Chapter 9
My Friends
I steadily walked up to the Ferar Tree. The feathers began to move violently in all directions as I approached the tree. I put one foot in front of the other until I was within a foot of the tree's trunk. I called up to the tree. "I need help. Please, help me. Don't hurt me. I have come to make friends and to make peace. Shall we be enemies forever? I hope not. Let me touch your mighty trunk and let the feathers part but not fall. I do not want trouble dear tree. I do not want you for an enemy." I reached out a shaking hand and leaned forward to touch the tree. I could feel the tree shudder as I touched its trunk. The feathers above me parted but did not fall. I smiled broadly and watched the bird creatures uncover themselves. I was close enough so that I could see what they were made of. The birds were truly birds. They looked a lot like flamingoes. Each one had a long neck and a long bill. The bills were curved and thinner than usual. They looked like beaks used for ripping and tearing. They screeched an awful sound when frightened. I had not scared them, so they made a beautiful cooing noise. They stretched up and fell toward me. A few landed on my shoulders. They were very big! About the size of a regular flamingo! But, they were very light. Each one could have weighed no more than a pound! I reached up to my shoulder and touched the feathers of one of the birds. It drew its feathers into its body and let me touch its chest. The birds were made of wood! I felt something within me. I concentrated on the echoing voice I heard in my head. It said to imagine a bright white light and open my eyes. I closed my eyes and imagined a bright white light. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a bright white light! My eyes grew used to the light and everything appeared in what I assumed was its natural color. The tree was brown and the creatures were brown too. The creatures were not perfectly smooth. They had cracks and chips on their chests, beaks, and legs. They did not really have legs or feet. They had a branch that connected them to the tree. It seemed the birds could only stretch the branch so far. Some called down to me and others screeched in anger because they could not reach me. I laughed and followed the branches of the tree down to the birds on my shoulders. A bird on each shoulder was enough for me. They seemed to stretch down from the tree and wrap the branch half way around me. They sat on my shoulder by pressing their bellies against my shoulder blades. I giggled and waved my arms in circles like I'd seen Quint do. The birds uncoiled themselves from around me and bounced up to their places on the tree. They all cooed to me and covered themselves with feathers. They had wings but their wings were wooden. They wouldn't have been able to fly if they hadn't been attached to the tree. I smiled as the green, blue, pink, purple, and every other colored feather rustled. I said goodbye and turned around. Only then did I remember the little wolf. I had apparently dropped it during my encounter with the Ferar Tree and it was now huddling against the trunk of the tree and whimpering. I walked to it and let it sniff me before picking it up. The wolf seemed nice enough, though it kept shaking when I had nestled it in the crook of my arm. I ran the way I'd last seen Quint go. We had been walking before my unfortunate capture by the wolves. I sighed and slowed my pace. If only I knew where Quint had gone! Then maybe I could imagine myself there like I had with the objects. I sighed again and shook my head. I didn't know where she was, so imagining myself somewhere would be useless. I shrugged and started to jog. There were no box houses after an hour of walking, jogging, and running. I was slowly walking straight. Straight where, I did not know. The sun kept me warm, but the wind kept me from being hot. I looked down at the wolf to see it watching me. I smiled at it and I thought I saw the slightest smile appear on its lips. I bent my head down and kissed it between the ears. It smiled for sure this time and even yipped a little bit. "Yip! Yip, yip." I laughed and cradled the little wolf. It yawned, closed its eyes, and buried its head in my shirt. I walked straight ahead, seeing nothing but grass. The grass was purple! It was a dark purple like grapes. I smiled when I saw the wolf's steady breathing. It was asleep. "Poor little thing. I don't know what they were gonna do with you. You look like a regular wolf. Yes, regular indeed, my little friend." I stopped walking and closed my eyes. I tilted my head upward and quietly took in the sweet smell of. Of what? Of......oranges! I opened my eyes and looked around. There was nothing in sight except for the grass. I laughed and skipped straight ahead. I smelled oranges, whether I could see them or not. The oranges were here somewhere. I noticed that I was jostling the baby too much, so I slowed to a fast walk. I stopped and closed my eyes again. I smelled the oranges yet again! I opened my eyes and walked straight. Feathers! I saw feathers! All of the feathers were orange. I laughed and started to run, not minding the baby at all. I smelled the oranges, could see the tree, and I was not going to walk to it. The feathers of the tree began to shift as I drew near. "I made friends with a different Ferar Tree. It was a multicolored tree. Will you also be my friend?" The feathers parted. They did not fall! The birds all cooed a greeting and some stretched down towards me. Each bird had a ripe orange in its beak. They offered the oranges to me and rubbed my head with their wings. They seemed to be stroking my head to calm me down and make me relax. I laughed and waved my arms. They bounced back to their places on the tree and cooed a goodbye. The feathers covered them up, and it was a tree with orange feathers once more. I yelled,"Thank you!" I went on my way. The little wolf began to growl and yip in my arms. I looked down at it and, for the first time, noticed how skinny it was. I shushed it and ran across the grass until I couldn't see the orange tree behind me any longer. I sat in the grass and let the wolf run in circles trying to catch its tail. I peeled the skin off the orange and got to the juicy, fruity part. It tasted wonderful. I opened the second orange and fed half to my wolf. It gobbled the food up hurriedly at first, but ate slower when its tummy began to fill. I yawned and stretched out on the grass. I closed my eyes and barely felt the wolf when it curled up beside me. I slept for quite a while.
When I awoke, I felt a soft pillow under my head and a blanket over me. I opened my eyes and found myself in a white room. "Oh, great." I sat up and looked around. Quint sat in a corner, leaning against the wall, sleeping. I got out of my bed and walked over to her. I shook her shoulders to wake her up. When she awoke, she reached out and hugged my tight. "I was so worried," she said as tears dropped onto my shoulders. "Worried about what? That I was some city girl? I can take care of myself you know." She pulled away and shook her head while wiping the tears from her eyes. "No, I knew that much. I just didn't think you'd get away from those creatures! I was captured by them once. I managed to get away, only because they hated water. Anyway, it's a long story. Those creatures are just so hard to get away from! They're afraid of most things, but fear doesn't always stop them. Oh Sarah! I missed you! I wanted to show you everything and let you forget about your worries. That hasn't happened. Are you hungry? We have plenty of food for you and your friend." I shook my head. "We picked up a couple of oranges on the way to see you. We're full for now. Maybe a glass of water would help our throats though." Quint nodded and snapped her fingers. She gulped the water in her glass while I made my glass appear and drank mine. After two glasses of water, I asked the question that had been on my mind since I had woken up. "Where's the wolf?" Quint sat up straighter and snapped her fingers so her glass would go back to the kitchen. I did the same with my glass and waited expectantly for Quint's answer. "Your wolf? I didn't know it was your friend. We turned it out into the wild. I'm so sorry." I jumped up and ran to where a door should have been. I snapped my fingers and made a door appear in the wall. I opened the door and ran out. I was tackled to the ground by a Clyuire just as a dragon flew overhead. "What's going on?!" I asked, in a panicked voice. "The war has started, Sarah. And your friend is out in it. I'm so sorry. You can't save it now," said Quint. I shook my head in disbelief as the Clyuire hopped off me and Quint pulled me into the safety of the white room. I paced in front of the door as Quint sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands. "I didn't know! None of us did!" She repeated over and over again. I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair. "I know you didn't know. I need that wolf! I can't let it die! Let me go out there! Please!" Quint shook her head in horror and looked up at me. "No way! I won't let you die! You won't go out there. At least, not if I have anything to say about it." I turned to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You have to let me go! I'm not staying cooped up in a little white room to worry about my baby! I have to save it! It would be inhuman if I didn't! Quint, it's partly your fault this happened. Let me correct the fault for you and me! I shouldn't have slept. You shouldn't have sent it away. It was both our faults. Let me go!" Quint's cheeks were wet with tears as she nodded. "Fine! I can't keep you in here. You're right. I just missed you so much! I don't want to let you go!" I nodded and held her close. We cried on each others shoulders until a half hour had passed. "You must go. The war will only get worse as the day progresses. I'll explain everything when you're back." I kissed Quint's hand and thanked her as I started for the door. I ran out across the grass and turned to wave. She lingered at the door for a moment and shut it. I ran across the grass hoping to find the little wolf. My little wolf. If it survived, I had the perfect name for it. I wouldn't say the name out loud until I'd found it. I was sure of that. I slowed to a walk as the sun beat down on my back. There were dragons, but they were far off in the distance. I avoided the areas where the dragons were numerous. A slight wind blew and cooled me off as I steadily trekked toward the orange tree. Twice I thought about changing to Clyuire to make the trek easier. I out ruled it over and over again with the thoughts of accidentally missing the wolf laying on the ground. The wolf was about the size of a normal puppy. It was so adorable. I dwelt on these thoughts as I walked in the hot sun. The breeze was no more, and I was sweating. The sky had no clouds. There were no clouds in the Sparkle. Why, I really don't know. Clouds would have helped, but there were none. No clouds to block the sun. No clouds to make the day a little cooler. Only a hot, hot sun. I wasn't sure if I was even traveling in the right direction. I laughed at the craziness of my adventure. Before the white room, I would have given anything to be around Quint. Now, I was venturing back into the sun and grass to find a baby wolf. The wolf was too small to hunt anything. I didn't even know if there was anything to hunt. I shrugged and began to sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". I remembered how the Clarques had sung the song with me. They had been so nice. If only I could see their happy little faces now. "That's it!" I yelled. I imagined the leader of the Clarques and brought it in front of me. The Clarque appeared and looked bewildered. "It is Sarah," I told the Clarque. He laughed and ran to me. I reached down and picked him up. He sat in my hand and looked up at me with respect. "Tryun?" He laughed and nodded. "You imagined correctly, Princess Sarah." I laughed and reached down to stroke him with my pointer. He stretched his neck up and rubbed his head against my finger. "As small as a mouse." He laughed and nodded. "I brought you here because I am very lonely. I am searching for a young pup. It's a wolf and is very adorable. I am searching because I got separated from it. Can you help me find it? Or at least keep me company?" Tryun said,"But of course! Lets get going. Time's a wasting!" I smiled down at him and set him on the ground. He kept up with my walking pace nicely. We walked straight ahead and watched for any gray that might be around. The sun suddenly went dark. The Clarque kept walking, thinking it was a cloud. I stopped and dove for the ground. I felt a wind above me and the sun came back out. "What is wrong, Princess?" Asked Tryun. I stood and said,"Dragons. One spotted me. You see, there are no clouds here. When the sun is gone, something is above us. That is how I knew." The Clarque nodded and said,"That is wise. Thank you for telling me. I will react next time." I nodded and began walking again. No shadows came for the next hour. We stayed clear of the dragons and they stayed clear of us. I chatted with Tryun until we reached the orange tree. I ran up to it and called to it before reaching it. "It's Sarah! Have you seen my pup?" I was within three feet of it. I ran up to its trunk and ran my hands on its cracked wood. Only one bird parted its feathers. It dove down to me and wrapped itself around my back and rested on my left shoulder. "We have not seen one." I threw up my hands in despair and sent the bird squawking back up to the tree when I fell to the ground. I buried my face in my hands and cried. Tryun trotted up to me and patted my hand with his tiny paw. "It's alright, Princess. Everything will be ok." I shook my head and let my face fall in the dust. "It won't be ok. The grass is dying. I am sad. My friend is gone. I am so lonely! I am among friends, yet I am lonely. I want my pup. You don't understand what it's like, Tryun. I am sorry, but you don't." I began to quietly sob. The Clarque squealed. After a few moments I felt cold. I lifted my head off the ground and saw that a shadow was over me. The Clarque was nowhere to be seen. "Tryun!" I yelled. A chuckle came from above me. I rolled onto my back and looked up. A unicorn hovered above me. "We can only change when we have much strength reserved. I have saved my strength for a day like this. A day I could comfort another." I smiled and stared at his beautiful face. "You're beautiful!" I exclaimed. He chuckled again and slowly drifted down to rest beside me. He stretched a beautiful, pure white wing over me as I rolled onto my stomach. "I can stay this way as long as I wish." I laughed and laughed. The world was in the middle of war and I was laughing! My pup was gone, and I was laughing! I laughed even harder. What a crazy world it was. What a crazy Sparkle it was! I rolled out from under Tryun's protective wing and stood on my own to feet. "We'll find my little pup now." Tryun stood and agreed with me. I sighed and turned to where I had come from so long ago. When I had been lost from Quint. I ran that way, and Tryun followed. We ran across the grass. The grass turned pink! "What in the Sparkle?" All of the grass was now pink. It slowly turned to orange, then yellow, then it faded to white. The grass fell to the ground and seemed to pull itself into the dirt. I was running across dark brown dirt! I laughed and threw up my hands in confusion. What else could I do? You never know what to do when you're confused. Tryun did what I did. He seemed just as confused as I was. Suddenly a purple vine shot up. More and more appeared. "Run! The grass is turning to vines! We'll never get through if they're all vines!" Tryun stopped and flapped his wings. He stopped momentarily for me to climb on his back. Then Tryun jumped into the sky and flew above the growing the vines. I watched as the vines crawled back into the ground. "What is happening?" "I dunno, don't ask me," said Tryun. We flew back to the multicolored Ferar Tree. Tryun stopped fifty feet from it and let me approach it by myself. I walked slowly towards the tree until I saw something that made me scream. "Razor! My pup! Oh, Razor! Are you ok?!" I ran toward the tree and was now twenty feet from my pup. I dove the last ten feet to him and slid on the ground until my hand touched his coarse fur. Razor's eyes opened. He closed them and quietly said,"Let me die." I shook my head and pulled him to me. I sat up and cradled him in my lap with my legs crossed. "No! Don't wish that, Razor. Do you like that name? I didn't know you could talk! I thought you were a normal wolf. Are you alright? My dear friend. How I missed you!" Razor's cheeks became wet with tears as he licked his nose and said,"No. I hate you. I hate you. You betrayed me. Left me to die. You're a traitor." I shook my head and hugged him to my arm. "I didn't. You were ripped away from me. When we were sleeping. My friend came when we were asleep and thought you had found me and stayed by me for warmth. I never meant for this to happen. I didn't wake up until they had me in a white walled room. They were just trying to protect me. I'm so sorry!" I buried my face in the nape of his neck and cried. Razor seemed to soften a bit at my story of innocence. "I don't like being left behind," he whispered quietly. After a few moments, I felt tears drop on my wrist. Razor was crying too! I stood and picked him up. I cradled him, all the while saying,"There now, baby Razor. Everything's ok." After a few minutes of consoling each other, he smiled at me. I laughed and stroked his head smiling the whole time. Razor looked into my eyes and made a few quick yips. We were fast friends, no doubt about it. I laughed again and threw him into the air. He let himself fall limply. I caught him just before he hit the ground and he groaned at the impact on my arm. "We've gotta toughen you up, Razor. If that's what you even want to be your name." Razor wiggled in my arms until he was within licking reach of my chin. I lay him on his back in my arms and said,"Whatever shall I name you?" He stopped licking his paws and looked up with a face of confusion. "What do you mean? I thought I had a name. I like Razor just fine." He went back to licking his paws. I smiled and said,"You like that name? I thought you'd hate it. I picked it because I didn't think you'd have a say in the matter. I thought you were a none talking wolf." I laughed at my own conclusions and nearly dropped Razor. "Awwww, so I'm not good enough to tell you if I like a name or not?" "That's right. I just thought you were a normal wolf, is all," I explained to him. He jumped out of my arms and yelled,"Are we going? I'm starving. Orange, meat, whatever you feed me, I'll eat." I scooped him up and ran the way I had come. It was time to visit the orange tree. But on the way, something dreadful happened. Something I chose to do, but didn't know was more of a curse than a gift. I changed to a talking wolf. One like Razor. I found that after five minutes Razor was tired. I tried changing back to human to carry him, but I was stuck! I could not change! I carried Razor by the nape of his neck. He was almost too big to carry. I didn't know how to hunt as a wolf or anything! What in the world was wrong?! I couldn't change to anything else! I was stuck as a wolf for the rest of my life!
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