Dwellers of the New World Chapter Three ( Pt 2 )

As the family slept that night, a storm brewed. It started off as a slight shower, but then the wind picked up. Thunder raged as lightening struck, sending bolts across the sky. The trees shook and seemed as if they just might topple over.

The forest became drenched, as the night and the forest, took on an eerie image of ghost like figures standing and waving, in the flashes of light.

Netty awoke crying, unsure of what was happening. Fern tried to comfort her, but every time there was a thunderclap, the crying would begin again.

Ben got up and put some more wood on the fire. He pulled the large stone across the entrance, that acted as a kind of door. The wind whistled through the cracks, but at least the fire was easing up.

Ben didn't pull the stone right across the entrance, as they needed air for the smoke to escape.

By now Jay was awake too, he called Netty over, saying...”You know, I can whistle like the wind, would you like to hear?”

Netty came running over to Jay. “Go on then Uncle...show me how you do it!”

Jay started to whistle, Netty thought it very funny, she started to giggle. “Uncle Jay...you sound like a bird. How do you do that? I want to whistle too.”

Jay told Netty to put her lips into a kiss, a kind of rose bud shape and blow. But Netty just put her lips together and tried blowing, but nothing came out, except air.

“Never mind!” said Jay...”It takes practise, keep trying and it will come.”

Another crash of thunder exploded in the sky, making Netty jump. Her face screwed up again, as if she were about to cry, but then Jay started to whistle once more, Netty smiled and let out another giggle.

“I could do with you here all the time.” whispered Fern to Jay.

Netty decided she wanted to sleep next to her Uncle. Jay said he didn't mind, so that was settled.

Ben went to the entrance, staring out at the storm, he wondered if the horses were okay, he felt he ought to check on them.So telling Fern where he was going, he moved the stone slightly, then squeezed through, he was hardly outside the cave, when he became soaked.

 Making his way down the path to the meadow, the sky lit up, as lightening once more flashed. Rain blew through his body, droplets of water washed down his face, his hair ringing wet, when at last he reached the meadow. He could see the horses, they seemed to be fine and not really  that bothered by the storm. 'At least they're getting pleasure from being soaked to the skin.' he thought. Tomorrow he would bring the horses with them, when they visited Fern's parents. He made his way back to the cave, then dried off by the fire, before returning to sleep.

The following morning, the storm had passed. Fern was up, and making a tea from some herbs she had picked. There was corn bread and some fruit to make a sandwich, this was Netty's favourite to eat.

Fern was so glad to see Jay again, she was also pleased that he was doing so well for himself, but she was also worried that he would never settle down, he never seemed to show any signs of wanting to meet anyone. But she supposed being only thirteen, he needed to get all this travelling out of his system. She just was so different to her brother.

After having some breakfast, Jay and Ben went to get the horses and they were ready to leave for Pine Cone Grove. It would have been a morning's walk, but because they had the horses, it wouldn't take that long to get there.

There was a slight early morning mist, as they left the cave, but at least it wasn't raining. Fern no longer enjoyed the Winters, much preferring the warmth of the Summer. She dressed herself and Netty in their furs, so as to keep warm and keep the rain off, if it should happen to pour down.

Netty loved the rain and was so much a tom boy, she reminded Fern of Ben when they had first met, rather than herself. Fern had always played the part of a Mother, even as a youngster, taking care of her brother Jay.

She had lost touch with her best friend Bella, who had moved away from the forest to go South with her parents Meradith and Ivan. Fern had heard that they had made friends with some travellers going South and decided to travel with them. Ivan had wanted to live off the land, he was told that the earth was incredibly fertile in the South, it would be great for growing food on a larger scale.

Two Summers ago, Bella had come back to see Fern, with her new man, but things had changed so much between the two girls, that their friendship was all but lost. Fern could no longer understand Bella, who talked of places and things Fern could not relate too.

As they rode through the forest, Netty sang a song she had learnt from some friends, at a place they called Crystal Grove. People hung crystals from trees and placed crystals in little nooks. When the sun caught them, rainbow colours would bounce around. Netty loved going there and learning songs and listening to stories.

The song she sang, gave Fern a smile. It was called:-

Song of the Time

Oh sing me a song,
of those Summers long,
we danced in the forest
till our day was done.

Chorus:
With rhythm and rhyme
sing the song of the time,
of crystal ships coming
calling us to come running,
back to the stone
for this is our home.

Where pearly skies climbed,
the sun always shined,
the spirit of the forest
it was so divine.

With rhythm and rhyme
sing the song of the time,
of crystal ships coming
calling us to come running,
back to the stone
for this is our home.

When cradled in the night
those stars they take flight,
when we are sleeping
night creatures are peeping.

With rhythm and rhyme
sing the song of the time,
of crystal ships coming
calling us to come running,
back to the stone
for this is our home.

“Mother!” called Netty, once she had finished singing. “Do you think the crystal ships will ever come here again?”

Fern actually hoped they wouldn't, because it would mean trouble, but she said to her daughter. “I don't know Netty, maybe one day...you never know.”

As they neared the pine forest, Netty found bushes of blackberries, she picked them and before long, her fingers and mouth were black and stained, but Netty loved their juicy taste.

Jay had gone on ahead. When he finally came back, he announced that their mother and father weren't there.

“That's strange, for mother not to be there.” said Fern.

When they arrived at their parents home, it seemed like no one had been there for quite a while, the animals had gone too, but Fern knew her mother wouldn't leave without telling her.

Fern decided to go and ask a neighbour who lived close by. Her name was Lilly and she lived alone, with her animals. She was quite old, but certainly not frail, she was well able to look after herself, and had lived alone, since her parents had died, many moons ago.

Lilly was more than happy to see Fern. “How are you my dear...and that little girl of yours?”

Fern was surprised at how Lilly had changed, since she last saw her, she thought her long hair had turned a lot whiter, she seemed to have more wrinkles in her face, but Fern thought she still had a fire in her eyes that kept her going, Fern hoped she would survive as long as Lilly had.

“We are fine,” said Fern, “but I came around to ask you where my mother and father are.”

“I don't know my dear...they haven't been around for many days now. Though your parents went off with some men, I'm afraid I haven't seen nor heard from them since.”

Fern thought this was very strange and went back to tell the others. “Why would they go off like that and with some men, without telling me?”

Ben picked up Netty, then turned to Fern. “Come on, we'd better get back to the cave, think about what we're going to do.”

Netty wasn't very happy about not seeing her grandparents. Jay was worried, he knew things, that he had not told Fern.

As they turned around riding back, they were very quiet, nobody spoke.

Dwellers of the New World Chapter Three ( Pt 3 ) | ABCtales