Eritopia

Return to The Inside

Once he lost sight of his friend Bear got confused. A chill mist had descended on the Circle, and the rain was cold. It left dark streaks on the sides of the huge stones that towered above him.

'Not-Bear, that's enough of this game, come out now.'

Silence.

'Please, Not-Bear, you're not in any trouble, let's go back now, we can eat when we get home, and laugh about this later.'

Nothing.

After long minutes of this he reasoned Not-Bear would go back to the clearing anyway. So he stepped through the two rings of stones and found himself once more walking up the slope. He wandered back up to where they had the altercation with the badger. All around animals were sitting up bleary-eyed, brushing the sleep from their faces.

'Have you seen my friend?' he asked, moving among them as they prepared for the journey back to the Inside. As he described Not-Bear to them, they shook their heads, some of them drawing away as if scared or angered. There was general chatter about why the Occasion had ended so abruptly and why there wasn't any food. Now they had to travel a long way homeward before they could eat again.

Bear carried on accosting creatures, and being either rebuffed or ignored. The morning mist was clearing now, but the low cloud shrouded the Forest in an autumnal haze.

'No, I haven't seen him, but I'm sure you'll find him again on the Inside,' said one old deer in response to his question. She was giving a lift to a monkey, who sat balanced on her back.

'I'm not so sure,' said Bear.

'Of course you will. He'll follow the others, he'll be there. I'll bet he's half way back already,' she said.

Bear nodded as he walked beside them. He recalled the moment he had taken charge of Not-Bear at the request of the Elders, two years before. At the time there had been no instructions on how to deal with him. "Do your best," and "Teach a little tradition," was all they offered as advice.

'He's quite strong-willed, and more than a little contrary,' he told the deer. As they walked along he had to stop a couple of times to rescue the monkey, who kept slipping off her back.

'Thank you,' the monkey said each time he regained his seat.

'Hang on Calypso,' the deer said over her shoulder. 'Grab hold of something.'

'There's nothing here, Anya,' said the monkey, trying to scrape some fur together. 'You're practically bald.'

'Not bald, dear, just old,' she replied, steadying herself. The effort made her rock all the more.

'Which part are you from?' she asked Bear.

'I'm sorry?' His thoughts were miles away, with Not-Bear, wherever he was. And he was upset with The Elders. Why hadn't they already given Not-Bear his name? There was no precedent for it. By their actions they had clearly marked him as different from everyone else. He'd shown that difference by questioning the whole basis of naming. The argument with the badger, and the threat to leave, was a result of that.

'Of the Inside, which part are you from?'

'Oh, the North Woods, King's Oak,' Bear mumbled.

'King's Oak! I used to love it there when I was younger.'

'Yes, it's a lovely place,' chirped the monkey. He slid off the her back again onto a leg, clinging on tightly while Bear helped him back up. 'Of course, where I grew up there were even better places. Warmer, sunnier and with better trees. 'And transport,' he added.

'What was that?' Anya asked.

'Nothing.'

'What if he's not there?' Bear exclaimed.

'Who?'

'My friend!'

'Is he from King's Oak too?'

'Yes.'

'Then he'll be there,' said the deer. 'Now don't fuss, if there were less fussing in the world, it would be a much better place.'

'You do say some lovely things,' said Calypso on her back.

'Thank you, dear,' she said.

'I should turn around,' Bear said, and stopped. He was unsure of everything. What would the Elders say if he turned up without his pupil?

'Now that's not a good idea,' Anya said.

'Not a good idea at all,' the monkey added.

'There are lots of scavengers in the Forest, out to make trouble for animals like us. There's safety in numbers, which is why I'm sure your friend will make it back,' said the deer. 'And when he does you'll wonder why you worried. I'll help you look for him if you like, on the Inside, and if we can't find him we–'

'We?' Calypso interrupted.

'Yes, we will go with you to the Elders and explain what happened.'

'What did happen?' asked the monkey.

'What he said, Calypso,' said Anya. 'Don't you ever listen?'

Bear switched off and left them to their talk. His head was spinning. Mention of the Elders prompted a new fear.

'That's all very well, but what if he's lying wounded or half-dead out in the Forest. Anything could have happened to him.'

'Sounds like he went off on his own,' Calypso said. 'Not a lot you could do about it.'

'I could have dissuaded him. He doesn't know how dangerous the Forest can be.'

'Never mind, dear. When he's found you'll forget all about this. But we really must keep up with the others or we'll be left behind, and who knows if any of us will see the Inside again.'

It was true, they were loitering while other animals hurried past. So they moved on, Bear lamenting about his friend, while the monkey kept slithering off the deer's back, and damp vegetation steamed around them.

The morning lengthened and the sun came out. As they trudged back down the avenues to the Inside, Bear began to feel better. Not-Bear was confused, but he wasn't silly, and there was no way he would try to reach the Outside. He would wander around in the Circle until time or the rain had cooled him down. Then he would surely follow the trail of the animals back to the Inside. 

As the deer and the monkey chattered beside him, he tried hard to convince himself of that.