The Kingdom of the Bears Page 20

  Jarr bowed. “Thank you, King Greatclaw. It was an honor to serve with these great bears.” He stepped back.

  “Brumbles, Sheriff of the Eastlands.”

  “I am here, my king,” Brumbles said, kneeling at the king’s feet as Jarr moved out of the way.

  “Most valiant of bears. You found hope when there was none. You and your friends have truly saved our kingdom. Most importantly, you have restored our hope in the future. No thanks that I give could ever repay what you have done for us.”

  Brumbles bowed and backed away, but he couldn’t hide the pleased look on his face.

  “And you, Skunk,” Greatclaw said. “You and your cousins and the small creatures of the south shall receive a gift of a hundred honeycombs every year as a token of our appreciation.”

  Captain Brownia produced a cloth-wrapped bundle, which she handed to Skunk. She opened it up and was delighted to discover a full honeycomb, sticky and sweet. She began to eat it at once.

  “Slowly,” laughed the king at the sound of smacking lips. “Shouldn’t you share your treasure with your friends?”

  Skunk turned to give a guilty look to the other skunks and small animals waiting below the dais. They were licking their lips at the prospect of sharing her prize. “Oh, uhm, yes, I guess I should.” Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but take one last nibble, before passing it along to be shared among the others.

  The blind king now spoke in a voice that seemed to fill the entire hall. “Hear now, my friends. We have nothing to fear any longer. Build houses. Have cubs. Enjoy your family and friends. We will rebuild here, and we will reclaim the lands on the far side of the Alonus River. Spring has come after too many years of winter. Now, let the celebration begin.”

  They brought fresh torches to light the hall, and as many tables and chairs as could fit. The throngs spilled out of the hall and into the courtyard and the streets beyond. Some time later, after the singing, the dancing, and the feasting on honey, bread, cream, fruit, and nuts, King Greatclaw and Captain Brownia and Brumbles took the two children down to the banks of the Alonus River. Jarr and Skunk followed them. They stood for a long time looking at the river. Its waters flowed swift and deep from the northlands.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you,” King Greatclaw said. “You answered the call and you came when our need was greatest. That makes you heroes. I did not speak your names earlier, but only because I wished to speak to you in private.”

  Aaron felt sheepish. “We didn’t really do anything. There was this bear that was chasing us, you see. And–”

  Greatclaw lifted a paw to stop him. “I know why you came. There was a connection between bears and humans at one time. Between all good creatures. That friendship lived on in the spirit of King Prestor. He called you. I can still hear his voice whispering in my ear.”

  “But don’t forget,” Brumbles put in. “You had to answer the call, even if you did so in your heart instead of your mind.”

  “But sadly, the time has come for you to return to your own lands.”

  Aaron thought of Vermont and the problems waiting for him there. He remembered his mother and father and felt the old sorrow aching in his heart. He remembered his bullying cousin, Brad and felt the sting of injustice at being forced to endure the boy’s torments.

  “You see,” Greatclaw said as if reading his thoughts. “There are battles still to be fought.”

  “I don’t want to go back,” Bethany said. “Please don’t make us.”

  “But we have to,” Aaron said. “That’s the other part about these stories. The kids always have to return to their own worlds in the end, remember? And we have to solve our problems ourselves.”

  “But not alone,” Greatclaw said. “Do you still have your sky stones?”

  Aaron had his, strung around his neck. Bethany reached into her pocket and retrieved her own. “Will these work in Vermont?”

  “They may. Yes, I think they will work once. I can promise that much, at least. Some day when you need them the most, you may take the form of a bear. That time may come sooner, or it may come later. It will be your choice.” He paused. “Now, children, it is time to say goodbye.”

  They hugged Brumbles, first, and hardest. He was big and furry and wild feeling, yet it felt perfectly normal to be hugging a bear somehow. When they pulled away, not one of them had dry eyes. Next, they hugged Jarr, needing to bend to reach the height of the badger, and then they embraced the king himself, and even Captain Brownia.

  “What about me?” asked Skunk. Bethany dropped to her knees, crying, now and got a big, smelly hug. Aaron followed.

  After the goodbyes, they rose to their feet and Aaron turned again to the king. “What now?”

  “Walk into the river. Close your eyes and walk until the river is up to your necks. Then open them again, and swim for the other shore. It will be nearer than you think. You will find–what was it called?–Vermont on the other side.”

  Aaron eyed the river, dubious. He’d been in that water once before, at the Fords of Nivum, and knew how dangerous it could be. And how could Vermont be on the other side? If the gateway to Vermont were to be found anywhere, wouldn’t it be by the sawmill at Woody Ridge?

  He turned to Brumbles, but the bear just nodded. “You will be safe enough, I think.”

  Aaron took Bethany’s hand and stepped, fully clothed, into the river where Captain Brownia indicated. The water was cold and swift. But it was not so swift as to sweep them from their feet. Not yet.

  “Are your eyes closed?” Bethany asked when the water was midway to their knees.

  Aaron remembered and shut them. “They are now.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Just keep walking.”

  The water reached first their knees, then their waists and finally up past their navel. It was all Aaron could do to keep from opening his eyes and floundering back toward the shore. He could barely keep his footing anymore, and could feel Bethany struggling as well. At last, the water reached their chest and he opened his eyes.

  To his surprise, the far shore was no more than twenty feet distant, the branches of its trees already hanging over their heads. There was no way they should have been so close. And the Alonus had looked far deeper than chest level. Bethany let go of his hand and began to swim for the other side. He ducked his head and followed. A minute later, they dragged themselves, dripping and cold, onto the far bank. He looked back across the river.

  The city was gone. The river was gone. They had crossed some other, smaller stream. It was, he realized, the Mad River, in Vermont. Smoke curled from beyond the trees, and he could see a hint of gray clapboard. It was the inn. They’d returned to their own property.

  “So have we really been gone for all these weeks?” Bethany asked. “Or are we going to get home to find out that no time at all has passed?”

  “Where have you been?” an angry voice demanded before Aaron could answer. “My dad was just about ready to call the cops.”

  So much for that. So much, too, for the hope that a hundred years had passed and they would return to find all of their own troubles passed away. They apparently hadn’t been missing long enough that people would actually be worried about them, but long enough that they would be in serious trouble.

  Wearily, Aaron and Bethany rose to their feet. Bully Brad came walking down the path from the inn. He had an ugly look on his face. He didn’t look worried. Not really. More glad at someone else’s discomfort, and the kind of false-angry that gives you the right to punish someone just to be cruel.

  “Look at you, all wet and muddy. And what are those stupid clothes you’re wearing? Come on, I’m talking to you.”

  Bethany whispered, “Aaron, I think it’s time.”

  “Time?”

  “To use the stones.”

  “What are you babbling about?” Brad demanded.

  Aaron felt for the pouch on its thong around his neck. It was still there, the stone creating a lump that he could feel
through the leather. Was Bethany right? Was it time already? King Greatclaw had said sooner or later. Wasn’t now as good a time as any?

  They wouldn’t hurt Brad. They would just change into bears for a few minutes and chase him, terrified, through the woods. Give him a taste of his own medicine. And there would be nothing he could do about it, because nobody would believe him. And he’d always be afraid that they would change into bears again.

  Brad stepped closer and said, “What a couple of dumb dinkleberries. Can’t you talk? Maybe you need to eat some of that mud. Maybe that will open your mouths up.”

  It was so tempting. Aaron could feel the stone growing warm through the pouch, sensing, perhaps his great desire to use it. But no, he decided with a private shake of the head. That would be wasting it. This, this bullying...what was this compared to facing Youd the Half-Paw or Mudruss the wolverine? Indeed, he had faced a test of strength against a badger chieftain and gave a good accounting of himself. He could deal with this himself.

  Aaron said, “Mud will open our mouths? That’s about the stupidest thing you’ve ever said, Brad.”

  Bethany laughed. “Are you sure? He’s said a lot of stupid things, Aaron.”

  Brad’s face turned so red and quivering that it looked like a giant zit about to explode. “I’m, I’m going to. I’m–” Whatever it was, he just couldn’t manage to spit it out.

  Aaron couldn’t help himself. “You’re going to what? Make me name ten fruits? I’m terrified.”

  Brad came charging at him. Before, Aaron would have cringed, or stood frozen to the spot. Now, he saw Brad’s charge as if he were moving slower than a fat milk cow. He stepped to one side and gave his cousin a little push as he passed. The other boy went sprawling to the ground. Now, the Merleys weren’t the only ones covered in mud.

  He made another lunge, this time for Bethany, but she just danced out of his way with a laugh. Aaron said, “Give it up, Brad. It’s over.”

  His cousin rose to his feet, still sputtering with rage. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

  Aaron didn’t duck away this time, but stepped up until he stood just about face to face with the taller, bigger boy. This seemed to unnerve Brad more than anything. He looked away.

  Aaron said, “I say it’s over, and if you say otherwise, you’d better show me. But I promise that you will be sorry you tried.”

  “Yeah, you think?”

  “Yeah, I do. And don’t you ever call my sister fat again or I will seriously kick your butt. And there will be no more warnings. I’ll just do it. Now grow up and get over it. We’re here. We live here now. The sooner we all get used to the idea, the sooner we can move on.”

  “Whatever,” Brad said. But the rage was gone from his voice.

  And just like that Aaron knew he had won. There would be no more bullying. And that was fine with him. Weasels had joined their side. Mudruss the wolverine had changed his ways and fought against Garmley and Youd. If they could change, why couldn’t Bully Brad?

  “Well, that solves one problem,” Bethany said as they trudged back toward the inn to face whatever trouble they’d found themselves in. Brad was following, but at a distance. “And we didn’t even have to use the sky stones. But what about Uncle Phil? How do we get him to wake up and start noticing us?”

  Aaron thought of Phil’s bird feeders, squirrel feeders, moose watching binoculars and the lot. He turned to Bethany with a smile and a joke. “I’ll bet if we turned ourselves into bears he’d notice us.”

  She smiled. “I’m serious.”

  “Seriously, it’s going to be tough when he doesn’t even notice his own son. But really, can’t we think of something to snap him out of it? I mean, we defeated Garmley and Youd, this shouldn’t be too hard, should it?” He hesitated. “Do you still hate your life, Beth?”

  “What are you talking about? We’re heroes. How could I hate my life?”

  “Now, I’m serious.”

  Bethany nodded. “Yes, I know. I was just trying to think about it for a minute. There’s a long way to go, yet, Aaron. In some ways, I think it’s going to be a longer, more difficult road than the one we just took. But at least I feel like we’re on the right road this time.”

  That was good enough for now, Aaron thought. “Well, let’s go, then. We’ve got some explaining to do.”

  They trudged up the hill toward the inn and home.

  -end-

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  See also Michael Wallace's epic fantasy series, The Dark Citadel.

  Book One: The Dark Citadel

  Book Two: The Free Kingdoms

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