Puddlejumpers by Christopher Carlson Mark Jean Page B
Authors: Christopher Carlson Mark Jean
Tags: Ebook
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to the Cavern of Pools, and all the way to the Deep Down. The Kingdom was in complete disarray.
Although it had been a long time since anyone had last encountered a Trogg, any Puddlejumper could tell you about them. The terrifying memory was seared into their minds, a scar that never healed. Two generations before, Troggs destroyed their Great Hollow in the Smoky Mountains, wreaking a swath of destruction. The human beings thought tornadoes had uprooted the trees, but the Puddlejumpers knew better. The next attack occurred on the shores of Lake Erie. In Greystoneâs time, the Troggs had savaged the Tumbling Falls near the headspring of the Mississippi, pillaging their homeland and enslaving half their number. Devastated, they fled to the sanctuary of the Warbling River plateau. Here the exiles lived in peace, but Troggs never stopped looking for Puddlejumpers. They needed them.
The Rainmaker was in grave danger, as were they all. If the Troggs caught them, they would be enslaved forever in the fiery wasteland of the Most Dark. But worst of all, the Puddlejumpers knew that if the Troggs killed their chosen one, all hope would vanish and their MotherEarth would wither and die.
The Well was bursting with Puddlejumpers, yet it was eerily quiet. As Chop reported the details of his sighting, a wave of fear overwhelmed the mind of every Jumper, and there were angry voices and a growing hysteria. When Greystoneâs voice rose above the others, the Well again fell silent.
âMatalala, Wawaywo,â he said.
The Jumpers dispersed without another word.
In their den, Root went from room to room frantically packing their keepsakes, while Runnel sat with Shawn. âWeâre going to visit our relatives on a faraway hill,â she explained. âMaybe weâll come back in the spring.â She said it mainly to reassure herself and Root, but no amount of assurances could diminish their fears.
When everything was ready, and the raft was packed with foodstuffs and warm clothes and all the necessary things for winter, the Puddlejumpers gathered at the lakeâs edge, bathed in the fragile light of Grandfather Oak. Shawn didnât fully understand the implications of his departure. He smiled at his friendsâ somber faces as those nearest touched their hearts before reaching up to touch his. It was the Puddlejumper way of keeping him in their lives, and they, in turn, in his. When Greystone placed his hand on Shawnâs heart, he kept it there a very long time.
The Rainmaker was lifted into the air by dozens of little hands and passed from one to another until he was deposited next to Pav waiting on the raft. Last aboard, Runnel and Root lugged the cedar chest filled with his Puddlejumper keepsakes. As Greystone and other Jumpers pushed the raft away from the bank, Shawn finally realized that he was leaving and broke into tears. The heartsick tribe waved from shore as Root and Runnel grimly poled against the currents into a dark tunnel.
They spent the night at Red Moss Point, where Cully met them to provide maps for the unknown territories. He showed Root several different trails in case they ran into trouble, while Pav and Runnel were busy tending Shawn. They rubbed a balm over his entire body to protect him from the cold, then Pav brewed a willow-bark tea that would warm him from the inside out. That night, the Puddlejumpers barely slept.
The next morning, everyone boarded the raft and set out for the far end of the Underneath. They hadnât floated very long when Runnel realized theyâd forgotten Shawnâs cedar chest at Red Moss Point. She wanted to return, but Cully insisted there was no turning back.
Far beyond Turtle Head Rock, a flashing lantern summoned the raft to the bank. It was Chop and he told them the dreadful news. While Greystone was sealing the hatchway in the woods near the Frazier farm, Troggs had clawed their way into the puddle and snatched him away. Devastated by the
Although it had been a long time since anyone had last encountered a Trogg, any Puddlejumper could tell you about them. The terrifying memory was seared into their minds, a scar that never healed. Two generations before, Troggs destroyed their Great Hollow in the Smoky Mountains, wreaking a swath of destruction. The human beings thought tornadoes had uprooted the trees, but the Puddlejumpers knew better. The next attack occurred on the shores of Lake Erie. In Greystoneâs time, the Troggs had savaged the Tumbling Falls near the headspring of the Mississippi, pillaging their homeland and enslaving half their number. Devastated, they fled to the sanctuary of the Warbling River plateau. Here the exiles lived in peace, but Troggs never stopped looking for Puddlejumpers. They needed them.
The Rainmaker was in grave danger, as were they all. If the Troggs caught them, they would be enslaved forever in the fiery wasteland of the Most Dark. But worst of all, the Puddlejumpers knew that if the Troggs killed their chosen one, all hope would vanish and their MotherEarth would wither and die.
The Well was bursting with Puddlejumpers, yet it was eerily quiet. As Chop reported the details of his sighting, a wave of fear overwhelmed the mind of every Jumper, and there were angry voices and a growing hysteria. When Greystoneâs voice rose above the others, the Well again fell silent.
âMatalala, Wawaywo,â he said.
The Jumpers dispersed without another word.
In their den, Root went from room to room frantically packing their keepsakes, while Runnel sat with Shawn. âWeâre going to visit our relatives on a faraway hill,â she explained. âMaybe weâll come back in the spring.â She said it mainly to reassure herself and Root, but no amount of assurances could diminish their fears.
When everything was ready, and the raft was packed with foodstuffs and warm clothes and all the necessary things for winter, the Puddlejumpers gathered at the lakeâs edge, bathed in the fragile light of Grandfather Oak. Shawn didnât fully understand the implications of his departure. He smiled at his friendsâ somber faces as those nearest touched their hearts before reaching up to touch his. It was the Puddlejumper way of keeping him in their lives, and they, in turn, in his. When Greystone placed his hand on Shawnâs heart, he kept it there a very long time.
The Rainmaker was lifted into the air by dozens of little hands and passed from one to another until he was deposited next to Pav waiting on the raft. Last aboard, Runnel and Root lugged the cedar chest filled with his Puddlejumper keepsakes. As Greystone and other Jumpers pushed the raft away from the bank, Shawn finally realized that he was leaving and broke into tears. The heartsick tribe waved from shore as Root and Runnel grimly poled against the currents into a dark tunnel.
They spent the night at Red Moss Point, where Cully met them to provide maps for the unknown territories. He showed Root several different trails in case they ran into trouble, while Pav and Runnel were busy tending Shawn. They rubbed a balm over his entire body to protect him from the cold, then Pav brewed a willow-bark tea that would warm him from the inside out. That night, the Puddlejumpers barely slept.
The next morning, everyone boarded the raft and set out for the far end of the Underneath. They hadnât floated very long when Runnel realized theyâd forgotten Shawnâs cedar chest at Red Moss Point. She wanted to return, but Cully insisted there was no turning back.
Far beyond Turtle Head Rock, a flashing lantern summoned the raft to the bank. It was Chop and he told them the dreadful news. While Greystone was sealing the hatchway in the woods near the Frazier farm, Troggs had clawed their way into the puddle and snatched him away. Devastated by the
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