Chapter Eleven. To God Be The Glory
Chapter Eleven: The Third Person
Trixie bit her lip, and took in a deep breath, breathing deep to steady her nerves. "Bobby's my brother, he's only six years old. He's stuck in a cave, and-" there was a howling sound, and Dan sucked in a breath, Trixie let out a sob, "If you don't come and help him, that awful thing may get him!" Dan bit his lip, and after taking a look at Luke he nodded towards Trixie, he reached into Luke's pack, and pulled out a light.
"Lead me to him." Trixie scurried towards the edge of the woods, and picked up a white string of wool, "We just need to follow this." Dan nodded, then moved towards her. He glanced back at Luke,
"I'm not doing anything with you." He spun around and followed Trixie as she practically ran following the wool. When she finely stopped for a breath, Dan studied her closely, she was shivering in her long sleeved shirt, and he frowned when he saw that she didn't have a coat. "Trixie, where did this wool come from?"
Trixie looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing, "I finally found a use for Aunt Alicia's sweater." Dan stared at her in confusion, and she sobered "My sweater, I unravelled it so that I could find my way back."
Dan nodded, "Smart." he slipped out of his jacket, and handed it to her, "Here, get into this! I won't need it"
He saw that she wanted it, but didn't want to take it from him, so he just started putting it on her himself. She looked down, "But you'll be cold!"
Dan shook his head, and smirked, people can change their opinion of other people in a flash. "Not if we move fast, besides, I can take it better than a girl."
They moved on, following the wool, till they reached the end. They soon reached the cave, and Dan watched as Trixie crept to the hole that Bobby had fallen into and called out "Bobby, honey, are you awake?" Dan moved beside her and shined the light into the hole. He let out a breath as he saw that no animal tracks were around the hole, then handed the light to Trixie.
"Better let me get down, he's probably fast asleep, so don't try to wake him up till I get a chance to see the lay of the land and find out what's holding him."
Dan bit his lip as Trixie's voice caught, "A rock, he said"
He slipped into the hole, and before his head disappeared he smiled as her reassuringly "Might be just some earth," He lowered himself into the hole, then reached up, "Hand me the light, I need to see in here."
He smiled when he saw the young boy, laying in the dirt fast asleep. He flicked the light around, then focused it on the boy as he began to wake up,
"Hello, mister. Did you falled down the hole, too?" Dan smiled at the dirt streaked face staring up at him trustingly. Make that the third person to trust him, although may be a six year old wasn't the best person to be trusting him. Six year olds usually trusted everyone.
"Sure did, boy! But we're going to climb out real quick, aren't we?" Dan smiled as he studied the way Bobby was trapped, a large hunk of dirt, almost as hard as a rock trapped his legs. He put a hand on Bobby's shoulder, then stood up, motioning Trixie near, handing her a box of matches, "Here, take these matches and get a fire started. As big a one as you can, so somebody'll be sure to see it! The air down here is getting bad, and I don't know how long it's going to take. There's a hunk of solid dirt that needs to be chipped away."
"But you don't have anything to chip it with! What are you going to do?" Trixie's voice was getting desperate, and Dan smiled up at her,
"Hay, relax. I've got something that'll get through it." He fished the knife that Luke had given him out of his pocket and held it up.
He crouched down again, and met Bobby's eyes "I'll get you out in a jiffy, then you can head to a nice warm home." Bobby nodded, his eyes growing heavy, and Dan began to carefully bang off the hard chunks of dirt.
"Say, this isn't as hard as it looked, got another big hunk loose. You just stay flat there, sonny, and we'll have you out before you can say:
Tip-tap, rip-rap
ticka tack too!
This way, that way,
so we make a shoe!
That's what the fairy shoemaker sings, my mother told me!" Dan felt his throat tighten as he thought of his mother, but pushed it away as Bobby spoke in a sleepy voice.
"Tip-tap, rip-rap, say it again!" Dan smiled as he repeated the rhyme. Soon Bobby was asleep again, and the boy's legs were freed. Dan shook him awake, "Looks like we've got it, bud. Let's see you make belive you're a little frog. Wiggle your legs and scrunch along on your tummy!"
Bobby giggled and slid forward "Gunk! Gunk!" Dan watched, a grin on his face, "Hi, froggy! Come on out!" Bobby slid out, and stood with Dan's help. He looked up at Trixie's face and smiled. Dan lifted him up towards Trixie, and after clambering up himself, he watched as Trixie smothered the little boy with hugs. She turned towards him, and held out a hand,
"Thanks, so much! I am sorry for all the problems I caused. Friends?"
Dan stared at her hand for a moment then sighed, "Friends." he nodded towards the fire, "Keep the fire going, you'll be found soon, and it'll be warm." Trixie watched him,
"Why don't you stay, Dad, and Moms and the boys will want to say thanks." Dan shook his head
"No. Sorry, but I have to check on Maypenny."
Bobby's voice interrupted them "I losted my shoe an' my foot's c-c-cold! Please, Trixie, get it for me. It's down in the hole."
Dan smiled at the little boy, then turned to Trixie, "It would be best if you waited till morning." He turned away, "I'd best be going now."
Trixie's voice stopped him, "Wait. Take this." He turned around and saw she was holding out his jacket, "I won't need it anymore, the fire will keep me and Bobby warm."
Dan took it hesitantly, then nodded to her, and once again moved towards the trees, freezing when there was a howling noise near them. He locked yes with Trixie, then moved towards them, standing in front of them, pulling out his knife, and opening it with a sharp 'thwak.'