Chapter Six: Blooming Adversary

            Buddi heard a creak and turned. The trapdoor opened and Missy climbed up.

            “Buddi? Are you sore at me?”

            He shook his head. “No, not really. But it’s not fair!”

            He got up and walked to the edge of the lookout. He gazed down, not really seeing anything.

            Tears blurred his vision as he refused to let them fall.

            Missy put her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and she smiled at him, as an older sister would. She wiped the loose tears from his cheeks with her thumb. Buddi fought the lump from his throat and said,

            “I mean, I’ve tried everything I can think of to win her favor! I try to have patience, I try to train right, I try to be a warrior…By Gum, I even try to be someone I’m not for her! Twelve years straight! And-“

            “And I win her favor in an hour, right?”

            Buddi sighed and sat down on the ground, his back against the platform where the horn once stood.

            “Right.”

            Missy sat down by him and squeezed his shoulder, slightly.

            “Buddi, don’t think that way. Ursa does favor you…above all else! She was complimenting me because of my parents. They both died when I was little. She pitied me. But you’re…you’re…” she smiled at him. “You’re her baby.”

            Buddi stared at her. She went on,

            “Granted, when you were there she seemed to be favoring me, but after you left, it was: Buddi-this and Buddi-that. Take tips from Buddi. Aim like Buddi does.”

            Buddi’s jaw dropped. “She…did?”

            “Of course, I did!” a new voice broke through.

            The two turned. Ursa pulled herself up through the trapdoor. Missy walked over to her and gave her wink before disappearing down the stairway. Ursa turned back to the male child, standing on the platform. She sat down and patted the area next to her. Buddi sat and Ursa gave him a smile.

            “Buddi Barbic, first off…Barbics should no better than to let a little favoring bother them.” She smiled at him as his face looked ashamed. Then, she added, “But, it was mainly my fault.”

            Buddi’s head shot up so fast, Ursa was surprised it didn’t crack. But then, she’d just admitted she was wrong which now that she thought of it that surprised her too! She grabbed Buddi by the shoulders and said,

            “Buddi…Missy’s been through a lot. I was trying to get her to forget about her past. She’s a fighter, I’ll give her that but-“

            Buddi leapt up. “But I can’t fight! Why do-“

            “Whoa!” Ursa grabbed his hands and tugged him down. “Down boy.”

            Buddi nodded and fell silent. Ursa gave him a gentle dig in the left cheek.

            “First off, you can fight. I’ve seen you. You’re a ‘reserved’ warrior.”

            “A what?”

            “Someone who can fight but much prefers not to. And there is one thing that you can take great pride in Buddi. Your ability to plan.”

            “Really?”

            Ursa nodded. “Not everyone has that gift Buddi. And one day, it may save your life.”

            Buddi nodded at her and then turned to the sky as a star blazed by. Ursa watched it with him. And smiled as he hid a yawn with the back of his hand. She ruffled the fur on his head.

            “And as a leader and planner, I’d say that a good idea for you would be for you to go and get ready for bed.”

* * *

            Celina got up and walked over to Igthorn. He looked at her with distrust but great respect.

            “The time’s drawing closer Igthorn. We must rid the Gummies of their future leaders…. before they grow in character and become them. Before they become the legends they will be. But first things first.” She gave him an evil smile. “But what are the Barbics without their weapons?”

            “What are you saying?”

            “I’m saying Duke Igthorn that I’ll release my minions into Ursalia and destroy the Barbics’ weapons. Then, follow my plan from there.”

            Duke Igthorn glared at her.

            “I want to know now! As master of this castle, I order you to tell me.”

            Celina smiled evilly. “I revived this castle Igthorn. You have no right to order me around. But vice versa…”

            She smiled and with a flick of her hand Igthorn fell to the ground, weak…barely strong enough to breathe. He looked at her.

            “I…yield to…you.’

            She nodded and with a snap of her fingers restored his strength. Celina reached into her shadow and withdrew the blackness. It reformed into an army of black shadow warriors. Celina walked over to the mirror and waved her hand over the glass. It showed her Buddi’s room, through his mirror.

            He was asleep, turned on his side. Ursa walked in and draped his quilt over him. She gradually walked to his window and closed it, tightly before checking to make sure it was locked. She started out but stopped by Buddi and took his hat from his head. She blew out the candle by his bed and the one posted on the wall before slipping out.

            Celina smiled and turned to her made army.

            “Go…little ones. Go.”

            The gates were guarded twenty-four seven. She turned to Igthorn.

            “But they would never think to guard their mirrors.”

* * *

            “Ursa!”

            Someone calling her name sprang Ursa from her sleep. It was a cry of surprise and terror, rolled into one shrill scream. But what truly alerted her was who was calling her. Her face went pale and she snatched her sword from her side table, leaping up.

            “Buddi!”

            Ursa raced down the hall, her bare feet slapping against the cement. She was thankful that Barbics were forced to go barefoot as the callous on her feet gave her speed. She ran into Buddi’s room in time to see twin black figures tear by her. She followed them a minute with her eyes before jerking back to Buddi.

            He was on the floor but slowly fought his way up. Ursa ran over to him,

            “Buddi? What happened?”

            “I…I don’t know.” Buddi looked at her. Blood was making streaks down his temples from a deep cut on his forehead. His right cheek was bruised from hitting the ground and a large bump on his forehead was from someone or in this case…something hitting him hard.

            Ursa took out a knife and cut a little bit off her dress. She tied it around his forehead and pulled it tight. He winced but said nothing. Ursa cut a tad more from her dress, wet it with her lips and wiped the blood from Buddi’s face. The two got up in time to hear a lot of commotion and the alarm bell ring from the weapons’ room. Ursa picked up her sword and told Buddi,

            “Stay here Buddi.”

             She tore out. Buddi stood there a moment and then said,

            “I’m not gonna stay here and be useless.”

            He took off after her.

* * *

            “Keep fighting, Barbics!”

            The Barbics had gathered into the weapons room. These beasts just attacked and attacked. They would attack the Barbics with their own weapons and then the weapons would be broken. She did not know who these things were but they did not seem to have any weakness!

            “Fight like warriors!” she cursed the black shadowlike…thing in front of her and plunged her sword into it. But it grinned at her, evilly. Then, its hands grabbed the blade and yanked it from her. She heard it snap and then, a blur as the blade flew towards her.

            “Ursa!”

            She felt her body flung down as the blade plunged deep into the ground where she’d been less than a second earlier. Buddi looked at her and got up off her. She leapt her feet and jerked Buddi aside as a spearhead plunged its way into the cement ground. She pushed the cub back and said,

            “Stay behind me, Buddi.”

            To his credit, Buddi didn’t argue. He was scared. Didn’t say it but Ursa could tell.

            The battle seemed futile and endless. Then, as suddenly as the shadows came, they departed. Ursa looked around. There wasn’t a blade left whole or a spear. Crossbows were shattered; even the battering ram was in splinters. Buddi stuck close to her and she surveyed the damage. She looked helpless, as if she had failed.

            Buddi put his cheek against her hip and Ursa looked down at him. She smiled, although it was forced.

            They’d pull through. These weapons were broken but they could be repaired.

            And Buddi had the only whole weapon left…or in actuality…two.

            His bow, which had been under his bed.

            And his mind, which was already starting to think.

* * *

            Celina smiled.

            “I have one more trick up my sleeve, Igthorn. Give me three days,”

            “Why?”

            “To power up your troops.”

            “They can’t be. They’re already one of the stronge-“

            “Not physically Igthorn. MENTALLY.”