“WHAT THE!!!” exclaimed Telimo, whose eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “What the hell’d you do that for!!!???” he snapped, his heart pounding like a drum.
“Cause you looked like you needed it lazy bones.” replied Meo.
“The only thing I need is to ram my foot up your hairy backside.” he growled, shoving her off his chest and getting to his feet.
“Sounds kinda icky if you ask me.” added Botog.
“Too right! Your feet smell like horse manure. You can keep them well away from my butt.”
“Don’t get lippy fuzz ball! I’ve had enough of your antics for one day and I’ve only been awake for five seconds. I don’t know what you lot think you’re laughing at either. There’s nothing funny about nearly giving someone a heart attack.” replied Telimo, shooting them all a warning glance.
“Ah don’t be such a spoil sport. It was just a bit of fun.” said Amanie.
“Yeah! You should have seen the look on your face. It was hysterical.” chuckled Botog, grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah! I’ll bet it was. Just wait till the next time you decide to take a nap, then we’ll see how funny you think it is.” threatened Telimo.
“Miou, Miou!” giggled Tidimew.
“Oh come on Telimo, lighten up. It was just a joke.” explained Amanie.
“Hmmph! Well not a very funny one if you ask me.” mumbled Telimo.
“Geese! Anyone’d think you’d be used to it by now. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve been nearly startled out of your wits.” recalled Meo with a smirk, yanking his chain.
“Maybe you should try not sleeping so much.” suggested Botog. Advice which didn’t go down too well with Telimo.
“Not sleep so much!” he exclaimed. “Why the hell should I do that? I’m not the one leaping around, screeching like a lunatic all the time. Meo’s the one who can’t behave herself. She needs to grow up and learn some respect. None of this, why don’t you stop sleeping so much Telimo? Or lighten up, it was just a joke Telimo. Meo needs to grow up and that’s all there is to it.”
“Okay lets just calm down shall we?” suggested Amanie.
“What do you mean we? Telimo’s the one who’s lost his rag.” Meo blurted out for all to hear, unwilling to let the argument rest just yet.
“Shush Meo! Behave yourself!” glared Amanie, making herself clear. Her tone a reproachful one.
“My sentiments exactly.” said Telimo, folding his arms and nodding his head. “We’ve had enough of your shenanigans for one day.”
“Err you can behave yourself too, if you don’t mind. I’ve heard enough arguments for one lifetime. Thank you very much. It’s time we let sleeping dogs lie and got ready to leave. I’ve already told Meo once this morning to get her butt into gear and I’m not past telling you either.” said Amanie sternly, whose expression was deadly serious.
“Alright, alright! Keep your knickers on. I’m ready.” said Telimo, jogging on the spot like a clown dancing over hot coals, recovering his sense of humour not a moment too soon. “Where are we going anyway?” he inquired.
“Why to find the magic fairy ring of course.” said Amanie.
“Why what’s the magic fairy ring when it’s at home? I’ve never heard of it.”
“No it’s a well kept secret, I think.” said Amanie, who’d already started walking, prompting the others to follow. “None of us had heard of it either until the other night when Botog broke a floor board trying to dive bomb Meo off the bed and discovered an old hand written book, some candles and some fairy paintings buried underneath. Anyway after I’d cleaned it up, I agreed to read everyone a bed time story. Oh it sounds fantastic! Whoever puts on the ring becomes invisible and can go wherever they like. It can cast spells or grant wishes. The only draw back is it disappears at night and doesn’t return until the following morning, which always happens in a different place, although always in the dark forest, which according to the book is where we have to go to find it.”
“The Dark forest!” Telimo almost choked. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Don’t overreact. We’ll be okay, just as long as we all stick together. I mean it can’t be that bad.” said Amanie.
“Oh you think so do you?”
“We’ll why not? I’m sure it’s not half as bad as everyone says it is?”
“Oh really?” replied Telimo, raising his eyebrows incredulously. “Is that what you really think?”
“Well why not?” said Amanie boldly. “It’s just the Dark forest. I mean it can’t be that bad.” she said, like gallivanting off into the dark forest was no big deal.
“Only the Dark forest! Can’t be that bad!! Are you bonkers??? Have you completely lost your mind??? Do you have any idea what kind of monsters live in the Dark forest? Not to mention Dark City fungi.”
“Oh I wouldn’t worry about them. You know these things always get blown way out of proportion. And I’ll bet it’s not half as bad as everyone says it is. Besides if we see anyone from the Dark City we can always run and hide, or throw rocks at them or something. It’ll be fine. Besides I doubt we’ll meet any monsters this close to the White forest. We’d have to go much further to see anything like that.” reckoned Amanie.
“Pah! You must have sawdust for brains.” spat Telimo in disbelief, who thought it a distinct possibility. Amanie‘s grandfather had died at the hands of a creature from the dark forest and he’d been in the white forest at the time. Plus it wasn’t exactly unheard of for creatures from the Dark forest to show up from time to time, which is why they had patrol soldiers after all. She of all Jupinda’s fungi should know that. However he thought it best not to mention it, her grandfather that is, since he knew how it upset her.
“Better than nothing.” retorted Amanie with a smile, referring to the sawdust of course, who seemed pleased by her witty remark.
Everybody laughed except for Telimo, who didn’t find it very funny at all. Scowling like a rabid, recently muzzled, dyed pink baboon with a car battery wired to his nuts. Amanie smiled back, full of bravado, as Tidimew jiggled in her arms.
“Oh Telimo lighten up. Why do you have to be so serious all the time?” asked Amanie.
“Yeah Telimo! It wouldn’t kill you to smile.” added Meo.
“Miou, miou!!” chirped Tidimew, waving her little arms and legs about excitedly.
“Go on Telimo, give us a smile.” said Botog coaxingly.
“Yeah come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud.” frowned Meo
Telimo, unmoved by their little charade, refused to smile.
“If you’ve made up your minds to go to the Dark forest, then there’s really nothing to smile about.” said Telimo. “You may as well throw yourselves off a cliff, or wrestle a crocodile.”
“Oh don’t be so dramatic!” snapped Amanie. “Now stop wasting time and let’s go find the magic fairy ring.”
“No way! You can count me out. I’m not risking my life for some stupid, make believe ring that doesn’t even exist.” said Telimo.
“Fine! Be like that then! We’ll just go without you, see if I care.” barked Amanie.
“Fine by me!” spat Telimo indignantly.
Both stood their ground, neither one willing to back down.
“Don’t think we’ll let you use the magic fairy ring when we find it. After all, I don’t see why we should, not if you won’t help us.” threatened Amanie.
“Whatever!” said Telimo. “I’m outta here... If you lot want to kill yourselves, then that’s up to you.”
“Okay then! If that’s how you feel, you can go stuff yourself! We’ll find the magic fairy ring and you won’t get a thing.” she blurted out, turning up her nose in disgust and looking the other way, unable to bare the sight of him any longer, convinced he’d change his mind soon enough, once he saw how serious she was.
Lifting her heels, she told the others to get a move on, marching them through the forest like a drill sergeant in drag, certain he’d come crawling back before long, begging her for forgiveness.
“And don’t think you can come crawling back when we’re all living the high life in a great, big palace with thrones and servants to wait on us hand and foot.” shouted Amanie, sounding far from pleased.
“Yeah keep on dreaming.” yelled Telimo, turning around and walking away.
“You’ll be sorry.” shouted Amanie, determined to have the last word.
“Yeah, yeah! Blah, blah, blah.” mumbled Telimo, as their fiery little exchange ended.
Amanie scowled, refusing to say another word for the next forty minutes or so, leading the others briskly through the forest, until they’d reached the river Tojii at the outskirts of the White Forest – the great divide where the two forests parted.
This time of year the waters were low enough to wade through or paddle across at any rate, meaning bug fungi were often sent to patrol the waters from the skies and prevent the crossing of intruders from the dark forest. Barriers had been erected around the perimeters and army barracks set up at various checkpoints. However the sheer size and scale of the area, not to mention limited resources, meant deterioration and a shortage of soldiers were instrumental when allowing weak spots to form.
Amanie looked around for signs of a patrol, but the coast was clear… It was an opportune moment to cross.
“Come on, hurry up!” she snapped, ordering the others through the barricade and down the bank.
Telimo wandered through the forest, knitting his brow into a furrow and kicking the Irth, as if he half intended to dig one there too, stamping his feet like a toddler in a tizzy, grumbling away to himself, breaking twigs and what not along the way.
“Stupid, pig headed girl.” he cursed, his face fit to curdle fresh milk. “Why do I even hang out with her? She’s so darn stubborn. Why if I were a little older I’d bend her over my knee and beat her butt black and blue.” he mused, discarding a handful of leaves that he’d pulled from a nearby bush and crumpled with his fist.
The sunshine twinkled in his eyes, as he raised his head and peered ponderously through the treetops, frowning at the blue. He drew to a halt and stood still for a moment, squinting into the light. “Damn that headstrong girl.” he said to himself. “She’s such a pain in the arse. I should just let her get what’s coming to her... let her learn the hard way... that’d serve her right.” he shook his head, frowning, as he blew out a lung full of air. “Pain – in – the – arse.” he repeated mechanically, articulating the syllables.
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