The Crystal, The Mirror, And Heart Chapter 3 Searching and the Shining Light
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.
Thomas H. Huxley (1825 - 1895)
Grizz had to keep her head down in order not to hit her head on the low ceiling or for that matter any thing else. Everyone else went to the next room in order to give her some room. "Can I please have my bag now?" she requested to the group, " I really need it." Sally grabbed the backpack from the other room and tossed it to the overlander, "You can have your bag, there wasn't much in it anyway. But we are keeping your weapons." Grizz opened it and was glad to find everything still there, messy but still there. Grizz continued towards the last door leading out into the open air. Because of her height she had to duck for the low clearance. The sun was close to setting and the dark of night wasn't to far behind it.
The overlander headed towards the woods only to be cut off by the blue furred hedgehog, "Whoa! Where do you think your going this late?" "I'm going to find Jager and I know that this is the best time to go looking for him." Grizz spoke in response, "And besides we better find him soon before he tries to eat anyone. Since everyone else is occupied with other things you have to help me."
" Aren't you gonna you know have trouble seeing, especially this late in the day." He was stumped thinking how this feat was going to be accomplished with his assumption that she wouldn't be able to see anything in front of her in the cover of night.
"Oh not at all Sonic. You realize I'm not like any normal overlander. Even though where I'm from my kind are called humans. I can see even when there is barely any light at all. It's like I have built in night vision." She smiled at him, "From looking into your eyes I can tell that you can see just as well too."
Sonic was dumb-founded by her last statement. 'How did she know? I mean she doesn't know anyone and she seems to know me.' He wondered in his mind. "Well are you gonna follow me or not? We shouldn't dawdle any longer there's work to be done." Grizz waved her hand in front of his face to snap him back to reality. She then went down on all fours and darted into the woods with Sonic chasing after her.
They both came to an abrupt stop 300 meters into the wooded area. Grizz proceeded to call out, "Jayy-ger! Jayy-ger! Where are you?" She continued shouting out as they began searching the surroundings. The sun had vanished beyond the horizon and night blanketed the sky.
Sonic remembered what Grizz said and went to confront her with a question of his own. Seeing the hedgehog coming she paused. Grizz looked down at him from the tree branch. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" She then came down from the tree.
"About how well I can see in dim light. We don't even know each other so how could you?" he pointed out. Grizz looked up at the sky, and the forest floor then sat down. She exhaled a heavy sigh. "Remember what I said about being different from other overlanders?"
"Yah." The blue hedgehog commented. "Well let's just say for now that I can do what seems impossible for just anyone to do. And one of my special abilities is well… kind of like a mind reader, but more like knowing what happened even when I was never there." Waite, " Can't I just tell everyone later when Jager is found? It would make it much easier." She pleaded.
"What does Jager look like anyway?" he inquired.
" If you must know he looks like an over sized cat." She sneered at him. "Oh…I'm sorry. I'm just stressed out. Anxiety never went well with me." She bit her tongue for the discourteous reaction before that. " He is part jaguar and part cougar. Like you well in the cougar part anyway." She confessed whole-heartedly.
Sonic gave a small reassuring smile, " It's alright with me if you explain later. I don't have a problem with that." All she could do was smile back in the some way. " Thanks for understanding. I really do appreciate your help…. Let's go back it's almost dawn."
Sonic agreed. Knowing the others might get suspicious if he never came back. Then they began to withdraw back to the village.
A sudden thought struck the girl. "Uh… Sonic." "Yah Grizz?"
"Where am I going to sleep? I know you don't have enough room at your place."
"Now that you mention it … I have no clue." He stopped and turned his head.
"I know…. Why don't you ask Sally if I can build a small sleeping area? Maybe a tent or something."
"Why do you want me to ask her?" He gave her a cockeyed look.
"Because by the look she gave me earlier. I can tell she really doesn't want me to be around. Like if I was just another unwanted burden." She announced in a dejected tone.
They went to Sonics hut only to find Sally standing at his door. " Where were you?" "We were out looking for Jager, why?" Sonics ears folded back waiting to get reprimand for what ever he did wrong. Nothing happened and he reopened his eyes. "Sal can I talk to you for a sec?" The ground squirrel looked at him with her head cocked to the side. "What about?" He asked, "Since Grizz has nowhere to sleep… you think she can make herself one?" "I suppose so but on one condition…"
"What would that be Sal?" "It has to be close to you in order to keep an eye on her." Grizz was some distance away while the two were talking. She was slumped along the side of a tree near the hut. ' Well…. I guess I'm shunned again just like on earth, oh well it's not like this hasn't happened before.' She began to lose herself in thought.
The cat eyed hedgehog returned with a pleasing answer. " She said yes…."
Grizz was more than relieved to hear this. " Let's get started then. We're going to need lots of wood and may be some tar or oil. No need to worry about supplies I have everything I need in my bag." He saw her place the bag down on the dirt and unzipped it. He stared down deep into the bag as he lifted to greet a sly smirk a sly smirk on Grizz's face as she leaned down to reach in. She then came up lifting what looked like a small plank of wood. The plank seemed it would go on forever until it finally came to an end. " How did you do that?" he stared in astonishment. Grizz continued until she thought she had enough.
She then took out a small jar full of a black gooey substance and gave a slight wink at the hedgehog. The crystal glowed a soft blue as she began to dig holes for the support beams. What Sonic saw astounded him even more because she was already coating the little shelter with the goop. The next thing he knew she was standing right next to him. " Tada I'm finished." Sonic shook his head as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Wow! How did you build all that that fast? I mean that was totally awesome."
"Let just say that there's more to me than what everyone else thinks. And yes. I always could do the extraordinary." Her smile was overcome by a sleepy yawn as she went inside her newly built shelter as the curtain slid to cover the opening. " Good night Sonic. Oh and please don't tell Sally about how I did this so fast at least till I find Jager. Thanks." With that the tired hedgehog went to his hut to sleep.
