Growing Up Rainbow

The Battle of the Tree

When Beagán and Awana had returned with their ices, Jeza and company had been furious. They had insisted on another round of hide and seeks, but required Awana and Beagán to hide separately.

As it became clear none of the forest girls were ever going to find Beagán, things had gotten darker.

First, Jeza had found Awana by the simple expedient of running over her. Awana was sure she'd known where she was and chosen to jump over the rock she was behind on purpose. But the other girl had put on her best sweet smile and said it was an accident.

Then they'd called for Beagán to come out of hiding and she'd dropped from a tree limb not five meters away.

"That doesn't count," said Jeza. "You can't hide in a tree. That's cheating."

"Is not," said Awana.

"Yes, it is," said the other girls.

In the end Beagán had told Awana to let it go and they started to head off on their own.

"You aren't even any good climbing trees," said Jeza, all pettiness and jealousy.

Beagán kept walking but Awana stopped and rotated back to the other girls. "Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not kidding, city girl. Maybe you don't know what a good tree climber is. Growing up in a hospital in the city. But out here we know how to climb trees. And Beagán isn't very good at it either. Is she, girls?" The others laughed and agreed with their ringleader.

Awana got face to face with Jeza. "You are pathetic. You so desperately want to be a forest girl, even if you are only a littl'n. But instead of trying to be a good one, you think you can be one just by saying you are. And all your pathetic friends agree with you."

"How dare you, city girl. You have no idea what a forest girl can do."

"I'm sure I don't, if you are an example, because you can't do shit."

Beagán got in the middle of the two girls before the fight could start. "Stop it you two. Can't we just be friends? Let it go, Awana. Jeza be nice."

"No, motherless, I won't be nice," said Jeza and pushed Beagán out of her way toward her friend. "Hold her." Then she pushed Awana.

The other girls grabbed Beagán's arms and pulled her away from the two girls. "Stop," she yelled. "Stop."

Jeza pushed Awana again and said to Beagán, "Calling you a Wolf-Girl is an insult to wolves. They have teeth. No, you are puppy girl."

That's when Awana tackled the bully and the two of them started rolling around in the dirt of the forest floor. For a moment the other girls didn't know what to do. Intervene or hang on to Beagán? Then the city girl emerged on top and looked ready to hit their leader. They let go of the forest girl and ran to rescue Jeza. As soon as they did, Beagán grabbed as many as she could and tried to pull them back. Eventually both Awana and Began were being held by village girls and Jeza was back on her feet.

Dirty and scuffed, Jeza was back in power now. She strode in a circle between her two captives.

Awana spoke up first. "Yeah, Jeza you are big forest girl. It only takes five of your friends to stop a city girl."

Jeza slapped Awana, and Beagán yelled. There was a murmur from the other girls at this. "Stupid city girl. Any thing you can do in the forest, I can do better."

"Ha," laughed Awana, "prove it. I can climb that tree behind you faster than you can. Let me go and let's race."

Everyone perked up at this. They were pretty sure Beagán could do it; they weren't sure about this cocky city girl.

"I wouldn't waste my time, city girl," said Jeza. "I wouldn't want you hurt yourself."

"Chicken," said Awana. "If you are so good, race Beagán then."

"I'm not chicken," said Jeza. She looked around at her crew and did the social math. "Fine, I'll race you. Let her go."

In a moment the two girls stood at the bottom of the tall tree. It wasn't a great tree for climbing. The branches started too high and it had lots of foliage that would be hard to get through. They couldn't really see much about the higher parts either, which wasn't helped by the fact the sun was setting.

Jeza stood close to the trunk and said, "First one to the top yells out her name."

"Whatever," said Awana, not at all sure this was going to be a fair race anyway. "Beagán, call out the start."

"On your marks. Get set. Go."

The two girls leaped for the lowest limbs. Awana missed and fell back to the ground. Jeza managed to grab one, but was struggling to get her legs up on it. Awana jumped again closer to the trunk and got the limb and began to climb.

They were close as each navigated their side of the tree. Awana tried to remember everything Beagán had said about tree climbing but this was the first time she'd had to do it on her own. Normally her friend was there trailblazing up the tree like it had stairs.

Jeza was a lummox, but she ground her way up the tree, pulling smaller limbs off if they got in her way. Those limbs all seemed to fall towards Awana as Jeza got ahead.

Awana's advantage was her smaller size which let her weave in and out of the branches. She used limbs too small for the heavier Jeza. As they got higher in the tree the limbs got smaller and further apart.

Awana was almost even with Jeza when they fell.

For years to come they would each tell the story of how the other had grabbed the wrong limb and both of them had been knocked off the highest part of the tree. Dozens of meters up, they started crashing down.

Being smaller was less of an advantage than you'd think bouncing between limbs. Awana finally slammed into a limb knocking the wind – and almost her lunch – out of her. She was about four meters from the ground.

Jeza banged past her trying to grab any thing she could. Everything she got the smallest grip on easily broke as she struck them. Right before she broke free of the limbs and fell hard to the ground, Jeza found a limb the perfect size to wrap her right hand around. It was strong enough to take her weight and stop her fall. But she screamed in pain as all the force of her fall wrenched her shoulder. Pain burned into her but she hung from the damaged joint screaming for help.

"Go get help," said Beagán to the girls that held her captive. "I'll go get her."

Two of the others ran back toward the village as Beagán slid up the trunk of the tree. "Awana, are you ok up there?"

"Errrr, I'll live. Just give me a minute to catch my breath, then I'll climb the rest of the way down."

Beagán was laying flat on the limb Jeza hung from screaming. She said, "No stay there. I'll come get you as soon as I help Jeza down."

Beagán held out her hand and said, "Jeza, grab my hand with your other arm."

She was able to lower the injured girl enough the others could help her to the ground. Jeza collapsed on the forest floor holding her shoulder and weeping.