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Chapter Five: The Beavers Make Some Inquiries, and a Strange Turn of Events

That night, as all but the little ones sat around the fire Juney asked the humans a question. “So, seeing you are human, and we have hardly ever seen humans, we are quite curious. What do you like to do?” she asked them.

“Sports. Movies. Reading. What pretty much everyone else likes in our neighborhood.” Lilli replied for them all.

“Oh,” said Juney. “What is a movie?”

Carol gaped. “A movie? Well-uh-um-sorry, I’ve never met someone who didn’t know what a movie is. Let’s see, say you recorded something, and then you made so some people can watch it.”

The beavers looked at her with complexion in their eyes.  “Really? Wow, sounds quite impressive.” Juney ejaculated. Lilli nodded and Lulu smiled, but Carol just stared.

Suddenly, to break the silence, Butterlean suggested that everyone go to bed. “Well, I’m bushed,” he sighed. “How about we all hit the hay? Good night, and what were you’re names again?”

“Carol, Lilli, and Lulu.” they heard a voice from behind Butterlean answer. They all spun around, and all they saw was a black thing go bounding out of the house. Butterlean shuddered as Juney ran upstairs and grabbed the children. “Run!” Butterlean shouted as he shoved the girls toward a hole.

“What? What? What is going on?” Lilli shouted.

“Just keep running!!!” came the reply from Juney.

Lilli’s head spun as she listened to the little crying beavers holding close to their mother. “Mama! I’m scared!” Lulu heard Kumarain exclaim. Lilli spun around with instinct and grabbed the little beaver and ran even faster as Kumarain’s mother grabbed her brother in her arms and ran next to Lilli.

“Oh, thank you so very much! I can run much faster this way!” Juney said to Lilli.

“What was that?” Lilli asked as they ran.

Suddenly they heard a pounding. Then a scratching. And then a loud BANG! “Run! Run! Run!” Butterlean shouted louder and more urgently. Lulu was seized with terror and ran as fast as she could up the stairs. Suddenly a piercing scream ran through the tunnel, and Lulu looked back.

“Where’s Carol?” she yelled. “CAROL!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Keep running!” she heard Butterlean shout. Lulu could barely feel her feet when they got to the end of the tunnel and jumped into a little hideaway where everyone else was, except Carol. Lilli was holding Kumarain close to her, and sobbing. When she saw Lulu she asked if she had seen Carol. Lulu shook her head. No. She had not seen her.

                                                                Chapter Six: Malo

“Alright. What was that?” Lilli demanded with a tear-stained face.

“It-it was Malo. He’s captain of the secret army. They persecute all of us. Malo is a-a-a snake. He is not venomous himself, it is his sword. His sword has magical powers that can turn whoever touches it other than him into salt, never to be healed until the time comes. It is said that there is one who can break the sword. Now then, now you’ve heard the tale of Malo. What do you think?” Butterlean asked.

Lilli stared with an open mouth, still hugging Kumarain closely. “Well,” Lulu said. “Then what happened to Carol? Please, we must have out friend back!”

Lilli put in a few “yes, please”s but was silent other than that. “I do not know.” Juney said. “I have no clue what will happen.” Suddenly a little thing was flung down upon them from a hole that Butterlean had dug as an escape. Everyone screamed except for the babies, which were too frightened to scream. They looked at the thing that was flung. It was a insect. A rather large Monarch Butterfly. It lay there on the floor fluttering its wings very gently, and it looked so beautiful and fine and helpless that Lulu couldn’t help but pick it up. It fluttered a little and seemed to sputter.

“Oh,” Lulu said. “It’s so helpless! We should help it, right?” there was silence. “Lilli!”

“Um, right.” Lilli said.

“No.” Butterlean said flatly. “No. It is a spy. Look at the wings. If you look closely, you may see that it is enchanted. Just look here. This pattern that shows Lukinfer in his dragon form. Just like Lukinfer, this little fellow can change shape as well. Watch.”

The butterfly came back to life to their surprise and it coughed and sputtered and said “You are right. You have me.” And with that he changed into a raven, black as the night and twice as evil. It glared at them, and let out such a terrible call as loud as possible.

“Run!” Butterlean yelled. A cloud started to pass over them and Lilli put out her hand.