The Overending (Wood Cow Chronicles, #2) by Rick Johnson

Author:Rick Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, young adult, teen, middle grade fiction, middle grade fantasy, young adult fantary, young adult fantasy adventure, teen 11 and up, middle grade fantasy adventure

The Shèttings

It was a clear, sunny morning when Bem left the lodging house and turned down one of the streets that led out of the village. She wandered along, looking in shop windows, until she saw a group of Miner Bears packing supplies and readying to depart.

Bem sauntered over to the group and started to join in the packing without anyone taking note. Most were absorbed in what they were doing, and the few who were not working were in the café finishing breakfast. It was with some surprise, then, when a sharp slap on the back caught her unawares.

“Hey-Do! This is no place for visitors!” a massive Miner Bear snarled at Bem, towering over her.

“I don’t think I’m a visitor,” Bem replied cooly. “I’m as hard a worker as the rest of the scum-breaths around here! So, give me a civil, ‘Hello,’ if you mean to say anything worth listening to.”

“I don’t recall as knowing your name,” the Miner Bear persisted, stepping toward Bem threateningly. As the huge beast advanced, Bem backed away. The café wall behind her, and the sheer bulk of the Bear in front, made escape impossible, even if Bem had wanted to. Instead, she fingered the Frang Blade in her pocket. Grasping it firmly, she pulled it out, pointed it toward the Bear, and released the switch. Click-click-click-click. The blade shot out, the point making a slight mark on the Bear’s coat.

The Miner Bear stopped. “YA! The beastie gives a warning, does she?”

“Nay, mate,” Bem replied. “That was no warning. I don’t fool around with warnings. Had I extended my arm, that blade would have run you through. I just wanted you to stop, so I ran it out just far enough to do that. I don’t mean any harm.”

“So what do you mean, beastie?” the Bear asked.

“I mean to be treated with respect,” Bem said, gazing boldly at the Bear. “And I mean to sign on as snake-trapper with your crew.”

“Snake-trapper, eh?” the Bear replied. “I hate snake meat and so does the rest of my crew. I’d rather eat my own fur than snake meat.” He pushed the Frang Blade aside and extended a huge paw toward Bem. “You’ve got spirit, and I see by your eyes that you’re dealing true with me. Won’t hurt to have you around with that sword thing, whatever it is. I’ll take you on as my assistant—can’t be too careful where we’re going. It’s more likely I can trust you than my friends when we get down under.”

“Why?” Bem asked.

“You’ll see,” the Bear said, “the Grand Deep works on you. You see things a beast shouldn’t see and hear things a beast shouldn’t hear. It just works on you—sends good beasts to the bad and sane beasts to madness. Hard to count on much of anything down there.”

“So, you’d trust me, a stranger?” Bem asked.

The Miner Bear nodded. “A strange beastie, with a good heart, which is what I take you to be, is better than a corrupt and jaded beast whose seen it all too much, too often, and no longer cares about anything.

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