In the middle of the circle of Gathumps was a roaring fire, with a purple sack hanging over it. The Gathumps, thankfully, had not yet noticed Lily or Juniper, who were standing in the exact place they had been a minute earlier, frozen. The sack squirmed. Lily broke a record for loudest scream, and then dove into a bush. Juniper broke another record for longest time one held ones breath. The Gathumps, finally noticing Juniper, snorted. “Hey, Bombart!” said a Gathump by the name of Gorok, “I see! I see that! That look yum! That look yuck,” he gestured at Juniper, then Glorfus’s nose, which made the trio of Gathumps burst into huge, dumb chuckles. Bombart made a grab for Juniper, but with her Fairy quickness, Juniper was able to dodge. “Bombart want to GOBBLE!” said Bombart, and made another shot at Juniper and missed. Lily, knowing that the Gathumps were not aware of her existence, snuck along a bush and skittered up a tree. She needed to contrive a plan. Her mind whirled, but just as the shape of a plan was beginning to form in her brain, Glorfus reached for Juniper and said something stupid. Then he opened his ‘hand’ over the sack, and out came Juniper! Lily gasped. Now she needed a new plan. I know that I’m not strong enough to beat them in a fight… So I have to use wits, not strength. I need to come up with something to trick them… something to make them let Juniper go… And there’s someone -or something- else in the sack… is Juniper safe in there? I hope it isn’t something bad… Juniper screamed. Lily gasped. Gorok said something stupid. “Haha,” said Glorfus, interrupting Lily’s worrisome thoughts, “That be true! King Oh-botar is cool! Go King Obotatty!” If Lily were in a comic book, a lightbulb would have appeared over her head that very second. She balanced along the branch she was on at the time, and stood up. She was a litter bit higher than the top of Bombart’s head. “Gathumps!” she shouted over their stupid conversation. Gorok scratched his head. “As your King, King Obotar, I have a command for you!” The Gathumps finally found Lily and they all scratched their heads in unison. “That’s right, I am King Obotar, disguised as a Wood Nymph so I can talk to you!” “Good King Obotatty saves the day!” said Glorfus. “Indeed,” said Lily, “I command for you to empty that sack of yours. I wish to deal with the contents… In my own way.” The Gathumps obeyed, to Lily’s delight, and she was once again reunited with Juniper. “Oh,” said Lily, “I have one more command.” The Gathumps nodded. “I want you,” continued Lily, “To never capture anyone again. And crawl into those bushes there, and never come out.” The Gathumps promised, and the last anyone ever saw of those Gathumps was them sticking their large heads out of those bushes, complete with stupid smile and all.
