The Little Shaman

Chapter 13 - We Need a Plan

"Magic? You used magic?"

Kevetra's eyes grew wide, her mouth opening and closing multiple times. Her grip on Tibby's arm loosened. It was hard for him to tell if her reaction was out of shock, fear, concern, or a mixture of the three. After a few seconds, she hugged him tight and shook her head.

"Who would have thought my little Tibby would turn out to be the next Shaman? That will complicate things between us and the tribe, but I guess we'll deal with that when the time comes."

Tibby sprang up using his tail. "That's right! Right now we have to focus on getting Da out of the mine."

Nodding in agreement, Kevetra stood and flexed her arms. After pulling her hair back into a bun, she shifted her gaze between Boo and River. "So, do either of you have a plan?"

"To be honest, no," River answered, scratching his head. His shuffling feet and red face betrayed his embarrassment. "There are so many unknowns."

"I see. You were going to make things up as you went along then...now I understand why you get along so well with Tibby."

Grinning ear to ear, Tibby was happy to see his mother talking to his friends. Her being there set his mind at ease and made him feel like anything was possible.

"You do realize that wasn't a compliment," Deemo whispered into his ear.

"Huh?"

"Crow!" Kevetra shouted before Deemo could clear things up for Tibby. He forgot how loud his mother could be when she wanted. A skill honed from dealing with him, no doubt. He thought back to all the times she had to shout his name through the forest to get him to come home for supper. Simpler days he longed to get back to.

The leader crow hopped forward and perched himself on a log. With his beak hanging low, it seemed to Tibby that he was nervous.

"Yes miss?"

Her voice smooth like honey, Kevetra bowed to the crow. "You've already been so helpful and gracious to us, master crow. I hate to ask this of you, but would you be willing to fly ahead and scout the mine for us?"

"It would be my pleasure," the crow answered with excited little hops.

Tibby understood that tactic all too well. It's how his mother convinced him to do just about any chore she asked. Start with a compliment or two and then switch to the request.

"Excellent. We'll start making our way there while you gather as much detail as you can. I'm sure it won't take us long to come up with a course of action once you find us and reveal what you've discovered."

"Wow, she knows how to get things done," Tibby heard Boo say under his breath while leaning in towards River.

The crow took to the sky with a squawk, and Kevetra returned her attention to the two humans. "How much longer do the horses need to rest?"

River gave them a brief visual inspection before answering. "Not long. I'd say we can leave here in the next fifteen minutes."

"Good. Deemo, you come with me. I saw some plants that might be useful for us in the woods over there."

Fluttering into the air to match speed with the elder Kogaroon, Deemo switched on the shy act she used to get out of trouble. Tibby wondered why she always tried despite it never working on his mother. "You're not going to punish me, are you?"

"Don't be silly. That can wait until we return home."

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The treetops came to an abrupt end at the base of the mountains. Looking down, Scrawlly the Master Crow saw a wide path come into view, it's source from around the outer edge of the forest. It led up a gentle slope, following the curvature of the hills leading up to the cliffs. As the path reached a crack in the face of the mountain, a single stone tower revealed itself. A wall spanned the gap between the mountainside and the tower, complete with a massive wooden doorway protected by two guards. Aside from those two there was one guard patrolling the rampart and another at the top of the tower.