The Bear and The Eagle Part 8 - (TWE) - Meeting Diamond

Here's my self-imposed challenge: Write a monomyth (epic) using writing prompts given on Gather.

This is Part 8.

Here are the other parts, if you haven't read them yet.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

This part comes through Elsie's prompt:

For my first prompt, I'd like to ask that you write a poem or a short story

using diamonds/diamond as your subject or in your poem or story.

If you write a story, please keep it under 500 words if possible,

and your poetry can be any length.

* * * * *

"Can I collect some wood?" Phil asked.

"I'll help." Teddy jumped up before Spaulding could protest, waddled a few paces, and smiled. "I can't bend my legs, but it doesn't hurt."

Spaulding sighed and nodded.

Teddy nudged Phil and they ran out to gather branches near a log a few yards away.

Dandelions moved. Teddy stared into a dark eye behind a pointy snout. A shelled creature waddled out with a mouthful of dandelion leaves.

"A box turtle," Phil muttered.

"A dia-mond-back ter-ra-pin," the creature enunciated.

Phil huffed. "Brown and yellow squares. A box turtle."

The terrapin looked at Teddy. "Is he usually this obstinate?"

Teddy shrugged. "I dunno. What's obstinate?"

"Stubborn."

Teddy nodded.

The terrapin cocked his head toward Phil. "Turtles live on land. I need the pond. Box turtles are boxy. I'm sleek. I'm not supposed to eat dandelions, but have you tasted them? Yummy." He swallowed the leaves. "But mostly--beautiful diamond pattern. Not mottled like a box turtle. Observe." The terrapin stretched his neck and tail. "Does this look boxy to you?"

Phil shrugged.

"I'm Diamond. You?"

"Teddy T. Bear and this is my little brother, Phil."

"Phil T. Bear." Phil stood on his tiptoes to compare height with his brother.

Teddy glanced at Phil. "He's obsti…, he's stubborn, but a good guy."

Phil stepped toward Diamond. "So, are you something alive that lives in the pond?"

Diamond inspected Phil and Teddy's heights. "I am, but I'm not the only something." He nodded toward Teddy. "You're safe, but watch this one. He looks dinner size."

Phil ran behind Teddy and peeked under his brother's armpit. "Are you calling me dinner?"

The terrapin spit. "Not for me. Not fishy enough, but there are newcomers."

Teddy held his arm in front of Phil like a crossing guard. "Newcomers?"

"There's new fish in the pond, and whatever they are, they're eating up everything and multiplying faster than bunnies." Diamond paused. "You're not bunnies, right?"

Phil stomped out in front of Teddy. "Bears! We're furious bears."

Teddy smirked.

"No offense. You're different from most furry animals."

"Stuffed." Teddy said.

"Not really. I just ate a few dandelion leaves. Why? You inviting me for dinner?"

Phil chuckled. "No. He means we're stuffed animals, not warm bloods-"

"Or cold-bloods," Teddy added.

"We're having hotdogs for dinner though. Want some?" Phil pointed to the campsite.

"What's hotdogs?"

Phil slapped his forehead.

"What are the newcomers?" Teddy answered, as he waved Diamond toward camp, before picking up his pile of wood. Phil picked up his pile and the three headed back.

Teddy dropped his wood outside of the weeping branches. Spaulding joined them, staring at the terrapin.

Diamond nodded, before answering Teddy. "Some kind of slimy, ugly fish. Big suckers and they can shimmy on land, too, so be careful. They eat anything."

"These fish are in the pond?" Spaulding asked.

Diamond nodded.

"Big teeth, head like a snake, and red eyes?"

His brothers knitted their eyebrows. The terrapin nodded.

"Frankenfish."

To be continued…