Petpet Adventures: Petpetnapped - Part Four

     "Don't do that," warned Leaury sharply. "You'll just make it worse."

     "What can I do, then?" he asked.

     "Well, according to what I know," spoke up Jaraval, and for once Thon actually wanted to hear what he had to say, "you should put it in a splint." In answer to Thon's quizzical look he explained. "Something straight."

     "Oh." Thon glanced around him and caught sight of a reasonably straight object lying next to Terkan. "Terkan, can you bring that over here, please," he said.

     Terkan, who was shaking violently with fright, picked up the object and carried it over to him. It was some sort of pen thing and Thon picked it up in his teeth.

     "Now what?" he asked, addressing Jaraval.

     Jaraval looked pleased that someone needed his help. "You tie it onto her leg so that it doesn't bend."

     Thon did so. Ellen had finally opened her eyes and was looking around in confusion. "It's going to be all right," Thon told her in a comforting voice.

     Terkan was still shaking so Thon said the same thing to him. He relaxed until Faffy spoke.

     "Where are we going to sleep?" she asked.

     "Here's fine," said Leaury. "I don't thing that those petpets will bother us again thanks to you." She smiled at Thon.

     "I'm not staying here," said Faffy. "It's a disgrace."

     "Faffy, shut up," said Thon as he settled down to sleep.

 * * *

     When Thon woke the next morning, his thoughts instantly went to his pets. Were they worried about him? He heard movement beside him and knew that Ellen was awake. He turned quickly and helped her to her feet.

     "Can you walk?" he asked.

     Ellen grimaced. "I think so, if I don't use that leg."

     "Good," said Leaury, who had been awake all along. "I don't fancy staying here for another night. If we get out of here today we will be almost there."

     Faffy woke up at this. "Thank goodness," she said.

     They continued through the side alleys and sometimes Thon caught sight of other petpets. The petpets didn't approach and Thon guessed that it was because of him but he still thought that there was something going on. He looked at Ellen, who was struggling to keep up and felt worried.

     "I think we should stop now," he whispered to the others and obediently they stopped walking, even Jaraval who had finally realised that people were listening to Thon and not him.

     They stopped and suddenly a rock fell from above them, hitting the exact spot where Thon would have been standing if he had kept on walking. He looked up and saw the profile of a Sklyde on a roof above them. He knew it was the same one from last night.

     "Go away!" he yelled. "Or I'll come up there myself and make you."

     The Sklyde grinned. "You made a fool out of me, so why can't I make a fool out of you?"

     "Dropping rocks isn't the bravest way of fighting," Thon called up to him.

     He meant to anger the Sklyde and he succeeded. The Sklyde jumped down from the roof using some rusted metal stairs and stood before him, his tail thumping the ground in his anger.

     "Well, aren't you so sure of yourself," he snarled angrily. "But yesterday was a fluke."

     He jumped at Thon like he had the day before but instead of ducking Thon tilted his head so that the Sklyde rammed into his tusk. The Sklyde staggered around uneasily for a moment before Thon spoke to him.

     "Like I said before, go away," he said in a warning voice.

     He was in a bad mood so his threat didn't sound like a joke. The Sklyde stood there for a moment more before turning and leaving nothing but the rock in his wake. After a brief rest the continued on their way. But this time they were more wary. Nothing more happened so they deemed it safe to stop every now and then.

     After they had stopped for a quick lunch (which Faffy did not partake in) they soon found themselves looking at the Neopian Suburbs. Thon smiled happily and looked over at Leaury. She looked sad.

     "What's wrong?" he asked her.

     She sighed. "Well, you're almost home and soon I'll have to go back to the City," she replied.

     "Of course you won't," interrupted a sharp voice beside them. It was Ellen. "We'll make Silverpaw and Emberblaze take you in, won't we, Thon?" She glared at Thon but there was no need to.

     "Yes, what did you think?" he responded.

     Leaury looked happier than Thon had ever seen her. Jaraval, who had been looking around them, spoke up.

     "Well, we're in the Suburbs, but where are our homes?" he asked.

     Surprisingly, Terkan was the one to answer his question. "I think I know the way," he said quietly. It was such a change from the old Terkan that Thon couldn't help smiling.

     They followed Terkan as he wended his way through the streets, steering clear of any pets or petpets in their path. Thon began to get excited when he smelt something familiar. It was Emberblaze's scent. He looked at Ellen, who nodded. She had a much better sense of smell than him.

     Terkan also began hurrying and soon Thon caught sight of his street and his house. He rushed towards it but stopped when he caught sight of a red and a brown Kyrii standing near the front of it. He was happy to see that Walder's foot was bandaged where he had bitten it. Terkan saw them as well. But instead of charging full pelt towards them he stopped with his tail between his legs.

     The brown Kyrii saw them and pointed. Walder turned and as soon as he found Thon, his face contorted into a look of hatred. He strode towards them purposefully, a sack clutched in his right paw. Ellen stiffened beside Thon and Jaraval growled.

     Before Walder could reach them, however, a fire Kougra came darting out of Thon's house and knocked Walder over. He was followed by a silver Lupe, who began running towards the brown Kyrii. The stricken Kyrii cast a glance at Walder, and seeing him pinned to the ground he turned and fled down the road.

     The silver Lupe, who was one of Thon's pets and whose name was Silverpaw, came over to Ellen and picked her up. Emberblaze the Kougra was too busy to come over to Thon so he stayed where he was. Thon looked around and saw that Jaraval, Faffy and Terkan had disappeared, probably to their own homes.

     He saw Leaury and beckoned to her. "Come on," he whispered as he led her over to Silverpaw.

     Silverpaw looked down at Leaury. "Oh, is this your new friend?" she asked. But of course she said it in Pet so Thon couldn't understand her. He understood her tone though.

     "Pretend that you really like her," he instructed Leaury, who went up to Silverpaw and began pawing at her leg.

     Silverpaw's expression went soft and she picked Leaury up in her free paw. She turned to Emberblaze, who was still holding down the struggling Walder.

     "Aw, she's so cute, we have to keep her," she said.

     Emberblaze just grunted but Thon knew that it was a yes.

     "Welcome to my life," he said to Leaury before turning to Ellen. "Well, now you got to see what was 'out there'," he said.

     She smiled. "Now that I have, I think I'd rather stay here. For now anyway."

     One week later...

     Thon was sitting on the back step, enjoying a gentle breeze and gazing at the pond. He was thinking about all that had happened. Walder had been arrested for petpet stealing but he didn't know what had become of the brown Kyrii. The brown Kyrii had in fact become a deliverer of the Neopian Times but Thon wasn't to know that.

     Jaraval and Faffy had returned to normal, if that's what it could be called and Jaraval had decided to ignore anything that was not in his backyard. Terkan had gotten back into his old habit of fighting bushes but Thon couldn't help liking him now. Leaury had settled in quite well but right now she and Ellen had disappeared into the house.

     Thon was startled when a shadow flew overhead and landed in the rock tree. He went over to investigate and saw a Skree perched on a branch with his head cocked to one side.

     "Evar!" Thon exclaimed.

     Evar smiled at him. "Well, hello again, Thon. It's me."

     "What are you doing here?" asked Thon.

     "I thought I might try to find you. I was lonely, see. You don't mind if I stay a while, do you?"

     "Of course not," said Thon.

     "And I though I might teach you some Pet. You never know when you might need it." Evar surveyed the rock tree. "Nice place you got here. Now I know why you wanted to come back to it so much."

     "Why thank you, Evar," said Thon, smiling.

The End