Every one hundred years, the colonies would all join at a colony nursery, this was known as "The Joining". Elders would discuss the laws of the forest, and remind everyone why they're forced to stay in the safety of the night. Still some newborns and the younger bats would try to break these rules, but none would succeed, their mothers or other members of the colony, would stop them. For those who did succeed, they were never seen again.
This time "The Joining" took place at the Silverwing nursery. Among the Silverwing colony was one bat who was different from all the others. She had a thin metal band wrapped around her fore arm, since just before her first migration. The Humans put it on her, when she was captured in some sort of web. Bats would tease her saying that the only reason she wasn't banished from the colony was because her grandfather was head elder. This bat was known as Frieda Silverwing. Although she was tortured by other bats, mostly ones who had been newborns when she was, she was also the fastest flyer and the best hunter in the colony.
Other colonies thought the metal bands were cursed and banished any member of the colony who had one. Frieda thought that she was just lucky. "Frieda, you must hide your band from the other colonies," Ornus, her grandfather, said to her. She nodded slowly, she felt ashamed of the band, and thought her grandfather was ashamed of it too. Ornus noticed the sadness in her, "It's only so they don't ask questions,". Frieda wished "The Joining" wouldn't happen, she wished they could just migrate to Hibernaculum now. She even asked her grandfather if she could migrate early, she'd migrated twice before and had the sound map, but he wouldn't let her.

The next night she awoke early, the sun had just gone down, the stars were barely out. Frieda went out side and roosted on an outer branch of the dead tree. Moments later Ornus silently roosted beside her, so quiet she barely even noticed. He was almost invisible in the night, with his dark fur with patches of graying fur and silver streaks. They were silent for several moments until Ornus said, "You look so much like your mother,".
Frieda and her mother didn't talk after she got the band. Her mother, Falla, only talked to her the first migration, but then they grew apart. Falla hated the band, and wanted nothing to do with it, but Frieda was bound to it and she thought there was nothing she could do to help their relationship.
Her father on the other hand talked to her but that was only during the migration when the colony was actually with the males. Pon, her father, didn't care about the band, she was his daughter and that's all she was to him. Not an outcast, not a freak, just Frieda. She wished she looked more like her father, so she wouldn't be a constant reminder of her mother. They were never with the males very long, so her only real friend was her grandfather. Head elders were allowed to stay with whom ever they please, he could stay with the females or the males.
Frieda said nothing in reply to Ornus's statement. "You'll have to talk to each other at some point," he continued.
"But she wants nothing to do with me and besides what would we talk about? I mean, she knows nothing about me and I know nothing about her," she argued.
"Then that's where you'll start!" Ornus exclaimed. Frieda let out a sigh and stared up at the moon. "You know what the problem is?". She turned towards him, hoping for a reasonable answer. "You're not even trying, you're not trying to make things better between you two. Your father has tried, I've tried, but not you!".
"How can I? She won't even look at me, let alone talk to me. To her it's like I don't even exist!" Frieda argued.
"Then if she won't talk, make her listen! If she doesn't do at least that, then you can give up,".
Frieda fell silent, she only wished there was someway to make Falla listen. "If I try this and it doesn't work, then I can give up and let her shut me out of her life,".
"If that's what you wish then yes," Ornus replied. Frieda sighed. "But if she does listen, promise me that you won't give up on her. This band was clipped to your arm for some reason, but I know it wasn't put there to create a wall between the two of you".

Ornus looked up to see many bats approaching, the Graywing colony. "Now Frieda, remember what I said about your band," Ornus stated. Frieda nodded and hid her band, just as an older bat approached.
"Ornus my good friend, how have you been?" the bat asked.
"Just fine, Alzar. You?".
"Wonderful. How long has it been, four years?". Graywings and Silverwings had a similar migration route, and they sometimes spent a night or two roosting together.
Another Graywing approached, this surprised Frieda. "This is my grandson Achilles, he had been born that next spring,". Achilles was strong, and had large wings, his fur wasn't as dark as Frieda's though.
"This is my granddaughter Frieda, she was born two springs after,".
"She is very lovely, and I'm glad to meet her," Alzar replied. Frieda was a little uncomfortable now.
"I assume your colony had a safe travel,".
"Nothing more than a light thunder-storm,".
The two went on, but Frieda didn't bother to listen. She soon noticed Achilles watching her. Her stomach began to feel fluttery, she simply thought it was from hunger. Their eyes met, his pale eyes, and her's dark. She shook her head and leaped off the branch, and went to hunt.