The Family
Inka the badger rose early that morning. The path she had been traveling was still damp with dew. She looked over her sleeping siblings. Fondly she stroked her only sister's brow and smiled at her two brothers, they where her whole life. Widdia, her sister, stirred in her sleep. Inka stopped rubbing her head and checked there supplies, only a few apples and a stale loaf of bread. They still had plenty of water. She saw some healing herbs not far and started to pull them from the ground. By the time she had collected them Ace, the oldest brother, sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Any food Inka?" he asked.
"A few apples some bread and water is all we got" she said "but don't touch it till Buddy and Widdia wake".
Ace peered over her shoulder. "What's that you got?"
"Some herbs for tummy aches" she replied "We are going to need them".
Ace pulled some dried blackberries and small onions from the pouch he had on his wide belt. "I found these a few days back. They are still good"
Inka separated the onions from the berries and placed the berries in four small wooden bowls. She took the loaf of bread and crushed it into crumbs and placed them in the bowls. She put the remainder of the bread in her bag and pulled out one apple and a small dagger. She cut the apple into small bits and placed them in the bowls to. She mixed some water in and handed one to Ace. He sniffed the mixture, pulled out an apple piece, and stuck it in his mouth.
Inka looked at him. "Well?"
Ace took another sample before answering. "It isn't the best, but its fine ol' herder"
Inka smiled as he said her nickname. She tasted her mixture. It was good enough that her sister would eat it. She shook Widdia awake. "Come on baby. Time to eat"
Widdia woke at the mention of food. "What is we gonna eat?"
Inka passed her sister's bowl of the mush to her. Widdia liked the fruits that where in it and started to pick them out leaving the bread mush. As Widdia fished for fruit, Inka woke Buddy and gave him his bowl. He ate the whole thing. When Widdia ate all her fruits Inka gave her bowl to her sister and finished Widdia's mush.
After every one had finished what passed as a breakfast they packed up and continued north up the path. Widdia and Buddy skipped ahead.
Inka called after them "Stay where I can see you. And don't run off the path"
Ace chuckled "Stop acting like a mother bird and let them have some fun"
Inka's eyes followed the two little playing badgers. "I have to. They don't have a mother, or a father even"
Ace looked at her. "When will you tell them what really happened to mom and dad?"
"When they are older. They are too little to know"
"You are just giving them false hopes. They think they will see them again one day"
Inka glared at him. "You better not tell them. I want them to have happy lives, not spending them mourning. It would break their hearts if they knew"
"And they will hate you for lying"
"I'm the oldest," she growled, "So what I say goes. Widdia is only a few seasons old and Buddy isn't much older. Their lives will be ruined if you tell them"
Ace was about to protest when Buddy ran up with Widdia in his wake. "Inka! Inka! A big red house is over there"
"Ya, and it's bigger then the biggerest threes" said Widdia.
"Did you see any vermin?" asked Ace.
"No, it was to far," replied Buddy "but we sawed it. Really! We'll show you. You seed it if you stand over there" He pulled on her paws and led her to the spot where they saw the big red house.
Soon Inka saw the over the top of the trees what appeared to be the top of a big red castle. Inka was amazed at the size of it.
"What do you think?"
"Huh?" asked Inka.
"What do you think?" repeated Ace.
Inka quickly sized it up. "We get as close as we can today. Try and find out if there are good beasts or vermin in there"
"Sounds good to me," said Ace. Then he bowed and teased, "Show the way, oh old herder"
Inka gave him a playful shove that left him flat on his back.
Inka the badger rose early that morning. The path she had been traveling was still damp with dew. She looked over her sleeping siblings. Fondly she stroked her only sister's brow and smiled at her two brothers, they where her whole life. Widdia, her sister, stirred in her sleep. Inka stopped rubbing her head and checked there supplies, only a few apples and a stale loaf of bread. They still had plenty of water. She saw some healing herbs not far and started to pull them from the ground. By the time she had collected them Ace, the oldest brother, sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Any food Inka?" he asked.
"A few apples some bread and water is all we got" she said "but don't touch it till Buddy and Widdia wake".
Ace peered over her shoulder. "What's that you got?"
"Some herbs for tummy aches" she replied "We are going to need them".
Ace pulled some dried blackberries and small onions from the pouch he had on his wide belt. "I found these a few days back. They are still good"
Inka separated the onions from the berries and placed the berries in four small wooden bowls. She took the loaf of bread and crushed it into crumbs and placed them in the bowls. She put the remainder of the bread in her bag and pulled out one apple and a small dagger. She cut the apple into small bits and placed them in the bowls to. She mixed some water in and handed one to Ace. He sniffed the mixture, pulled out an apple piece, and stuck it in his mouth.
Inka looked at him. "Well?"
Ace took another sample before answering. "It isn't the best, but its fine ol' herder"
Inka smiled as he said her nickname. She tasted her mixture. It was good enough that her sister would eat it. She shook Widdia awake. "Come on baby. Time to eat"
Widdia woke at the mention of food. "What is we gonna eat?"
Inka passed her sister's bowl of the mush to her. Widdia liked the fruits that where in it and started to pick them out leaving the bread mush. As Widdia fished for fruit, Inka woke Buddy and gave him his bowl. He ate the whole thing. When Widdia ate all her fruits Inka gave her bowl to her sister and finished Widdia's mush.
After every one had finished what passed as a breakfast they packed up and continued north up the path. Widdia and Buddy skipped ahead.
Inka called after them "Stay where I can see you. And don't run off the path"
Ace chuckled "Stop acting like a mother bird and let them have some fun"
Inka's eyes followed the two little playing badgers. "I have to. They don't have a mother, or a father even"
Ace looked at her. "When will you tell them what really happened to mom and dad?"
"When they are older. They are too little to know"
"You are just giving them false hopes. They think they will see them again one day"
Inka glared at him. "You better not tell them. I want them to have happy lives, not spending them mourning. It would break their hearts if they knew"
"And they will hate you for lying"
"I'm the oldest," she growled, "So what I say goes. Widdia is only a few seasons old and Buddy isn't much older. Their lives will be ruined if you tell them"
Ace was about to protest when Buddy ran up with Widdia in his wake. "Inka! Inka! A big red house is over there"
"Ya, and it's bigger then the biggerest threes" said Widdia.
"Did you see any vermin?" asked Ace.
"No, it was to far," replied Buddy "but we sawed it. Really! We'll show you. You seed it if you stand over there" He pulled on her paws and led her to the spot where they saw the big red house.
Soon Inka saw the over the top of the trees what appeared to be the top of a big red castle. Inka was amazed at the size of it.
"What do you think?"
"Huh?" asked Inka.
"What do you think?" repeated Ace.
Inka quickly sized it up. "We get as close as we can today. Try and find out if there are good beasts or vermin in there"
"Sounds good to me," said Ace. Then he bowed and teased, "Show the way, oh old herder"
Inka gave him a playful shove that left him flat on his back.