Stormie Knight And The Prehistoric Games

Chapter 15

Mando and Grupe helped Stormie into the back of the wagon. Then Grupe climbed into the back as well. Both Grupe and Stormie laid down. She winced in pain as she lay down. Mando put hay on the wagon. He was careful not to crush them. Then he piled coon pelts, rabbit pelts, and squirrel pelts on top. He stood back to take it all in and to see his handiwork.

"There. Now nobody will know they're back there. Especially Stormie. They'll think I'm just going to sell the hides and the hay. That I just wanted to get an early start before any bandits show up. That way I could be gone by morning."

He climbed up onto the seat, grabbed the reins, and kissed all the horses into action. Daisy led the way. He switched routes so nobody would be able to track them. The lead horse led the way across a stream so they would not be followed. An hour later, the horses pulled the wagon into the Lost Caverns of Yellowstone Caldera.

"Whoa." Mando said. "Easy does it."

The horses stopped and Mando set the brakes. He tied the reins around the brake handle. He jumped down and ran to the back of the wagon. He helped Grupe and Stormie out of the wagon. They brushed the hay off themselves.

Grupe had Stormie lean on him and he helped her to some mats on the floor. With each step she took, she winced with pain.

"It hurts to walk." She said as she sat down. "I want to bring the guards back to life and give them a taste of their own medicine."

He gently sat her down. "Well Sweetheart, if Mando and I were much younger, we could carry you over here. But we are not young anymore."

"That's ok. Y'all are good to me. I don't care what anybody else says."

"Stormie, what are you trying to do?" Grupe said. "Ruin our reputations?"

"What reputations are they? That y'all are decent, caring, and loving men."

Mando snapped his fingers. "Well Grupe, she figured out our secrets. What do we do with her now?"

"We keep her and love her like a daughter."

"You got that right, Grupe."

Grupe looked around inside and outside of the caverns and found some firewood. He neatly stacked them in the circle in the middle of the mats. He pulled out his wand and used it to light the fire. "Ignis!" The logs, leaves, hay, and sticks caught fire. "There, it will warm up in this room pretty soon. Let me know if you get too hot in here."

"Yuppers Grupe. I will."

Grupe helped Mando unload the wagon and unhitch the horses. He helped Mando groom the horses, feed them, and water them. Then he went on the hunt for some treasure. He found the pot he was looking for. He ventured on a hike deeper into the caverns and happened upon a creek. He filled the pot up, rinsed the pot out, and filled it up again. He then headed back to camp.

When he got back to camp, Mando was gone. Along with the bow and arrows. Grupe shrugged his shoulders and put the pot on to boil. He cut up some vegetables and put them in the pot. He stirred the pot. He washed off a stone and threw it in the pot as well. He poured water into another pot and put it on to boil. He threw two tea bags into the pot.

Soon Mando came back with some squirrel meat and put it in the pot to cook.

"We are having Stone Soup for dinner." Grupe said.

"That's perfect, Grupe. It's nice to know you have great taste, My Friend."

Grupe rolled his eyes and then he set out to make a pan of cornbread. He poured the tea in two glass jars and added sugar to them. He stirred them up well and screwed the lids on them.
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Angel knelt down behind Stormie and laid down. He moved his left wing and shielded her from the cold. "There Rider, you will be warm soon."