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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Near Past
"Buddi??" the faint voice of Ursa answered from a distance. She ran toward the direction of that single utterance. And, in a clearing, stood her little Buddi. Rushing to him, she scooped up the cub in her arms.
"Oh, Buddi, what were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt out here!"
"Mama!" He hugged her tightly. "Went lookin' for you. But I was safe. The tree helped me. It talked!"
"Nonsense, Buddi. C'mon, now. Everyone is worried sick. _I_ was worried sick."
Tales they may be from a cub no doubt frightened from his adventure, she still gave the bare hardwood a backward glance. Suspicious, really, as she'd heard tales of such things in this forest from her youth.
Present
Cavin tugged at Calla's arm, stopping her from running into the open, where the onward march of knights would have seen her and their cover blown. Dawn was just breaking.
"We _have_ to reach Gummadoon first. How bad do you think the quicktunnels are?"
She shrugged.
"Well, it's worth a try."
"Agreed."
They slipped into the closest quicktunnel entrance.
"Cubbi?" Plucki poked his head inside the room, a sober expression on his face. "Come on, lad. You have to get up. There's a strategic meeting planned in ten minutes. Not much time for eating, I know but... Cubbi?"
There was not motion nor sound from the sleepy cub. Plucki entered, saw the covers drawn up all but over the cub's head.
"Cubbi?" The knight's heart froze. He'd seen this before...
Yanking the covers back revealed Cubbi, red-splotched and glassy-eyed. His teeth chattered, he wasn't looking at anything. Nor did he hear Plucki's repetitive negative as the knight ran from the room.
"No. No! NO!!!!"
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