“Wow! Koko sure knows how to throw a party!”
“That’s for sure Mandy. She caught both of us off guard.”
Having had a very hearty meal, Alex and Amanda headed for a cool spot in the cave to rest for a bit. Their favorite area was blocked off. Amanda decided to wait until after her nap to ask about it.
A thunderclap, or at least that’s what it sounded like, woke up the kitties.
“Storm? The sky was clear before we …”
“Ouch!”
“Sorry Alex. We’re missing a bunny.”
All the kritters were scrambling everywhere.
“Greytail!”
You could hear bunnies, squirrels, even a baby skunk, calling out the name.
“Koko, Greytail saw Amanda and Alex and headed for the door as fast as he could.”
“I thought I told you Mr. Hickory, that we always keep that door shut.”
“I know but he ran out when Stripe brought in that… “
“Shhh, we have, uh, special, company.”
“Listen up kids. All this yelling won’t help. Let’s use the buddy system and go looking. We’ll all meet back here. Aegis will be watching from overhead. I think it goes without saying that Amanda and Alex will be staying here”
“Greytail is little, so we need to look under things.”
“Alex, we shouldn’t have come. We scared Greytail because we’re kitties.”
“Nonsense Amanda. Greytail is new here and many things scare him.”
“Koko, I thought you were out hunting?”
“Somebody has to be here to coordinate things.”
“We found him!”
“Welcome home Greytail.”
“Thanks Koko. Leave it to two baby squirrels to look under a log.”
“That’s because that is where Hickory and Maple hid when they ran away.”
“You give such strange names.”
“Like I did you Greytail? It’s hard to find names for squirrels.”
“I signaled Aegis that Greytail was found.”
“Thanks Amanda.”
While the rest of the hunting party returned, Koko filled Greytail in about the Wild Bunch, Amanda and Alex.
“Ok everyone, let’s all gather in the great room.”
“Koko, we’re going to head home. It sounds like you have family business to take care of.”
“Family business? Yes we do and you two are family so get into the great room.”
Once everyone was seated, Koko called the Wild Bunch to the center of the room. Bunny slipped away unnoticed. When he returned it was time to announce the biggest surprise.
“Amanda, Alex, you two made many friends in the woods and here. Bunny has something for each of you.”
“Amanda, Alex, everyone here helped to make these. Greytail helped although he had no idea who they were for.”
“ ‘The Wild Bunch Amanda’ wow! This is a beautiful tag. I’ll wear this proudly forever.”
“Me too”
Let’s leave Amanda and Alex for now and allow them time to thank Koko and family for such wonderful gifts.