Last time, Janner and Zev rode the carriage out into Dugtown after escaping the Fork! Factory barely avoiding the Fangs in the watchtowers, Janner led Zev into the Burrow where they found no one else but Nurgabog and Elisheva there, reuniting Zev with his older sister Elisheva.

Nurgabog breaks the news to the three youngsters that the others had left for the Ice Prairies and that Tink, marched right past the hiding place where his family sat waiting for him, without even checking to see if they were there, and went to the Strander camp. And as a result of letting his own childish pride blind him and he was captured.

Elisheva then asked Nurgabog if she heard word of her father Samuel Bennet, the woman responds that if Samuel was in the Carriage bound for Throg then he's most likely in Gnag's hands now.

Although Janner had resented Tink for running away, he decides to make rescue trip for Tink. The Bennet siblings were convinced that if they were to save Samuel, they had to find the others in the Ice prairies, so they agreed to help Janner save his brother.

As soon as they left the house, Janner was the first who spotted the Fangs. A company of them marched west, down the hill to Dugtown, and in the distance more approached from the eastern reaches of the Strand.

Elisheva pulled him and Zev back into the house and the three peeked out the window. The wind shifted, and there came the smell of fire mingled with the reek of the river and the Fangs. The houses all along the Blapp were burning. That probably meant the Fangs would soon torch the house where they were hiding.

Would Nurgabog be alright? Although even if the house burned to the ground, the burrow would remain hidden beneath the ashes. No doubt the old Strander woman could find a way out through one of the hidden passageways.

But how would two boys and a young woman get all the way to the East Bend of the Strand in broad daylight?

They were going to have to run and avoid the road. On the count of three, Elisheva, Janner and Zev jumped the fence behind the house, squelched through the mud of what used to be a pigpen, and sprinted across the clumpy back field to a stand of trees that had overgrown a fence line. As they ran, the backpacks and sidebag bounced and rattled.

At the trees, they caught their breath and looked for the next spot. Janner spied a tangle of brush and thorn on the opposite side of another pasture, beckoned the two Bennets and they ran. In this way the three pushed eastward, bursting from sagging barns, across fields, to shallow, weedy streams, up gradual hills, and so on.

It wasn't long before they spotted signs of a Strander clan. Elisheva warned Zev to stay close.

Smoke rose from a small fire at the opposite end of the field. Figures moved about. Laughter drifted across to where the three squatted in the brush. After several minutes they crawled through the tall grass until they were far enough away to stand unnoticed; then they moved on, hoping the rest of the clans would be as easy to avoid.

A few hours after the sun began its descent into the west, the three stopped to rest.

Elisheva was too afraid to eat anything. Neither Zev nor Janner had a proper meal since the bowls of broth five days earlier, if the broth could be considered a proper meal.

Then the two boys smiled at the thought of the Overseer and Mobrik, being mad as hornets about the fact that perhaps for the first time not one, but TWO boys had escaped the Fork Factory.

Janner's smile then vanished when he remembered Sarah Cobbler was still there. But there was no time to sit around thinking about food and friends left behind. Not when Tink and the father to his friends, Elisheva and Zev, were in danger.

When Podo had led them from the Strander camp of the East Bend to Dugtown, the journey had taken a full day. But they had moved at a slug's pace compared to now. Even though the three had to sneak past five more Strander camps, they were still making good time. It wouldn't be long before they reached the East Bend—But there were disadvantages too. Such as hunger and the need for reassurance of loved ones.

When the sun set and the colors of the world deepened, they came to a rise in the land that overlooked the great river. The river narrowed here, its glassy surface carved with eddies and a quiet unrest from the hidden and quickening currents that played beneath. Beyond the Blapp, the tree-spiked land sloped away to the south. Somewhere in that direction lay the road that led east to Glipwood and west to Torrborro.

Along the nearer bank, was the muddy road the group had traveled when they first left the East Bend. To the east, Glipwood Forest gathered, wild and ancient, a thirsty shadow that opened its mouth to swallow the Mighty Blapp. The Strander camp lay where the river and the road and the forest converged.

Night was falling. The dark blue sky reached from the east to snuff it out so that the stars might waken.

"Stay close, these people are dangerous and won't hesitate to do us in." Elisheva warned.

"Yeah, Janner warned me about them." Zev nodded.

By the time they reached the fringes of the settlement, the night would be complete. A stone's throw to the right blazed the fire where the Stranders gathered. They laughed and spat and bickered over slabs of toothy cow meat pulled sizzling from the spit. The ramshackle buildings and piles of firewood provided good cover from the light of the fire.

Elisheva glowered in direction of the Stranders, Zev scowled too but they both followed Janner. Somewhere nearby, if Nurgabog was right, Tink sat in a cage.

Preferably, Elisheva would rather Zev remain out of sight. But her brother refused to let her out of his sight unless necessary. So the three carefully edged to the Strander camp.

Once they had descended the hill and sneaked through clusters of brush and thorn, Janner caught sight of the campfire's glow and heard the noisy brutes around it. He dropped the backpacks and pushed them deep into the weeds. He'd be quieter without them, and they'll be picked up on the way back out.

Elisheva tied her side bag around her waist tightly. Then she, Zev and Janner began inching their way into the shadows behind a shack, which was when they saw the cages. They sat on a platform beyond a stand of tall grass cut through with footpaths. It wasn't much cover, but it was enough for someone small and alone.

The three paused and listened for any sign of a clan member not at the fire for some reason.

But they were alone—other than Tink and whatever other children Claxton had in the cages. The three slipped across a footpath and froze in the grass, then crossed another footpath and froze again. The cages—ten of them—were only a few steps away.

Janner crawled to the foot of the platform before the Bennets could follow. He felt in the dark along the leg of the platform and found the release lever, just where Nurgabog said it would be. He eased the lever downward until he heard a click. Finally, the three stood and peered inside, already pressing a finger to their lips to silence whomever they might see.

However, the first cage was empty. Zev approached, then looked in the next cage and found it empty as well. Cheeks burning with embarrassment and anger, Janner looked in the third cage and saw two eyes staring back at him.

"Tink!" he whispered, louder than he intended. "It's me"

The figure in the shadows leaned closer. "I ain't Tink," said a girl's voice. "I'm Maraly."

Elisheva's face soured a little. "Aw, great."

Zev was confused. "Who?"

"The daughter to the leader of the East bend Stranders." Elisheva mumbled to her brother.

Maraly rolled her eyes. "I see you brought the wildcat, but who's the runt there?"

"I'm HER brother," Zev jerked a thumb at Elisheva, giving Maraly a dirty look. He didn't like people underestimating him, it wasn't Zev's fault he's small for his age.

Janner's face fell. "Maraly? Then where's Kal? Kalmar, I mean."

"Gone."

"Gone, where?" Elisheva folded her arms.

"He came in here all puff and swagger some days back. Thought himself a Strander chief." Maraly grumbled. "Claxton set him straight on that account."

Janner blanched, "He tossed Kalmar in the river?!"

"You mean he…" Zev croaked, and did the slicing motion with his finger across the neck.

Maraly shook her head. "Worse, in the Black Carriage. Then traded him to the Fangs. Showed up last night a few hours before dawn. Whole bunch of Fangs come with it, lookin' for two boys on the run from Dugtown. I figure that would be you, eh?"

Uh-oh…

Elisheva looked at Zev and at Janner inquisitively. Did that happen because Janner and Zev had escaped the Fork Factory?

Zev nervously tugged at the edge of his sweater. Did we do that? he thought.

Janner was aghast, and Zev was disconcerted.

"That little goblin wannabe Mobrik must've squealed about us." Zev speculated worriedly. "And then the Fangs picked up the pace."

Maraly continued, "Claxton gave 'em Kalmar and the other kids he'd collected. The Fangs threw 'em in the Carriage and carried 'em away screaming, just like always."

Janner hissed at her. "And you just let him! "

"What do you expect?! Claxton's her old man, I told you that except for Nurgabog, the rest of the Stranders were no better than the Fangs!" Elisheva sneered.

"Let him?! No better than Fangs?!" Maraly snapped. "I'm in here for punishment."

"Oh yeah? What'd you do?" Zev questioned.

"Like a fool I tried to break Kal out! That's exactly why I come to be in this cage! For a whole cow slobbered week. You wanna get me out of here?" Maraly groused. "Latch is underneath."

Janner obliged, moving the latch and opening the cage for Maraly to step out. Her eyes were wide and fierce, and for a moment it looked as though she was going to pounce on Janner or on the Bennet siblings. But she didn't.

And even than that didn't change the grim facts: They were too late. Tink was gone, carried off in the infamous Black carriage.

"Sorry, Jan." Zev said glumly. "If we just knew where the Fangs took him..."

"There's not much we can do Slugger, except maybe catch up with the others." Elisheva shook her head.

"Tink's really gone" Janner sighed. "We gotta go."

Abruptly, a pair of rough hands grabbed onto Janner and Maraly!

"Nobody's goin' nowhere tonight!" Claxton Weaver growled.

The sudden appearance of the vicious thug caught Elisheva and Zev by surprise.

"Who's that?" Zev demanded, his eyes wide at the sight of the vicious man.

"Maraly's nasty father, Claxton." Elisheva said, trying to push Zev behind her.

Claxton scowled at her then glared at Janner, who was held up in Claxton's left hand, while his right held Maraly by the wrist. "Still my boots, you people are a blight!" he growled.

"He was just looking or his brother!" Maraly began hitting Claxton with her right fist.

"Run your mouth again girl, and I'll stuff it full of squeeblins!" Claxton snarled. "Just cause you're my blood, don't mean I won't deal with you as need be!"

"You're a hog-nosed pig faced bellied pig!" Maraly growled back.

"I accept the compliment." Claxton gloated. "Now either you settle down, or I'll punch you a ticket to the lack Carriage same as these boys and the wildcat!"

"Let him go, momzer!" Elisheva snarled, rolling up her sleeves.

Then without thinking straight, Zev flung himself at Claxton's right arm. Recklessly, Elisheva jumped on Claxton's back. While being held up by his shirt, Janner had been reaching for a bottle atop a crate.

With a disgusted wince, Zev bit down on the man's wrist. Claxton howled in pain, releasing Maraly and backhanded Zev. "Impudent runt!"

"Zev!" Elisheva cried.

Zev got up, spitting the taste out. At the same time, Claxton pulled Elisheva off him and grabbed her by the hair. "Vile harpy, I oughta cut you raw!"

"Nem Zich a vaneh!" Elisheva snapped, even as he pulled her braids.

That's when Janner hit Claxton in the face with the bottle of shine. Once the man released Elisheva, the four youngsters got to their feet and ran.

Claxton didn't stay down for long, he got up and strode after them. Maraly turned and threw a dagger at him, which he easily caught in his left hand.

Maraly only threw another dagger in Claxton's direction, this time it cut the rope holding up two hammocks where two Stranders slept. The beds and Stranders fell right atop of Claxton, slowing him down for a few seconds.

Janner took a chance and cut loose some barrels, one knocked Claxton down but he still got up.

Zev yelped "Jeepers! What'd this guy have for breakfast, Hulk formula?!"

Claxton walked to where Janner and Zev stood near the fire, and drew his blade. Janner held his sword hesitantly. Zev's hands curled and uncurled, debating whether he should use his firecrackers or not. But could he risk using them in a place full of vegetation?

Maraly charged her father, holding Nurgabog's cane. Claxton stopped it with his left hand, chuckling wickedly at his daughter.

Just then a rock hit his right hand, making Claxton drop his weapon.

"Aargh!" he cried out in pain.

Nearby, Elisheva glowered at him, holding her sling. Maraly took this chance to strike Claxton in the face with the cane several times. Grimly, she reached into Claxton's jacket and pulled out his pone.

Then the Strander girl ran a few feet in direction of the river bank and threw it far into the water. "Now, I'm done!" she snapped.

"Stranders!" Claxton barked. "They're running away, bring 'em to me!"

"Hey gang, we got company!" Zev said worriedly at the sound of the Stranders being roused from their slumber.

"Time to go!" Elisheva said, grabbing Zev's arm to run.

Maraly said to the three escapees, "Follow me." She disappeared so completely into the brush beyond the cages that they weren't sure at first which direction she had gone. Then they heard her voice not far away: "Hurry up!"

Elisheva, Zev and Janner dashed into the darkness, trying to ignore the howls of rage in the Strander camp.

The whole clan, with Claxton at the fore, poured after the four youngsters like a swarm of wasps. Maraly ran north, cutting left and right around bushes and small trees without a single look behind her. Elisheva held Zev's hand tightly as they followed.

Janner huffed and puffed after Maraly, barely able to keep up. "Maraly, wait!" he gasped, "The packs! I have to get the packs!"

She didn't seem to hear him at first, where Janner had stashed the two packs. He gave Maraly Tink's, shouldered his own, then Maraly zipped away to the left and dove into a thorn bush.

Inevitably, Janner and the Bennet siblings followed, heedless of the stings where the briars cut into them.

"Be still," Maraly whispered harshly to them.

Claxton roared past, cursing with not so nice words. The rest of the clan followed, a parade of daggers and mud and anger, blind to the four youngsters hiding in the dark.

Once certain they were gone, the four emerged from their hiding place.

Maraly knew every nook and hollow in the East Bend, she led them clear of the many Stranders traipsing through the night, growling Maraly's name and describing the terrible things they would do to her when she was caught. She showed no concern, however. She slipped from tree to tree without a word, checking now and then to be sure Janner and the Bennet siblings were close behind.

As the trees thickened, the sounds of the Stranders faded into the distance, now they would only have to worry about the local wildlife. They traveled north for hours. They didn't speak for a while. At last, when the air changed at the first hint of dawn, Maraly stopped. She sprang into the branches of a glipwood tree and shimmied to its swaying heights.

None of the escaping three were sure if they should follow, but she said, "Come on."

Looks like they'd be spending the night int a tree. So they climbed. Elisheva helped her brother up with a nostalgic smile.

"Remembering old times, Lish?" Zev wondered.

"Well yeah, and how I once had to spend a couple of weeks up in a tree as my temporary hideaway close to Glipwood Township."

Janner sat on the large branch, looking at his feet. "My family... left me."

"But we're right here with you, bud." Zev reassured. "Question is: where do we go from here?"

"I know you have to find your father, and I - somehow have to get to the Ice Prairies alone." Janner sighed.

"Poor lil' Janner has to walk a couple weeks to get back to his perfect family." Maraly said sarcastically.

"Cut him some slack dudette," Zev said evenly. "Me and him were stuck in some cheap weapons factory before we busted out."

Elisheva addressed Janner. "If anyone can get us on the right trail, you can, Jan."

"A-anyway, what's you think you three are going alone by yourselves?" Maraly piped up.

Janner and Zev were surprised, Elisheva was a little chagrined.

"You ever walked miles through glacial landforms?" Elisheva inquired, folding her arms.

"I survived blizzards before." Maraly replied, then added. "I mean, what else am I gonna do? Stick around here to be hunted by me daft, wicked dad?"

"You know your way through the Stony mountains?" Janner questioned.

"They're mountains, they ain't exactly hidden." Maraly said. "Anyway, it's my blade you'll be needing he most, there's always a creature or two to contend with in the Stonies."

Zev jerked his thumb at the packs, "What about our food? We divided most of it back there."

"You'll find more, Zev. Foraging and camping has never been a problem for you." Elisheva ruffled her brother's hair.

Zev smiled and nodded. "That's true."

Janner then said to Maraly, "You hold on to it, he's gone." He had been trying not to think about his brother. He was angry at himself for failing him. He had failed everyone. Then his anger turned toward Tink, who had run straight past the Strander burrow and to the scoundrels of the East Bend. Straight to Claxton Weaver.

Elisheva sighed ruefully, looking out in the distance. Zev sat fiddling with his firecrackers.

Maraly sensed the glum atmosphere and said, "Hey, a tale ain't finished until the teller says so." She looked to Janner, "You can find your brother yet."

"But I never should have lost him."

Before Elisheva could point out facts, Maraly interrupted. "Now then, what's this about you two looking to find your father?"

"That's a seriously long, crazy story..." Zev replied then yawned sleepily.

"Ha. Well, you got plenty of time to tell it. We got a long way to go." Maraly said with a shrug, then settled into the crook of two limbs and closed her eyes.

"Maraly?" Janner said.

She didn't answer, she was out like a light.

"Getting back on the subject, I say that if we're ever gonna save Dad AND Tink, the best course of action is to put ourselves more than one step away Gnag's creepy old claws." Elisheva declared determinedly.

Janner nodded. Zev began to lie back on his spot, "You know, Lish, sometimes I wish I was brave... Like you."

"You are." replied Elisheva then she leaned back, ready to get some sleep. They would be needing plenty rest for the long journey ahead.

Janner made himself comfortable and lay back with his pack hugged to his chest. The sway of the tree brought to mind fine memories of Peet's tree house, and he slept. His dreams were of his brother. In them, Tink was screaming.

To be continued…

Author's note: Yep, pretty much Janner and Zev were worriedly thinking "Did we do that?" like Steve Urkel. I thought I'd get a little bit of suspenseful action there too with the four ending up fighting Claxton briefly before running for it.

Okay now show of hands, 'Key & Wingfeather' readers, what drabble will come next?

a) Zev explaining his and Elisheva's complex history with the maternal side of his family

b) A what if scenario

or c) Anneiran refugees the Goldwyns live on Earth then forced to return?

Oh, and before I forget, I've decided... not to wait up for the next seasons of the animated series to write the rest. I'm gonna go by the book after the next chapter just to give you all a heads up.