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FOREVERGREEN PART 4óNear the Southern Tip of the Burning Waste, Dart's band pauses
at a dry riverbed. Jethel laughs when Chot tells the others he doesn't care if Yun
is out there and why or how they lost her trailóóhe just wants to rest and find something
to eat. Suntop has a funny feeling they should keep going and Kimo agrees: they follow
the scavenger birds. Yun has her head sticking out the dirt, the rest of her body
buried as humans, a fat one, a skinny one with beard drinking, and a blond one with
arrows shooting at her head, watch her. The blond one aims between Yun's big gray
eyes. Chot makes odd sounds, "Woogah Woogah!" to distract them. As the
blond one aims at Chot, an arrow hits him in the shoulder. Dart tells Chot to back
off, "There's no need for more blood." The humans run off. Jethel thinks
they should attack the humans. His aunt calls Suntop and his pal Jethel such children.
He says, "I'm not a child!" Chot goes after the humans and Jethel follows.
They corner the three humans. Chot tells Jethel, "Get behind me, pup!"
Jethel is pushed behind him, "Pup!??" The humans run off, almost stepping
on Yun. Dart sighs, hoping to have handled this a little differently. Jethel laughs
that the humans are running like tail hares afire. Chot says, "I bet these sun
folk feel a lot safer knowing the mightiest of the Go Backs is here!" Yun yells
for the Mighty One to get her out. A long haired human boy in red loin cloth brings
food to Windkin who is brought to Door. Door is one of the elves but he talks to
himself and admits his mind is at war with itself. To speak of the old ways is death.
Door tells Windkin these humans kill many. When the HoanóG'tay Sho first arrived
it was so pretty. He sent to Windkin the image of what once was. He tells Windkin
he might not have made the journey if he knew the truth. The others find the sea,
which Chot knows about. They make camp and settle in. Chot lays on a tree and eats
an apple. Suntop and Jethel play in the water, splashing each other, Jethel splashes
water on Suntop's back. Kimo gives Dart a rub down and puts a hand under his sleeve.
Dart tells him to have faith: be like Dodia, she remains calm and patiently watching.
Kimo tells Dart they all believe in him, even Dart but he worries about how they
will cross the water. Dart sleeps, "We'll think of something...later..."
Chot complains to little Suntop from the tree but Yun tells him to be quiet. The
aunt tells Chot to leave the children alone. Both of them says, "We're not children!"
Suntop sees a leaf fall onto the water and float and tells Chot he thinks he knows
how to cross the Vastdeep. GeóO'ka, a human boy, made to look like an elf, also looks
part American Indian, dressed with feathers in his right ear, feather hanging from
a neck collar, bare stomach and chest, only a white tied cloth tied in a rope around
his upper stomach, and a wrapped loin cloth. He also has green paint on his forehead
shaped like an inverted triangle, green roundness around his brown eyes, green bands
around his arms, painted on; and green hourglass shape from his chest down his belly,
ending at the loin cloth. The boy is slapped when he yells at his step mother, telling
his father she isnot his mother. They are all made to look like elves. Ge reported
about the tiny red flying demon being spotted by some gatherers. The woman mocks
him and he yelled at her, only to get slapped. If the others had a preserver their
makeshift raft would look a lot better and it would have been a lot easier. Chot
thinks it looks like muck. Dodia calls it Water Leaf. Chot complains and mocks their
optimism, "And tonight we'll fly over the moons in it! Wheee! What? Did all
of you find a dream berry bush and not tell me?" Dodia gets on his head and
makes him get in. Dart orders them to hold onto a jack wolf tight. Chot keeps talking
on and on, actually giving the pup's idea a worthy thought, but keeps going on and
on so that everyone says, "Shut up, Chot!!!" Later...they cannot see the
land anymore. Skywise used to show Suntop how to use the stars to find their way..a
long time ago. Dart wonders if Skywise would use his lodestone like he did when he
crossed the desert on the first quest. Yun knows Skywise is alive, she believing
he is her sire. On their tail end is waterfall or rapids. Chot gasps, "I told
you! I told you! See? See?!" Everyone yells, "Shut up, Chot!!!" |