The Secret Life of Astrid (The Devereaux Story)/Chapter 5

"Why are we waiting? Shouldn't we stop her at her house?"

Spiro asked when the others were waiting for Astrid to come out. Eska shushed Spiro and kept looking out of her window, "We don't want her to know we're onto her. Besides, we still don't know if that's the case."

"But, didn't someone say that Papa uses the sparkling water to protect the village?" Bash asked.

"Well, Felipe was the one who said Astrid might have a date," Eska retorted, "We wait. When she sneaks into the bushes, we make our move."

After waiting for what seemed like forever, they spotted Astrid with the basket. Astrid looked to see if anyone would follow her. No one came, so she sneaked into the bushes. Eska signaled the others, and they followed her out of her house and through the bushes.

Once out of the village, they tried to figure out where Astrid went next. Eska pointed to the dirt, "Footprints! And they're fresh. She must've went this way." Eska pointed left and they followed her.

However, as soon as the footprints disappeared, they stopped. Eska looked everywhere, but she could not find them, "Wait...where're the footprints? Where're the footprints?!"

"Eska, madam," Felipe started to shiver a bit, "I don't mean to be a party pooper, but we've walked a long way to find nothing!"

"Yea," Spiro agreed, "Can't we just go back home?"

"No way!" Eska denied, "We can't let Astrid face Gargamel herself! She'll get squashed!" The others looked at each other with concern. "We have to keep going. We have to stop her."

Guilt filled their faces as they thought about what she had said. Finally, Benny sighed and walked over to her, "Um...Eska? I'm...gonna have to go with them."

"What?! Why?!" Eska realized, "Uh, I, mean, pff! Why...not...? I, I mean-"

"Well, it's...it's just," Benny traced a circle in the melting snow with his foot, "What if it's not our business?"

"Oui," Felipe agreed, "If she had wanted us to join in, she would've said so."

"But, do you guys realize," Eska spoke up, "That Astrid is about to face a BIG threat to our village?! BY HERSELF?!"

Just as Benny was about to speak, they heard a cry of distress coming from their left.

TBC...