"Shanda, Timmy, and Kennie, come on! Mamma Selena's going to
be upset with us if we don't get back soon."
"Then go on, I'm staying
here." Darlita glared at the boy.
"If you don't come on,
Mamma will get upset."
"So," He said
defiantly, sitting on the ground.
"You should do as your
sister asks you." A voice spoke out sternly. All four of the children
turned to see a woman gummi and two cubs that looked
to be about eight and thirteen with her.
"I’m
"It doesn't matter, because
we aren't going to listen to what SHE has to say." He said, running up
towards the strangers.
"Your mother should
really teach you to bit your tongue,” snapped one of the cubs on the woman's defense.
"He's right, Timmy, and
if you don't stop, I'll tell Mamma about all this." Darlita told him, as
she gestured for the new group to follow.
"I'm sure that Mamma
wouldn't mind giving you something to eat and a place to sleep, until you can
find what you are looking for." The teen told them when they told her what
they were doing in the area. Timmy glared at them a while; Kennie
and Shanda both took a hand of one of them, Kennie
looked up at the woman with questions in her eyes that could be understood; the
stranger picked her up, and began carrying her.
"She can walk."
Timmy sneered. Ignoring the boy, Darlita went into introducing herself and her
siblings. As did the two male cubs, and the woman.
"These are Cubbi and Buddi,
and I'm Ursa." Darlita nodded her head.
"Like I said Ursa, Mamma
will help you; she always helps whoever needs it." Darlita said as they
came to a clearing. She looked to her sisters,
"Shanda, go get Mamma;
tell her that we have company." The little girl nodded and ran off.
"Evening, can I help
you?" I asked the three strangers. Darlita spoke for them. I nodded then
offered my hand to them in friendship.
"Darcey's
right, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need; we have more than
enough room." I studied everyone before I spoke. "You
hungry? I just made dinner. Children, you go on ahead and get washed
up," I told them motioning to the older boys as well. Ursa and I walked
back a little slower as I had to also hunt down the last of my children.
"I have nine total, in case you’re wondering." She nodded.
"Buddi was supposed to
be the last of the Barbics; what happened?"
"That I'm not sure of. I
had heard of a cub; it was only supposed to be legend, I thought." I told
her confused. "Where are you
from?" I asked. When she had answered me, telling me that they were from
the thirteen hundreds, my mouth dropped.
"How did you get
here?"
"We're not sure; I had
gone looking for Buddi when we were swept up by who knows what that was."
Ursa spoke then asked, "What year is this?"
"This is the year two
thousand and three." I answered as we found Skyla with her horse, I called
to her and we headed to the house.
"You all have already
met Darlita,
"You little ones go and
play." I told them, as I set both Bliss and Chase on the floor. Chace immediately crawled onto my feet and started to glare
at our company.
"Chace,
you be nice." I scolded, then moved him from my
feet so that I could start cleaning up the mess.
I looked up and noticed that
"Go play sweetie, I don't
think that Ursa wants to hold..." I was cut off by two sets of wails.
"I'll be back in here in
a moment." I wasn't even halfway through changing the first when Ursa
walked into the room. She just stared at the twins.
"Barbic?" She
asked. I nodded.
"Yes, they’re both
Barbics, so are Timmy, and
"Mamma! You better come and see this!" Darlita said,
halfway out of breath. Putting Rei back into her crib, the both of us adults
ran out. I had to laugh at the sight. In the tree sat two little boys, both
Cubbi and Buddi. At the feet of it was Shanda with her little plastic bow and
arrow set. She took aim at the boys and shot. Nailing both, making the arrows
stick to their backsides. Both Ursa and I had to get a grip on ourselves at the
sight.
"You know what’s shameful,
Buddi? That little girl is several times younger than you and can shoot that
thing better than you can. You know that means we'll have to up the
training." Buddi groaned at her comment, just as Skyla came running to the
tree. She climbed that thing like it was nothing, and sat on Cubbi's lap,
shouting at her sister.
"You’re not going to
hurt my Dubbi no more!" We all started laughing
again. Oh yes, with these children, life is never dull. We watched as she planted
a kiss right on his cheek, and Cubbi turn redder than the hair of the infant
that Ursa held in her arms.
Buddi suddenly took note in
the fact she was holding Scarlet.
"You’re going to hold me
next Ursa!" He demanded.
"Excuse me Buddi?"
She asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Sorry, I mean you can hold
me next." He answered, while swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Don't you think you’re
a little old for that?" She asked. Buddi didn't answer, just folded his
arms angrily. In seeing both the tension and the sun getting lower, I called to
my daughters.
"Shanda, you need to put
the toy away now, and Skyla you need to come on down, it’s getting late."
"They aren't going to do
anything Fesak! Unless I tell them
too." I walked over to my older son and smacked his backside, once,
hard.
"Now you listen here,
Young Man! I've had it with your disrespectfulness! I want you to go onto
bed." I told him, turning him towards the house. "Now get
moving." I told him sternly. I turned back to Ursa.
"Sorry I don't know why
he gets like this." I explained then turned to my daughters.
"Do you two want the same
thing that happened to Timmy to happen to you as well?" They shook their
heads, and then started moving.
"Shanda, I want your
toy. You didn't listen to me so I'm putting it up for then next couple of
days." She quickly did as I asked.
"Good Girl. Now go get
ready for your story."
After all those kids went up
into the loft for bed, Ursa and I sat talking. She told me of her clan and of
the battles they fought. I listened as openly that I could.
"I once had a friend
that was a warrior. I believe he too was Barbic. After the war, I've never heard
of what happened to him." I told her before she went on. We were cut off
by...
"Timmy, give it
back!!" I sighed and excused myself then headed up the ladder. I was thinking
that Ursa must think my children were monsters or something which they are not,
but sometimes it just seems that way.
With that taken care of, I
headed back down.
"Sorry, for some reason
that boy thinks he can bully the others. I've given little punishments but
don't want to give big ones to him yet, since he and his sister haven't been
here all that long; I want to gain his trust first." As we were talking, I
noted a blue shirt heading to the door from behind us.
"Timba Ian, turn around
and go back to bed." I told him in a calm but stern voice. He looked at me,
stunned, and then spoke.
"I don't have to listen
to you. Nishien!" Ursa's hand flew out and smacked my son's face.
"Watch your mouth."
She told him in a cold voice.
"I don't have to listen
to you either." He growled back in response.
"Neither one of you are ais Gum mijit tachien
bosses! I,..." He didn't have the chance to finish;
Ursa grabbed my son by the wrist. The two of them headed into the kitchen and
she put at least a tablespoon of dish soap into his mouth. I watched the battle
as he tried to fight her.
"That’s enough Young
Man!" She spoke, teeth gritted together. I stood watching the sight ahead
of me. I could have never even imagined doing that with any of the children; of
course, I had not one clue of what he said but by the looks of it, it was
pretty bad. I'd have to ask her and learn what I could of the Barbic language
while they were here. Letting the boy spit the stuff out, she handed him to me.
I did want a turn at him for talking to me the way he did but I was far too
upset. I looked at him.
"Just go to bed, I'll
deal with you in the morning, Timmy. If you come down for any reason, I'll
punish you then and you'll still get the one you’re supposed to in the morning.
The boy nodded. Then ran.
"Thanks,"
"You really need to get
control over that boy."
"I'm trying; it’s not
easy. He's got so much anger that he just lashes
out." She nodded.
"His sister's not that
bad." I went onto tell her what he had said of his and
"I know I have to give
him time; he's doing better than what he has been. I mean I've never heard him
be like that before, but then again he's mouthy to anyone new, for some reason.