Sequel: Wendy's Tale ›
Thomas' Adventures in Hiddlesgard
Ehehehe Plains
Tom stood a few moments taking some deep breaths. His eyes were closed. He felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He and Wendy had been walking for a few hours now and had just left the edge of the forest. Ahead stretched a vast open plain. Tall lush green grass waved gently backwards and forwards in the breeze. Tom open his eyes and smiled. Wendy was a few feet away chasing butterflies. She darted backwards and forwards following the movements of the butterflies. She giggled playfully when she caught up with them, urging them on with a tickle from her whiskers. Tom looked on past Wendy and over the plains. He had no idea how far they stretched and what they would find there. A small copse of apple trees stood a little distance from the edge of the forest. Tom had harvested a few apples so they had something to eat. He tucked them into his backpack. He looked out across the plains, the next thing they needed to find was water.
He looked over at Wendy again and called to her. She stopped chasing the butterflies and hovered in mid air looking at him. She then gave a little wiggle and a happy chirp and flew towards him. She snuggled his cheek and started purring. Tom laughed and stroked her gently.
"Oh I missed you Wendy" Tom said quietly
"We need to find water, can you help?"
Wendy chirped an waggled her whiskers. Tom understood that as a yes. He smiled.
"Well then, come on show the way. Is it far?"
Wendy shook her whiskers. She could smell water, it would only be few hours walk for Tom so not far at all.
"Ok then", said Tom smiling. "We get water, then we must get to Hiddlesville"
Wendy chirped and fluttered ahead of Tom. He slipped the backpack onto his shoulder and followed Wendy, stepping into the knee-high grass.
....
They had been walking for a good few hours when Wendy fluttered excitedly around Tom's head.Just over the next hill was water, lots of it. Tom grinned at Wendy and picked up his pace. These plains had such a calming effect in him that he had not realised he had slowed right down to a very slow steady walk. He would often pause and listen. He could have sworn he heard gentle friendly laughter in the breeze. Like the sound children make when they were experiencing joy. The sound warmed Tom's heart. This felt such a happy place. 'Ehehehe' echoed quietly around him. He couldn't help but smile.
Wendy broke his daydream by chattered away in his face.
"Ok" he chuckled "I'm coming." He walked to the brow of the hill and gazed in amazement at a glistening strand of silver stretching out across the horizon. To Tom it looked like a river. Beyond it stood more trees and Tom thought he could just make out buildings. With any luck they could at least make the river by night fall. The weather had held and the remains of the day had been beautiful and warm. Tom had hoped that today was his second day, possibly his third. So much had happened in the last 48/72 hours it had been difficult to keep track of the time. If Hiddlesville lay just beyond those trees he should have plenty of time.
Wendy fluttered up to his shoulder and settled down next to his neck.
"Well girl let's press on. That's a river I'm guessing."
Wendy chirped once. Tom took that as a yes. He smiled and strode forward, walking quickly.
Within an hour they had reached a small wooded area where the river looked more like a stream. That was good thought Tom, crossing would be easier.
He walked along river bank looking for somewhere they could cross. To his left he noticed what looked like a small creek so turned right where the water seemed shallower. Just further on Tom spotted the perfect crossing point. He walked up the the river's edge and stared at the water in wonder. It sparkled like diamonds in the evening sun. Insects buzzed over its rippling surface, dancing lightly. Wendy sat upright on Tom's shoulder. Chirped excitedly and flew off his shoulder to play over the water's surface. She darted backwards and forwards chasing the insects, giggling and chirping happily.
Tom bent down and cupped his hand taking a handful of the water to drink. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip. He frowned. It didn't taste like water. He took another sip. He recognised the taste but couldn't quite place where he had tasted it before. Whatever it was it tasted good. He took a few more sips and smiled contentedly. He filled a flask that Steve had given him and walked back to the top of the bank. He drank heavily from the flask. This was good, the taste was exquisite. He felt warm and fuzzy. He looked over towards Wendy and sat down on the river bank.
Wendy spotted Tom and flew excitedly over to him. She nuzzled his cheek and tickled his neck with her whiskers. He giggled and swayed his head sleepily. Wendy fluttered up to his face and looked deep into his eyes. They were a strange mixture of green and blue and seemed to change with the light. To Wendy they looked like they held the entire universe within them. Tom blinked slowly and smiled drowsily at Wendy. Whatever he had been drinking made him feel drowsy but happy and contented. The sun was beginning to set now and had changed from golden yellow to a warming orange. It was setting slowly over the plains in the west. The evening was warm and pleasant on the plains, the breeze gentle and comforting. There was a little liquid left in the flask. Wendy fluttered down to it and started lapping at it. It tasted very good to her too. She looked down at the river and fluttered to it's edge. She drank deeply enjoying every last drop. When she had had her fill she turned to fly back up to Tom. Why did the river bank move when she wasn't moving she thought? Why were there now two Toms sitting on the river bank? She hiccuped. Then she giggled. She felt warm and fuzzy just like Tom. She tried to fly but her whiskers wouldn't do what she wanted. She tripped over them and landed head first in the grass. She giggled again,laughing into the dirt. Her head felt woozy but she felt happy and content. She tried again to get up and staggered slowly through the grass, weaving from side to side. When she finally reached Tom she thought she could now see three of him. She bumped in to his leg and fell backwards ending up looking up into the sky. She lay there looking up into fascinated by the clouds. The clouds looked pretty. Wendy smiled drowsily.
"Why madam" hiccuped Tom. "I think you've had a little too much to drink!" He hiccuped again and giggled. He flopped backwards into the grass, a contented drowsy smile across his lips and joined Wendy in staring and the clouds. They now had turned from white to pink and golds, reflecting the setting sun. The pair of them stared up into the evening sky. Wendy hiccuped, Tom giggled and Tom hiccuped and Wendy would giggle. Their giggles continued as the sun set, then finally exhausted the pair of them fell asleep under the stars...
He looked over at Wendy again and called to her. She stopped chasing the butterflies and hovered in mid air looking at him. She then gave a little wiggle and a happy chirp and flew towards him. She snuggled his cheek and started purring. Tom laughed and stroked her gently.
"Oh I missed you Wendy" Tom said quietly
"We need to find water, can you help?"
Wendy chirped an waggled her whiskers. Tom understood that as a yes. He smiled.
"Well then, come on show the way. Is it far?"
Wendy shook her whiskers. She could smell water, it would only be few hours walk for Tom so not far at all.
"Ok then", said Tom smiling. "We get water, then we must get to Hiddlesville"
Wendy chirped and fluttered ahead of Tom. He slipped the backpack onto his shoulder and followed Wendy, stepping into the knee-high grass.
....
They had been walking for a good few hours when Wendy fluttered excitedly around Tom's head.Just over the next hill was water, lots of it. Tom grinned at Wendy and picked up his pace. These plains had such a calming effect in him that he had not realised he had slowed right down to a very slow steady walk. He would often pause and listen. He could have sworn he heard gentle friendly laughter in the breeze. Like the sound children make when they were experiencing joy. The sound warmed Tom's heart. This felt such a happy place. 'Ehehehe' echoed quietly around him. He couldn't help but smile.
Wendy broke his daydream by chattered away in his face.
"Ok" he chuckled "I'm coming." He walked to the brow of the hill and gazed in amazement at a glistening strand of silver stretching out across the horizon. To Tom it looked like a river. Beyond it stood more trees and Tom thought he could just make out buildings. With any luck they could at least make the river by night fall. The weather had held and the remains of the day had been beautiful and warm. Tom had hoped that today was his second day, possibly his third. So much had happened in the last 48/72 hours it had been difficult to keep track of the time. If Hiddlesville lay just beyond those trees he should have plenty of time.
Wendy fluttered up to his shoulder and settled down next to his neck.
"Well girl let's press on. That's a river I'm guessing."
Wendy chirped once. Tom took that as a yes. He smiled and strode forward, walking quickly.
Within an hour they had reached a small wooded area where the river looked more like a stream. That was good thought Tom, crossing would be easier.
He walked along river bank looking for somewhere they could cross. To his left he noticed what looked like a small creek so turned right where the water seemed shallower. Just further on Tom spotted the perfect crossing point. He walked up the the river's edge and stared at the water in wonder. It sparkled like diamonds in the evening sun. Insects buzzed over its rippling surface, dancing lightly. Wendy sat upright on Tom's shoulder. Chirped excitedly and flew off his shoulder to play over the water's surface. She darted backwards and forwards chasing the insects, giggling and chirping happily.
Tom bent down and cupped his hand taking a handful of the water to drink. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip. He frowned. It didn't taste like water. He took another sip. He recognised the taste but couldn't quite place where he had tasted it before. Whatever it was it tasted good. He took a few more sips and smiled contentedly. He filled a flask that Steve had given him and walked back to the top of the bank. He drank heavily from the flask. This was good, the taste was exquisite. He felt warm and fuzzy. He looked over towards Wendy and sat down on the river bank.
Wendy spotted Tom and flew excitedly over to him. She nuzzled his cheek and tickled his neck with her whiskers. He giggled and swayed his head sleepily. Wendy fluttered up to his face and looked deep into his eyes. They were a strange mixture of green and blue and seemed to change with the light. To Wendy they looked like they held the entire universe within them. Tom blinked slowly and smiled drowsily at Wendy. Whatever he had been drinking made him feel drowsy but happy and contented. The sun was beginning to set now and had changed from golden yellow to a warming orange. It was setting slowly over the plains in the west. The evening was warm and pleasant on the plains, the breeze gentle and comforting. There was a little liquid left in the flask. Wendy fluttered down to it and started lapping at it. It tasted very good to her too. She looked down at the river and fluttered to it's edge. She drank deeply enjoying every last drop. When she had had her fill she turned to fly back up to Tom. Why did the river bank move when she wasn't moving she thought? Why were there now two Toms sitting on the river bank? She hiccuped. Then she giggled. She felt warm and fuzzy just like Tom. She tried to fly but her whiskers wouldn't do what she wanted. She tripped over them and landed head first in the grass. She giggled again,laughing into the dirt. Her head felt woozy but she felt happy and content. She tried again to get up and staggered slowly through the grass, weaving from side to side. When she finally reached Tom she thought she could now see three of him. She bumped in to his leg and fell backwards ending up looking up into the sky. She lay there looking up into fascinated by the clouds. The clouds looked pretty. Wendy smiled drowsily.
"Why madam" hiccuped Tom. "I think you've had a little too much to drink!" He hiccuped again and giggled. He flopped backwards into the grass, a contented drowsy smile across his lips and joined Wendy in staring and the clouds. They now had turned from white to pink and golds, reflecting the setting sun. The pair of them stared up into the evening sky. Wendy hiccuped, Tom giggled and Tom hiccuped and Wendy would giggle. Their giggles continued as the sun set, then finally exhausted the pair of them fell asleep under the stars...