TedLore: Hinkypunk

Not particularly threatening on their own, these mischievous little lights are a coin-toss between guiding teds in need and leading lost bears to their bitter unstuffing.

A very rare sight indeed, these creatures are usually spotted at night due to their luminous ghost-like visage. They can appear as a small, floating flame or a glowing globule of liquid.

…

Hinkypunk Story:

“I swears to UrMa, I seen two of ‘em!”
Clamper stared at the campfire frowning.
“They wuz… talkin’ or somethin’ I dunno-“
“NAH thas dogs-hump, Clamp! Hinkys din’e talk!”
“I don’t mean TALKING talkin’ obviously, Lug… But they wuz commuuunicatin’ like. Flickerin’ n stuff one after the other… Arguin’ it looked like.”

Clamper and Lugnut stared at the fire in silence for a moment, a single cotton ball toasted slowly on a makeshift spit.

“Ok, then what.” Lug broke the silence and swigged a snout-full of something worthy of a wince from his almost empty canteen.
“Well they parted ways din’t they… So’s I had to choose which one to follow.”
“You din’e HAD to choose either, Clamp ye fluff’n plum. Ye know Hinkypunks are wee tricksy piskies, it’s hardly ever hidden treasure!”
Another swig and a wince before Lug placed the canteen next to Clamper, shaking his head condescendingly.

“Well anyways…” Clamper continued. “I went for the lefty cus it had a nice greeny colour n I likes green dun’ I. Followed it all cautious-like down to a small cave entrance on the south edge of Brackenbone Wood-”
“Ye fluff’n plum.”
“‘I ‘ad to take off me lucky backpack to get through the ‘ole of the cave… it’s still sat there actually.”
“Ye went in we’oot Mr Buckles?”
“Yeah, n tha’s where it ‘appened!”
A heavy log cracked in the fire, casting embers into the cool midnight air and singeing spots onto the cotton ball.
Lugnut rubbed his slightly numb forehead, the bootleg liquor had been doing its job for a while now.

“Wait, where what happened?” Lug became aware of the growing silence, looking up to see Clamper staring off down the mossy embankment.
“I’m not… quite sure Luggy mate. Only that you’d wanna know.”
Lug followed Clamps gaze down into the dark damp woodland to see a small blue light flickering in the glade.
A sobering panic washed over him as he bounded upright and drew his sidearm; positioning himself between Clamp and the Flame. He quickly began to advance down the embankment trying to focus for a shot.
“It’s alright, Lug!” Clampers voice halted Lugnut and the cold breeze pulled him from his drunken daze. His eyes still fixed on the quiet flame in the wood.
“Come te think of it, Clamp… I do miss ye.”
He turned to look up to his friend only to see the campfire quietly crackling, a charred cotton ball smouldering above the flames and an empty canteen sat atop a stump.
A sigh drifted from Lugnuts snout as he turned to face the Hinkypunk.
“And I did wan’te know, so… thank ye.”
The Hinkys light flickered brightly for a moment.
“South o’ Brackenbone ye say...”
Flicker.
“Aye ok… Ah better go get Mr Buckles then, look after him fer me ole pal.”
The flame flickered intensely one last time before diminishing to nothing. Leaving Lugnut in the peaceful quiet of the glade.
“Ye fluff’n plum.”