I really regret running into the forest without my bug gear on. The mosquitoes were absolutely ferocious during this portage. They were awful! They were so bad, I couldn’t even stop to take a break. If I tried, then numerous hordes of mosquitoes would circle me. I heard them whine by my ears as I ran away from them and my family. Ugh, this was probably the worst portage we took. The bugs were so bad that I couldn’t even see in front of me. All I saw were the black figures of the mosquitoes.
I sprinted the entire way to the end of the portage. I was forced to. The entire time I ran, mosquitoes chased me, and tears streamed down my cheeks. I just wanted to get away from my family. I didn’t want to see them again for the rest of the trip. I mean, that’s how I felt. Suddenly, the ground gave way under my feet, and I fell. Yelling, I rolled down a hill, and the mysterious dry bag flew from my hand. I crashed down hard on my front in the dirt. Still sobbing, I struggled to my hands and knees and cried out, “Ow!” That fall really hurt. It knocked the breaths clean out of me.
When I finally caught them, I peered forward and saw that I was resting at the end of the portage. The mysterious dry bag was right next to the water, and I saw that the doll and a few more things had scattered from it. Shooing bugs away, I struggled to my feet and rubbed myself down. My eyes landed on the bag, and I started to make my way towards it. The fall hurt my ankle a little bit, but it was nothing serious. I merely ignored the tingling. I didn’t really care about my ankle anyway. I cared about the dry bag and Ihaan instead. I actually wondered if there was some connection between him and the bag. Hmm. Was there, or was there not? I had so many questions, but I wasn’t sure if I would find the answers.
I had just about made it to the dry bag when I heard another crack in the forest. Seriously, when would this cracking end?! I gasped and whirled around, facing the forest. “Is that you, Ihaan?” I asked.
No answer. I heard nothing. Nervous, I gulped. If it wasn’t Ihaan, then was it the Ghost of Ontario? The crack came again. I planted my feet and took deep breaths. I then heard another sound behind me and turned, facing the forest from the other direction. I waited. Then, I saw it. From within the forest, there was a shadow. Except, this shadow wasn’t Ihaan. It looked like Ro.
Ro it was. Her shadow sprung to life, and she zoomed out of the forest. She came right for me.
I gasped.
Ro flew right into my chest and knocked me down. Gosh, how many times was I going to fall?
Unharmed, I quickly sat up and gripped Ro’s sides, holding her up to my face.
She struggled to release herself, but I held her tightly. She appeared to be worried about something.
“Ro?” I asked. “Ro, what are you doing here? Where’s Ihaan?”
Ro again struggled to release herself. She seemed to glare. I think I lifted her spirit. I saw kindness in her yellow eyes. This was remarkable! I couldn’t believe I was holding a real bald eagle! I had one question in mind about her. Was Ro ticklish? She got a little squirmy when I held her. “Are you ticklish?” I asked, and I scratched her under the bill.
Ro cried out. It sounded like laughter. She squirmed in my hands.
I felt myself smiling. Ro was ticklish! Removing my hand, I next scratched her on the belly. Again, she screeched and squirmed.
Blushing, I laughed and announced, “You’re so cute!”
A growing bond began between Ro and I. We became friends, even though I deeply unsettled her on Red Squirrel Lake. She really was quite a cute bird.
Ro looked me right in the eyes and seemed to smile. She actually knew some secrets about Ihaan that I didn’t, and she came to me as an attempt to share them. Before giving her message, she gestured for me to set her down.
I did, and I wrapped my arms around my knees. I think Ro knew I was upset, but keep in mind that there’s something I can listen to in order to calm down. Chattering came from a tree, and I peered in the direction where it came from. Two squirrels rested on the tree branches, and they were fighting over an acorn. Typical. Squirrels and their acorns. Peering back down on Ro, I noticed that she nodded at the forest. “What are you doing?” I asked her.
It was amazing! From within the forest, I heard it. I heard the leaflute. This told me that yes, Ihaan was in it. I mean, who else would be playing the leaflute? He played “Soaring on the Wind.” “Soaring on the Wind” was the beautiful song, remember?
Hearing it, I immediately calmed down. The song was just so beautiful.
The fighting squirrels also calmed down. Chattering confusingly, they together glanced at the forest.
Even though the song was only a minute long, it was always the most magical minute ever.
Halfway through it, a few robins landed on a rock. Closing their eyes, they folded their wings and swayed back and forth to the music.
The squirrels shared their acorn.
When the song finally did end, I felt much better than I had earlier. I felt that perhaps there was some hope that this week would turn out to be wonderful. I focused my attention on the forest and stood up, waving my hand. “Come on out now, Ihaan. I know you’re in there. It’s okay.” I heard shuffling, but Ihaan didn’t come. Ro soon called to me, and I peered down on her. She had a “Remember, Kylie, he’s very shy” face on.
I understood her and said, “Yeah.”
Ro next gestured for me to follow her, for she had to give me a message.
I did, and she led me over to the torn-up dry bag. “What’s up, Ro?” I asked, and I placed my hands on my knees.
Ro lifted her bill and tapped the wooden doll with it. I confusingly watched her. Ugh, what was she trying to tell me? Ro moved her bill down to the doll’s right leg and tapped it next.
I brought my hand to my chin and asked, “Does this bag and doll belong to Ihaan? Are they his?”
As if she didn’t hear me, Ro continued to tap the doll.
I decided to ask Ihaan himself. Unlike Ro, he spoke English. So therefore, I turned to the forest again and said, “Ihaan, please come out. By any chance, is this doll yours? Please, Ihaan.” I waited. After a bit, again I heard the shuffling in the forest.
However, before Ihaan could leap out of it, over the wind, blew in the voice of my mother. “Kylie!” she yelled. Immediately after she said that, I heard Ihaan running away.
Ro opened her wings, lifted into the air, and zoomed by my head.
“Whoa!” I yelled, and I fell onto my bum. Ro vanished in the forest, and she didn’t come back. “Ro.” I mumbled under my breath. I moaned.
Mom appeared at the top of the hill, and she again called, “Kylie!”
“Mom!” I shouted back.
Mom scurried down the hill and approached me. She placed her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t run off like that again! I was so worried about you!”
“Sorry, Mom,” I said.
Mom sighed and tried to hug me, but I pushed her away. Dad soon appeared at the top of the hill, carrying Old Town #2, and Mom and I moved off to the side to let him through. Mom handed me my bug jacket.
Thanking her, I accepted it. I slipped it on and shooed bugs away. After a bit, I turned my head and peered back to the forest. I saw Ihaan.
The boy hung from a tree branch, with Ro next to him, and he stared at me. His bow and quiver of arrows rested on his back. He wore his bear costume.
“Ihaan.” I mumbled. I waved at him.
He smiled nervously and waved back. No one else noticed him. I was the only one. Well, for now at least. Ihaan, of course, did eventually meet the rest of Camp Juniper. He met them on Lake Temagami, which was our next stop after Red Squirrel Lake, so it happened this day. Not now, though. Ihaan was too shy.
He stood up on his branch and grabbed hold of another one, starting to climb. He really was an amazing climber.
I nervously watched him from down below. Even though he was good and I trusted he had it all under control, I still worried about him. Especially when he almost did fall.
Ihaan grabbed hold of another branch once higher in the tree, but it broke under his hand, and he slipped. Oh geez, Ihaan! You’re going to kill yourself one of these days! He quickly recovered from the break, and before I knew it, he continued his climb. Ro soared gently next to him, and both of them vanished into the tree’s highest branches and leaves.
Right after they did, Mom nudged me and said, “Come on, Kylie. Help us load things into the canoes, please.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Sigh, Ihaan… Help.
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