Two

- - -

Maelstrom's striped, black-tipped ears flicked back. "Hi," he forced himself to say. A ewe? Could he play with a ewe and still be, well, a respectable ramling? He looked around him, at the other lambs playing further away. Ramlings butted heads while the ewelings chatted in huddles, sometimes running around as well.

The breeze felt warm and soft against the ewe lamb's wild fur coat. She looked up at the sky, feeling relaxed. She noticed the young ram over there looking distracted. "Yoohoo, I'm here! Hehe!" The eweling pranced in front of him, frolicking in a circle.

Maelstrom made his way towards the ewe lamb. "Yeah...uh...I know you're here." He felt his slate-blue face heating in the summer sun. At least she was friendly so far...but she didn't know the truth yet.

The eweling pranced some more, then stood there, blinking, as if confused by all the circles she'd run. Once he'd spoken, she bleated back and kicked up her front legs. "Hiya!"

Maelstrom felt stuck. Now he would have to go ahead and talk to her some more...when he didn't even know what to say. "Uh...I'm Maelstrom." His eyes flicked back and forth to see if anyone was watching. Behind the eweling, the ampharos ewe who was apparently her mama was watching over the interaction.

"Hiya Maelstrom! I'm Shiri!" She ran in a circle around him. The ewes were wandering past Maelstrom and Shiri up towards where Brelanda and the others were.

"Hi Shiri." Turning his head slowly to follow her circling round him, he flicked his globed tail at a fly that had hazarded to land on him. With a zap of static electricity, the fly fell off. What else was he supposed to say to avoid messing up? He glanced round again, but all the others were grazing or playing among themselves...

"Is something eating you, Maelstrom?" Shiri blinked. "Well, duh, nothing's eating you...but is something biting you? Eh, that doesn't sound that good either! Is something -bothering- you? Oh wait, that'd be me..." Shiri blushed a little, hoping that Maelstrom would get what she was trying to ask. She'd spent the whole of her life--most of the past spring and the spent half of this summer--with only herself and a few other lambs around, and of course the ewes who were their mothers. She sniffed at his ear. "You're a ram aren't you?"

"Um yeah..." Maelstrom cocked his head, looking at her a little funny. He had hoped that was obvious. "So?"

"So! I never met a ram before! It's just me, my mama, Kyaru and her mama and un two other ewes and theirs! Hehe!" Shiri reared and ran in a circle again. "We're all girls! You're the first! Um, I heard rams like to butt heads, is that true?"

Maelstrom grinned. "Yeah."

He ran and butted Shiri in the side. Shiri yelped and staggered to the side. Maelstrom stepped back. He had not meant to hit her that hard.

Shiri caught her balance and glared at him."I didn't mean show me!"

Maelstrom reared, grinning. He landed on all fours again, feeling frisky. Shiri shrieked and took off running. She ran in a wide circle with Maelstrom on her heels. Shiri was trying to run and laugh at the same time and it took the breath from her.

- - -

Tamar woke up late in the morning to the roar of water. The ram of six summers--five years old--opened his eyes and looked round his surroundings. He was alone, travelling ûnphos, as he had been for the past few days. This was a good spot; the river masked his scent, and there was good grass. The waterfall did mask sounds, but there were other ways to tell if someone was nearby.

Tamar looked at the sky, gaugeing how late in the day it was. He had overslept. He took a drink from the river, and started following it downstream.

Cloudspin's great flock gathering would not be far off. It was where he had spent last fall and the fall before. He had grown a bit and put on some weight since last year, which might give him a glimpse or two of battle success against rival rams...although he would not be in his prime for a few years more. But that was not what worried him. Tamar knew that he might not be welcome in the flock this year...

But that's not my fault! he reminded himself, stepping over rocks along the bank. He paused to munch on some watercress. Tamar had only been doing what any ram would do.

Tamar followed the river through a curtain of pine trees. When he came through on the other side he saw a large clearing, leading all the way up to the rocky peak of Cloudspin Mountain. He caught a scent on the wind, the scent of other ampharos, rams and ewes. Tamar had reached his fall home. The worst thing they could do is ask me to leave...like that would work.

The tall mountain ampharos grinned to himself and started up the slope towards the scent of the flock.

- - -

Maelstrom tagged Shiri with his foreleg, then turned and dashed away. He blinked his light for her to pursue him. Shiri took up the chase. For a rather small lamb she was fast. Maelstrom's longer legs, though, poured on the speed.

"Hey look who's playing with the evil lamb!" The bully ram was standing at the edge of the group of grazing ewes. He headed towards Maelstrom and Shiri. The other three lambs were following, backing him up.

"Hey! Who you callin' evil lamb? I'm no eeeevil lambie! Wanna be my light-friend?" Shiri kicked up her rear legs while Maelstrom glowered at the four ramlings.

"They were talking about me," said Maelstrom, änd now they're going to leave."

The ramling just laughed at Maelstrom. "Oooh he's giving me his evil look. You get that from your sire, dontcha!"

Maelstrom charged at the other ramling, who lowered his head and charged too. The hit sent the smaller ramling flying. Maelstrom reared and came down on the other ramling as he got up, mounting the bully.

"You ARE evil!" said the bully ram, trying to kick out at Maelstrom as Maelstrom leaned on his backside. He only succeeded in landing on his belly. Maelstrom straddled him firmly, thrusting on instinct as if he were mating him...he felt the warm fur beneath his belly, static electricity crackling upwards to commingle with his own. Shiri was bleating. But Maelstrom would not let go. He would not stop the thrusting motions on top of the lamb's back.

- - -

Cirrus plodded around a nice patch of grass at the flock's edge, ripping the tender shoots from the ground. The two-year-old ampharos ram knew that soon, Moonbeam and his flock would return to the flock, causing mayhem and destruction that the huge dark ram had promised to deliver to them someday. Cirrus feared Moonbeam's return...and the return of the abuse that his body had suffered from being one of Moonbeam's favoured youths.

He puffed at a wildflower that jutted haphazardly from the ground; he sniffed it, then nibbled it down to its stembase. He was so absorbed in his worries that at first, he did not hear the distressed bleats of his brother. But he heard their mother's call to him.

"Morgor!" The ewe sprang up and ran past Cirrus down towards the field. Cirrus got up and ran even faster. What he found down at the bottom of the slope was his young brother mounted by none other than Maelstrom.

"Get him offa me! Get him off!" Morgor struggled and bleated.

"Stop it! Get off him!" Cirrus came bounding down the slope towards where Maelstrom held the other lamb pinned. "Scum of Moonbeam! Get off my brother!"

Maelstrom leapt backwards off of Morgor. Sparks danced over his coat and tailball. What would these two do to him?

"That mean ol'lamb started it!" said Shiri. Tears streamed down her face. "Called my friend evil! Maelstrom's not evil! He's not!"

- - -

Tamar walked over a rise and stopped, looking over the other side at the vista. The other side sloped more steeply down towards a small valley, and in that valley grazed a flock. He realised it had been a while since he'd met with any other sheep. As he surveyed the flock he noticed a small group a little away from the main body, they were a little slower to him. It looked like something was going on between them.

As he ambled down the slope, he saw that these were sheep he knew, mostly. Except for the lambs, he recognised them. But he did not flash his lights in greeting. They knew him...for the wrong reasons.

Cirrus's mama bleated in fear at the sight of Tamar. She recognised the ram as one she hated and feared. She bounded back up the slope towards the flock. "Morgor! Come!"

Morgor ran after his mama as Cirrus took in the sight of Tamar returned. He had hoped never to see the ram again. His nostrils flared, filling with the musk of the five-year-old male. An angry froth formed between his lips. He stepped closer to him, taking his chances. His foot scraped over the ground and he lowered his head, his headgem issuing sparks of challenge.

Tamar saw the sparks and posture of Cirrus. He buzzed his lights in warning to the younger, smaller ram. He wouldn't be challenged by this gumaru!

"Maaalstrom! Muy bebbee," called Thalenes from the top of the slope. "Be careful dear! Cirrus--yuh steeey aweey from muy boy!"

"I'll stay away from him as long as he stays away from my brother." Cirrus snorted at the ewe, giving her no respect although she was a few years older than he was. The only duty she had was to her own lambs. That left him and his mother to look after themselves and their own. And Thalenes had mated Moonbeam last year...that said plenty about her morals to Cirrus.

But she was still a good deal bigger than Cirrus was. With a derisive glare Cirrus stepped away from the scene, flashed a final warning to Tamar and headed back up the slope, to graze elsewhere. He could not stop Thalenes from defending her lamb nor could he stop Tamar from rejoining the flock this fall. Or could he?

- - -

The other three ramlings with Morgor had left up the slope after their little leader had been called up by his mama. That left Tamar, Shiri and Maelstrom.

"Well, glad he left," said Tamar, giving his lights a derisive buzz as he saw the back of Cirrus. That ram was as brooding and glum as he had been the year before.

"I'm glad too," said Maelstrom. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, that ram's as dark as they come." Tamar got to all fours to graze a bit of choice grass he saw. "New lamb of this year, are you? You know I never got your name."

"Maelstrom."

"So you're Thalenes' lamb," said Tamar.

Maelstrom held back a defensive growl. "How do you know?"

"She was just defending you, and also I couldn't help but notice. You're quite big, and have four stripes on your tail, like her."

Maelstrom glanced behind him, although his tail was lowered. He knew he had inherited Thalenes' four black stripes instead of three...but when he had asked her if he looked more like her or like Moonbeam, Mama had been frank with him. He had a slant to his eyes, the shape of face, in juvenile form, of his fearsome sire.

"Yes, so?"

"It's good to meet you in light. Just so you know, I would never hold your father's blood against you...I am a light-friend to him...and hardly more welcome here than he was."

Maelstrom was not sure if Tamar was telling the truth. But why would he lie about something like that? And to a mere lamb? Why would he even be deigning to talk much to Maelstrom at all if it weren't for him having something in common with him? Slowly the suspicious squint of Maelstrom's eyes relaxed.

"Have you seen Heero-ki?"

"Not yet," Maelstrom had yet to meet the gûndah, or dominant ram, of the Cloudspin flock although he would soon arrive. "Maybe he'll come along today. Some others already did." He scraped his hoof absently in the dirt.

"Hmm...you would think he'd be more attentive to the ewes than this, but then I've lived on my own for some time, so it could be just me. Anyway I'm going to have a graze, I'll catch you two later." With that Tamar moved off in the direction of some greener grass.

Maelstrom blinked his light to Tamar as he left.

Shiri growled after Tamar. That ram was definitely not in good regards with this flock--definitely not with her. After he had announced how very unalert Heero-ki was, Shiri wanted to lunge at him. How dare he insult the gûndah! So much for thinking he would be a welcome addition. Shiri turned to Maelstrom. "Is it just me or does he not have the best of manners?"

"I don't mind if he insults Heero-ki," said Maelstrom, "that ram would probably try to drive me out of this flock anyway." He kept his voice down low, not wanting Tamar to hear them talking about him. He didn't want to ruin their good relations. If Tamar was all that he said, he felt for the ram.

Shiri gasped. "Why don't you mind! My mama said he's the gûndah! And you don't insult the gûndah."

"I don't even know him," said Maelstrom, "only heard things about him. And if those things are true, he will hate me too."

Shiri sighed, and began to graze. I hope that if the gûndah does come along soon...that he will let Maelstrom stay. She couldn't even ponder having to choose between her flock or her new best friend! Wait--was Maelstrom really her best friend now? Well, the other three ewelings that she had grown up with thus far, weren't really her type. They were a little snobby.

Maelstrom looked Shiri over, his new light-friend, as she grazed. Before she could notice him watching her, he put his head down and grazed beside her.

- - -

Tamar took another long drink from a stream. He looked calm, but his thoughts were troubling him. Was he really a pariah here now? In the only flock left to him that he even knew of? If you were ousted from the flock at Cloudspin, there was little else in the whole region for all of the mating season. There had to be someone here who would stick up for him...other than a couple of lambs.

Damnit, I don't care what they think of me...I'm staying...maybe I can use those lambs and their trusting natures to gain the respect of their dams. Tamar had not realised what a crime he had committed last fall. He had only been doing a ram's duty...hadn't he done what any ram would have done?

Tamar pulled his head up, stood tall and turned around...and found himself face to face with Cirrus again.

Cirrus lashed his tail, letting sparks dance up and down his body in irritation. The young amp ram flicked his ears around. He took a moment to check on the two lambs that Tamar had been speaking to. They seemed fine.

"After what you did last year...what do you want here now?"

"How about I kick -you- from the flock after what -you- tried to do last year? Turn the whole flock against me just for being a ram."

"Being a ram means not forcing ewes," said Cirrus, "like you did to my mama."

"And that ewe bore my lamb--a healthy, strong one," said Tamar. "Had I not done it, that lamb would be someone else's. I did what any ram would do."

"You are disgusting. And should you stay in this flock this fall, you will pay, I will make sure you do."

Maelstrom watched Cirrus leave, climbing back up the slope. He had not heard the talk, but from the look of Cirrus's lights he could tell nothing good had come of it.

- - -

Quite a bit of commotion had caught the attention of another approaching ram. This ram was larger than Tamar or Cirrus, larger than any other ram in or near the flock. His skin was tinted a more orange shade of yellow than was usual, and his lights were violet-red. The light on his head had grown to become an enormous headdome, as was usual among the giant mountain variety of mature rams. It was perfect for the headbutting matches they held famously each fall. Heero-ki had always fared well in such matches.

How the task of being gûndah weighs on me! It falls to me to keep all these inferiors away from the ewes...and to cull any lambs I see in my flocks that are unfit to live...

His eyes came to rest upon the two older lambs just past the flock's edge, grazing together not far from Tamar. Heero-ki stepped right through the cool water of the stream as he approached them. Lambs of my get? Ah, then it is time for me to assess them!

Tamar saw the giant ram coming and flickered his lights to him in submission, avoiding any potential fighting. Heero shone his lights proudly and nodded to him in a manner almost friendly. He stepped past him and looked at the two lambs.

Maelstrom had never seen a ram so large. He swallowed and stepped back, seeing the orangish colour of the ram's skin, knowing that might mean he knew who this was.

Heero nodded to Shiri, and then fixed his eyes upon Maelstrom."A likely youth indeed. If you can keep up with the appetite such a size must give you then perhaps you may someday be gûndah in my place." Of course, thought Heero, that would happen in some other land, for Heero would never allow anyone to replace him while his lights still shone. "Whose are you?"

"Thalenes," said Maelstrom as he saw his mama running down to him. Thalenes, however tall she was for a ewe, was still almost a foot shorter than Heero.

"Heh's mine," said Thalenes defensively, standing in front of Maelstrom as thought Heero might try to hurt him.

The proud grin disappeared from Heero's face. "Then...he is of that scum ram's get?"

"Yuh dun speak o' Maalstrom's sire that weyy, while hee's here," said Thalenes softly.

Heero-ki's face took on the look of rage. He lifted his flipper and slapped Thalenes across the face. Thalenes bleated and staggered back. Shiri yelped.

"You will not speak back to me! No one will speak back to me, cursit, ewe! Especially one who lifted her tail to that black piece of burakos!" Heero stood back and cracked a loud bolt that went to ground behind him. He ran up towards the flock as Shiri's mother went rushing down to her daughter. "Flock of Brelanda! Your gûndah has returned!"