it bother you to lead today?"

Ursa was at a loss. She ground her hands into fists, got to her feet and said,

"I'll go wake him up."

Grubbi nodded, knowing that she would not argue anymore but wouldn't admit he was right either. Such behavior was typical of her. He nodded and said, "I'll start making some breakfast, give me a few minutes. And tell Buddi the deal today. Whether you think you were coddling him or not, he might have."

Ursa bit down her remark and slipped through the tent curtains.

As soon as Buddi heard Ursa get to her feet, he rolled over and closed his eyes. Was it true? Had Ursa been buffering his haiana, if not intentionally? Was it harder than he thought? Yesterday had been a killer. His body still ached and his belly was empty. Could it possibly get harder?

Buddi was a typical Barbic cub when it came to his pronouncement of independence. He hardly ever asked for help and not only because he rarely received it. Oh, the adults weren't cruel, quite the opposite actually. They helped in any way they could but they usually wanted him to figure things out for himself, through trial and error.

But as Buddi went through yesterday's events in his mind, he saw that Ursa had been an ally, multiple times. She had let him rest for a few minutes instead of automatically forcing him to his feet…she'd given him an over-ration of lunch meat as well as breakfast cakes.

She had done other things as well. She had been favoring him. Buddi should have been furious but inwardly he felt frightened that his ally was now being taken away. He knew that to truly feel the effects of a haiana she needed to stop helping him but Buddi also felt that for all his boasts of maturity that he was still a child when it came to things like this.

But he didn't mention this to Ursa as she woke him, repeated what he'd overheard, and tossed him his outfit. Buddi said nothing. By the time he had gobbled down his breakfast and pulled his pack on, he was shaking inwardly. But he couldn't let the adults know that.

Eavesdropping was not an act they would condone.

Buddi followed Ursa, his feet burning in pain. Grubbi was pushing him. Buddi had never been so exhausted in his life. He was sure his lungs were about to burst, his heart was aflame and he needed to rest. His young muscles were screaming for relief. But the adults were relentless. They did not even stop for lunch. Ursa merely took some rations and tossed them backward. Buddi had eaten his breakfast cake like a hungry wolf and he devoured his lunch in much the same fashion, except that it was tougher meat and took longer.

Buddi wanted to stop. He had fallen a ways back. But Ursa had not even glanced behind her. Grubbi had not been sympathetic either. He'd merely hoisted the cub up and gestured him forward. So the overwhelmed cub stalked on, not even taking note of his surrounding. All he knew was: walk, breathe, and walk. His feet were killing him.

By sunset, they had reached their destination. Buddi's heart froze and he stumbled back a bit.

Burnt remains of once towering trees stretched to the sky, mere skeletons of great giants. The ground was parched, where clovers had once been, now were ashes. Buddi put his hand to his heart. Grubbi pushed Buddi forward.

For the first time, Buddi broke a haiana rule by mouthing softly, "Nyie…no."

But with a nod, Grubbi forced the cub towards Ursa. His eyes narrowed at the cub's disregard for the rules. Buddi was trying to step back and he didn't look forward if he could help it. Grubbi, finally, made a decision that enough was enough. He grabbed the child's shoulder nodded forward once with his head and then smacked Buddi's backside firmly.

Buddi stared at Grubbi, stunned. The healer…he'd never struck him before, not even playfully. Well, a few smacks to the back were not uncommon but not like this…Buddi obeyed and followed Ursa down and into the remains of their once towering home.

Why here? Why here of all places? Buddi would have sooner walked to the Far East and back before willingly coming here. It still cut deep into his heart. He remembered the pain and the fire. The smoke…the screams. The hurt when he saw his only home, the only place he knew, disappear into ashes and flame. He'd watched as long as he was able and then he had buried his face into Ursa's waist. Why here? No more pain…

The sun was close to setting so Ursa was looking for a clearing. Grubbi saw the pain in her eyes but she said nothing. That was the goal. To accept and acknowledge pain but not to let it overwhelm themselves. Ursa was quite well adapted for such action while Buddi…the healer stole a glance.

The cub was trying…Grubbi could see that. But he was fighting a losing battle. Tears were running down his face and it was taking most of his strength not to simply fall down onto his knees and break into sobs. Grubbi sighed…not good.

They finally stopped where the center of their home had been. Ursa and Grubbi set a tent up. Grubbi spoke,

"This is the hard part: the emotional training so to speak. Buddi?"

The cub looked up, with broken eyes as he glanced about. Grubbi tossed the child his bow and arrow and said,

"You know."

Buddi nodded and started to walk off, but his stomach wasn't hungry anymore.

"It's working." Grubbi commented, feeling he owed Ursa something, as he started a fire. Ursa said nothing.

"Well, at least partially. His body is building up…that's good." Ursa again said nothing. She turned and Grubbi said,

"Now don't go gettin' all moody on me. Ursa, you know this is the best way. Heck, Una would have approved."

Ursa's voice froze in her throat. She swallowed, hard, at the mere mention of her mother's name. True, Una had been dead for over twenty-five years but it still cut deep. Ursa had been only the tender age of six when she saw her first killing. When her parents had died by human hands…

"Una was a lot like you, Ursa." Grubbi added. "She wanted to be soft. You still want to pick Buddi up and shield him, cradle him like a baby. You probably hate me because of what I made you do today."

Ursa growled low at the insult but Grubbi said, "As was your mother's intentions. It's a mother thing."

Ursa took a bite of jerky and turned from Grubbi. Grubbi sighed, exasperated. He tried logic,

"Ursa…you have to let him go. It's time for you to start letting go. Not all at once, but you need to loosen your maternal grip."

"No…" was Ursa's reply to him. Her voice was cold, hard and unalterable. "He's just thirteen. Not now…not yet…"

After another unsuccessful trip, which his stomach protested loudly, Buddi headed back towards camp but a movement caught his full attention. He slipped over the harsh land, stopping behind a few skeleton bushes. He swallowed…

"Lady Bane?"

He had heard about her from Sunni. They were headed away from Barbic Woods but he wanted to know why she was here. He listened, his head tilted. He did not have to wait long. She was heading back to where they had passed through. That skeleton forest near to Ursalia. But she had gathered some wood chips and he saw that she had taken a few scarce plants as well. What did she want?

"Yes…this is what I need. These are the final ingredients to complete my spell. If I can revive the uneasy forest spirits within that skeleton forest, the gummies will not even have a chance to scream before their Great Book is mine!"

"Book! Book!" her Troggels repeated

Lady Bane turned to her Troggels. "But no one must unveil my plan, any intruders, I don't care who they are…kill them. No one must learn of this…not a soul, you hear?"

"Hear! Hear!"

"If anyone comes near us while we rest tonight…get rid of them."

That said, she turned on her heels and walked away.

Buddi watched the Troggels. They were far too close for Buddi's comfort. Or maybe it was just the dark of the dead forest. For whatever reason, the cub rose to slowly head back to where Ursa and Grubbi were. But, is foot caught on a briar and with a loud crash sent him falling to the ground.

"Gummi! Gummi!"

Buddi did not even bother to look behind him. He just ran. They were chanting 'get rid! Get rid!' with enough bloodthirstiness to make Buddi pale. He knew that he could overpower one but five was a different story. And many times he had heard that Troggels gave no care to what their orders were, they merely followed them. If Lady bane had ordered intruders destroyed…

Buddi went sprawling forward when he was hit from behind. His tunic was shred by the little claws of the Troggels and he made the mistake of turning to face them.

Blood was starting to flow and Buddi felt his bow knocked from his hands. Had he been stronger…no! the blood loss was not life threatening yet but it was nearing there. A good aim at his neck and he was finished. No…he didn't want to die…he could handle a haiana but he didn't wanna die!

Acting on impulse, the cub drew his dagger from his ankle sheath and darted out with it. He heard screams but he didn't know if they were his screams or the Troggels. He felt blood that he didn't know if it was the Troggels' or his own. He kept striking, on an adrenaline rush caused by fear and impending death. As the rush vanished, so did the screams.

Buddi opened his eyes. He saw.

A wave of nausea rose in his throat. He turned and threw up. That done, he scrambled back, trying to get away…

Five Troggels lay dead where he had once been, from well aimed blows to the neck or chest. Blood puddled on the ground and the majority was not his.

Looking down, Buddi screamed.

His whole tunic was drenched with blood. He peeled it off, flinging it to the ground or what was left of it. His fur was deep red in a few places and he was not very strong himself from multiple wounds inflicted by the surprise attack.

'Self defense,' he told himself. 'It's okay. It was self defense.'

The cub flung his dagger down, backing away. He was nude, due to the damages to his clothing. But he didn't care. It was starting to rain but he didn't care. He ran from the scene, not knowing where he was going and not caring. He ran until his weakened body could run no more. He collapsed to his knees in wet mud and shook like a leaf. he was wailing, crying hysterically. He knew the sun had set and that Grubbi and Ursa were waiting. But he couldn't…

He had wanted to improve on this haiana, he had wanted to mature…to see and hear things other cubs might not. But not that…dear Gum…not death, not…

But he had. He had taken a life, five lives, if not intentionally. He had only meant to get them off him! But…

Buddi stared at his hands. The rain had washed them clean. He lifted his eyes skyward and whispered,

"Help me, Mama Ursa. Help me."

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