Andover's Quest: Part Seven

      "What happened to you?" she asked, coming over to look at the huge gash in his side. He smiled at her.

      "That son of yours is one heck of a fighter," he commented, wincing slightly.

      "Andover did this to you?" she asked, horrified. Her big blue eyes widened, making him smile even more.

      "Not intentionally, no. But yeah, I guess he did."

      Monica sat down and took a long hard look at him. He stared right back, unflinching under her hard glare.

      "What happened to you all those years? Where did you go for six years? And why was Andover trying to kill you? You have a lot of explaining to do," she sighed.

      "I know I do. And I will. I promise I'll explain it all soon enough."

      Just then Lex and Andover came into the dimly lit cave, arguing heatedly.

      "I don't care what you say, you are not going to make me say anything -" Kit stopped suddenly at the sight of her father. She turned tail to leave but Andover stood in front of the exit.

      "Move, Andover," she snapped. "I don't want to be in here with him."

      "Make me," the Lupe replied, his electric fur crackling angrily.

      Lex glared at him. "I will," she threatened.

      "Try me," he snarled angrily. "I dare you."

      "I wouldn't, Lex," Monica warned her. Lex threw a glare and a devilish grin over her shoulder.

      "Lex, I don't wanna hurt you," Andover said seriously. Lex's grin faltered.

      "I can take you," she said confidently.

      "Don't be so sure, Lexi," Moran insisted.

      "Don't talk to me," Lex growled through gritted teeth. She crouched down. I can take Andover. He's all talk and no action - just like him. This thought made her angrier.

      "Lex, seriously, I don't want to hurt you. But you aren't going anywhere until you talk to our father. He kept his promise, just like me," Andover snarled. "Just like me," he murmured to himself. He had never really realized the similarities between his father and him.

      "You can't even catch a wild Snowbunny. How are you supposed to fight me?" Lex scoffed.

      "Oh, he's better than you think," Moran said. "I know, I know, don't talk to you," he added upon seeing his daughter's face. He rolled his eyes. "Spoiled little brat," he added under his breath. Andover grinned at him.

      "Move, Andover!" Lex growled. She lunged at him and he easily blocked her, knocking her back onto the ground. She gasped in shock. He really could fight!

      She lunged again and again, trying desperately to escape the small confines of their cave but every time she tried something, Andover blocked it or countered it without so much as a twitch of the tail! Where had he learned this?

      Finally she gave up and sat down out of breath. "When did you learn all that?" she asked, trying to catch her breath. He grinned.

      "Just now," he admitted. "I made it all up."

      "What? You made those moves up?" Lex's eyes bulged in surprise? "But how?"

      Andover shrugged. "We can talk about that later," he insisted. Lex's face clouded over.

      "I am not taking to him," she snapped.

      "Lexi," Moran said pleadingly. "Just listen to me, will you?"

      "Don't call me Lexi! No one's called me that since…"

      "Since I left?" he offered. "Lexi, just listen to what I have to say. You don't have to talk to me."

      Lex sighed and turned around. "Go ahead," she said, glaring at him. He swallowed.

      "Look, I never wanted to leave you for that long. I was foolish to leave at all and I sincerely apologize for it. But I paid my dues on Mystery Island. I've made too many mistakes in my life since I left here and I don't want that to happen again. I was too caught up in myself and Daedrin was convinced that you'd all still be here when I got back in a few months so I agreed. But plans changed. Our boat overturned and I lost my … never mind. Anyway, our boat overturned and I had to swim all the way to Mystery Island from somewhere near the Lost Desert. I was confused. I didn't know what to do with myself. I got angry at myself for not being smarter and I tried to make myself perfect. And then I tried to make the Lupes around me perfect as well.

      "I realize now what I did was wrong. Extremely wrong. I shouldn't have done any of it. I should have gotten on the nearest boat home right away. Don't think I don't regret what I did because I do. But I can't change what happened. And neither can you, or Andover, or your mother. Alexis, I realize you have no idea how hard this is on me, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry, I disappeared, I'm sorry I brainwashed and manipulated Lupes into thinking they're perfect, I'm sorry I didn't come home right away, but most of all, I'm sorry I hurt you so much, Lexi. I never wanted to. And I hope you understand that, even if you won't forgive me." And without further ado, the red Lupe nodded at his daughter and swept out of the cave, his tail and head hanging low.

      Lex sat there a second, still reeling from his long speech. She hated it when grown-ups made her felt guilty like that. "Lex, quit trying to find more reasons to hate him and go forgive your father," Monica said gently. Lex sighed.

      "Daddy!" she called out, racing after him. He stopped in his tracks and looked back.

      "Wh-what did you call me?" he asked uncertainly.

      Lex smiled at him. "Daddy. I forgive you," she said. "And I'm sorry too. For not trusting you."

      Moran grinned at her. "You don't have to be sorry, Lexi. I wouldn't have trusted me either."

      Lex shook her head. "You're awfully funny, Dad," she said. "And I wouldn't have it any other way," she murmured.

      The two of them were joined by Monica and Andover and the four of them all walked up to Gammot's cave together. The old silver-haired Lupe greeted them.

      "Come, come, there are quite a few in here who would love to hear three sides of a long tale," he said, ushering them inside.

      In the cave, Coron, Jennica, Shaylee, Kit, Daedrin, and various other Lupes were all seated around a small fire, waiting. Andover seated himself between Shaylee and Coron, earning himself an admiring smile from Coron's mother, Jennica and a soft grin from Shaylee.

      "Well, enough waiting, I'm sure we're all very eager to hear your stories," Gammot said. "But first, I think you have, Andover, something that belongs to your father."

      Andover cast a confused glance at Moran, who nodded toward his chest. Andover looked down to see two leather drawstring pouches still hanging faithfully from his neck.

      "Rrrright," Andover answered. He took off the empty pouch and laid it on the ground in front of him. He opened his own pouch and took out an extremely old piece of paper with a very messy drawing on it and a blinding white gem and dropped them both into the pouch. He handed it to his father who slipped the strings around his neck and sat back down, satisfied.

      "And now, let's hear the beginning of this tale, where it all started - with two reckless young Lupes named Daedrin and Moran," Moran started, and all the Lupes around the fire became quiet.

      "It all started when we were about Andover's age. We wanted to get away from the plains for a while. So we set off on a journey…"

Epilogue

      "Hey! That's not fair!" the small white Lupe screeched happily. He scampered over to where his mother was talking with his father and sat between her front paws and stuck his tongue out at the little starry Lupe chasing him.

      "Moran, what have we told you about fighting?" Shaylee chided. The white Lupe pup looked up at his mother.

      "Uh…To not do it?" he guessed. Andover let out a bark of laughter and ruffled his son's head.

      "Good job, champ," he said, grinning. Shaylee shook her head fondly and nudged him back toward his friend.

      "Hey, Devon, wait for me!" he cried, running after him.

      The starry Lupe skidded to a stop and waited. Then the two of them took off toward the stream.

      Andover sat back and watched them, wondering what it was like to be so carefree. He glanced toward where his sister was lounging in the shade under a big tree, chatting nonchalantly with Kit, the both of them keeping an eye on some of the other pups running around. How he wished he was still carefree like they were, not having to worry about anything but his son. Ever since Gammot had passed on he'd been swamped with nothing but responsibilities. And not to mention that whiny new pack leader Jeremiah who was at least three years younger than him. All he did was complain. The hunters come back without meat, there's Jeremiah whining in his face. One of the pups eats some of his supper, there's Jeremiah whining again. It was getting tiresome.

      "What's wrong, Andover?" Shaylee asked, gazing at him with unbelievably blue eyes.

      "Nothing," he sighed. "Nothing at all." He smiled at her. "Everything is perfect."

      "Andover! Tell your son to keep out of my personal belongings!" someone yelled.

      Andover grinned at loped over to where Moran was standing, gazing up innocently at his grandfather. "I didn't do anything, Dad, honest," he said, blinking his eyes.

      The electric Lupe grinned at his own father and picked up his son by the scruff. "We'll just see what your mother has to say about that."

The End