Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit

The sun was well over the eastern mountains when Pamela awoke. David was still snoring. She arose and walked outside. Kimberly was already up.

“Coffee’s on,” said Kimberly.

“Good! I need caffeine!” answered Pamela.

Kimberly handed her a coffee vessel and filled it with a steaming black liquid. Pamela had just sat down when she heard frantic whoops from the direction of Chase Lake. She and Kimberly both jumped up and watched as all of the Warriors, Fishers, and Hunters ran off, led by Ouragan.

“Get the horses saddled!” said Pamela.

She and Kimberly ran to the corral, saddled their Beasts, and galloped off towards Chase Lake. Their only weapons were their horses and large sticks.

As they got closer, they were waved to stop by Gilyuk.

“Pamela, Kimberly, they’re there,” said Gilyuk pointing down the trail.

“Who?” asked Pamela.

“Skunk Apes,” he answered glumly. “A large force of them. This won’t be good. You should turn around and go back.”

They heard frantic shouting down the trail.

“C’mon Kim!” shouted Pamela, kicking Jeremiah to a full gallop.

“Right behind ya, buddy!” shouted Kimberly.

They arrived to see the Forest People and Skunk Apes staring each other down, only ten yards or so apart.

“Leave our lands!” I said firmly.

“Ha! This will be our lands!” replied their leader. “I am Disston, and I’m telling you that we will kill you all!”

Ouragan stepped up next to me. He had a large rock in one hand and a huge club in the other.

“I’d like to see you try,” said Ouragan. “You will pay a heavy price.”

“Do yourself a favor and just go back where you came from,” I said. “Leave us in peace. Go, and do no unkind things to others.”

“I don’t think so,” said Disston. “There is five of us for every one of you. You have no chance.”

Disston whistled and the Skunk Apes attacked. Ouragan used his rock to smash heads, and his club to break bones. He soon had a pile of bodies around him.

Puyallup had positioned himself next to me.

“It is a good day to die, Madu!” he roared.

“They came for a fight, and they will get one!” I yelled back.

Puyallup and I were lifting Skunk Apes up and flinging them against trees. Some got back up, but most did not. But the odds were overwhelming. There was just too many of them.

Mulino had climbed a tree with an armful of rocks. He threw them with deadly accuracy, and many Skunk Apes lay at the base of his tree.

We then heard the hooves of beasts! Pamela and Kimberly! They galloped into the midst of the Skunk Apes and sent them soaring. But one Ape succeeded in pulling Kimberly from her horse. Kimberly stood her ground with her large stick and faced her adversary. Just as the Skunk Ape was about to pounce, a rock hit him right between his eyes.

“I don’t think so!” screamed Ady in her tiny voice.

“Ady! Get out of here!” yelled Kimberly. “You’re too little! You’ll get hurt!”

Ady bent over and grabbed more rocks and sent them sailing at the Skunk Apes. Kimberly was able to remount Gracie and turned and galloped towards Ady. She reached down and scooped her up and placed Ady behind her. Ady had an armful of rocks and threw them to great effect.

It was a desperate situation, still. Many Young Warriors were injured, but continued to fight on bravely. There was a series of whoops from their left. It was Juntura with a band of Upper Wolfjaw!

“Welcome Brothers!” I shouted.

The Upper Wolfjaw Warriors joined in the battle, but it seemed as though more and more Skunk Apes were appearing out of thin air.

“They’re calling in reinforcements!” shouted Ouragan.

Pamela was riding Jeremiah through the midst of the Skunk Apes, trampling some, and certainly causing a distraction to them. Kimberly did the same, but also had Ady flinging rocks.

More whoops from the left. It was Gilyuk with a large band of Sawteeth Warriors! They immediately entered the fray with clubs and rocks. We fought bravely, but we were still outnumbered. It was looking bad for the Keepers of the Forest.

There was the sound of more hooves. The hooves of many Beasts. It startled the Skunk Apes so much that they stopped fighting for a few seconds and looked to the trail from Chase Lake. It was Danny. He was riding his Beast Trooper, and right behind him were two dozen or more Little People riding on Beasts. They pointed their weapons at the Skunk Apes as they charged. Loud noises were heard. Invisible rocks began hitting the Skunk Apes.

The Apes were now surrounded. Forest People in front of them, and Little People behind them. The Little People rode into their midst and were discharging their weapons with great accuracy. Skunk Apes were falling everywhere.

“Charge them!” screamed Ouragan, running into the fray.

We were all right behind him, and fought with a new vengeance. Forest People and Little People fought side by side. The Little People were small, but very brave and used their thunderous weapons well. Soon, the remaining Skunk Apes began to vanish, one by one, as Sprites appeared and took them away. We all stood there looking at the Little People, and they at us.

“Bill! It’s you!” said Pamela.

“Hi Pam,” said Bill. “I was down at the club having a beer when Danny came in and said you all needed help. My buddies started making ’phone calls, and before I knew it, theses guys were in the club parking lot with horses, side arms, and deer rifles.”

“The club? The Bleecker Fish and Game Club?” asked Kimberly.

“Yup, that’s it,” said Bill. “When everyone heard that our local Sasquatch were in trouble, no one hesitated. Everyone came, armed and with horses. We neighbors have to stick together!”

“Thank you all,” said Pamela. “You guys and gals saved the day.”

Madu approached Bill, who had pulled a G.E.N.E.S.E.E. Elixer from a container on his beast. Just as he popped it open, I projected to him.

“I am Madukarahat. On behalf of the Panther Tribe, I thank you.”

Bill was startled.

“It is mindspeak, Bill. It is how we communicate,” said Pamela.

“Yes, thank you!” said Windago, who approached with all of the Elders.

“How long have you Elders been here?” I asked.

“We arrived when the Little People did,” said Windago. “We intended to fight with our Warrior roars, but did not because it would have hurt the ears of these Little People.”

“Yes, thank you Bill, and Danny, and thank you all,” projected Aurora.

All of the Little People seemed shocked, but Kimberly and Pamela explained about mindspeak.

“Holy crap,” said Gene, one of Bill’s buddies. “I could hear that in my noggin!”

“Damn, sure could!” chimed in J.R., another friend of Bill’s.

“Please, would you all come with us to the Five Brothers?” asked Aurora.

All agreed, mostly out of curiosity than anything else.

“Shit, these things are real!” said one.

“Damn straight they are!” said another.

“Follow me,” said Aurora.

“Fishers, Hunters, Gatherers! A feast!” commanded Windago, and many Forest People jogged off to their duties.

Soon we arrived at the long house. The corral was plenty big enough for all the Beasts, and the Little People removed sitting contraptions from them and placed the Beasts inside. Bill and his friends followed Pamela, David, and Kimberly to the Circle of Elders. Along the way, Kimberly explained the protocol to approach and speak.

We all arrived together. Pamela, Kimberly, and David seated themselves at the foot of the Circle. Bill and his friends looked on in wonder.

“Bill, would you and all of your Friends please approach?” commanded Aurora.

All of the Little People, every single Male and Female, approached as Kimberly instructed.

“Danny, Bill, and Bill’s Friends, on behalf of all of our Tribes, and on behalf of the entire Ratirontak People, I thank you for your bravery and selflessness in coming to our aid,” said Aurora. “To celebrate, we shall have a feast!”

“Uh... I really need to get back to tend my animals,” said Bill.

“Aurora, can we do it tomorrow? Let these folks get home, do their chores, and come back?” asked Kimberly. “They didn’t plan this because they had to act so quickly.”

“Wise words, Kimberly,” said Aurora. “Tomorrow it shall be, when the sun is highest!”

“Good,” said Bill in a quiet voice. “I didn’t bring enough beer. Right Pam? Right?!”

Pamela and Kimberly laughed. We didn’t understand.

“Ouragan, assemble Warriors to escort our new Friends safely home,” said Aurora. “Just in case.”

Ouragan gestured towards the audience and a band of Young Warriors gathered. Bill and his Friends backed away from the Circle and made their way to the corral to prepare the Beasts to ride. They left at a good speed, but Ouragan and his Warriors had no trouble keeping up. They soon arrived at the black trail where many conveyances were stopped. Beasts were placed inside tiny abodes behind each conveyance, and soon all were gone.

Ouragan and his band took their time walking back to Chase Lake and then the Five Brothers. Along the way, they were joined by the Cliff and Gray Warriors.

“Welcome, Brothers,” said Ouragan. “But we believe the battle with the Skunk Apes is over. And you won’t believe who helped us. But tomorrow we feast.”