He always had an answer, so she was surprised when he said he didn't know.
“Wow, for once there's something you can't explain,” she teased, noting, with pleasure the flush that crept up Henrick's cheeks. She was secretly delighted. It was about time he faced his own share of embarrassment. She turned her attention back to the strange creatures.
One of the animals seemed to be quite taken with Henrick. It stared up at him with large brown eyes, apparently fascinated. But as soon as Henrick reached down to touch it, it began to shout unintelligible words.
“Floppersnog! Floppersnog!”
The furball bounced around, yelling loudly.
“Floppersnog! Floppersnog!”
As it shouted, ten more of the little creatures came running out from under the shelter of nearby trees.
“Woggle doo snog!” they yelled back.
“Let's get out of there,” Henrick muttered, quickly moving ahead. “They may be like the Oodles.” He grabbed Radianne's hand and they began to run, trying to get away from the noisy, bouncing animals. Radianne was a little disappointed, as she had initially thought the creatures were a cute and harmless bunch.
She felt a sense of deja vu as they ran. “What is it with all the loud creatures we keep running into?”
She and Henrick were so focused on escaping the noise that they didn't pay full attention to where they were going.
Until they crashed into a mountain of fur. They looked up.
An angry face stared down at them from a few feet above their heads. It was a giant version of the smaller creatures and it did not look pleased with their unfortunate crash into its large and soft belly.
“Floppersnog bellow Mog!” It said the words accusingly, grimacing at Radianne and Henrick as it thrust a furry finger at them.
“We really have to stop upsetting all these creatures,” Radianne whispered, taking a few steps back. “This is getting ridiculous. Worms, monstrous crabs, starving jungle cats, and now, now this thing…” she trailed off as the beast stamped its foot in anger.
“Nobber Mog!”
The giant plume upon the creature's head began to twitch. “Nobber Mog!”
Suddenly, all its little replicas reappeared. They kept their distance and cowered in the tall grasses, peeking out at the unfolding scene with fear in their eyes.
“Nobber Mog,” the large one said again, more quietly this time.
“Hmm. Those must be its children,” Radianne noted.
Henrick and Blink said nothing. They watched in fascination as the smaller creatures stared up at the larger creature with their eyes wide, waiting to see what it would do. The plume on the giant one's head began twitching more rapidly. The creature soon began huffing, puffing, and repeatedly stamping its large furry feet on the jungle floor.
“Floppersnog bellow Mog. Nobber Mog ubber nobber!”
Blink shifted on Radianne's shoulder. “I'm going to say something,” he said. “Maybe I can help calm it down.”
Radianne was a little surprised. Blink had been pretty quiet on the journey so far, but perhaps he'd been growing more comfortable in her world. And perhaps he'd had enough of the creature's outbursts. The annoying sound was getting to him.
Or, maybe, she thought, he was tired of her and Henrick making all the decisions, all the time. Maybe he wanted his turn.
She expected her star friend would be polite and could possibly indeed calm the situation.
“Floppersnog to you!” Blink shouted at the giant furball.
Radianne's eyes went wide.
The large beast stopped stamping and turned to look. When it spotted the source of the sound, its eyes also grew large with amazement.
“Soppernog!” it exclaimed, clapping two furry paws together in apparent delight. A huge grin broke out across its big-eyed, purple puffy face.
The little ones jumped out of the grass. “Soppernog!” they chanted.
At that precise moment, the large creature lunged forward and grabbed Blink in one swift move from Radianne's shoulder. It did a little dance of celebration as it did so.
Blink screamed.
All the furry creatures turned and began to bounce away in formation, the large one leading the pack.
“Help me! Help me!” Blink cried out.
Radianne and Henrick gave chase, following the beast and its babies as they bounded through the jungle. Their little arms flailed up and down as they bounced.
When Radianne and Henrick finally managed to get close enough, they launched themselves onto the bigger creature's burly back and grabbed fistfuls of its fur.
Henrick decided the creature didn't seem dangerous enough to warrant a stab from the dagger. Not at that moment anyway.
“Let go of him this instant!” Radianne commanded as she forcefully pulled at a tuft of hair.
“Floppersnog! Floppersnog!” the creature screamed, arching and bucking its back in protest of the assault.
As Radianne and Henrick attacked, the smaller creatures began to cry. They all sat down in the grass and began moaning with deep and pitiful little sobs, rubbing their eyes.
Blink cried out again as the larger creature shook off its two assailants, sending Radianne and Henrick rolling to one side. The creature held him high in the air and waved him around with pride, triumphant. It would not give up its prize that easily.
Radianne stood up quickly, prepared to fight. She had to act fast. She was afraid of what the stress of the situation would do to Blink.
But it was Henrick who attacked first. Launching himself at the lumbering creature, he yanked on the plume twitching violently on top of its head.
Howling in pain, the giant purple ball of fur dropped Blink to the jungle floor. The battle was won.
The star quickly ran for cover behind a tree and Henrick rejoined Radianne. They watched with fascination, and admittedly, a little pity, as the giant furball began to cry, its sobs soon matching the sounds the little ones were making. It sadly sat down with a big thud, next to its children.
“Soppernog, soppernog,” they all wailed.
The sight was very pathetic to Radianne. She began to feel guilty for her actions. The strange animal probably wouldn't have hurt Blink, in the end.
“I hope we didn't hurt it,” she whispered to Henrick.
As the creatures all cried, Blink ran out from his tree and joined Radianne and Henrick.
“Why do you suppose they are crying and saying that strange word?” he asked.
Henrick shook his head and shrugged. “Perhaps I was too rough. I'll go speak with them and see what this is all about.”
“They probably won't understand you,” Radianne said and raised an eyebrow. “In case you haven't noticed, they are speaking their own language.”
“Worth a try.” Henrick shrugged again.
He walked to the circle of crying creatures and sat down in the center of the bunch. They continued to cry, but their sobs began to fade as they sniffled and studied his face.
Henrick sat up straight. He raised his shoulders and lifted his palms upwards in a shrug, trying to get them to understand he was confused.
One little green creature stood up and bounced over to Blink, waving its small furry arms around.
“Soppernog,” it wailed sadly.
Radianne suddenly thought she understood. The creatures must have recognized Blink as a star and they wanted to keep him in their group for themselves, for some reason. Maybe they were just lonely, or, more likely, they were as fascinated by Blink as everyone else who had come into contact with him. He had that magnetic draw and sense of mystery about him. She wasn't sure what the creatures would do with him, exactly, but she was certain he was what they wanted.
“I think they must want Blink to be part of their little tribe,” she suggested. “Maybe you should explain where he comes from.”
Henrick stood. “They probably know that already. I'm not sure that makes much sense.”
It made perfect sense to her. Radianne
picked up Blink and walked directly into the circle. All the creatures watched with great interest as she held Blink up against the sky.
“Soppernog must return,” she said, jabbing the index finger on her free hand toward the clouds. “Home.”
The creatures stared silently for a moment, seemingly awestruck, before they began nodding in apparent understanding.
“Soppernog. Home. Soppernog. Home,” they repeated.
“Well I guess they can understand what we are saying after all,” Henrick murmured, impressed. He raised an eyebrow at Radianne. “Good work.”
She smiled.
The larger creature stood and its children followed suit. They formed a circle around Radianne and Blink and began to dance, singing the word “Soppernog” over and over again in a unified chant.
Though a little uncomfortable, Radianne stood still and tried to appease them for some time, but soon grew weary and wanted to move on. There really was no time to waste. She still was uncertain of how Blink would respond to the stress of the day's events.
“Ok, let's go,” she whispered to Henrick. “Time to escape.”
She stepped out of the circle, cradling Blink close, and ignored the creatures. She walked away from the group. Henrick followed.
They tried to keep up a steady and fast pace as they departed, hoping the creatures would not trail them.
Radianne turned her head to take a peek. All the creatures were in formation bounding after them, with the large one heading up the back. No such luck.
“Looks like we have company,” she whispered.
“Wonderful,” Henrick muttered.
“Maybe if we ignore them, they'll eventually leave,” Blink offered.
“I don't know Blink,” Radianne said with a smile. “You are quite the charmer. Who wouldn't want to be around you?” She patted him as he sat on her shoulder. “Hopefully they won't try to snatch you up again. I also hope you are feeling well.”
“It was actually a little exciting,” Blink admitted. “I'm feeling fine.”
As they progressed through the jungle, the odd parade of creatures continued pursuing them. Their plumes flew in the air as they bounced and Radianne thought they made quite the sight.
“We should call them Floppersnogs,” she decided, and voiced her thoughts out loud. “That must be what they are or what they call themselves, since they keep saying that word.”
“We should call them annoying,” Henrick countered, with a sigh. “I hope they leave soon.”
They continued to walk. There were no fruit or nut trees in sight, and it had been a long time since they'd eaten. Radianne's stomach was growling. They stopped for water at a jungle creek, but the lack of food was making them weary.
As Radianne and Henrick refreshed themselves with a splatter of cool water on their faces, Radianne studied the Floppersnogs again. The furry creatures sat quietly under a nearby tree, staring at Blink who sat at a safe distance away from the water.
“They are harmless enough, I think,” she said to Henrick.
And, she thought, later in the day, they proved themselves to be very useful too. At one point, the larger creature bounded up to a brightly colored tree and vigorously shook its branches. Down came a colorful array of fruit. The whole group enjoyed the delicious bounty before moving on.
Radianne wondered how long the creatures would follow them. It was almost nightfall. She didn't mind the creatures so much after spending time with them, but thought it was peculiar the animals still trailed.
“Most likely they will not leave the jungle.” Henrick yawned. “But for now, I think it's time for us to set up camp.”
A clearing soon came into sight and the group chose a location near a couple of large trees in the center, after scanning the dark jungle encircling the area for any signs of danger.
As the sun set, all settled down for the night. The mother Floppersnog curled up into a ball, and the ten little ones nestled in close to her fur.
The sight brought to Radianne's mind the picture of her own mother again, and her father. She thought, regretfully, of how she had often taken her whole family for granted. She wondered what they were doing and if they were worried. As she frequently did of late, she brushed away the thoughts and the feelings of sadness that came along with them. She leaned against a tree and invited Blink to curl up in her lap.
Stroking him gently for a few moments, she also covertly watched Henrick, as she usually did, sitting nearby. She felt completely at ease for the first time since they'd met. It was an odd feeling.
“Radianne?”
She drew her attention back to the star in her arms.
“Yes Blink?”
“Would you place me up in those branches above your head? It will help me feel closer to home tonight.”
“Of course.” She did as her friend asked, tucking him in the overhead boughs securely. His glow was still going strong.
“Goodnight, my sweet friend,” she whispered.
“Goodnight, Radianne.”
The stars above seemed brighter in that moment, as if they knew Blink watched from below.
Radianne stared at the sky for awhile. The quiet evenings made it difficult to do much else. The vast beauty of Blink's home was so alluring.
As the evening breeze drifted in, cold tendrils of air flowed over her skin and made her shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned her eyes to Henrick, who sat shrouded in the shadows, his face slightly illuminated by the moonlight.
Shyly, she stood up and walked over to him. “Do you mind if I join you?” she asked, her heart beat ing a little faster. She did not enjoy the feeling, but she didn't completely hate it either.
“Not at all.”
Radianne sat down. The Floppersnogs breathed softly and made little purring sounds. A chorus of chirps and insect calls from the cover of the mysterious jungle brush filled the air, but somehow, the noises were oddly comforting. The bright glow of the star overhead was perhaps the most comforting sight of all. It was all so dreamy… so… what was the word she was looking for? Romantic.
Without taking time to think about it, she lowered her head to Henrick's shoulder, reflecting again on how far she had come, and where she was going. Thinking about such things seemed to becoming a habit.
Henrick reached for her hand. His fingers caressed her skin, sending little shivers of delight up and down her arm. And when those fingers finally found hers and laced them in his own, she was already drifting off to sleep.
-14-
Into The Desert
T
he journey through the jungle of Vancor lasted several long and grueling days. The group survived near starvation, being chased by a pack of lionesses – which were, thankfully, scared away by the bold and boisterous mother Floppersnog – sinking mud pits, and biting attacks from various nasty jungle insects.
Radianne had to hold back a squeal of delight when they left behind the jungle and entered Land of the Ongoing Desert territory. Though her surroundings appeared to be nothing but a seemingly endless sea of sand, she looked forward to the new leg of the journey. Looking from Blink to Henrick with happiness, Radianne smiled as they walked into the sunlight, thrilled that they were that much closer to returning Blink to his mother.
The unpleasant moments of the jungle faded as they took their first steps out onto the sea of golden sand.
The Floppersnogs were still part of the group. The furballs hadn't retreated back to the jungle, and Radianne was secretly glad. She had grown quite fond of the lovable creatures over those last couple of days. The Floppersnogs were also proving to be very smart, and before long, had started to pick up a good deal of the trio's language.
“We are in the desert,” Radianne pointed out to the mother.
“Des-ert.” The large Floppersnog repeated the words slowly and looked at Radianne expectantly.
She clapped her hands in approval. “Very good!” she exclaimed. She gave the large Floppersnog a pat and turned to Henri
ck.
“So impressive! They've learned so much since we first met them in the jungle. Which, if I haven't told you lately, I'm so glad to be out of!”
Though, she knew if she were being completely honest with herself, she thought the experience had changed her for the better. And she couldn't help but remember it was not all awful… like that moment she and Henrick shared by the waterfall…
“I wouldn't get too happy,” Henrick mumbled, darting her a warning look. Secretly, he had enjoyed the jungle adventure too, but thought Radianne needed to appreciate being in the moment more instead of always wanting what lay ahead. He thought she also was being naive again as she didn't know what they could be up against.
Radianne knew by then what those looks of his meant. She did her best impression of him. “There will be danger and many more uncomfortable moments to come,” she grumbled, furrowing her brow. Then she laughed.
He shook his head.
The desert was seemingly empty, like most deserts appear to be at first glance. Cacti of various sizes grew here and there, and scattered spiky plants of unknown origin were the only signs of life on the rolling hills of sand.
The trip was moving along at such a whirlwind pace, Radianne thought. She and Blink had shared several interesting conversations over the course of the last days in the jungle, and she felt closer to the star than ever before. She thought about his return home and how much she would miss him. He still looked about the same, though she feared with every passing day that she might be one step closer to losing him in a terrible way. But she pushed the thoughts away.
The heat grew intense. The Floppersnogs panted, their long, pink tongues lolling out of their mouths. They all needed water – except for Blink, of course – and the flask was near empty. Radianne was about to comment on this when suddenly, life appeared.
Little reddish-colored mice with extra puffy faces scampered across the sand, darting in and out from tiny sand dens.
“How cute,” Radianne said out loud.
Henrick snorted. “Cute, maybe. But those are blood-sucking mice. They'll bite you without a second thought and latch on to your skin, draining you dry.”
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