Chapter 6 - Gararu (Continued)

Gararu *Continued*

After we got our wits back together I took a nerve wracking and somewhat awkward ride through the forest. Nerve wracking obviously because we were hundreds of feet in the air and Arrol was jumping from limb to limb like a freaking monkey. Awkward because I was riding on his back the whole time. The wiry kid was apparently strong enough to hold me and jump gaps at least ten feet across at the same time. We saw a lot of animals along the way. We passed colorful birds that looked like a cross between a cockatoo and a dove, as well as small squirrel like creatures with apish faces and long front limbs (which Arrol pointed out were delicious and a good source of protein. How nasty is that?)
The sun was starting to go down slowly, creating an oddly purple and blue sunset. The duskier it got the jumpier Arrol seemed to get. He stopped at intervals to look around, and occasionally cocked his head like a dog listening to something. And he was from here so I guessed if he was nervous, I should be too.
“Hey,” I finally asked, “You seem a little freaked, any reason for that?” He looked at me like someone back home would if I asked, “United States, Is that a country?”
“You really don’t know do you?” He finally replied.
“No, I’m not exactly from around here.”
“Well,” He said, starting to move again, “After sunset, the kanmids come up from the ground.”
“And kanmids are?”
“Well, I’ll put it this way, to them we're two easy meals,” he said grimly. Great, another territory where things want to eat me. Finally, as it was starting to get dark we arrived at a huge grove of the giant trees surrounded by thick canals, the jump was so far we almost missed the next branch, I’m glad we didn’t, going splat would just make saving all of existence that much harder. We started gaining altitude quickly as he scrambled up the enormous cracks in the bark, and after about fifty feet upward we reached a hole about three feet wide and he hauled us through. Once inside he started vigorously poking a pale white bundle of mushrooms which responded by giving off a bright reddish glow. Once the space was illuminated I saw it was fairly roomy, about eight feet of space all the way around and a ceiling about fifteen feet above, all carved out inside the tree.
“Here we are,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice, “I hope you wont mind staying here for a while.” He turned back to the entrance as I examined the space. The floor was soft and spongy, covered with thick moss and soft grasses that appeared to be growing out of it. The wall had a shelf made of sticks that had a few small clay jars, a freaky animal skull of some sort, a bulbous root, and three rolls of paper-like bark.
So I found out that the bark was actually used as paper and the weird root contained ink. I’m using them to write this journal. Also I noticed that Arrol used a thick slab of wood and something like and old fashioned bear bar to seal the door. But I’m ending this journal now; tomorrow the hunt for Saint Dane begins again. You’d better bet I’m not happy about it. But for now, I hobey ho, and I hope to see you soon.

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