[cherie]

i did start number 3 splat but i never finished it ( and it won't be ever finished thanks to the revision) glad you liked them though. in anycase,on to the next chapter!

Zander woke up when a bolt of pain when through his arm.

" Good Odd that hurts!" He screamed as he sat straight up. He was surprized to see an old mudokon holding his arm.

" Who are you and what the hell are you doing?"

"I am Oron. And i am fixing your arm. You broke it."

"Oh." Zander said, not knowing what else to say.

" I'm going to set the bone now. It's going to be painfull."

"I can handle pain." Zander grunted. " Untill it hurts."

Oron chuckled then began to set the bone. Zander tried to hold back screams of pain but found he couldn't. Finely the setting of the bone was over and Oron had put a splint on Zanders broken arm.

" There. That wasn't so bad was it?" Oron said.

" Says you. Your not the one in pain." Zander grunted,getting up off the ground. His arm fixed he started off.

" Don't you want to see your friend?"

"Huh? What friend?"

" The female mudokon."

" Her?" Snorted Zander. " Shes not my friend."

" Thats very funny." Started Oron. " Because if she wasn't your friend she wouldn't have carried you the whole time you were out."

" What? She did that? Why?" Zander asked.

Oron shrugged. " Beats me. Why don't you ask her yourself. Shes at the riveredge. It's that way."

Zander considered for a second before heading the direction where Oron pointed.

Zander found Ali at the edge of the river,gathering riverside plants. She was humming a tune to herself, haveing not noticed the slig yet.

"Why did you help me?" He asked,not bothering to greet Ali first.

Ali stopped humming the tune and turned to look at Zander.

"Your up." she said.

" I asked why you helped me? I treated you as a prisioner.I insulted you.I chased you. And yet you still help me. You could have left me out there to fend for myself with a broken arm. Why?"

For a minute Ali was silent. Then she shrugged. " i don't know why i helped you. When i saw you laying there i just..felt bad."

" You felt bad...for me?"

" What can i say,i'm a idoit."

Zander was silent for a moment. He then took a deep breath and spoke.

" I uh..well, want to thank you."

" A slig? Thanking a mudokon?" Ali said. " Thats unuseal"

"Look, don't rub it in. It was hard enough."

Ali smiled slightly. Her smiled faltered when she thought of something.

"I suppose your still going to bring me to the lab?"

" Nah. I give up on that. For one thing i couldn't find the lab now if i tried. I have no idea where i am. Plus i couldn't overpower you now with this broken arm. No, your free to go."

Ali considered this for a moment.

" Free." She finely said. " I was free before. But that was a long time ago and i barely remeber it."

She smiled.

" I think it's going to be good to be free."

" Yeah, well, enjoy yourself." Zander grunted and turned to walk away.

" Where are you going?"

" Away. I have to find civilization."

" Why?"

Zander stopped to ponder that. That was a very good question. Why go back to that life of work. Why have to deal with those sligs that always made fun of him?

" Well, You see I..." Zander began to stammer.

" Besides, you won't survive the journey. Not only is your arm broken but you have no idea how to survive out here. On that note neither do I. Thats why i'm sticking With Oron. "

"I doubt Oron would apperciate a slig as compeny."

"I wouldn't say that." Said Oron,comeing out of the bushes,surprizeing both Zander and Ali.

" Geez Oron." Ali yelped. " You scared the hell out of me. I didn't even hear you comeing."

" Sorry, I wasn't trying to sneak up on you two. In anycase, I wouldn't mind your compeny young slig. I can tell your not like the sligs."

" Yeah." Zander mumbled to himself. " So can the other sligs."

"What was that?" Ali asked.

" Oh,um,nothing. O.k, i'll go with you two. I really don't have that much of a choice anyways."

" Great!" said Oron. " It's more fun getting to destinations with more people."

" Where are we heading to anyways Oron?" Zander asked.

Oron smiled wide.

" Why,we're going to find the lost city."

***********

" What do you mean they arrived Mr.Waneseny?" Matterson said questionly.

"What i mean, Is that the truck containing MY female mudokon never arrived."

" Are you sure it isn't just late?"

" It's been Two weeks! No, something happened. And YOU.." Waneseny jabbed at Mattersons chest with his upper left hand claws. " Are going to help me find out what happened by commissoning me your best sligs."

" MY sligs? Why?"

"Lets not forget Matterson,who donated that money to your lumberyard. Without that money your compeny would be in the red now, Isn't that right?"

Matterson could only sigh. " Very well."

Matterson walked over to the lumberyards intercom and yelled into it.