Kendra Kandlestar and the Crack in Kazah Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Lee Edward Födi
wrinkling her nose as if Kendra’s name somehow came with a rotten smell. “You’re not related to that Krimson fellow, are you? What a snorehog! Always tinkering in his garden or quoting some monotonous Een legend. BOR-ing!”
Kendra and Oki looked at each other in surprise. Krimson Kandlestar was the name of Kendra’s father, but he had disappeared along with Kendra’s mother and brother, eleven years ago. How could this Teenling remember my father? Kendra wondered. She must have been just a toddler when he disappeared. Kendra gave her braids a fretful tug and began to ask, “Did you know—”
“How did you get way up that tree?” the girl interrupted, repeating her earlier question. “You can’t just fall from the sky.”
“Well . . . ,” Kendra murmured. The truth was they had fallen from the sky—but Kendra wasn’t even sure how. One minute she had been looking at the ring and the next—“Oh!” Kendra exclaimed, suddenly remembering that she had dropped Kazah. It must have landed somewhere around here, Kendra thought, frantically dropping to her knees to search for the ring amidst the canopy of ferns and flowers.
“What are you looking for?” the girl demanded.
“Kazah!” Kendra answered, crawling through the undergrowth. “My ring!”
“You dropped it?” Oki cried, joining Kendra on the ground. “Oh dear!”
“Ring? What ring?” the Teenling asked, looming over them. “What’s so special about it?”
“My master gave it to me,” Kendra said over her shoulder. “It’s . . . er, important.” She didn’t want to tell the girl too much. After all, Kendra herself wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the Kazah stone.
“Well, I didn’t see anything,” the Teenling said, shuffling after Kendra and Oki as they crawled across the forest floor. “If you dropped it from that tree, it could have bounced away anywhere. Even down some hole.”
“But we have to find it!” Kendra said.
“Not now we don’t, Braids,” the girl said, reaching down and pulling Kendra to her feet. “With all the racket you two Eeklings made crashing through that tree, it’s a wonder the flysuckers aren’t already here.”
“Eek! Flysuckers?” Oki asked, looking about nervously.
“Yeah, you know—Goojuns,” the girl replied. “We are in the Forests of Wretch, after all.”
“EEK!” Oki squealed. “The Forests of Wretch!? Don’t think of eggs! Don’t think of eggs!”
“Eggs?” the Teenling echoed. “You know what, Eeks? You’re a strange little ball of whiskers.”
“But the Forests of Wretch!” Oki exclaimed, his eyes going wide. “That’s close to Goojun City!”
“Yeah, we’re practically in their backyard,” the girl proclaimed proudly. “That’s why we have to get going.”
Kendra fussed with her longest braid, shaking her head. “But the ring—”
“Look, Braids,” the Teenling said, turning to Kendra. “We can always come back for it if we need to. Don’t worry. I’m sure it will turn up.”
Before Kendra could argue the matter any further, the girl turned and began marching briskly through the forest. Kendra cast a weary glance at Oki. The Teenling was nearly out of sight already. She hadn’t even bothered to turn and check if they were following.
“That’s one jinxly Teenling,” Oki observed.
Kendra raised an eyebrow at the little mouse. “Jinx isn’t going to appreciate you making up new words based on her,” Kendra told Oki. “But you’re right . . . this girl is . . . er, jinxly. But what do we do? It’s either her or the Goojuns.”
“Her,” Oki said quickly. “And, if you ask me, I think she took the Kazah stone.”
“Why would she do that?” Kendra exclaimed.
“I don’t know,” Oki said. “But if I’m right, it’s all the more reason to stick with her.”
“Come on then,” Kendra said, clutching Oki’s paw. “Er . . . miss?” she panted as they hastened to catch up with the Teenling. “Wait up!”
“Miss?” the
Kendra and Oki looked at each other in surprise. Krimson Kandlestar was the name of Kendra’s father, but he had disappeared along with Kendra’s mother and brother, eleven years ago. How could this Teenling remember my father? Kendra wondered. She must have been just a toddler when he disappeared. Kendra gave her braids a fretful tug and began to ask, “Did you know—”
“How did you get way up that tree?” the girl interrupted, repeating her earlier question. “You can’t just fall from the sky.”
“Well . . . ,” Kendra murmured. The truth was they had fallen from the sky—but Kendra wasn’t even sure how. One minute she had been looking at the ring and the next—“Oh!” Kendra exclaimed, suddenly remembering that she had dropped Kazah. It must have landed somewhere around here, Kendra thought, frantically dropping to her knees to search for the ring amidst the canopy of ferns and flowers.
“What are you looking for?” the girl demanded.
“Kazah!” Kendra answered, crawling through the undergrowth. “My ring!”
“You dropped it?” Oki cried, joining Kendra on the ground. “Oh dear!”
“Ring? What ring?” the Teenling asked, looming over them. “What’s so special about it?”
“My master gave it to me,” Kendra said over her shoulder. “It’s . . . er, important.” She didn’t want to tell the girl too much. After all, Kendra herself wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the Kazah stone.
“Well, I didn’t see anything,” the Teenling said, shuffling after Kendra and Oki as they crawled across the forest floor. “If you dropped it from that tree, it could have bounced away anywhere. Even down some hole.”
“But we have to find it!” Kendra said.
“Not now we don’t, Braids,” the girl said, reaching down and pulling Kendra to her feet. “With all the racket you two Eeklings made crashing through that tree, it’s a wonder the flysuckers aren’t already here.”
“Eek! Flysuckers?” Oki asked, looking about nervously.
“Yeah, you know—Goojuns,” the girl replied. “We are in the Forests of Wretch, after all.”
“EEK!” Oki squealed. “The Forests of Wretch!? Don’t think of eggs! Don’t think of eggs!”
“Eggs?” the Teenling echoed. “You know what, Eeks? You’re a strange little ball of whiskers.”
“But the Forests of Wretch!” Oki exclaimed, his eyes going wide. “That’s close to Goojun City!”
“Yeah, we’re practically in their backyard,” the girl proclaimed proudly. “That’s why we have to get going.”
Kendra fussed with her longest braid, shaking her head. “But the ring—”
“Look, Braids,” the Teenling said, turning to Kendra. “We can always come back for it if we need to. Don’t worry. I’m sure it will turn up.”
Before Kendra could argue the matter any further, the girl turned and began marching briskly through the forest. Kendra cast a weary glance at Oki. The Teenling was nearly out of sight already. She hadn’t even bothered to turn and check if they were following.
“That’s one jinxly Teenling,” Oki observed.
Kendra raised an eyebrow at the little mouse. “Jinx isn’t going to appreciate you making up new words based on her,” Kendra told Oki. “But you’re right . . . this girl is . . . er, jinxly. But what do we do? It’s either her or the Goojuns.”
“Her,” Oki said quickly. “And, if you ask me, I think she took the Kazah stone.”
“Why would she do that?” Kendra exclaimed.
“I don’t know,” Oki said. “But if I’m right, it’s all the more reason to stick with her.”
“Come on then,” Kendra said, clutching Oki’s paw. “Er . . . miss?” she panted as they hastened to catch up with the Teenling. “Wait up!”
“Miss?” the