StoryPaws: A Mystical Old World Story: The Toxics 16
Story Paws: Stories to help you pause, and relax. Felicity is swept into a Mystical Old World where plants and beasts are equal, and all is heard. There she meets Reuben, whom she must help, to save his beloved Old World from the threat of the Toxics...if she wants to return home. Use this story to help you unwind, rest, and take a mindful pause. You may like to listen to the first 15 installments of this story first, or simply jump in and use my voice as a tool for rest! Blessings, Maite
Transcript
CHAPTER XVI ORCADIA ORCADIA led the group into the forest.
Ruben kept close to her side,
Georges,
Pippi and Wolfgang walked and talked at the rear,
And Felicity found herself listening to Scratt and Little Green's conversation.
There was a buzzing in her ears as she glanced repeatedly at Ruben and Orcadia.
A shaft of sun lit up Orcadia's pinky-lemon petals.
She sighed and glanced behind her.
Wolfgang and Pippi were having a heated debate.
Pippi gave a snarl and shot off into the forest.
They walked for the rest of the afternoon.
It was hot and sticky,
And Felicity wished she could bathe again.
Memories of that morning returned.
Felicity swallowed noisily and Scratt heard.
Are you thirsty,
Felicity?
He asked,
And began to rummage through his branches until he pulled out a little cup with delight.
Where on earth did you find that?
Said Felicity.
It was a small,
Blue cup,
Made of hard plastic.
It looked like the teacups she'd left Al arranging at the school reunion.
Felicity grasped it.
It had a familiar plastic smell.
She held it against her cheek and closed her eyes,
Longing for home,
For her kitchen,
And her mother sitting typing as supper burnt swept over her.
Home.
She opened her eyes and looked at this beautiful forest trail they walked.
She saw these magnificent creatures who had become her friends.
But home was always there in the background.
I'll come home,
Mum,
She promised,
But as the silent prayer left her mind,
She found her eyes fixed on Reuben.
Is it no good?
Said Scratt,
Concerned at her silence.
It's perfect,
Felicity said.
It's for drinking.
You're right.
It reminded me of my world for a moment.
Do you miss your world?
Said Scratt with interest.
Felicity looked at him.
He'd grown from a small,
Childlike thorn to an almost adult height.
He was still very slender,
But he was taller than her now.
Little Green was also visibly maturing as they travelled.
Yes and no,
She replied.
Your old world is a magical place,
And I'm beginning to feel I belong here.
Nothing happens without reason,
Said Little Green,
Joining in their conversation.
What happened to your family?
Felicity scrutinised Little Green's face to ensure she had not offended.
The ferns cracked under their feet,
As Little Green considered her reply.
We were travelling to find Reuben's quest,
She said after a pause.
Her voice was quiet.
My family had been told by the aquatics that I had a part to play,
In spite of my age.
My mother was not happy to travel,
And was angry.
Angry I had been called to help when so young.
But she accepted the wisdom of the elders,
And we set off.
Where are your lands,
Interrupted Felicity,
Deep in the south-east,
Down,
Down,
Below the sacred caves you'll find my lands.
They're so beautiful,
Felicity.
I wish you could see them.
Like here,
We have forests of tall trees and flowers of every shade,
And the ground is full of life.
But we also have dusty open spaces,
Similar to Reuben's land,
Where the elders form long tunnels of shade.
Here are held the most respected banyans of the world.
These banyans can go on for many months.
What exactly is a banyan?
Asked Felicity,
Fascinated.
At a banyan all matters are decided,
Knowledge is brought,
Questions are asked,
History is consulted,
And elders join the gaps.
It's a time of quiet,
Of thought,
And of calm energy.
It shows the best of our world in some ways,
Said Little Green.
Her light had begun to softly glow with her words,
Her phosphorescence gently sparkled as the dappled sunlight shone forest green in the early evening.
Felicity changed her mind,
She did not want to know,
Now,
What had happened to this young Green's family.
Felicity imagined never seeing her own family again.
She could not.
She looked at Little Green's wrinkled eyes.
They held such knowledge.
She stopped walking.
Reuben noticed and left Orcadia aside.
She was surprised he'd noticed.
A spasm of cramp overtook her right thigh.
Ow!
She exclaimed,
Rubbing her leg.
Pippi came crashing through the undergrowth and skidded to a halt by her side.
Felicity,
What ails you?
She said,
Licking Felicity's face with her long tongue.
Felicity smiled,
In spite of the pain in her leg.
Reuben tried to mind-share,
But she wouldn't let him.
She blocked him with satisfaction.
Another pain shot through her leg.
Ow,
Ow!
She said.
Felicity,
Felicity,
Relax,
Your anger is not helping,
Said Pippi,
Smiling.
Well,
As everyone's stopped,
We'd better make camp here tonight,
Said Reuben.
Is that OK with Orcadia?
Asked Felicity petulantly.
Orcadia took Gus and Scrat to help collect the green drink this forest provided.
When they returned,
Scrat offered Felicity his little blue cup to drink from.
Felicity dipped it into the pale green liquid that they had collected in more conical flowerheads.
It was just like the drink she'd tasted in the last forest.
It quenched the thirst immediately.
Felicity took a second cup and sat back.
Felicity,
Come for a ride and we'll fetch food,
Said George,
With a snort that raised the pale pink birds from the surrounding canopy.
Felicity jumped up.
She'd missed George's antics.
She climbed up carefully onto his furry back,
Her legs stuck out sideways across his wide torso.
She found breathing through her nose was best,
As he was rather smelly.
But his infectious love of life soon cheered her up as he cantered through the forest,
Shouting and bellowing.
Smell the herbs as we tiptoe through this fine carpet of green.
And he inhaled so fast Felicity nearly slipped off his back.
The creatures of the forest scattered and the plants were crushed by his massive hooves.
But George remained happily unaware.
On evenings like this I turn to thoughts of love,
He said.
Love with a pretty little torel.
Felicity thought she would like to calm him down,
So she feebly patted his neck and tried to distract him.
Where do we go tomorrow,
George?
We pass the infinite earthy lands of my youth,
He said.
There I shall find my next wife.
She will be caramelised and her coat will be of the softest fur.
He tossed his head and bucked.
This was not going very well,
Felicity thought,
Clinging on with all her strength.
My pretty pert little torel to console me from the memory of my first dear love.
My dearest love with whom I spent so many years.
But she has passed on and I am still a fine toro who needs a companion.
George was now so agitated that he was carrying Felicity under branches that were swiping her in the face.
George!
She shouted.
What,
What?
He said.
Please stop going so fast.
Oh,
Dear Felicity,
Forgive me.
My homeland's beckoned me and I feel vigorous.
I will behave.
George fell silent.
They found some strape and he showed her how to gather the ribbons.
They peeled the pliable strips of plant from its huge trunks.
Later,
As they returned to the others,
Felicity thought about George.
She had understood him to be extremely old.
He clearly did not think he was past mating age.
She looked at the faded colours on his muzzle.
She remembered the glint in his green eyes.
He was obviously an exceptional toro.
Back at camp a small fire had been lit.
They all shared their treasures of food and drank as much green drink as they could.
Reuben confirmed that tomorrow they would leave the forest and traverse the great toro plains.
George was challenging Orcadia,
Who insisted they could not go deep into toro land.
She insisted that the aquatics,
Like the strata,
Had recommended they reach Orion country as fast as possible.
A banyan must be held to safeguard the future of Little Green,
And Reuben and she had reached their time and they needed to soul-bond.
It was essential Reuben become mature for the successful outcome of the quest.
She had come now to help him achieve this.
Reuben looked across at Felicity as Orcadia spoke.
For the first time he had not chosen to sit by her at the campfire.
Felicity was devastated.
She watched Orcadia smooth some balm onto Reuben's blistered hand.
Felicity found solace in the shadows of the trees.
Pippi came over and Wolfgang too.
They sat on either side of her.
You speak,
My lady,
Said Wolfgang in his deep growl.
Pippi gave a little whine and he growled again.
Their wolverine noises passed backwards and forwards for a few moments.
Stop being so childish,
Felicity,
Pippi said.
Your anger confuses and worries Reuben.
Why are you being hostile to Orcadia?
Am I?
Said Felicity.
I haven't spoken to her yet.
We do not need words to communicate as you know by now,
Said Wolfgang.
And Felicity stepped back in alarm as his huge head swung round.
Your thoughts upset the quest's troop morale.
You're a key member and the quest relies on you.
You must rebalance.
Wolfgang is right,
Felicity,
We need you,
Said Pippi.
Her furry nose neatly arranged on her paws as she stared deep into Felicity's eyes.
Wolfgang elongated his black frame and closed his eyes.
Well,
I don't quite know how to begin,
Said Felicity.
She was too embarrassed to mention the feelings that were growing between her and Reuben.
You want to mate with Reuben and you see Orcadia as a threat,
Said Pippi.
Felicity gasped and big purpley patches appeared on her cheeks.
This fascinated Pippi and she sniffed gently to assess the cause,
Her nose wrinkling from side to side.
Well,
I suppose that's one way of putting it,
Said Felicity,
Clearing her throat.
Oh gosh,
This was worse than talking to her mother about stuff.
The ridiculousness of the situation overcame her and she snorted down her nose.
Wolfgang opened an eye.
Was this stranger part Torrell?
He shifted his position to peer at her more closely.
He needed rest.
His Luparta would be his true mate within days,
He knew.
Her time was approaching.
He felt good.
He'd not expected a breed again.
His many cubs were long grown and his mate gone to the earth.
He was happy to be himself.
He'd heard of this quest.
He'd come to the matings to seek Reuben.
He knew he could help.
He still had the strength that had made him a leader some years ago.
This Luparta with a strange name,
Pippi,
Was an unexpected gift and he felt excited at the prospect.
But he was not in his prime.
He needed rest.
He rolled over with a grunt and went back to sleep.
Felicity chewed her bottom lip.
How did she explain society and morals and religious beliefs?
Certainly Pippi and Wolfgang's world also had rules and traditions.
Um,
You see,
I must be of the right age in my world.
And my people ask me to be joined in a ceremony once I've found my life mate.
Pippi tried to understand.
It's not so different.
We have ceremonies.
You can follow our traditions once you and Reuben are ready,
She said.
But he must become mature first.
And that requires his enharmonic bonding.
You must not be threatened by Orcadia.
That is the way of our world.
But even as she spoke,
Pippi sensed Felicity would not like the maturity ceremony that Reuben and Orcadia would perform once they reached Orion Country.
Felicity was wondering what Reuben thought of all this.
He'd never spoken of it.
It's true he'd kissed her.
He wouldn't deny the attraction that pulled them together.
But.
.
.
Wait and see.
Pippi's thoughts spoke across her own.
Trust our world,
Felicity.
Trust Reuben.
Let go of these angry thoughts.
Pippi stood then and went to lie with Wolfgang.
Felicity went back to the fireside,
But it was too hot.
She couldn't find anywhere to settle.
She was huffing and puffing.
George was snoring loudly.
The Lupata slept soundly.
She looked at Gus.
He winked at her.
She was sure he'd just winked at her.
She went to him.
Felicity,
Go to sleep.
Tomorrow we cross into Toro Country.
It's dusty and hard tramping.
Sleep,
Felicity.
Worry not.
Sleep,
He said.
He drew in his spines and she slumped against him.
Little Green and Scrat scuffled over.
Felicity closed her eyes.
She suddenly felt very tired.
She was floating on waves and they were so,
So soft,
She thought,
Smiling.
But it was even too much effort to smile anymore.
As the pale moon of the world slid silently up to hang in the navy blue sky,
Felicity finally fell into a deep sleep.
By mid-morning,
Dust filled Felicity's mouth and nose.
The heat rising from the orange desiccated ground wrapped its strength around her throat and squeezed.
George had left.
At first light he told Reuben he would go ahead and had galloped away,
Leaving a feeling of great emptiness.
Reuben came to her side.
Hello,
Felicity,
He said,
With a smile.
You do well to stand this heat,
But you're gaining too much colour on your face,
Felicity,
He said,
Leaning over and peering at her.
His head provided a moment's welcome relief from the searing heat.
Felicity felt like a spit-roast gently frying on all available surfaces.
She supposed they were all immune to the weathers in their world.
Perhaps they just call on the wind to cool them down,
She thought.
And no doubt now something horrid would happen to her due to her mean thoughts.
Reuben started softly laughing,
And she was pleased to see his face look pink too.
Felicity,
Felicity,
Stop being so cross,
He said,
Laughing even louder.
He leant closer and gave her a soft kiss on her hot cheek.
His lips felt velvety and cool.
She closed her eyes and squeezed her lids so tightly she could see small white spots.
She would not cry.
She would not cry.
Reuben stopped walking.
He turned and put his arms around her,
Then closing his eyes,
He took a deep breath and blew a steady stream of cool air across her face.
It lifted the sticky tendrils of hair that clung to her temples.
They both opened their eyes and looked into the centre of each other's pupils.
Reuben entered her mind.
Patience,
Felicity,
Patience.
Funny,
Strange Felicity.
Felicity felt a small ease in the knotted ball deep inside her stomach.
She leant forwards and kissed him quickly on the bump of his nose.
That tantalising scent,
She thought.
She inhaled it and smiled tentatively at him.
Reuben seemed satisfied,
And ruffling her hair,
Moved back to the front of the line on Orcadia.
No one spoke much for the rest of that molten day.
In the early afternoon,
Reuben declared them close enough to the mountains to pause.
They rested and drank the refreshing green drink of the forests.
The plants all formed a small bivouac of shade on Orcadia handed round a tiny bark pot of balm.
It smelt like salad dressing,
But Felicity smeared it on gratefully.
Her face was burning now,
And the bark balm gave almost instant relief.
Then as the sun passed its apex,
And imperceptibly crept to the horizon,
They reached the mountain pass.
