(Signs of war)

In the middle of Thembrian harsh landscape Shade sat next to Kit keeping a close eye on the young cub, while looking at Molly, who he had wrapped in his trench coat, every few minutes. He had kept his flame thrower on low throughout the night, it had kept them warm, but he had spent most of his fuel cartridges, and he was now finding himself down to the final cartridge. As he saw the sunlight coming through the opening of the cave Shade smiled slightly knowing that the temperature would start to rise again slightly. As Kit let out a minor moan Shade turned, and smiled knowing that Kit was finally starting to wake up from the blow to the head. He then quickly made his smile vanish as he watched Kit’s eyes start to open. “Welcome back to the land of the living.” Shade said, as Kit started to reach up and touch the throbbing spot of his head. “You have a bad bump on your head.” Shade said, as he grabbed Kit’s hand before he could touch the spot.

“Let go of me, I can take care of myself.” Kit said, as he jerked away from Shade, and then reached up a little too fast to the spot letting out a scream of pain when he hit it, waking up Molly. As he balled up slightly on the floor, and started to shed some tears, Molly got up, looked at Kit, and then at Shade.

“What happened?” Shade looked at Molly with a slightly amused look on his face.

“Tough guy.” Looking at the little girl for a moment knowing that this wasn’t the best time to point out Kit’s mistake to Molly. Shade took a deep breath and smiled. “I got tired of waiting for him to wake up so I slapped the bump on his head.”

“That was mean Shade.” Molly said, as she walked around, and looked at Kit’s head. “You shouldn’t be mean to him, he’s hurt.”

“I’m a mean person sometimes, now if we are quite done here we need to find away to a town or something.” with that Shade stood up, looked down at Kit, and Molly giving them both a very serious look. After a few minutes the three emerged from the cave, and started to head in a random direction. As Molly went forward laughing as she threw the snow up into the air Kit walked up beside Shade.

“Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?” Kit asked, as he kept an eye on Molly.

“Because you’re her older brother Kit, she needs to be able to look up to you, and right now her faith in you is what’s going to get her through this.” with that Kit looked at Shade, and nodded a few times before getting hit in the head with a snowball.

“HEY!” Kit yelled, as he looked at Molly who was laughing a few feet away.

“She should reserve her energy, we don’t know how far the nearest homestead is, let alone the nearest radio.” Kit looked at Shade for a moment, as Shade kept walking forward, Kit picked up a snow ball, and took careful aim. “If you don’t want a matching lump on your head I would think twice about throwing that.” with that Kit dropped the snowball not wanting to test Shade’s threat seeing that he did still have several weapons at his disposal. Hours past Molly calmed down, and started to just stay close to the two boys holding onto Kit’s sweater.

“I’m cold.” Molly complained, as she looked up at Kit who stopped, and looked down at her.

“Shade we should find some cover so that we can rest.” Kit couldn’t help but see why many criminals as well as police feared him, his cloths and red goggles made for a very scary figure from a distance as the snow blew around Shade, and he could only imagine what he looked like in the dark streets of Cape Suzette.

“Kit let Molly climb under your sweater, and give her a piggy back ride.” Shade said, as he turned and started to walk on.

“But we need to find shelter.” this statement from Kit only got Shade to raise his arms up, and motion to the area around them.

“If you haven’t noticed yet Kit we are in the middle of nothing, there is no shelter in sight, and if we stray from our current course we will get even more lost.”

“Well don’t you have something in all your tricks that can help us?” Kit asked, as he looked at Shade who lowered his arms to his side, and looked at Kit while Molly started to climb under his sweater.

“Sure I do, let me just pull out my instant ghost tent in a can… oh darn I forgot to pack it, wait how about my instant ghost plane spray. You’ve been listening to way to many radio programs Kit, if you think I have a device for every situation.” Shade then turned, and started to walk again. Kit started follow slightly irritated at Shade’s comments then smiled slightly as Molly giggled.

“Do you have Boat in a tube?” Molly asked, getting Shade to stop in his tracks, and look back at Molly giggling only to smile as he started moving again.

“Sure I do kiddo, I even have shark repellant spray.” As the three kept going Shade joking about some of the rumors that had started on the Ghost, helping them keeping their spirit high, while deep inside himself he didn’t know if they were going to make it out of this if they didn’t find shelter soon. While back at the Thembrian prison Rebecca was getting worst as she kept pacing back and forth, as Baloo kept trying to break down the cell door.

“LET US OUT OF HERE YOU SHORT EGO MANIAC!!!” Baloo yelled, as he slammed into the Cell once more. “I swear if anything happens to those kids I’ll.” Rebecca put a calming hand on Baloo as she smiled slightly.

“They’ll be alright Baloo, Kit is very resourceful, and Shade.” Rebecca stopped, as she turned her head away from Baloo kicking herself slightly mentioning Shade, knowing that Baloo and he didn’t get along nearly as well as he and Kit got along.

“That kid won’t rest until we have are kids back.” Baloo said, as he gently moved Rebecca’s head so that their eyes met.

“I thought you didn’t like Shade?”

“A Kid that did what he did for are boy, I could never stay angry with… but right now we have to get out of here.” Just then the prison block door opened and Spigot came walking up holding a brief case.

“I have good news for you two.”

“You’re going to let us go?” Baloo said, hopefully.

“Oh no, no, no. Of course not, seeing that you have brought back are statue the people have decided to let you choose your wood.” Spigot opened the case and showed the two adults 3 samples of wood.

“Wait a minutes aren’t we going to get a trial?” Rebecca asked, and Spigot shook his head.

“Threatening an officer of the peoples air force results in an instant firing squad.” Spigot said, with a grin on his face.

“Wait Firing squad? Then why are we choosing wood?”

“We just started it, first your shot, then you’re hung, and then you’re burned.” As Spigot smiled at the thought Baloo and Rebecca turned pail. “May I recommend the hickory, it gives you a nice smell when it’s all done.”

“YOU’RE SICK!” Rebecca yelled, as she hid behind Baloo, and started to weep thinking about the fate of their children.

“Come now we need to know soon, your day of execution is in two days.” Spigot was getting slightly irritated as he looked at the two. “It’s bad enough they won’t put you on this was your life.”

“Fine I choose this.” Baloo said, as he took the hickory sample and hit Spigot over the head with it. Elsewhere Shade walked on ahead of the other two, he had given up his trench coat to them to make sure they stayed warm, while he kept a look out for shelter.

“Do you see anything?” Kit asked, as he squeezed his eyes shut to try and make Shade out from everything else.

“Sure I see something.” Molly answered as she curled up on Kit’s back with his sweater and Shade’s trench coat over her.

“What do you see Molly?” Kit asked, stopping in his tracks.

“Snow.” Kit rolled his eyes and started to walk again only to notice that he could no longer make Shade out.”

“HEY I CAN’T SEE YOU ANYMORE!!” Kit called out, as he kept walking forward only following Shade’s footsteps, until he and Molly fell into a hole and started to slide in an underground ice tunnels. “WO!!!”

“YIPPY!!” Molly cheered as they kept sliding, after a few minutes Kit could see the end of the slide and Shade at the bottom slowly getting up.

“LOOK OUT!!” Shade looked up in just enough time to have his legs taken out from under him, causing him to do a flip and land hard on his back, while Kit and Molly slid into a pile of snow. “That was some ride wasn’t it Molly.” Kit said, as he stuck his head out of the snow, and shook off some loose flakes.

“Yeah… let’s do it again.” As Molly looked at Kit she smiled, and then looked at Shade, who was still on the ground. “Shade?” there came no response as Kit got out of the snow and carried Molly over to Shade who was still flat on his back.

“Hey Shade are you alright?” Kit asked, as he looked at Shade hopping that he hadn’t broken anything.

“Put Molly down.” Shade said as he opened his eyes slowly and looked at Kit.

“Sure need help?” Kit asked, as he let Molly out from under the cloths but then found his legs swept out from under him causing him to land