Shade Silverwing flew frantically around and through Tree Haven in the mid-Summer on a hot night. Nights weren't usually this hot, and he himself was molting heavily. Nobody really liked the heat, especially the newborns, who complained constantly about just about everything. The heat being one of those very topics to complain about. Heat made every creature irrational. Heat, just a hot night, was not good.
Shade was on a little mission to get some Java leaves for poor little Cray, a newborn Silverwing bat who had fallen gravely ill. The females around the nursery roost knew how to handle these kinds of things. It was easy for them. Shade, however, was clueless. He only did what the mothers told him to do. How was he supposed to know better? He was really supposed to be at Stone Hold with all the other males.
Stone Hold was the roosting place for all the male bats during the summer. Most of them were fathers, but some of the others were just young male bats who hadn't found a mate yet, like some of the females at Tree Haven. Shade's son Griffin was at Stone Hold, where Shade should be.
Shade made it a choice whether or not a male should come to Tree Haven or to stay at Stone Hold. The elders said that it would go against the natural order of things, but Shade wanted to be at the nursery roost with his mate, and his newborn daughter. He was restless, and the thought of not seeing them all summer made him agitated. He had too much curiosity. But he loved being with his mother Ariel. His mate Marina. And his newborn daughter who he'd met for the first time recently, Celeste.
He was the only male at Tree Haven. No other males wanted the responsibility of working with the crying newborns and helping out around the roost. Too much work. Sure they wanted to see their newborns and mates, but still. It was easier at Stone Hold, and Shade realized that now.
He finally brought back the java leaves for Cray. He simply handed them over to the mothers, and watched as they went to work. He'd be okay, Cray would heal from his sickness soon.
"Thank you Shade, that will be all," his mother told him. Shade nodded and flew off to his own little families roost. Marina and Celeste would be there waiting for him for a good day's rest.
He arrived only to find Marina there waiting for him. No Celeste.
Shade roosted beside Marina, who was in the process of grooming herself. She looked over and smiled at him, slid closer, and nuzzled his neck with her face pressed on. She pulled back a little, and Shade slowly folded his wings over his her, drawing her close. He breathed in her scent with his eyes gently closed, then opened his eyes and nuzzled his partner on her face. They both smiled at each other.
"Where's our daughter?" Shade asked
"She's out with some of the other newborns. She promised me she would be back soon, but you know how these little ones are; always playing games." Marina replied
Shade smiled, "Of course." He quickly switched to a different topic. "The females don't seem too happy that I'm here."
"You have to remember that you being here is not the natural way of things. Only one male is supposed to be here during the nursing season. The females aren't used to having males around. And this heat isn't helping anyone's attitudes. But in time they will get used to you being here. Give it time Shade."
"Do you disagree with me being here?" Shade asked.
"It's unusual, I'll admit, but I'm glad you're here with me, I'm so glad." Marina said as she leaned against Shade. He had died and came back to life with the help of his family after he chased his son Griffin down into the underworld. He was lucky, and so very appreciative with his life more than ever.
He kept her in his wings, she was always so warm. She always made him feel complete. From friends to mates; they became. Two children along with the family.
"I like it here. I wish my father and Griffin were here, and Chinook. It feels a little wrong leaving them behind." Shade said as he started to clean Marina.
"Who's leaving who behind Shade? They left; you stayed. Plain and simple. There is nothing to feel bad about. We will see them again soon. And they have the option to come back if they want, though not recommended."
"Stone Hold was always so dull, but here there is constant action. I like it…most of the time," Shade smiled, "The whining however is something I could go without. I guess I was like that when I was born though, especially being so small and all."
Marina smiled, "They all whine, even adults whine. No one's ever happy right?"
"I am," Shade said warmly to Marina. "I always wish I could be this happy, with my family and all. It's easier this way, compared to adventuring everywhere. But that's part of our family and everyone knows it."
"Yes, yes it is," Marina smiled, then looked off in the distance. "I hope Celeste comes back soon, if she doesn't I may ground that girl. She knows she shouldn't be out this long." Marina sighed.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon from wherever she is. She is a good little one. Just like me." Shade said in a sarcastic voice.
His smile quickly turned into a frown of concern, "What's wrong?" he asked after Marina started to look away uncomfortably.
She looked up, then down at her feet uncomfortably. She brushed her wing along the side of her face, and some fur came off from the intense heat; molting a little. She flicked her wing away with the fur, looking annoyed with it, then finally looked at Shade's eyes, "Now Shade, understand that she IS a newborn, so she runs her mouth a little with impulsiveness. And also remember that you are here and not at Stone Hold like all the other males."
"I don't understand what you're getting at Marina," and Shade began to worry a little. Was he annoying his daughter or something? Was she embarrassed that he was here and not away like he apparently SHOULD be? Being a father to Griffin was okay, a father and son relationship. Griffin respected him, but did Celeste? He didn't know his daughter as much as Marina did. Shade would sometimes try to talk to his daughter but he could tell that she seemed to drift off during there conversations, as if she stopped listening to him talk. He wanted to be a good father like he was to Griffin. Off from a distance, he would sometimes see Marina and Celeste giggling at one another, Celeste had her mother's tinkly laugh. He had yet to have a TRUE conversation with her, or at least a GOOD one. Celeste seemed to find him annoying, now that he really thought about it.
"I'm assuming that she finds me annoying. I have sensed for a while now that she seems uncomfortable around me, or at least like she doesn't want me around." Shade said with a sniff. He tried to look okay, but his thoughts were getting the best of him…again.
Marina looked at him and cupped his face gently with her wings, "That has a lot to do with what I was going to say. Shade, she's young, she doesn't mean a lot of the things she says. She's not like Griffin, she's very stubborn. She told me that apparently she's getting trouble from other newborns that you're here. They are asking if you're really a female." Marina looked at him awkwardly, then turned her head to the side.
Shade opened his eyes wide, then looked down. His mouth was wide open and was breathing heavy, as if her were hit in the gut with a tree branch. He felt humiliated, his face burned red. "Then maybe I should leave, if it's for the best. For my daughter, I will."
"No Shade! You stay here with us. We love you. Celeste does love you, she is just young and impulsive, like you." Marina said
Shade sniffed, "I always wanted to know my father. I would never be ashamed of my parents. And I think we are good parents, after all we've been through. I even died once. How many bats can say that? I am trying to raise a family, no easy task. But like I said, I always loved my parents, I love my children, and I love my mate."
Marina looked intently into his eyes, "Shade, you are a great father, give it time. Maybe she is just afraid you won't like her or something, like Griffin was. You're a hero, remember that. You found me and gave me a new home. You destroyed the Vampyrum, and saved the sun for us. You gave your life to save our son. You've done incredible things, and never forget that."
Shade couldn't help but smile, "That's a nice rather rehearsed speech for motivation. Maybe you should be an elder. You could help counsel bats. I'll put in a good word with my mother."
"I'll think about it!" and Marina laughed. "That's years to come. We need to focus on our children right now." Marina looked off into the distance, "Celeste needs to come back now, she should know better by now. I'll be back, I'm going to go g…"
"No," Shade interrupted, "I'll go find her. I could use a little time with her. It can only help build our relationship. I'll be back shortly."
