Chapter 18: Safe traveling?

Shade let out a deep sigh at the sight of Goth's charred and tattered body all sprawled out on the ground. He looked badly burned with deep holes in the membrane of his wings and wads of smoke rising from his body.

''It's over Shade,'' Marina whispered while putting a hand on his shoulder, but he shook his head.

''No,'' he softly replied, ''It just began.'' He just knew it. He didn't know why, but this here ... this wasn't the end. It was far from it.

Shade turned away, not wanting to look at the dead Vampyrum any longer. His colony was safe now. Still, they're the owls, but at least they didn't have to worry about Goth anymore. Though, he kinda wished they had gone rid of him differently. He didn't believe that even someone like him deserved such an end like this.
Hearing Throbb's mournful cries in the close distance Shade decided it would be better to move on away from here. Not that he attacked them to avenge his cousin or something.

''Come on guys, let's leave!'' he said and was just about to lift off when Marina stopped him.

''Wait, Shade! Where is Vanessa?''

''Huh?'' he looked around. She was right. Their human friend was nowhere to see. Thereby he was sure she had been with me the whole time.

''I hope nothing happened to her,'' Orestes said worriedly and looked around, trying to spot her somewhere.

Marina looked at Shade reproachfully, ''I thought you would take care of her Shade.''

''I'm sorry,'' he exculpated myself, ''Everything happened so fast. I didn't notice her letting go of me. I thought she was still with me.''

Marina looked around, her face filled with worry. ''What if she got electrified as well? What if she is lying somewhere, is hurt or even dead?''

Shade was shocked. How could she even think of something like this?

''Vanessa is not dead,'' he insisted, ''She is doing fine. I'm sure of it. She is probably just hiding somewhere or something.'' He searched around hoping to find his human friend when Orestes suddenly called out for them.

''Marina! Shade! I think I found her.'' He pointed with his wingtip to a motionless body, lying only a few wingbeats away from us in the grass. The young Silverwing let out a sigh in relief, quickly recognizing Vanessa and flew over to her followed by Marina and Orestes.
There, he knelt down beside her and gently shook her shoulder in order to try waking her up but nothing happened.

''What's wrong with her?'' Marina asked.

''I don't know.'' Shade shook her again, more wildly this time. Still, no reaction. ''She is not dead. She can't be.'' ''Vanessa!'' Slowly he could feel panic raising inside him and began blaming himself for not having paid more attention to her as they flew over the fence. How could he even have lost her? Did she lose her grip and fell into the fence? No, she didn't look burned. Why didn't he check if she was still clinging to his feet?

Seeking help he turned to Marina. Seeing her looking shocked and distressed with tears shimmering in her eyes. ''Shade, is she...?''

He shook my head, shutting his eyes tightly to hold back his own tears. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. He did not want to believe that Vanessa just sacrificed herself to save them from Goth. Just no. No!

''Hey, guys. I think she is still alive!'' Wiping his tears off with the back of his hand Shade glanced up to see Orestes putting the tip of his wing on Vanessa's neck right under her chin. ''She still has a pulse. It's weak though, but it's there. And look she also still breathing.'' He pointed to a bunch of small grass stalks right under Vanessa's nose. I looked closer and noticed they were moving a little. Actuated by her soft breaths.

''Thanks Nocturna, she's okay,'' Marina let out a sigh sounding more than relieved. Shade too was relieved, but then he noticed her hand and gasped seeing the blood on it.

''Oh no. She is hurt,'' Orestes gasped. Having noticed it as well.

''What happened to her?''

Shade carefully picked up her wounded arm and inspected it closer. The bleeding seemed to have already stopped, and the rain had also washed most of it off. However, the skin looked torn with deep tooth marks in it. ''Goth must have bitten her.'' He frowned. Maybe it was good that he had died the way he did. He had nearly bitten her hand off.

Marina growled softly, probably thinking the same. ''We have to take care of her wound,'' she said and flew off to look for some healing herbs.

''I know of something that could help,'' Orestes lifts off as well and quickly returned with a bundle of long dark green leaves. ''Here,'' he said, offering them to me, ''Maybe we could use those to bandage her arm with.''

Shade smiled at him thankfully and took the leaves from him. Just then Marina returned as well with some red berries in her claws. He quickly recognized them as the same berries Zephyr had used when treating the tear on his wing. Like him, she squished them into a paste and carefully smeared it onto Vanessa's injury. Afterward, Shade used the leaves Orestes gave him and bandaged her arm to make sure the poultice wouldn't fall off and for her arm to heal better.

''That should do it,'' he said.

''We should get her out of the rain,'' Marina suggested and Shade nodded in agreement with his fur already soaking wet and dripping.

With Orestes help, they managed to take Vanessa over to a hollow tree and carefully laid her down inside on some moss. Since it was close to dawn the two bats quickly decided to take this place as their roost for the day. Unfortunately, it wasn't big enough for Orestes to get inside too, but the young owl didn't seem to mind about it anyway.

''That's alright,'' he said with a smile. ''I should head back now anyway. My dad is probably wondering where I am by now.''

''You think he may be worried about you?'' Marina asked.

Orestes sighed, shaking his head. ''Nah, he is more likely thinking I'm looking for some bugs or something.''

''Oh, ...''

''Well then, thank you for everything Orestes. I owe you one,'' Shade said, changing the subject and smiled at him.

''No problem,'' he replied smiling back, ''It was a pleasure for me to help you. And to even meet you guys as well.''

''We are glad to have met you as well Orestes,'' Marina said happily.
Shade nodded in agreement. He couldn't have said it any better himself.

The young horned owl made himself ready to go and took one last glance over to Vanessa. ''I never thought I would ever meet a human,'' he said softly, ''I hope she will wake up again soon.''

''Don't worry. I'm sure she will,'' Shade assured him, feeling confident about it.

He nodded. ''Alright. Goodbye then. Maybe someday we will see each other again.''

''That would be great,'' Shade replied and together with Marina he watched him fly off until they couldn't see him anymore. Then they went to roost and closed their eyes in order to get some sleep.

A few miles away from the three friends and the fire towers, the Silverwings choose to roost in a hollow pine tree.

Bathsheba, being one of those who did not feel sleepy yet, decided now would be a good time to hold a serious meeting with the other elders and Ariel.
Chinook hung also with them, even though he was a just newborn and therefore too young to be included. However, under the present circumstances, it didn't matter for Frieda. And Lucretia and Aurora were also okay with it. They had bigger problems to care about at the moment.
Only Bathsheba thought it was outrageous, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she immediately started the discussion with an, for her, urgent message:

''Frieda,'' she said, ''I think I speak for the entire colony when I say these roosting conditions are unacceptable.''

Chinook huffed and glared at the elder. ''You don't speak for me,'' he said. Slowly but surely he was getting tired of her constantly putting down Frieda's decisions.

''Chinook!'' Lucretia silenced him and gave him a stern look to remind him of his place before nodding to Frieda in order to let her speak.

''It was clearly not safe to stop at the fire towers,'' the chief elder indicated while looking at Bathsheba.

''For the record, I did counsel you not to take us there.''

''What?'' Ariel was outraged. ''You're the one who convinced her to take us there!''

The chubby elder gasped as if she got hurt by her words, ''Ariel! You're blaming me for this daymare of a migration? Your son, Shade and this ... human are both responsible for our entire situation!''

''Vanessa did nothing wrong!'' Chinook retorted angrily.

''That human is better of dead by now,'' Bathsheba snapped, ''One less of this barbaric species of her
the better for all of us.''

Chinook glared at her furiously. Then to his shock, he heard whispering among the colony, many of them agreeing with what Bathsheba just said.

''Please, everyone!'' Frieda called out, trying to calm everyone down. ''With the owls against us, we cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves. Try to get some rest. Tomorrow we join the males at Stonehold.''

With a nod, the others departed to find a place to sleep for the day. Only Chinook stood behind for a moment, glancing out of the knothole at the approaching dawn light. ''Please be okay,'' he thought emphatically, ''both of you.'' He then let out a sigh and fluttered over to his mother's roosting place.

The next evening I woke up with a groan. My whole body felt as if I recently decided to train as a stunt double for an action movie. Slowly and carefully I sat up and lifted my left hand to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I hissed as I felt pain in my wrist as I moved my hand and looked down at it to see leaves bandaged around it. For a second I wondered why it was there until I remembered what had happened.
I gulped thinking about the moment when Goth had bitten into my arm and hoped the wound wasn't too deep or would get an infection.

For now, it seemed just fine. My friends had done well, taking care of my arm while I was knocked out.
Thinking about them, I looked around, wondering where they were why also wondering about what had happened to Goth and Throbb. The last thing I remembered was that Goth followed me straight into the electric fence and got shot back into the sky like a rocket ship.

''Vanessa, you are awake!''

I turned around to see Marina flying down to me from her roost. To my surprise, she looked pretty relieved to see I'm awake.

''Is everything okay?,'' she asked, ''How are you feeling?''

I was a little baffled from the concern in her voice. Didn't she actually dislike me? Then again it was nice to know that she seemingly decided to be friendlier towards me now.

''I'm okay,'' I said smiling at her and looked around again, ''Where is Shade?''

''He went out to hunt, but he should be back in a few minutes or so.''

''I see.''

''Oh, and Orestes went back to his father.''

I nodded. Now that she said it. I had begun to wonder where he was. Too bad he had to leave before I could say goodbye to him. ''And what about ...?''

''Don't worry. We don't have to fear about them anymore.''

I blinked wondering what she meant by that when Shade came fluttering back into the tree.
''Vanessa, you are finally awake,'' he exclaimed looking happy to see me.

''She just woke up a few minutes ago,'' Marina explained.

''How long was I out?''

''Just the whole day. The sun went down two hours ago,'' she said.

''I see.''

Shade hopped closer and sat down beside me and Marina. ''Here that is for you. I'm sorry I couldn't find any berries, so I brought this for you instead. I hope it's okay.''

''It's fine Shade I ...'' Just as I was about to take the food he brought me I took a look down at his hand and saw he was offering me a big fat grub.

''Dear heavens! No, just no!''

''Eh, thank you...'' I said, smiling forcefully while I was actually screaming on the inside.

I looked less than happy at the thought of eating that thing. Seriously, couldn't he at least bring me a moth or something else more pleasing to look at? There was no way I could eat that, but I was hungry so ... Just then I heard chuckling and looked up in confusion to see Shade shaking a little with his lips pressed together.

''What's wrong?'' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Instead of answering he just chuckling even more. Eventually, he couldn't hold it back anymore and started laughing out loud. Now completely confused I looked at Marina wondering if she had a clue about what was going on with him, but she just shrugged. Looking as puzzled as I.

The Silverwing kept laughing a little while more until he finally calmed down.
''I-I'm sorry,'' he said wiping tears away from his eyes from laughing so hard, ''But you should've seen the look on your face Vanessa. That was just priceless.''

''Haha, very funny Shade,'' I thought, not looking very amused.

Eventually, Shade calmed down enough and opened his other hand to show me a freshly picked bunch of blueberries.

I wanted to kill him.

The Silverwing still chuckled a bit seeing the look on my face. ''I'm very sorry Vanessa. I just had to. I promise I won't do it again. Honestly.'' He offered me the berries, and I took them, even though I was angry at him for playing this joke on me, while he ate the grub himself.

''Was that really necessary Shade?'' Marina scolded him with a glare and her wings crossed before her chest, ''You know she doesn't like to eat bugs.''

''Hey, I apologized okay.''

''Guys, it's fine. Let's stop talking about it okay?!'' I said, not wanting to see them fighting.

''So, you are not angry with me?'' Shade asked looking at me hopefully.

I sighed. ''No, I'm not'' I said even though I actually was, but only a little. ''But you better not try this again.''

''I won't. Don't worry,'' he promised me then looked outside, ''I think it's time we should leave. Now that we got rid of those two meat-eaters our journey to Hibernaculum should be much easier now.

''Got rid of...?''

''Wait a second Shade! What do you mean with ''we got rid of those two meat-eaters''? What happened to them?''

Shade blinked at me in confusion. ''Did you forget what happened to Goth yesterday?''

I shook my head ''Uh, no. But all I remember is that he got himself burned by that electric fence and landed in some kind of ditch or something.''

''Well, he did,'' Shade replied, ''But that doesn't matter. Fact is, he's dead.''

''For real?'' I asked, looking surprised. Shade nodded happily.

''At least Goth is,'' mentioned Marina, ''As far as we know Throbb is still alive.''

''I don't think we need to worry about him much,'' Shade opined, ''His cousin was the more ... dangerous one of those two and since he is gone now. Everything will be fine.''

''But what about the owls?'' I asked.

''Orestes will probably tell his father what happened and if he needs to prove himself, he can also show him the place where Goth's body lies.''

I nodded. That sounded good to me. If Brutus saw Goth he would have no other choice than believe our words. Though who knows how long his body will be lying there before scavengers would come and eat him up. Then again the size of his bones should be proof enough. I bet Brutus had never seen such big bat bones in his life before.

Moments later I clung on to Marina's feet as we continued our journey towards Hibernaculum.
At first, the Brightwing was adamant to give me more time to rest, but I assured her that I was okay.
Still, she kept on checking on me whenever she thought she felt my grip losing on her feet.
Each time I smiled up at her and tightened my grip a little while trying to ignore the soft throbbing pain in my left arm.

After a few hours of flying Shade let out a deep sigh after looking around hopefully.

''Any trace of your colony?'' Marina asked, but he shook his head.

''Not even an echo. They can't be far from here, but we've got to rest!''

He sounded a bit exhausted as he flew down to a tree branch to roost with Marina following him. The young female set me down close to the trunk then hung upside down underneath.

''I don't mind flying on,'' she said.

''The Silverwings will be roosting too,'' Shade replied,'' We won't lose any time.'' He smiled happily, ''And now since Goth is dead, we don't have to worry about him any longer.''

''That's true,'' I said and sat down on the branch with my back leaning against the tree trunk. Slightly I wondered if Goth really kicked the bucket like Shade said.

''He has to be dead. There is no way he could've survived that.''

''So you guys think we will catch up with the Silverwings with less trouble now?''

''Positive!'' Shade smiled confidently and roosted beside the Brightwing. ''Oh- you are going to love the Silverwings, Marina. All of them! My mom, and Mercury ... and even Chinook!''

''And Frieda?''

''Especially Frieda. Everybody loves Frieda.''

I smiled while listening to him. Like them I couldn't wait to see the other Silverwings again.
I really missed them by now. Especially Mercury. He was the first bat I even met and who introduced me to Frieda and others. He also took good care of me during my time in Tree Heaven. He was like a close friend to me. ... No! More than that. He was like a father to me.

I sighed.
Mercury and Ariel were probably worried to death about me and Shade. Maybe they even thought we were dead or something. Too bad there was no way for us let them know beforehand that we were alright, like giving them ... a call or ... anything ... like that...

I woke up feeling someone shaking my shoulder just realizing I'd fallen asleep.

''Vanessa, is everything alright?''

Blinking my eyes open I noticed Marina looking at me with a worried expression on her face.

''Yeah, yeah. I'm fine,'' I yawned, ''Just took a nap that's all.''

She looked at me as if she didn't quite believe my words but instead of saying more about it she just nodded and told me to hang on to her feet, so we could continue flying on before dawn was coming.

Even though my arm started to hurt a bit again, I grabbed both of her feet with my hands and let her carry me through the air.

We didn't fly far when Shade suddenly stopped in mid-flight. His ear twitched as he seemed to listen to something before he motioned to us to follow him down into the woods.

I was just about to ask what was wrong when I heard voices coming from below.

As silent as possible Shade and Marina flew down towards a clearing where a female black bear was sitting together with her cub, a raccoon and a rabbit. From the sight of it, it looked like they were having a serious discussion.
Swiftly we hid in a branch of a nearby hollow tree in order to eavesdrop on their conversation.

''Why can't the wolves stay up in the mountains where they belong?'' we heard one of them complain.

''They should be hunting bats like those savage Silverwings, not all of us!'' another one added, causing all three of us to gasp.

What was that supposed to mean? Did Brutus seriously order the wolves to go after us now as well? Carefully I walked closer to the opening and took a peek outside.

''Well, I'm not raising my cub here,'' said the female bear and nuzzled her baby, causing the little guy to squeal in delight. I smiled thinking the bear cub was kinda cute and noticed the rabbit and the raccoon smiling at him as well.

''We need to prepare for hibernation. It'll be safer in the eastern valley.''

The other two gasped as they hear this.

''You are crossing the human's road?''

''What about their metal machines?'' the rabbit pointed out wide-eyed, ''You might get killed!''

''We will get killed if we stay,'' the mother bear insisted ''We won't come back until those Silverwings are brought to justice.''

''Oh, This isn't fair. It wasn't the Silverwings who killed the owls, it was giant bats!'' Shade muttered with a frown and clenched his fists. I knew he was right but there was not really anything we could do about it at the moment. Especially if nearly half the forest wanted us killed.

Shade crossed his arms before his chest while looking like he was thinking about something when I suddenly realized that it had become quiet outside. Too quiet to be exact. Weird. Did those three just left or something?
I was just about to take another peek outside to see what was going on when I heard something scratching against the bark of the tree we were in.

''What...'' Shade had noticed it as well, but I quickly hushed him before he could say anything and pressed my ear against the wood trying to hear something. Right then Marina wrinkled her nose as if it was itching her, and then she gave a loud-

''ACHOO!''

Like on cue the tree began to shake violently while there was savage growling and barking outside.
Pretty soon the tree toppled over causing all three of us to scream in fright as we got hurled around inside the branch. With a dull impact, the tree hit the ground, forcing the branch to snap off and roll a few feet away.

When the branch finally came to a stop, Shade pulled himself up with a groan as did Marina and I.
Thanks to these little turbulences my arm began to hurt even more now, so I had to grasp it with my other hand.
Suddenly the long snout of a wolf appeared at one of the openings. Quickly we stumbled away towards the other end just to see another snout in front of the exit with baring sharp teeth and saliva running down its flews.
Marina screamed when a paw suddenly ducked into the branch from above, scratching at the hole on the top.

''That's it!'' I thought eyes widen with fear. ''We are trapped!''

AN: New Chapter ^^ Hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to read and review ;) :)