A/N: While I work on my next story for Earth 14, enjoy the second half of of Bird Song.
Tim tells his children a story to try to get them to sleep. Everyone is present in this tale, but what's unusual about them, they are all birds.
Bird Song: Rescue of Big Brother
Part 1: Stolen Food
It wasn't until several weeks later that Tim could finish the story. Like always, the bat family had to deal with what seemed like one crisis after another, until there was a lull in the action, which was rare. It was Ethan this time who asked his father about the birds in the life-tree. He had been having nightmares about the story, something Tim did not expect would happen. Ethan entered his father's room and crawled up on the bed.
"Hey, what's the matter, little one?"
"Bad dream," Ethan said.
"What was your bad dream about?" Tim asked his son.
"The owl and the baby bird."
"You mean from the story?"
"Uh huh," Ethan nodded his head.
"Ethan, I'm sorry, that story wasn't meant to give you nightmares,' Tim said. "Are you worried that the owl might catch the baby bird?"
"Uh huh. Like the owls did with you," Ethan said.
"Yeah, those pesky owls are a problem," Tim said. "But not to worry, we have your Uncle Dick to protect us, just like little Timoti has his big brother to protect him."
"Did he get back to the house?"
"Well . . . . "
Selina raced through the woods with Dick on her back. She carried Timoti as gently as she could in her mouth. Once she got back to the life tree, Selina placed the little birdie in the house. Tim's little heart was beating fast. Dick hurried to his little brother.
"Timmy," Dick rubbed up against his little brother, checking him over. "I was so worried."
" . . . The wind . . . . Was too strong," Tim panted out.
The bat made it back and landed at the birdhouse and crawled over to the hole. "Is he all right?" There was deep concern in his voice.
"He's a bit shaken up more than anything," Selina stated.
"You have to be more careful next time," Dick said as he rubbed his little brother's head with his wing.
Timoti was panting with his beak open. He pressed up against his brother for comfort. "Did you say next time?"
"That is only a taste of what the wind can do," the bat said. "Winds far worse than that have taken down whole trees. He fought the wind valiantly, but his wings are still weak. They need strengthening if he is to be able to fight against stronger winds."
"I can't hold him back any more," Dick said. "It was foolish of me to even try. I must help him, teach him how to fly."
"Finally," said Jay.
"That is wise of you," the bat said. "Your parents would want you to teach everything your brother needs to know."
"I need to ..."
"You need to . . . . What?"
"Nothing," Dick replied. He was chirping to himself, and his heart once again tried to close himself off. 'What is wrong with me? Why am I so opposed at wanting Timoti to learn to fly?'
Timoti pressed up against his brother. He was tired and hungry. His wings were sore from having tried to fight against the wind.
"He's definitely hungry," Jay said. "I hear his belly."
Timoti chirped out like a baby , his beak wide open, and fluttering his wings. The rest of the birds in the house couldn't help but chuckle at Timoti's antics.
"I better go find him some food," Dick said. He was about to fly out when in flew another robin, a female. 'Who is she and where did she come from?'
Solona had just caught a grasshopper for the gathering storm when she heard the sound of a baby bird. She was supposed to store the grasshopper while her daughter continued to work on strengthening their nest. She flew over to the house and without thinking she went in and fed the young bird with his mouth open wide.
Dick, seeing the female softly chirped to himself. 'She's beautiful.' Not since Kori did he see such a beautiful female bird.
"There you go young one," Then Solona noticed where she was. "Oh . . . . Forgive me. I did not mean to intrude. I just heard the sound of a hungry babe, and I just had to feed it."
"it's ...okay," Dick said. "Saves me a trip, Are you Solona?"
"Yes." Solona replied. "How do you know who I am?"
Dick tried to hide next to the bat. The bat had been telling him about a lonely female with a fledgling of her own, and wondering if they shouldn't join them in the house. Their nest was one of the nests that could get damaged in the coming storm.
The bat pushed Dick toward the female. She would make a good match for him. She also had a female fledgling that would need a mate someday.
Dick suddenly turned shy. "I...uh."
"Nest momma!" a young bird chirped loudly outside.
'Who was that?' Timoti thought.
"In here, Samantha," Solona chirped.
Samantha hopped in the house. "Momma you left me alone! You were gone so long. I had to find you."
"I'm sorry . . . I heard the distress of a baby bird in need of food, but now that I see him, he's not really a baby, he's just a little younger than you I think, just by a few days."
"You kept my nest momma from me," Samantha said as she hopped over to the nest within the house.
Timoti looked at her wide eyed and then frowned. "No I didn't. I didn't expect to be fed by her."
"You called out to her. You have your own nest momma." Samantha's wing darted out to point at the robin that was standing by the bat.
". . . . . he's my brother . . . . . ," Timoti tried to bury his head under his wing. The words caused a deep pang within Timoti's breast. " . . . . . I have no Momma . . . . ," he chirped out sadly.
Solona was surprised to hear those words, then she realized who the pair was. She stared at the male next to the bat. "You're Dick, the one who returned. Then that's Timoti. You lost your parents to the fox. We heard about it. Our nest is on the other side of the life tree. Daughter you should apologize, this bird wasn't trying to steal me away. It is a mother's instinct to want to care for the young."
"The young one was in distress," the bat stated. "The wind caught him and blew him away from the life tree. He was rescued from one of the owls by his brother with the help of Selina and myself." The bat played down his part. It was the truth, Dick had gone after his brother without waiting for back-up. It had been a brave thing to do.
"You rescued him?" Solona asked, her wide eyes looked at Dick.
"I did..."
"He ate my food!" Samantha chirped and hopped away.
"Daughter . . . . He was in distress. I shall get more . . . . Go back to the nest."
Timoti tried to hide under Dick's wing.
Samantha's feathers were ruffled, so she left to hop along the branches back to their nest.
"I apologize for my daughter," Solona said. "She will learn what it means to be a mother when she is older and has a family of her own."
"I understand," Dick said.
"I must find more food before the storm hits. You are lucky to be in a house. I just hope our nest holds. Without my mate it has been hard to keep the nest safe and clean. Forgive me, I should not tell you of my troubles. Perhaps we shall see each other in the tree, again." Solona hopped over to Timoti. "Do not mind Samantha. She is really a kind bird."
"I . . . . . I did not mean to eat your food," Timoti chirped out.
"Nonsense . . . I was happy to give it."
'She really doesn't have a mate?' Dick thought. 'Why would the bat tell him about her.'
"Um . . . . Good day," Solona said. "It is a really nice house." Solona went to the opening, exited, and spreading her wings, she went to get more food.
"Oh...she's pretty," Dick said, not realizing he had voiced that thought out loud.
"Some one's in love," Jay said.
"Mushy stuff," Timoti commented.
"All the mushy stuff," Terry added.
"Is it a bit warm in here?" Dick questioned. "I'm going to get some air." And he exited the house, following on the tail of the beautiful female he just met.
Continues with Part 2