The two females chuckled as they performed swoops, barrel rolls, and other acrobatic feats of stratospheric skill. "Last one to Stone Hold is owl food!" Aurora, the eldest of the triplets yelled out to her sister.
"You're on!" Celeste returned
"Now, ladies, stay were I can see you." Their mother replied.
"Aw, mom, you never let us have any fun." Replied Celeste.
"Maybe you better listen to what mommy said." Came a weak little voice from Luna's belly.
"Who said you could talk?" Asked Aurora.
"Yeah, you can't even fly yet, runt." Celeste added.
"Now, children, just because Shadow's wings are underdeveloped doesn't mean he doesn't matter."
"Mama, you always take his side."
"Because you always pick on him. It's not his fault he's small. If one of you was getting picked on, I'd stand up for you as well. I love all my children equally. Now apologize to your brother."
"We're sorry." They responded in chorus unenthusiastically.
"Mama's male." Aurora added under her breath.
As he clung to his mother, Shadow wept. He hated that he'd been born small. His sisters were always picking on him. He also disliked being mollycoddled and being fed bugs his mother had mulched up herself. The only reason he put up with it was because he was too weak to fly or stick up for himself. He'd been practicing flying while alone at Tree Haven, but always while no one was looking, and it was usually no more than ten wingbeats, with the exception of the time he almost doubled it. His mother had been so worried about him. When she'd returned from hunting that night, she'd found him crumpled in a heap, barely breathing, clammy, deathly pale, and with almost no pulse. The elders did all they could. Eventually his heart rate and breathing started quickening. Three nights later, he came to, groggy and with a massive headache, but otherwise unharmed. Ever since then, Luna took him with her when she went hunting. "I hate being born small." He stated ruefully, his throat thick with anguish as he dug his face into her warm comforting fur and took in her smell.
"I know you do, baby." Luna stated comfortingly.
"Will I ever be as strong as you say daddy was?"
"Sure." She stated uncertainly. She added, "If it makes you feel any better, daddy wasn't sure he'd be as strong as Grandpa Shade, and look what happened."
"I wish I could have met Grandpa Shade."
"He was a great bat. You know, in a way, you were named after him."
"Why didn't you name me 'Shade', then?"
"Because we also wanted you to be your own bat, leave your own set of echoes in time. Did you know he was born a runt, too?"
Shadow's ears pricked at this news. "Grandpa Shade? Didn't he defeat, like, thirty owls at once?"
"According to your father, it was only six, but that's still a mighty impressive number. He also brought us back the sun and rescued hundreds of bats. Now get some rest. Don't worry; we'll be there in a few hours." Shadow's heart lightened at this news, and he smiled as he gripped his mother closer. "There he is." Luna said as she said as she singled out a male bat.
"Dad!" The adolescent females called out as they raced to their father.
"Aurora? Celeste?" Griffin asked as he dropped from their roost and turning around. "Kits!" He added as he and his grandfather swooped to meet them. Soon the air was filled with males rushing to meet their families. "Which one's which?" He asked as he drew near.
"I'm Aurora!" Stated the one with the longer wings.
"And I'm Celeste!" Added the one with the smaller ears.
"I've been waiting so long to meet you! Where's Shadow?" Griffin asked, worried, as usual.
"The weakling's clinging to mom." Aurora replied.
Flicking her with his wing, Griffin admonished, "Don't talk about your brother that way."
"Yes, sir." They responded with humility.
"Just like mom." Aurora muttered.
"I know, right?" Confirmed Celeste.
Winging his way over to his beloved mate, Griffin noticed a small, shivering bundle clutching to her like the two of them were the last bats on Earth. "Shadow, do you want to say hi to daddy?" Luna asked as the three of them roosted.
A little eye peered out from Luna's belly before the face buried itself back into her torso. "No." Came a scared little voice.
"It's ok; he's just a little shy."
"I don't blame him. Don't worry, little guy, there's no reason to be afraid." Griffin responded. Shadow just clung closer to Luna. "I missed you." He added, nuzzling his mate.
"I missed you, too. It's been too long."
That morning, as the bats started roosting with their families, Griffin surveyed the cave. He'd forgotten how many Silverwings there were in the colony. Looking around, he saw Cassiel and Ariel nuzzling, Skye and Rowan with their newborn Odysseus, Falstaff with his mate Artemis, Luna's sister, and their twins Diana and Apollo; Chinook and his mate Persephone, along with their daughter Hera and her mate Zeus, who were roosting with their son Heracles, the twin elders Helen and Circe, and hundreds of other families, just to name a few.
A few days later, and the colony found themselves on the move again, this time making the final part of the migration. The way was long and treacherous, but they made it without losing a single bat, although it was a miracle Shadow had survived the journey. Days later, and suddenly they heard the roar of falling water smashing against rocks hundreds of feet below. Griffin's heart gave a leap. At long last they'd arrived.
"Hang on tight!" Luna yelled to Shadow. Feeling his claws pinch deeper into her fur, Luna pulled herself into a climb with the rest of the colony as Griffin swooped underneath them, ready to catch Shadow at a moment's notice. Flapping violently, they followed the colony to an outcropping that hung over the mouth of the cave like some giant stone branch.
A few days later, just as the colony was finally settling down for winter, there came a sudden commotion at the mouth of the cave. Soon the air was filled with bats, Griffin's echovison a silver blur from the cacophony of sound created by wings and voices.
"They've returned!" observed one bat.
"I thought they were dead." Pondered another.
"No, I saw them and they're very much alive." Stated another.
"Who? Who's returned? Who's alive?" Griffin queried as he lit from his roost. It didn't take long to see, though, because soon he saw his father conversing with a bat he didn't recognize who lay spread-eagle facing upwards on the floor while three other equally unfamiliar bats were being attended to.
"Grandpa, who are these bats?" he asked as he landed on all fours next to Cassiel.
Looking from Griffin to the stranger, Cassiel stated, "This is my grandson, Griffin."
"You must be Shade's son." Stated the newcomer.
"Yes, he is." Added Cassiel. Looking at Griffin, he gestured toward the other three bats as he mentioned, "These are three of your uncles, and this," he finalized, "is my best and oldest friend in the world, Icarus."
A/N: Icarus alive? One brother missing? What happens next? Find out in the next chapter.
