Helga: Out of Hedgelands, Rick Johnson [suggested reading txt] 📗

his head, and a matching shirt, was sitting on the side of the pool, soaking his legs in the hot water.

JanWoo-Corriboo ran to him and threw her arms around him. “Father, it is so good to see you!”

“And you, too, my Janty,” the older Fox smiled. “You have some new friends, I see.”

Introductions were made all around. “This is my Father, TatterWoo-Corriboo,” said Janty, as her friends now knew her. “You can call him ‘Tatty’ if you want,” she said. “That’s what he’s called around the WooPeace.”

Helga sat down and pulled off her boots. Her legs hurt. She began rubbing her legs as she always did at the end of the day. It helped to relax the muscles and bring relief from the pain of her injured limbs.

“You should try the hot mineral water bath,” Tatty invited. “You’ll be surprised how good it feels, and how much it helps.”

She accepted the advice gratefully. Rolling up her pants, she slipped her legs in the hot, bubbling water.

“Ahhh, this is just what the doctor ordered,” Helga grinned. “I never want to leave!”

“Sorry, friend,” Tatty responded, “twenty minute maximum. You’ll be baked like a potato if you stay longer.”

Helga looked crestfallen, then brightened. “I’ll take my twenty minutes; maybe Venom Bats don’t like water.” She nudged Burwell playfully.

JanWoo-Corriboo piped up, “That’s right, Burwell, the sun is going down. Won’t be long until the Venom Bats come out.”

“Oh, Janty, for heaven’s sake, not that old monster tale again!” Tatty laughed. “Don’t listen to her, Burwell, she’s just teasing you. There’s no such thing as Venom Bats.”

“What?” Burwell burst out. “No Venom Bats? Do you mean to tell me that this pirate pup has given me heart palpitations for nothing? She’s been fibbing to us? Why, I’ll throw you in the hot spring and hold you under! Yep! Yep! Yep!” He started after Janty in a mock rage.

“Yes, Burwell, she fibbed, but it’s the biggest fib in these parts, since every WooSheep believes it’s true!” TatterWoo-Corriboo chuckled. “No one knows where the myth about the Venom Bats got started, but every WooSheep in the Bottoms learns it as a fact of life. Little beasts cut their teeth on the Venom Bat tale. The whole clan is terrified of them.”

“Uh, excuse me,” Burwell said, “but the two of you say there’s no such thing as Venom Bats and every other creature says there is. We’re supposed to believe you two? Sounds like bad odds to me!”

“Oh, there’s bats all right,” Janty spoke up. “We’ll be seeing them real soon. And the sight may scare the daylights out of you—but they’re not dangerous. I don’t know whether someone got scared of them once and the story just grew and grew, or if someone made up the story to keep the WooSheep away from here, but you don’t have to be afraid. Just take a look—here they come!”

JanWoo-Corriboo pointed to a vast cloud of small bats that was pouring out of an opening in the rock not far away. There were so many that they completely blocked out the disk of the setting sun. “Why, there must be thousands and thousands!” Helga breathed.

“Yes,” Janty replied. “You can definitely see how, if you were a little skitterish about bats, the sight could give you the shakes!” She looked at Burwell, who was noticeably shivering at the sight. “Don’t be scared, Burwell,” she continued. “These bats only eat flies and bugs.”

“Well, that still makes them meat-eaters!” Burwell argued. Everyone laughed.

“So,” Helga asked, “why don’t you tell everyone that the bats are harmless? Why allow the myth to continue?”

“Oh, some of the WooSheep know the truth,” Janty responded, “or at least would consider the possibility. But most just won’t even listen to such an idea. They know that if there’s no Venom Bats, then there might be a lot of other things that aren’t true, too...”

“Like what?” Bwellina asked.

“Like the idea that the WooSheep who live in the caves are bad, evil beasts,” Janty answered, looking fondly at her father.

Helga couldn’t take it any longer. “What a bunch of crazy, absolutely stupid, idiots!” she exploded. “This is nuts! We’ve got to do something! I can’t stand it anymore!” She stopped, feeling frustrated and flustered. She wanted to do something, but she didn’t know what.

Then, too, she also desperately wanted to find her father. Was she even close to his trail? There was only one possible—but unconfirmed—report of him. She was going on pure hope. She might be wasting her time. Had he really come this way? No one had reported seeing him. It was very discouraging.

“Whoa, Helga!” Janty exclaimed. “You sound just like Toshty when he goes off raving about the WooSheep.”

“Toshty? Who’s that?” Helga asked.

“Oh, he’s my art teacher,” JanWoo-Corriboo replied. “He’s a WooSheep who has lived at both the WooPeace and the Bottoms and couldn’t handle living in either place. So he stays away from both places. He thinks the way the WooSheep clans don’t acknowledge each other’s existence is nuts, just like you do. He’s kind of calmed down recently—just kind of retreated into his art—but he would really agree with you. He’s a fantastic artist and he’s teaching me and a few Otters how to paint.”

“Well,” Helga sighed, “I’d like to meet him someday. It would be refreshing to meet a WooSheep that has some sense! Oops!” She looked at Janty and Tatty. “I mean excepting you two, of course!” Janty and Tatty grinned at her.

“Well, we forgive the insult,” Tatty chuckled. “But, it does hit a little too close to home. The truth of what you say is pretty depressing.” He looked lovingly at Janty. “My wife and I wanted Janty to have a better life. Even though Janty’s mother really loves the WooPeace and, in a way, I like it too, we knew that Janty had more energy and talent than the WooPeace could absorb. We have a good life in the WooPeace...Terrific friends, a comfortable life, a sense of peace. But it’s not for everyone...” His voice trailed off. “It’s just very lonely sometimes,” he continued, reaching out for Janty’s hand. “We really miss Janty.”

“I know what you mean,” Helga replied softly. “I miss my father terribly, too.”

“What happened to your father?” TatterWoo-Corriboo asked.

“He’s a Woonyak!” Janty interjected. “He’s down in the WooPeace somewhere!”

Helga looked at JanWoo-Corriboo. “What did you say, Janty?” she asked, looking intently at the young Fox. “You think Papa fell into the WooPeace?” The idea had never before occurred to her.

“Sure!” Janty replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “From what you’ve said, it all points to Breister being a Woonyak. Why in the world would someone see him at the Drownlands Cutoff saying he had been at the Bone Forest and was heading to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still’? It makes no sense, unless somehow he got mixed up with the WooPeace someway. No one has seen a Wood Cow at WooSheep Bottoms, and the WooSheep are the only ones who know where the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still’ is. If Breister had been at the Bone Forest and was heading back to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still,’ it really can mean only one thing: He was a Woonyak and fell into the WooPeace. He found a way out and for some reason is coming back.”

Helga grabbed Janty and hugged her tightly. “Oh, Janty, Janty! What a good friend you are! I never would have thought of such a thing. Why didn’t you mention it before now?”

Janty, nearly smothered by Helga’s massive arms, gasped out, “I didn’t want to get your hopes up until we could ask Father if he’d seen a Wood Cow in the WooPeace...Have you seen a Wood Cow Woonyak, Father?”

They all looked at Tatty. “Yes,” he replied with a smile. “We’ve had two Woonyaks lately—a Wood Cow and a Cougar. WooZan, our Chief, has been introducing them to life in the WooPeace. Most Woonyaks join the WooPeace eventually...unless they find a way out.”

“Breister was seen at the Drownlands Cutoff!” Burwell observed excitedly. “He must have escaped!”

“Perhaps,” TatterWoo-Corriboo replied, “but the odds are against it. It’s not easy to get out of the cave system. Most Woonyaks can’t do it. I have not seen the new Woonyaks lately, but that is not unusual in the WooPeace. Some of the beasts live in different caves in the system. Even on nights of the Common Bowl there are so many beasts, I don’t see everyone. They may be there and I just haven’t met them.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Helga agreed, “but Papa would never join the WooPeace. He would be like a wild beast to get out of there and find me. I know him. So, if he was seen at the Drownlands Cutoff, he was there. To me, it’s simple. He found a way out, and is coming back to see if perhaps I am here!” She closed her massive arms around Janty again and renewed her joyous hugging of the young Fox.

“Gasp...gasp...choke...wheeze...breath...air...” Janty’s muffled voice was barely audible under Helga’s ferocious hug.

“What? What’s that you say, Janty?” Helga asked, releasing her grip.

Janty, looking somewhat dazed, smiled weakly. “I said, ‘Thanks for letting me breathe!’” she replied.

“Oh, sorry!” Helga exclaimed. “Sometimes I forget my own strength. I just got so excited!”

“Well,” JanWoo-Corriboo said, “if Breister is coming back to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still,’ he’s only coming back because he wants to get back inside the WooPeace for some reason! Maybe he thinks you’re there. He may have heard somehow that you were coming here, or perhaps he’s just grasping at straws. There’s no other reason he’d want to come here. I doubt he’s coming for a health bath in the hot spring.”

The group chuckled at Janty’s flippant comment, but then she looked at them seriously. “If you want to try to find Breister, we’ve got to get a move on. If he is going to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still,’ you’ve got to go there. It’s the one place that all Woonyaks know seems to offer a direct access to the WooPeace. ”

Helga looked puzzled. “But I thought this was the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still!’”

Janty smiled. “Yes, it is,” she replied, “this general area goes by that name because the ancient stories say the land around here used to tremble with earth tremors. But there’s also a specific place that really gives this mountain its name. And that is where Breister might go if he were going to try to enter the WooPeace again. That very special place is just over that ridge, on the other side of the mountain!”

Burwell groaned. “Ooooo...Hike, hike, hike...That’s all we do! My poor little footsies have blisters on their blisters! And we don’t have enough food or water for a march. Where do we sleep? Do you want us to just lie on the rocks and starve?” He looked mournfully at his stomach. “I haven’t had anything to eat in hours! My bellybutton is rubbing against my backbone. Yep! Yep! Yep!”

“Well, you’re in luck, Burwell,” Janty said. “You and Bwellina won’t be walking far. Its unlikely Breister would come here, because no one knows about this entrance to the WooPeace but our family. After we say goodbye to my father, we’re going to visit my friend, Toshty. He has a cabin just on the other side of that ridge. You and Bwellina can stay there while Helga and I look for signs of Breister. Toshty won’t mind having some visitors.”

JanWoo-Corriboo looked lovingly at her father who was getting ready to go back into the WooPeace. “Good-bye, Father,” she