Read Online Nemesis and the Troll King by Ashley Du Toit - Free Book Online Page B

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    â€œWell … we might of gone invisible and threw some mud at them … and … we might have sneaked their food away from them … and … and … we might have taken their things and hid them … and … just stuff like that.”
    He no longer met Yarg’s gaze, and Yarg instinctively knew that they ‘might’ have done more than that to the Manukies.
    â€œBut you stopped the Manukies getting to the river. You are destroying the plant life, not only here but everywhere!” said Yarg as he stood. “Gurt, Bemoomba needs her river back so that things can start to grow again. You must ask her again if you can stay, but if she says ‘no’, then you’ll have to move on.”
    Gurt folded his arms across his chest again. “We want to stay here! Everywhere we go, someone chases us away. We just want a home,” he finished plaintively.
    â€œThen we’ll have to find you one,” said Yarg reasonably as he stood again. “Let’s go and talk to Bemoomba.”
    The Nuffins fidgeted, shuffling their feet in the grass. Yarg shrugged his shoulders in irritation.
    â€œWhat’s wrong now?” he snapped.
    â€œWill she be mad at us? We don’t want her to do stuff to us, maybe make us go all orangey and puffy like her pets,” said Gurt in a small whisper.
    Yarg stifled the urge to laugh at their description of the Manukies. “They aren’t her pets,” he said, “and she’s not going to make you orange or puffy! Now can we please go?”
    â€œOkay,” sighed Gurt. “We’ll come with you.”
    Yarg started walking, followed closely by the Nuffins and Folgoo. They left the beauty of the river and soon passed again into the wasteland. Hearing a gasp behind him, Yarg turned to see the Nuffins standing still, staring horrified at the bleakness before them.
    â€œDid we do this?” Gurt asked in a whisper.
    â€œI believe that you did,” said Yarg.
    â€œWe never meant to do this,” Gurt said sadly, his big eyes leaking as he looked around him.
    Yarg frowned, realising that the Nuffins were actually quite upset about the damage they had caused. “Don’t worry, Gurt, we can fix this,” he said reassuringly.
    The Nuffins hop-walking beside him as he headed back to the clearing, Yarg was surprised to find that he felt rather sad for them. However misguided their actions, they had just wanted a place to call their own.
    As Yarg, Folgoo and the Nuffins neared the clearing, the Manukies drew closer to Bemoomba, completely surrounding her. When Yarg stopped, facing the ancient, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, but her smile was quickly replaced with irritation as she noticed the Nuffins coming forward to stand beside Yarg. Some of them bounced slowly up and down, others just stood smiling, but they all looked so naughty.
    â€œWhat is going on, Yarg?” she asked with a sweetness that did nothing to mask her anger.
    â€œI’ve brought the Nuffins to you, Bemoomba. They’re sorry about what happened, and I think it was mostly a big misunderstanding. Perhaps you should listen to them before you make any decisions.”
    Yarg turned to Gurt. “Gurt, this is Bemoomba. She is the guardian of all growing things.” Then to the ancient, “Bemoomba, this is the leader of the little mischief-makers. This is Gurt.”
    Gurt rolled his eyes in disrespect at Yarg’s words.
    Bemoomba smiled at him and said, “Hello, Gurt. Tell me, why did you steal my river?”
    Gurt lowered his eyes and answered in a whisper. “We just wanted a home here. They,” he pointed at the Manukies, “tried to make us leave and we didn’t want to go.”
    â€œAh, I see,” said Bemoomba.
    She closed her eyes and all in the clearing waited expectantly. When she reopened them, she looked at Yarg.“Then Yarg will take you to find you a new home, we will have