Chapter 2

"En garde!" Lucas cried as he moved a stick twoards me like a sword, "You will get it if you don't en garde!"

"No, you will!" I said finding my own stick, "It is time to die!"

"Can't you boys play something a little nicer? I'm trying to catch my breath and you are already killing each other," said Mom.

"Mom this is a battle between men! Take this you scallywag!" I shouted moving the stick like a sword in the air.

"This isn't pirates, this is musketeers!" My brother yelled as oursticks smacked together.

"I will take on any musketeer!" I challenged not changing the game.

Our sticks smacked together as we walked beside the stream.

"It is a warm day isn't it?" said mom walking in front of us. She raised her hands over her eyes looking at the sky. "Do you think that one little cloud up there could make enough rain to cool us down? Maybe we should take a little break." Mom sat under a tree watching as we found new swords in our battle when the old ones broke. I wanted to look for minnows in the water but Lucas wouldn't stop screaming, "Victory!" every time I moved in that direction. I ignored him put my shoes on the rocks and went into the water. Lucas kept taunting that he was the winner, before getting bored and coming to find minnows.

"It really is a long walk home," mom said touching her forehead with her fingertips. "Even if it is a safe area I wouldn't let you boys walk all the way home alone. Sometimes I don't know what dad thinking."

"He said he was sad we were leaving mom," said Lucas. "I love coming to see grandpa."

"Maybe when you're a bit older you boys can walk out here together. This might be a bit much for me right now." Mom had recently started seeming weak. She couldn't run and play like she used to. We had to start playing in the yard to stay in sight while mom rested on the porch. Dad always said to leave Mom be so she could rest. Mom always said there was nothing wrong with her.

"Do you think there are tadpoles here?" asked Lucas digging a hole on the stream's bottom with his stick.

"There are a lot of frogs around so maybe," I answered reaching for smooth stones to skip as I dangled my legs in the water.

"The steam moves pretty fast for a tadpole family," Mom answered. "The stream here leads into the river and becomes very deep and fast. I think that frogs prefer ponds and swamps."

"Oh no, I wanted to catch tadpoles mom! I want to have a frog," said Lucas, his voice containing a hint of a whine.

"Why not just get better at catching the frogs?" I said smiling. "You couldn't even catch me let alone frogs and tadpoles."

"That is because you always cheat Claus! I never even know when we are racing."

"You always whine Lucas so how am I supposed to tell you over your crying?" I didn't like being called a cheater. "You just don't see the good race opportunities and if you wait they pass by." Lucas dug his stick deeper in the hole frowning. I let my skips go long and over into Lucas' hole.

"Cut it out!" He said frowning.

"What? I'm trying to skip stones so stop talking to me." I threw more stones over into his direction. Lucas brought his stick out of the water starting to stand up frowning.

"If you are not going to play nicely in the stream then the steam is causing a problem," said mom getting onto her knees and using the tree to help her up. She picked up a rock and threw it into the stream. "How dare you make my boys fight!" Mom said in mock anger. Lucas smiled at me and we both laughed. She crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction. "I disapprove of violence, but that stream was certainly asking for trouble. I guess we can't keep praying to the clouds for rain. We better get going." I took the nice skipping rocks I'd found to use later. Lucas brought his stick and used it as a walking stick.

"We could walk through the trees if it wasn't so uneven. The shade would be nice. There are even good mushrooms growing around. Your grandpa was very good at picking the right kind of mushrooms to eat but I have never been able to tell the good from the bad," said Mom as we walked on. "I would bring home mushrooms and he would thank me but say we cannot eat them."

"I can tell them apart Mom," said Lucas. "Grandpa said that the ones that grow on their own are usually the good ones but when they grow in a bunch they are poison ones."

Mom giggled, "It is like finding seashells. If you go for the shells you find in groups you might find you've picked mussels instead."

While mom and Lucas were talking, in the distance I thought I saw movement in the trees. I kept looking very closely at the spot I saw it from wondering what could be there. I stared until saw the movement again.

"Mom, there is something over there," I said quietly, pointing.

"That way?" She said moving her finger to following my point. "Wait here boys." Mom said walking forward.

"I'm coming too-" I said starting forward, but I felt Lucas' hand tug the back of my shirt.

"Mom said to wait here Claus." I frowned at Lucas before seeing mom wave.

"Boys it is just Isaac! Come over!" Mom stayed on the path near Isaac as he stood up wiping his hands on his pants. Isaac was a tall dark haired man who was married to one of mom's friends.

"Good afternoon Hinawa, boys," said Isaac smiling. "I was hunting for mushrooms when I saw you coming down the path. I didn't want to shout and scare you."

"Thank goodness Isaac. I am already scared enough in this peaceful forest without being shouted at from behind the trees!"

"And how are you doing boys?" Isaac asked with a smile. "I guess that Flint is expecting you home."

"He is and we should be going," said Mom noticing Lucas' uncomfortable expression. "Happy hunting Isaac." Mom held Lucas' hand and started to walk on, with me at her other side.

"See you back in town," said Isaac. I watched him squat back down as we passed.

After we turned the corner Lucas still looked scared.

"It is always unusual to see someone familure in an unexpected place!" Mom said smiling at Lucas.

"If it was someone bad I would have protected you from him mom," I said looking up at her.

"I would have too!" said Lucas frowning. "You don't need to worry mom."

"I only worry about you boys, and your father," Mom said smiling.

As we kept walking Lucas wouldn't let go of mom. He can be such a baby sometimes. He was so afraid that he pulled me back from mom, but then said he would protect her if she was in danger. He was the cheater, not me.

"Lucas, race you to that tree!" I shouted as I started running. I wanted to make him angry.

"Claus! I said stop doing that!" I heard Lucas call running after me. I laughed and I didn't slow down. I ran all the way to the tree and raised up my arms. "Winner!"

"You cheat Claus! You don't win anything!" Lucas said running over. He hit my arm hard as he passed by. "You're it Claus!" yelled Lucas already running. I grabbed my arm and ran after him.

"Hey you hit me!" I yelled as I chased after him. I was going to pay him back, for hitting me and being a chicken. I heard mom call behind us but I was too angry to stop. Lucas kept running faster and I ran trying to match his long strides.

"You're dead Lucas!" I yelled panting. I heard mom call once more but her voice was far away. I followed Lucas down the road and I was slowly gaining on him. When he looked over his shoulder and saw me closing in he darted into the forest. I followed him through the trees and had to slow down from the wet ground. He had managed to get far ahead. I watched him closely and felt sick as I saw him disappear from sight. He had fallen into a deep ditch and slipped down into the mud. I ran over to see Lucas trying to get up in the muck.

"Serves you right. I'm going to have a bruise from your cheap punch," I said standing well over my brother at the top of the ditch. My fear changed to scorn when I saw he was fine.

"I was angry but now I'm just muddy so we're even okay? I'm sorry," said Lucas as he tried getting out but slipped onto his knees. He attempted climbing up with his hands but there was nothing to grab onto, and his legs kept skidding with each step.

"Here grab me Lucas," I said reaching down for him. He took my hands but made me almost slip into the hole. I staggered back and fell hard. "Geeze Lucas, you almost pulled me in with you!" Lucas starting to look more worried. My anger had faded and now my brother was stuck in a ditch. "I'll run back to mom. She can't be very far behind by now." I ran back out of the trees up the path. Every time I turned a corner I thought I would see mom walking fast to catch up, but I didn't see her at all. I kept running and I started to get scared. I ran until I saw a section of trees that made me stop. I could see where we had met Isaac digging for mushrooms. I should have seen mom by now.

"Mom!" I screamed, "Mom where are you?!" I started running faster up the path looking in all directions. "Mom answer me! Mom!" Wherever mom was she couldn't be going very fast. I would catch up. I looked for Isaac and started shouting for him as well, but I didn't hear any response. As I called for him again I heard a terrifying noise. A roar seemed to come from above the tree tops. "Mom!" I screamed in panic and kept running towards the noise. The creature roared even louder. I heard a noise that priced through my heart. It was mom yelling. "Mom! Mom!" I kept shouting for her as I heard her voice and the creature growling. There was a final growl and mom's shouting was replaced by a horrible sound. I ran blindly towards the sound. I could still hear it long after it ended. There was no noise at all. I stopped and stood frozen seeing a drago far ahead. The drago's face was deformed with a metal mask. It had something on the ground before it. I shut my eyes tight so I could block out the nightmare. I turned around and ran with everything I had. Every step I imagined the drago chasing after me with my mother in its terrible mouth. I ran, and I screamed. I ran until I found Lucas standing beside the ditch. His eyes were filled with terror at my screaming, and when I shouted at him to run he didn't need to be told twice. We were running with everything we had through the trees.

That is when I heard the first explosion. It was far in front of us but I saw the red flash from the bomb leak through the trees. Another explosion followed much closer. We watched in horror as the dry trees of the forest caught aflame. I could hear Lucas crying next to me but he seemed far away. The forest was smothered by the flames but we couldn't go back onto the path. I ran down to the river beside the burning trees. The river was was deep and moving fast.

"Lucas! Get in before we burn!" I jumped into the water and held onto the edge. Lucas followed jumping into the water. He tried to grab the edge but his hand only grabbed water.

"Lucas!" I shouted and I let go of the edge reaching for him. I grabbed onto his shirt and he pulled me under the water with him. We both struggled and managed to fight our way back to the surface. The water was sweeping us under and back up. I was losing air quickly and couldn't get a full breath before my mouth was filled with water again. I tried grabbing a sharp rock but just cut my hand on the stone. We were swept down stream fighting to keep afloat before our bodies were stopped by a fallen tree in the water. My chest hurt from the impact but I held on for my life. The water under the log was acting as a vacuum trying to suck us under.

"Claus! Claus! Get on!" shouted Lucas as he kicked in the water trying to lift himself onto the log. He got his chest up and lay with both legs wraped log before reaching down and grabbing my arm. For an instant I wanted the water to suck me to the bottom. Maybe mom would be down there.

"Claus!" Lucas screamed as he dug his nails deep into my arm. "Get up now!" I took his arms and we both struggled to pull me up. The log was caught tight on the rocks in the water. The forest burned around us and the smoke engulfed us. Lucas reached out and grabbed my cut hand in his. It made it sting but he held tight. We looked at each other. He was looking at my face with wide eyed terror. I felt for a moment that it wasn't my brothers face, but my own distorted reflection in a carnaval mirror. I heard my mother's life get taken away. My brother and I still looked the same I knew that I was now different from him.