She still had yet to make her own weapon and was quite ashamed of this fact. Though she would never share the revelation with him, of course.
“Well,” she said with a sniff, “I am grateful. I suppose.”
“You are?” Henrick pretended to be shocked. “I can't believe I'm hearing such words come from you.”
Blink laughed, apparently amused by the conversation.
“Yes. Thank you.” Radianne did a little curtsy. “But don't let it go to your head. If that thing gets any bigger, it will definitely float away. Although,” she paused for a moment and rubbed her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “That might be a good idea actually. Let it inflate. Maybe then you can carry Blink home!”
Henrick chuckled and shook his head. They continued deeper into the jungle.
The world under the trees was shady and the air felt cool, warm and moist all at once. Radianne marveled at the wonders of the jungle, though did tire of constantly having to swat bugs away as she walked. A large green beetle waddled up her arm and she promptly plucked it off, tossing it to the ground. It shimmered as it ran off.
“Kind of disgusting and beautiful at the same time,” she murmured.
“They're just curious,” Henrick said. “Come on. A girl like you? Such an adventurer? You shouldn't be put off my a mere beetle.”
Radianne rolled her eyes and smiled.
They continued walking for hours, taking in the jungle's unusual sights as they went.
Once, they came across an odd hairy yellow tree that grew luscious pink fruit and they stopped to eat some of it. The fruit was the sweetest Radianne had ever tasted, and she would never forget its deliciousness. Even if the tree had looked unsettling.
They trod over giant tree stumps and through bright green, dew-covered brush and vines that threatened to tangle up their legs. Mushrooms in all colors of the rainbow sprouted up here and there, and thankfully, none of them were topped with ugly little insects or smelled bad.
Monkeys swung overhead, making shrieking sounds as they passed. Radianne and Blink were captivated by the creatures, and Radianne almost stumbled more than once as they stared up at the trees to take in their antics.
“We need to find a place to camp for the night, while it is still somewhat light out,” Henrick said. “Never mind those monkeys. They can be cheeky little thieving beasts. And all sorts of nasty things come out and about in these parts at night.”
Seemingly as comfortable in this new environment as he'd been in the others, Henrick led the way to yet another cave hidden away near a jungle waterfall, complete with a small pool.
Radianne supposed Henrick spent a good deal of his life living in caves, which was why he could spot them so easily.
The cave and its surroundings were glorious. “How beautiful,” she whispered, as they walked past the sparkling blue waterfall and into the moss-covered cavern. “This is the most beautiful place!”
Henrick smirked. He had known she would say that. Every place seemed beautiful to her. He opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, as he usually did, but just then she turned to him and hugged him.
The gesture surprised both of them. They both stilled for a moment, startled. Just as quickly as she'd embraced him, she pulled away.
Radianne ignored how warm and happy she'd felt when she'd hugged him. Instead, she focused her attention on Blink. “What do you think of our new quarters?”
“Quite lovely. I will have many stories to tell of such wondrous places when I get back to the sky,” the star said quietly.
They settled into the mossy cave, which came complete with a perfect view of the waterfall, and shared stories together as the day grew older.
Some time later Radianne said she wanted to take a walk before the sun set. She also wanted to fill up the water flask. She stood.
“Wait, I'll come with you,” Henrick was up on his feet in a flash, before she could protest.
She shrugged. “OK.” Turning to Blink, she asked him if he'd like to come as well.
“No, I think I will stay here and just enjoy the view,” he said. He still hadn't gotten over his fear of water and he was trying to conserve his ever-waning energy.
Radianne and Henrick walked out of the cave and down to the grassy bank situated beside the small pool.
“Do you suppose there are giant water snakes in there?” Radianne asked, as she stopped and stared into the water. She imagined all kinds of horrible creatures that could potentially be lurking beneath. Though the waterfall was a sparkling blue, the depths were also somewhat murky where it pooled. How deep they were, one could only guess.
Henrick stopped beside her. “Yes. And they are huge. Last time I was here I decided to go for a swim and a large black snake came after me with this giant gaping mouth and razor sharp, venomous fangs. I escaped the bite of death just in time.”
Eyes wide, Radianne looked at him, and then back at the water, with horror. “How awful. And here I thought this was such a lovely place.”
“You think every place is lovely,” Henrick laughed. “Appearances can be deceiving you know.”
A devious thought suddenly crossed his mind. It would just be a little joke, he thought. Harmless, really. She wanted adventure, he thought, she was going to get it!
“The snakes especially like to eat young ladies,” he continued, and before he could second-guess himself, he gave Radianne a little push into the lake.
With a giant splash, Radianne fell.
When she surfaced, she unleashed some of the most ear-splitting shrieks Henrick had ever heard in his life. She flailed around as if she were drowning, crying out about water snakes.
He stood on the grassy bank, doubled over in laughter.
“Help me! Help me!” Radianne screamed.
In the distance, Henrick could see Blink appear at the mouth of the cave, obviously concerned by his friend's screams. He waved at the star to reassure him that all was well and figured he better quiet her down before she attracted undue attention from real nefarious jungle dwellers.
Radianne felt like she was going to die at any moment. She floundered in the water, struggling to swim to the grassy bank. Panic had gotten the best of her and she was sure she would meet her doom. She screamed again at the very idea of it, her adrenaline and temper roaring to life. She couldn't believe Henrick had pushed her in. Anger giving her a sudden burst of energy, she forcefully propelled herself through the water and flung her body up onto the bank. Shaking in both rage and terror, she remained there for several moments, soaking wet in the tall green grass.
Henrick walked over and stared down at her with a huge grin on his face. He continued to laugh as she glared up at him with narrowed eyes. She could have been strangled to death and he thought the situation was funny!?
“You horrible, horrible beast of a boy! You could have killed me!” Radianne jumped up then, fists clenched, eyes flashing, hair dripping. “And this whole time, you've been acting like you wanted to help me! Maybe you actually want me to die. Maybe, you want to take Blink away from me for some corrupt reason!”
The color drained from her face as she thought of Henrick betraying her in such a manner. She knew the thoughts were probably irrational, but she felt a little out of sorts at the moment. Darting a frantic look toward the cave, she was slightly comforted by the sight of the little star waving to her.
She waved back. Then she turned and glared daggers at Henrick again. “Why did you do it? I could have been killed!”
“Calm down, Radianne.” Henrick sighed and took a step closer to her, shaking his head at her frazzled and ridiculous thoughts. However, he couldn't help but also notice how especially fetching she looked in her rage. “It was just a joke. I made that story up.”
Radianne scowled. He lied? That made things even worse, she thought. She wondered how she could trust him when it came to anything then. She told him as much.
“What else have you been lying about? That was horrible of you Henrick!”
/>
Nerves had weakened her legs, so Radianne had to sit down. Lowering herself again to the grass, she took a deep breath. She was so embarrassed for screaming the way she had, but she also knew it was justified. She sat with her head in her hands and tried to take deep breaths to calm her frazzled spirits.
As if finally realizing just how unhappy he'd made her, Henrick sat down beside her and attempted to make amends.
“I'm sorry,” he said quietly. “I suppose I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Things have been getting too intense. What with last night's revelations and all…”
The breeze picked up. Radianne shivered as it rippled against her damp skin. Her anger faded a little, as she thought about his confession the night before.
They were both quiet for a few moments.
Henrick spoke first. “Thanks for trying to be a friend last night,” he offered. “I haven't shared what happened with anyone before. In fact, I haven't talked to anyone much these last several years. So I apologize if my moods are a bit shifty and my conversational skills aren't always the best. I'm still trying to make sense of it all and figure out where my future is headed.”
Radianne knew she was supposed to be annoyed with him at the moment – for good reason – but there he'd gone and changed the mood once again.
“Sure. No problem,” she replied, even if still a bit miffed, and looked at the water.
Once again, she was feeling sorry for him. When just a moment before she'd been so angry she could have slapped him. She wondered how she was supposed to continue to travel with such a person when her emotions seemed to be in constant turmoil in his presence. From the moment she'd met him, he'd turned everything upside down.
“I really am sorry,” Henrick reached out and touched her hand then, a gesture which surprised her and sent a kind of tingle up her arm. “I would have never let you fall into that water if I truly thought it was dangerous. And I'm sorry for lying about the snake story. I have not lied about anything else. Will you forgive me?”
She looked up and his blue eyes met her green. She blushed. Again.
Reaching out with his free hand, Henrick gently tilted her chin up with one finger and moved his face toward hers before she knew what was happening.
She froze and did not turn away as she usually did.
Henrick moved closer.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered again.
As he brought his lips down to hers, Radianne melted into the kiss, all anger and confusion momentarily being shuffled to the back of her mind.
In that moment, she couldn't think of anything except how nice the kiss felt. It was like nothing she'd experienced before. It was like a dance…
Though the sun was fading and the sky growing dark, her world lit up in that moment. It was, for Radianne, another moment of pure magic and light.
Henrick pulled her closer in an embrace, encircling her with his strong arms as he held her against his chest. She could feel his heart pressed against hers, thudding loudly, matching the wild beat of her own. They held each other for another moment, and then she pulled away.
“Uh, I'm, uh sorry…” Henrick trailed off.
At a loss for words herself, Radianne clumsily struggled to her feet, not sure why, exactly. She felt dizzy.
Henrick stood as well, but he seemed equally as awkward.
“It's getting dark,” he managed to say. “We had better be getting back.”
He reached out a hand to her. She placed her fingers in his, timidly.
They found their balance again. Hand in hand, the two of them walked back to the cave. Back to Blink.
-13-
The Floppersnogs
B
link watched in horror as Henrick pushed Radianne into the water. She soon surfaced and screamed and he prepared himself to go to her rescue. Somehow. Even if he was afraid of water, he would save his friend.
He may not be a strong star, but he knew one thing. If Henrick was hurting Radianne, Blink would be valiant and fight! He would also bite!
But then – something remarkable happened.
Radianne climbed up onto the grass and was still for a time, and then she yelled at Henrick again. And then – then Blink watched as the the two of them brought their faces close together and embraced.
How peculiar, he thought. Were they in love? But how could that be? They always seemed so angry with each other.
His thoughts drifted to stars back home. When two stars were in love, they aligned. But stars had to control their passions. If stars ever got too angry or heated up, they could explode into a supernova. He'd seen it happen once or twice when a star had allowed jealousy to get the best of them when it came to romance.
Frowning, Blink studied what was happening between Radianne and Henrick more closely. He could see sparks flying between them. Hopefully, nothing catastrophic would happen because of that sparkling moment they'd shared.
When they began walking back toward the cave, hand in hand, Blink moved away from the entrance. These Eugladians were quite interesting, and very confusing, he thought.
**************
Radianne woke up to what sounded like an angry beast growling loudly at the mouth of the cave.
Quickly, she sat up. Though she was still half asleep, she could make out the hulking, shadowy shape of the creature crouching just ahead, its form blocking out the morning light.
A scream escaped from her lips. She couldn't help it. There, at the entrance to the cave, was an enormous black jungle cat, barring the way out. The beast stared at the intruders in its midst with narrowed and evil-looking yellowed eyes.
Henrick woke at once, jumping up and ready to fight.
“Stay calm,” he said, seemingly trying to prove his manliness in the situation, though it was evident his nerves were frayed.
Radianne rolled her eyes. “I think you are the one who needs to stay calm,” she hissed.
Blink, also awake, moved close to her side.
She silently berated herself. She wished she could do something for once, instead of sitting there helpless and relying on Henrick to figure out the answer.
He crouched down and picked up the large branch he'd used to clear their pathway through the jungle brush. It was lying on the cave floor, conveniently very close to his feet. Radianne nervously watched as he moved slowly toward the large feline.
“It might attack if it feels threatened,” Radianne warned as Henrick lifted the branch and wielded it like a weapon. She could at least give him advice, she thought. Not that he would take it.
“I know how to handle this.”
He walked a little closer to the animal as it stood motionless and continued to scrutinize them.
Suddenly, it spoke. “You're in my cave,” it said it a low, dangerous voice.
Henrick stood his ground.
“I came to sleep now,” the large cat continued, arching its back and lazily stretching out its long and powerful legs. It flexed its dangerous looking claws in the process. “It was a long night on the prowl and I'm very irritable as I didn't find what I was looking for.”
Pausing, the creature licked its chops as it looked at each cave intruder. “However, you all would make a tasty breakfast indeed.”
Sighing, the beast then flicked its drooping tail side to side. “But as hungry as I am, I won't maul you if you promise to leave immediately. I'm quite tired. Think and move fast. For I am likely to change my mind.”
Radianne darted a quick look at Henrick as she held Blink close. She hoped he would keep the dagger in his pocket hidden, as she knew it would probably just anger the cat. The threat of the branch was bad enough.
She stood. “Of course, you can have your cave back,” she said, nodding sharply to Henrick, daring him to argue with her.
She raised an eyebrow at the surprised look on his face – he apparently was shocked at her taking charge. She knew that had to change. She looked back at the cat. “We will leave at once.”
The feline watched wi
th amusement as the three of them gathered what little belongings they had and swiftly made their way across the cave, staying close to the walls as they moved toward the entrance, avoiding coming too close to its body.
“And don't ever return,” the big cat warned, letting out one last menacing growl and hiss as it whipped its tail around and retreated into the darkness.
It was with great relief that the trio stepped out into the sunlight.
“That was close,” Radianne breathed. “Thank The Creator we're still alive.”
“That cat was too tired to do much harm to us,” Henrick said. “We were fine.”
Radianne smirked. As brave as Henrick might pretend to be, he could not hide the relief in his voice. Apparently, big cats scared him. But she knew he would try to keep pretending he feared nothing.
Tall jungle grasses and meandering vines hanging suspended from thick trees brushed across their faces as they walked. This caused the terrain to become quite unmanageable for Blink, who once again attached himself to Radianne's hair.
She didn't mind. She was growing fond of having the star sit on her shoulder, and welcomed the positive and odd energy he gave her every time they touched. Blink seemed to enjoy his perch too.
Henrick whistled as they walked, whacking away at any offending plants that obstructed their passage deeper into the jungle.
Small, hidden animals could be heard scurrying about making rustling sounds, but none of the creatures seemed overly interested in introducing themselves.
Several hours into the journey however, a peculiar group of forest animals appeared. The creatures were small, round, and furry, with brightly-colored plumes of hair standing straight up on top of their heads. The animals had large round eyes and tiny, O-shaped mouths. Every now and then one them would run up to Radianne and Henrick, sniff the air, squeal, and run away.
“How adorable,” Radianne said as one puffy blue individual darted away from her feet with a squeak. “Do you have any idea what these little ones are?” She turned to Henrick, waiting for the answer she knew would come.
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