by Rick Johnson
Breister, Annie, and Toshty set out early the next morning in the bladder canoe. “We paddle for several days through the backwaters of the Drownlands,” Toshty explained, “then we travel for a few days up a stream that runs into WooSheep Bottoms. From there, it’s just a short hike to my cabin.”
The next several days brought a closer sense of friendship among the travelers. Something wonderful had happened to break through the icy loneliness that had long sent Toshty and Annie off on their isolated paths. Breister, for his part, felt a sense of relief and comfort to feel that he could trust these friends. Together, they were all happier and stronger than any of them had been apart.
On the fourth day of their voyage up the creek toward WooSheep Bottoms, Breister sensed that Annie was agitated. Toshty, too, seemed ill at ease. Something was up, Breister knew, but his friends were not saying what was bothering them.
The next morning, Breister was roasting some fresh frog legs on a spit for their breakfast, when Annie cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up at her expectantly, continuing to turn the roasting spit over the campfire.
Annie smiled at him. She was holding Toshty’s wing in her paw. “Breister,” she began, “Toshty and I have something to tell you.”
Looking at the joy in the eyes of his friends, Breister felt that he did not really have to be told what they were going to say, but he replied, “I’m all ears. Go ahead.”
Annie pulled Toshty forward as she moved closed to Breister. “I’m not going any further with you, Breister.” He looked at her questioningly. “As you know, some of my past is not very pleasant. I’m not proud of that. I want to leave that behind me and start a new life. I know there are Grizzly Bear trackers all over the Bottoms looking for me. If I go to the Bottoms, my life will be over...” She stopped and looked at Toshty.
“I’ve asked Annie to marry me,” Toshty grinned. “And she seems to like crazy old Owls!” He hugged Annie’s shoulder with one of his wings. “So, we’re taking the long route back to the cabin,” Toshty said, with a look of contentment. “We’ll see you there later, perhaps, but don’t wait for us. We’re going back to the Rounds to get married first. Annie can’t go to WooSheep Bottoms, and we don’t want to go to the Drownlands or the WooPeace, so that leaves the Rounds.”
Breister nodded and smiled at his friends. “I wish you the best...in making your unbroken circle of friends stronger,” he said with a loving look at his happy companions. “Now, I just need to find the rest of my circle!”
“Don’t worry, Breister,” Toshty replied. “We’re not leaving you in the lurch! I can give you directions to my cabin. When you get there, make yourself at home...” He paused, looking embarrassed. “I actually need you to do something for me there,” he continued. “I have some art lessons scheduled for tomorrow. There will be a couple of Otters and a Fox who will come to the cabin expecting me to teach them to paint,” he laughed. “I’d be much obliged if you would be there to tell them that, well, uh,” he smiled at Annie, “that art lessons are postponed until further notice!”
Breister smiled, but felt a bit annoyed. His friends were leaving him. Not only that, but helping Toshty might delay his own search for Helga.
“And, Breister,” Toshty said, “the young Fox I mentioned—name’s JanWoo-Corriboo—she’s one of the most amazing young beasts you’ll ever meet. She can take you to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still’—you can trust her completely and she’s as brilliant as they come. You’ll be in good hands with her. If your Helga is anywhere to be found, JanWoo-Corriboo can help you find her.”
Breister’s annoyance evaporated. He was happy for his friends and felt confident of his path forward. If all was not yet well for him, he felt somehow that things were improving.
The three friends loaded their belongings back in the bladder canoe and set off again. “We’ll paddle with you a bit further toward the Bottoms,” Toshty said. “There’s a little sandspit that is covered with trees, bushes, and reeds. We’ll drop you off there. It’s not far from my cabin. Then we’ll paddle back to the Drownlands Cutoff to catch the running-wagon back to the Rounds. The next time you see us, we’ll be husband and wife.” Toshty beamed.
A few hours later, Toshty beached the canoe among some dense reeds. As Breister got out of the canoe, he was well concealed by vegetation. Only the faint rustle of leaves and the gurgling of the stream broke the silence. It was as if they were in a small pocket of life in a vast and barren land.
“Don’t be fooled by what you see,” Toshty advised. “Just around that bend up ahead lies WooSheep Bottoms. Unless I miss my guess, you’ll start hearing the wild screams of young beasts at the swimming hole as soon as you get out of these trees. But don’t go to the swimming hole. Follow the directions I gave you. You’ll get to the cabin just fine.”
The friends enjoyed a last round of farewells. Then, Toshty and Annie paddled away. Breister watched their progress for a while until Toshty’s voice came wafting back across the water. “Tell JanWoo-Corriboo that I told her to show you the painting she calls Eye Of The All,” Toshty yelled. “She’ll know what I mean.” With that, the canoe floated around the bend and Breister was alone.
Breister sat watching the place where the canoe had disappeared. He half-expected Toshty and Annie to reappear. But, no, he didn’t really expect that at all. He just hoped with all his heart that this would not be the last time he would see his friends. Slowly, he reached down and picked up his pack. He took out a piece of Bison bread and, munching on it with a special pleasure coming from his growing connections with the Rounds, he walked away from the river.
He had not walked more than a few minutes, following the directions that Toshty had given him, when a large squad of Grizzly Bear trackers stepped out of the brush and surrounded him. Although Breister had nothing to fear from the trackers himself, his heart beat wildly.
Grizzly Bear trackers were specially trained officers of the law, whose task it was to track down the worst rogues and bandits and bring them to justice. They were renowned for their bravery and skill against the most dangerous desperadoes.
A particularly large Grizzly Bear, with part of his ear gone, and a long scar on his nose, stepped toward Breister. Showing his law badge, he growled, “Where ya been, and where ya goin’?”
“I’ve been in the Rounds and I’m on my way to see some friends near the Bottoms,” Breister replied. The Grizzly Bear looked him over closely, peering directly into his face, looking for any hint of dishonesty.
“What’s yer business, and who ya seen?” the Grizzly Bear growled again, fingering a long stout coil of rope that hung from his belt, next to a long Bowie knife. “We’re looking for some Cougar bandits that are in need of this rope,” the tracker snarled unpleasantly. “There’s two nasties that especially need this rope,” he continued. “One’s called Broken Eye, and the other’s Slasher Annie. They’s been terrorizing the innocents in the Bottoms. We tracked them up into the mountains and lost ’em...” The Grizzly Bear ran his finger along the scar on his nose. “This here’s the calling card of those dirtbags,” he declared angrily. “Ya seen anyone?”
“I hope you get that Broken Eye fellow,” Breister replied calmly. “I hope that scalawag gets just what he deserves,” Breister added. “He attacked me up in the mountains, so I’m glad to see you’re after him.” Breister felt happy. Maybe he could keep them away from the subject of Annie.
“Who ya seen,” the Grizzly Bear repeated. He obviously was determined to be thorough.
“I saw an old Owl and his wife,” Breister replied simply. “That’s all I’ve seen in days.”
“An old Owl and his wife,” the Grizzly Bear repeated, looking intently at Breister. “Ya sure that’s all ya seen?”
“Yes,” Breister replied with conviction, “I can assure you that that is all I’ve seen—an old Owl and his wife.”
The Grizzly Bear reached into the pocket of his barkskin coat. He handed Breister a blue pebble. �
�This is our trackin’ stone,” he explained. “We leave it with ya. You see a sign of Broken Eye and his gang and you show that stone to any law officer and they’ll know that’s our team. They’ll know how to find us.”
Breister thanked them. “If I see that old scoundrel or his gang,” Breister assured the trackers, “I’ll use the tracking stone. You can be sure of that.”
Satisfied, the Grizzlies moved on. Breister walked on a few steps and prepared to leave the stream behind, as he turned inward toward Toshty’s cabin. “Well,” he said to himself looking at the tracking stone, “Broken Eye and his gang are no more. There’s no need for this.” Saying this, Breister skipped the blue stone out across the stream, where it sank to the bottom.
He continued on his way, reaching Toshty’s cabin in the middle of the afternoon. He made a cheerful fire in the hearth, ate a modest meal of Bison bread, and settled in to wait for Toshty’s students. He was especially looking forward to meeting JanWoo-Corriboo. Perhaps she could help him find Helga.
Reunited
Breister was sound asleep, not expecting any visitors to Toshty’s cabin until the following day, when there was a loud rap at the door.
“Come on, Toshty, wake up!” JanWoo-Corriboo yelled. “I know I’m early for my lesson, but things have gone a little differently than I planned. We’ve got some friends that need your help!”
Groggily, Breister sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was pitch black. The fire in the hearth had died down to embers. It must be the middle of the night. Who was knocking at this hour?
“Who’s there?” Breister called. “Toshty is not here. I’m his friend, Breister, who is supposed to wait here for some of Toshty’s friends to arrive. Who are you?” Breister had not yet opened the door, waiting for reply.
There was a brief silent pause on the other side of the door, and then pandemonium broke out. There was joyful yelling and shouting and banging on the door! “Papa! Papa! It’s Helga! I’m here! Open the door!”
Completely dumbfounded, Breister threw open the door to the wild embrace of his long-lost daughter. An emotional re-joining of a broken circle of friends occurred. Breister put new kindling on the embers of the fire and soon there was the happy sound of laughter and the smell of fresh Bison coffee being brewed.
Helga was surprised by the smell. “Bison Coffee!” she exclaimed. “Why, I haven’t smelled that in a while, but it’s a smell you never forget! You’ve been to the Rounds, haven’t you?” she gasped, looking at Breister.
“Yes, yes, my dear,” Breister replied, “I spent a week in the home of Sareth and Elbin Abblegurt.” He smiled at his daughter, knowing how much this pleased her.
“Well, I can certainly see that there’s a long story to catch up on,” Helga chuckled.
“Yes,” Breister agreed, “there is much to tell.”
As the night wore away, the friends shared stories and learned about each other’s adventures and trials. Breister was saddened to see how much his daughter’s injuries inhibited her movements. His mind reeled as he realized exactly who had been responsible for the attack.
“Papa, let it go,” Helga consoled him. “It’s over. There’s nothing that you can do to heal my injuries by having anger toward Annie. She wants a new life...one she never had. She’s left the old ways behind. Let us leave the old ways behind, too. I’m more worried about Janty than I am about Annie at this point,” Helga concluded, nodding in the direction of the young Fox, who was sitting alone on the back porch of the cabin. “She’s been there almost all night,” Helga observed, “just staring off into the sky. Something’s eating on her. I’m worried. She’s usually so full of life and energy.”
Breister nodded. Helga stood up and they walked together over to where JanWoo-Corriboo was sitting.
“Pretty night, eh?” Helga began. “One of the nice things about isolated areas is that the night sky is so awesome. You don’t see stars like this in town.”
Janty said nothing. She seemed intent on something she was viewing in the sky. Breister, following a hunch, tried a different approach. “Say, Janty,” he began, “Toshty said to ask you to show me your painting he called Eye Of The All. Do you think you could show it to me sometime?”
A faint smile flickered on Janty’s lips, “That’s what I’m working on right now,” she replied softly. “I’m not ignoring you, but I don’t want to lose my concentration.”
Janty was memorizing the night sky. Star by star. Constellation by constellation. She was fixing every star in her memory and giving each of them her own special names. “As I learn all the stars, and give them names, I’ll paint them in one of the caves,” JanWoo-Corriboo explained. “It will be the great work of my life. I call it Eye Of The All because that must be something like what it is for The All—having so many, many preciously beautiful creatures, in so many different patterns, all with their own unique names and places. Don’t you think that’s what The All must be like?”
Neither Helga nor Breister responded. They were impressed by the image that Janty had offered them, but also sensed a sadness in her voice. “The stars are my family,” she continued, “no matter how much I long for my parents and wish they were with me, I can always count on the stars to be there. No matter what the creatures do, and how foolish they are, the stars are always the same. They’re unmoved by it all. They’re always there for you. That’s what a real family is like.”
“But, Janty,” Helga said gently, “don’t you think you could have a real family? Don’t you think there might be a way for you and your parents to be united?”
“NO!” JanWoo-Corriboo shouted. “NO! I don’t think it’s possible! The stupid WooSheep are so fouled up and prejudiced and ignorant, no one can fix it! It’s been going on for centuries and will go on forever! THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT! Don’t you see? Don’t you get it?” she cried, breaking into sobs.
Helga comforted her. “No, Janty, I don’t get it,” she said. “I don’t get how creatures can create something but can’t uncreate it. That’s what doesn’t make any sense to me. If creatures really want to uncreate something, they can. That’s what I believe.” Helga stroked Janty’s hair as the young Fox sobbed with her face buried on Helga’s shoulder.
At last the sobs began to subside. “Oh, Helga, I so much want to have my parents with me for real and always! But I don’t see how it can ever be,” she said.
Helga was thoughtful. “Don’t worry about it now, Janty,” Helga replied. “Let Papa and I think about it. There’s got to be a way.”
“But Janty,” Helga continued, “no matter what, you’ve got to promise me something.”
“What’s that?” JanWoo-Corriboo asked, looking at Helga through tear-stained eyes.
“You’ve got to teach me how to see creatures with the Eye Of The All, like you mentioned. That’s a very lovely way to think about it.”
“None left out, all beautiful,” Janty replied. “That’s about all there is to it.”
“But it’s a life work, you said, didn’t you?” Helga observed.
“Yes,” Janty replied, “a life’s work...But a life’s work is a bunch of little details added together. Get enough little details together and you’ve got a life’s work. Pretty simple, eh?” Janty gave Helga a grin with just a hint of mischief in it.
Helga shook her head. This young Fox was something special.
The Woonyaks Return
Breister’s feet hit the stone beach at the bottom of the LuteWoo just as the sun was beginning to penetrate to its depths. He looked up to the opening above him where Helga, Burwell, Bwellina, and Janty waited. He unfastened the rope from around his waist and gave two sharp tugs on the loose end. Helga and Janty pulled it up, to prepare for Helga to descend.
Helga had convinced Janty to allow her and Breister to return with her to the WooPeace. They hoped to meet with WooZan alone so as to not create a sensation in the WooPeace unnecessarily. Breister knew that WooZan came daily to the LuteWoo. Their plan was to be there when she came a
nd talk with her about the possibility of allowing free visiting to and from the WooPeace.
“She’s not going to like it,” JanWoo-Corriboo declared with conviction. “WooZan is going to blow a cork to find you guys in the LuteWoo when she gets there. Never in recorded history has anyone ever descended through the LuteWoo! Creatures are scared to death of the Fire Beetles that live there.”
“But, as you know, and we all can see,” Breister observed as he made ready to descend, “there is no multitude of fearsome Fire Beetles here, unless you want to count that centipede over there. I guess if you counted all his legs, that might pass for a multitude!” Everyone laughed, but also realized that what Janty said was true. Although it was clearly open to the outside, for untold generations, no WooSheep had ever tried to enter or leave the WooPeace through the LuteWoo.
“This is the only chance we have to speak with WooZan privately,” Helga said. “If we are going to have any chance of getting a hearing from her, we must not confront her before the rest of the WooSheep. There is no other way to get a private moment with her, except to try to meet her here in the LuteWoo.”
“But this is also just about the worst place to meet her,” JanWoo-Corriboo added worriedly. “This is her place of personal reflection. It’s as if we’re confronting her in her personal retreat. She’s not going to like it.”
“I know,” Helga agreed, “but how else to get a moment with her? She would like it even less if we showed up at the Common Bowl and started talking to the WooSheep about opening up to the outside!”
“Well,” Helga declared grimly, “we’ll soon know how WooZan will like it. Here goes nothing!” With her pack securely strapped to her back, Helga tied the safety rope around her waist.
