Chapter 1, scene 1
Chapter 1
An Encounter in the Woods
"You don't need a turn Sam!" Millicent Gabb spat at her younger brother. "Your way too small to be sliding down a hill this big." she declared. Spring was finally here, bringing the scent of grass and a fresh sense of newness that only comes this part of the year, a time to finally get out of the city and enjoy the rolling countryside to the north of town, and enjoy a bit of grass sledding, which is the same as snow sledding, but much warmer. Millicent and her friends had been grass sledding since she could remember, yet somehow this year it wasn't quite the same.
"I'm seven." Sam announced as if he were casually talking to a stranger in the supermarket. Putting his thumb back in his mouth he sat on a rock and began to watch a colony of ants hard at work building a hill next to the rock on which he sat. Ants seemed to fascinate Sam; they were always doing something that seemed important he had told his mother once.
Shaking her head in wonder at her younger brother Millicent began mumbling something about what a strange kid he was and turned to the older boy Tate. "C'mon Tater Bug, let's go down again before it gets to dark!" The sun was still high in the sky but the walk home was long and once it dropped behind the Western mountains darkness would come quickly.
"All right." said Tate. Shaking his head to one side in an attempt to keep his long brown hair out of his eyes, he carefully lined up the giant cardboard box they had been sliding down the grassy hill on most of the day. "Gotta watch out for that stupid rock this time though." he mused rubbing his elbow gingerly. “I nailed it pretty good last trip down."
"Oh, so the rock is the stupid one now is it?" replied Millicent sarcastically. "Maybe you should watch where you aim that sled first, it's not like you can steer it ya know." Which is true enough for anyone who has ever tried to turn a flat piece of cardboard while flying down a l hill of grass at breakneck speed. The hills in this part of the field were very steep and the grass lush, green and slick which allowed for a great ride.
"Ya ok, whatever Mills." Tate said to her. "Just get on and I'll push us off."
Running, Tate pushed on Millicent’s back. His feet digging in to the soft earth as the cardboard sled began to move down the steep green hill. Jumping on behind Mills, Tate swore he felt something brush his shoulder. No time to look now he thought as the makeshift sled began picking up speed. Tate and Mills laughed as they sped down the hill feeling the breeze rush through their hair until they came to a halt at the bottom of the slope. As their laughing began to die away they heard a giggling noise behind them.
"Sammy Gabb!" Millicent began to scold her younger brother who was sitting behind them, thumb halfway in his mouth, he giggled uncontrollably. "You sneaky little..."She started to go on, and then they all erupted with laughter.
The way home seemed like it took forever as the three friends walked through the countryside, the evening creating a warm westerly breeze. Over gently rolling green hills, through fields of tall ragweed, wild flowers, and prairie grass they wandered, working their way towards the trail back to town. As the three companions walked along they would talk of their many adventures together, remembering when they did this or that, and occasionally picking up a stick to chop at the tall grass as if they were in the jungle. At one point the two older friends watched in amusement as Sam tried to catch a bright, blue and yellow butterfly that easily kept avoiding his grasp just when he thought he had it. As they walked, the slopes of the country finally died away and they neared the edge of the woods that lay on the outskirts of town. Upon entering the woods they quickly found the path that would lead them through, it began to get dark. The evening sun was quite low in the sky and the large western mountain range began to cast a deep shadow over the land beneath. Once inside the trees it was difficult to see very much.
"Sorta creepy" Sam noted looking about as the three walked along the worn dirt pathway, trees casting long shadows across the trail.
"Knock it of Sam!" said Millicent giving her brother the eye.
Looking back at Sam and Millicent, Tate grinned. "There aint nothin in these woods to worry about" Tate said with confidence. “My dad and I hunt here in the winter."
"Maybe in the daytime there aint" Mills replied. "But at night I heard that the spirits from Nizhoni Mountain come down here looking for revenge!" She glanced about a bit nervously as if speaking the very words had brought the spirits there as soon as she had said them.
"What's ervenge?" Sammy asked curiously, looking at his sister. “I don't think I ever had any ervenge so they probably wouldn't bother with me."
"Not ervenge dummy." Millicent reprimanded her brother quickly. "RE-venge. Like wanting to get back at someone for somethin they did to you."
"Oh." Sam said more confused. "What did we do?'
"We didn't do anything." Tate laughed. "It's just an old tale"
"I never taked no one's ol tail..." Sammy started to joke.
"Shut…up...Sam!" Millicent ordered her younger brother. “You’re just acting silly now.
Grinning with some satisfaction Sam stuck his thumb in his mouth and continued walking, obviously proud of himself for coming up with that joke so quickly.
"Sometimes I think you know more than you let on Sammy Gabb." said Millicent looking at her brother suspiciously. "Anyway," Millicent continued, turning her attention back to Tate. "They say that ever since the "War of Ages" The spirits of Nizhoni Mountain come down here and wait for folks to wander off into the woods so that they can steal their souls."
"Who are...they..? Sam tried once again to speak, then, seeing the look on his sister’s face decided that maybe it was a good time to keep his thumb in his mouth.
"Captain Beardrock of the city watch for one, if you must know, brat!" she answered her younger brothers smart-alecky reply.
"Ya, I've heard that too." Tate agreed, stopping at a fork in the path. "They also creep through the lower mountains late at night collecting the souls of anyone not belonging to the old bloodline. I guess they don't appreciate folks movin into their old stomping grounds." He seemed thoughtful at the last part of his comment.
Feeling somewhat spooked by the conversation, Millicent looked at Tate wonderingly. "What are you just standing there for?" she asked. "I'm ready to get out of these stupid woods. It's dark and my dad is sure to be mad if I don't get Sammy home soon!" Millicent was right. The sun was almost completely gone now behind the mountain and it was getting harder to see by the second.
"Oh, right, sorry." Tate apologized. "I was gonna let Sam pick the path, I think it's about time he learn his way about these woods, after all he is seven now." Tate told her with a wink while grinning at Sam.
Beaming with importance the youngest of the three picked a path, which happened to be the correct one, and they continued through the trees more or less in silence now listening to the sounds of the evening. Tate’s dad had taught him at an early age about the dangers of the woods at night though somehow they never involved spirits, which often made him question whether they were real or not. Most of the advice he had gotten involved wild animals or thieves looking for an easy dollar.
As they walked along, each had thoughts of their own. Mostly their minds were filled with thoughts of wild animals, tales of spirits hunting them in the night or just the growing darkness, and the shadows that seemed to be crawling with life on either side of them made them uneasy.. At one point they decided that Tate, being the oldest, should walk in the rear of the group while Sam and Millicent walked hand in hand directly in front of him. This way Tate could keep an eye on em and protect them from anything that might try sneaking up from behind. Wolves were especially good at sneaking.
Further into the woods they made their way, almost pitch black now, the moon barely showing through the tops of the trees. Suddenly Tate noticed that he no longer heard the sounds of the animals which were generally quite active this time of the evening. Nightlarks and Brenn's were two types of birds that became quite active during the evening hours, everyone knew that. Deciding it best not to frighten anyone unnecessarily he kept it to himself and continued on course.
"What was that?" Millicent said abruptly after a short while. The group slowed their pace. "There it is again!" She whispered hoarsely after a few more seconds had passed. Her eyes were wide and her head turned as if on a swivel trying to peer into the gloom. Freezing in their tracks, they listened intently to the stillness, straining their ears to catch any trace of a sound.
"I hear it too." said Tate in a hushed voice.
Off to the left of the trio came a soft, ominous dragging sound followed by a low pitched grunting sort of growl as if some creature were dragging its maimed leg behind it. Grabbing Sam quickly, Tate motioned for Millicent to follow him off the path and into a grove of thickly clustered bushes. Hopefully whatever it was would pass by them unnoticed.
"Keep quiet and stay still!" Tate quietly mouthed to his two companions.
Squatting there in the undergrowth they listened horrified as the guttural, dragging sound drew even closer. Tate's mind raced as he looked around for some means of defense. Scanning the ground frantically for a large rock, hefty stick, or anything else he might use as a weapon his heart skipped a beat. There was nothing to be found. Tate looked at Sam who, thumb in mouth, seemed almost on the edge of tears. Millicent however, though she looked frightened, seemed to have a distinct almost defiant look in her eye as if she meant to destroy anything that dare come near her younger brother. She may actually be better than a weapon, Sam thought with a bit of amusement, and then winced at his ability to find even a slight bit of humor in their situation.
Suddenly Millicent let out a high pitched shriek as something grabbed her from behind; Sam fell to the ground crying. Whirling around Tate found himself face to face with a fairly tall, extremely fat, red haired kid with dirty, crooked, almost green, teeth. Releasing Millicent the fat assailant began laughing as another kid came out of the trees across from them and on to the dirt path, a sly grin creeping across his slightly handsome face.
"That wasn't funny Fergie!" Millicent screamed at the fat one. "And you should be ashamed of yourself Damon Ladd!" she added glaring at the newcomer on the path.
"Aw, that warn't nuffin." Fergie laughed, still amused at his prank. "Jist a bit o fun das all." he said continuing to laugh, spit flying from his mouth.
"We didn't think it'd scare y’all that much." Damon added, still chuckling as the others moved back onto the path where he stood.
Trying to calm Sam down Tate eyed the two bullies who were both older than him, Damon by two years and Fergie by one. "That was a rotten trick to play" Tate grumbled. "You scared poor Sammy here half to death.
"Yer Jist mad onna count I scart you worser then the baby thar." Fergie smirked. "I’m a thinkin maybe yer a bigger baby than he is Tater Bug, and he sucks his thumb." As he finished speaking Fergie walked towards Tate threateningly, chest out, his grimy finger poking the somewhat smaller boy in the ribs
"Just let us be on our way, you've had yer fun." Tate responded turning away from the oversized ruffian. Tate’s dad had taught him when to stick up for himself but also the importance of knowing when to just walk away from bullies, it tends to give them the false sense of having won whatever it was they were trying to win. Motioning for Millicent to follow he started Sam down the path in front of him nudging him gently. "Let's go guys." he said wanting to get away from the two thugs.
And thugs is exactly what they were, Fergie Beltmouth and Damon Ladd had quite a reputation on the west side of the river which most folks still called Portsmouth. Even though the department of the city watch was in their neighborhood, those two still managed to be in constant trouble. Fergie was one who of those kids would do such things as Harass old folks, throw rocks through windows, push kids around and had even been said to have knifed a few, though it had never been proven. Damon himself had been in the watch lock up a few times for theft. He had apparently stolen from the markets several times and broken into a couple homes claiming that the owners had plenty and there was certainly no reason they couldn't do without whatever it was he had lifted. At least that was his thought on things.
"Don't you turn yer back on me!" Fergie hollered threateningly as he lunged for the unsuspecting Tate who was half dozen paces away. Millicent shouted a warning and Tate sidestepped just in the nick of time as the obese attacker went headlong into a patch of nettles. Damon, who was even taller than his partner and quite stocky for his age, was there in a second grabbing Tate by the arm before they could rush off, his mouth twisting into a mocking grin "Where ya goin Bug?" Damon harassed Tate. Fergie Beltmouth, whose name seemed to fit him pretty well considering how he'd just as soon belt ya in the mouth as look at ya, pulled himself outa the itchy nettles and glared at Tate menacingly. "Fink to make me into a fool does ya Tater?" He seethed between clenched teeth.
"Pretty sure you don't need me for that." Tate replied dryly, starting to get agitated.
"You little cuss, I'm gonna rip yer head off!" Fergie roared storming towards Tate who was still locked in Damon’s grip. Within seconds Millicent was between the two, her green eyes filled with determination staring Fergie down as she confronted him. "You keep away from Tater Bug you big oaf!" She warned. "Or I'll..."
"Or yool wut?" Fergie cut in daring the younger girl with an amused look in his angry eyes.
"Or I'll report you too Captain Beardrock, that's what." she managed to get out trembling with anger or fear, or both.
"I aint fraid o that ol fool." Fergie lied. "Let him try n git me, lotta good it'll do that washed up old geezer, geezer being quite a big word for the likes of Fergie. Besides, my pa wood give the ol captain the wut fer if he tried a haulin me to the lock up." This in truth was more than likely a lie since nobody that Tate or Millicent knew had ever seen Fergie’s pa, or his ma either for that matter. Oh he talked about them all the time, telling how they did this or that, saying things like how they attended important business matters and such, yet they never seemed to be around.
"Well maybe you aren't afraid of the captain." Millicent continued to threaten. "But Lieutenant Little..." ,who was actually quite big, "...is bigger than even you, and besides that there's Sergeant Maxfield who doesn't play games with the likes of you two, and I'm sure Damon there doesn't need to spend any more time in the lock up on account of you."
Shifting uneasily at this last remark Damon, who up until now had been quiet, began to think that maybe this was not such a good idea after all. A joke is a joke, but when the watch gets involved... well he wanted no part of that, and Fergie at this point seemed to be talking a bit big for his britches, at least in Damon’s mind. Thinking of defying the watch... what a crock, Damon thought snorting to his self... or was it out loud?
"Ya," Damon finally decided at last. "This is a waste of time Ferg" he said releasing Tate’s arm with a bit of a shove, "these punks aint worth messin with no more, why heck, the little ones even suckin his thumb." And it was true too, little Sammy had been sitting on a fallen log for some time, thumb in mouth, seeming uninterested in the whole event. His tears had stopped and he appeared to be looking at something with great interest on the log, more than likely ants again. Millicent must have noticed this as well for she was now looking at him and thinking to herself... what a strange kid! And he's my brother.
Sighing, she took Sam's free hand and stood watching as Fergie and Damon strode down the path. Fergie, yelling obscenities back at the group, warned what he and his pa would do one day if they ever crossed paths again.
An Encounter in the Woods
"You don't need a turn Sam!" Millicent Gabb spat at her younger brother. "Your way too small to be sliding down a hill this big." she declared. Spring was finally here, bringing the scent of grass and a fresh sense of newness that only comes this part of the year, a time to finally get out of the city and enjoy the rolling countryside to the north of town, and enjoy a bit of grass sledding, which is the same as snow sledding, but much warmer. Millicent and her friends had been grass sledding since she could remember, yet somehow this year it wasn't quite the same.
"I'm seven." Sam announced as if he were casually talking to a stranger in the supermarket. Putting his thumb back in his mouth he sat on a rock and began to watch a colony of ants hard at work building a hill next to the rock on which he sat. Ants seemed to fascinate Sam; they were always doing something that seemed important he had told his mother once.
Shaking her head in wonder at her younger brother Millicent began mumbling something about what a strange kid he was and turned to the older boy Tate. "C'mon Tater Bug, let's go down again before it gets to dark!" The sun was still high in the sky but the walk home was long and once it dropped behind the Western mountains darkness would come quickly.
"All right." said Tate. Shaking his head to one side in an attempt to keep his long brown hair out of his eyes, he carefully lined up the giant cardboard box they had been sliding down the grassy hill on most of the day. "Gotta watch out for that stupid rock this time though." he mused rubbing his elbow gingerly. “I nailed it pretty good last trip down."
"Oh, so the rock is the stupid one now is it?" replied Millicent sarcastically. "Maybe you should watch where you aim that sled first, it's not like you can steer it ya know." Which is true enough for anyone who has ever tried to turn a flat piece of cardboard while flying down a l hill of grass at breakneck speed. The hills in this part of the field were very steep and the grass lush, green and slick which allowed for a great ride.
"Ya ok, whatever Mills." Tate said to her. "Just get on and I'll push us off."
Running, Tate pushed on Millicent’s back. His feet digging in to the soft earth as the cardboard sled began to move down the steep green hill. Jumping on behind Mills, Tate swore he felt something brush his shoulder. No time to look now he thought as the makeshift sled began picking up speed. Tate and Mills laughed as they sped down the hill feeling the breeze rush through their hair until they came to a halt at the bottom of the slope. As their laughing began to die away they heard a giggling noise behind them.
"Sammy Gabb!" Millicent began to scold her younger brother who was sitting behind them, thumb halfway in his mouth, he giggled uncontrollably. "You sneaky little..."She started to go on, and then they all erupted with laughter.
The way home seemed like it took forever as the three friends walked through the countryside, the evening creating a warm westerly breeze. Over gently rolling green hills, through fields of tall ragweed, wild flowers, and prairie grass they wandered, working their way towards the trail back to town. As the three companions walked along they would talk of their many adventures together, remembering when they did this or that, and occasionally picking up a stick to chop at the tall grass as if they were in the jungle. At one point the two older friends watched in amusement as Sam tried to catch a bright, blue and yellow butterfly that easily kept avoiding his grasp just when he thought he had it. As they walked, the slopes of the country finally died away and they neared the edge of the woods that lay on the outskirts of town. Upon entering the woods they quickly found the path that would lead them through, it began to get dark. The evening sun was quite low in the sky and the large western mountain range began to cast a deep shadow over the land beneath. Once inside the trees it was difficult to see very much.
"Sorta creepy" Sam noted looking about as the three walked along the worn dirt pathway, trees casting long shadows across the trail.
"Knock it of Sam!" said Millicent giving her brother the eye.
Looking back at Sam and Millicent, Tate grinned. "There aint nothin in these woods to worry about" Tate said with confidence. “My dad and I hunt here in the winter."
"Maybe in the daytime there aint" Mills replied. "But at night I heard that the spirits from Nizhoni Mountain come down here looking for revenge!" She glanced about a bit nervously as if speaking the very words had brought the spirits there as soon as she had said them.
"What's ervenge?" Sammy asked curiously, looking at his sister. “I don't think I ever had any ervenge so they probably wouldn't bother with me."
"Not ervenge dummy." Millicent reprimanded her brother quickly. "RE-venge. Like wanting to get back at someone for somethin they did to you."
"Oh." Sam said more confused. "What did we do?'
"We didn't do anything." Tate laughed. "It's just an old tale"
"I never taked no one's ol tail..." Sammy started to joke.
"Shut…up...Sam!" Millicent ordered her younger brother. “You’re just acting silly now.
Grinning with some satisfaction Sam stuck his thumb in his mouth and continued walking, obviously proud of himself for coming up with that joke so quickly.
"Sometimes I think you know more than you let on Sammy Gabb." said Millicent looking at her brother suspiciously. "Anyway," Millicent continued, turning her attention back to Tate. "They say that ever since the "War of Ages" The spirits of Nizhoni Mountain come down here and wait for folks to wander off into the woods so that they can steal their souls."
"Who are...they..? Sam tried once again to speak, then, seeing the look on his sister’s face decided that maybe it was a good time to keep his thumb in his mouth.
"Captain Beardrock of the city watch for one, if you must know, brat!" she answered her younger brothers smart-alecky reply.
"Ya, I've heard that too." Tate agreed, stopping at a fork in the path. "They also creep through the lower mountains late at night collecting the souls of anyone not belonging to the old bloodline. I guess they don't appreciate folks movin into their old stomping grounds." He seemed thoughtful at the last part of his comment.
Feeling somewhat spooked by the conversation, Millicent looked at Tate wonderingly. "What are you just standing there for?" she asked. "I'm ready to get out of these stupid woods. It's dark and my dad is sure to be mad if I don't get Sammy home soon!" Millicent was right. The sun was almost completely gone now behind the mountain and it was getting harder to see by the second.
"Oh, right, sorry." Tate apologized. "I was gonna let Sam pick the path, I think it's about time he learn his way about these woods, after all he is seven now." Tate told her with a wink while grinning at Sam.
Beaming with importance the youngest of the three picked a path, which happened to be the correct one, and they continued through the trees more or less in silence now listening to the sounds of the evening. Tate’s dad had taught him at an early age about the dangers of the woods at night though somehow they never involved spirits, which often made him question whether they were real or not. Most of the advice he had gotten involved wild animals or thieves looking for an easy dollar.
As they walked along, each had thoughts of their own. Mostly their minds were filled with thoughts of wild animals, tales of spirits hunting them in the night or just the growing darkness, and the shadows that seemed to be crawling with life on either side of them made them uneasy.. At one point they decided that Tate, being the oldest, should walk in the rear of the group while Sam and Millicent walked hand in hand directly in front of him. This way Tate could keep an eye on em and protect them from anything that might try sneaking up from behind. Wolves were especially good at sneaking.
Further into the woods they made their way, almost pitch black now, the moon barely showing through the tops of the trees. Suddenly Tate noticed that he no longer heard the sounds of the animals which were generally quite active this time of the evening. Nightlarks and Brenn's were two types of birds that became quite active during the evening hours, everyone knew that. Deciding it best not to frighten anyone unnecessarily he kept it to himself and continued on course.
"What was that?" Millicent said abruptly after a short while. The group slowed their pace. "There it is again!" She whispered hoarsely after a few more seconds had passed. Her eyes were wide and her head turned as if on a swivel trying to peer into the gloom. Freezing in their tracks, they listened intently to the stillness, straining their ears to catch any trace of a sound.
"I hear it too." said Tate in a hushed voice.
Off to the left of the trio came a soft, ominous dragging sound followed by a low pitched grunting sort of growl as if some creature were dragging its maimed leg behind it. Grabbing Sam quickly, Tate motioned for Millicent to follow him off the path and into a grove of thickly clustered bushes. Hopefully whatever it was would pass by them unnoticed.
"Keep quiet and stay still!" Tate quietly mouthed to his two companions.
Squatting there in the undergrowth they listened horrified as the guttural, dragging sound drew even closer. Tate's mind raced as he looked around for some means of defense. Scanning the ground frantically for a large rock, hefty stick, or anything else he might use as a weapon his heart skipped a beat. There was nothing to be found. Tate looked at Sam who, thumb in mouth, seemed almost on the edge of tears. Millicent however, though she looked frightened, seemed to have a distinct almost defiant look in her eye as if she meant to destroy anything that dare come near her younger brother. She may actually be better than a weapon, Sam thought with a bit of amusement, and then winced at his ability to find even a slight bit of humor in their situation.
Suddenly Millicent let out a high pitched shriek as something grabbed her from behind; Sam fell to the ground crying. Whirling around Tate found himself face to face with a fairly tall, extremely fat, red haired kid with dirty, crooked, almost green, teeth. Releasing Millicent the fat assailant began laughing as another kid came out of the trees across from them and on to the dirt path, a sly grin creeping across his slightly handsome face.
"That wasn't funny Fergie!" Millicent screamed at the fat one. "And you should be ashamed of yourself Damon Ladd!" she added glaring at the newcomer on the path.
"Aw, that warn't nuffin." Fergie laughed, still amused at his prank. "Jist a bit o fun das all." he said continuing to laugh, spit flying from his mouth.
"We didn't think it'd scare y’all that much." Damon added, still chuckling as the others moved back onto the path where he stood.
Trying to calm Sam down Tate eyed the two bullies who were both older than him, Damon by two years and Fergie by one. "That was a rotten trick to play" Tate grumbled. "You scared poor Sammy here half to death.
"Yer Jist mad onna count I scart you worser then the baby thar." Fergie smirked. "I’m a thinkin maybe yer a bigger baby than he is Tater Bug, and he sucks his thumb." As he finished speaking Fergie walked towards Tate threateningly, chest out, his grimy finger poking the somewhat smaller boy in the ribs
"Just let us be on our way, you've had yer fun." Tate responded turning away from the oversized ruffian. Tate’s dad had taught him when to stick up for himself but also the importance of knowing when to just walk away from bullies, it tends to give them the false sense of having won whatever it was they were trying to win. Motioning for Millicent to follow he started Sam down the path in front of him nudging him gently. "Let's go guys." he said wanting to get away from the two thugs.
And thugs is exactly what they were, Fergie Beltmouth and Damon Ladd had quite a reputation on the west side of the river which most folks still called Portsmouth. Even though the department of the city watch was in their neighborhood, those two still managed to be in constant trouble. Fergie was one who of those kids would do such things as Harass old folks, throw rocks through windows, push kids around and had even been said to have knifed a few, though it had never been proven. Damon himself had been in the watch lock up a few times for theft. He had apparently stolen from the markets several times and broken into a couple homes claiming that the owners had plenty and there was certainly no reason they couldn't do without whatever it was he had lifted. At least that was his thought on things.
"Don't you turn yer back on me!" Fergie hollered threateningly as he lunged for the unsuspecting Tate who was half dozen paces away. Millicent shouted a warning and Tate sidestepped just in the nick of time as the obese attacker went headlong into a patch of nettles. Damon, who was even taller than his partner and quite stocky for his age, was there in a second grabbing Tate by the arm before they could rush off, his mouth twisting into a mocking grin "Where ya goin Bug?" Damon harassed Tate. Fergie Beltmouth, whose name seemed to fit him pretty well considering how he'd just as soon belt ya in the mouth as look at ya, pulled himself outa the itchy nettles and glared at Tate menacingly. "Fink to make me into a fool does ya Tater?" He seethed between clenched teeth.
"Pretty sure you don't need me for that." Tate replied dryly, starting to get agitated.
"You little cuss, I'm gonna rip yer head off!" Fergie roared storming towards Tate who was still locked in Damon’s grip. Within seconds Millicent was between the two, her green eyes filled with determination staring Fergie down as she confronted him. "You keep away from Tater Bug you big oaf!" She warned. "Or I'll..."
"Or yool wut?" Fergie cut in daring the younger girl with an amused look in his angry eyes.
"Or I'll report you too Captain Beardrock, that's what." she managed to get out trembling with anger or fear, or both.
"I aint fraid o that ol fool." Fergie lied. "Let him try n git me, lotta good it'll do that washed up old geezer, geezer being quite a big word for the likes of Fergie. Besides, my pa wood give the ol captain the wut fer if he tried a haulin me to the lock up." This in truth was more than likely a lie since nobody that Tate or Millicent knew had ever seen Fergie’s pa, or his ma either for that matter. Oh he talked about them all the time, telling how they did this or that, saying things like how they attended important business matters and such, yet they never seemed to be around.
"Well maybe you aren't afraid of the captain." Millicent continued to threaten. "But Lieutenant Little..." ,who was actually quite big, "...is bigger than even you, and besides that there's Sergeant Maxfield who doesn't play games with the likes of you two, and I'm sure Damon there doesn't need to spend any more time in the lock up on account of you."
Shifting uneasily at this last remark Damon, who up until now had been quiet, began to think that maybe this was not such a good idea after all. A joke is a joke, but when the watch gets involved... well he wanted no part of that, and Fergie at this point seemed to be talking a bit big for his britches, at least in Damon’s mind. Thinking of defying the watch... what a crock, Damon thought snorting to his self... or was it out loud?
"Ya," Damon finally decided at last. "This is a waste of time Ferg" he said releasing Tate’s arm with a bit of a shove, "these punks aint worth messin with no more, why heck, the little ones even suckin his thumb." And it was true too, little Sammy had been sitting on a fallen log for some time, thumb in mouth, seeming uninterested in the whole event. His tears had stopped and he appeared to be looking at something with great interest on the log, more than likely ants again. Millicent must have noticed this as well for she was now looking at him and thinking to herself... what a strange kid! And he's my brother.
Sighing, she took Sam's free hand and stood watching as Fergie and Damon strode down the path. Fergie, yelling obscenities back at the group, warned what he and his pa would do one day if they ever crossed paths again.
