The Babaa and the Lupe

Dollie had always been smaller than the other Babaas. It had never bothered her before - after all, being little did have its advantages, such as being able to scuttle underneath the wooden fence to get outside the enclosure of her pasture. She liked making her way down to the stream on the other side of the meadow, to drink from the cool waters and sometimes splash around a bit too when it was a particularly warm day. Never had she thought twice about her stolen moments there. It was so close to the safety of her home she never felt guarded or wary. In fact, it was nearly always tranquil there - so when Dollie decided one morning to take a quick trip before lunch, her mind was miles away as she gingerly evaded the fence line, and crossed over to the edge of the forest. Her only thought, before she disappeared from the view of the other Babaas, was how nice the sun felt against her fluffy fur.

      The shade beneath the trees felt just as nice, and she soon found herself leaping around the clearing in pursuit of the Draphlys which fluttered in loops, weaving around the trunks in winding twirls. Dollie chased them with glee, stopping only to catch her breath and drink from the cool water when she began to feel parched. She couldn't have been more content, a perfect way to spend a perfect day. It was like she was in her own bubble far away from the rest of the world. Time flew past her unknowingly. The place had a way of melding it all together.

      All of a sudden, a loud thrash sounded from out in the woods. Dollie came to a complete standstill, hair standing on end. She barely dared to breath. Suppose someone was to catch her outside the pasture, they'd fix the fence for sure. Another rustle from far in the trees. Now Dollie began to suppose that maybe it was something else that was out there. After all, the forest held many dangerous things. There was a fence for a reason, though Dollie had defied it all too often. Yet even still, she had heard tales from the others of preying eyes in the dark, and she was all too fearful of what they might belong to.

      Just past where her eye could see, something moved in the shadows. She could see ample tufts of soft white fur, though it was obscured by many a tree, grass, and branch. It was quite reminiscent of her own fur, and she began to realize it must be another Babaa who was out wandering the woods. Perhaps even one of her friends had managed to get through!

      Her thoughts were reinforced as a tiny voice called out, "Hello!"

      Dollie grinned, beginning to leap and bounce in the direction of her newfound friend. "Hello, hello! Who is there?" She paused to listen for the reply, but it didn't come. Frowning, Dollie peered forward trying to see where the Babaa had went. When she couldn't, she started forward more cautiously. It was only now she was beginning to realize just how grey the forest looked here, where it was thicker and more untamed. It was as if the warm bright sun had been blotted out by a dark lens. But the promise of adventure pushed her forward. She so wanted to meet someone else who could enjoy the little spring with her. The Draphlys never tagged her back, she was eager for a new playmate.

      Just then her eye caught sight again of the distinct tufts of white Babaa fur, once again just slightly out of her line of vision. With newfound determination, Dollie leapt forward into a little trot, kicking up her heels in pursuit of her friend.

      "Hello!"

      But once again there was only silence, and now the Babaa had disappeared again. By now, Dollie had ventured far enough where the stream was no longer visible, and with every step she was further and further from the comfort of her little home. She began to worry. After all, what defenses did she have? She was just a little Babaa, smaller even than all the others. For once she wished she was of Tyrannian decent, then at least she'd have little horns to ram things with. But as it was, she was not, and she began to feel dread creeping down her spine.

      "W-Where did you go?"

      She looked all around, but could not see a sign of the other Babaa. Continuing forward quietly, Dollie tripped on a root and fell face first onto the forest floor with a little squeal. As she lifted her head, her eyes once again, saw the little tufts of fur, this time just behind a few trees away. Wiggling herself up so she could stand, Dollie dashed off, her little mind made up that she would see the other Babaa once and for all. She rounded the last tree, leaping on the back of the stranger with a big pounce before fully coming into view.

      As she landed it was very clear that something was dreadfully wrong. The white fur was not another Babaa, it was what looked like a rather ugly wool coat. Dollie tried to get off of it, but found her little hooves were stuck, underneath the wool was sticky gooey tar, keeping her from going anywhere. It was a trap! Dollie let out a cry, pushing her back hooves onto the tar dummy to try and get her front ones loose. It was no use, and in no time at all she was even more stuck to it than before, all hunched over and twisted up, helpless to move even an inch.

      "Hello, hello, hello -" a deep ominous voice called from the shadows followed by a long horrible laugh. Whatever it was snarled dangerously and Dollie felt herself begin to tremble in horror. "You shouldn't have come here! Do you think you are brave, little Babaa?" Finally her captor stepped into view. It was a large hunchbacked Lupe, with teeth longer than Dollie's little legs. He grinned an especially toothy smile, letting them glint in the grey light forebodingly. "Don't you know not to wander into the forest?" Her little heart felt like it would give out from fright, she resumed her struggle uselessly, but it was all she could manage. "Don't you know what you might find?"

      And then came the tears. She sobbed heavily, bleating sadly into the grass. She shouldn't have left her little pasture. Why oh why hadn't she just been content with what she had? After all, it was such a nice little field, and the spring really was pretty far away. Sniffling, Dollie cowered, turning her face away from the Lupe to hide her anguish.

      "Oh come on now," the Lupe said, a little scathingly. Dollie just cried a little harder, hoping that he was to eat her real quick instead of drawing out the process. She'd rather not be in so much pain. "Hey, stop it! There's no need to make such a fuss." But she couldn't stop it. She had never been so scared and so sorry in all her life, and the defeat she now felt was so overwhelming it was all she could do. "There, there," she felt the Lupe pat her lightly on the back with a surprisingly gentle hand.

      This caused her to raise her little chin, looking up into his now sheepish eyes. After all, it was rather unexpected that someone who had been so intimidating moment before would care so much that she didn't want to be eaten. This gave her a little hope, and she managed to stifle her sobs, trying to sit up only to fall back over, trapped.

      Grumbling the Lupe took out a little jar, pouring it on her hooves that were stuck to the tar doll. They came free at once, and Dollie shrank back, glad to be able to move, but still a little scared of what might happened next. "Look, I'm sorry to have scared you so badly. I really didn't mean to give you such a fright. Well, actually, I did - but not that bad. I just wanted to a little. You see, I saw you playing in the field the other day, by the stream, only - I really like playing by the stream, and I didn't think you'd want to play with me, so I knew I must scare you off. I didn't mean for you to get stuck though, this is one of the scarecrows my dad puts out in our garden. The birds get stuck and then we make bird pie."

      Relieved, Dollie allowed herself to relax a bit, though she was rather reproachful now of the Lupe. It was rather rude of him after all - and if he really ate some poor little birds, surely he would have no qualms about eating her too! This made Dollie mad, so in a moment in which her decision making was rather poor and rash, she charged the Lupe, ramming her head into the shin of his leg.

      He let out a howl, grabbing it as she bounced back, a little stunned from the impact. "Ouch! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know it was mean. It didn't seem so mean in my head!" Dollie rammed him again, this time in the other shin. He dropped the first leg and clung to the second, another howl escaping his lips. "Come on now! I said I was sorry!" As she went to charge him a third time, he fell over, cowering like a scared little Snowbunny. Dollie let out a loud chorus of laughter, causing the Lupe to blush ferociously. "Hey now, you're a tough little bundle of fluff, huh? I guess I misjudged you, maybe we can play together after all sometime?"

      Dollie was a little taken aback by this suggestion, after all, she was still enraged at the Lupe's terrible social skills. Then again, she had been thinking just a little while ago, how much fun it would be to have a friend to play with by the spring. As she thought the Lupe studied her face intensely. Though she would have liked to kick some dirt in his eyes and waltz away, this was a rare opportunity, and Dollie wouldn't let it go to waste. The stranger did seem to be rather interesting at least, and with him around she certainly wouldn't have to worry about anything else coming along, he was scary enough as it was. Finally she relented, and nodded her little head with a soft little baa.

      "My name is Baz, by the way. I know I'm not the best with others, but I promise I'll try better. And I'll never do it ever again." Dollie knew he wouldn't anytime soon with how swollen his shins were already. Satisfied with his response she led him back toward the stream so they could frolic amongst the Draphlys, happy to have a new friend at long last.

The End