Long Ways to Go Part VII

“Set your stuff here.  We need to look at what happened?  You still hurting?”
“Not as bad.  Got dropped pretty hard and scrambling around wasn’t helping any.  Mostly, think it was being dragged along that tree limb.  When that path broke, I mostly slid.  Didn’t hurt til I was sitting still.”
“Kay.  Don’t think anything was broke.  You’re gonna have some doozies of bruises in a bit.  Don’t worry.  There aren’t any of those foul tasting concoctions for you to drink.  Mostly just water or tea.”
That sure brightened my mood.  Though the pain was enough to make my eyes water.  Not enough to make me want one of those brews that my aunt was always trying to get us to drink whenever we coughed or sneezed.
“How did you get here, uncle?  No one’s heard from you for about 3 Moons.  Mom’s wondering bout you.”
“Yeah.  This wasn’t my idea, any more than it was yours.  How’d you get here?”
“Umm, I don’t even know where here is.”
“Thought so.  You were walking along a path?  The path broke?”  He shook his head whilst he gave me the beady eye.
“How did you end up here?”
“You want the long version or the short?”
“Since I’m not going anywhere at the moment, short.”
“I was on my way over to the Southern swamp.  It was foggy when I landed near the portage.  Quiet, real quiet.  I set out across the clearing and when I reached the South landing, the air got warm.  I got the canoe into the water.  A fish was making this strange noise.  I back paddled to the shore.  Only I couldn’t get going fast enough.  The canoe started disappearing, right in front of my eyes.  Next thing, I was sitting in a clear pond with the sun shining all around.  I’ve been here ever since.
“I walked back across the portage and found these cliffs where the trail home should have been.  That fish was still out in the water.  I could hear that noise still.  I looked for the canoe.  Hmmh.  I knew something was wrong.  I tried to find a way to the top.  Walked along the bottom for about two or three Suns, then went in the other direction.  Nothing.  Nothing familiar.
“I finally came back here where the canoe should have been.  I found this cave and have lived here ever since.  I’ve been here for six Moons.  In all that time, I haven’t seen anyone like us.  I met Petra when I was out looking for something to eat.  He’s showed me most of the area around here, told me a little bit about the Peoples here.  He knows someone who might be able to help me.  Thing is, there’s a war and it’s caused a lot of People to go into hiding.
“A little while ago, there was this strange ripple in the air.  We looked outside to see you struggling with one of the enemies kids.  There must be a camp nearby for the kids to be playing around.  Petra can fly.  He carries me for short distances.  That’s how I got to the tree to get you.  That bridge is something we worked out for getting heavier things us here, wood, water, food.”
Well,  friends and neighbors.  You’re rightly wondering bout Uncle’s story.  I was doing a bit of wondering myself.  Not as much as you probably are, seeing’s how I had the same sort of experience getting to where we were.  Well,  it’s getting late so come back again tomorrow.