Stress
Aurora led the flight out of the long cave, past the rock-spikes like teeth, and into a familiar range which she did not especially like: the sand-range. The air was drier and warmer, the ground was covered in sand as far as she could see, and there were only dots of green in the places where water pooled. Other than those ponds and the plants which grew near them, there was no life in this sand-range, as far as anyone knew.
They had stopped here before to rest and drink water, but there had been a vague, unseen threat and danger which left everyone feeling... like prey. Rain-Eater found proof that sky-kin had hunted each other here before. No one saw any hunters, but the bones under the sand were enough to leave everyone feeling anxious.
And she had to worry about the whole flight since she was the flight-leader! Responsibility for others was so... grr! Why did she even want to be flight-leader anyway?
At least Alvor was being quiet and not annoying her, so there was that.
"Feels great to be back here, huh?" Alvor said.
She rolled her eyes, "Nnot rreally."
"Come on, what's not to like about the sand?"
She snapped her teeth, "The danngerr inn it!"
"We didn't see anything last time."
"Doessnn't meann it issnn't therre! Annd I have to worrrry about you usselessss humannss!" she barked.
He said nothing else after that. Good. No more distractions. She had to keep a close watch on the entire visible range, and his talking about stuff that did not matter would not help.
The sooner they were out of this sand-range, the better.
Nothing important happened on the flight across the barren sands and small patches of plants with spines. They passed over the mounds of sand without bothering to go down and look more closely. There was nothing they cared to see.
The only strange parts of the flight were the occasional splashes of sand, as if a great wind had struck the sand in specific places only. But there was no wind, and she never saw any signs of sky-kin either.
There was only one important thing she was looking for: the way out. It was surely around here somewhere; the sands and stretches of nothing looked very similar throughout the range.
Aurora grumbled in annoyance, her gaze on the distant, red wall of rock. There were small holes and caves in that rock wall. Some of those cave-holes were big enough to roost in.
She saw the very large cave high up which they had flown from before. That large cave was the way home, though there were many, many waking-cycles of flying still to go. The flight to their home-range was probably half of a moon-cycle now, since they knew where to fly and did not need to explore at all.
Good, we are not lost!
Rain-Eater winged closer, brushed her wing to get her attention, and gestured with a paw at a large, clear pool at the base of the cliff.
"We should drink!" he said.
The ranges beyond here did not have much good drinking, which was why they had needed to stop at the pond the last time.
"Fine! Be careful!"
She led the flight down to the pool, and they landed on the solid rock around the pool. There was what looked like a large but narrowed-mouthed cave behind the pool. Several mounds of sand surrounded the clear water and rocks.
"Refilling?" Kin-liver asked after hopping off Mist-Wings.
"Yess, jusst a fasst sstop herre. Nno rresstinng," Aurora huffed.
Everyone hopped down from the rock into the sand at the pool's edge. Rain-Eater dashed away after Safiya climbed down from him, and he poked his nose into the cave on the other side of the pool before returning.
"What was that for?" she barked.
"Just wanted to see that the cave was empty," he huffed.
"Good..."
She stayed alert while everyone else drank or refilled their water-holding containers. None of the saddles or supplies came off.
Nothing else was moving in the sand-range as far as she could see, which was not very far. The hills of sand behind their tails was very tall and blocked the rest of the sand-range. There were no visible threats.
But there was a faint whispering sound almost like underground wind. That whispering sound only grew louder the more she listened for it.
Rain-Eater bounded back to her, and he looked worried, his ears swept back and tail twitching on the sand.
"Do you hear that?" he hissed.
"I do!" she growled.
Motion caught their attention in two places at once: the mounds of sand behind them and the rock-wall up above. Sand began sliding down the slope while small rocks crashed down the rock-wall high above.
Waste pile!
"GET ONN!" she roared, leaping toward the water as Rain-Eater did the same.
Their ground-kin jumped into the saddles without wasting any time or questioning.
"What is it?" Kin-liver shouted.
"Danngerr! We sshould..." she paused.
Ice filled her liver when she saw them for the first time. Six spinning-teeth rock-diggers, with sand flowing like water off their narrow body-shapes, burst out of the sand and roared. Their maws stretched wide, showing off their countless teeth sharp enough to dig through softer rock and break even sky-kin bones.
"Look up!" Rock-Climber shouted.
She quickly glanced up and saw five more spinning-teeth rock-diggers looking down from high caves.
"Morre arre inn the ssannd!" Rain-Eater cried in alarm.
Sure enough, there were more places where the sand was falling down, disturbed by something moving underground.
No words were needed to tell everyone what to do. They grouped together, everyone facing outward and with flames readied. Their ground-kin crouched low on their backs.
But this was still a very bad situation.
The ground-kin, her nestmates, Moon-Dancer, and she herself were all in danger from these kin-hunters.
The power and protectiveness which had burned once before in her life happened easily again as power-light came forth. She was not the only sky-kin in the flight who could do that. All except for Rock-Climber quickly had glowing wings, backs, and jaws; they were all ready to fight. The few times she had seen power-light used by her sire-father and by Shadowwing, the other sky-kin who saw it were peaceful and listened to the Alphas.
However, those had not been hunter-kin on a hunt.
The spinning-teeth rock-diggers just roared at them. More of hunter-kin burst out of the sand and began stalking closer as the hunt began to close.
Hunter-kin were above, around them, and possibly under them.
Trapped.
Five Fury-sky-kin, all with fire, could easily fight these weaker hunters in a fair fight or chase. But they had ground-kin to protect, and that made fighting much harder to do.
"Rain, plan?" she shouted.
He frantically glanced over his tail and to her, "You will not like it!"
"Do not care!"
"Into the cave!" he shouted.
At first she wanted to flame at him for suggesting such a stupid plan. Why go under the ground or in a cave when the hunters are spinning-teeth rock-diggers? That was so twisted!
"Why?"
"Trust me! We cannot fight out here!"
He was not wrong about that. Trying to fight over ten of the spinning-teeth rock-diggers would probably end with someone dead or very hurt, most likely one of the ground-kin. The hunters would try to get the easier catch.
Just the thought of a ground-kin becoming food for a sky-kin was so...
Being in the cave would at least prevent easy attacks from all directions. Depending on how strong the rock was, the spinning-teeth rock-diggers might not be able to attack at all except through the cave-mouth. But Rain-Eater was more of a clever-thinker and planner than she was, so he was probably right.
"Into the cave!" she roared.
They raced for the cave as the hunter-kin raced for them across the sand and from above. Another spinning-teeth rock-digger burst out from between them and barely missed snapping at her tail. They jumped inside the cave one at a time with her bounding inside last. The cave, from what she could see, was narrow and deep with several twists and turns. The ground was solid rock instead of sand. It was also very dark at the far end of the cave, but that was unimportant now.
They spun around, stood shoulder to shoulder, and, fires readied, faced the cave-mouth.
The first spinning-teeth rock-digger was hit by two shots of fire in its mouth. It spun around and retreated, scrambling backwards and howling in pain. The second spinning-teeth rock-digger was also hit near its eyes, and it too vanished from the cave-mouth.
Nothing else appeared there.
The wingbeats of time passed as growls, roars, and a faint whispering sound continued beyond, but no hunter-kin appeared to attack again.
"Oh gods, oh gods," Safiya whined, holding tightly to Rain-Eater's neck.
"Are they gone?" Alvor whispered.
Kin-liver growled, "No, they're waiting. Ambush hunters."
Rain-Eater also growled, "Yess, they would wait forr uss to leave. Then they strike."
"Are we safe in here?" Alvor asked.
Rain-Eater stomped on the rock underpaw, "Thiss rrock iss sstrronng. The Whissperrinng Deathss cannnnot dig thrrough thiss. The rresst of the cave, I'm not sure about."
They glanced back toward the dark at the rear of the cave. Without exploring, there was no way to know if the cave touched others or had ways for the spinning-teeth rock-diggers to get through.
"We cann watch that annd check it. Moonn, Rrock?" she growled.
"We will go," Moon-Dancer growled.
She was very glad that Moon-Dancer was reliable and cooperative, never making problems on this flight. He and Rock-Climber dashed away together into the dark at the rear of the cave.
"Now what?" Safiya whispered.
No one answered immediately. She was not sure what to do either. Fighting that many kin-hunters did not have lift. Further, they were trapped in the cave, though hiding here was necessary and the only option.
Kin-liver hopped down from Mist-Wings and leaned on her staff while facing the cave-mouth, "Now, we wait."
Moon-Dancer listened very carefully as he and Rock-Climber crept into the darkness at the rear of the cave. There was no whispering sound, all he could hear was their own steps and breathing, but that did not mean there was no danger.
Aurora had asked him and Rock-Climber to check the dark of the cave for any danger or hidden paths while she, Rain-Eater, and Mist-Wings protected the cave-mouth and the ground-kin.
"This is so fun!" Rock-Climber giddily said.
"What?"
"The fighting and hiding!"
"Why?" Moon-Dancer huffed, nudging Rock-Climber's shoulder with a paw.
"Because we get to fight and flame bad kin!"
"Sure. What if one of us or the ground-kin gets hurt?"
Rock-Climber nodded, "True, it is best if we get a hurt-mark from the fight!"
Moon-Dancer rolled his eyes, appreciating how twisted Rock-Climber could be. The kin Night Fury had never seen true fighting in which home-dens burned down, life-water was spilled, or those held to the liver were carried away.
He had seen that, even though he was a young fledgling when it happened in the Haven-range... when his dam-mother was captured by a rotted, grisly two-leg who almost killed him.
"We are deep enough. With me?" he asked, stopping in place.
Rock-Climber purred in agreement, and they roared together with sound-seeing, their two calls flying together. Then they went silent, listening as their roars bounced and echoed from the dark deeps, making shapes in their thinking.
There were no other caves or hidden paths, which was a relief. Rather, the cave went back many lengths, twisted a pawful of times, and then ended. The spinning-teeth rock-diggers could not attack from back there.
"Good, there are no other caves," he purred.
"How do we get out?" Rock-Climber asked.
Together, they turned back for their kin, still surely at the cave-mouth to guard it.
The question was a fair one, but it was also difficult to answer with any plan that had lift. Fighting their way out was always an option, but that had the problem of leaving the ground-kin in danger. It was also harder to fly fast and turn quickly when carrying a ground-kin.
Rock-Climber purred and answered his own question, "Probably fighting somehow, right? It will be fun to flame and-"
He spun on Rock-Climber and growled at him, "And we or our ground-kin could die! Are you blind to that? Do you not care about them?"
"I-" Rock-Climber's ears fell.
"This is not play-fighting. We can tease and laugh later. Be serious, for once in your life!"
"Okay..."
He ran ahead to return to his kin. Snapping at Rock-Climber probably was not needed, but these were stressful circumstances. Rock-Climber, being the youngest of the flight, just did not appreciate how real and dangerous this was, and could not see that...
A plan flew into his thoughts.
Great skies, this might work.
He could not think of any reasons why his plan would not work. It would be dangerous, but that was true of the entire situation anyway.
He and Rock-Climber arrived back with their kin. Aurora, Rain-Eater, and Mist-Wings were facing the cave-mouth while the ground-kin huddled behind their tails.
"Aurrorra, the cave enndss. Therre arre nno otherr passssess. We arre ssafe herre," he said.
"Good. Onne lessss prroblem..." she sighed.
He sat down beside her and glared toward the cave-mouth, "Did you ssee anny of them?"
"Nno. They arre waitinng forr uss to leave. Thenn they will attack."
He switched over to Fury-speak to share his idea, "We need to know how many there are, yes?"
"True."
"What if I fly out there and count the spinning-teeth rock-diggers?"
She gasped and looked worried about that suggestion.
"Moon, they will hunt you!"
"Not if they cannot see me," he purred.
"They will... that might have lift. Maybe."
She spun around and faced Kin-liver, "Drragonnhearrt, cann the Deathss ssee Moonn if he iss faded?"
Kin-liver started in surprise, staring at Moon-Dancer, "What are you planning?"
"I wannt to ssnneak out annd counnt the Deathss. Ssee how manny arre therre."
Kin-liver started pacing, her paws behind her back, "Whispering Deaths are ambush hunters. They probably can't see well, but their hearing is very good. I haven't heard anything about them seeing in the dark like you can."
"Sso I cann hide?"
She faced him and frowned, "You'd need to take off all that gear. The Deaths might hear you if you make any noise, but they won't actually see you. I can't be sure."
So it would be a risk. There was a chance the spinning-teeth rock-diggers might hear him if he tried to fly out or walk out even while faded.
Rain-Eater stepped closer, "Sso we make nnoisse whenn he fliess out. Grrowl, rroarr, orr ssomethinng, and he cann get out ssafely."
Moon-Dancer smugly purred, "Good plann! Aurrorra, what do you thinnk?"
She growled, facing the cave-mouth, "We cann do that. Jusst counnt the Deathss annd thenn come back."
"Moon, you don't have to go out there," Kin-liver added.
"Yess, I do, forr uss all."
Kin-liver reluctantly nodded and helped him take off the equipment and supplies, mostly just packs of dried food for the ground-kin.
"Careful out there, Moon-Dancer," she whispered.
"I will be," he purred, nuzzling her head.
He hopped away from her and had Rain-Eater and Mist-Wings flame him so he faded. They confirmed that they saw nothing of him except his eyes.
Even the fights he had been in before, the fight against the sky-kin that wanted to take the New-Haven-range, had not been this dangerous. Those fights for territory were not truly for killing and hunting.
He stepped alongside Aurora and purred to her, "Rready!"
"Carreful out therre," she said.
Valka was so much more afraid than she could bear to show. Her grandson was going to risk his life by flying out there! True, they needed information, but the danger was still so real.
But there was no one better to do this than a Dawn Fury, since he could go invisible just like his mother. And just like he was now. She could see nothing of him except for his emerald eyes that were so like his father's.
Then it was time, and Aurora and Rain-Eater walked out into the cave's mouth. They shot a couple blasts of fire into the sand, roared loudly, and returned inside.
"What happened? See anything?" she asked.
"Nnothinng. He got out ssafely," Aurora answered.
Rain-Eater nodded, "We would knnow if the Deathss ssaw ssomethinng."
She sighed in relief, "Good. Very good. Now we just wait for him to get back."
With nothing better to do, she went over to the side of the cave and leaned against the wall. Alvor, Safiya, Rock-Climber, and Mist-Wings followed her over there and lay down. Alvor and Safiya had already taken their helmets off, showing that they were sweating and probably very nervous.
"Elder," Safiya whispered, sitting down beside her.
"Yes, child?" she whispered, twiddling Safiya's hair.
"I... I'm scared. I just want... to go home."
"Me too."
Safiya snuggled against her side while Alvor leaned against the rock, as if he were resting. He stared at Aurora and Rain-Eater, sitting before the cave's mouth.
Everything had happened so quickly, but now she had time to calmly think.
Was any of this her fault? Was there anything she could have done differently? No one had been hurt yet, but they were all in danger... and for what? They could have turned back for New Haven long ago. Even if they had found a suitable cavern out here this far away from home, it would be unlikely anyone from New Haven would wish to move this far away or would be able to.
No, this adventure had stopped being purely practical, meant to find a new home, many cycles ago. There was another reason they had not gone back. She had not suggested they return home, which she could have, until very recently.
So why hadn't she?
All her family, Moon-Dancer excluded, was in New Haven. Her dragon-son, Gobber, and everyone else she knew from Berk and the other dragon-riding tribes were all there.
Her heart had leaped at the ability to go on this adventure. Was that important? Maybe. Being Elder was frustrating since she was expected to give advice to people on all of their problems and disputes. People living in communities always found ways to quarrel with each other. Stress did that to people.
Being away from the village and all of its problems was refreshing. Being on dragonback, free to fly as she and the dragon wished, and not be tied down to one place was what she knew. She had lived that life for about twenty years. It was comforting to wander and leave behind the stresses and problems of life in the village.
It was the closest she could come to being a dragon herself. The horns and scale-armor were not good enough to convince herself that-
Oh gods.
Hiccup, now Shadowwing, had needed years to truly accept himself as he was now. She had not done the same. Part of her heart wanted to stay stuck in the past: living the wild life of wandering and not having any responsibility except to the dragons. She was secretly using this adventure and mission, seemingly for the good of the tribe, as a way to run from her responsibility.
She closed her eyes and leaned back, looking to the sky she could not see.
Oh Stoick, I am an idiot. All these years and I didn't learn as our son did.
There was no reason to pretend to be what she was not. If she had seen herself rightly for what she truly was, a human with duties to her tribe, then maybe she would have taken her responsibilities more seriously, been there for her family more, and involved herself more with the good of the tribe. There would have been no great, hidden need to flee and wander: a desire which, at least in part, led to her, Alvor, Safiya, and these dear Night Furies hiding in the cave to take shelter against hostile dragons while her grandson risked his life.
Never again.
She was not a dragon, no matter how much she once wished she could be one.
Not that she needed to do normal human things like get married again. No, she did not, but she would no longer flee her duty to the tribe and her family. Flying for a specific reason to benefit others or spend some time with Cloudjumper when he was back was well and good, but the wanderlust which partially pushed her on this adventure was inappropriate.
There was no need to wander in search of a purpose.
"We'll be fine," she whispered, holding Safiya close.
"Yess, we will," Mist-Wings purred.
No one said anything for a while, the only sound being their breaths, purring, and faint growls of wariness.
Aurora and Rain-Eater suddenly bounded back from the cave's mouth as there was a rush of wind.
A faint shimmering appeared in the air alongside a pair of emerald eyes. Moon-Dancer then made himself completely visible as he sat down before her.
"Moon, what did you see?" Valka asked, hiding her relief that he was safe.
His ears went back as he grumbled, "Therre arre manny Deathss sstill out therre, all arrounnd the cave. I ssaw nninne, but therre arre morre unnderr the ssannd."
"So we're still trapped?" Alvor groaned.
She nodded, "Yes. We have to wait it out here. Unless anyone has a better idea."
No one offered a better plan. She doubted that all of the Whispering Deaths would leave, but at the very least it was possible that some of them might lose interest and just fly away. Leveling the odds would be better than nothing.
"I will be firrsst watcherr," Rain-Eater said.
He trotted away and sat himself down facing the cave's mouth.
Aurora spoke up, "I have a quesstionn. Rrememberr how we cann ssharre thoughtss with otherr drragonnss. Do you thinnk we cann do that with you humannss?"
Unsurprisingly, Alvor, Safiya, and Rain-Eater perked up and faced her, clearly very curious about that topic.
She frowned and shook her head, "Shadowwing tried that with me once. We were talking about how he and your father could lead other dragons by directly sharing thoughts and wants with them. He suggested we try to see if you can do that linking with one of us. Something happened, but it felt like a fire was burning in my head. We had to stop when I got a nosebleed and almost passed out. We never tried it again. I don't think you can share thought with us as you can with other dragons."
Aurora and Rain-Eater looked slightly disturbed and a little disappointed.
Safiya shrugged, "Oh well, I suppose we have to just talk to each other like normal people."
"Norrmal? Sspeak forr yourrsself!" Rain-Eater teased.
Aurora chuckled, "It'ss finne. Nnot ssurre I wannt to knnow what'ss inn Al's head annyway."
"Thank you for nothing!" Alvor protested.
No one said anything for a while after that. Everyone was very tense, looking around and shuffling in place.
"What about a sstorry to make the time fly fassterr?" Rock-Climber suggested.
As usual whenever someone suggested telling stories, all eyes went to her. The resting Furies curled up, their tailfins over their heads. Alvor and Safiya went to lean against Aurora. Everyone present looked eager enough despite the situation. They deserved a good story to take their minds off being trapped in a cave outside of which were extremely dangerous dragons waiting to prey on them.
"Well, how about the one with the trapper ship and the crates of Terrible Terrors? Did I tell that one yet?"
"No." "Nno." "Ssounndss good."
Aurora woke up to a tap on her shoulder and a weary growl. That was surely Rain-Eater, finishing his time as watcher while everyone else rested closely together.
Great, just when I was able to sleep in peace.
She hopped to her paws and yawned widely, "See anything?"
"Only one of the rock-diggers, but it did not try to come in," he growled.
"Alright, my turn."
She trotted to the cave-mouth, sat down, and glared outside. There was nothing visibly moving out there, but the danger was surely still out there in the sand.
How long had they been there in the cave? Half a waking-cycle? More. It was hard to know how much time was flying by. Rain-Eater and Safiya had watched for a long time.
Secretly, she was glad this was her time to watch and not do much. Putting some distance between herself, her nestmates, and the ground-kin was a relief.
The whole cave smelled of them, but there was no escaping that without going into the danger outside. At least they were all resting deep enough in the cave that she did not have to see them all the time. That was something.
But someone was walking to her. That someone was Alvor.
Great. Well, maybe he could keep her company and not be liver-twisting.
He stood beside her and looked out the cave-mouth.
"Hey there," he mumbled.
"Lonng time nno ssee."
"Anything out there?"
"Yess, ssannd."
"Good to know. Any Whispering Deaths?"
"Nnot that I ssaw, but they arre therre."
He nodded and went silent for a long time. Thankfully.
"Think we'll make it out?" he whispered.
She rolled her eyes in annoyance, "If I donn't get disstrracted."
"And there it is..." he groaned.
"What?"
He looked away from her and put his paws in his furs, "What's the point of telling you? Not like you'd understand."
Why was he suddenly being so twisted? Not that it was strange of him, but still...
"Trry me!" she barked.
He said nothing, so she shoved him with a paw and pushed him over.
"What was that for?" he grumbled.
"You beinng you!"
He got to his paws and turned his back on her. Now he was being very twisted! What was wrong with him?
"Aurora, I'm... sorry."
He was sorry. Good. He should be. He was so annoying and...
Wait, why?
"What forr?"
He did not look at her, "For not... being a good enough friend."
Not being a good enough friend? What? Where did that come from? Of all the twisted things he had said in his life-flight, that was probably the most twisted!
"What do you meann? Donn't be sstupid. You arre my frriennd."
"Sure doesn't seem like it. You're... so..."
"Sso what?"
He spun on her, "You're so bitter and angry!"
She recoiled, stepping back from him and glaring at him. How could he say such a thing about her? Was he not really such a friend after all? Why would a friend say something that hurt her feelings? Maybe he did not really care that much about her. Maybe he was a false-friend.
Or...
Maybe he was speaking with liver-truth. Was that possible? Could he be right about her being... angry and cold to others?
It hurt to hear someone saying... hurting things about her. But why did hearing this hurt?
Shout at him and ignore him for being so frustrating, or... try to understand first? He thought she had problems. Understanding what those supposed problems were might help her fight back against him for being wrong. Or... if she did truly have life-problems, it would help her to see those problems and know them for the rot they are.
"I donn't unnderrsstannd..."
"Yeah, it's not just me who thinks that either."
What? Others thought the same?
"Who elsse?"
He crossed his arms,"All your siblings."
All her nestmates were... chilled and upset with her? What! Did they not appreciate how hard it was being the flight-leader? Or was their problem with her from far before this flight?
"But... what iss the prroblem? What am I... doinng wrronng?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Would I assk if nnot?"
"You might."
"Jusst tell me!"
"Losing your temper. Mouthing off at them. Hurting their feelings."
Was he serious? If only there was a real problem.
"Rreally? That iss nnothinng. I like teassinng," she laughed.
He shook his head and frowned, "Yeah, you teased a lot when we were new friends, but now you're just... being mean."
"I am nnot, you usselessss piece of sshi-"
She bit her tongue and looked away from him as something cut into her liver. Had she just almost called him, her life-bond friend, a piece of waste? Why were those hurting words the first ones that flew to her tongue? Why did what he said hurt so much?
Maybe there was something true in what he said.
She had snapped at Rock-Climber in the New-Strength-Pack's range after he teased her about finding a mate. She had told him to shove his tail up his waste-end. He had totally deserved it.
She had to get Alvor to stop talking about nothing important as soon as they returned to this sand-range. He was then just being annoying by talking about unimportant stuff.
Maybe she got upset, but that was justified! Right?
Maybe not...
"Ssorrrry, I didnn't meann that."
"Yeah, you did."
She slapped him with a wingtip, "Nno, I jusst... get frrusstrrated eassily."
"We know. If you could just... I don't know."
"If I could what?"
"Be... more considerate. Not bitter."
He was probably being too dramatic about all this. While he did not understand that being flight-leader was stressful, he might still have a point that she could try to be less... biting.
She gently, so not strong enough to push him over, nudged his shoulder with a paw, "I cann trry."
"Thanks... that's all I really wanted to say."
He got up and walked deeper into the cave to rejoin their kin. She lay her head on her paws and tried to ignore everything except her duty as the watcher, staring out the cave-mouth.
So her thoughts kept flying back to the fight. Now that the fight was done, she was glad that it had happened. She had learned something important: the problem in her life-flight.
She got frustrated too easily. The answer to that was just to have a thicker hide and not care what others thought. Or was not caring what others thought... part of the problem? Why did she get frustrated about some things but not others? Moon-Dancer never annoyed her or twisted her tail, but maybe that was because he was not her life-water kin.
Grr... thinking about the why had no lift. All she had to do was bite her tongue, so to speak, and not snap at her kin whenever they did anything... annoying. How hard could that be?
Moon-Dancer attentively sat before the cave-mouth. None of the spinning-teeth rock-diggers showed themselves or tried to enter the cave, which was good.
He yawned widely, flicking his teeth in and out and sharpening his claws on the rock underpaw out of boredom.
He and his kin had been trapped in the cave for probably an entire waking-cycle, long enough that Rain-Eater, Aurora, and Mist-Wings had all had turns as the watcher. In all that time, they had told stories and rested, hoping that the hunters would leave. But they were surely still out there, waiting for someone to go out so they could hunt.
Rain-Eater had brought up the very chilling truth that they could not stay in the cave for long. There was no food and only limited water in the ground-kin's water-containers. There was already the problem of not having proper places to relieve themselves without fouling the smell of the cave.
Something had to happen very soon.
His guarding was disturbed when Aurora and Kin-liver approached.
"Moon-Dancer, anything?" Kin-liver asked.
"Nnothinng. They arre waitinng."
Kin-liver nodded and leaned against Aurora's shoulder, "I hate to ask, but can you fly out there again like before? Just try to see how many Deaths are out there."
"Yess, I cann."
Aurora hummed, "Annd ssee if you cann finnd the cave out. We sshould knnow wherre it iss sso we cann flee... if we musst trry that."
She almost never let chill or worry into her voice, but he heard it this time. There was very real danger if they had to flee with the spinning-teeth rock-diggers chasing and attacking from unknown directions.
"I will."
They did the same as before: he flamed himself so he faded from sight, and she made noise by roaring and flaming out the cave-mouth to hide the sound of his flight out.
The signs were not liver-warming. He counted seven places where the sand had fallen in on itself, certainly where a spinning-teeth rock-digger was waiting to strike. There were also four of the hunters not even trying to hide, instead perching on the cliffs above the pond and the cave.
Nothing had changed for the better. His kin were still trapped in the cave.
Fighting their way out while carrying the ground-kin was a very bad option, but if there was no better way then what choice was there?
Great lights, this is bad!
He flew his thoughts to the ground-kin sky-beings: the gods. Maybe they would help if he wanted that help enough. Odin, Thor, and Loki, the sky-being of tricking, were the only ones he remembered right now.
But, only thinking thoughts without action would not change anything. What did sire-father tell him long ago: ask for help but act on his own as well as he could? Something like that.
He took a deep breath and glided higher on the warm, dry air. Aurora wanted him to find the cave-path out of this sand-range, so he would.
There, high up at the top of the cliff, was the path: a large cave which led higher into a dark passage they had flown down into this sand-range. The wide cave-mouth had several teeth-spires and rock-columns and quickly narrowed deeper in. The rock up here was like the cave his kin were hiding in: strong and thick rock. There were also none of the spinning-teeth rock-diggers up here.
He landed on the edge of the ledge and perched there, looking out over the sand-range. He and his kin could easily escape if they could just get to this path. There had to be a way to safely do that.
Grr, what would sire-father do?
Probably something brave. But... thinking about what sire-father would do in his place might not help. Sire-father was a great fighter and could probably ground all these spinning-teeth rock-diggers.
I am not a fighter like him.
He had to think of another plan. The spinning-teeth rock-diggers were on the hunt, which meant they would not leave as long as there was... prey in the cave. Was there a way to trick them into thinking there was nothing in the cave? Probably not. The hunters might leave to chase after one of his Fury-kin if they flew alone out of the cave, but that was such a risk.
None of them could be seen by the hunters, lead the hunters away, and then just disappear into safety. Whoever left would be hunted down and-
Oh great lights!
He almost facepawed at how obvious the answer was, even though it was scary and liver-chilling to do this. But for his kin, he would. He had to.
"What! You want to what?" Kin-liver gasped.
"Yess, I will let them ssee me," he purred.
Jaws and wings fell as his kin stared at him in surprise.
"Moonn! They will hunnt you!" Mist-Wings whined.
"They will trry, annd you cann all get out of thiss rrannge!"
Aurora shook her head and put down a paw, "Nno, too much danngerr!"
He snorted, "Do you have a betterr idea?"
She said nothing, though she grumbled.
"I cann lead the Deathss away. You get everryonne to ssafety. I will fade annd follow you," he added.
No one said anything for many wingbeats.
Kin-liver stepped alongside him and held his neck.
"Moon, you don't have to risk yourself," she whispered.
"Yess, I do. Forr my family."
She sighed and stroked his neck, so he purred to her. She had a very special place in his liver.
Rain-Eater huffed, "It... might be the besst plann. He cann fly fassterr thann anny Whissperrinng Death, if he issnn't carrrryinng annythinng."
Aurora grumbled, "Prrobably, but we cannnnot be ssurre. We have nnot trruly rraced thosse hunnterrss beforre."
Moon-Dancer nodded, "Yess, I knnow therre iss danngerr. I am doinng thiss."
Aurora stared at him without looking away. Her blue-green eyes narrowed and then softened.
"Finne! We sshould plann thiss sso therre arre nno misstakess," she said.
The ground-kin gathered close to listen in on the planning.
"You lead the Deathss away. How will we knnow if it iss ssafe to fly?"
He hummed in thought, "Mosst of the danngerr iss frrom the Deathss onn the rrockss. I will flame them sso they chasse me. Thenn... I will rroarr two timess if they arre flyinng at me. Fly whenn you ssee me flyinng away."
Rain-Eater purred in approval, "Good plann. We will lisstenn."
Kin-liver nodded to Alvor and Safiya, "We should get packed. Grab everything you can that he was carrying."
Mist-Wings trotted to him, lay her chin on his shoulder, and whispered in Fury-speak, "Be safe, bro."
He laughed to hide his liver-chill and worry, "What is the worst that could happen?"
"You being hunted!"
"How can they hunt me if they cannot see me?"
She sighed, "Just be careful."
He stepped away from her and watched as his kin prepared for the escape. The ground-kin worked with the saddles and bags, securing them in place.
Aurora stepped alongside him and flamed his back, one of the harder places to flame himself.
"Faded?" he asked.
"Yes, you are."
"Good, time for me to fly this flight!"
She nodded and nuzzled his neck, "Be safe, Moon-Dancer."
"I... will!"
Had she ever done that before? Touched him with liver-warmth and bonding? Not that he could remember, which made this a special waking-cycle no matter what else happened!
Grr, stupid thinking! Focus on the flight at paw!
The ground-kin got in their saddles. His Night Fury kin started stretching their wings and limbs. Everyone was ready to fly.
It was time for him to do his part. He was not afraid at all!
He was so afraid!
Being faded was safe. His fade had saved his life when it hid him from Grimmel and the stinging-tail hunter-kin.
But now, gliding high above the sand-range and glaring at the spinning-teeth rock-diggers perched on the cliff, he had to drop his fade and fly himself into danger, all to give his kin time to escape. It was so liver-chilling, but they had a good plan.
Nothing could go wrong. He just needed to lead the hunters away from the cave and then he could fade in the sky.
He took a deep breath to steady his life-fire, and then it was time. He willed his fade to be not as he dove toward the cliff. The air screamed in pain as he dove and gathered a shot.
The spinning-teeth rock-diggers perched on the rocks looked up at him, seeing his attack-flight.
Two of them were blasted off the rock by his shot. He roared in defiance and challenge, grabbing their attention.
Their reaction was immediate. All the spinning-teeth rock-diggers he could see on the cliffs jumped into the sky. The sands below started moving until the pawful of hidden hunters burst out, jaws open and very filled with teeth.
They all raced away from the cave.
Yes! I did it!
And they flew at him.
He remembered to roar again to let his kin know the plan had worked. Then he flew very fast along the cliffs, glancing over his tail to make sure the hunters were still following, which they were. They were also not as fast as him, so he deliberately slowed down to let them catch up.
They had to believe they could catch him.
Four dark shapes darted out from the far away cave and raced higher for the cave-path. He could not see any hunters chasing them. They were safe.
The cliff turned around a corner which hid another very big cave in the rock-wall. A small stream flowed out from within the big cave.
The spinning-teeth rock-diggers roared at him, unable to get closer. There was also no more need to make them follow him.
Time to disappear!
His last shot exploded before him, and he spun into the fire-cloud. He winged up in a calm glide as the hunters roared and bumped into each other in confusion. Their hunt was fouled since they could not see him.
He softly purred while gliding, not wanting to make too much noise.
Yes, this worked! Now to-
Something screamed from within the big cave. The scream was so loud that the sand flowed below, pushed by the wind-scream, and he heard only a buzzing echoing in his head. Even thought was smothered and silent.
As a white spinning-teeth rock-digger many, many times bigger than all the others flew out from the big cave.
He stared, struck to the liver by the size of that hunter. It was so big that it could eat the spinning-teeth rock-diggers whole, but it also looked like one, so it probably would not do that to its kin.
The smaller ones gathered before it and roared up at it while it hovered above them.
It is their Alpha!
The white hunter screamed again with a softer, different cry which bounced off the cliffs, rolled over the sands, and echoed from all around him.
What is it-
It turned and stared his direction as if it had sound-seeing. It had sound-seeing!
Great skies, lights, and sky-beings!
Aurora, Alvor safely in the saddle, perched on the edge of the drop into the sand-range. Rain-Eater, Mist-Wings, and Rock-Climber were waiting deeper in the cave; she had stayed behind since it felt like her duty as the flight-leader.
It had been only a pawful of waking-cycles since she was here before. If only they had turned around and flown straight home from here the last time, so much would have been better. She would not have needed to suffer the Alpha Light Fury's twistedness and liver-rot. They would not have flown into any of the danger in this sand-range.
Grr, where is he?
Moon-Dancer would surely let them know when he got back. He would land and appear from out of his fade, or something like that. There had been what sounded like a strange roar or scream a few wingbeats ago, but she had no idea what that was. Maybe that sound was a trick of the soft wind that flew between ranges.
She had watched from afar as he flew away with many spinning-teeth rock-diggers flying after him. He could easily outfly them in speed, so that was not a problem.
She growled again in annoyance.
"Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine," Alvor said.
What do you know? He could be...
She toothlessly bit her tongue, "I am jusst worrrried forr him."
"Same here."
More waiting followed without seeing anything. Did something go wrong? Did the hunters catch him? Would she have to tell Shadowwing that she lost his son?
A flash of darkness caught her attention far away near a bend in the cliffs, so she leaned over to look more closely.
That dark shape was indeed a Fury sky-kin. He was safe.
Good! Wait. Why is he not faded?
The biggest hunter-kin, or any sky-kin, she had ever seen flew out from behind the bend in the cliff. The white spinning-teeth rock-digger raced after him, its massive maw and countless teeth showing.
And it screamed a cry that chilled her life-water and killed thought except for very simple truths.
Power-light-display would not stop this hunter. Fighting would not help. Fleeing was the only option.
"Fly!" Moon-Dancer faintly roared.
She spun around, jumped, and roared to her kin deeper in the cave, "Fly!"
They obeyed without question, jumping and flying deeper into the cave-pass. Weaving between columns, over spikes, and below darkened light-rocks, they flew onward as the cave-pass narrowed.
It was hard to know for sure where, but the cave-pass would be too narrow for the monster hunter-kin. Its size was a problem.
A crashing, grating roar grew louder, so she quickly glanced over her tail.
Moon-Dancer was dashing between the columns of rock while the white monster crashed along after him, destroying columns and spires. Its wide mouth was open to bite and kill and eat. Crashing into rock slowed its chase, but Moon-Dancer was also visibly weary and flying slower. He had been flying very fast since before this monster found him.
He risked his life to help them escape.
What was the fire that flared to life in her liver?
With a flash of blue light, her shot which glowed and burned like a sun, flew past Moon-Dancer and into the monster's open maw.
The cave-path filled with a cloud of fire and another screaming shriek of pain. The fire quickly died and was replaced by a cloud of dust.
A rumbling growl grew louder, but it was not from the monster. The rock ceiling above was cracking, crumbling, and falling all around the monster.
Great sky-breath!
Dark wings dashed out of the cloud and barely missed the chunks of rock crashing to the ground. He and she raced as fast as possible deeper into the narrower, unbroken parts of the cave-path.
The crashing, grating, and roaring of falling rock and the breaking cave continued for a few more wingbeats, gradually faded, and went silent except for echoes. The path behind was completely blocked, and no more of the cave-path was crashing.
It was over.
Safe at last, she finally caught her breath. Moon-Dancer similarly breathed heavily, gliding in an unsteady flight beside her. This was not the time for long talks, so instead she just let him catch his breath. He was the one who almost died, after all.
Together, they glided along the cave-path until they saw their kin waiting below on a ledge, so they dove for them.
He landed and collapsed on his belly as soon as he touched down.
Kin-liver and Mist-Wings leaped for him. Alvor hopped off her back and hugged Safiya.
"He iss tirred! Rrock-Climberr, you arre onn watch!" she shouted.
Mist-Wings and Kin-liver kept tending to Moon-Dancer, and he purred in gratitude while resting.
Finally, with all her kin safe from those hunters, the exhaustion and relief hit her all at once and drove her to her belly. What her kin were saying was unclear and did not really matter much. They were all alive. That was what mattered.
Rain-Eater nosed closer and nuzzled her forehead, "Sister, how are you?"
"I could sleep for a moon-cycle!" she sighed, laying her head on her paws.
"What was that... monster? Did you get a good look at it?"
She grumbled, thinking back to old talks with sire-father, "I did. Sire-father saw something like that long ago. He said it was a screaming spinning-teeth rock-digger. They are the Alphas for their hunter-kind."
"Yes, I remember. Is it dead?" he growled, facing the collapsed cave.
The actual cave fall-in was beyond their view. There was maybe a faint echoing sound that could be rocks moving, but the cave-path between here and there was too narrow for the screaming-hunter to move through.
"Maybe not. Something that big might not die from rocks falling on it. But we are safe here. It cannot get to us."
Curious what had happened, she reluctantly got to her paws and dragged herself to Moon-Dancer. She lay down beside him and nudged his shoulder.
"Moonn, what happenned?"
"The Sscrreaminng Death ssaw me whenn I wass faded! It had ssounnd-ssight."
"Not the Whissperrinng Deathss?"
"Nnot them. Onnly the Sscrreaminng Death."
Kin-liver hugged his head so tightly that he squirmed a little.
"Drragonnhearrt," he mumbled.
"Sorry, just want to hug you," Kin-liver whispered.
"That'ss finne. I like it," he purred, leaning into the hug.
Alvor and Safiya came over and also hugged him, saying their thanks for his help.
He groaned, got to his paws, and sat upright, "Wannt to sstay herre orr rresst morre?"
"We should ask you, Moon. What do you want to do?" Kin-liver asked.
He ruffled his wings, "I cann fly ssome. Jusst nnot fasst. We might wannt to leave herre."
She agreed entirely. Having rested a little after that escape-flight, she could fly more. Putting some distance between their tails and that collapsed cave felt like a good idea. It was possible that the spinning-teeth rock-diggers or the screaming-monster might try to dig through the rock to get to them. There was no reason to take that risk.
"Good idea! We sshould go."
The ground-kin got in the saddles, and she and her kin stretched their wings. She tapped Moon-Dancer's wing before taking flight.
"That was brave of you!" she purred.
He nervously chuckled, "What can I say? I see danger and I just have to fight it!"
Rock-Climber snorted, "Leave that to me! Just wait until your sire-father and dam-mother hear about you almost dying to that monster!"
Moon-Dancer's ears flew back as he stared into the distance. He swatted at Rock-Climber with a paw, "Not a word!"
She huffed, agreeing. There was no need to scare Shadowwing or Luna and chill their livers with what almost happened. On the other paw...
"We can tell them that you were brave and helped us escape danger. That a screaming-monster chased you, Luna does not need to hear that."
He purred in agreement after a wingbeat of thought.
She jumped and led her kin down the cave. While this cave was darker than the sand-range, it had light-rocks off in the distance. The nearest range ahead was a good one with green, water, and food for them and the ground-kin. Most importantly, there were no hunters or dangerous sky-kin, from what she could remember or see.
The flight home should be uneventful and safe from now onward. She had already felt enough stress on this adventure as flight-leader. Not needing to worry about her kin would be a relief.