Wildale Glades P3 Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Continuing Onward


    It's been a few days since Hanson, Jessie, Evan, and Outlaw discovered the name of the evil man they have been tracking down, Maurice. He, like Outlaw, had no last name, or at least they never heard it. After the battle in the treetops, Outlaw said that they should take a little shortcut through the Dark Lowlands. How was it? Uh...Well, actually, all it was was a lot of dried, pitch-black dirt as far as the eye could see and a ton of steep valleys.
    "How many more valleys?!" asked Hanson, massaging his feet as they stopped to rest the first day they set foot into the lowlands.
    Evan got out the map. "A lot," he groaned.
    "Some shortcut," Hanson growled, glaring at the patient Outlaw. "My feet aren't meant for this kind of punishment! If I have to tumble down another slope..."
    "Hey, I'm about as bad; the only thing between the very rough, hard ground and my feet is a layer of beaten cloth," retorted Evan.
    Jessie sighed. "Evan, just ditch the socks, already!! At least wear some moccasins or something, or maybe some better wrappings?!"
    "I don't know how to make moccasins, and monks can only wear their own hand-made clothes! Wrappings wouldn't be much better, and besides, I don't really know how to make them well, either!"
    "Peh! I know how, and I never wear them anyway!" Jessie said.
    "And you! You're just fine with all this, and you're making fun of us!" Hanson growled. "I thought that you had a heart!"
    "Hey, at least I don't stink!" Jessie retorted.
    "Yes, you do! You smell musky all the time!" Evan shouted.
    "Well, it's part of being a ferret! I was talking about regular body odor, you--"
    Outlaw couldn't take it any longer. He took out Shot and fired into the sky. This cut Jessie off, as well as making everyone jump and shut up. They looked at him, hearts beating a mile a minute.
    "Shut up," he said slowly. "I've never really heard of this place before, but I've heard of a place that is the worst in all of Wildale to everyone. I know now why it's called the Dark Lowlands." He lowered and holstered his pistol. "With so many valleys, it could drive anyone insane whilst traversing it on foot. This black soil..." He picked up a handful of the dry, crumbling soil. "Farmers despise it for the fact that nothing can grow in it. It's entirely infertile, and there's so much of it here; it would be a paradise if things would grow in it." He let the dirt fall through his fingers.
    He turned to them again. "Let's just try and keep together. We can't fall victim to this place. This must be the place that holds the rumors of travelers going insane and attacking their companions, sometimes killing."
    Everyone stared as he sat down again. Then, after a long time, they looked at one another and hung their heads.
    "Haah...I'm sorry, Evan," Jessie said in a small voice.
    "Yeah, me too, to both of you. I shouldn't've lashed out on you like that, Hanson," said the monk, low-voiced.
    "That's...okay. I...Gah, I'm whining. But this soil is dry and crumbly, and it kinda hurts a little bit, even though my hide is as tough as, most likely tougher than, armor-quality hardened leather. I'm sorry for arguing, guys." Hanson looked up and sighed.
    "Guys, let's go back into Ringakou. It's much better there," Jessie suggested. They agreed. Later on, they realized something: If the way a piece of land is laid out could try to get them arguing like that, imagine what would happen if Maurice could try to force them to turn on each other. They would have to try harder at maintaining and strengthening their friendship. But even if Maurice didn't try that, friendship is always something that needs to become stronger, so even if he never does try, their efforts will not go unrewarded.


    ~*~*~*~*~*~


    A rabbit and a badger walked through the thick woods. It was none other than Maple Hera, Jessie's childhood rabbit friend, and her traveling partner, Benton Nisnocsiw. Benton had decided to ditch his unsuccessful career as a wandering minstrel, as well as his old morningstar, for a larger, and much odder, weapon, as well as the class of a warrior. Maple kept on being who she was, an archer skilled with the bow. She looked at the new weapon on Benton's back.
    "Benton, why did you get that stupid thing?" she asked for the umpteenth time.
    The badger took the object from his back and looked at it. "To get stronger, it looks cool, and I think that what that geezer said was right, that this could let me fly," he listed.
    Maple groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Benton..." She put her paw over her face.
    Only a few yards away, our more-familiar group was walking, trying to navigate the many trees in the huge forest. Outlaw was looking at the map with Evan, while Jessie tried to talk to them.
    "Right, okay, so, now we're...uh...where? As in, how close to the Highlands?" she asked, and quite frankly, sounding like a blo-er, ditz(*phew!*).
    "I said, it's gonna take a few more days for us to get to Johen," replied Evan irritably.
    "Ey, am I gonna gave to lecture you guys again, or what?" teased Outlaw, showing a rare bit of humor accompanied with a small smile. He looked at the map. "Anyway, we're about past the most northern tip of the Lowlands' weird, claw-like peninsula-thing, latitude-wise, so it can't be far." Outlaw looked forward again. Hanson, leading the way, stopped, causing the three to walk right into Outlaw, who had stopped as well. "What's up, big guy?" he asked.
    "Wait...guys, do I hear someone else talking?" he asked, softly. The others stopped what they were doing and listened.
    Maple was telling what her opinion on Benton's weapon was. "A piece of crap, I say. A waste of Buhgarii and a perfectly good morningstar!"
    Benton snorted. "Just wait until I try it out, you'll see." He looked around, and his eyes caught a small glimpse of red among the foliage. What the...?
    "What's up, big guy?"
    "I see someth--" the red patch moved, "--one."
    Hanson narrowed his eyes, while Jessie's and Evan's ears perked up. Outlaw decided to try closing his left eye.
    "Someone's coming," Jessie said. Suddenly, she heard someone, definatly.
    Maple, in need to see someone else for fear of sanity, eagerly shouted, "HELLO-OOHH!!" Benton, right by her, held his ears gingerly, saying that that hurt.
    "Wait a..." Jessie's eyes widened, and Hanson and Outlaw looked at her, as did Evan. "Hello?" she shouted back, unsure of the direction of the sound.
    "WHO'S THERE?!"
    "...OW..."
    "Jessie Suconchi!"
    "JESSIE?! HOLD IT!!" In about five seconds, Maple came barreling to her. Now, if she can locate someone via sound that well without natural sonar, those must be really fine ears!! ...Sorry...Anyway, moving right along!
    Jessie gasped. "MAPLE?!" The two ran to each other, reunited once again. Hanson, Evan, and Benton as he came over, rolled their eyes, while Outlaw, new to these people, simply stood there, puzzled at who these furries were.


Fine ears!!!