The Teddy Defenders Trilogy: Books 1-3

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The Teddy Defenders Trilogy: Books 1-3 Page 11

by Justin Sloan


  “Won’t happen,” the grizzly pirate said.

  Christmas lights seemed the best option for tying him up, and a moment later Ari had red, green, and white lights flashing across the bear’s body, the green wire holding him tight. Ari grabbed him by the vest and pulled him to the sliding glass door.

  “Here’s the deal, grizzly.” He shoved the grizzly’s face against the glass. “Our neighbor has a dog, and that dog loves to tear open teddy bears… yeah, that’s right. Talk.”

  The grizzly turned to Ari with a scoff, then heard the dog’s bark.

  “Okay, okay!” the grizzly said. “They’ll make him a pirate… it’s what they’re doing with all the new bears, before they get a chance to get attached to the kids. We wait until Santa drops them off, then we pounce.”

  “That’s horrible,” Mia said.

  Ari nodded in agreement. “But why?”

  “I’ve said enough,” the grizzly pirate said.

  “I disagree.” Ari turned to Brutas. “Open the door, we’re paying a visit to the neighbor.”

  “No!” the grizzly pirate shouted. “We’re forming an army, a pirate bear army.”

  “What in the teddy bear picnic could be the purpose of that?”

  “We’re going to take over this land, conquer it. When we’re done, it won’t be teddy bears defending children, no way. It’ll be humans catering to teddy bears. Bringing us honey whenever we want, reading us stories, not their whining children.”

  “What’s wrong with you?” Brutas asked, a look of horror on his face.

  Ari put an arm around her brother, shaking her head.

  “You think this was my idea?” the grizzly bear asked. “I wasn’t in on it from the beginning, but I get it. Think about it. Why should the children get all the love?”

  “Because they’re children,” Ari said. “Because they’re amazing, and because they love us too, in their way.”

  “Well, when Captain Crab gets ahold of you, perhaps you’ll feel different. He can be quite persuasive.”

  “I’m glad you mentioned this Captain Crab character.” Ari took the bandana from the grizzly pirate’s head and began tying it around his own, ignoring Mia’s confused stare. “You’re going to tell me how to get to him.”

  “What’ya mean?” Brutas asked.

  “We’re going to save the teddy bears.”

  Chapter 2: We be Pirates

  Mia stared at Ari, her mouth hanging open in shock. She shook her head, then pointed at him with her pink paw.

  “Ari, you can’t be serious.”

  “Why not?” He took the gold earring and stuck it in his own ear with a cringe of pain. “I don’t see how we have a choice.”

  “I can’t believe what you’re saying,” she said. “We have an obligation to protect Tiffany!”

  “Ever since we befriended the goblins and orcs, that hasn’t been a problem and you know it.” He held out his paw for the sword, but she held it behind her back.

  “We’re not doing this,” she said.

  The grizzly bear snickered, but then quieted with a look from Ari.

  “I can stay and protect her,” Brutas said with a quiver to his voice. “I mean, if you two want to rescue the bears.”

  Ari waited to see what Mia said, but she bit her lip, trying to work through this.

  “There’s no need for that,” she said to her brother.

  “It’s settled then,” Ari said. He put his foot on the grizzly bear. “Tell us how.”

  “You’ll never make it,” the grizzly bear said. “Captain Crab has a fortress, and even if you made it into the fortress, you’d have to fight him. Nobody fights him and walks away to tell about it.”

  “Maybe you didn’t hear us?” Mia said, sword to the grizzly bear’s nose. “We’re going, and you’ll tell us how.”

  The grizzly bear glared at the sword point, sneering. “Do it.”

  Mia pulled the sword back, preparing to strike, when Brutas yelled, “Wait!”

  “Yeah?” Ari turned, surprised.

  “What about the pouch in his vest?” Brutas bent down with difficulty, his big belly in the way, and pulled a pouch from the bear. “I saw the others throw some of this in the chimney before disappearing. Maybe it’ll work?”

  With a glance at the disappointed look on the grizzly bear’s face, Ari knew Brutas was right.

  “Great work,” Ari said as he took the pouch. “Mia, you coming?”

  “I don’t suppose I have a choice….”

  The grizzly bear laughed. “You think you’ll just board the captain’s ship and save the day?”

  “We’ll have you to help us,” Ari said, undoing the Christmas lights that held him captive. “Let’s get moving.”

  Ari took a handful of the powder and threw it in the fireplace. They leapt in, and a moment later a salty wind nearly blew Ari from the deck of a heaving ship. Brutas followed, then Mia flew past, tumbling in the wind. Ari grabbed her, pulling her to the deck beside him. She jabbed the sword into a wood plank to give her something to hold onto.

  “Thanks.”

  “We aren’t safe yet,” Ari said, motioning to green smoke that was starting to form nearby. He turned to the grizzly bear. “Get us below deck, and quick.”

  The grizzly hesitated, but Ari poked him with the sword, and he motioned for them to follow. It was just in time too, because the smoke above deck cleared to reveal three new grizzly pirates closing in as Ari and the others ducked below. Ari peeked back up and saw a net of teddy bears, squirming like caught fish.

  He lowered the hatch and assessed the grizzly bear. “You don’t feel sorry about this at all?”

  “Not one bit.” The grizzly held his gaze.

  “Well, just remember that you’ll feel very sorry if you make a peep, because you’ll have that sword in your fluff.”

  The grizzly gulped.

  “What’s the plan now?” Brutas asked.

  “We lay low.”

  “You could try that,” a low growl said from nearby. They turned to see a bear in the shadows. “But before long, we’ll be landing at the captain’s fortress, and then you’ll have your work cut out for you.”

  “Who are you?” Mia said, turning the sword on the newcomer. “Show yourself!”

  The bear stepped forward, where the swaying lamp cast its glow on his rough fur. He carried a stainless steel frying pan in one hand, a jar of honey in the other, and wore a bright green bandana tied around his head.

  “It’s just the cook,” the grizzly bear said, let down.

  “Just the cook?” the cook said. “Before these skallywags took me onboard, I was me own captain, sailing the seas as I pleased. And if you three means to take out Captain Crab, you have an ally in me, that be fore sure.”

  “You traitorous slug!” the grizzly bear shouted.

  “Quiet, you!” Mia said, turning the sword back on him. “Can this guy be trusted?”

  The cook laughed. “You ask him if I can be trusted? You can’t trust him to give an honest answer!”

  “He has a point,” Ari said. He studied the cook, who indeed looked scary. “We don’t have a choice. We need an inside bear.”

  “Welcome to the team,” Mia said, shaking hands with the cook.

  The first step was to take care of the grizzly bear, so that he couldn’t give them away. They found a closet to tie him up in, then stuffed a bandana in his mouth.

  As they were sneaking back up to the deck, a group of voices approached, singing, “Yo-ho, sleeping bears tell no tales, yo-ho.”

  “This way,” the cook hissed, and then pulled them aside behind a rack of swords. They stayed low as the bears passed, and Brutas even started nodding along with the song as it faded.

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” Ari said, causing Brutas to blush as bears do.

  At the top of the stairs, they could hear an especially stern grizzly voice rising above the several others talking above.

  “That’s the captain,” the cook said. />
  Ari nodded, then held his finger up for silence. “We mean to have a word with him.”

  “You do that now and you’re all as good as fluff in the seas.”

  “And what do you propose?” Mia asked.

  “Lie low. I take good care of you, and when the time’s right, we strike.”

  “And then?”

  “Then this boat here becomes mine, and I sail the Seventeen Seas on me own… Well, with a different crew, anyhow.”

  “One that doesn’t steal teddy bears on Christmas?” Brutas asked.

  “Aye, you’ve got my word on that.”

  “Deal,” Ari said. Mia and Brutas nodded in agreement, and they shook on it.

  The next few hours were spent hiding behind the stores of food, trying to keep quiet while sipping on cups of honey the cook brought them.

  The singing from above wasn’t bad, with songs from the bears above about sailing the Seventeen Seas of the teddy bear lands, or climbing the riggings and watching as the sunrise crested the water’s edge. One bear started into a Christmas song, but the others roared and booed and soon he was silent, the songs of the high seas taking over again.

  “So when the cook gives the word, we just run out charging?” Mia asked, moving one of her legs and poking Ari in the side by accident.

  “You got a better plan?” Ari asked. “All I know is, someone has to stop these bears and save Christmas.”

  “Won’t be enough,” the cook said, appearing around the corner with wooden swords.

  “What do you mean?” Brutas asked.

  “Yeah, explain yourself.” Ari stood, working a cramp from his shoulder. “And when are we attacking? I’m growing tired of this.”

  “The when is now,” the cook said. He tightened his green bandana and put his hands on his hips. “Land isn’t far ahead. But what I mean is, just stopping this captain ain’t gonna save Christmas, not as far as teddy bears are concerned, anyway. This captain’s just one of many spokes in the wheel. You want to get to the center, you’re going to have to get to the fortress of Almadrass.”

  “Let me guess,” Mia said. “Another haunted fortress?”

  “Ghosts would be the least of your worries there,” the cook said with a scoff. “I’m talking the meanest grizzly bears you’ve ever seen. The former royal guard themselves, turned pirate after they were exiled from the kingdom.”

  “We’re familiar with them,” Ari said, remembering the fight with the grizzlies to help Father Moroz. Only then, they’d had Father Moroz and a bunch of monsters fighting on their side. “We won’t be able to take them, not on our own.”

  “Aye, it’s not likely. But if you had the treasure of Cordoz, perhaps you’d have a chance. Perhaps then you’d be able to buy your own ship, find others such as myself to join you, and form an attack.”

  “This is getting way too complicated,” Mia said.

  “Is it ever too complicated when Christmas and teddy bears are at risk?”

  “He has a point, again,” Ari said. “We have to find this treasure of Cor….? What was it again?”

  “Cordoz,” the cook said. “And it ain’t easily found, I’m afraid. Part of the reason, perhaps the only reason, these armies of teddy bears are being formed is to find that treasure. You find it before the dreaded Captain Crab, you’ll have made yourself a powerful enemy, that’s for sure.”

  “But on that day, we’ll have you to count on as a friend, eh?”

  “Sure will,” the cook said with a grin. “Now, you ready for this here mutiny?”

  “Argh,” Brutas said, earning him a glare from Mia. “Just trying to play the part.”

  “Let’s get to it then,” the cook said, and he turned to lead the attack.

  Chapter 3: Mutiny

  The bears crept through the hold and past two pirate bears who had fallen asleep with mugs of honey in their paws. They weren’t the big bears, and certainly not grizzlies.

  “New recruits,” the cook explained.

  “You mean….” Mia stared, unable to say it.

  “Aye, teddy bears taken, made to sail.”

  “Shouldn’t we rescue them?” Brutas asked in an unsure voice.

  “No good,” the cook said, motioning them on. “They’re already in too deep. Drank too much of the Captain’s honey, as it were. They’d spill your stuffing in an instant, if given the chance.”

  “Let’s not give them that chance, then!” Ari hissed, hurrying to catch up with the cook. “So what’s the plan, exactly?”

  “Lucky for you, I slipped a bit of cough syrup into the ship’s honey pot.”

  “How does that help us?” Ari asked, bewildered. “I don’t need any, if you’re saying….”

  “No, it puts them to sleep. Don’t you human-world bears know anything?”

  “Human-world bears?” Ari asked.

  Mia stepped up, a paw on his. “Just ignore Ari,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He really doesn’t know anything.”

  “Hey.” Ari scowled at her.

  “Are we here to chit-chat?” she asked. “Or rescue some bears and save Christmas?”

  “Indeed.” The cook lifted the hatch to the deck, then motioned. “Over there. Not all of them will be asleep yet, but if you can sneak past the ones that are, take command of the wheel and take the captain hostage, the others’ll surrender.”

  “Here goes, then,” Ari said, preparing to run. “Mia, you take the wheel. I’ll need Brutas to help me take the captain.”

  They charged, staying low so that the pirates wouldn’t see them. They were glad to see that the moon was behind the clouds, but a strong wind told Ari it wouldn’t be the case for long.

  “You hear something?” a scratchy voice said, causing Ari and the others to freeze. A shadow appeared around the other side of the mast, and Ari ducked behind a barrel.

  “Probably the rats again,” a female voice said. “If you see them, let me know. My pet Whiskers hasn’t been around for two days.”

  Ari spotted Mia crouched by a pile of rope. Above her, Brutas had somehow managed to climb into the riggings. Brutas smiled and waved, but then lost his balance and toppled down with a crash.

  “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” the cook said from behind as pirate bears stormed the deck, surrounding Brutas.

  “Thought you said they’d be asleep!” Ari said, looking around frantically at the dozen or so bears.

  “They practically are,” the cook said, motioning.

  Sure enough, most of the bears surrounding Brutas were wobbly, their eyes only half open as they tried to figure out what was happening.

  “New plan,” Ari yelled, not caring that half the bears had turned his direction. “Charge!”

  Ari ran forward, wooden sword at the ready. He took down the first bear with a parry and then a sweep of the leg, the second with a disarming movement and then a throw that sent the pirate bear to collide with two others, nearly knocking them overboard.

  Brutas was spinning in circles, holding two bears so that they acted as weapons to knock back the sleepy bears nearby, while Mia had climbed into the riggings.

  “Look out!” she yelled, and Ari spun in time to see a sword pass inches from his face. Mia leapt and landed on the bear, knocking him back. She quickly used a rope to tie his arms, and then joined Ari to fight their way forward.

  “Just get the wheel!” the cook shouted. Several of the bears turned to him, confused, unsure who he was talking to.

  Two more bears sprang from the riggings to land near Ari, swords at the ready. Ari lunged, but the taller of the bears struck the blow to the side and whopped Ari hard on the head.

  Mia caught the other with a kick, and then Brutas came charging through, taking them both down. But more bears were climbing out of hatches and dropping from the riggings.

  “Almost there!” Mia called, pushing her way through the pirates with Brutas in the lead.

  “Argh!” Brutas shouted as a fishing net fell over him. Bears leapt to hold it in place so he could
n’t escape.

  Mia grabbed the rope to pull the net off of him, but three bears took her down, pinning her arms to the deck. Only Ari was left, and it didn’t look good. He held his sword at the ready, but there were too many of them. He was surrounded.

  “Give it up, Tadra,” said a deep voice in a growl. A silence came over the boat as everyone turned to face the raised ledge at the bow. The silhouette of a large bear stepped forward. At first he was hidden in the shadows, but then the ship made a hard turn to starboard, casting the moonlight onto the face of a grizzly bear, a long scar across his face from right eye to left ear.

  “Cap’n Cutburn,” the cook, who they now knew as Tadra, said. “I caught these ones for you.”

  Ari turned to Tardra, furious. “Like Honey you did.”

  “Stand down, cub,” Tadra said.

  Ari hesitated, but one look at Mia and Brutas showed they would back him up if he continued the fight.

  “We don’t surrender so easy,” Ari said, pulling moonlight into his fists so that they glowed like balls of soft fire.

  Mia and Brutas did the same, stepping beside him to show they were ready for whatever the pirates could bring.

  “HOLD!” Tadra yelled, stepping forward. “I lied, I was with them, and for that I must apologize. But don’t be taking action you’ll regret.”

  “What’re you talking about?” the captain said, eyes jumping between the bears’ glowing fists and his cook.

  “There be land close. I know, because that’s where I was planning to dump you if we were successful. But you win, see? You’d be doing something awfully kind if you’d just drop us off on this same land.”

  Something was going on here, Ari was sure of it. Why this sudden change in Tadra? And the captain was looking at him long and hard, as if he was actually considering this! These pirates didn’t fit the image Ari had in his mind about how pirates behaved, that was certain. Otherwise, he would have been forced to walk the plank.

  “Very well,” the captain said. “But you’ll be tied up until we reach shore.”

  “Agreed,” Tadra said.

  “No, not agreed!” Ari strode forward, fists still glowing. “We came here to rescue the bears you’re taking, to save Christmas. Not to be marooned.”

 

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