Trapped?
Shade looked up at an old Hoary bat that was fluttering down to them, she looked really old but not as old as Freida. She had a human band on her left wrist, and a pale, pointy beard. She had the most dazzling eyes beautiful, intelligent eyes but something looked very hard about them, probably the white specks reminded him of Bathsheba.
"My name is Arcadia"
"I am Freida Silverwing, we have come from Hibernaculum a two night journey from the east."
"We are so happy that you have arrived, come roost with me there is much to explain." Arcadia said.
She led them through the canopy and onto a near by maple tree. Shade landed next to Marina and kept his groan in as he saw Chinook land on her other side.
"I hope this doesn't take too long, I am starving." Shade heard Chinook whisper complainingly.
Shade kept his eyes on Arcadia, she turned and looked at them all in the eyes. Shade felt a light tremor as her dazzling eyes gazed at him.
"There is no need to be nervous or afraid, you are safe now. All of us know how confusing and rough the journey was and even more confusing when we ended up here. Your journey is over now, as you can see the Humans have built the perfect home for us, the trees and grass are always green, there are plenty of insects, the stream never freezes, it is always warm even when winter comes around and all bats are welcome there is plenty of room here." Arcadia explained.
"How many are here?" Freida asked.
"Over several thousand." Arcadia replied.
Shade looked over at his mother and caught her gaze, he knew what she was thinking. One of those several thousands bats was his father. His claws clenched impatiently into the bark, he just wanted to fly away and search for his father.
"What were the voices outside?" Freida asked curiously.
"The call, to summon us, my group was the first to arrive about two months ago." She said with a bit of smugness in her voice."The forest was completely empty, as if Nocturna had just created it."
"But were did the voices come from?" Shade frowned as he blurted that out.
Arcadia turned her eyes on him and they looked hard and firm, he could tell she did not approve of young bats asking questions. Not being able to hold his tongue longer he blurted out.
"I mean, if this place was empty than how did you hear other bats?"
"That...is a mystery" Arcadia said ending the discussion.
"There are no other birds or beasts in here?" Freida asked.
Shade looked up at the sky, he knew he was allowed to because he fulfilled the promise and these bats probably didn't because they would probably be to lazy to fly up to the portal and get out.
"Of course there isn't, there are no birds nor beasts in here, just bats." Arcadia grinned.
"But why?" Shade blurted out." Why have they built this place for us?"
"To fulfill Nocturna's promise." Arcadia said sharply.
"I already did that, we are at peace with the owls and the beasts." Shade said smugly.
"Dream on young one, now come and s-"
"It's true!" Marina blurted out cutting Arcadia off.
"Yeah, it is true!" Chinook said.
"It is true!" the whole group shouted.
"Silence!" Freida shouted lifting her wing.
"Is it?" Arcadia asked.
"Yes, Shade here got blown off course while on our why to Hibernaculum that is why we have Brightwing with us Marina who he met on the island. Shade, Marina? want to take it from here?" Freida asked.
"Sure!" both said in unison as they grinned at each other.
Shade and Marina told them their journey and all about Goth, Throbb, Orestes and the others. Shade even used his echo projection to show them Goth and Throbb.
When they finished lots of the bats looked pretty stunned that a runty newborn, that had a rare gift defeated two cannibal bats and brought back the sun. Arcadia was half convinced that Shade brought back the sun. Speaking of the sun it had fully risen but it looked darker than usual, Shade looked over at Marina. The words died on his lips, he felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Her bright fur was shiny, sleek and beautiful on her slender body, her blonde hair basically looked like the sun the way it was shining, he looked at her jade green eyes which were brighter than ever with a miniature sun in each of them. He gawked at her for a moment until she looked at him with a warm grin, Shade grinned back dreamily then snapped out of it and told her.
"The sun is brighter than this."
"I know, I have seen remember? You brought it back." She said playfully.
"Oh...I forgot..."He said sheepishly as she giggled.
Ariel flew down an roosted beside Shade.
"Lets find your father." She said excitement gleaming in her eyes.
Shade's heart jolted, he would finally meet his father, but why hadn't he come back for them?
"We have come looking for someone." Ariel said to Arcadia."Cassiel Silverwing?"
"Mmmm Cassiel, so many have come let me try..." She raised her voice and called."Is there a Cassiel Silverwing among us? Spread out the word!"
"Cassiel Silverwing?"
"Cassiel are you here?"
"Cassiel?"
"Cassiel Silverwing?"
The voices died down and Ariel's ears folded back againest her head in disappointment.
Shade still looked around hopeful and hoping he would fly out from the bushes or something.
He never came.
"I am dreadfully sorry." Arcadia said.
"Thank you for trying" Ariel said sadly.
Shade heard voices all around him and his mother saying sorry. He looked at Arcadia straight in the eyes.
"No. He was here last spring, he has got to be. He knew about this place! He must have come here before anyone else!" Shade insisted.
"When my group arrived we were the first here." said Arcadia firmly. "There were no bats in this forest and not a banded Silverwing by that. I am sorry to tell you the bad news but be happy for the Paradise you have found."
Shade glared at her angrily and flew off, his eyes blinding him with tears which were threatening to go over the edge. He flew deep down in the canopy and branches and forced himself not to cry. He was going to search the place clean to make sure, that bearded old bat didn't know everything she probably wasn't even an elder.
Shade saw his mother roost next to him from out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't look at her her eyes probably looked liked his and he new he would start sobbing.
"He is alive." Shade said angrily through gritted teeth."Zephyr said so."
"Well, maybe Zephyr was wrong we can't spend our whole lives looking for him Shade, maybe the owls did get him that night." She said sadly.
"Zephyr was not wrong! and why not? it would be worth it!" Shade stated.
"You are so restless, so like him" Ariel smiled a little."Every journey has to end somewhere, Shade..."
"You are giving up?" He asked, stunned.
"Giving up? is that what it is? Plenty of others have lost mates and it is just one of those cruel, unavoidable things." She sighed.
"Why do you have to sound so sensible." Shade said grumpily.
"I am an adult. By the way I am not so unlucky, I have you. And I am not to old to have more newborns."
"Y-you can't!" Shade said shocked.
She laughed gently."How do you know your father hasn't done the same thing?"
"He wouldn't, I wouldn't." Shade said crossing his arms.
His mother said nothing. Shade thought about his father miserably. I don't know anything about him, never met him and probably never will. Shade thought angrily.
"He is always just a few wingbeats ahead of me! Why doesn't he just give us a sign or slow down! Millions of wingbeats I have come for this and he isn't here!" Shade let out his anger, disappointment, frustration and confusion.
"He may have never reached thid place you know." Ariel sighed.
"How can you just give up." Shade muttered.
"It is time to think about more important things now Shade, you have to take care of Marina." She said.
"Oh I think she is fitting in just fine." Shade snorted. "She knows how to take care of herself and she is more popular than me as well, and the way Chinook hangs around-" Shade said stopping immediately."What do you mean I have to take care of her?"
"Like I said, she is not a Silverwing and she may feel like a outsider and she is good at hiding things."
"I know I know." Shade said impatiently.
"So restless." Ariel said touching his cheek."Be proud of what you have done Shade, you brought peace to the birds and the beasts and the sun." She said and then dropped from the branch to go and hunt.
Half an hour later...
"We must tell the others back at Hibernaculum, they have the right to know that we have found a better place." Freida was saying.
Shade listened from next to the stream with Marina and the other Silverwings.
"I am afraid it will not be possible for you to return to Hibernaculum." Arcadia said casually.
Who is she to tell what or what not to do? Beard breath... Shade thought angrily.
"I do not understand." Freida said remaining clam.
"The rest of your colony made their choice, they did not want to come."
"If they hear of this place, they may change their minds." Freida said.
"This place was meant to be for those who had the strength, faith and courage to seek it." Arcadia said.
"Don't you think that is a bit severe?" Freida said calmly but a hint of annoyance.
"This is the way Nocturna wanted it, it has already been decided for us. Besides the door only opens one way." Arcadia said simply.
"We are trapped?" Shade blurted out.
Arcadia looked at him sharply."No one cannot be trapped in Paradise. This is your final stop, come to accept that young bat."
"Pfft, I have probably seen more than you beard breath..." Shade muttered so only he and Marina heard.
"Sorry didn't quiet catch that?" Arcadia said.
Shade ignored her.''Got to be a way out" Shade muttered.
Shade flew up to the portal and began scratching around it, slamming his shoulder into it and dug into the metal flap with his claws.
"Ugh, Marina, Chinook, give me some help over here!" Shade called out.
"Now that is enough!" Arcadia snapped angrily flying up.
"Only the Humans open those doors. I am shocked at this ungrateful behaviour, look around you. A forest that will remain green forever, plenty of bugs to catch and no birds or beasts! And who flees Paradise?"
"I am friends with the birds and the beasts, and if this is Paradise, why isn't there a way out?" Shade said bravely.
Shade looked over at his mother looked concerned or probably thought he was behaving poorly, Marina looked embarrassed she couldn't meet his eye maybe ashamed of him. Did she think it was childish to try and find away out?
"If it troubles you staying here. Perhaps you were not meant to come at all." Arcadia said fixing her cold, flashing eyes on him.
A/N So so so so sooooooooooooo sorry I have not been updating! Thank you my awesome reviewers spartan1320, blahhalb, silverwingizawsome and blckops1234231! :)