"We've got to fix this whole size thing." I gritted my teeth as the pain in my stomach slowly died down. Lindsay shook her head.
"I don't think it needs fixing," she stated, and I immediately threw her a questioning look. "I just did that on purpose." She gestured to where I'd been the moment before.
"You mean it's controllable?" I asked, shocked at the very idea. She nodded. Before I could say another word, Lindsay swiftly started walking toward her village.
"I've gotta tell the tribal chief about what they're gonna do." She picked up the pace.
I pursed my lips, nothing less than embarrassed about my own father's stupidity, but glad Lindsay was sensible enough not to blame me for anything. I started jogging steps to keep up with her speedy pace. How did she walk so fast?
"How much are you going to tell him?" I asked.
"As much as it takes." She sighed and shook her head. We were about to enter a bright multi-colored tent located just outside the village when Lindsay told me to stay outside. "The sight of someone new will only cause more questions," she mumbled, and I agreed.
I ran to the west side of the tent so the chief wouldn't be able to see my shadow as Lindsay called for him. Instantly, a middle-aged man jumped through the tent flap, greeting her with an energetic grin and a hearty handshake. He invited her in, asking what news she brought. Skipping right to the point, Lindsay told him of the danger.
"The Upperlanders have left us alone for centuries." He half-laughed. "Why would they harm us now?"
Before she could answer his ignorant response, a preteen boy shot through the tent flap.
"Come quickly! It’s an emergency!" he managed between gasps for breath. Without hesitation, the tribal chief followed the boy from his tent.
"Excuse me, Miss Pratt. There's a much more urgent matter at hand," he called on his way out.
I didn't need to see her. I could practically feel Lindsay’s red hot anger and clenched fists through the tent. I winced. That chief was right about one thing . . . Getting out of there so fast.
"What. Was. That?" she hissed, staring straight ahead, as I made my way toward her.
"That was ignoring someone because they're young. It probably didn't help that you're a girl either," I mumbled the last part under my breath. At this, her face turned bright pink, and her eyes were nothing but slits. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed my wrist and led me back out of the village.
"How long will it take y'all to set up a village at Ackon?" she asked.
"Probably two weeks. Including the time it'll take us to get there," I answered. She nodded with a sigh, then said something about figuring this new magic out before it was too late.
She held up her hand, gesturing for me to take it. I slipped my fingers into hers, and we held up our arms, making a sort of arch. To be honest, I had no idea what we were doing, but it was obvious that Lindsay was onto something. She closed her eyes, and I quickly followed. We just stood in that position for a minute, relaxed but ready for anything, until a bright flash of white light caught my attention by turning the back of my eyelids a bright orange.
Lindsay let go of my hand and clutched her stomach, groaning in pain. I, on the other hand, felt better than before. There was a strange relief going from Minniemon form to my normal form.
"We just did that on purpose, didn't we?" I smiled.
"Sure did." She let out a half-laugh at the accomplishment. I looked up at the sun, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. It was already well past noon! How did time slip away so quickly? I told Lindsay not to worry about anything my father might end up doing to her tribe, that we would get everything under control. I also told her to meet me back in the same place and time tomorrow, then rushed back to my tent, hoping I wasn’t late for lunch. If I didn't arrive on time, my father would probably assume me missing again. That would only cause more drama.
Chapter 8
Leave Home?
Lindsay
I WAS MORE THAN EXCITED when we'd changed form on command. That only proved the entire situation was no coincidence, but there were still the questions of how and why.
Nathen had just left me, running back to his village. The only problem was I was still big. I sighed and closed my eyes, focusing as hard as I could. It reminded me of when I'd try to help plants grow, but it was different in one very big way. Then, a magic was pulsing through my veins as I tried to harness it, whereas when I helped plants grow, it was like I was pouring a part of my being into it. Two very different types of magic.
After a minute of sitting there, trying not to think about anything except returning to my normal size, I finally succeeded. A flash of white light appeared, not unexpected, then I was back in Minniemon form.
That nagging question of how I was going to save my tribe tormented me as I headed back to my village again. I had to tell somebody, but who'd believe me? I thought of telling my parents, but they'd just get all worried I was going crazy, then send me to some counselor. Maybe Miss Martha would listen. She wouldn't be any help in convincing everyone, but at least she'd give me some ideas, right?
Before I knew it, I'd arrived at the old lady's tent, calling for her at the entrance.
"Lindsay!" She smiled, pulling back the tent flap. "Do come in."
"Hello, Miss Martha." I grinned back.
"Shouldn't you be having lunch with your family?" she asked. Lunch! I resisted the urge to facepalm. No wonder Nathen was in such a rush to get back to his village. I'd been so distracted by everything else that I'd totally forgotten about the mid-day meal. The good news was that it was a Saturday, so neither I nor my brother had group.
Meaning that he was probably at a friend's house stirring up trouble, and my parents were probably at home enjoying their alone time, so no one would miss me.
"I'm not really hungry," I replied. At that same moment, I realized that my stomach was indeed empty and uncomfortable. Reading my mind, Martha invited me to eat with her. Sometimes I really thought she was a psychic.
Miss Martha sat me down on the floor and presented a plain bowl of salad. She then sat with me, ready to listen.
"So, I was wondering," I started, taking a bite of the simple meal. "You mentioned that you knew about the subject of an Upperlander shrinking, and I'd like it if you told me all about it."
She let out a small moan. "I really do wish I could, but that's your own adventure." She stared at the floor.
I drew in a small breath, fighting off my frustration. If she wasn't going to tell me, then it was useless staying on the same subject. Without hesitation, I told her about what the Upperlanders planned on doing to our tribe. As soon as I was finished, she jumped up and started scribbling something down on a piece of paper.
"We have no time to waste." Martha exited the tent, gesturing for me to follow. She hurriedly made her way to the nearest messenger and asked him something about a person named Elana from another village.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Ms. Keller has been dead for eight years." The man replied and walked away.
Miss Martha started to tremble in shock. "Dead?" she whispered. Still trembling, she caught up with the messenger and asked about another lady. He shook his head and hurried on. "The generation already died off . . ." The woman's eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them before they could spill and led me back to her tent.