September 2014

Oh look, here's another one. This time we're sorta post-movie-ish.

Howsabou' that?

The water licked up her legs, swelling around her calves as the waves drifted in. The bright azure water stretched to the bottom of the sky, glittering in the bright sun. Eep squinted against it, cupping her hands around her eyes to try to see off the edge of the world. Behind her, Sandy splashed in the incoming tide, Douglas barked, and her parents discussed constructing a rain shelter of palm fronds and downed trees.

The Croods made it. They'd reached Tomorrow, against odds that had claimed their neighbors and had nearly claimed them along their journey. Eep's heart quickened; here was a whole new world to explore, a gift after the destruction and terror of The End.

The ocean rose up to her thighs and receded again, leaving beads of salt water that trickled down her legs. A light breeze ran past her, increasing the water's chill. Eep shivered, the cold exhilarating in the midst of all the newness.

Everything here was New, wasn't it? Eep turned back toward the beach, striding past Sandy and Douglas and Thunk. She found Guy explaining to her parents how to anchor a shelter so that it wouldn't blow away in the first storm. She grasped his arm and tugged him away a step.

"Yes?" he broke off to say after taking a moment of surprise.

"Come on," Eep said eagerly, pulling now with both hands, "Let's look around!"

Ugga and Grug looked at each other, bemused. They shared a smile that neither Guy nor Eep quite understood.

Eep led the way, plowing into the dense jungle that rimmed the beach. Heavy tree fronds above them blocked the sun, plunging them into dimness. It was cooler here, too. Eep recalled the first day of the Croods' journey after the earthquake destroyed their cave. This time, though, she knew there was no reason to be afraid. She had survived The End, reached Tomorrow, and she had Guy with her.

Eep looked over her shoulder at him, watching him pick his way over stones and tree roots with rather less grace than she did, outright stumbling when he locked his gaze with hers.

Guy tripped on a root crooking out of the ground with a startled yelp. Eep caught him against her chest and it knocked the wind out of him. "You okay?" she asked. His chest heaved. He nodded, puffing. Eep set him on his feet again and took his hand. Guy's fingers tightened briefly around hers and that time it was she who nearly lost her footing. Guy laughed with what air he'd gotten back.

They pressed further into the jungle.

Guy proved himself well-traveled. He named for her the flower-frogs, the mousephants, the jackrobats. He called Nippers a liyote, Douglas a crocopup. "How do you come up with these names?" Eep asked. Smiling indulgently, Guy tapped his head with a forefinger. Of course. Flushing, she led him on.

They arrived by a quick-running stream and there they stopped to rest. While Eep dipped her head to take a refreshing drink, Guy pulled off his shoes. Eep stared, and he laughed at her gaping mouth. He shoved a foot in her face, toes wriggling. "See, they're just like yours!" he said when she reeled away in surprise.

"They stink!" she protested, clamping a hand over her nose. Still grinning, Guy shrugged and lowered his feet into the river. The shoes lay crumpled over each other at his side. Belt unwound his limbs from Guy's waist and drank water upstream using a leaf. Sighing in relief, Guy leaned back on his arms, head dangling back, eyes closed. Curious, Eep scooted closer to the river, seated herself next to Guy and dipped her own feet into the river. This water was warmer than the ocean. The way it wrapped around and flowed past her legs felt... good. It felt really good. Eep heaved a relaxed sigh of her own, drinking in the clean, moist air. She mirrored Guy further by gazing up to the sky past the leaves, leaning against braced arms. Water splashed over rocks and rushes and lapped up her legs, turtledoves squawked far above them, and a gentle wind rattled the leaves and reeds.

Their shoulders touched when Guy shifted a little closer. Eep looked over and his eyes were right there, dark as night and warm as fire.

Her breath caught. The last time their faces were this close, their lips had touched. Eep remembered the vibration that rang through her entire body at the instant of contact. And she wondered if Guy liked it as much as she had.

But instead of trying it again, she pressed her forehead against his as she had seen her mother and father do so many times. Her eyes closed for a moment, her focus on the warmth spreading from where Guy's skin touched hers. Their breath mingled. The sounds of the stream shimmered around them. "This is nice," she murmured. Guy hummed his agreement.

"I have an idea what'd be nicer, though." And his fingers were under her chin, tilting her head up. Heart quickening again, Eep opened her eyes, anticipating; she only saw Guy staring past her, alarm in his eyes.

"What is it?" she whispered.

Guy licked his dry lips. "There's a bear owl behind you."

Swallowing, Eep ever so slowly twisted her head around. A ways up the bank, a russet bear owl lapped from the stream. Its eyes were closed and they were downwind – maybe it didn't know they were there.

Guy's forehead left her temple. "With me," he said in a low voice, rising. Eep took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. The bear owl now groomed a forepaw. They could hear its tongue rasping over its fur, its huffing breaths. Belt's long arms snaked around Guy's shoulders, large blue eyes even wider with apprehension. For a tense moment, none of them moved, all eyes on the bear owl.

It chirruped. They jumped. Its luminous orange eyes locked on them, pupils narrowing. A long growl ruptured from its throat, its lips curling back to bare its sharp teeth.

Guy shifted to place himself between Eep and the beast, hand thrown out to shield her. The hair on the bear owl's shoulders grew puffy, and it lowered its head threateningly. "Be ready to run," Guy whispered, reaching for his knife. Silent, Eep nodded, biting her lower lip. Belt fidgeted on Guy's shoulders, his fur also standing on end.

The bear owl lurched to all fours, staring them down. It took a few halting steps forward, then stayed still and watched them, a forepaw raised threateningly. Guy and Eep waited with held breaths for the bear owl to make its move – or leave. It seemed to have no intention of the latter, yet the former did not happen either. Its forepaw still hung in the air. The small hairs on Eep's arms prickled and she felt her eyes widen with a sudden idea. She stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Guy whispered urgently, tensing his arm to keep her back. Eep pushed it away, treading closer to the beast. The bear owl's growling intensified, but it made no move to back away. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, Eep approached, reaching her hand up, palm out. "Eep, get back here!" Guy hissed. Eep continued to ignore him, though the terror mounted in her chest as she closed the distance between herself and the bear owl.

And then she was an arm's reach away. If the bear owl struck now, Guy would be too late to save her. Its growling had ceased; it now regarded her with a perplexed sort of expression, pupils dilated. Eep still held out her palm, fingers splayed. Inhaling to steady herself, Eep leaned in, the pads of her fingers hairs away from the broad tip of the bear owl's nose.

Its hot breath huffed across her palm, running down her arm into her face. It stank of old meat; it reminded her all too well that back home, bear owls liked few things more than cavemen for breakfast.

A rough, dry tongue flicked against her fingertips. Eep winced back a little in surprise, yet she held her ground. The bear owl snuffled at her hand, licked it again, then pressed its forehead into her palm, eyes closing to slits.

All the small hairs on Eep's body stood on end, little bumps raising on her arms anew. The bear owl's fur was coarse and stiff, hot from recent sun exposure. It lay more like feathers than hair, and felt almost as slippery between her fingers. The quietest of growls emanated again from the bear owl's throat, but this had a different timber to it – lighter, easier. It reminded Eep of the sound Chunky made when her dad scratched him under his chin.

A soft thump came from behind her. She didn't dare turn her eyes away now, though she suspected Guy had just dropped his knife in the grass. The bear owl continued to watch her through half-lidded eyes the color of fire. Swallowing repeatedly, Eep continued stroking the bear owl's fur in a sort of daze, not quite believing that these were among the worst predators at their old home, and yet here she was petting one.

Wait – petting...

"See, it's okay," she murmured; to herself, to Guy, to the bear owl. It chirruped and drew away, though not hostilely. Its ears perked forward. Eep dropped her hand. Its one forepaw still hovered above the ground. Glancing at its eyes again, Eep lowered herself to the ground. "Let's see what's wrong with your foot," she said soothingly, reaching out and beckoning for it.

After some hesitation, the massive paw moved toward her. It's black claws were as long as her forearm and glistened mutely in the half-light. They looked very sharp... "It's okay." The paw turned and now she saw – a sharp rock, buried in the tough pad of its foot. Dried blood caked around it in a brittle black crust. "Oh, you poor thing," Eep gasped. "Guy, any ideas?"

"Uh..." He audibly gulped before slowly approaching. Other than an initial warning growl, the bear owl did not seem to mind him. Eep gently touched the embedded rock; the paw jerked away but no strike came. "I think it understands we want to help... It's still wild, though; it could hurt us if we don't do this right." Guy sat down next to her on the grass, looking at the bear owl. "Belt?"

The sloth perched on Guy's shoulder and chattered at the bear owl for a few moments. It growled back and the two animals conversed for several more moments. By the time they finished, Belt was sitting on Guy's head and the bear owl was lounging on its side, hurt paw outstretched. Belt nodded, triumphant.

"Belt wants you to hold the bear owl's head, and keep her as calm as possible."

"Her?"

"I'll see if I can get the rock out," Guy continued, already moving. Eep obediently hurried to her post, stroking the bear owl's fur-feathers until the quiet rhythmic growl rumbled again. "Ready?"

Eep shifted so she could easily keep the bear owl's head down if she tried to bite Guy. She nodded. "Okay," Guy exhaled, steeling himself. "On three: one... two... THREE," he said through clenched teeth as he took a grip of the rock and wrenched it out of the paw.

The bear owl roared and thrashed, her black claws flashing in stray sunbeams as she knocked Guy aside.

"Calm down, it's okay!" Eep screeched, trying to hold the beast down but instead being lifted as she clambered to her feet, shaking out her paw. Fresh blood already spattered the ground. The bear owl took a few halting steps, limping, and still squalling. "It's okay," Eep kept whispering, her heart hammering as she desperately held on. Guy hadn't made a sound.

Eventually the bear owl quieted and became still. Eep's limbs chose that moment to lose all strength, and she slid off to land hard on the grass with a quiet oof! The bear owl ignored her for the moment to lick her paw, cleaning off blood old and new.

"Guy?" Eep called out, fearful of looking for him.

"I'm alright," he responded, out of breath; the blow from the bear owl's paw had winded him, but otherwise he was unhurt. "That was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"It was the sort of thing my dad might've told a bedtime story about," Eep admitted, sheepish. Yet moreso she was in deep awe of herself. And the bear owl locked eyes with her again, blinking. She limped over; Eep raised her palm up, and the bear owl nuzzled it, eyes slitted, quietly growling again. "What about you?" she suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

Eep looked at him. "How would you tell the story?" Guy smiled, that big toothy grin she liked so much.

"Well, in my story..." His smile, if possible, stretched wider, "the tiger climbed on the bear owl's back and rode it to Tomorrow."

"But we're already at Tomorrow!" Eep protested, giggling.

"Then the tiger explored Tomorrow, from the back of a red bear owl," Guy amended, dark eyes glittering. Heartened, Eep got to her feet. Carefully, she stepped around to the bear owl's side, leaping onto her shoulder. She promptly slid right off, as she had just moments ago. Guy burst into laughter, falling over again with the force of it. Eep glared at him. He didn't stop. Deciding to deal with him later, she climbed to her feet again. This time, though, the bear owl bowed down; getting on was much easier.

"It's kinda hard to hold on," Eep said, grimacing. She carefully grasped the longer hairs that formed a ruff around the bear owl's neck, and pinned her knees into its ribs. "Okay... Go?" The bear owl stood fully, muscles rolling beneath Eep's legs. Her tail lashed once, twice. Then she took off like a shot, bounding over stones and fallen trees, over grassy mounds and along stream banks. Guy's panicked shout resonated behind them. Eep never screamed, though her breath for a while came in short, sharp gasps as the jarring motions of the bear owl's gait knocked the air out of her again and again. Eep fought to maintain her grip, but the fur and skin and bones – nothing about the bear owl's body stayed in place, and she always had to adjust. She could barely concentrate on the path ahead of her, but her mount seemed to know where she was going. So Eep trusted the bear owl as far as she dared, and concentrated on not falling off her back.

The path ahead grew lighter and over the crashing of the bear owl's loping through the trees and brush, Eep heard the rush of the ocean waves. They burst out of the jungle onto the beach, the bear owl's labored breathing louder out here, somehow. Over the raucous her parents called her name, urging her to be careful, what did she think she was doing. Her panicking mount whirled in confusion, squalling intermittently. She then halted, turning in place; gasping, Eep pushed herself upright, tried to clamber higher up toward the bear owl's head. As she had before from the ground, she reached to pet her forehead. "There's nothing to be scared of," she crooned, reassuring her family at the same time. The Croods all stood at a distance, spears in hand. She continued petting the bear owl's fur, then moved to scratching one of her ears. The instant her nails crept across the back base of an ear, the bear owl squawked and keeled over, her happy growl the loudest she had heard it yet.

Laughing as she scrambled to her feet, Eep scratched the spot again, making the beast writhe with pleasure. When she had to stop to catch her breath again, the bear owl butted her hip with its nose, imploring her to carry on.

"Eep, what did you do?" Grug asked, lowering his spear now that it seemed there was no danger. His eyes were bright with curiosity. Eep looked in awe at the bear owl – one of their worst predators – sprawled at her feet like an oversized Douglas. She shrugged, grinning broadly.

"I think I just made a bear owl my pet!" she exclaimed. The beast peered up at her, happy-growling. She knelt to scratch her chin. "What should I call you? ...Wait, where's Guy?" she asked suddenly, glancing around.

"Wasn't he with you?"

"He... he was. But then the bear owl took off..."

"I'm sure he can find his way back..." Ugga said, though she sounded concerned despite her words. They all knew enough, but they did not know yet what all was out there in Tomorrow.

"Let's go look for him," Grug decided, shouldering his spear.

The bear owl huffed and nosed Eep's hip. "What?" The bear owl rolled onto her belly – telling Eep to get back on. The moment she settled, the bear owl took off again, running back the same way she had come. She halted once or twice to snuffle at the ground, always galloping again within seconds.

In no time at all Eep spotted Guy, still waiting bewildered at the stream. His eyes lit with relief at the sight of her, and he practically pulled her down to the ground. "Eep, are you okay?" he said, frantic, checking the scrapes she'd accumulated from leaves whipping her exposed skin. She let him fuss over her for a minute, still too breathless from her experience to protest yet. At length she caught both his wrists.

"I'm fine. Come say 'hi'!" Eep said, eagerly bringing him around face-to-face with the bear owl. She nosed his hair; Guy grimaced at her breath. The tail of hair tied up on his head brushed the inside of a nostril, and the bear owl sneezed mightily, coating them both with a shower of snot.

"Ugh! Gross!" they both groaned over Belt's high squeal that probably meant the same thing. Guy wiped a particularly large yellow globule off his cheek, looking on the verge of being sick. His face was so twisted in disgust that Eep could not help her outburst of laughter.

"And what is so funny? You're just as grossed out as I am," Guy protested, meekly as he realized Eep was undisturbed beyond her initial reaction.

"The river's right there," she said matter-of-factually, promptly wading in from the bank. Taking a breath, she dove under. The water churned as she scrubbed her hands through her hair and over her limbs. She surfaced again, sopping hair plastered to her face. She pushed it back. "See? Good as new." Guy jumped in then, splashing water up onto the bank. The bear owl spat at getting wet. Eep grinned. Splashing more, she pushed herself onto the bank. Grass clung to her skin like spiders' webs, and Eep shuddered at the feeling as she brushed the blades away. Guy crawled out after her, wringing water from the hair tail. Belt dropped to the ground to shake off.

The bear owl nosed Eep again under her arm. She scratched behind an ear and the beast rolled onto its side. "She needs a name," Guy murmured, clearly still in awe. Kneeling, Eep thought hard. The first ride through the jungle came back to her – the wind streaming in her hair and bringing tears to her eyes. How the ground seemed so far away as it careened past beneath her, the trees blurring out at the edges of her vision. The panic, and the exhilaration; and bursting out the edge of darkness into daylight.

"Sunrise," she decided. Belt chirruped. Guy tilted his head as he considered. A broad smile stretched across his face as he came to understand.

"I like that."

"Really?" Eep grinned, looking back at her new pet. "What about you?" A rough tongue flicked across her face and she spluttered. Guy cackled.

–

The sun was orange and sinking toward the sea when they finally came back to the beach. Ugga and Grug had made a shelter sufficient to last the night if it rained. They might make something more permanent later, if they felt they needed to, Grug said.

"But no more caves," he promised, smiling at Eep. He measured the sun in the sky. "One knuckle left. Who wants to tell tonight's story?"

"I like Guy's stories!" Thunk blurted, bouncing on his feet. A little bashful, Guy stepped forward.

"Alright. Let's see... Any ideas, Belt?" The sloth blinked his large eyes and muttered something. Guy settled on a boulder as the Croods arranged themselves in a half-circle on the sand.

"Once there was a beautiful tiger," he began, his eyes lingering on Eep as they swept over his audience. "And she lived with her family in Tomorrow; a place where the impossible could happen.

"One day, while she was exploring the jungle, she came across a bear owl, one of the most fearsome creatures in the world." He paused, fingers curled like claws to illustrate. Eep knew how the story would end, she thought; yet she shuddered with anticipation all the same. The other Croods drew in their breath around her.

"She was scared at first, but she realized that the bear owl was injured. It had a rock stuck in its foot. And then the tiger realized the bear owl was frightened, too. The tiger wanted to help the bear owl even though she was afraid. So she gathered her courage and pulled the rock out of the bear owl's paw. In return the bear owl let the tiger climb onto its back, to ride it!" Guy's audience collectively gasped. Eep grinned over her shoulder at Sunrise; the bear owl also seemed enraptured with the tale.

"Together, the bear owl and the tiger flew through the jungle, racing the sun to the other side of the trees. When they came out again, they were new friends. And from that day on, they explored Tomorrow together, side by side."

And Guy nodded for the end of his story, beaming at Eep, whose face was aflame with pleasure and pride. "That was so cool!" Thunk cheered on his way to the sleeping place. Gran squeezed her shoulder on the way by, and Ugga nuzzled her hair. Grug stopped a moment, with a simple smile that said so much. Then he reached down and hugged his first daughter close.

"That's my girl," he whispered in her ear. Eep pressed her face into his tunic, grinning too big to show. "Don't stay up too long," he said, and he left to join the rest of the family for the sleep pile.

Wiping her eyes, Eep now looked to Guy, still standing where he had told the story. His expression had softened; in the fading light it was harder to read, but Eep saw how his eyes seemed to glow. "I liked that story," she said shyly, coming onto her knees as Guy approached. He knelt in front of her in the sand, smiling.

"I think it's going to become one of my favorites."

"You should make it longer, after we do more exploring." They were both speaking with hushed voices and Eep wasn't sure why. She wondered if Guy knew why. "Hey, what were you going to do earlier? Before you saw Sunrise?"

Eep didn't need the bear owl's ability to see in the dark to know Guy had turned bright red. He let out a helpless little giggle and faltered. "Well, the timing's not as good now, but, well," he said, stumbling over his words. Eep leaned forward. Guy's hands found both sides of her jaw.

With a sharp intake of breath he pulled her closer until her lips touched his.

And the boar took flight.

Wellllll it could have been longer, but, uh, it would have invalidated the K+ rating. ._.'

So that's the ending you get. You can decide for yourself how far things went. Those crazy kids.

Experiences I thank for this chapter include: riding a horse bareback; reading "The Prisoner of Azkaban;" watching "How to Train Your Dragon;" my first kiss going a little like that (the first time, not interrupted).

Thank you for stopping by. Take care!