Chapter 6: Burning Revenge
Frieda quickly ordered Mercury to lead everyone outside and tell the ones on the hunt to stay close by the tree but in a safe distance.
I did not understand why she acted that way, but the rock up of this owl leader didn't feel like a good sign.
Soon after, all Silverwings were outside Tree-Heaven and spread out on the surrounding branches and trees in the forest, including Mercury, Shade and I.
Frieda however, landed beside the other elders on a gnarled branch of the nursery. In front of them stood a menacing-looking great horned owl. A male. Big and muscular with yellowish white and brown feathers and a thick white beard. On each of his wings were patterns of three orange stripes that gave his appearance a military look.
''General Brutus, please accept my deepest apologies for keeping you waiting,'' Frieda greeted him formally with a slight bow.
''Where are the boy and that human?'' the general asked, his yellow-brown eyes staring sternly down at the Silverwing elder.
''They are over there,'' she said, pointing over to us on the tree.
Chinook, Breeze and Todd, who stood with us, quickly moved away and flew over to another branch. Giving the owl general a good view on us.
Brutus kept a straight face, but I could see in his eyes that it surprised him to see a tiny human like me.
''So it really is true,'' I heard him saying thoughtfully to himself before turning his attention back to the Silverwing leader. ''Bring them both to me, so we can settle this.''
I gulped hearing him say this and pressed my body closer to the bark while Ariel came over to wrap her wings protectively over her son. He and I exchanged a short worried look then glanced back ahead.
''No!'' Frieda declared, causing Brutus to frown at her.''
''Do as I say!'' he ordered.
''I will not.''
''Frieda,'' the owl general unfurled his large wings to make himself look more menacing while trying to reason with her. ''Such a decision jeopardizes the balance of nature,'' he said firmly and I felt like I've just misheard something. Was this guy for real?
''Brutus,'' Frieda spoke up, ''You and I have flown in this forest for far too long. You don't really believe that one young bat and his friend glimpsing the sun will upset the balance of nature, do you? Look into your heart. Please, for old times' sake.''
''I will not be manipulated,'' growled the General, ''The past is in the past. Emotions have no place in the law's execution.''
I raised my eyebrow in confusion, wondering what they were talking about, but before I could ask Shade about it Bathsheba interfered, agreeing with the owl.
''My point exactly. The owls were well within their...''
''General Brutus,'' Frieda quickly interrupted the shorter bat, ignoring the angry look on her face. ''With all your respect as head of this colony, I stand firm on this. I will sacrifice no Silverwings or other creature for the sake of your unjust law.''
''UNJUST LAW?'' Brutus was outraged, his neck feathers bristled in anger. With one strong flap of his large wings, he flew down to the branch where the elders stood and stared directly down into Frieda's eyes. ''Give us the boy and the human!''
''No,'' Frieda replied without batting an eye while the other elders quickly fled in fear.
''I have spoken,'' she said with her hand clenched into a fist.
Brutus smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile, more of a vicious one. ''Very well,'' he said and soared back into the sky. ''Prepare to suffer the consequences!''
With a very disquieting feeling in my guts, I watched the owl general fly back to the treetops while the Silverwings began chattering nervously, wondering what Brutus had meant.
Suddenly I heard Bathsheba gasping in fright and looked up to see at least forty owls flying in arrow formation and with burning sticks and branches in their claws.
To my horror, the owls dropped their cargo straight down on Tree-Heaven like aircraft bombs, causing the old tree to be caught up in flames immediately.
The surrounding bats immediately took off in panic and fled deeper into the forest. Only a handful of them was brave enough to dash towards the fire in hope to save their summer home.
With leaves and their own wings, they tried their best to extinguish the flames, but it was too much.
To make matters worse, the owls were still there. With no effort, they pushed away each bat who dared to go near the burning tree. And one of them even digged a hole into the bark to push his stick inside to cause the tree to burn from the inside as well.
The sight was horrible. The flames were so bright and the heat burned my skin. Frantically I looked around trying to find Shade, Ariel or Mercury. But all I could see and hear was the fire and the dreadful screams of the bats and the guttural laugh of the owls.
I frowned, feeling furious of what they had done and I climbed down the branch as fast as I could before anyone could stop me and hurried over to the burning tree. I was not even close when I got engulfed by the smoke that caused me to cough and filled my eyes with tears, making it even harder for me to see.
Still, I kept walking. Knowing that I had to do something. There was no way I would just sit back and watch Tree-Heaven burn down. It was their home. The Silverwings invited me here and took me in as one of their own. It was practically my duty to at least try to help them. Only question was how? The smoke was too heavy and the heat too intense to get any further. Nevertheless, I kept going until I spotted a flickering light right in front of me.
Without thinking, I dashed over, wanting to put it out and immediately yanked back with a gasp, feeling something pulling me back. I quickly turned around, thinking it was one of those blasted owls but to my surprise, I saw Mercury grabbing my arm with a sorrowful expression on his face.
''Stop it Vanessa it's no use,'' he said calmly, ''The fire is too big.''
''Just watch me!'' I ripped my arm free and grasped a stick with leaves on it to suffocate the flames but like he had said. It was too strong. The leaves and the stick burned away before I could even put the flames halfway out. Though that didn't matter to me. I would just use something else even if that meant using my own dress.
But then I felt Mercury's hand grabbing my arm again and felt him pulling me away with soft force.
I struggled heavily, but he simply ignored my protests and continued to drag me away as far as possible. Then he took flight into the safety of the forest with me dangling under his feet.
The rest of the Silverwings did the same. Encouraged by the loud voice of Frieda.
''Silverwings retread! We must all retread now!''
I couldn't see where she was and just assumed she was safely away from the fire as well and grabbed on tightly on Mercury's feet until we reached another tree, far enough from the fire and landed down on a branch. After this, he quickly examined me to see if I was ok and not hurt, then told me to wait there and flew off to check on the others.
I only listened to him half-heartedly and watched with horror the inferno before my eyes, not noticing how Shade and his mother landed next to me on the branch.
''Vanessa! Thank's Nocturna, you are alright.'' Ariel quickly wrapped her wings around me, hugging me tightly. ''Is everything ok? Are you hurt?'' she asked worriedly, but I shook my head.
Sighting in relief Ariel let go of me and turned back to the conflagration.
Together with Shade, we watch the unstoppable destruction of Tree-Heaven. The fire was so intense not even rain could save it now. With a loud crack, one of the burning branches broke off and fell into the lake.
A few branches above us Brutus chuckled with glee for what he and his owls had done and triumphantly raised his wings up high. ''Justice has been served,'' he called out with rejoice and then withdrew with his people.
''What a bastard'', I thought, glaring at him and wished I could do something to make him pay.
Moments later, the three had burned down to its roots and a strangely looking column of smoke rose out from the flame together with a wave of ghostly voices whispering through the air.
''W-what's that strange smoke coming out of the fire?'' I heard Breeze asking with fear.
''The echoes of our history have been lost,'' Frieda explained, ''but history is kept in memory as well. As long as Silverwings fly our heritage will never be lost.''
Next to me, Shade let out a deep sigh. ''What now?'' he asked his mother, but Ariel just shook her head ''I'm not sure,'' she admitted.
''We would still have a home if we handed those troublemakers over to the owls,'' Bathsheba complained while looking at Frieda with her wings crossed.
''Finding a new home is easier than replacing a child and Vanessa did nothing wrong,'' Frieda replied and flew over to a higher branch to get the attention of the whole colony.
''Since our home has been destroyed, we must begin our migration to Hibernaculum early,'' she said causing the Silverwings to chatter worriedly.
''Unbelievable,'' Bathsheba called out with disgust and fluttered over to another branch, even higher than Frieda. ''Sacrificing our summer roost for a human and a scrawny bat too small to make the migration anyway,'' she said and glared excoriated down on Shade and me.
''Too small?'' Shade growled glaring back then looked around, hearing the other Silverwings whispering. Looking around as well I noticed how many of them backed away while starring at us and how the mothers wrapped their wings protectively around their children as if we could hurt them just by looking.
Even Chinook threw a cold glance at us before turning away.
I couldn't help but glared back knowing everything was his fault too
Then I looked back up again and saw Mercury landing beside Frieda on the branch.
''Dawn is coming soon. We have to start moving,'' he said insistently.
''Silverwings,'' Frieda cried out to the colony, ''We must ready our children for the long journey ahead.''
Shade took a deep breath then looked at his mother resolutely. ''I can make it,'' he said.
''Of course you can. Shade, I have to sing our migration sound map to you now. You need to know the way to our winter roost,'' she said.
His eyes widen. ''The whole thing?''
''There is no time to sing it to you in stages like we usually do.''
He sighted, ''Ok.''
''Close your eyes and listen well.''
I watched Ariel singing the sound map to her son just like the other mothers did and began to ask myself what would happen now. The wind increased, and I started to shiver a bit, but I tried to ignore it. Looking back at Shade it seemed for a moment he had lost his balance on the branch, but then he luckily caught himself and flew back on top of it, shaking his head.
''Did you get all of it Shade?'' Ariel asked worriedly. Shade looked somewhat uncertain at first but then nodded. ''I... uh... I think so.''
Soon all pups were ready for the flight and the autumn wind increased even more, causing my hair and various leaves to dance through the air.
At the top of her branch, Frieda spread out her wings and flew off to start the journey and one by one each of the Silverwings began to follow her.
I kinda felt a bit nervous knowing we were now starting this long flight and I could see it in Shade's eyes that he was probably thinking about the same.
As almost everyone else was up in the air Mercury flew over to us and called out to Ariel and Shade to hurry up. Then he wanted me to climb on his back but Ariel told him I should better fly with her in case Frieda needed him.
Mercury nodded and flew back ahead while I climbed onto Ariel's back.
''Ready?'' I asked Shade and smiles a bit, trying to feel optimistic.
''Ready,'' he replied and took flight together with his mom and the rest of the Silverwings.