Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Jack, but I think it's a great cartoon show.
A Place to Rest His Feet
The sun had risen many hours ago, its warm rays peeking through the thick trees. Despite its hours in the sky, it still was not completely visible. The noises of the forest were accompanied by the sound of human footsteps infiltrating on the grassy floor. These feet moved at a slow but deliberate pace. Insects hummed over the owner of these feet. He wore a simple white kimono and a woven hat on his dark hair. His hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Wooden sandals protected his feet.
The forest surrounded him on all sides and gave no sign of stopping. The trees were a towering height; the lowest branch seemed miles in the air. This suggested the forest was tropical, but it was difficult to assume that because the place was foreign to the wanderer. He placed his hand on the green bark and at once thousands of insects scurried out of the way. This surprised him and he pulled his hand away. His handprint stayed on the bark for a moment but was covered in an instant by violet-colored moss. Birds sang overhead, providing the only music in the quietude of the forest.
The wanderer continued on his way, still puzzled over the unusual trees that loomed before him. Even the scent of the flora was foreign to his senses. An animal that resembled a squirrel darted in front of him. He was startled by its sudden appearance but was careful not to frighten it away. It stopped in its path and observed him. It seemed as perplexed by him as he was by it. It had bright blue eyes and its face was more like a mouse's than a squirrel's. Its body was similar to a squirrel's but two tails grew from its rear end instead of one. Its black fur bristled for an instant and it twittered its nose. In the next instant it was gone from view.
He had been on this journey for a long time and was weary. He settled down on a flat stone and removed his wooden sandals. Flying insects that had been on the stone darted off. He smiled quietly in pleasure and felt the grass between his toes. He first massaged one foot and then the other. A sword had been strapped to his waist and as he sat he rested it on the ground. He had to think of where to go next. He had not forgotten the purpose in this journey in all the long hours he had been walking. Somewhere, there had to be someone-- or perhaps something-- that could assist him in his quest.
As he sat musing he glanced around at the forest. Every gigantic tree had green bark, violet-colored moss dotting here and there. Great spiraling leaves cascaded from the trees, they a deep red hue. Fruit that could have been oranges hung from these leaves, tempting the hungry traveler. These fruit were larger than the man's head and somehow clung onto the fragile leaves they grew on. One spiral leaf was so weighted by the oranges that it almost touched the forest floor. Flat stones such as the one he was occupying were scattered on the forest floor, as if some giant had placed them at random throughout the area. Unfamiliar creatures darted in and out of holes; he could only catch a glimpse of them before they were out of sight.
A very loud fluttering of wings startled him. A large shadow appeared in front of him. He glanced up and shielded his eyes from the sun. What appeared to be a large bird was flying down from the trees. He watched its descent until it landed in front of him with a loud thud. He had to tilt his head up because the creature was taller than he. It strongly resembled a cross between a human and a bird. Its three-toed feet were yellow with sharp talons and certainly looked like a bird's but its legs were that of a human. Its torso was also human as were its arms; feathers were on the creature's arms to allow it flight and it wore leather shorts. A piece of red cloth was tied just below the left elbow. The creature's face was that of a hawk's and bore no human characteristics. A leather strap crossed from the creature's left shoulder to its right hip. This strap secured a wooden club, which was tied on the creature's back. The wanderer and the bird-creature stared at each other for a moment.
"Who are you?" the bird-creature squawked, clicking its beak sharply. Its voice sounded scratchy, and perhaps exactly how birds would sound if they had the power of speech. The man retrieved his sword and stood up to lessen the height difference between he and the creature. He tied the sword to his waist before he spoke his name.
"I am called Jack," he answered, bowing in respect. The bird-creature rested its hands on its hips and observed the stranger further. His eyes were yellow and bore the fierceness of a warrior. The wanderer also had this fierceness in his eyes; however, he was beginning to feel nervous around this unfamiliar creature. "I apologize if I have disturbed you."
"Jack?" the bird-creature repeated, his beak clicking together again. "Jack? Doesn't seem to suit you, but I have no say in it. I'm Kraah." He (the wanderer assumed it was a male) stuck out his hand. The hand was clasped after a moment of hesitation.
"I am pleased to meet you, Kraah." A short silence followed this introduction. The warrior could tell his new acquaintance was not used to staying quiet by the way he was shifting nervously.
"So… what brings you here?" The samurai sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He opened his eyes again.
"I am on a journey. It is a wearisome path I take, so I thought to rest a moment on this flat stone. This is when you arrived." It was apparent that Kraah was only half-listening. The bird-creature grabbed an insect that was flying by and popped it in his mouth. The wanderer tried not to stare, but it was a rather unusual gesture.
"Sorry," apologized Kraah. He took another moment to observe the man before him. His yellow eyes glittered in the sunlight. "I just know I've heard your name before." He tapped his beak with his first two fingers. "Are you that guy that's after Aku?" At hearing the name of his enemy, the man gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
"I am he. If you are with Aku..." Kraah held up his hands in defense.
"Did I say I was? You're a jumpy guy, aren't you?" He chuckled and slapped the man on the back, nearly sending the man to the ground. "An enemy of Aku is always welcome! You can stay with us for a while if you want." The samurai smiled politely and released his grip on his sword.
"That is very hospitable of you, but…"
"It's no trouble at all!" interrupted Kraah. "It's a long way up, so you'd better climb on." Slightly puzzled, the wanderer retrieved his sandals and climbed on the bird-creature's back. His feathers had almost a silky feel to them; their brown hue contrasted horribly with the bright colors of the forest in which he resided. "Oh, and hold on." This suggestion was taken seriously. Kraah shot in the air and at once the man was slapped by air rushing past him. He had to squint as the world around him accelerated. The hat was knocked off his head and drifted slowly to the ground. Not used to flight, he clung onto his ride. "Hey, watch it! Don't chock me!" The grip eased but it was still tight.
After a few minutes of this flight upward, Kraah came upon a village built in the trees. The buildings were made like nests but their shape was not similar to nests. Brown twigs comprised most of the structure; the samurai had to question where these brown twigs had been collected. Holes big enough to accommodate a human adult served as doorways. The shape of the buildings was an arch and every building had a small branch sticking out of the roof. On this branch were carved markings that the wanderer was unfamiliar with.
Kraah landed on a thick board lodged between two gigantic trees, which seemed to be the center of the village. Other bird-creatures much like Kraah were walking on the board, their talons clicking as they made contact with the wood. Only the different colors of their feathers and the different clothing they wore showed their individuality. Also, all of them wore a piece of colored cloth below their left elbow. Ever so often one would take off in a flurry of feathers or come to a jerky landing. Kraah's appearance caused all to turn their way. The wanderer was met with many pairs of curious yellow eyes.
"Who's this? Who's this?" they all demanded, talking over each other.
"Shut up and I'll tell you!" squawked Kraah. They paid him no mind. At last they managed to calm themselves down. The stranger among them could feel his ears ringing from their chatter. A very old hawk waddled over to him and peered at him, his yellow eyes clouded with age. A piece of white cloth was tied below his left elbow and there were two young hawks on either side of him. All of the hawks he passed placed their left hands on their right arms and bowed their heads. Kraah did the same as the elder came before the warrior.
"It is rare to see a human here," the elder whispered.
"This kind creature offered me shelter here," he explained, indicating Kraah. Kraah blew out his chest with pride.
"This is Jack. He's an enemy of Aku!" Again the area was filled with voices.
"Is this really him?"
"That samurai?" The elder held up his hand and all was silent.
"We welcome you to our village. I am the eldest here; my name is Owrk. You may dine in our halls and rest here." The other hawks bobbed their heads up and down in agreement.
"Thank you very much," the samurai smiled, bowing in gratitude. "I realize I am a stranger here."
"Perhaps you won't be by the end of the evening," said Owrk. He waddled away, his two assistants following closely. Kraah appeared by his new friend's side.
"What did he mean by that?"
"You'll just have to see!" grinned Kraah mischievously. The wanderer returned his sandals to his feet and followed Kraah to his home. Small planks served as walkways between the center of the town to individual homes. The two entered the home and the smell of bark was very prominent. Its interior was not decorated by pictures or any furniture. Some of the twigs had spiral leaves on them, but these leaves were small and no fruit grew on them. A nest was built near the back of the house, one big enough to hold two adults.
"Do you… have a wife?" Kraah grimaced, as if this subject had been presented to him once too often.
"Not you too! I'll get a wife when I'm good and ready, and not before!" The samurai smiled.
"You are a very entertaining character, Kraah, and I mean that as a compliment." If Kraah had lips instead of a beak, they would have been in a wide grin. Kraah sat down in the nest and invited his friend to do the same. The nest had tufts of animal fur to make it warm and comfortable. It was most likely used in place of a bed. Dark eyes observed every aspect of the house with interest. The twigs served as walls and there were no open spaces for windows. Sunlight that managed to sneak by the thick leaves provided light in the otherwise dark place. Fire would never due as a source of light, for it would most certainly burn down the home.
"Not many humans get to come up here, you know," noted Kraah. "We try and make them feel at home when they do show up. We don't feed them worms or anything."
"That is indeed a relief." Kraah laughed hysterically.
"Jack, you are a hoot! It's too bad you can't stay here too long."
"Yes, that is regrettable, but I must continue in my quest."
"You're doin' everybody a favor by huntin' down Aku." Kraah patted the samurai roughly on the shoulder. "We Birds have done all we can, but even we are no match for him. I hope you know what you're doin'."
"My sword shall defeat Aku, that I promise you." His hand rested on the sheath.
"Swords, clubs, claws, whatever gets Aku is fine with me!"
"You and your people are familiar with fighting?"
"It's our way of life," nodded Kraah. "We're the best fighters on the Earth. Unfortunately, Aku gathers forces from all over the universe. This little band doesn't have the resources to fight them all. I swear to you that we'd kill Aku if we only could!" The other chose to take this information in silence. It was not in Kraah's nature to stay silent for long increments of time and all too soon his voice broke through again. "Dinner should be starting soon."
"Ah, that is good." Another pause followed this. "I would much like to know your culture better."
"There's not that much to know," shrugged Kraah. "We train our young to fight when they're very young. We aren't savages or anything, though some think so. Aku's tried more than once to beat us back, but we've trained ourselves for so long that we can fight off his forces." There was a slight pause and Kraah's yellow eyes brimmed with tears. The samurai had never seen a bird cry before. "There used to be more of us. You know, other Birds. There were Owls, Eagles, Falcons, Swallows, Crows, you get the idea."
"What happened to them?"
"Killed or captured. We're not too sure." They both were silent for a moment. Tears escaped Kraah's eyes but were caught in his feathers.
"That is… terrible." Kraah eyed him strangely.
"Tell me something, Jack: do you ever use contractions?" Before this could be answered, the beating of drums interrupted them. This cheered Kraah up considerably. "Dinner! Let's go!" He grabbed the samurai's arm and dragged him to a building shaped like a longhouse. It was also built from brown twigs, spiraling leaves decorating the exterior of the building. Inside a bombardment of talking and clattering dishes almost sent the quiet man flying. Long wooden tables stood in vertical rows, benches being filled by young and old hawks. The eldest of the owls was sitting at the head of the center table. In all of the confusion, the samurai hardly knew where he was being led. He sat down beside two hawks much like Kraah. Kraah managed to squeeze in as well with much jostling and protests from his comrades. The two hawks greeted Kraah by placing their left hands on their right arms and bowing their heads.
"Is it true?" one of the hawks demanded. Dark eyes glanced to the left. A yellow cloth decorated his left arm. "Your sword is said to have magical powers. Is it true?"
"It has the power to defeat Aku."
"Wish I could do that!" the other hawk sighed. His left arm bore a green cloth. "Oh, sorry. I'm Daka."
"And I'm Eer," the other added. They both tried to shake the same hand simultaneously.
"You have very unusual names."
"It's the first word we say!" chimed in Kraah. "Isn't that how it is with you?"
"No. In my culture, names have meanings."
"What's 'Jack' supposed to mean?" asked Eer. This was met with silence for a few seconds.
"Simplicity."
"It figures," shrugged Daka.
"If you had told me that, I would've understood it," said Kraah.
"Would you please explain to me the meaning of these cloths you wear?"
"You mean these?" questioned Eer, indicating the cloth he wore. A nod confirmed his inquiry. "Oh, these tell the rank of warrior we are. Orange is the lowest and black is the highest. White means that the wearer can't go to war. It's just our way of telling each other apart." A smile, then a glance at the food. The smile widened. They were serving smoked salmon with small slices of the orange fruit. He picked up the wooden cup before him and tasted the drink. It was fresh spring water. The hawks around him ate savagely but he chewed his food with dignity and reserve. The salmon was delicious and the orange fruit was wonderful, although it tasted nothing like oranges. It seemed as if the Birds had perfected eating and talking at the same time to an art form. He was the only silent one in the whole group.
"You know my son broke his training stick today? I'm so proud!"
"I fought off some of Aku's troops today."
"My wife doesn't trust me with the kids!"
"Fish again? Didn't we have this last night?"
"Ukk thinks he's so great just 'cause he can beat me at arm wrestling."
"Elbows off the table!"
"Momma, I wanna go play after we eat!"
"I have sentry duty after this."
"You going to finish that?"
This continued on throughout the entire meal. It was a marvel that they managed to get any of it down their throats without chocking. Pieces of salmon meat constantly flew from their beaks but they paid it no mind. He cleaned his plate and got up from his seat. The conversation died down and every eye watched him make his way to the elder. His wooden sandals clomped loudly in the silent room. He bowed before the old hawk.
"The food was delicious. I thank you very much." Weary yellow eyes made a slow journey upward.
"Are you leaving?" wheezed the elder.
"I fear I must be on my way." The elder motioned to the two young hawks that were on either side of him. They obediently helped him to his feet. They both wore orange cloths on their left arms.
"I told you that you would not be a stranger when you left, and I'll keep that promise." He took off a necklace and held it towards the samurai. At the end was what looked like a wooden whistle. "You are a friend of the Birds forever. If you ever need help or a place to rest your feet, blow this and one will come to you." It was taken by grateful hands.
"I am honored by this gift. Thank you for accepting me as a friend. I will be sure to call upon you if the need arises." He bowed again and put the gift around his neck.
"There is one more thing," continued the elder. "Kraah!" Although the old hawk's voice was soft, the one he called came to him in a matter of moments. Kraah skidded over, coming to a stop before he bowled into the startled wanderer. The other hawks chuckled in amusement.
"Yes, sir?"
"Kraah will see you back on the ground." Kraah couldn't hide his pleasure.
"Really? Thank you, sir!" Kraah grabbed the samurai's arm again. "You know the drill, Jack!" There was a sigh and again Kraah had a burden on his back. The jovial hawk put his left hand on his right arm and bowed his head. "See you soon, Elder." The elder nodded, struggling to hide his amusement. Kraah spread his wings and flew off down to where he had found the wanderer. The beating of drums bid them farewell, along with the cacophony of thousands of Birds talking over each other. Again the man was assaulted by the air rushing past him. Minutes of this brought him safely to the ground. He climbed off his new friend, his legs wobbly from the trip. He regained his composure shortly.
"No offense to you and your people, but being on the ground again is very comforting," said he breathlessly.
"Yeah, I guess so," agreed Kraah. He slapped the samurai once again. This time the warrior was ready and did not stumble. "It was nice to know you."
"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well. Thank you again for all that you have done for me." Kraah put his left hand on his right arm and bowed his head as he had done before.
"Daily strength to you, Samurai Jack. Good luck in your journey." The samurai imitated the gesture.
"Daily strength to you, Warrior Kraah," said he. "Best of luck to you as well." He picked up his hat and returned it to its proper place. Kraah shot off and the samurai watched him as long as possible. He continued his travels with renewed strength and purpose. He could feel the wooden whistle around his neck, a reminder that he would always have a place to rest his feet.
End
A/N: If you haven't guessed, these Birds are my creations. If they resemble any creature that's been on Samurai Jack, I'm going to be very frightened. The gesture of placing their left hand on their right arm and bowing is a sign of respect, just in case you're wondering. I am aware that the name "Jack" doesn't exactly mean "simplicity", but that fits his personality. Oh, and I didn't refer to the samurai by his name because it almost seemed disrespectful. That's about it.