Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 25 Friends in the Forest

Author's note:  I hope you are liking what you are reading so far.  Please comment.  I an reading several books right now, but as I finish one, I will read one from a commenter.

Niel expected more flight craft to appear and cut them off, so he took a southwestern path out of the valley. It would be a longer journey to their due south destination, but there were more trees for cover. Plus, he didn't expect to fly the entire way. It was three hours by automobile, one by flight craft and fifteen minutes if he had one of the Banta's busses. Since he had no idea how long it would take to wing it or how long Debby could hold on, he decided to get out of immediate danger and continue by another means of transportation. He led them across the west ridge and into the mountainous Walkan National Forest. There was a wild fruit orchard there and he figured it was just about lunchtime. They soared across the treetops and down into a wide gulley where they landed and Debby disembarked.

 "Where are we Uncle Niel? Are we camping here?" she asked Niel had changed into a thick covering of fur and Nikki into a denser version of her new self.

 "No, we are not camping," he replied. "This gulley is too cold at night. We are in Walkan National Forest. I stopped here for lunch. There is usually some dried fruit from last year hanging on the trees and there are early berries up there on the ledges." He pointed around the gulley. "I am getting pretty good at monkey; I will gather what I can. I do not know why we were not followed by the Airguard, but stay out of direct sun just in case."

 Debby laughed when she saw Niel the monkey, this time brown, scamper up the nearest tree. In a few seconds wrinkled brown fruit fell from its branches.

 "Aunt Nikki, this looks like one of Grandpa's apple trees." Debby resorted to English when she talked about Shelley and family.

  "It sure does, Squeak. And look, it's raining apples. I'll go get one. Hey, you up there, that's my head." The "monkey" squealed and hopped down. "Debby these are apples."

 She took a bite of the withered apple she held and handed Debby one. "Crunchy, not bad," she said between bites. They sat down to eat. Then she switched to Maeta and spoke to Niel who was picking up the fallen fruit. "We have these on Earth, but they never turn out like this after a winter outside. They go all mushy and black. What is their name here?

 "Amacurra," he said also between bites. "It is an old Pájas word. It means fruit of love. The story goes if you want to impress your sweetheart you give her an amacurra. They become this after a very dry, cold winter and a wet spring. I do not know why.

 "So Debby, how did you like flying? I hope it did not scare you." He sat and distributed the rest of the apples.

 "It did at first," she said wide eyed, "but then it was fun. How did you leave jail?"

 "Yeah, what happened? How did you find out about Loboth?"

 "Well," Niel leaned against the tree, "I was never in jail. I went there and made sure that the males were treated fairly and tried to be arrested. I actually remembered what Nikki had said on the Banta about the civil rights protesters and thought being behind bars would be a way to gain a lot of followers. It turned out that God had a different idea. No one would believe me. They told me to call council for the males and leave. I was talking on the com unit to one of the family lawyers when Alaham and Loboth walked in. I told Loboth to repent. Nikki, he recognized me. And hear this, he set fire to the seCarda home. He thought we were in there. He thought he had cremated us. He wanted me to take him to you. Of course I refused."

Debby shivered, "It is becoming cold," she said.

  "Here," Nikki offered, "sit on my lap and I will give you a feather blanket." Debby scooted over and Nikki covered her with a furry wing.   "Better?"