Kinderling 20

 That night I laid awake thinking about Mizzy.  Sweet, gentle, lovable Mizzy.  For the last few years, whenever I thought about such things, I often thought about Mizzy and Tommil together.  I never deluded myself enough to think it was a real possibility, but it always seemed like the idea had some good symmetry.  I mentioned it to Mama once and she made a sour face. 

"Do not be a match maker Tandy, you are ill-suited for it."

Now that I see Tommil and Adiz together, I see what Mama was talking about.  Tommil grew up with Mama, and later to a much lessor degree me, as the template of what a Kinderling woman should be.  But Tommil is also gentle like Father.  Adiz is the perfect mix of strong, beautiful, industrious woman, and soft, supportive affection that Tommil needs.  

I may be ill-suited as a match maker, but I think I can recognize it when I see a good one.

All that aside, what should I do about Mizzy?  What could I do?

*"your ---- is in trouble?"*  The ---- didn't translate.  It tasted something like sister-wife-mother-daughter all at once.  

Tasted?  This bonding with a familiar thing was getting weirder and weirder.

"I'm afraid for my friend Smoke, and I don't know what to do about it"  I whispered to the furball curled under my chin.

*"i go check on her tomorrow"*

The next morning's breakfast was lively with chatter.  It seems that even though the Outcropping garrison is the safest place most of us have been in days, and has the most comfortable beds.  None of us slept well.

The one notable absence, at least to me, was Smoke.  I remembered what she said about going to check on Mizzy, but I didn't know how, she had never even met Mizzy, and it was such a long way back to the village and the Gorfs and and...  Then I felt Smoke's amused touch in my mind  *"you worry too much dear one"*  and somehow I knew she would be okay.

After allowing everyone to eat breakfast, and engage in some general chatter Mama took over.  As usual, there was no argument.  There was no question.  Mama just spoke up and was in charge.  That's Mama for you.

"We need to see about getting as many of the others still living in the mines out of there and up here to safety."  Mama said.  "I spoke with Bez and Tilly, and they both say the Garrison is large enough, and can sustain that many.  We'll need to re-open parts of the Garrison that have been closed for quite a while, but that shouldn't be a problem."

"We also need to find out what's going on in the village." Added Father.  "Yes, we could bring our people up here, but ultimately hiding up here isn't a permanent solution."

"What we need to do is stick an arrow or two in that fat Baot, kill the tyrants, and take the village back!  By force if necessary!"  Zenna interjected.

"Yes.  Short term, we also need to find out what is going on in the village.  Thank you Tadius."  Mama said.  "Freeing the village and punishing the guilty are, of course, also good goals.  However, due to our numbers, that will have to be a long term goal at best."

"And I have to go rescue Mizzy."  I blurted out.  I couldn't help myself.

"Tandy, it's too dangerous to go in and rescue one person."  Father said.  I knew that's how he would feel about it.  To him, Mizzy was just another annoying Kinderling girl.  Mama knew better.  Mama was there on that night when I stumbled through the door, too drunk on honey wine to quit babbling.  She alone knew about the deal I had made with Mizzy.

"Mama, you know as well as I do that Mizzy is doing her best to gather ever scrap of information she can.  Because that's what the perfect Kinderling wife would do.  She always said, the perfect Kinderling wife knows everything that is going on so she can tell her husband what he needs to know."  I got some weird looks from around the table at the "perfect Kinderling wife" part, but nobody asked and I was grateful to not have to try to explain it. Mizzy's ideas are not what you would call normal among Kinderlings.

"You know, rescuing a single Kinderling would probably be easier than crawling around and trying to gather intelligence."  Uncle Zon said, coming to my defense.  "If, of course, that one person is ready to be rescued."

"She is Uncle Zon."  I said, "She's waiting for me to come get her, I just know it."

Then Tommil had to go and break-up the seriousness of the conversation.

"Is there something we don't know about Tandy and Mizzy?"  His tone said everything he was thinking.  All eyes around the table were either staring at me, shocked about what my own brother's words implied, or staring at him, shocked that he would imply such a thing.  Don't get me wrong, such relations do happen among the Kinderling, it isn't taboo or anything, but it is rare enough that people don't usually expect it.

Adiz broke the silence by slugging Tommil in the shoulder.

"OW!  What was that for?"  He asked.

"Being a big giant doofus."  She told him. 

Apparently "Being a big giant doofus" meant something between them, because Tommil nodded.

"Sorry Tandy.  Adiz is right, I was being a big giant doofus.  Forgive me."

Ding!  One point for Tandy...  Those two ARE perfect for each other.

"So, we split up into two teams."  Mama said.  "Team Exodus can start making plans for how to get the people from the mines.  Who?"

"I got that one Bonnie."  Uncle Zon volunteered.  "I think I have a friend who can help in that regard, if I can find him."

"I'll take team Princess Rescue then."  Mama said.  "I'll need Tandy.  The rest of you are in the pool.  As we make plans and need personnel, we pull from the pool.  Anyone not pulled from the pool are on cleanup duty!  Tadius, you spearhead that effort.  Zon?"

"Looks like we're Solid!"  Replied Uncle Zon.  "Zenna, Fendt, Toff!  I'll need a detailed report on the situation at the mines."

"Dismissed!"  Sounded Mama.  Wow... that all was decided fast.

This soldier-side of Mama wasn't one I had ever seen before.  It was hard to reconcile with the picture I had in my head of Mama the healer, and at the same time it made perfect sense.  It didn't make matters any easier to grasp that Uncle Zon, as a Capitan of the militia, and Father the one surviving member of the village council, both should have far out ranked Mama, yet they deferred to her completely.  For that matter, so did Bez and Tilly now that I think of it.  They were both retired, but I was getting the strong impression that they both outranked Uncle Zon somehow, yet even they seemed to accept that Mama was the boss.

Mama and I didn't take long to sketch in our basic plan.  We didn't know enough about what was going on in the village to get too specific.  From Zenna we knew that Daggi hadn't moved out of his hole in the old Oak stump.  The tree itself was gone having been hit by lightning and mostly burnt down long before I was born leaving a soggy old rotten stump.  Mizzy had to be hating it there.  Cold, wet, damp.  Rotting wood all around.  Kinderlings love trees, and we make our homes in them.  One of the most common gifts that Kinderlings have is the ability to gently guide trees to grow in the way we want them to.  Something like one in every three Kinderlings can do this.  I can't, Mama can't, but both Father can, and Tommil is particularly good at it.  Over the years our home, an enormous willow tree, has thrived and grown under the gentle guidance of the family.  

We were going to have to make it up as we went along.  The basic plan was to find a hiding place just outside the village and watch for an opening.  Daggi's stump was near the edge of the village, so we hoped it wouldn't be too hard to sneak in, grab Mizzy, and get out without being detected.

After a meeting with Uncle Zon, Father, Bez, and Tilly, which I was disappointed to not been invited to, Mama came to talk to me that evening.

"Tandy.  Zon, Toff, and I are going to go look for that friend Zon was talking about, and do a preliminary scout of the village."  Mama said.  "I want you to rest here, build up your strength, and ready whatever devices you might need for the rescue."  Mama looked at my bag of tricks.  "Is there anything in there that might help?"

I had gone over what was in my bag.  Many of the ideas were sound, but looking at them now, the implementation of those ideas was childish at best.  If I had faced off against the bullies that day, it was a toss-up as to who would have come out on top, but someone definitely would have gotten hurt.  Sure, if I was lucky, those bullies wouldn't have had a chance, but one can't count on luck.  Without it I would have been in serious trouble.  Not to mention that some of the devices were potentially a lot more deadly than I remember.

"I'll get to work on it.  I should be able to come up with something."  I said.  I'm sure Mama saw through what little bravado I was able to muster.

A little later, Father was the next helpful family member to come see if I was okay.

"Hey kiddo, how are you making out?"

I had broken down an arrow chucker device and was thinking of using the motivator, the part that accelerated the arrows, to toss a grappling hook with a line attached.  I showed Father the original idea, and then what I had planned to modify it into.

"Tandy, if that thing works like you said, I would put it back together the way it was.  You might need it."

"But I can't figure out a way to keep the arrows from killing someone Father."  I said.  "I never should have built this thing, what was I thinking?  Sure the bullies were mean, but I could have killed them!"  I hadn't thought about what I was going to do that day for a long time, and more mature me was shocked at what younger, angry me had in store.  

"Kiddo, you know I wouldn't normally condone this, but Daggi has your friend, and he's forcing her to live with him as his wife.  If he catches you when you go to rescue her, he will kill you.  Your mother and I had a fight about this and I lost.  This is crazy, I didn't want to let you go, but your mother says it has to be done, so as soon as she gets back from scouting, you need to be ready.  If by then you don't think you can kill someone if you need to to rescue your friend or save your own life, I'm going to revisit that fight.  I'll probably lose again, but I'm not sending my little girl, defenseless, into that mess."

Father was serious.  For once, serious enough that I actually thought he had a chance to win that fight, but I didn't want him to have to try.  I would do this, I had to do this.  For Mizzy, for my village, and for myself.  I started looking at my pile of devices from a different perspective.

Later yet, another helpful family member showed up.  This time with a girlfriend on his arm.

"We brought you a couple things that we hope might help."  With that, Tommil set a couple pieces of wood next to me.  They were shaped like my ill-fated go-stick, but this time, instead of just being hacked from a chunk of wood, they appeared to be grown into that shape.  That was pretty incredible, even for Tommil.  Sure some Kinderlings could convince a tree to grow in a certain way.  That's how we formed rooms and doorways and window openings for our Kinderling houses.  In order for it to happen in a way that wouldn't harm the tree, there was no way to make it precise.  It was more like a strong suggestion.  To convince a tree to grow a specifically formed piece and give it up?   That was powerful.

"This is incredible, how did you do this?"  I asked Tommil.

"I provided the power to convince the tree to grow, and Adiz did the shaping."  He answered.

"I would never have been able to do it without Tommil, I have never been able to convince a tree to grow any faster than it wants to.  With him providing the growth, and me the control to make the shape, it works."

It was almost unheard of for Kinderlings to be able to team up to do something like that.  A lot of people would say impossible, but I'm not most people.  I know the word impossible is for quitters.  Really really difficult?  yea, that exists.  So difficult that nobody bothers?  Yep that too, but impossible is a lie.

"Thank you Tommil.  I'm going to start sketching and see if I can figure out what went wrong with the last one right now!"  I was excited, a little touched, and motivated by Tommil and Adiz' gift.  And, of course, terrified that I would screw it up again.

I spent much the next day poring over the go-stick design.  Air?  Lightness?  Quickness?  Those worked before.  Bridge them together with a trefoil bridge?  A quatrefoil?  That's dumb, how would a quatrefoil bridge balance with three runes?  

"Tandy?  What you got there?"  Tilly asked.  "Sorry to bother you, but you looked like you were stuck.  Sometimes when I'm stuck, I like to get a fresh perspective.  Of course, usually I only have Bez to ask, and he's all knees and elbows when it comes to runic magic, so he usually isn't much help, but talking it out sometimes works."

So I told her the whole story of the go-stick.  How my first experiments with Air and Lightness, connected by a standard duplex bridge was interesting, but wouldn't go anywhere.  Then about how I worked up to the go-stick that I used to fly through the forest.  That one used Air, Lightness, and Quickness, with a Trefoil bridge, but it didn't last long.  She laughed with me about the looks on the Gorfs faces as their dinner, me, shot off through the forest, right out of reach.

To show her how it all worked, I found a short piece of tree branch and carved the runes and bridges into it.  ZIP, POW!  It flew across the room, narrowly missing Fendt, and smashed itself against the far wall before it fell to dust.

"Oh my, that is powerful."  Tilly said.  "Have you ever heard of using chains, or nets of chains, instead of bridges?"  Upon seeing my blank expression,  "Ooh!  Come to my lab, this is going to be fun!"

"I'll get my things!"  I cried happily.

Fendt just scowled at us and shook his head.

I have never had a like minded soul to play with runes with.  None of my family shared my way of looking at runes and seeing the connections.  Mama came closest, and she can make some amazing devices, but she uses runes that just don't sing for me.  When I show her my devices, she sees the runes, but often can't tell what I was trying to do.  Even when they worked, and more often than not they didn't, she wasn't able to understand why.  My parent's old friend, Mr. Rupert, didn't really grasp it either.  He would show me new runes and tell me what to do with them.  I rarely understood the connection between the rune and what he said to do.  Sure, using a Lightness rune to remove a stone from a field sounded reasonable enough, I just couldn't make it work like Mr. Rupert.  Eventually, I would play with the new runes enough to figure out to make them do something, but it was almost never, what Mr. Rupert said they would do.  The whole thing made me feel like I was defective somehow.

It was different with Tilly.  She didn't always understand what I was trying to do,  but she cheered me on with giddy delight anyway.  Then she told me something nobody had ever said to me before.  "Tandy, everyone is different.  The runes don't work for you the same as they work for me, and they won't work for me the same as they work for you.  The difference isn't right or wrong, the difference is the people.  It's normal.  I use Lightness to help me move stone blocks onto the fortifications when I build.  I could no more use it to fly than you could use Fire and Lightning runes to quarry stone."

I really wanted to see that!  If only for the light show!

Tilly also showed me new ways to bridge runes together.  Ways that were stronger and more stable than the duplex and trefoil bridges that I learned in school.  Those, she said, were fine for learning theory, and for light work, but as soon as there was any stress on the runic matrix they fell apart.  

She had never seen a quatrefoil.  Admittedly, I had mostly made that one up by extrapolating what the trefoil might look like in four dimensions, so maybe that's why.  Now that I understood that bridges were unable to take stress, I was able to create a couple small devices with it to prove it worked.  The secret was only using it for things that didn't stress the runic matrix.  Unfortunately, that made them a lot less useful to me.

I did make a couple floating lamps that might be useful.  I made both trefoil and quatrefoil versions.  The trefoil version just floated there and you could tie a string to it and pull it along with you wherever you went.  The quatrefoil version was designed to be thrown, and used a new rune that Tilly taught me.  The Inertia rune.  Interestingly, she uses that rune on fortifications so that they don't move when hit by something big.  She said the basic rule of the Inertia rune was "Things in motion tend to stay in motion, things at rest tend to stay at rest."  What I did with it was make a Light that when thrown, it kept going in the direction you threw it.  Eventually, the charge would run out and it would collapse into dust, but  they went pretty far before that happened.  

I didn't know what I would use the Inertia Light for, but it was neat, so I packed it.

Then I started playing with the new ways to create runic matrices that Tilly showed me.  Chains and Nets.  Bridges tended to fall apart when subjected to stress.  Mama never needed anything stronger, because her devices didn't create that stress.  The pain-relief needle didn't fly itself across the room, it just used... I don't know what... to disrupt... something or other that did pain stuff... from letting you know your arm, or whatever, hurt.  Most of Mama's devices worked like that.  Very passive, but powerful.

Nobody has ever described ME as passive.  Force of nature?  Yea.  Destructive lunatic?  You bet.  Passive?  No.

By the time Mama and Uncle Zon returned from the scouting trip, I had a bag of goodies that I not only knew would work, I knew why they worked.  I even knew why and how my no-see-me's worked, and had improved them to make them a whole lot more reliable.  Still not a magic invisibility cloak, but much more reliable, and they also helped with sound and scent.   It was Tilly that added the sound and scent part, but it was close enough to my own way of thinking that I was not only able to understand how it worked, I was able to duplicate it.  The two of us made a dozen of them.  Mama and I would each have one, and Uncle Zon's Exidous team would have ten of the devices to help with his part of the mission.

In addition to those devices, my arrow chucker was a beast.  I was able to beat Fendt hands down in an "archery" contest with it, and I had a few different options for arrows to shoot out of it.  Regular arrows worked, and I had an arrow with a barbed tip and a line that would be awesome for arrow fishing.  I had a grappling hook with a heavier line that I could shoot up somewhere and use to climb, IF the grappling hook caught on something.  I also had a couple special arrows. One turned to dust moments after it hit, and the other exploded rather extravagantly when it hit.  I had a few of each.

The chucker itself, I only had one.  I had salvaged the parts from my old one, that would definitely not have worked for long, to make the new one, but they were too complex to make more of in the short time we had.  With my permission, Tilly was planning on scaling the idea up to make it chuck full size spears or bigger.  I have no idea what she was planning on killing with that monster, but hey, I don't always have a reason for the things I build either.

Most importantly, I also had two go-sticks.  Good ones.  I could fly them around, speed up, slow down.  Turn.  Land gracefully!  Not crash!

Kinderling 19

While the others were packing, I made my way to one side to be out of the way and spend some time with Smoke.  Smoke had been awful quiet, mostly napping in my pack, and I was worried that I had done something wrong.

*"Nothing like that dear one, just too many new people."*

I could respect that.  I didn't like dealing with new people either.

Mama made her way over after a while, "Tandy, Zon says you have a new familiar."

"Yes Mama, her name is Smoke."

To my surprise, Smoke walked over to Mama and accepted scratches and pets.  I guess she wasn't as shy as I thought.

*"Your Mama smells nice."* 

"By the way Tandy, I have something for you."  Mama said as she pulled  an old bag out from behind her.  It took me a moment to recognize it.

"My bag of tricks!  I thought you threw all that away!"  I exclaimed.

I looked inside and sure enough, it looked like everything was there.  It had been years since I saw any of this stuff.

"I thought some of it might come in handy.  Creative destruction was always a talent of yours."  Mama said.  I would have to go through the bag and see if any of it was salvageable as soon as I had time.

It wasn't long before the group was ready to go.  There were nine of us now.  Me, Smoke, and Uncle Zon took the lead.  Of course we knew where we were going.  Then Mama, Tommil, and Adiz, Tommil's girlfriend.  Then Zenna, formerly of the militia, and Fendt and Toff from Uncle Zon's militia patrol brought up the rear.

My heart went out to Zenna.  She looked alone, like she didn't have anywhere to fit in anymore.  I was well acquainted with that feeling, and resolved to make an extra effort to befriend her when we got to The Outcropping.

I could tell that Mama was impressed by the passage through the brambles.  She even pulled out a small knife and cut off one of the nasty looking thorns and spent a good bit of the walk studying it.  

I also took some time while walking the bramble path to talk to Tommil and his girlfriend Adiz.

"So... how long have you two been dating?"  I asked.

Tommil just laughed.  "Tandy, Adiz and I have been dating for well over a year now.  You've just been too caught up in your own life to notice.  She even had dinner with us once... well... once when you were there.  Lots of times when you were off in the forest doing... whatever it is you do in the forest."

"Tommil!"  Surprisingly, Adiz came to my defense. "You told me yourself that Tandy just isn't comfortable around people, and you know exactly what she's been doing.  You yourself showed me that.. thing... whatever it was that you carved for her.  What ever happened to that thing?"

"You must be talking about the Go Stick!"  Now there was a topic I could get excited about.  "It FLEW!  It was so fast, and I could barely control it, but it FLEW!"

"Then it became a cloud of black dust." Tommil laughed.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because that's what happens to all your most brilliant ideas." Tommil explained.

"What about the no-see-me's then?"  It was an old argument that Tommil and I had over and over.  

"How many of those went poof before you got it right?"

"Fair enough...  But I got it eventually.  They work a treat now!"  I replied.  Tommil was right though, there were a lot of failed attempts that went poof  before I finally got the no-see-me totems to both work and be stable enough to not just go poof after a few moments.

"Are you going to make another one?"  Adiz asked.

"Sure am.  If I ever get the time.  You want to try one out?"  I asked Adiz.

"Oh no."  She replied.  "I couldn't!  I'm not that adventurous.  I like my pottery just fine, but I know how you feel when things poof to dust.  A lot of my early pots did that."

"Adiz made that clay bowl that I use to preserve fresh fruit in Tandy." Mama interjected.

"Really?"  I was impressed.  "I love that thing!  It's so beautiful, and the enchantment on it is incredible!  I wish I could make beautiful things like that."

"Sadly, it is no more."  Mama explained.  "When the Gorfs invaded, it got smashed."

"Yea, right over a big Gorf's head!"  Tommil exclaimed.  "You should have seen her Tandy.  Mama was like a mad-woman!  The Gorfs smashed their way into the clinic, and Mama just started going to town on them.  Smashing one with the bowl, and another with that sculpture she keeps on the front desk.  Then out of nowhere she has a sword and is stabbing and punching and kicking and throwing things.  Next thing I knew, she was pushing me and three patients out the door and towards the mines.  Then Uncle Zon came."  It all came out in one long sentence, and Tommil was panting by the time he was done.  Poor Tommil really was still freaking out.

"There there."  Adiz patted Tommil on the head.  Heh!  "Breathe Tommil, it was all so exciting and terrifying, I know, but it's all over now.  You're safe."

To my surprise, Tommil actually calmed down.  

"I know, I just wish I could have helped.  I felt so helpless." I pretended not to notice the tears in Tommil's eyes.

"You did help Tommil.  You gathered the patients and even carried poor Maggerin on your back because she is old and couldn't walk."  Mama told him.  "That was very heroic.  You should be proud."

The idea of Tommil being heroic was a bit hard to swallow, but if he really carried Maggerin on his back through a village that was being overwhelmed by Gorfs, I guess I could give him that.  That took some real guts.

We arrived at The Outcropping in the twilight just after sundown.  The door opened at Uncle Zon's knock, so they must have been watching for us.  Tilly had a nice mushroom and root stew waiting that was incredible.  The mushrooms were plump, the root vegetables were soft, but crisp enough to not be squishy, and it was all surrounded by a luxurious gravy that I couldn't imagine how it was made.

"It's potatoes." Tilly answered.  "I cut them up small and boiled them down till they dissolved.  Then I cooked the rest of the stew in the potatoes as they thickened.  It takes a while, but it's worth it."

Worth it indeed!

Kinderling 18

 Captian Bezart, or Bez as he insisted that I call him, and his wife Tilly are wonderful people.  Uncle Zon was right, I like them a lot.  After a tour of the garrison, Uncle Zon and I found Father sitting in a comfortable chair with his feet propped up on an ottoman, relaxing in front of a nice comfortable fire, with a blanket and a mushroom beer, dozing off.

I instantly felt guilty.  Mama was out there alone and afraid, and here we were in the lap of luxury.  Well, hopefully she wasn't alone, Tommil should be with her, but what help could he be?  I love my older brother with all my heart, but face it, he takes after Father and is about as tough and has the survival instincts of a marshmallow.  I couldn't help but think that one of them in danger was bad enough.  The two of them in danger was almost too hard to bear.

"Oh dear" Tilly patted me on the shoulder.  Which I appreciated because since I am small for my age, most grown-ups pat me on the head like one would a toddler, which is so humiliating.  Tilly, however, isn't all that much taller than me.  "No use in crying.  I know your mother, she is going to be just fine."

I couldn't help it.  My world was crashing in.  My village, my home, was destroyed.  My friends...  well, maybe crying over lost friends was a bit much.  I didn't even like most people, and a vast majority of those I did like were here at The Outcropping, or should be at Old Barrel with Mama.  But still, I had a general kind of love for all the Kinderlings of the village.  I just didn't want to have to... you know... talk to them or interact with them much.  Now so many were dead, I wished I could go back and make more of an effort.

Mostly I was angry, and didn't know what to do with it.

Tilly made an incredible stew.  It was so good, but I couldn't eat much after the first bite.  How could I eat such wonderful food when Mama and Tommil were probably shivering under a bush out there somewhere.  Tilly and Bez tried their best to steer me towards a nice, warm, comfortable bed, but I pulled my slightly damp bedroll out of my pack and curled up in the corner instead.  Finally Father asked them to let me be, explaining that sometimes I had to work things out for myself.

I hoped they understood.  

I promised myself I wouldn't sleep, but who was I kidding?  I was exhausted and was out before I knew it.  

Morning came much too early.

"Tandy?"  shake shake.  It was Father, probably the only person who could shake me awake without getting a sock in the eye.  Well, Mama could too, but that's different.  I usually come up swinging whenever I wake up.  No idea why.  When Father wake me up he has the sense to say a few things first, and in turn, I have trained myself not swing.  Mama on the other hand, was no-nonsense.  On the rare occasion she felt the need to go as far as shaking me awake, she just casually batted my feeble swings away like it was nothing.  I think that skill came from so many years working with sick and injured people.  Tommil usually got a black eye, if he was lucky.  On a bad day, it would be accompanied with a split lip.  I usually felt bad once I was awake, but man, you gotta learn to duck!

After what was probably the most delicious breakfast I had ever eaten, I was ready to go.

"We are leaving your Father here for now Tandy." Explained Uncle Zon.  "He would just slow us down, and I'm worried.  Besides he's safer up here."

"No argument here.  Sorry Father, no disrespect but you are way too noisy to be sneaking through the forest anyway."  I consoled Father.

"Zon, the path down to Old Barrel should be relatively easy for the most part, I have been using it to play with an idea Tilly and I had for using bramble bushes as part of fortifications.  I think you'll like it."  Bez said.

"He has such a good hand with growing things, he does wonders with the mushroom garden.  It has been a good hobby for him."  Tilly explained.  The way she looked at Bez, you could tell this old couple adored each other.  I wanna be like that with someone some day, but I can't imagine who.

Uncle Zon lead me out through the murder tunnel and onto the Outcropping, then down a small path on the far side.  When we arrived, we climbed up the North side.  Counterintuitively, we were leaving down the South side.  

"Uncle Zon, wouldn't it be closer if we left the other way?"  I asked.

"Yes, but closer isn't always faster Tandy.  There isn't a path down from that side.  There is from this side."

When we found the path.  I had to gasp.  The path lead into a tunnel of sorts.  Carved? Grown?  Shaped?  Out of the middle of one of the nastiest, thorniest, bramble bushes I had ever seen.  Sure, I love me some blackberries or raspberries like anyone else, but I never wanted to be murdered by a bush.  That monster had thorns that looked like you could almost use them for knives.

"Everyone watch where they put their paws!"  Uncle Zon joked. 

The walk down to Old Barrel was amazing.  The bramble tunnel took us most of the way.  When we exited, I took a close look and could tell that Bez had been busy encouraging the brambles to continue along the path so he could extend the tunnel.  I didn't know exactly why he did all this work on a place that the Kinderlings had all but abandoned, but I'm sure he had his reason.

The walk from there to the caravan grounds was almost a pleasant one.  We did the usual.  Move a short way, stop, listen.  Nary a sniff sniff, nor a grumble grumble was heard.  It was almost curious that we didn't come across any Gorfs.  Those guys are usually everywhere.  

We made it to Old Barrel a little before noon.  Uncle Zon explained that since we didn't need to be anywhere near as careful on the path through the brambles, we were able to travel much faster than he had expected.  I looked around and didn't see Mama anywhere.

"Don't start worrying yet Tandy.  There are a couple places they could be hiding."  Uncle Zon reassured me.

Uncle Zon guided me through a gap between two large stone formations and we found ourselves inside Old Barrel.  You know?  I suppose if I crossed my eyes and set my head side-ways I could almost see it, but it didn't really look all that much like the inside of an old barrel to me.  Also crossing your eyes and turning your head sideways is a good way to give yourself a splitting headache, so I don't recommend it.  Stay barrel-less, and thus less disappointed, and headache free.  That's what I say.

Alas, no Mama found.  The lake was pretty.  The water was so clear that I could see there was some good size fish swimming around in there.  I promised myself I would snag one of those fishes later for dinner if happenstance permitted.  

We exited the Old Barrel through the same gap we entered, and walked around the rock formations headed North.  That's when I saw the first signs that someone had been here recently.  I'm not sure if Uncle Zon saw them, they were faint.  Like someone who really knew what they were doing had covered their tracks, but I am a pretty good tracker if I do say so myself.  A bit of crushed grass here, some disturbed weeds there, and a place where the overgrown gap between a couple rock formations had been disturbed and then set back in place.  That was where Uncle Zon was heading for.

"Mama!  Are you in there?" I hollered.  Uncle Zon gave me a look that said "Shut up Tandy!  What you trying to do?  Get us killed?!?"  

Oops...

But sure enough, the branches moved out of the way and out popped Mama with a huge grin on her face.

I was taken aback...  My Mama didn't grin.  Not ever.  And she never wore hunting leathers... or carried a bow... or a knife big enough to almost be a sword!  Mama looked like a wild woman possessed by the forest!

"Tandy!  You're late!"  Mama exclaimed.

"Sorry Mama, got slowed down by a couple grumbly old men."

Mama laughed...  LAUGHED!  My brain went a little sideways.  I don't recall ever once, in my entire life, hearing Mama laugh out loud like that.  Sure, a quiet, controlled chuckle on a rare occasion, but never a full out laugh.

I noticed movement behind Mama, and out came Tommil, looking terrified like he hadn't just seen a monster... he had seen them all.

"Tommil, you ok?"  I asked.

He just looked at Mama all wide-eyed like she was some kind of creature from his nightmares.

"Oh Tandy."  Mama explained, "Tommil is just having some problems adjusting."  Then she turned to Uncle Zon and magically became the Mama I remembered again.  "Hideout isn't livable.  There was a cave-in at some point.  I brought Tommil, his girlfriend, and about half of your patrol.  Best I could do."

I could tell by the way Mama said the word "girlfriend" that she liked her.  From the look on Tommil's face, I don't think he knew.  I wasn't going to be the to tell him, he had to learn to read Mama on his own.

In spite of Mama's proclamation that the hideout was unlivable, when we made our way through the  overgrown path I was surprised by what we found.  If this was what Mama called unlivable, I'm not sure what that phrase means.  Sure, everything was dusty.  After all, by all accounts this place hadn't been used for at least twenty years, but other than that, it was great.  There was a good-size fireplace with a pot of stew suspended over the fire by a hook. There were all the comforts of home.  There was even a large platter on one of the tables that held evidence that someone besides me had already had the idea of snagging a fish out of the Old Barrel pond.  Sadly, only bones were left.  I was getting hungry.

Around the table sat four of the members from Uncle Zon's militia patrol.  I recognized two of them, one of which was one of the few Kinderling women in the militia.  

"Zenna, I didn't expect you here.  I thought you would stay to help your parents, are they okay?"  Uncle Zon asked the young woman.

"They're doing as well as can be expected so far Zon."  She replied.  "I wanted to stay and help them, but Baot has ordered that only boys can be in the militia, and any girls past name-day are to report to Baot's war council to be assigned a husband because the village needs babies."  There was no mistaking how she felt about those orders.  "So sorry Capitan, I'm no longer part of the militia.  As far as I'm concerned I'm my own boss!"   I could tell she was on the edge of breaking down and crying, but wasn't about to give anyone the satisfaction.

I was shocked.  Baot is assigning husbands?  How would he dare?

"Mizzy just had her name-day last month."  I mused.  Mizzy was the closest thing I had to a friend my own age.  To me, Mizzy was ridiculous.  All she cared about was cooking and cleaning, and one day snagging the perfect husband and being the perfect Kinderling wife.  No runes for Mizzy.  No fun.  No shenanigans.  Just baking bread, and bee keeping, and gardening, and anything else that fit her ideals as something the perfect Kinderling wife would do.  You might think us exact opposites, and you would be right.  Except, in Mizzy's ideals of the perfect Kinderling wife, apparently there is room for having a crazy friend that stops by from time to time.  We got along surprisingly well.  One evening when Mizzy was checking on the progress of some bottles of honey wine that she bottled the previous year, she inadvisably decided to taste one, and being Mizzy's crazy friend, it was my job to help.  Needless to say, it wasn't long before we were feeling the effects.  After a particularly hard fit of giggles, Mizzy got serious.

"Tandy, I need to make a deal with you.  There is a deal.  I need a promise from you."  Mizzy slurred with tears in her eyes.

"Anything Mizzy."

"If you get old and never find a husband, I'll be here for you.  I'll take care of you."  she sobbed.  "but I need you to promise me if I fail to be the perfect wife and my husband hates me or hurts me, you'll come for me and take care of me too."

What could I say?  Mizzy wasn't going to fail.  She was the perfect Kinderling wife.  If I was a boy I would be following her around like a lost kitten.

"You won't fail.  You are incredible!"

"Promise me Tandy.  Please!"  Mizzy sounded desperate.  So I made the promise.  Then threw up.  I was way too young and that honey wine was way too delicious.

The next thing Zenna said turned my blood cold.

"Mizzy has been married off to Old Daggi.  He has been supporting Baot's takeover from the start, and is even on the war council."  Zenna said with disgust.  "From the sounds coming from his house at all hours, he's really enjoying having such a young, beautiful wife."

"Wait." Uncle Zon practically yelled. "His house?"

"Yes."  Mama interjected, "Shortly after Beso charged you and Tadius with murdering three of his personal guard.  Baot made the announcement that he has negotiated a peace treaty with the Gorfs. His supporters have been allowed to move back to the village, and given whatever homes they want.  Everyone else has been declared unfaithful and left in the mines until they can prove themselves trustworthy.  They are saying that Tandy is the one at fault for the Gorfs invasion."

"So are you?" Came an angry voice from the other end of the table.  It was one of the patrol.  A young Kinderling I was not familiar with.  "Did you charm the Gorfs and send them to attack the village for revenge?  After all, we did find you off in the forest by yourself.  Who does that?  Nobody does that."

"Now Kurnt, that is right out of line."  Uncle Zon said forcefully.

"No!  You are in on it too, you knew right where to find her.  How did I not see it sooner?"  Kurnt cried.  "Garis is dead, Agron is dead, Moldt is dead.  Poor Moldt, how could you do that to Moldt?  Splitting him open like that and pulling out his guts so that witch Tandy could make a portal!  Everyone always said that Tandy's a witch!  I didn't believe it till now, but here you all are."

It's a common campfire story that witches cut people open and spread their guts out in a circle to make a portal.  According to the story,  the person's anguish powers the spell, so the portal stays open until the person passes out or dies.  In one of the common variations, the hero wills himself to die at just the right time so that the witch is cut in half by her own portal as it fails.  Only the weak minded would believe there is any truth to such a horrible story.

"None of that is true.  Garis stayed of his own volition to cover our escape.  Beso probably had him killed for it."  Uncle Zon said.  "The others I don't know anything about.  We escaped through the caves."

Apparently Mama had had enough.  "Call my daughter a witch one more time Kurnt, and see what happens to you."  I hadn't heard that particular tone of voice from Mama before, and it chilled me right through.  Mama started to pull out her big knife.

"Stop it, all of you!"  I yelled.  "Kurnt, if that's how you feel, you should leave. If you believed all these things, I don't know why you came here."

"He can't go Tandy, he will run back and tell Baot where we are."  Uncle Zon said gently, in that way one talks to a child when they have to say something terrible.  I don't know why people do that.  What's the point?  Saying it like that doesn't change how horrible the thing is.

"Problem is Uncle Zon, we don't have anywhere to keep him, and don't have enough people to guard him if we did."  I replied.  "If we kill him, then we are the horrible people he thinks we are.  I, for one, am not a witch.  We didn't kill anyone, and I'm not about to start with Kurnt." 

Uncle Zon just shook his head.

"She's right Zon."  Mama said, "Kurnt go.  Take your pack, a canteen, some food, and your weapons and go."

"We're sending him with weapons?" Uncle Zon exclaimed.

"It's dangerous out there Zon.  If we send him out without them, he wouldn't last long."  Mama explained.

Kurnt hastily grabbed his things and ran for the exit.  I couldn't blame him.  I was confident that nobody would hurt him, but he was smart not to stick around waiting for one of us to change our minds.

"If we leave now, we can make it back to The Outcropping before nightfall."  Uncle Zon suggested.  I thought it was a keen idea.  This place was somewhat defensible, but it didn't hold a candle to the garrison fort at Outcropping.

"If the fortifications are still in good condition, the garrison complex at The Outcropping should at least be more defensible than we are here."  Mama pointed out.

"Oh, they are Bonnie.  Bez and Tilly have been living there as caretakers since we pulled the patrol out of the garrison.  They have been spending their time fixing up the joint.  I barely recognized it when I got there."

"I had wondered where those two had gotten off to.  Suits them.  Can't wait to see them again."  Mama said.

Kinderling 17

 Much to my dismay, the sun was setting.  While the view of the sunset from The Outcropping was breathtaking, it also told me that even though we were so close, there was no way we would be able to get to Old Barrel before dark.  It's a fools game to stumble around in the dark.

Kinderlings are many things, but nocturnal is not one of them.  We are day-time forest creatures.  When night time rolls around, Kinderlings hide in our secure, safe homes to sleep during the nighttime hours.  Gorfs do not.  While they do tend to be less active at night, that doesn't mean they are inactive.  Until now, I had always assumed that Gorfs got around at night using their noses.  Now I know that the surface Gorfs originally came from an underground race.  Underground where day and night doesn't matter.  Of course they would be more comfortable at night.

That's all assuming that Gorfs are the only danger in the night.  They are not.  There are a number of predatory beasts that roam the nighttime forest.  Jaguars, Bears, Wolves.  Higher up where we are at The Outcropping, we might come across the odd Mountain Lion.  For Kinderlings, because we are small, even a hungry Racoon or Opossum can be dangerous.

What all that meant was that we would be spending the night up on The Outcropping.  

I think Uncle Zon saw when the realization hit me.

"Yes Tandy, we won't be able to get to Old Barrel till tomorrow, early afternoon at best."  Uncle Zon said, "But not all is bad.  Come, let me show you The Outcropping Garrison."

Uncle Zon lead me to the garrison built into the side of the mountain.  It didn't look like much from the outside, a solid metal-bound blackwood door, a few window openings shuttered in blackwood and bound to match the door.  The building front was roughly quarried granite blocks of a more grey color than the blue-grey of the Outcropping stone.  Not typical Kinderling work as it had little decoration.  Kinderlings tend to try to make everything they create beautiful.  This was not, it could best be described as serviceable.

The entrance was Kinderling sized, so only the smallest Gorfs would comfortably fit, and it came in the form of a tunnel twenty or so paces long.  A Gorf the size of the one we met at the underground lake would have found it difficult at best to enter, and he would have had to crawl the entire way, if he fit at all.  Uncle Zon lead the way with a lantern that he must have gotten from The Outcropping, because he certainly didn't have it with him.

The entrance tunnel opened out into a cavernous room.  I found myself facing a curved fortification across the room, built of the same granite as the exterior of the building, only instead of being rough, it was finished smooth and bedecked in Kinderling Runes, some even inlaid with Kinderling silver.  Anyone entering through that tunnel better be coming in peace, because they would be funneled down by the entrance to face the entire fortification, one at a time.  A small garrison of Kinderlings in this place could hold against all the Gorfs in the forest until they ran out of arrows.

Uncle Zon must have guessed what I was thinking.  "There are even murder holes in the walls and ceiling of the tunnel, and ways to pour boiling oil over anyone dumb enough to enter uninvited.  There is also a way to watch the Old Trade Road from inside.  There is a cistern that is fed from an underground spring and a mushroom farm that could feed an army of Kinderlings almost indefinitely.  As soon as I am able, I am planning on bringing as many of the surviving Kinderling up here as I can.  This place could house everyone." 

"This place sounds perfect.  Why hasn't Baot already started bringing people up here?"  I asked.  

"As far as I know, Baot does not know of this place.  Very few people do." Uncle Zon explained.  "Up until twenty years ago the garrison at this outpost was still being kept by a small force of Kinderlings.  When the militia pulled out of the garrison here, a retired militia Captain and his wife asked to be allowed to stay on as caretakers.  You'll like them.  Until recently, Baot has had no use for the militia, but because his family is... was... a controlling faction on the council, he was able use their position to take over."

"Caretakers?  You mean Kinderlings have lived up here for twenty years and nobody knows about them?"  

"Not quite nobody Tandy."  Uncle Zon chuckled, "I know about them, and I stop in as often as I can to check on them, and there are a few others; mostly older militia members who know about them and this place.  Baot does not though, because he has never shown interest in actually running the militia.  He has only been interested in the power he derives from being in charge."

"Like declaring martial law?"

"Yes, just so."

Uncle Zon looked uncomfortable with that realization.  I can't blame him.

Kinderling 16

 It didn't take long for my fears to be realized.  Luckily, while Uncle Zon was keeping us on a faster pace than I would have used, during a break for Father to catch his breath I heard something coming.  It wasn't the tell-tale "sniff sniff, grumble grumble" that I was listening for, but it was something, and it was big.  I alerted Uncle Zon, and we scuffled Father off the trail as quickly as we could and hid under a bush.  I pushed the no-see-me charm in front of us just in time.  

I was amazed by the size of the band of Gorfs that marched past.  Marched.  Gorfs don't march, they meander.  At their best, they behave like a heard of cats.  Always going here and there, distracted by their never-ending search for tasty morsels.  Not these though, this band of Gorfs marched.  Nice straight lines.  In step.  Boots hitting the ground all at once.

Boots!  Gorfs don't wear boots!  Gorfs don't have the industry to make boots, let alone the inclination to wear them.  These Gorfs even wore rudimentary uniforms, complete with what appeared to be rank insignias.  

They were equipped for war, each carrying a shield and a spear with a few wearing swords at their hips.  These weren't Gorf spears either.  Gorf spears tend to be rudimentary at best.  Usually just sticks that one end burned in a fire, then rubbed against a stone to make a point.  Sure, this fire-hardened the wood, I knew about things like fire-hardening, but I never thought the Gorfs understood it.  These weren't fire-hardened sticks though, they were full-fledged spears, complete with nasty looking metal spear heads.  I've been watching Gorfs for some time and had only once seen one with anything made of metal.  It was a knife, and was obviously Kinderling made.  That knife was ill-kept and rusty, probably taken from some unlucky Kinderling that he had caught.  These spears were not beautifully made like a Kinderling craftsman would make, but they were serviceable and hadn't been allowed to rust.

"This is a platoon."  Whispered Uncle Zon.  "Three squads of thirteen soldiers each.  We don't form our patrols like this in the Militia, but I have read about this in the military books of Men."    

Unless you come across a settlement, you almost never see more than a handful of Gorfs at a time.  They just aren't social enough to cooperate in larger groups.  Sure, you might see this many in a settlement, including Mom Gorfs, and Dad Gorfs, and all the baby and children Gorfs.  Only a few would be hunters, most would be gatherers or scavengers.  These Gorfs were not hunters, they were warriors.  They were mostly male, although I thought I saw a few female Gorfs mixed in.

"So you think Men are behind this Zon?" Father asked.  I was worried he would be overheard, but with the tromp of the marching boots, I don't think the Gorfs would have heard us if we shouted.

"Why would they be Tadius?  If Man's caravans return to the village, we would welcome them with open arms and we would trade with them freely.  They have no reason to attack us, and no need to use Gorfs to do it.  No, I think someone has read the same books that I have, and has somehow gained control over these Gorfs."

"Were the Gorfs who over-ran the village like these ones?"  I asked.

"I don't know Tandy.  They were better organized than Gorfs usually are, but they didn't have the uniforms or spears like these have.  They didn't have boots either for that matter. This group is far better equipped and organized."  Uncle Zon replied.

The Gorf platoon quickly passed.

"Good thing the militia isn't patrolling right now.  If a patrol of Kinderlings were to meet that platoon, they wouldn't survive long."  Said Uncle Zon, and I believed him.  How could anything stand up to that?

"Come now, we don't have far to go before we can leave the path and cut across to Old Barrel."  Uncle Zon added.

Instead of walking on the path, we made our way parallel to it for a while.  Uncle Zon and I were both fine because we were used to walking in the forest.  Father wasn't doing well, and required a number of  rests before moving on.  I tried not to get cross with him for not being as strong as Uncle Zon and I.  Mama always said, "Never look to person's weakness, it is their strength that will defeat you."  Weird saying, but Mama was right, while Father isn't at home in the forest, I would hate to have to debate him in front of the village council.  If we ever have a village council again.

Eventually we found the place that Uncle Zon was looking for.  There was a small river that cut across the path.  To my surprise, there was a bridge.  A quick look told me that the bridge was built by Kinderlings.  Not that I could really tell you how I knew, but it had a Kinderling-like quality to it.  Not just functional, but also pretty in a no-nonsense kind of way.  Like Mama.

"The other side is where we leave the path." Uncle Zon said. "We cross and go upriver till we reach The Outcropping, then down to Old Barrel."

I didn't know what The Outcropping was, but the way Uncle Zon said it, it sounded important.

We waited till Father was well-rested, then the three of us scurried across the bridge as quickly as we could.  None of us wanted to get caught in the open if another Gorf platoon happened by.  From there, following the river was a pretty easy walk.  The land did start to rise, but the slope was gentle enough that not even Father could complain too much.  

When I saw it, I knew The Outcropping without Uncle Zon having to point it out.  It was a beautiful chunk of blue-grey granite practically bursting out of the side of the mountain.  To one side, there was a path complete with steps to climb to the top.

"This is The Outcropping, Tandy."  Uncle Zon explained.  "At one time, a small Kinderling garrison always kept here at all times to watch the Trade Road."  

I could see a couple stone buildings built into the side of the mountain.  We were on one side of the gap that the Old Trade Road passed through.  I walked out to the end of the outcropping, and sure enough, I could vaguely make out the road, even as overgrown as it had become.  Uncle Zon came out and pointed out something far below.

"You see that clearing down there?" He said.

"Is that Old Barrel?"  

"That is the caravan grounds.  See that pile of stones off to the side?  That's Old Barrel."  He replied.  "It doesn't look like much from here, but in the midst of those stones is a natural spring inside a depression in the stone.  Standing in there and looking up, it looks like you are standing inside an old barrel."

"Mama should be there."  Look, neat old stone formations are one thing.  Right then, my world was falling apart and I was worried about Mama.  

Uncle Zon let out a short laugh.  "Don't worry Tandy, if there is anyone who can take care of themselves it's your mother.  When we evacuated the village, I know for a fact she had her bow and knife with her, and covered the escape of all her patients.  She didn't lose a single one.  The only reason I came to find you in the woods instead of your mother is that there were too many wounded, and I am inept when it comes to healing."

"I know you are just trying to help, but I'm not a kid, Mama doesn't even own a bow."

Uncle Zon and Father looked at each other, and both fell down laughing as if I had just said the funniest thing ever.

I never will understand men.

Kinderling 15

 "All right you two, if you have that out of your system, I don't think standing around waiting for the Gorf to forget he promised not to eat us is a good idea."  I said, picking what looked to be the easiest path towards the village.  "This way I think."

As was my habit when walking through the forest, I kept to smaller paths and spent as much time listening as I did walking.  It was difficult with Father's panting and wheezing behind me.  How had I never noticed how loud Father is? 

"Where are we heading Tandy?" came a whisper from Uncle Zon.  "We can't just walk back into the village, there is a surprisingly large tribe of Gorf that, last time I saw, has taken up residence."

"Old Barrel."

"What?  Why there?"

"Mama said."

Uncle Zon looked surprised.  "That's dangerous, the Kinderling Militia doesn't even go there anymore."

Now that was something I didn't know.  Well, I guess there area a lot of things about the Old Barrel that I didn't know.  I had never seen it, and only knew vaguely where it was, and frankly I was a little surprised that Mama knew it even existed.

The Old Barrel was the place where caravan's would stop when coming to trade for Kinderling silver.  It wasn't far from the village.  It came to be named The Old Barrel because of  a rock feature that held water, that looked from the inside like you were inside an old barrel, or so that was what I had heard.  Men would walk in to the trade area from the Barrel in the mornings, spend the day trading, then return in the evenings.  Horses and pack animals were not allowed anywhere near the trade area or village because their size was frightening.  Men are easily three or four times the size of Kinderlings and are scary enough in their own right, their horses were enormous and terrifying.  There was also a strict rule that Men were also not allowed in the village proper, or allowed to stay in the trade area after sunset.  I had never directly heard the reason for that rule, but I had overheard enough disapproving whispers about the "Race of Man" that I got the impression it was a grown-up thing.

"Nonsense Zon, it can't have gotten that bad can it?" Interjected Father.

"This time I AM calling you old, Tadius."  Uncle Zon said without heat,  "It has been fifty years since you were last there when the old gang broke up.  For that matter, it has been nearly twenty years since I was last there and recommended to the council that we pull the militia patrols in closer to the village.  The Gorf have only gotten worse since then."

"You think the hideout is still there Zon?"

"I don't know Tadius, I had a patrol with me when I was there.  I didn't want to give it away, so all I could do was take a quick look from outside.  The way was overgrown, but seemed to be undisturbed.  Rupert did good work, so it is possible I guess."

"Good ol' Rupert."  Father said, sounding sad.

I remember my parents had a friend named Rupert when I was little.  He would show me runes that they weren't teaching in school.  Mama would act all put-out like he shouldn't be showing such powerful and dangerous runes to a small child.  Knowing Mama as I do now, I'm sure it was just an act designed to pique my interest rather than to get Mr. Rupert to stop.  If Mama really wanted him to stop, she would have dragged him out by his ear.  When Mama wants someone to stop something in her house, they stop it.  The no-see-me charm, and so many other things I've created, wouldn't have been possible without those impromptu lessons.

"I think I remember him Father, what ever happened to Mr. Rupert?"

"He died a few years ago Tandy." Father replied.  "One day he was fine, the next day he couldn't keep food down, and died soon after.  Not even your mother could figure out what was wrong with him.  I'm sorry, that was when you were having your problems with the other children.  We didn't tell you because you were fond of him and after The Incident, we didn't want to add to your worries."

The Incident, as Father always called it, was the day Mama caught me, bruised and bleeding from a number of cuts and gashes, leaving the house with my bag of tricks intent on going to war with the bullies.  As far as I was concerned they had drawn first blood when they shoved me into a ravine and pelted me with rocks.  I could have been seriously hurt, or even killed.  They were all a few years older than me, and as small as I am, they were also all much bigger.  That made them valid targets in my book, and I was angry and ready to even the score.

I'm over it now.  Looking back, I now see The Incident as my revolution.  The day I defeated the bullies without even throwing a punch.  After seeing what I had in store for the bullies, Mama pulled me out of school and after the ill-fated attempt at turning me into a healer like her, and Mama suggesting to Father that he take me on as an apprentice - to which Father laughed so hard that Mama suggested he needed to be dosed good and hard with bitter root tea - I officially started schooling from home, and was eventually given freedom to roam the forest. 

Of course, I had to give up on the idea of sweet sweet revenge...  sigh, revenge might be sweet, but freedom was sweeter.

It hit me that Beso was one of the bullies back then.  Not even sure why that occurred to me, I hadn't thought about that bunch of violent miss-fits for years, but I felt a moment of rage at the idea that Beso was even thinking about marrying me.  In what world does he think that could happen?  I had half a mind to...

I was rescued from my dark thoughts by Uncle Zon.  

"Well, now that I know where we are going and have an idea of where we are, I know some shortcuts.  Follow me." With that, Uncle Zon lead us off into a slightly different direction than I had been leading us.  That didn't bother me in the least, after all, I had mostly been guessing.

I couldn't help but think about Uncle Zon and Father's conversation.  The Hideout?  And apparently it was at the Old Barrel?  As far as I knew, the Old Barrel was a few hours walk from the village.  A few hours walk for Man that is, which meant more than that for a Kinderling with our short legs.  Other than a few rare occasions, I never ranged anywhere near that far from the village, and other than me and the militia patrols, Kinderlings, for the most part, never left the safety of the village.  Occasionally the potion brewers or another Kinderling would slip a militia member, or myself, a few coins for us to retrieve something from the forest.  Because I was good at identifying herbs and other ingredients, I made a nice bit of spending money that way.

We made good time, and were lucky to avoid any Gorf settlements, and eventually made it down as far as a good trail through the forest.  I usually avoided such trails when I was in the forest, but Uncle Zon looked relieved to see it.

"This is one of the patrol trails." Uncle Zon explained, "The Gorfs tend to avoid them.  Over the years, we've had quite a few skirmishes with various Gorf tribes, and the Gorfs learned not to bother us.  I hope that will still hold true for the three of us."

I wasn't as hopeful.  In my experience, Gorfs aren't opposed to hiding if they think another group is stronger.  I have seen it often enough from various hiding places.  Whenever a weaker group of Gorfs come across a stronger group, they go to ground.  They aren't half bad at hiding themselves.  I'm sure having green skin in the forest is an advantage.

Kinderling 14

 The chance presented itself to me shortly.  While Father and Uncle Zon sat there and stared at each other, each convinced that they were the only one who should use the Rod and confront the Gorf.  Just like those two Gorf combatants from the first time I saw one of these Rods, although much less violently, the two of them left the thing lying there while they argued.

I took a lesson from that Gorf girl all those years ago.

Father and Uncle Zon didn't notice me calmly walk up and slide the Rod right out from between them.  I sat and looked at it like I was studying it for a few moments, just in case they got suspicious, and when they weren't looking I wandered off.  Hey, I'm a kid, kids do that sort of thing.

I've been chased by Gorfs.  Treed by Gorfs.  Played demented games of hide and seek with Gorfs.  Demented, of course, because if they won, I would have probably been eaten, but how else was I supposed to test the latest version of no-see-me charm?  And now, apparently, I have had a conversation with and befriended an old Gorf.  Sure, I've been scared, but never this terrified as when I stripped back down to my under-clothes, and swam with the Rod across that lake.

As I crawled out of the water, it occurred to me that I hadn't really made a plan for this.  It's not like me to walk into something without a plan.  Or, maybe that's exactly like me.  The Gorf's back was turned, so I started quietly edging back towards the water.  Then he turned.

I looked at him.

He looked at me.

Sniff, sniff. "grumble grumble?"  He said.

So I went with the first thing that popped into my head.

"UURRGGWWAAAGGAAAA!!!!"  And I planted the King's Rod into the ground... or tried to.  The point just sort of bounced on the rocks so instead of waving my arms like I had seen, I was stuck holding the Rod with one hand and waving the other.  It occurred to me that the translation was probably lost somewhere between my memory of the Gorf girl, and the squeaky noises I was able to produce.

Yet, instead of grabbing me and trying to eat me, the large Gorf stood there.  I think I confused him.  I wasn't confused, I was terrified.  

"Tandy!"  I heard my father yell from across the lake.  "What are you doing?"

"Making friends Father." I replied, hoping it was true.  Although, to be honest, I was well past the point of knowing what I was doing.

Then the Gorf indicated towards the King's Rod.  "Googff."

"You want this?"  I asked, holding the Rod out towards him.

Then Uncle Zon came out of the water behind me.  "Tandy, this is not a good idea."  I could hear the splashing of Father's doggy paddle across the lake.  He was never a strong swimmer.  

To my relief, the Gorf seemed to take it all in stride, even when Uncle Zon had to go pull Father from the lake to keep him from drowning.  To my relief, I saw that Uncle Zon had brought along my pack and Smoke, and had somehow kept them both dry.

"Tandy, you are in big trouble young lady!"  Father yelled at me once he regained his breath.

"GRROOOGGG!!!"  Yelled the Gorf.

"Tadius, I don't think right now is a good time for yelling."  Whispered Uncle Zon to my father.  "This plan is yours Tandy, what's next?"

I think it's so cute how Uncle Zon actually thinks I had a plan.

The Gorf stepped towards us, and I held up the rod, which seemed to distract him and fend him off.  That gave me an idea.  I held the Rod up with my left hand, and indicated at what I hoped was the exit with my right hand, using the same gesture that the Gorf had used when, I hope, he was indicating earlier that he wanted the Rod.  To my relief, it seemed to work.  The Gorf stepped back towards the lake, clearing the path between us and the exit.  

"Googff" He said again, once again indicating the Rod.

"It wants the Rod, Tandy.  I don't think we should give it to him, he's likely to beat us with it."  Uncle Zon, unhelpfully interjected.

"I know he wants the Rod, Uncle Zon.  I'm negotiating a trade here.  He gets the Rod, and we get to leave."  At least that is what I hoped I was doing.  For all I knew of Gorfs, I was offering to be his dinner, but I didn't think so.

I waved at the others, and Father, Uncle Zon, and I started moving towards the light.  The Gorf didn't move to stop us, so I was labeling it as a win.

"Googff."  The Gorf said again when we got closer to the exit, a little louder this time, and I thought I detected a bit of "Hey lady, what about our deal?" in the tone.  I don't know if such things as tone of voice translates over between Gorf and Kinderling, but maybe.

I made my best "living up to my end of the bargain" style tone, and said.  "You kept up your part, so here you go." and I walked up to the Gorf and handed him the Rod.

The Gorf looked surprised, as if I had given him the best gift ever, and didn't look like he could take his eyes off the Rod.  I took advantage of his surprise and high-tailed it out of there.

"Goh-oot." I heard as I left the lake cavern.  Thank you.  Or at least I believe that is what he meant.

I caught up with Father and Uncle Zon in short order.  Father looked like he had been running all day, rather than just a few minutes, but Uncle Zon looked fine.  No surprise there.  Father looked like he was ready to yell, but was quickly cut off by Uncle Zon.

"Tadius, we are in the forest.  Please keep your voice down.  It's dangerous.  Tandy, you know the forest better than anyone.  Any idea where we are?"

I looked around.  Our village is mostly surrounded by forested hills.  The village itself is in a lower lying area in the middle.  Getting my bearings, and looking off to the East, I could see the gap in the hills where the trade road is said to have once been.  That was way before my time, and my usual stomping grounds are more on the South West side of the village, so I had never seen it.

"The old trade road is not far that way, to the East, and the village is North of here, maybe a spot west."  I reported.

Father looked around.  "It all just looks like trees to me, how can you possibly know that?" 

"Tandy is right Tadius.  We are pretty far up the slope Southeast of the village.  We have a ways to walk.  Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"Of course I can make it Zon.  Why wouldn't I be able to make it.  Are you calling me old?"  Father really did seem to be put out by the perceived implication that he was getting old.

"No Tadius, I was calling you fat."

I was shocked.  Sure, Father was a bit overweight, but other than Mother who doesn't pull punches for anyone, particularly someone she loves, I had never heard anyone actually say so.

"And you can't seem to keep a woman around Zon."  Father laughed.

What was going on?  Everyone in the family knew about Uncle Zon's misadventures with finding a suitable wife.  Sure, it was a common subject of gossip.  Giggling about Uncle Zon getting turned down by this woman or dumped by that one.  Conjecture more about if he was going to settle down rather than when.  Still, nobody teased him about it.  That was just rude.

Yet they were both smiling as if they had shared a particularly fond memory.

I don't think I'll ever understand men.

Kinderling 13

 Before long, all three of us made our way to the top of the stairs, carefully watching the Gorf from behind the protection of the no-see-me.  The Gorf was more and more frantically searching the shoreline, diving deeper and deeper into the water.  A few times I was afraid he was going to drown.

"What odd behavior." Uncle Zon whispered, "I wonder what it could be looking for?"

"Normally I would say it was food, but I've never seen a Gorf this fixated on anything.  Even when they know there is food somewhere, they usually lose interest before too long if they can't reach it."  I replied.

"You sound far too much like you have experience with Gorfs for my comfort young lady." interjected Father, a little louder that was wise.  We both shushed him, and I was instantly ready to flee for my life.  Giving away your position, especially to an obviously agitated Gorf, was not something that anyone who cared about a long life did.

But the Gorf didn't even seem to have heard us, and continued on with his searching.

"Tadius, you know I love you, but I would also like to remind you that if that thing comes after us, Tandy and I don't have to outrun it.  We just have to outrun you."  Even knowing that Uncle Zon meant it as a joke, the reality of those words chilled me like being in a damp old cavern couldn't begin to.

That's when I noticed something floating in the water not far from the landing on our side.  It was similar to something I once saw when I accidentally stumbled too close to a Gorf encampment while in the Forrest.  Gorfs, surface Gorfs anyway, usually live in caves.  Not in deep caverns like their Deep Gorf cousins, but rather in caves closer to the surface.  However, not even Gorfs can spend all their time in a cave, so their settlements usually spill out of the cave mouth in an unorganized mass of Gorf activity.  It was fascinating, if incredibly dangerous, to watch.  While I was watching that day, I noticed that a couple of the larger Gorf males - in spite of them being very different from Kinderlings, it's easy to tell which are male and which are female - started fighting over a stick of wood.  It was brutal, and I was worried that one of them would be killed.  I didn't like the Gorfs, but I didn't particularly want to see one killed.  Then in the middle of the fight, a tiny Gorf female sneaked in and stole the stick right out from under them.  She planted the end of the stick in the ground and let out a loud, garbled proclamation.  I have no idea what she said, but the tone of voice said "cut it out!" and the two combatants instantly stopped fighting.  I didn't see what happened afterward, because I carefully backed out of there as quickly and carefully as possible.

I hadn't thought much about that day for some time, but seeing the stick floating in the water brought it back to me in detail.  

To Uncle Zon's surprise, and Father's absolute shock, I put my pack down and started stripping off the outer layers of my clothes.  Not all of my clothes, of course, just the outer layers.  If everything went according to plan, I would definitely want something, at least somewhat, dry to put on in a few minutes.

"What are you doing young lady?" Father exclaimed.  Although at least he remembered not to do so out loud.

"I have an idea." I whispered them, "give me a moment."

I watched for a moment, looking for a time when the large Gorf was moving away, still searching.  I quietly slipped into the water.  The water was colder than I expected, and also much deeper.  The cold nearly stole the breath from my lungs.  Fortunately, I'm a decent swimmer, and my goal wasn't far.  

I soon had the stick and returned to the others.  We made our way back down the stairs far enough that our little glowing buttons wouldn't be seen from across the lake, and inspected my find.

The stick was both smoother than I expected, and rougher.  It was more a rod than a stick, with a point at one end, and a cap of some kind of black material at the other.  The material seemed to be some kind of metal.  The body of the rod was smooth, but also carved or engraved with an intricate pattern.  It was beautiful.  As beautiful as anything made by Kinderling artists.  We all silently stared at it in awe, and more than a little confusion.  The Gorfs made this?

"I believe this is a Gorf King's Rod."  Uncle Zon quietly broke the silence, "When I was a boy exploring the caverns, the Deep Gorf boys that my friends and I would play with often joked about using a King's Rod to get Gorf girls to... um... do things with them."

"Like what Uncle Zon?"  I played innocent, but I had a good idea what he was talking about.  I've been watching Gorfs for some time, and I've seen their mating practices.  Although, none of them that I ever saw included anything like this Rod.

It was fun to see Uncle Zon's discomfort.  He still thinks of me as a little girl, although I guess that can be excused.  I am a little small for my age, getting my height from Father and my build from Mother, who is probably still at her age the most beautiful Kinderling in the village.  Or maybe I am biased since everyone says I look just like her.  Father finally came to Uncle Zon's rescue.

"Tandy, quit being mean to your Uncle."  Father fake-hissed.  "He's old and not comfortable talking about such things around young ladies!"  I started looking around as if I was looking for a "young lady".

"Just what use is this thing going to be anyway?"  Uncle Zon had regained his composure and, with military precision, put the conversation back on the right path.

"Well, I would be surprised if this wasn't what our large friend over there was looking for.  I've seen one of these before, and if it is powerful enough to allow a small Gorf girl to order two Gorf males to stop fighting, and powerful enough to get a Gorf girl to... do things... with one of your gorfy friends Uncle Zon,  Perhaps it's powerful enough to get us out of here."

I didn't know for sure if a Kinderling with the Rod would be obeyed.  To tell the truth, I didn't even know for sure that that was what the Rods were even for, but it made sense, and I was just about to test that theory.

"Not on my watch young lady!"  Uncle Zon whispered while deftly removing the Rod from my hands.  "If anyone is going to use this thing, it isn't going to be you."

"I agree." Father said.  "And as the surviving member of the Village Council, that task falls to me."

Father tried to take the Rod from Uncle Zon as deftly as he had taken it from me, but to no avail.  Uncle Zon was clearly stronger and more athletic.

"Not happening Tadius.  As a Capitan of the Militia, it is my duty to keep you, the one surviving member of the Village Council, as you so helpfully pointed out, safe."

The two Kinderlings looked at each other like each knew their own argument was the better argument, and weren't going to back down.  The look was mildly intimidating on Uncle Zon.  I say mildly, because I don't intimidate easy.  Someone, anyone, else would have probably already fallen into line.  Unfortunately for Father, that look just made him look adorable.  I just wanted to give him a hug.  If this is the look he gave Mother all those years ago...  Well I was going to say that I understood why she fell in love with him.  Except this is Mother we're talking about, and not even I could really understand her feelings.  I mean, I know she loves us because I figured out the signs.  You know my Mother cares about because she, sometimes brutally, takes care of you.  You have a Dirty face?  Somehow my Mother always had a washcloth handy, and wasn't afraid to use it.  Nobody my Mother loved was going to be allowed to walk around with a dirty face.   Need stitches?  Whip whip, done.  Broken bone set?  DONE.  Got a sniffle?  Medicine and ordered to bed.  Need a hug because your feelings are hurt?  Mama ain't got time for that nonsense, that's what Father was for.  What an odd time to find myself contemplating my parent's relationship dynamic.  They completed each other.  Wow.

Now, since I was solving all my life's mysteries today, how was I going to get Father and Uncle Zon to admit that the only one of us with a chance of surviving trying to use this King's Rod, if that's what it even is, on that enormous Gorf over there to get us out of here, it had to be me.

Kinderling 12

 It soon became apparent that the path we were on was the correct one.   The air in the tunnels started to become moist, and soon the floor was replaced with stone steps rather than packed dirt.

We were finally going up.

The stone steps were made of rough-hewn stone, but were solid and even as any steps I had ever climbed.  I was really having my preconceived notions challenged.  Then they all came crashing down.  Well, not crashing so much as slowly spiraling to a bumpy landing.

*"water ahead, and enemies"*

The water part was obvious, the steps were becoming wetter and wetter as I climbed, but it wasn't until Smoke's warning that I became aware of the faint tell-tale "Sniff sniff, grumble grumble" that  constantly accompanied the surface Gorf.  I stopped and carefully covered my glowing button so I wouldn't give my position away.  Moments later Father and Uncle Zon caught up.  I was surprised that they weren't still arguing, but maybe I shouldn't have been.  Uncle Zon knows well enough the lessons of noise discipline.  After all, he was the one who tried to teach them to me. Sadly, the reality of being chased through the forest by Gorf was what actually made the lesson stick.

Please nobody tell Uncle Zon that.  

I pulled the no-see-me from my pack, and started to slowly started to creep my way forward when I felt a hand on my arm.

"I thought you said those things didn't work when you're moving Tandy." Uncle Zon whispered.

"They don't really - not very well anyway."  To tell the truth, I have enough experience with sneaking around Gorf that I probably would have been fine sneaking up the last few steps without the no-see-me, but having the no-see-me might give me a little extra advantage and only a sucker doesn't use every advantage they could get.  Anyway, the no-see-me couldn't make anything worse, so no downside.

"I'm just getting it ready in case I have to freeze."

Surprisingly, Uncle Zon let me go.

I climbed the last few steps to the top as quietly as I could manage.  Not perfectly silent as Smoke, but I guess it was quiet enough.  I wasn't grabbed by a Gorf anyway, and any time you aren't grabbed by a Gorf is a good time in my book.

The top of the steps opened to a large, dark - but not completely dark - cavern filled with an underground lake.  There were a few steps down from the opening, probably to keep the lake from overflowing down the stairs and into the caverns below, and a small landing.  Then water.  

I could see what looked like sunlight filtering in from across the water where it looked like there was another way out of the cavern.  I stopped and held as still as I could when I saw a particularly large Gorf standing on the shore across the lake.  I wasn't really afraid, because there was a whole lake between me and the Gorf, and Gorfs don't tend to be strong swimmers, but I didn't want to tempt it with a tasty morsel... me!

The Gorf was easily the largest I had ever seen, and to my surprise he was waded out into the lake.  Not like he had seen me and was coming after me though.  He was peering into the water as if he were looking for something and seemed to be completely unaware of my presence.  I almost gave myself away by laughing when he slipped and fell in with a giant splosh!  While he was flailing around and crawling out of the water, I took the chance to return down the stairs to Father and Uncle Zon.

"Well, now I know why it was called the Water Gate."  I reported in a whisper.  Father smiled and looked relieved.  I hated to do it to him, but just as he was about to start talking I cut him off,  "But, there is no way we can get out this way right now because there is an enormous Gorf in the way."

I went on to explain the layout with the lake-filled cavern, and the large Gorf on the other side blocking the way out.

"I'll go keep watch on the Gorf while the two of you think of a way out of this."  I said.  It's so nice being a kid and being able to pass the hard problems off to adults.  In the mean time, I returned to the top of the stairs with my no-see-me to watch the Gorf as he once again slipped and fell into the lake.  Whatever he was looking for, this particular Gorf seemed to really be obsessed by it.  I don't think I have ever seen a Gorf quite so dedicated to anything.

Kinderling 11

 "But the world isn't broken."  I replied.  Then I thought about my personal world.  The home I may never be able to return to.  My people, as exasperating as I find them and they, I imagine, find me, they are still my people.  

The old Gorf must have read it on my face.  "The world was broken many years ago young one.  This attack on your village is just the most recent consequence of that breaking, and it is merely a small ripple by comparison to the breaking.  How much do you know of Kinderling history?"

"Some, my father teaches me as much as I'll listen."

"Then you might know that the Kinderlings used to mine the silver that can be found hereabouts and used it to craft the most wonderful of objects.  Those objects and the silver itself was widely sought after across the lands for the silver from this area was known far and wide for it's ability to absorb and hold mystical energies.  Yet due to the breaking, the trade dried up.  The village hasn't seen anyone from outside for many long years."

"You seem well informed for a deep one."  Uncle Zon interjected.

"I keep abreast of the doings on the surface, that is my purpose here."  The Gorf replied.

"So you are a spy?" My father asked.

"Nothing so nefarious as that, my friend.  I merely keep tabs in case there is something that might endanger my people."  The Gorf answered.  "This attack on your village, for instance.  I am eager to set you upon your way so I can write up the report and send it to the lower halls.

"Unfortunately, the Breaking coincided with the schism amongst the Gorf.  Just when our brothers and sisters who had lost faith in Gorphim fled to the surface, the Breaking and fear of it's consequence caused my people to retreat to the Lower Halls. I have often thought that was a mistake.   That we shouldn't have closed ourselves off to our own kind.  Gorphim knows how I've tried and what it cost me to live close to the surface.  I was a fool.  It seems in no time at all those who fled to the surface lost themselves and became savages.  My own wife, nearly a hundred years after coming to live with me still only speaks haltingly, and refuses to learn to read and write.

"You see young one?  That is why I can't return to the Lower Halls.  To them, I have been tainted by my contact with the surface Gorf, and I would never be accepted into Lower Society.  To them, I am just as damaged as the fallen."

"I had heard some Gorf boys talk about the Fallen when I was a boy and played down here.  They would never tell me what it meant, and would chase us out of the caves if we pressed too hard."  Uncle Zon said.

"Yes," The old Gorf replied.  "The Fallen is a bit of a taboo subject amongst the faithful.  We don't like to be reminded of what we could become if we turn away from Gorphim's teachings.

"Ah!  Here we are at the crossroads.  If you follow that path you will find yourselves at the water gate."  I looked around and we were indeed at a place where a couple tunnels converged.  The old Gorf indicated a smaller side passage as the direction we wanted to go.  It felt odd leaving the old Gorf there.  I had a million questions I wanted to ask, and I didn't expect I would ever see him again.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye."  I said.  "Perhaps I could come down and see you again if...  When this is all over."  

"That would be nice, young one."

With that, the old Gorf turned and made his way down another tunnel.  I was sorry to see him go, he was so... almost... Grandfatherly.

"Zon, this path your Gorf friend directed us to, it doesn't look all that nice.  Are you sure it's the way we should go?"  My father asked.

"Tadius, shame on you.  That nice old Gorf showed us the way and now you won't trust him?"  Uncle Zon feigned shock.  I could tell, especially when Uncle Zon gave me a grin and a wink when he thought Father wasn't watching.  I don't think my father caught on.

"Now Zon, that's absolutely not what I meant." Father sputtered defensively.  "I'm not..."

"Yes, yes, I know Tadius." Uncle Zon interrupted.  "I was just kidding you.  To tell you the truth I'm not looking forward to that path.  It's awful dark and dirty, and it looks ill-kept.  Which tells me that it is precisely the path we need to take."

"How's that Zon?"  My father didn't sound convinced.

"Because the Deep Gorf don't go to the surface unless they have to."  Uncle Zon explained.  "Of course their tunnels to the surface would be ill-kept.  And ill-kept tunnel like that is exactly what I have been looking for."

"Smoke." I whispered to my familiar, who had been strangely quiet all this time,  "Is the way safe?"

*"safe as any path dear one"*  and with that, Smoke entered the tunnel ahead of us.

Dear one?  When had Smoke started calling me that?

I followed.  Father and Uncle Zon came after.