Stranger Amongst Friends
PART II
It couldn't, it just couldn't possibly be Gummadoon, in the storybooks it said that they vanished a long time ago, only to return for one day every hundred years. But a hundred years hasn't been yet, from what he remembered it was only the year 879, unless they had return early for them, the only village which remained behind, his mother had told him, but what a bad mistake that was.Stood there staring at the gigantic castle before him, he took in the details of it's strong, stone built wall, and the towers which he clearly saw from where he stood, all of different shapes and angles.
Looking at the castle, Wesley awed at the sight of it, and his attention was soon then a strayed for only a moment, when he felt something warm touch his cheek, he turned to see the sun rising. Gosh, had he really been here that long, just staring at the castle?
Turning his attention back to the castle, he could hear a gong being sounded, and something like a gate being opened. Horses were riding out, he could tell, feeling the vibration in the ground, from their hooves beating on the ground.They were coming towards him, who they were he did not know, it could be anyone, whether they would cause him harm or not he did not know either.
Dust drifted, and lingered about in the air, the horse's hooves kicking the dust, causing it to arise, so he couldn't see a thing, but he also got it in his eyes, and closing them he tried to brush the dust off, so he could see again.
Wiping his eyes, Wesley then blinked a few times, before looking up, hearing the horses near, his mouth fell, too astounded to utter a word.
Gummadoon Knights, perched on a creature he'd never seen before, but heard of, a unicorn, rode past him.
Staring open mouthed, Wesley then soon took after them, desperately wanting to get a closer look of them, and to meet them, though it did make him wonder as to why they rode straight past him. Surely they would of stopped by, or at least greeted but they did neither, so he wondered whether they were off in a hurry to.
Jumping in the trees, Wesley found that he could just keep up with them, if he swung from vine to vine, and halted when he saw the knights stop in their tracks.
Coming closer, he approached, till he stood directly in front of them, where he then saw each of the knights, one he recognised instantly from his storybook, Sir Plucki.
Looking around, he didn't recognise any of the other knights, and so he stood close by to Sir Plucki, where he began to inspect the gummi captain.
Finishing his inspection, Wesley began to walk round Plucki's unicorn, seeing him from different angles, and immediately stood back when he heard the unicorn whinny. Why couldn't they see him?
He looked up at the gummi captain's face, and saw it was stern and cautious, looking out and preparing for the unexpected.
Wesley admired the gummi captain, and wanted to talk to him, but what good was that to the gummi captain, if he couldn't see him.
Getting frustrated, the cub stamped his foot, which he noticed the knights heard, and made them more alert, and the unicorn begin to back away from him.
Sir Plucki
I stop the group, sensing something following us, and watching us this very moment.
The unicorns seem distracted and whinny, as if trying to tell us something.
I feel like someone is now watching me in particular, taking in every last detail of me. Looking around the area, I see and hear nothing.
What's the point? Says Wesley stamping his foot again in frustration and walking away.
Entering the bush nearest Sir Plucki's unicorn he thinks of heading further into the forest to find his friends when he hears someone behind him shout "There!"
Wesley turned round quickly suddenly afraid, they can see me, he thinks, before he then feel someone grab his tunic from behind him, and pull him out of the bush, he looks up to see Sir Plucki.
Looking at the gummi captain terrified, having not seen another gummi for six years, and now after all those years, to then hurled out of a bush, and placed on your feet before legendary knights seared him witless.
"What were you doing, lad?" asked Sir Plucki.
"I…I…" Wesley started, but found it hard to talk since he hadn't talked much since these six years, not really needing to, for animals didn't talk.
"I…was seeing…who you were" Wesley said at length.
The gummi captain eyed him suspiciously before asking, "Where are your parents?"
Wesley's eyes momentarily teared and seemed full of fear, but it was gone so quickly Sir Plucki had to wonder if he'd seen it at all.
Hanging his head low, Wesley answered, "There dead, sir".
The gummi captain then looked at the small, and obvious saddened cub, at the mention of his parents, but was curious to know who was looking after him now.
"What's your name, lad" the gummi captain asked.
"Wesley" the cub replied.
"And who takes care of you now, lad?" the captain asked again.
"Nobody" he replied.
Seeing the gummi captain, look somewhat questionly, and confused at him, Wesley decided to explain in a bit more detail.
"I'm alone, have been for six years"
"Six Years" Wesley heard the word spread among the knights.
"Six Years" Wesley heard the gummi captain says surprised, "How, is that so, you hardly look anything more than, what five years old"
Wesley shook his head sideways "Eleven"
"Eleven" he sees the gummi captain surprised.
Sir Plucki
The cub was shy, he could tell, from the way he spoke, he said very little. But still how was it so, that this cub stood before him, was mentally eleven years old, yet in physical appearance, looked nothing more than a five year old.
Wesley bowed his head again, trying to avoid eye contact and instead took to looking at the ground, even though he could still feel their eyes on him. He felt his cheeks burn, and he wanted nothing more than to flee from here, he didn't how he had managed to stand it so far.
Looking up, he saw the gummi captain looking down on him, questionly, then smiled, and offers his paw to him.
Wesley stared for a moment, confused, to what the gummi captain was doing, and heard him say
"Come with us, lad".
Wesley stared another moment longer at the gummi captain's paw, before accepting it, and was heaved up onto his unicorn.
"On, forward" the knights heard their captain say.
Moving again, Wesley gripped onto the unicorn's mane, and leant forward, afraid he would fall off, having never really ridden on an animal before, not even his friends.
The only thing he done with his friends was to play chase, or some other game, but never had he ridden on them.
However, his actions hadn't gone unnoticed, the gummi captain, smiled at the young cub, sensing the cub's fear, and so having one paw holding onto the reins, his other circled the cub's waist. Pulling the cub back up, so he sat up straight, though he refused to release his grip on the unicorn's mane, he tried to make the cub feel safe.
Now riding along, to catch up with the other knights that had gone slightly ahead, the knights continued on with their duty.
"Where do you live in this forest, lad" asked Sir Plucki
"My home is in the trees" Wesley replied though quiet.
Seeing the cub was not going to speak anymore, he decided to ask the cub, some more questions later, and so he continued on with his duty, double-checking areas to make sure no one else was hiding.
***
After several long hours of duty of patrolling through the forest, the knights finally returned to Gummadoon.
Wesley had fallen asleep, bored but mainly from the lack of sleep, from the previous night.
Geez, how could the knights patrol that forest, for long hours, how boring, especially if you lived in that forest for a long period time, you get used to the sights.
The gummi captain let Wesley sleep, even when they rode through the castle gates, thinking it would be best for him. Dismounting his unicorn, he and the group of knights, guided their unicorns towards the stables, receiving a few looks from the gummi residents looking at the small cub, who silently slept on, occasionally tightening his grip on the unicorns mane.
Reaching the stables, the gummi captain, stabled his unicorn, before then reaching up to pick up the small cub. His paws covered Wesley's, and slowly and gently he uncurled the cub's paws free from the unicorns mane, then slid him off the unicorn, so he fell into his arms.
Smiling down at the cub who laid sleeping heavily in his arms, he left the stables, carrying the cub.
Avoiding walking by the stalls, where the cub would receive attention, he took the long route round. Walking along the corridors, and taking several turns, he finally reached the place where he wanted to be.
Opening the door, the gummi captain walked in. Placing the cub in bed, and covering him up, he was about to leave, when he turned again, catching one last glance of the sleeping cub, before then leaving, to tend to his unicorn, and carry on with his duties.
A FEW HOURS LATER
Yawning, Wesley sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and then suddenly snapped back to reality. Where was he? What were they going to do to him?
Jumping out of bed, he landed in the middle of the room, fully alert, but also afraid, as to where he was. Running over towards the window in the room, he looked outside, and no sooner had he stuck his head out, did he withdraw back in, completely horrified.
Sure thing, he was definitely in Gummadoon, but there so many gummies. His thoughts were to escape back into the forest, and never to meet them again, but that was virtually impossible.
Now that he'd been found, and the knights had brought him here, and for them to discover him gone they had every Knight of Gummadoon out in the forest, searching for him.
Moving away from the window, as far as he could, he sat down on the bed, which he'd slept in.
Wesley
I sit here; hoping that one of the knights I'd met would come. I must speak with them, and find a way, somehow to return to the forest, though I'm certain they won't let me return.
They think me as a cub, which is true, I am only a cub, but the forest is home, it's where I belong, not here, in this city. I have to get out of here, back to the forest.
I feel out of place, this place doesn't feel right, at least not for me. I'm afraid.
***
Sir Plucki
Walking through the archway, and down the corridor, I feel the wind blow and the sounds echoing among the stonewalls. The sun is setting, the skies are changing…soon we'll disappear again.
The gummi captain walked along the corridors towards where the new cub's room, was located.
The council wished to speak with the cub, and find out a little bit of information from him.
Halting, and stopping outside a particular door, the gummi captain knocked before entering the spare room.
"Wesley" he said, but received no reply.
Looking round the room, the gummi captain couldn't see Wesley anywhere, and wondered whether the cub had left to go and explore the city. Turning he was about to leave, when his ears picked up a distinct sound of crying. Turning round again, the gummi captain, closed the door behind him, before then following the sounds of crying, concerned for the young cub.
The cub's crying led him to a shaded corner, darker than the rest of the room, and there he was, curled up in a ball, rocking himself back and forth.
Approaching the cub, he noticed the cub tense and begin to back away from him. He was afraid of him?
For the first time, the gummi captain stood there unsure of what to do. No cub had usually been afraid of him, in fact it was the complete opposite, they admired him.
Everyday, whilst doing his duties about the castle, he would notice the cubs of Gummadoon looking up to him, admiration shining in their eyes, with no fear. The only reason why they didn't confront him was because they were too shy.
So, standing here, with a cub who was afraid of him, left him in a slight difficult situation.
Staying where he was, the gummi captain knelt down, so he was level with the cub, whilst he tried to find reason for the cub's situation.
"Lad, what's wrong?" he asked.
Wesley didn't reply at first, only sniffled, why he tried to find his words.
"I…I'm…afraid" he said.
"Of what?" asked the gummi captain, though slightly confused still to what was had frightened the cub so.
"This prison…everything" Wesley choked out.
Now this did confuse the gummi captain. The cub crying before him, considered this castle to be a prison, why?
"Why?" he asked.
"The walls, they keep you in, the forest is different they have no walls, your free" replied Wesley.
Sir Plucki
I understand now, the cub is wild and free, he doesn't understand what the walls are here for.
The cub is used to running about where he pleases, with no walls as he so puts it to stop him. He has nothing to fear in the forest, he knows the forest, but here he doesn't, so that would explain why he was afraid.
"The walls do not keep us in, lad, there, there to serve us as protection" he said.
"Protection" said Wesley, now confused, before it then sunk in, and he realised what they were there for, protection from humans, he read it from his storybook.
Standing up, though still afraid, he shakily walked his way over to the Sir Plucki, step by step until he stood before him.
Sir Plucki didn't seem to move, only waited as the young cub confronted him, he wondered whether it was a good idea taking Wesley to the Council after all he did look scared.
"Wesley, the Council wish to speak with you" he said.
Fear momentarily shone in the young cubs eyes, and he began to back away again, but Sir Plucki stopped him, placing his paws on the cubs shoulder and said
"There is no need to fear them, lad, they only wish to help" he said.
Wesley just shook his head sideways, he didn't want to meet anyone else, heck he felt he almost died just stood there, caught out by Sir Plucki in the forest.
Sir Plucki smiled at the young cubs reaction. It was understandable that the cub was so shy, living in the forest six years without any form of contact with his kind since he was five.
Wiping the cub's tears away, he stood, then guided Wesley out the room, towards the Councillors Tower.
The walk there was slow, not that Sir Plucki was surprised, Wesley was evidently trying to find enough courage to keep himself calm, before he saw them.
Coming in sight of the tower, the two walked up the small flight of stairs, then entered the tower, where Wesley felt his cheeks burn, upon seeing the councillors.
Now stood before the councillors, Wesley bowed his head low, and was thankful that Sir Plucki had stayed at his side, he didn't know how he would of coped.
The Council above them however, sat in a row, all smiled down at the obviously shy cub.
"What is your name, young one?" asked Councillor Wooddale.
"Wesley" he said.
"And you live alone?" they asked, and Wesley nodded, much preferring to stay as quiet as possible.
"In the forest?" they asked and Wesley nodded again.
"He needs a guardian" one of the councillors said.
This immediately got the cub's attention, and he looked up at them.
"I don't need a guardian" he said.
The Council stopped their discussion and looked down upon the young cub, whom one minute was all shy is now suddenly all serious.
"Yes, you do" they said.
"Why?" asked Wesley obviously not at all happy.
"Because someone needs to look after you" said Councillor Wooddale.
"I've lived on my own for six years" he said.
This then left the conversation on a stand still, sure enough the Council had found out that he'd lived on his own, but they didn't how long, but nevertheless he still needed a guardian even though he had been on his own all these years, it was precisely why he needed one.
The conversation between the cub and the Council lasted a fair while, deciding whether or not he needed a guardian but in the end, it was agreed that he would have one, as much as Wesley disliked the idea very much.
End of PART II
PART III COMING SOON!
Please tell me what you think?
