Chapter 1: A Stormy Smurf
Another crash of thunder caused him to jump and run to his trembling beakers. Today had been a horrible day to try this new experiment. He should have regarded the almanac with more care, and for sure he should not have sent Tracker out for his ingredients when the clouds began to roll in so black.
"PAPA SMURF! PAPA SMURF!"
His door banged open and he quickly grabbed hold of his frail, frightened beakers. With a long, drawn out sigh he glanced over his shoulder. "What is it, Brainy?"
Brainy walked around the table to where he was sure Papa Smurf could see him before clearing his throat, causing Papa Smurf to roll his eyes. "Has Tracker returned with the—"
"No, Brainy. But when he does, you'll be the first to hear about it, I'm sure." He slowly released his glassware and shook his head. "But looking at this storm...I'd be more concerned about having to send out a search party."
"A search party? But, Papa Smurf, if Tracker can't find his way home, who could possibly find him?"
Papa just shook his head. "We'll just have to see it out, Brainy...As it is, it's too dangerous to send anymore of my little smurflings out to look for him."
"I was just about to say the same—"
"Brainy…"
"Eh—I'll let you return to your experiment, Papa Smurf," Brainy then said with a sheepish smile, backing slowly towards the door.
"Thank smurfness…" Papa grumbled under his breath as he heard the door shut softly again. He could put up with Brainy's constant interruptions, but even he had come to his limit today.
"Oh smurfness me, now where could that root be hiding?" Tracker Smurf sighed to himself, holding his hand over his eyes to brace against the harsh, wet wind. He sniffed the air, but it only led him to frown. "How odd, I can't seem to get a scent of anything but this wind."
He then shook his head and continued onwards, deeper into the forest. "Papa said that I should be able to find some here...But he had said the map was old. It could have all died out by now."
Tracker sniffed the air again. "Ah! There they are!" He scurried over to a large clump of dark orange and red flowers and dug out the roots from under them. He planted the stems back into the dirt and stuffed the roots into a little sac.
"Ohhh!" He then exclaimed as the strong wind blew off his hat. "Come back here you!" He snatched up his sac and chased after his hat, finally catching it once it gets snagged in the branches of a large fallen limb. "There you are!" He plucked back his hat and placed it back upon his head just as a large flash of lightning illuminated the sky. He jumped back and peered more closely at the fallen limb. "What in smurf?!"
Tracker dropped the bag, dusted away some of the leaves, and gasped. His eyes hadn't been tricked by the lightning after all. He reached under the branch and came in contact with a cool blue hand. He gently felt upwards at the wrist for a pulse. "Oh smurf!" He gasped again before straining to lift the branch. He managed to get it to shift just enough that he could wiggle under the limb himself to push the limp smurf out from under the branch.
He then ever so gently turned them over. "A smurfette!" He looked around himself, feeling bewildered and confused at where this smurfette could have possibly come from. "Well, I certainly can't leave you here, miss." He then nodded to himself. He tied the strap of his sac to his pants before gently lifting the unconscious smurfette. With another flash of lightning, Tracker was able to make out some of her scratches and cuts, but beyond that she didn't seem very bad off, thankfully. Nevertheless, he carried her as fast as he could back to the village. After all, he wasn't an expert like Papa Smurf or Doctor Smurf.
"It's okay, miss, you'll be okay in no time." Tracker whispered to her when she maked a soft whimper of pain.
After a few minutes, the village finally came into view. "PAPA SMURF! ANY SMURF! HELP!" He shouts upon entrance, rushing through as quickly as his exhausted feet would carry him. The run had been very long, and he was fairly unaccustomed to carrying a fellow smurf around. The cold and drenching rain and sheer winds hadn't helped at all either.
Lights flipped on throughout the village and several smurfs poked their heads out their windows and doors.
"Say, what's this racket, Tracker?" Hefty yawned, looking out his door.
"I need help carrying her to Papa Smurf," Tracker grunted, looking winded, holding the smurfette close in his arms.
Hefty blinked and then looked at her with his eyebrows up in surprise. "Where the smurf did you find her?" he asked, quickly relieving Tracker of her.
"Out in the forest. She was knocked out by broken limb," He panted.
He nodded and carried her after Tracker who rushed ahead to Papa Smurf's house and pushed the door open. "Papa Smurf!"
Papa Smurf glanced over from his chair and the book he was reading. "Ah, Tracker, back with the-" He stopped as he saw Hefty enter with the injured smurfette. "Great smurf!" He jumped up and cleared off a table. "Bring her here, Hefty."
"Yes, sir, Papa Smurf." He laid her out on the table.
"Hefty, go get Doctor."
He nodded and ran out to do as he was told. Papa meanwhile straightened her out and began checking her for injuries. He then glanced over at Tracker who still stood by the wall. "Bring me that water, Tracker."
Tracker brought him the water without a word, and Papa Smurf gently wipes the mud off of her face and arms. "You found her out in the forest?"
"Yes, sir."
Papa Smurf nodded. "She has a bad hit on the head and a few broken ribs...But she'll be just fine with a little time."
"Is she one of Gargamel's creations?" Tracker looked at her thoughtfully.
Papa frowned hesitantly. "No, Tracker...I don't think so…" He turned towards the door as Hefty entered with Doctor. "Ah, Doctor. She has a concussion and some broken ribs."
"Do we know her name?" Doctor asked as he pulled on some gloves.
"I have a guess, but I may be wrong."
"Any guess is better than no guess," Doctor murmured as he got his instruments ready.
"Animalia...Animalia Smurf." He finally sighed.
Tracker and Hefty both stared questioningly at Papa, but before they could ask their questions, Doctor shooed them out of the house. Instead they took a seat on Papa Smurf's porch steps and wait.