Chapter Four: Path to Ursalia

            Sunni Gummi was still, her heart was racing. She tossed and turned, endlessly. No matter how hard she tried, sleep didn’t come without horror. She drifted off about midnight and half an hour later awoke, sweating. She’d finally fallen asleep later at about one but at two she awoke again. Now at three she woke up again. The dreams were always the same, blood death, and darkness.

            “The heck with sleep,” she mumbled to herself as she turned on the light. “It’s obviously not coming.”

            She sat in bed for some time, not saying a word, just thinking. Gruffi would dismiss her visions as imagination, Cubbi wouldn’t believe her, Grammi would tell her to try and forget it, Zummi wouldn’t understand the intensity and Gusto would just comfort and forget about it. She needed someone used to danger that took any possible threat seriously. She sighed. She needed the Barbics.

            “Great Sunni,” she said to herself, sarcasm clearly present. “They live at least a few hours journey away, and that’s with the Quick cars. The tunnels are frosted over, genius.”  She looked around. But deep in her heart, she knew that the answer to her questions were somewhere, somehow involved and answered in Ursalia, with the Barbics.

            “We went over the ice covered tunnels before,” she said to herself. “It was a wild ride but it was doable. But…this time, they’re practically sheets of frost.” She closed her eyes and thought. Those memories of the visions came flying back, just as vivid as before. She laid there a moment more before sitting up.

            “Well, I guess it’s off to Ursalia, Sunni.”

            She walked over to her closet and drew out her winter outfit and on second thought threw another outfit into her duffel bag. Along with her outfit, she put in her personal map to Ursalia. There was a faster way than the Gummies usually took. Buddi had told her about it. It went over ice but she was willing to risk that. She was desperate.

            Sunni tied her scarf around her neck, tightly and then stuck her head out into the hall. Everything was quiet and the hall was dark except for the small candle she held. The shadows on the walls flickered in and out, changing shapes as if to purposely intimidate her. It was working.

            The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, whispering sounds of isolation. She swallowed and instead focused her eyes ahead of her. But the sounds still terrified her. Then, suddenly she found herself stopping cold. She fumbled at her neck and found it bare. She had slipped on her snow outfit but then in an instant tore back to her room. She saw that she had left her candle burning so she blew it out. Then, using the lighted candle in her left hand went over to her nightstand. She located her memento box swiftly and opened its lid. Gruffi had given it to her on her thirteenth birthday. She looked through her collection of trinkets.

            There was a small notebook, in which she kept the recipe for Gummiberry Juice. She’d been trying to memorize the amount of berries. The rest she knew. But she had not gotten the yellow berries down yet. Beneath that was a small ring, diamond that Calla had given her not long after she met her. The picture beside it was a portrait Gusto had done of her and Aquamarine. She also had a very small set of earrings that used to be her mother’s. But beneath them all was a very small box, locked. She drew out her key and turned it in the lock. She heard the distinct click of it opening. Then, she slowly opened it. She drew out a large pendant, of a bear’s face. Buddi had given it to her when she first met him. Now she wore it whenever she needed strength.

            She slipped it over her head.

            Turning to close her box, she picked her candle up. She knew the others would probably be worried but she would not be away that long. Besides, she could always have Thornberry signal them with the Gummiscope. She almost stopped to write them a note but decided against it. In the time that took, she could already be on her way.

            Sunni crept back out into the hallway and slipped into the kitchen. Reaching into the pantry, she withdrew a small bottle of Gummi Berry juice. Sticking that into her belt, she headed back down the hall to the Quicktunnel entrance. The winds weren’t present here but she could feel the cold, despite her warm clothing. She looked down the risky path. Then she took out her map. She would have to take only one way, no turnoffs whatsoever, which was good for her. She slowly crept to the car and climbed in.

            Taking deep breath, she drew on her inner strength and released the brake. The car started off slowly but just as it normally did, it sped up swiftly. She noted that the ice made it faster. She swallowed again and focused her attention ahead. The speed would have pleased Cubbi but she was scared. She liked speed but not risky speed. It was lot like Buddi’s fear of heights. He liked a mild height but too high made him nervous.

            She saw a waterfall ahead and covered her head. She about reached it when suddenly the car took a swift turn on the track. She gulped as she felt one side of the car lift up and it tilted dangerously to the side. But luck was with her. The car righted itself and she let out the breath she did not realize she’d been holding.

            She sighed as the car took yet another sharp turn. This shortcut would still take about two hours. She shivered and clutched Buddi’s pendant tightly.

            “This is gonna be a long ride.”

* * *

            Buddi blinked and sat up. Stretching, he saw that he was in his bed, and clothed in his night shift. The sun was already fairly high; he guessed it was around eight. The last thing he’d remembered was talking with Ursa. She’d held him in her arms until he fell asleep, he guessed. He wasn’t ashamed of his behavior. He still remembered the fear. The events were still fresh in his memory.

            He got up and stole a glance outside. The wind was still cold and there was still a thick blanket of snow covering the ground. The snow looked inviting but Ursa was always extremely overprotective of him after he’d gotten sick and although he felt fine, she was one of the most stubborn creatures on the planet.

            He didn’t know if she’d let him out but he hoped so. The visions had stopped for now but the memories were still sharp. Those were the kind of memories that you didn’t just forget. He had a feeling they’d be with him a while. He wanted to get out and forget about them for a time. But the trick was to get Ursa to let him. Buddi had ways of getting what he wanted from Ursa but did not use them a lot. Just when he was desperate.

            He slipped on a winter outfit as well as some of his boots. He normally went barefoot but not in the snow and ice. That just wasn’t happening. He’d had the boots since he had moved from Barbic Woods. They were warm enough but made from a soft leather material so that he could still grip with his toes. He grabbed his hood from the nightstand, slipped that on and ran to the stairs. Storming down them, he ran for the kitchen. Worried or not, food came first.

* * *

            Sunni swallowed as the car took the last turn on the track. But this time when the car lifted up, it stayed up. She yelped in fear and covered her head, tucking her body into a ball. She’d seen Buddi do that when he fell. He’d told her that Ursa taught him that almost as soon as he could crawl. Because in his words, “When a Barbic starts to crawl, they’ll probably be climbing before they know how to grip.”

            Sunni now knew why Buddi knew it. Her impact was hard but it ended as a dull ache in her right shoulder and perhaps a mild sprain in her left. She got up slowly and looked at the Quickcar. It had tumbled off the track and was in pieces. She looked for her duffel bag and found it amid the wreckage.

            After a quick tug-a-war with the car, she managed to jerk it free. She opened it and dug through, looking for her map. When she found it, she jerked it out and examined her position. She was almost done with the track anyway but there was still the battle to be fought with the Ursalian Mountains.

            She looked around for an opening and saw the exit above her. But the ladder was history. She sighed.

            “Well, as Buddi would say Sunni, do it the Barbic way: the hard way.”

            She walked over to the cavern’s edge and looked for a handhold. She located it and swiftly started upward. The rocks were jagged and tore at her hands but she kept climbing. She slipped once or twice but managed to grab hold before she fell. She had to dig in with her feet so soon her boots began to tear. She knew that Ursa and Gritty often told Buddi to work more on his mountain climbing. She knew now why he didn’t like to. It was hard.

            She almost reached the top when she stopped and let herself hang. It was tiring. Ursa put Buddi through this as training? What was wrong with her?

            Sunni finally conquered her weakness and pulled her body up and out of the tunnel. The wind was piercing to her and she felt snow beneath her. It crunched beneath her feet but the cold also helped to numb the pain in her shoulders. But her boots were thinned so she could feel the chill in her feet.

            The Mountains of Ursalia rose above her, formidable giants.

            She looked around and compared the mountains to her map. Either path would take her to Ursalia but she wanted the shortest route. She finally realized that the shortest route also happened to be the hardest. She sighed.

            “Figures.”

            She started towards the middle mountain, one of about medium height. She’d have to go straight up and over. She began immediately, her feet already shaking with the cold. She realized swiftly that she had to have some kind of grip on her feet. Extremely reluctantly, she removed her boots and dug her bare feet into the ice. They went numb immediately and then a burning sensation took them.

            “You Barbics have better have some answers.”

* * *

            Ursa took another bite of her plankins. They were a version of flapjacks but with the Barbic touch. They were only dissimilar in the fact that they were not nearly as fluffy but had a natural sweet taste. But to Buddi and to Ursa when she was a child, a dash of sugarcane was needed. She still used a bit. She looked up at Grubbi. He was the only one besides her still in the kitchen. The others had headed out to train. Ursa had slept in a bit. When she was worried, she slept like a drunken human.

            “Mind if I join you, Ursa?” Grubbi sat down with a mug of hot milk. They got their milk from ramas. Two of the warriors always went to gather it, once a month. Ursa smiled and nodded. Grubbi took a small jar of powdered sugarcane and added a dash to his drink. Ursa took the jar from him and added a dusting to her plankins. Then she sealed the jar and looked to Grubbi.

            “I saved a few for Buddi,” Grubbi told her. He chuckled. “If he ever gets up.”

            Ursa smiled, “He’ll be here.’ Less than a second later, they heard the pounding of young feet on the stairs. Ursa turned to Grubbi. “See?”

            Buddi bounded into the kitchen. Ursa jerked her head toward the counter, “Grubbi saved you some plankins.” Buddi turned to Grubbi, said “thanks,” and grabbed the plate from the counter. He sat down by Ursa and grabbed for the sugarcane almost before he sat down. Grubbi got up to put away his own dishes but Ursa stayed still, watching Buddi.

            He was struggling with the jar’s top. Ursa casually reached over, took it from him, and twisted the cap off before handing it back. Buddi smiled at her.

            “Thanks,”

            Ursa gave him a nod and then said, “Just don’t drown it in sugar alright?”

            Buddi looked at her with a small grin, “Aw, Ursa you take the fun out of everything.”

            She just rolled her eyes and got up to put her own dishes away. But she didn’t leave, just sat across from him. Buddi didn’t say anything at first but he was refusing to look at her. She had known Buddi since he was less than a week old so she could tell what went through his head, at least in this instance.

            “Buddi, if you want to ask me something, spit it out.”

            Buddi smiled at her again. “You’re good.”

            She shook her head. “No, it’s just that after a certain number of years I picked up things about you.”

            Buddi shrugged. “Are you gonna let me out today or act like some sort of overprotective freak?”

            Ursa tried to look stern but Buddi just propped his elbows up and let his face rest in his palms. He looked at Ursa with wide shining eyes. Ursa sighed,

            “Buddi, that’s low and pathetic.” She managed a smile and ruffled his hair. “But it works.”

            “I know,” was the child’s reply. Ursa nodded in answer.

            “But,” she added and Buddi winced. “I want you to take it easy alright? In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t go out into the slopes again today. There’s enough snow in the city.”

            Buddi groaned, “Ursssaaa.”

            Ursa merely put her finger against his lips. “No, don’t start Buddi. You know me. I don’t-“

            “I know, I know.” He interrupted. “Barbics don’t whine.”

            “That’s right so just be grateful I’m letting you out at all. The way you acted last night, I’d thought you’d seen a ghost.”

            Buddi shrugged. “I don’t know what I saw. Just know I didn’t like it.”

            Ursa answered him with a smile, a look of understanding and then she dropped the subject.

            “So, are you going to torment me and Gritty today?”

            “Depends. What are you doing?”

            “Training. Something you need to toughen up on.”

            Buddi rolled his eyes. “Aw, Ursa, stop. You know I hate it.”

            “Yes,” she replied as she got up. “I do. But what about those visions of yours? If they’re real do you plan to just run?”

            Buddi shrugged and then at Ursa’s glare said, “No.”

            “I didn’t think so.”

            Buddi grinned at her, “Course not. Running’s not a plan; that’s what you do when the plan fails.”

            Ursa smiled and watched the cub run outside. He had his flute clutched in one hand. He’d find something to do. Always did.

            Buddi kept running, trying to outrun his fear and worry mainly. If he kept up the pace, he was too busy to think of the danger he felt grow stronger every day. He always tried to ignore it but while he had occasional bad dreams and visions, these were persistent.

            He shook his head, trying to drown out those images. It wasn’t working. He’d been running quite a while, dashing past the training Barbics. He’d have to train a little later with Ursa. She had given him a break yesterday because of the first snow. But today that would be off, more than likely.

            When he dashed past Gritty as he aimed a crossbow, the black furred Barbic looked up. The child never acknowledged him. Gritty felt a strange wave of worry overtake him. He and Ursa were the main raisers of Buddi, although Ursa was generally the main one. The two Barbics, although different in as many ways as night and day, were the closest of the Barbics. It was Ursa that had taught Buddi to walk, to swing through the branches in Barbic Woods and to throw a spear. She would teach him more, as he got older. But while Gritty was not nearly as close as they were, he still felt worry for the child.

            “Oh, Buddi,” the black Barbic sighed deeply. “Why do you keep it inside? You’re a child. You can be afraid.”

* * *

            Sunni crawled up and over the final ledge. The snow was red where she laid her feet. They were numb, bleeding and sore. Her eyes felt heavy as the weakness the cold did began to sweep over her. She closed her eyes faintly but then swiftly forced them open again. She couldn’t rest here. The cold was warning her. If she slept here, she’d never wake up.

            “Up, Sunni Gummi get up.” She ordered herself. She stammered to her feet and then swiftly collapsed again. The cold on her toes was incredible. It burned like fire. She clawed into the mountainside and finally managed to pull herself up. She looked ahead and saw the tunnel leading towards Ursalia. The Ancient Gummies sure knew how to be intimidating.

            Sunni stumbled as she walked but she only fell once, when she was in the middle of the bridge leading to Ursalia. When she finally made it through the tunnel she could see the Ancient city, thriving as usual. She saw several guards on the roof. There were only two during the day, five at night. And so that boredom did not overtake them, they switched every hour. The Barbics knew her so they did not sound the alarm. They could not see how badly she was aching but that did not matter to her.

            As Sunni walked over to the bridge, she heard the sound of a flute. Buddi’s flute. Her heart sighed in relief. Her best friend was near her. She swallowed, tried to force the dryness out of her throat and screamed out into the city,

            “Buddi!”

* * *

            “Where’s Sunni?”

            Cubbi looked up at Gruffi’s inquiry. He shrugged and bit into his flapjack.

            “Beats me, probably in bed still. Girls like to sleep.”

            “And how would you know, Cubbi Gummi?” Grammi’s voice had a playful warning tone. “Are you one?”

            “No, thank goodness!”

            Grammi rolled her eyes. “Well could you go get her please?”

            Cubbi groaned but got up. He stormed down the hall and beat on her door.

            “SUNNI! GRAMMI SAYS GET UP NOW!”

            The child got no reply. He growled and forced the door open.

            The room was empty but the bed had definitely been slept in. He ran back out into the dining room.

            “She’s not here.”

            Grammi and Gruffi leapt up, saying as one, “What?”

            “She’s not here,” Cubbi repeated. He felt a strange tingling of worry inside of him. “Her bed’s been slept in but she isn’t here.”

            “Tummi!” Grammi turned to the blue furred Gummi and told him, “Go and search the lower floors. Cubbi, you keep looking around up here. Gruffi and I will go and check Dunywn. Zummi, stay here in case she comes home.”

            Gruffi normally gave the orders but that was exactly what he would have said. The group of Gummies split up and went searching. Tummi walked down into the lower levels, where watermill and Gruffi’s workshop was.

            “Sunni!” he heard his own voice echo but got no reply otherwise. He opened the door to Gruffi’s workshop and lifted a candle into the darkness. He saw Gruffi’s newest project, a few scattered tools and dust but otherwise the room was empty. The oldest cub sighed and ducked back out into the hallway. He walked down to the wheel. It was turning slowly, churning water but Sunni wasn’t there either. He looked down the black tunnel. There was nothing there either.

            He sighed and walked back upstairs to wait with Zummi.

*

            “Sunni!” Cubbi opened her door again and looked around. Her closet door was open. Curious, the cub glanced over and saw that one of her winter outfits was missing. Wherever she is, at least she’s warm. He smirked. Then, he looked and saw that she’d taken Buddi’s pendant from her trinket box. He swallowed and thought of those frost-covered tunnels that lead to Ursalia. An odd panic gripped him. He ran out into the hall and down to the Quicktunnels, all the while saying,

            “Sunni, you didn’t-“

            He slipped on the stairs and went tumbling down the rest of them, babbling,

            “Ow, ow, I hate this part of falling, ow!” He landed, slipped again on the ice and spun around in a circle for a few more minutes. He finally stopped, sat up and cursed silently,

            “Stop merry-go-round. Stop.”

            His vision swam for a few more moments before slowly clearing. He stumbled to his feet, tripping every so often over them. He managed to stay upright in order to get to the edge of the tunnels. The eerie silence was unnerving. He felt cold and alone. He didn’t know why but he had a feeling that this trip was not without reason. He didn’t mean just to see Buddi either. There was some other factor involved.

            He wasn’t sure what but he knew for a fact that Sunni did NOT take off just to see her best friend. She hated speed that ice provided and even he wouldn’t risk going over this ice. He looked for the Quickcars. There were always three here but he only saw two. And a rarely used path’s road looked a bit winded and warm. He sighed.

            “Sunni, you idiot.”

*

            “Sorry, Gruffi, Grammi,” Calla spoke with sincerity and a great deal of remorse in her voice. “I haven’t seen Sunni and neither has Cavin. But we’ll keep an eye out,” she added, seeing their chest fallen faces. Gruffi nodded.

            “Thanks Calla.”

            The two Gummies started back to the door when Grammi suddenly turned,

            “Calla, you’re her best friend. Any idea where she might be?”

            The Princess of Dunywn leaned backward in thought. Perhaps…

            “Why don’t you check her other best friend?” she finally said.

            Grammi and Gruffi must have looked stumped. Calla smiled.

            “I mean, Buddi.”

            Grammi looked at Gruffi. He growled. “That girl…”

            “Don’t Gruffi Gummi. They’re Gummies too you know.”

            “Yeah, but they’re ruthless.”

            “No! No they’re not. They’ve been through worse times than us!”

            “Well, still that’s not-“

            “Uh, excuse me?” Princess Calla broke in reluctantly. As the two Gummies turned to look at her, she grinned sheepishly. Tying her hair into its usual braid, she continued, “Is that important right now?”

            The two Gummies blushed.

            “No.”

            The two turned and left, Gruffi calling, “Thanks Calla.”

            She nodded and smiled. If she knew Sunni, with Buddi was exactly where she was.

            And she was pretty sure that she knew her.

*

            Grammi and Gruffi’s fears and suspicions were confirmed the moment they reentered the Glen. Cubbi ran forward, saying,

            “Sunni’s in Ursalia!”

* * *

            Buddi sat on the edge of Ursalia’s main fountain, playing his flute. The music helped relax him a bit but he still had a faint feeling of dread. But he couldn’t dwell on that. If he did, he’d never have any fun. And he may have been a Barbic and may have had to train and be tough but he was still a child. And children know how to have fun.

            The elder Barbics looked at him, shook their heads, but smiled. Buddi suddenly stopped playing and lowered his head. Had he been in Barbic Woods, he’d have been swinging through the trees. The trees had been supernaturally tall, that’s why the humans wanted them. They had enough wood for their own village and then some. He had not feared the heights. He knew that should he fall, there were always places to catch his grip. He knew the trees. He was beginning to know the mountains but it wasn’t the same. It was leaping, Barbic Woods had been swinging. Ursa’d always told him he was a little monkey in those trees. He wasn’t used to this odd feeling in his throat. He hadn’t had it in months.

            He wanted to go home.

            Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind and concentrate on the present. But right as he lifted his flute to his lips, he heard a female voice call,

            “Buddi!”

            The cry had come from outside the city. He focused his memory and recognized it. He leapt up and raced towards the door of Ursalia. Thornberry immediately stepped aside as did the other Guard, a Barbic with a short temper, named Ryo to let the child through. He raced outward onto the bridge. The yellow Gummi girl saw him and ran to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and crying his name again.

            “Sunni!” Buddi called in shock and happiness. He hadn’t seen his best friend since the Barbics and Glens had joined to beat Igthorn. It had been a couple of months. Sunni squeezed him back and then they parted. Buddi caught glimpse of the pendant she had swinging from her neck. The same one he’d given her when they met.

            “Hey Sunni. Why’re you here?”

            She suddenly turned dead serious. “I need to talk to you Barbics about something. The visions…”

            “Visions?” Buddi’s voice dropped and Sunni knew from his face, those wide eyes and shocked features that he’d gone through the same thing. She nodded. Buddi looked at her and for the first time noticed how beat up she looked. He wrapped her arm around his shoulder and let her lean on him.

            “What happened to you, Sunni?”

            “Hard trip,” was her answer.

            Buddi helped her through the gate and asked Thornberry as they walked in, “Where’s Ursa? I think Sunni needs some help.”

            For the first time, Buddi didn’t have to repeat himself to the older Gummi. The knight pointed towards the main hall and said, “In the weapons room. Polishing and fixing spears, I think.”

            “Great.” Buddi groaned inwardly. Ursalia was full of chambers and hidden tunnels but the weapons’ room was the one room in the whole city that Ursa and Gritty strictly forbade him to enter. It had been that way in Barbic Woods too. Ursa would get the practice spears herself for him to train with. Buddi was interested in what the Barbics had to offer even though he hated to fight. And he couldn’t see them.

            Buddi shook that feeling off and lead Sunni through the walls of Ursalia. She was favoring her left foot. Her right was badly frost bitten and was bleeding. She was starting to lean on him more so he had to lean his weight against her to keep upright. The two made their way to the weapon room this way. Buddi spied Grubbi as one of the Barbics just outside the weapons’ room, most likely leaving to go train. He called to him and the eldest Barbic turned to meet the youngest.

            “Grubbi? Is Ursa in there?”

            “Yes, why? Do you need her?”

            “Uh huh.”

            Grubbi nodded and ducked his head back in. although Buddi was mischievous Grubbi could not see the child going into this room. Not only was he not at all liking to all the Barbics ways but to disobey both Gritty and Ursa? Grubbi winced inwardly. He wouldn’t be surprised if Ursa tanned his hide for that.

            The oldest Barbic looked around the room a moment before he spied their leader. She was sitting with her childhood friend, Gritty, in the far corner, fixing the broken spears. He whistled through his teeth and she looked up. He motioned with his hand. The blond haired Barbic got up, putting her spear onto the ground and then she jogged across the room and out into the hall.

            “What’s up, Grubbi?”

            The older one smiled at her. “Not me, them.”

            Ursa turned and was met by Buddi and Sunni. Sunni waved at her as she leaned against her friend. “Hi.”

            Grubbi left the three and headed outside. Ursa looked to the female Gummi.

            ‘Hey Sunni, what-what in the name of all the Gummies happened to you?”

            Sunni managed a giggle. “Note to self: you guys live too far and the paths are not marked in the least.”

            Buddi laughed. “Well, apparently you’re fine in the most part.”

            Sunni chuckled as Ursa helped her from Buddi and picked her up, taking her into the main hall. “How would you know, Buddi?”

            Buddi looked up at her and said, “Cause that’s what Ursa says when I can still be sarcastic.”

            The older Gummi smiled. “And it’s true most of the time, Buddi.”

            Buddi smiled right back. “Didn’t say it wasn’t.”

            Ursa set Sunni down on a chair and then turned to Buddi. “Buddi, can you go fetch me some of those Barbic herbs?”

            “You mean the riliun and fuil?”

            “That’s it.”

            The cub nodded and took off upstairs. Sunni turned to Ursa. “What’s that? I’ve never heard of them.”

            Ursa nodded. “They used to grow everywhere in Barbic Wood but now they’re hard to come across. We save them for the most part, except those two. They’re easier to find.”

            Sunni looked at her. “You mean you guys use herbs and stuff like that for injuries?”

            Ursa nodded. “We taught ourselves to make them. There’s a mixture for burns and a rare one for fever. We don’t use that unless the fever’s high. Really high.”

            Sunni nodded and looked to the stairs as she heard the clap of feet. Buddi ran into the room and gave Ursa a handful of greenish and yellow roots and a pounder. Ursa thanked him and then crushed the roots swiftly, the natural water forming a smooth cream. Ursa took some on her fingers and spread it over Sunni’s wounds. Buddi grasped her hand. He’d gone through that treatment himself. It burnt.

            Sunni was no exception.

            “Ow, pain, pain.”

            Ursa laughed. “Sunni, you sound just like Buddi.”

            Sunni swapped a look with Buddi. “Really?”

            Buddi laughed and said, “Yeah.”

            “But you can’t blame me!” he added, looking at Ursa. “That stuff burns!”

            Ursa laughed and bound Sunni’s foot with a handkerchief. She then focused on the burns near the child’s ankle and started to soothe those. As she worked, she asked the cub,

            “Where are the others, Sunni? I know that they would not let you keep walking as your feet are. Not even Barbics would.”

            Sunni flushed, looked down and said, “They…they don’t know I’m here.”

            Ursa looked at her, shocked. Then gradually that look became disappointment. She shook her head and bound the last few burns. She looked to Buddi.

            “Buddi?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Go and fetch Thornberry. Tell him to summon the other Gummies to tell them Sunni’s here.”

            “I can do it myself,” he said as he got up. Ursa met eyes with him and repeated,

            “I said to get Thornberry.”

            Buddi sighed and Ursa looked at him again. “I know you can Buddi. But it takes longer when you do it.”

            “Because I’m not as strong. I know I know.” Buddi let his shoulders slump. “Alright.”

            Ursa smiled at him with her eyes. “Be patient kid. The strength’ll come.”

            He nodded and ran from the room. Sunni looked at Ursa.

            “What did you mean, the strength’ll come?”

            “Huh?” Ursa looked at the girl. “Oh, that. Well, Barbics are stronger than you Glens physically. As Buddi grows, so will his strength. It comes in a series of three growth spurts. Each one hurts. His muscles will start to develop in his arms. They won’t be noticeable until about the third one. The first two are just the muscles developing and growing. They actually start to be used about the third one.”

            “Cool.”

            Ursa grinned and helped Sunni up. “Well, I wouldn’t call it that. They hurt. I got my first one at about Buddi’s age. It felt like my arms were on fire.”

            “What did you do about it?”

            “Well, you can’t really do much. I remember going to Grubbi, who was about twenty-five or so. He’d massage my arms for me. That would numb the pain temporarily.”

            “Ouch.”

            “Agreed.”

            The door opened then and the youngest Barbic reentered. He looked to his leader and said, “Thornberry said that he’d summon them as soon as he could.”

            Ursa nodded. “Thanks Buddi.”

            Sunni seemed uncomfortable so Buddi told Ursa, “Ursa, we’re gonna go up to my room for a while alright?”

            She nodded. “The Glens will probably not get here until late. Dinner’s usual time.”

            Buddi nodded and tugged the Glen girl upstairs. Ursa watched the two run up together, Sunni limping slightly. The wounds would heal swiftly with those herbs but until they did, she would be in a fair amount of pain. Had Buddi been stronger, he could have carried her but his strength was latent right now. As it would be for some time. But Ursa was starting to notice the toning of his upper arms. The spurts would start soon.

            She smiled and walked off to get Thornberry herself. If the Glen Gummies would act like she would if Buddi vanished, she better tell them before they had some breakdowns.

* * *

            “-And then he swings the ax and the girl…she…”

            Sunni couldn’t say anymore and buried her face into her palms. Buddi hugged his best friend. He was scared, just as she was but he knew that she probably needed the comfort much more than he did. She leaned against him, relieved. He was the only person who’d taken her seriously. He always listened to her.

            “I’m sorry, Buddi.” She pulled away and tried to regain her composure. Buddi laughed.

            “It’s okay, Sunni.”

            Sunni smiled faintly. “You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?”

            Buddi nodded. “Every night. And almost every hour of the day.”

            Sunni nodded. The two sat on Buddi’s bed not saying a thing. They couldn’t think of anything to say. They both were having the visions but they still didn’t know what to do. Sunni laid down, face up and folded her arms behind her head, with a sigh. Buddi unconsciously reached for his flute and started to play.

            The two stayed like that for a time. Sunni closed her eyes and listened. Buddi may not have been a boy that longed to be a fighter like Barbics usually were but by Gum that boy could play. It fell sweet on her ears and helped her relax. By the way he laid so still and closed his own eyes, she knew that it was having a similar effect. He relaxed.

            The two were so caught up in their thoughts that they didn’t hear the knock at the door until someone called,

            “Are you two alive in there?”

            Buddi stopped and called back,

            “Yeah? What is it, Ursa?”

            The Barbic opened the door and stepped in. Sunni propped herself up and looked over at Ursa. The boy Barbic waited, patiently, tapping his flute with one hand. Ursa sat down by the two and said,

            “What’s up you two? You’re both so quiet. I came walking down the hall and the only thing I could hear was Buddi’s flute.” She turned to the cub and grinned. “Which was quite good, by the by.”

            Buddi smiled. “Thanks. We were talking a little bit. Ursa…Sunni had the same vision I did.”

            Ursa’s grin fell. She looked to Sunni to verify. The girl nodded.

            Ursa bit her lower lip. “Okay. Is that why you came, Sunni?”

            “Partly. I figured if anyone’d listen to me, it’d be you guys.”

            They felt a wind blow in and Buddi got up and shut the window. He shuddered. He felt an inward chill now. His world started to spin and shift shape. He growled under his breath and said in a choked voice as he grabbed his head,

            “Oh, not again.”

            Sunni felt the same thing and managed to lay down again before unconscious swept over her. But Buddi was not so lucky and he gave in swiftly this time. The vision was stronger, harder, more fierce. He closed his eyes, his knees gave out and Ursa dove to catch Buddi in her arms. The color had left his face. Ursa dared a glance at Sunni. The Glen girl looked the same, no color in her cheeks. Ursa picked Buddi up, supported him in her arms. She laid him down on his bed. Then, both cubs said as one, in a horrified vocie the same message Buddi had been giving her since that first vision,

            “The sea is restless. The wind carries the scent of destruction and ruin.”

            Both cubs didn’t move for an hour.