** I borrowed the lyrics of the song "Come by the Hills" by Loreena McKennit for this chapter. (I have changed a few words to fit the personality of these characters, however.)
Chapter 8: The Village Smurf
A MONTH LATER
Whether Hefty's stay would be only temporary or permanent, the smurfettes decided to build him his own mushroom house. Hefty Smurf is ok with this decision. He figured that since he was near his original strength now it would be better to leave the clinic free for anyone else who would be sick. The home that the smurfette's built wasn't anything special. It was just a typical mushroom house with a bed, table and fireplace inside.
'Besides it having a strange smell to it, all it now needs is my barbells and it is just like my home in the smurf village.' Hefty thought as he entered inside.
"Do you like it?" Mama Smurf asked as she walked up to him.
"It's very nice, thank you." Hefty replied. He sniffs the air carefully before turning to Mama Smurf. "However, what is that smell?"
"Oh, it's called sage. It is a sacred tradition that every new home is, what is called, smudged."
"Huh?" The Smurf gave her a puzzled look.
"In other words, Hefty, it helps protect not only the home, but whomever lives in it. It's a Wiccan thing." Mama Smurf explains.
"Oh ok." Shrugged Hefty. Even though he still doesn't quite understand what Mama Smurf means, he decided not to carry on with this discussion.
"We weren't sure how you would like to decorate your home, so we just left it plain." Mama Smurf said.
"No, no. This will do. I'm not usually one for decorations." He admitted.
"Well, alright then. Perhaps later we can get together for another counseling session. One way or another we will find out where you come from, and what had happened to you." The smurfette elder says as she is heading for the door.
"That sounds good. I think, in the meantime, I'll go have a look around the village." Hefty announced.
Mama Smurf chuckled warmly, "Ok, but don't push yourself too hard. You are still healing from your injuries."
"Eh, I heal fast…" Hefty shrugs and flexes his muscles.
Again, Mama Smurf chuckles, "I've noticed. Alright then, have fun." She said before walking out the door.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Hefty Smurf walked through the village, admiring the beautiful look that the smurfettes created. A lot of homes reminded him a bit like Smurfette's back in the smurf village. Most of the smurfettes grew flowers along the sides of each house, and have heart shaped shutters.
He then walked passed some hot springs. The large steaming pool in the center of beautifully decorated spa has candles and bottles of scented oils surrounding it. Hefty figures that this would be the spot where the smurfettes come to relax after a hard day's work. When he looked up over the trees he sees a volcano that is about ten miles away from the village. Mama Smurf had told him about this volcano, and that had been dormant for hundreds of years. She assured him that it is safe to live in this area. With a smile, he carried on with his walk.
As Hefty headed back through the village, he noticed a few of the other smurfettes watching him with dreamy looks in their eyes. He couldn't help but to gloat a little. Never had he received so much attention. Without even realizing, Hefty started to puff out his chest as continued to strut past the giggling smurfettes.
He stopped when a familiar sound caught his attention. For the moment he couldn't seem to figure out where he had heard this sound before. It was defiantly music, he knew that, but who is playing it?
Hefty turned the corner to see a smurfette, with a light brown hair playing a guitar. The tune she is playing was the most beautiful sound he has ever heard. She began to sing a song that went with the tune.
Come by the hills to the land where smurfy is free.
And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.
Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun.
And cares of tomorrow must smurf till this day is done.
Hefty felt instantly calm has he heard her sing. The more he thought about the sound she is making the more he found it familiar. It bothered him terribly. Usually his memory is good, but since the near-death experience, it has been difficult for him to remember much recently.
Come by the hills to the land where life is a song.
And sing while the birds fill the air with their joy all day long.
Where the trees sway in time, and even the wind sings in tune.
And cares of tomorrow must smurf till this day is done.
Finally, Hefty recognized where he had heard this tune before. He remembers a time while he was drinking some medicine tea. His mind was still foggy, and yet, he recognized the sound of music outside the window. It had been an encouragement for him to get better quicker.
Come by the hills to the land where legend remains.
Where stories of old stir the heart and may yet come again.
Where the past has been lost and the future still to be won.
And cares of tomorrow must smurf till this day is done.
He inwardly chuckled as he thought of home.
'Harmony Smurf could learn a few lessons from this smurfette on how to play real music.' He thought.
Hefty knows he isn't much of an artist of any field, but he knows what he likes. A small dreamy sigh escapes from his lips as he leans up against the tree. He wishes that this song would never end.
Come by the hills to the land where the smurfy is free.
And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.
Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun.
And cares of tomorrow must smurf till this day is done.
The smurfette finished her song and looked when heard someone clapping. She smiled when she saw Hefty Smurf standing before her.
"That was beautiful." Hefty tells her. He stops clapping and steps forward.
"Why, thank you. I'm glad liked it." The smurfette replied bashfully.
"Y-you played that very song outside the window of the clinic, didn't you?" Hefty carefully asked.
The smurfette blushed more before answering. "Yes. I've always felt that music can help guide the soul home."
"Really? That is fascinating. So ah, what's your name?" He asked her.
"My name is Melody. And you are Hefty Smurf if I am not mistaken. I'm glad to see that you are finally out and about." The smurfette said with a grin.
"Hmm, word travels fast around here."
Melody chuckles slightly and held up a flyer before answering. "Yes it does, especially with 'Tattlerette's Daily Report' being delivered each morning."
"Ah, I have heard of these, but haven't really seen one." Hefty admited.
"Here, you can have this one. I'm done with it." Melody said as she got up from the ground. She handed him the flyer before walking away.
"Thanks, er, where are you going?" Hefty asks with a confused look on his face.
"I'm off to do my chores. They have to get done sometime today." Melody again chuckles before heading in the opposite direction.
"Oh." Before Hefty could say anything else to the talented smurfette she had turned the corner and disappeared.
Hefty Smurf continued walking through another part of the village. He started to become very interested in the flyer that Melody handed him. He had mixed feelings about having someone write articles about him. Was he really this popular and so very interesting to actually have someone write three pages about him?
He was so fixated in the article that his guard was fully down. Suddenly a rope came down over his head and tightly strapped itself around his chest and arms. This movement shocked Hefty so much that he dropped the flyer.
"Hey!" The strong smurf hollered. He quickly spun his head around to see where this rope came from and who threw it.
To his surprise it was another smurfette that had thrown the lasso. He mentally smacked himself as he remembered where he was, of course it would be another smurfette.
"Oh smurf-heavens. I am so sorry." The smurfette said as she came running up to Hefty. Her smurf hat had a western look to it. She also wore smurf-like cowgirl boots. Her reddish-brown hair was done up in two braids.
"I was actually trying to smurf for the target beside you here." She adds as she helps Hefty out of the rope tie and pointed to a sewn dummy filled with hay.
"Heh, heh. That's ok. It's not everyday I get lassoed by a smurfette." Hefty chuckles as he pulls over the rope over his head.
"My name is Cowgirl, by the way." She says while accepting the rest of her lasso from Hefty and shaking his hand forcefully.
"Er, great." Hefty replies, while taking his hand back from Cowgirl's grip. "I'm Hef…"
"Hefty Smurf, yes, I know…In fact, we all know." Cowgirl interrupted.
"Right, you probably know because of the, er, flyer…" Hefty stated picking up the paper Melody gave him.
"Why don't you come and meet some of the other smurfettes?" Cowgirl suggested. She grabs his arm and pulled him towards a small group of smurfettes that were sitting on a nearby fence.
"Hefty Smurf, meet Ballette, the dancer of the village." The ballerina smurfette daintily waves hello to Hefty.
"The bookworm, here, is Brainette." The smurfette with glasses lifts her head up from her book slightly and acknowledges Hefty with a "Hey."
"Our village cook is Gingerette." Cowgirl pointed to the next smurfette with fiery red hair and wearing a clean white apron.
"I hope you've enjoyed some of the meals that I sent while you were recovering?" Gingerette asked.
"Yes I did, thanks." Hefty told her while patting his satisfied tummy.
"The baby Gingette is holding is Babette." Cowgirl says continuing the introductions. And lastly there's…"
Before Cowgirl could finish introducing the smaller smurfette with blond hair and long bangs, she lost her balance when she tried to wave hello. "Eeep!" The klutzy smurfette cried out just as she fell back, and before landing with a thud.
"Klutzette…" Cowgirl grumbles.
Concerned, Hefty ran up to the fallen smurfette. He climbs over the fence to help Klutzette to her feet. "Are you alright?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Klutzette chuckled. "I just fell on my head that's all."
"Heh, you remind me of someone I know back home." Hefty smiled in relief knowing that this smurfette is going to be all right.
"Did this hurt?" A smurfette with short curly bleach blond hair asked as she leaned forward and pointed at Hefty's tattoo.
"Excuse me?" Hefty turned with a puzzled look to the smurfette that just spoke to him.
"This tattoo. Did it hurt?" She asked again.
"Uh, no." He plainly answered after realizing what she meant.
"Really? Because I heard from Tiffany, a wood sprite, that she heard from her friend across the forest, that she heard from her twin sister, that tattoos do hurt sometimes." The smurfette blabbed out in one breath.
"Who are you, and what the Smurf did you just say?" Hefty questioned the bleach blond smurfette.
The smurfettes still sitting on the fence started laughing out loud. They waited a long time for someone to ask that to their chatterbox sister.
"This is Gosipette, Hefty." Cowgirl said with a chuckle.
"Aren't you going to introduce me, Cowgirl?" A smooth seductive voice said from behind.
Everyone turned to see a beautiful smurfette in a velvety purple dress. Her hair is a long brown color with curls at the ends. She stood modeling her posture with one hand on her hip and the other resting behind her head.
Cowgirl let out a sigh and rolls her eyes skyward. "Hefty Smurf, this is Valvette."
"Er, hi." Hefty waves.
"Mmm, your much more handsome now without that seaweed all over you." Valvette purred.
"I bet." Hefty chuckled.
The other smurfettes all shook their heads and rolled their eyes skyward.
"Tell me, is it true that you are very strong?" Valvette asked as she walked up to Hefty in a flirting way.
"Sure am." Hefty proudly responded while flexing his upper arm muscle. "But I'm still not at full strength yet."
"Oh. You wouldn't by chance be able to help me move some furniture, would you?" Valvette asked while batting her eyes.
"Ah, I suppose…"
Before Hefty could finish his sentence, Valvette grabbed his arm and guided him back to her place.
"I don't believe it." Gingerette sighed.
"Yeah, that smurf is just getting better, and Valvette already has him working." Cowgirl shakes her head in disbelief.