BlackBerry villa a bed time story

Life lesions

In the valley of Hillside Ridge twice a week the Comlie people train to keep there Ridge free of dangers, with there ten strong Army they have ironbark wood spears and foot bows a weapon the women Comlie are best at, it is a bow with stirrups for the feet the girls lay on a mat and can fire twice the distance of a normal bow the arrows are longer with the latest Flint tips so the people feel somewhat safe, but living in a state of fear with the reptilian foke of lower Creek who are not very nice, a thing that the Comlie see as an obstacle to trading their" main currency, but ever since Janice goanna moved into lower Creek they have had problems, my name is Hue of the comlie people my roll as the leader fell to me when my Dar vanished last year, Kim I called have you seen my roo Quinn? she didn't come back today her food is untouched, no Hue he said I saw her on the ridge top last night but not today, oh no, said my frend Des, sitting behind me, he said, she never runs off I don't like it I will do your rounds today on Willa she is here but I need to fix her harness a buckle is broken, take Quinn's harness, I said, and be on alert, why Hue do you think the strange happenings lately mean trouble, just take care my friend, I turned back to my aid Kim, can you please check if she is in town, Des, tall for a comlie at 11 inches, built solid with brown hair flowing down to his shoulders had his uniform on today of yellow felt made from the grooming fur of the possum tree family of brushtail possums, Des led his wallaby Willa out of the overhang we use as our bace, then climbed up and sat in her saddle, I'll be back in an hour he called, I watched them hop to the top of the ridge then out of sight, later I saw my Mar, coming down the track with the ladies of the defence guild as they call themselves, oh boy what have I done now I thought, Hue we need to talk about the situation with supplies for the winter, the ladies all sat around on my small veranda and told me that two crops of mixed grains mostly wheat had been destroyed by lizards but goannas tracks were seen within the mess, oh, mar, can we get through the winter without it or do we need to contact the Drongo Ridge comlie for help, it's not good son if we lose one more paddock we are in big trouble so put guards on the four crops left to us now, I called the army in to plan the fields protection hopping the crops would be safe, our large army meant that only one soldier per field with a volunteer to help with the rotation for sleeping breaks, I was only available to do shifts on foot because I hadn't found a good hopper yet, but we needed the grain, Hue I'm so sorry called Des, I found Quinn! Sorry, she is dead, no, I said how, found at the bottom of the cliff face leading to Hillside Ridge! no, she wouldn't go to the edge, oh, Hue I'm so sorry, that left us with only seven hoppers in the Army now, so I had to train a roo or wallaby to take Quinn's place, I couldn't do it, I thought, Hue! yelled, Kim the water dragons have been seen in numbers over by the flats, I think they intend to destroy the field of millet there tonight, this is that witch Janice goanna I yelled, if she wants war then we will give her war, that night all four of our fields had fire pits burning with spair torches piled high, but no attack came, next morning we found tracks of a goanna and twenty or so water dragons, I was scratching my head as I walked into the store of Darryl wombat Des said, that cushion looks good Darryl who was sitting on his cushion of spinifex grass said, Ho soldier, what can't I get you, Ho Darryl, I won't some yams and fruits, ah, but I have nuts and mangos in, I didn't bring a wagon so just the yams fruit and some nuts not to large as my back pack is all I have with me, just then the ringtail possum family Daniels came in, Ho soldier, Mr Darryl, Ho Pook, and you Dre the kids look well today, said Des, Pook the father ringtail patted his kids ridding on thermae's back, Dre, you look well said Darryl, I try she said, Des, tickled the youngsters under the chin, Dre they have grown a bit, yes good soldier but three young do take a toll, Des, Pook said, the yellow tail cockatoo flock told me last night while they roosted in my tree, that over at the river bank Janice goanna's sturring up the river rats, about your grain farms, oh just great we could save some when it was just the lizards but rats will take it all, thanks Pook, our only defence against the White tail rats was to ask for help from the two local resident families of quole, Cecil was a hard one to do business with, but when he said yes? to me and that his brother would help and that his family would stay with us until the crops were in, I was surprised but found later Mar had been in his ear, an alarm that night sounded and I was called to the flats where ten white tail water rats were bailed up by four quole addolts and two mounted comlie soldiers with spears, our women leg bow had killed two rats that I could see, sir said Bin on his grey roo what do we do with them, I walked over saying not good your very bad rats who speaks for you, a female rat came Ford, me she said, I looked her up and down and said you must promise on your life that no River rats will come back to bother our crops and the rest can go but what did Janice goanna offer you, only the grain and access to the Hillside Ridge, how she could offer that I didn't know, but what do you say, the rats spoke amongst themselves then the female said we promise and tried to leave, hold her she stays, what you said we could go, no they can go but you stay as a hostage and you will die if any rat bothers us again, oh, ah, no not me then begged me and the other rats who quickly left, put her in the cage at the base and thank you Cecil and Gree your families honour us as always, tell your Mar that said Hue, Cecil and I are around if needed, back at the base I asked Des to put the flags out for the wedge tail families to see then asked him to call the kookaburra crews in, first to turn up was Gimpit with his crew of four, Ho Hue, you called, yes thanks for being so prompt Gimpit I'm hoping to get an eagle trip to front Janice goanna and will need eyes all around us to pressure her and the water dragons, oh, good there might be some youngsters to eat I love water Dragons, can you ask the other crews to send us some help, only two crews in the valley just now so will ten be enough, thank you Gimpit that's enough, a cloud of dust had me up and going out front to see Henrix the wedged tail Eagle landing on the stump of an old gum he hopped down and bounce hopped over to the rail we put up for our winged friends, Henrix I said as he jumped up onto the rail, Ho Hue, what can I help you with this time, oh, don't be like that Frend you know how we love you here but yes we have problems with Janice goanna and hope you can help us talk to her, !no talk, just tell me were she is a goanna meal will feed my new son, oh I don't wont to harm her yet but after our talks and I worn the water dragons off our affairs its a free land, you gimlie and your laws of conduct are noble but dangerous a clean kill can't come back on you to cause trouble, but yes when do you want to go, at sunrise tomorrow if that's ok with you, I well see you then but I will take a dragon for my son, that will be fine yes thank you I said with a sigh, the kookaburra spy crew spotted Janice with a large group of water dragons at Lower creek so just after sun up I climbed up and held tightly to Henrixes feathers then braced as we rouse up with our escort of ten kookaburras Henrix circled high up and when he dived I closed my eyes until we hit the ground hard I looked up just as Janice ran to the closest tree then I saw the kookaburras hitting water dragons and pin them to the ground, I climbed off Henrix and saw the large male dragon bleeding in his claws, I was looking around when Henrix said don't go to close I can't save you if she grabs you, I walked Forward and called to Janice you live because I wish it now why are you attacking my Ridge and our crops, who me you must be mistaken, no Janice I have witnesses of your dirty work so last chance why, she growled in a gurgling way strange to my ears it's my grandfather your dar killed him to steal the land, what, no Janice I have the claw print on bark to prove he sold it so he could live free off our people's labourers we fed him and he lived well up until age took him no people saw him sign and witnesses still live who saw him give his mark, so leave here Janice it's not your land go and don't return on your life, we returned with the bodies of five water dragons hanging from the claws and breaks of happy birds of prey, all this did was drive Janice into hiding to sceem and to await her chance, Gimpit with his crew were hunting around the bace during our training sections my new wallaby jone was doing well until Gimpit KaKooked and sent her into a spin throwing me off, just nice said Des you did that deliberately, Gimpit larghed who me, leave it I said she needs to learn about tricky kookaburra tricks, I looked up as Mar came over, Son you aren't getting any better at riding are you, ha, nice of you in front of my troops Mar, Hue I won't you to come to dinner tonight in blackberry flats, Leader Jim of the drongo gimlie sent a spangled drongo named Mol over to set up the dinner so don't be late, Mar is he bring his daughter you know his intentions! Mar please, no son its something else this time he and the trader Atar will be the only visitors, all day my mind ran wild with questions until I arrived at BlackBerry Villa on the flats my family home since grandfather had made the bargain with Janice's grandfather fifty summers ago, Mar, I yelled I'm going to wash and change my clothes when will they arrive, soon son so hurry, Jim and trader Atar were sitting in the main room when I came downstairs so I pored BlackBerry tea for myself as Mar settled the men in comfort so she could get dinner ready to serve, Hue I come to you with the hope you can help settle five of the ten families burned out by the bush fire at Bunnyip its the second time in eight summers fire has wiped them out so now they want a new home, when did this happen Jim, three days ago and trader Atar's sisters is one family in your five families that is if you will help them, Mar was at the doorway with a tray I saw her looking at me with wide eyes I said we saw the smoke but thought it over the hills not near Bunnyip but yes we will help any gimlie in need how soon before they arrive, Hue, Mar said leed our guests to the table dinner is served, Atar said he would help with supplies and building materials but the families have only the clothes on their backs and no bedding or way of payment, Mar said the ladies of the defence guild will take care of the families by billeting them to local homes and make extra felt for clothes, Jim was a happy man he said as he left his daughter told him all would be fine with Hue in charge, I looked at Mar who smiled and said gimlie must look after gimlie, my aid and brilliant organiser Kim told me that out of our five families six had Gimlie who were in the Army of Bunnyip and that it was a good thing for our community, the job of housing was the hardest part because only one home at a time could be built Atar's materials helped in four of the buildings but the fifth house took longer as barke had to be treated for the roof and walls, but while all our attention was on the work Janice goanna was sending in skinks to spy on us, my friend Des came into the bace office and said, Hue, Jinks the gecko asks to see you, why didn't he come himself, a voice at my ear said I did, Ho, Hue, I jumped with surprise Ho, Jinks he ran along the wall then onto the ceiling his leaf tail held flat as his big eyes looked at me, well Jinks what can I do for you, Hue it's what I can do for you,! Go on, Janice is still close by her golden skinks are looking for the records of sails, I overheard two skinks talking one said no record no proof that's what thay said Hue, thank you Jinks I owe you, all our records of value were kept in the cellar of Darryl wombats shop one of the highest spots a cellar could be dug on the ridge to keep moisture out, Des I said, will you come with me but first I need a sheet of bark to forge a dummy bill of sale on, Hue that's a bit underhanded, if it stops her all the better, but Hue, she must know the witness statements are as good as the claw print, Janice is a hard case so anything is possible with her, Hue, the families from Bunnyip brought their hoppers with them all saved from the fire so we now have three types of wallaby's swamp rock and pretty face but the roos were all greys so at training, we had a good force to work with, I entered Darryl's shop and had to wait as he served two wood ducks Darryl got up from his cushion and groaned my old wombat bones are getting stuck in the sitting position I need a thicker cushion so what can't I get you Hue, very funny I only want  to look in the archive boxes to see if all is well, why wouldn't they be, that's why Darryl I just need to know, he opened the floor hatch and said you go I'm to stiff, out the front of Darryl's shop Des sat on Willa my pretty face Jone sat grooming her fur as I climbed on, so everythings good with the archive boxs, yes Des its good now lets go we hopped until the speed was reached where our wallaby's levelled out and we sat up straight on there backs we then lowered the loops for our feet to stabilize us at the speeds reached we were incredibly fast as we hit the track to the river Dert the White back Magpie flew up close and said I win again I always win, Dert you are a marvle of speed, Des called over to us we will get you on the way back Dert because it will be dark by then, you won't see me but I will win I always win, leave him Des you know how fast he is, we finished our sircuits of the boundaries and returned to the base only to find out Darryl wombat had been requesting help skinks had dug under his wall and stolen some of the land deeds he said he heard noise so opened the trap door and saw two golden skinks, my aid Kim had done the report so I only had to see Darryl to follow up for his insurance oh yeah we now have the Ned Fox insurance agency his office is in the overhang of bladdy grass by the great grey gum, our bank is run by Sally brushtail and her sister both are possoms of class Sally is never at work without her vest of dark blue felt Joy her sister in her visor made of gum leaves, yes our town was growing.