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| "My town is not far from here." said Clover as they moved on down stream. From the trees across the stream, a pair of eyes, cloudy with an oily discharge, watched the four help the wounded pup towards the town. part 6 They stopped to rest father down stream. Stan munched on some Sliver fruit after Clover told him they were ok. Kai stood watch, keeping an eye out for Poison Oak. Clover fixed the bandage on the puppy's hind leg and Xev held it's head. Xev giggled as the puppy did a thoruw job of washing Xev's face with her tounge. Clover, haveing fixed the bandage moved to the stream to wash her hands. The puppy layed down and Xev sat next to her scatching her behind the ears. "You use your vines as weapons?" asked Xev. Clover looked back over her shoulder at Xev. "Yes, it takes many years to master the skills needed to use them properly." Clover sat across from Xev and took one of her vines in her hands. She slowly rubbed the vine where is showed signs of stretch marks from new growth. "Flora produce acid natrualy, We learned millenia ago how to launch some of that acid at enemys. We also developed this," One of Clover's vines moved forward. The last foot of it began to flatten out, becoming shiny and smooth. "It looks like a blade." whispered Xev. Stan stopped eating to watch. "Yes, it it. Stan, may I have that." Clover motioned to the fruit in his hand. "Sure." said Stan as he handed it over to her. Clover tossed the fruit in the air. SLASH Clover caught the two halfs of the fruit in midair and handed them back to Stan. She wiped the fruit juices from the liveing blade and watched as it reverted back to the supple vine. "Wow." said Stan and Xev. Kai simply stood by and said nothing. "I also have this." One of her vines arched over her shoulder. From it's tip slid a neddle. "This is a stinger. Very few Flora have them." "What is it for?" said Stan, afread he already knew. Clover looked over at him. "It delivers a powerful toxin. There is no antidote for it. It is so rare, I am the only one in my town to have one." the neddle withdrew into the vine and moved back amung the other vines. "It was the reason I was chosen to find Poison Oak." A silence followed broken only by the puppy's snores, and the babble of the stream. Stan broke the silence. "What's that one for?" pointing to the small vine curled up at her side. "That is my ovule." Clover stands up, "We better get moveing." Clover rouses the puppy and starts down the stream. Kai walks on the other side of the puppy. Stan and Xev fall in behind. "Xev, what's an ovule?" "Beats me Stan." said Xev. They move on down stream still inaware of the eyes watching their every move. part 7 The stream they followed emptyed into a small river. As they made their way down the river, they could hear noises, people talking, sellers huking their goods, dogs barking and yaping. But when the rounded the last turn in the river, what greeted them was like no town they had ever seen. "Welcome to Cattail Town." said Clover. The town was small compared to others they had seen but this one was made completly out of trees. Living trees. Each house and buisness was cut into the trunk of a still living tree, doors and windows cut from the wood, balconies made from branches, large unearthed roots made natural frences. "LOOK!" said Xev. Coming down the dirt street came a Dachshund at least 20 feet long. Beside it walked a man, shouting out what he had to sell, fruits and vegatables hanging in baskits along the dogs long back. At several homes, in pens made of vines and small trees, stood a wide veriety of dogs, Sheperds, Collies, Pit bulls, Spanials, Grayhounds, Pointers, Hounds, and a Pomeranian. A man rode a Toy Poodle down the street, delivering milk. "You use dogs for transpertation?" asked Kai. "Yes, those lucky enough to catch one do. Untill now I was never able to get one." Clover looked at the puppy limping beside her. "But now I have her." Clover reached over and scrached the pup's ear. They noteced differences between the people to the town. Their skin color went from little dreen to dark, with some having highlights of yellow or brown. There was as many hair colors as there were flowers. They all wore the same simple clothing Clover wore, tank tops, shorts or skirts. No one seeemed to care that Stan, Xev and Kai were strangers. Clover was greeted with shouts of hello and good day. The people smiled warmly at the strangers and went on their ways. Clover lead them to one tree/business. Above the door was painted a red heart sitting among the leaves of a plant. Clover opened the door. "Patches of Aloe, are you here?" called Clover. "Fields of Clover, come in, come in." Clover lead them into a large office, pulling the puppy in with them. "AH, I see you brought some friends with you." Patches of Aloe was an elderly man, bent with age. He used a walking stick to shufle out from behind his desk. He had short white hair and a kind old face. "What can I do for you dear?" Aloe said. "We found this puppy. She's injured. I was wondering if.." "You were wondering if I would fix her up for you, right." chuckled Aloe. |
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