After the small meal of bone marrow soup. Big bugs and Young river fell asleep.
Hours passed, the fire was out, there was a strange wind in the air which moved the trees tops around them.
Big bugs loved the sound of the heavy wind through the trees. Some trees cracked and fell in the forest.
Young River sat up when a huge tree snapped and the loud sound of the tree falling and hitting others before it went down startled him.
“Once I was woken up like this when I was young out hunting with my grandfather.”
“Were you scared too?”
“Oh yes, especially when they started to move.”
“They move?”
“The trees, oh yes, they know all about us.”
“They also gave a part of themselves to make us.”
“They did, I didn't know that.”
“The great spirit when we were being made asked the spirits of the trees and plants if they wanted to give up part of themselves to help create us.”
Young river looked up at the tree tops swaying in the wind listening to the words of Big bugs.
“The white aspen popular was the first to speak after the earth soil. Saying, if soil gets to be the body then I want to give myself for their bones.”
Young river smiled looking at his hands.
“See your bones in your body are white like the popular trees when they are skinned.”
“That's so cool.” Young river boy sat listening to Big bugs.
“The berries you brought also gave part of themselves to.”
“Yes the raspberries gave the shape of our heart that's why they are considered a heart medicine, cause the shape of the berry is the shape of our heart’s.” Big bugs placed a hand on his chest.
“All this talk of berries I know where there is more.” Young river stood up.
“ I will go get more, maybe by then Stone bear will be back.”
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“I will stay here and wait for the brown rabbit to return and make the fire again.”
“Sounds good, I will be back shortly.”
Big bugs stood up and stretched out his back and legs.
The winds started to calm down. And he walked through the silent woods.
Finding small branches from the winds that broke or shaken them from the top of the trees.
The forest smelled fresh and the ground was covered in pine cones.
Big bugs noticed a squirrel picking up cones that didn't notice him.
He placed down the branches real slowly standing back up raising his lance into the darkness.
Bringing it down on top of the Squirrels head.
It made an audible squeak and fell unconscious.
Big bugs smiled and tied the squirrel's legs and hung it from his side.
Walking back and picking up his sticks he walked with the squirrel to the fire pit.
Big bugs un tied the unconscious squirrel. And laid it beside the fire pit.
He began to cut down the branches he gathered.
Big bugs made a small fire with the branches in the pit. Sitting beside the squirrel,which started to wiggle and twitch its legs. Big bugs picked up the small squirrel.
“Owwwww!.” the squirrel cried out.
“Oh sorry I didn't think you were still alive.”
“My legs you broke them, how will I ever save my family now.” the squirrel cried.
“Your family needs to be saved?”
“Yes they were taken. I was tryna find the brown rabbit to help me.”
Big bugs stared at the squirrel in his hands speaking to him.
“You know the brown rabbit too.”
“Yes he helps the forest dwellers, he said he would help me find my family when he returned.”
“ I was going to eat you.”
“Oh please don’t, I will bless you if you help me.”
“I don’t plan on eating you anymore, now that you're talking to me and know of the brown rabbit.”
Big bugs stood up with the squirrel and walked over to some moss growing beside them and the trees. He ripped some out and walked back placing it into the birch bucket then the squirrel.
“Thankyou kind man, for your caring and understanding.”
Big bugs sat beside the squirrel.
“Well it's not everyday I have a talking squirrel speaking to me.”
“These are strange times, I miss the sun and the birds.”
“Now that you mentioned it, I haven't heard a bird sing in quite some time.”
“They left with the sun.”
“What happened to your family?”
“ We were all gathered. The squirrel and Rabbit clans were deciding what to do about the sun leaving, some suggested we return to the inner earth, others like myself wanted to wait to see if the sun returned.”
“Hey im back!” Young river boy walked up with some caught fish and berries.
“Look what I have.” proud of his catch he showed big bugs the fish.
“That’s a great catch,look what I have found.”
Young river boy looked at the squirrel in the birch basket and looked at Big bugs sitting beside it.
“ What's going on here?”
“He was planning to eat me until I started speaking.” The squirrel spoke to the young river boy.
“Woah he could speak.” intrigued the young river boy lowered himself to listen to the squirrel.
“As we all decided, some left to the Inner earth while the rest of us stayed on top.”
“Woah there is an inner earth?” The young river boy asked.
“Yes it's where the first people of earth lived, before we came to the upper world.” The squirrel explained.
“What did the first people look like?” young river boy asked.
“They are as tall as the trees and make beautiful buildings.” The squirrel explained.
“The Giants? We hunted them all a long time ago.” Big bugs mentioned to the squirrel.
“Not those blood thirsty cannibals, these Giants are intelligent.” the squirrel squeaked on.
“These giants have a beautiful city of Crystal, that shines beautifully like the sun used to.” The squirrel's eyes stared out into the distance of the darkness.
Big bugs and Young river stared behind them into the forest's darkness. Where the squirrel's eyes couldn't leave.
End of chapter 004 Dark forest written by Travis Willier copyright 2022