Trav's Thoughts

Welcome to another Manic Monday with Morgen. Today's theme is Miss. Don't forget to drop by MM HQ at It's A Blog Eat Blog World.

At first I wondered what I could post for the word Miss. But then I realized this was the perfect time to post the second chapter of my children's story, A Quest for Special Friends. You can find the link to chapter one if you scroll down my sidebar to the Stories section.

Oh alright...I'll make it easy. You can click here to go directly to chapter one.

Ready now? Good! Here's chapter two of A Quest for Special Friends.


Sir Michael was a Gallant Knight, whose duty in Yesumay Land was to protect the Beautiful Princess Tonya from all manner of beasts and other threatening creatures. If the Princess was frightened, it was Sir Michael’s job to reassure her and chase away the scaries. If she was worried, it was his job to find the cause of her distress and thrash it soundly for upsetting the Princess. And if Princess Tonya was in need of an escort for one of her many glorious parties, then it was Sir Michael’s happy duty to be that escort.

Without Sir Michael, Princess Tonya might not be able to work up a sufficient number of Smiles to keep the Land of Yesumay bathed in sweet sunshine. It was a very important position, and one which Sir Michael the Gallant took quite seriously.

Sir Michael sat alone in his room in the Blue Castle. His castle was located across the valley from the Pink Castle of Princess Tonya. If Sir Michael looked out his window, he could see the tower of the Pink Castle that held Princess Tonya’s window, the one from which she Smiled upon Yesumay Land. Sir Michael loved to awaken early, just before sunrise, so he could be one of the first things upon which the Beautiful Princess Smiled. It often made him blush, to think of himself so, but he couldn’t help himself. He loved the Princess more than anyone else in the land.

Because he loved the Princess so, he had closed up his castle against the world outside and turned his back from the window so he didn’t have to see the Pink Castle. Everyone else was getting ready for the celebration. Sir Michael had heard the news of Erik the Wonderful’s victory over the mackerel fish, and he was every bit as pleased that the ordeal was over, but he could not bring himself to the excitement necessary to be Princess Tonya’s escort for the celebration banquet.

Sir Michael could not join the feasting, partly because he was jealous. He had battled the mackerel fish for a week, but had been unable to defeat it or drive it away. Finally, at a loss and embarrassed by his failures, he had slunk away to his Blue Castle, unable to bear the sight of his Princess and her tears.

When he had returned to his castle, he had looked for his Special Friend, hoping that Biff Bear would make him feel better. But, Biff Bear was nowhere to be found. Sir Michael searched everywhere he could think. He searched in all the closets and under every bed, through the drawers and behind the drapes. He even drained the milk pond behind the castle. No Biff Bear anywhere.

Sir Michael turned his Blue Castle upside down in his search. When the poor maids complained that this made it too difficult for them to clean the floors, he turned the castle right side up and admitted his loss. He immediately retired to his room after ordering the castle closed. He hadn’t spoken to a soul in two days.

He had heard reports of others who had lost their Special Friends. He had considered this the product of careless behavior, and endeavored to take extra special care not to be guilty of such irresponsibility concerning one of the more important things in his life. But, to no avail. Biff Bear was lost.

Suddenly, Sir Michael lifted his head. He had heard his name called, and the voice that called him was filled with great despair.

The Gallant Knight could not ignore anyone in distress. He went to his window to discover the source of such terrible sadness. He looked down and saw that it was the Great Magician Himself.

“Mr. Fixit,” called Sir Michael. “Why are you so upset? You’ve defeated the mackerel fish and made the Beautiful Princess Tonya happy again. You should be at the Pink Castle, celebrating your victory.”

“No, Sir Michael,” wailed the Great Magician Himself. “Something horrible has happened. Something more awful than a whole school of rotten mackerel fish!”

“What is it? No, don’t tell me. Come inside. Wait, I’ll open the door.”

Sir Michael turned from the window and strode to his bed, thinking to bring Biff Bear with him for moral support. That was when he understood. He remembered how desperately alone he had felt when he first discovered that Biff Bear was missing. Suddenly, he knew why the Great Magician Himself was so sad.

Sir Michael hurried down the stairs of the tower to open the door for Erik the Wonderful, his sympathy growing as well as his suspicions. An idea was forming about these strange disappearances.

“Come in, come in Mr. Fixit,” Sir Michael spoke soothingly to the poor magician, putting an arm around his shoulders and guiding him to a stuffy fluffed chair in the front room. “Tell me all about it.”

“Well,” began the Great Magician Himself, sniffling a little and rubbing his nose against his sleeve. “I knew it might get hectic fighting the mackerel fish, so I decided to leave Mr. Fuzzy Blanket at home in my Red Castle. So many things get spilled in a kitchen, you know, and tuna fish can make a terribly oily stain.”

Sir Michael nodded gravely. He understood the magician’s reluctance to put his Special Friend in danger of becoming stained.

“Anyway,” continued the Great Magician Himself. “After we defeated the mackerel fish, Princess Tonya declared a holiday, and announced a huge feast in my honor, me being the one who fixed the can opener.”

Erik the Wonderful paused to look shyly at the Gallant Knight. “I’m sorry about that Sir Michael. I know you’re supposed to fight Princess Tonya’s battles and everything. I guess this time it needed more than strength and armor to do the job. I hope you’re not angry that someone else gets the Princess’ Smiles for awhile.”

The Knight laughed. “I’m glad she’ll be smiling at you, Mr. Fixit Toolman. You look like you could use it.”

The Great Magician Himself suddenly remembered why he had come, and he nearly burst into tears. His lower lip quivered. “Oh, Sir Michael! I went back to the Red Castle to change my pockets for the banquet, but something dreadful had happened. Mr. Fuzzy Blanket was gone, and so were all the other Special Friends of everyone who lives at the Red Castle!”

Sir Michael nodded his head, sharing the magician’s grief and horror. He had suspected as much, and he knew what had probably happened and who was behind the dastardly deed.

“The same thing has happened here at the Blue Castle, Mr. Fixit. We must hurry to the Pink Castle to warn the Princess. I think you can guess what will happen to all of Yesumay Land if Kesra the Gnome should go missing.”

Sir Michael the Gallant jumped up. The need to protect his Beautiful Princess consumed him and galvanized him to action. Erik the Wonderful charged right behind him, glad for something constructive to do. Both had forgotten for the moment their own grief at the loss of their Special Friends. The one thing that mattered most was to protect Princess Tonya and Kesra the Gnome. Otherwise, an even greater disaster than that caused by the mackerel fish might befall Yesumay Land.

Sir Michael and the Great Magician Himself hurried through the back door of the Blue Castle and rushed to a large tent next to the empty milk pond. Purring sounds could be heard and as the two drew closer, the ground seemed to stir beneath their feet. Approaching the tent, Sir Michael stopped to open a large box that contained pieces and parts of armor that might be useful. He pulled these on, and took up his Great Spear and Mighty Shield. Thus armed, he motioned the Great Magician Himself to follow him inside the tent.

Erik the Wonderful knew what made the purring sound, and he was greatly heartened. He had never actually ridden Sir Michael’s wondrous steed, and he looked forward to it now as the rare treat that it was. The Great Magician Himself was so involved in his anticipation, that he did not watch where he walked, and so he bumped into something warm and soft.

“Pardon me,” he said politely.

A bright round eye opened and batted itself, then a pink tongue darted between twitching whiskers. Erik the Wonderful stumbled back, startled. The purring had grown quite loud. The huge cat was amused.

“Mount up, Mr. Fixit!” called Sir Michael from his perch atop the Great Cat. “Shelley’s all saddled up and ready to go.”

Shelley was a magical cat. She was as big as a small mountain, and gentle as a spring rain. She spent most of her time sleeping, since it took a great deal of energy to perform her amazing magical tricks. She could shrink to any size she needed to be. Or she could run as fast as a situation demanded. She could wink out of existence and appear in another place. And she could put an enemy to sleep by changing the sound and rhythm of her purring.

Mounted aboard the Great Cat Shelley, Sir Michael the Gallant and the Great Magician Himself would be at the Pink Castle in minutes, rather than the hours it would have taken them to walk. Erik the Wonderful wondered why Shelley couldn’t just disappear and reappear at the Pink Castle. Sir Michael explained that Shelley could do it, but only for herself. If she tried it with her two passengers, she would arrive at the Pink Castle, and they would probably end up sitting at the crusty bottom of the empty milk pond.

The Great Magician decided this was a risk better left alone.