Peekaboo

Patrick, Brandon, Torey, Sharp, Adam, Andrew, Reilly, and Brad made it back to the bridge guarded by the giant beaver named Tomas Hertl. It was still awkwardly strange seeing Hertl as a beaver, but then again anything was possible here.

Patrick gripped Showtime, his hockey stick, in his hands and stepped onto the bridge. The stone shook again, but the blond Blackhawk winger was fearless and in fact took a few more steps forward. The giant creature climbed onto the halfway point of the solitary bridge and loomed over the small prince.

“Have you done the deed?”

“We have. It wasn’t easy, but your dam is fixed and the stick is in place. Though you could have discussed the whole spirit in the lake thing.”

Patrick whirled around, as he heard the voice of the Boston Bruin winger in Reilly Smith tacking on to his comment. “Yeah! Kaner and I almost drowned thanks to that…thing. But that’s okay, actually. Its not the first time I’ve ever almost drowned. This one time—“ And the bear was off on yet another story, before Torey walked forward and clamped a hand over Reilly’s mouth to silence him.

“That’s enough, Smitty. I told you no more stories. And now isn’t the time for that!”

Patrick spun back to Tomas Hertl. “So, we have a deal? Are you going to move or do I have to use Showtime on you?” The Blackhawk started to unsheathe out his stick-sword, threateningly.

The beaver sighed. “Yes. A deal is a deal. Even though Lord Nemo told me to cast you all into the river, I am a man who stands by his word and promise. You may cross.”

Patrick shoved his weapon back down, sheathing it completely once more. He turned around and waved to his companions that it was okay. The beaver disappeared under the bridge, but they could still hear him as he stated, “Beware of the dangers you face on the other side. Nemo will not make things easy for you to get to Jonathan. You may have been lucky with my stick dilemma, but there are greater perils…tougher perils still to come. Don’t say that I, Tomas Hertl, the beaver didn’t warn you all!”

The group carried on across, not bothering to respond to that. They all made it safely across and continued on the path marked by the Princesses of Avondale.

“Do you think that that is true?” Brandon asked.

“What? What the beaver said?”

“Yeah.”

“I think he’s just trying to scare us. He’s a minion of Nemo’s after all. I’m sure he is just getting under our skin and into our heads. But don’t worry he won’t deter me. Jonny wouldn’t be deterred from having to rescue me, so why should I for him? We will get to Jonny and everyone and everything will be okay.”

“Alright, but—“

“Saader, please, don’t be negative.”

“Listen to the man, Saader, you know how difficult it is to argue with Patrick Kane,” Andrew grumbled, high-fiving his new friend in Brad. The Boston pest hiss-laughed.

“Don’t make me, Shawzy!” the blond man playfully retorted, faking amusement.

They journeyed on, heading further away from the river and beaver bridge. They began to head toward an area known as the “Wilderness” on the map. According to what it said and what they were seeing, this stretch of land was barren and cold. It was like the Canadian Wilderness or some place in the wild outback of Alaska.

Who knew what perils or strange stuff was going to pop up here. But Patrick was determined as ever to find his best friend and partner-in-crime on the ice.

As they set off into the wilderness, the blond couldn’t help but notice the mountains ahead of him and the dark clouds that flashed with lightning. Somewhere near that treachery was Jonathan Toews and Lord Nemo and possibly Tyler Seguin. He just hoped that they weren’t in too much despair.

“Hang on Jonny, I’m coming.”

And with that, the group ventured into the wilderness, keenly aware of the bitter cold that now greeted and swirled around them.