Minkland (Part 2)

The girl followed closely behind the squirrel-man.  With his advanced age, reliance upon a cane and tiny little legs, she had to be careful not to walk right over top him.  They walked in silence for a good while, which was fine with her as it gave her  time to gather her thoughts, and take her new surroundings.  The forest seemed familiar and unfamiliar all at the same time.  The trees were the largest things she had ever seen, with bark big enough to sleep in.  It seemed to her that whole neighborhoods would fit nicely into one trunk.  The leaves were also a marvel.  It was as though they had been hand dipped in mercury and each sparkled like mirrors in the sun.  What struck her the very most, however, was the comforting quiet.  There was no sound at all but their footfalls through the bracken.  Even the bird-cat had stopped its incessant call to come and silently flew overhead.  She felt herself settle into the peace of this land, and her soul sighed with pleasure.

Finally, she felt ready to speak.  She looked down at her new companion and asked, "What is your name?".  Without braking stride, he replied "They call me Garumph."  "Garumph?", she repeated.  "No, dear, roll the R.  Godddd-RUMF!"  She laughed, and tried again. "GODDDD-RUMF!"  "Brilliant!", he shouted.

They hadn't gotten very far, but Garumph indicated that he needed to rest.  They sat at the base of one of the giant trees, and he took out a tiny silver flask.  He gave her a sheepish grin, drank, and said "Goodly Paxroot, this is.  Keeps the auld bones greased, and the joints a'flexin."  She held out her hand, suddenly overcome with thirst, and he passed it over.  Once she figured out how to navigate the minute opening,  she took one long pull of the sweet elixir.  She felt  the warm wetness travel down her throat, burning through her torso like fire.  Garumph took this opportunity to return her question to her.  "Do you remember what you are called?", he asked.  "No."  She answered.  "I had been trying to think of it since I asked you your name, but nothing comes to me."  He thought on this for a moment, and it made him sad.  He couldn't contemplate not knowing his own denomination.

"Well, I have an idea, if I may.",  he said.  "Might you allow me the privilege and honor of bestowing upon you a new designation?  Just until you remember your given name, of course."  Excited by the idea, she agreed to it immediately.  He sat pondering for a long while, while rocking back and forth and forth and back on his seat made of root.  His brow furrowed into little knots, and his tiny eyes were shut tight in concentration. She grew tired with the anticipation, and found herself leaning forward until she slipped off of her own stem and sprawled on the ground in a heap.  Finally, at long last, his eyes sprang open and, with great reverence, he said, "Skyward.  You shall be called Skyward, as you are both a gift from the heavens and as tall as the trees."

She laughed, and looked above her at the trees which seemed to stretch for miles atop their heads.  "Well," she told him.  "I don't know if I'm as tall as all that, but I love it still.  Please do call me Sky for short, as I don't think I'm one for formalities."  "Sky, it is then", he responded, and waived his cane overhead as though to bless her.  Just then, there came a flutter from behind Garumph, and something burrowed through the leaves to his side.  A great, golden beetle poked his head out from beneath the foliage, and reached his tiny arms up to grasp the silver flask.  "Oh, my", said Garumph.  "I am so very happy you are here, Auric.  May it please you to meet my new friend, Sky".  Auric, once having had his fill of Paxroot, turned and gave a grand belch in her direction.  He then bowed with a great flourish, and trilled "Mayyy yoooou liiive to beee longed, longggg to beee liiived, and neveeer forrrget to daaaance attt miiidnight."  With that, he bowed again, and scuttled off to his home beneath the trees.

Garumph stood, shook himself from head to toe, and began walking again on his unseen path.  Sky followed quickly behind.  "How did you come to speak Minkish?", he asked her.  "Minkish?", she responded.  "Minkish", he repeated.  "The language of our land.  I'm curious how it came to be that you speak it.".  "I do not," she protested.  "I speak English."  He chuckled, a sound with which she was growing quite familiar, and said "My dear, you are speaking Minkish to me, as surely as I am six score and eight years old."  She quickly did the math in her head, and stopped dead in her tracks.  "YOU are 128 years old?", she demanded.  He turned to look at her, and smiled at her astonishment.  He leaned heavily upon his cane, and said "Friend Sky, you surely know how to make a fellow feel ancient.  Point of fact, there are ten more in my village who are at least two more score than I."  As if to prove it, he kicked up his heels and continued down the path.

They walked on, again in silence, for a half hour more, when they came to a pair of trees that formed an archway over the path.  A flutter of wings overhead was a reminder that bird-cat had been with them for every step of their journey.  She sailed in great swoops and furls and cried "Home, Home, Home!".  Sky and Garumph stepped out from beyond the forest canopy, and took in the world beyond.  She was overwhelmed by what she saw; hundreds of Garumphs, milling about their day and bustling through their tiny streets.  He, realizing how overwhelming it all was, took her great hand in his little paw, and said "Come, child.  Welcome to my home.  You will be loved here."


(To be con't)