5.2: Telling Tales
Hudson sat comfortably in one of the overstuffed chairs in the New Orleans Clan's library, sipping a glass of ice-water as he paused in his story-telling. Benedict, the New Orleans Clan's chronicler, sat at a desk nearby scribbling notes, with a tape recorder sitting on the desk in front of him; recording Hudson's voice and the tales of his old clan for posterity. Ursula, Hudson's newfound sweetheart, sat in a corner quietly doing embroidery; Hudson was perfectly fine with her listening in while he told of his clan's long history. He'd likely have been telling her some of these stories anyway, in the process of their courtship; why not catch two fish in one net?
Hudson finished his sip, then resumed telling about the clan's battle with a band of raiding Vikings, in the year 918 as humans had reckoned it. "When 'twas obvious that the second boat's crew wouldn't be warned off by the looks of us and our battle-readiness, our leader said 'twas time to be deadly. And that second crew came ashore, but they never got within stone's throw of the humans' homes. My red rookery sister put a spear right through the Viking at the forefront, and almost got the man right behind him as well! But the second one dodged around his dying leader, and tried to run for the trees. So I and my blue rookery brother went after him, and--"
Benedict interrupted, "Pardon me… which blue rookery brother? The one with the high crest and the ridge running down his spine, or the one with the doubled knee-spurs?"
"The one with the high crest. Anyway, we went after him, plucked him up off his feet, glided back and tossed him right onto the spears and axes of his comrades; that took four of them out at once! And while we were doing that, our green elder picked up--"
"Pardon me again; which green elder? The female with the black mane, the female with the club-ended tail, or the male with webbed wings?"
"It was the female with the club-ended tail, sorry." Hudson paused before continuing, and admitted, "I begin to understand why humans insist on naming everyone and everything. After a while, it surely saves time in talking..."
Ursula quietly chuckled, as she continued her embroidering.
To be continued…