Third Son approached the Den as dark was drawing near and the first snowflakes started falling He landed, drinking from the pool before going inside. Several trilled a greeting. He answered absently, glancing around the Great Hall for Fledgling, who commonly was first to greet him. Fledgling was not in the crowd. Third Son's sense of unease multiplied as he approached Eldest Mother's perch.
Eldest was dozing, her beak touching her chest. He looked at her fondly for a moment before calling her softly.
She took a deep breath, raising her head and shook out her feathers, sending a welcome through their link.
{Mother, have you seen Fledgling?}
Her pupils constricted. {Not in a half span.} She turned her Eye inward, seeking Fledgling's mental signature, but felt no sign of the youngster.
{I will check his places.} Third Son sent.
Eldest dismounted, carefully stretching her limbs. "I shall accompany you," she said aloud.
Together they checked inside the Den, then went outside. Light had fled from the sky, but the snow covering reflected the bright grass so it was not totally dark. Fledgling had a few regular perches near the Den. Several Sons and Daughters joined the search, but he was not to be found.
{I am afraid,} Mother sent through the link to Third Son. {He is infatuated by the Salortog Doktor, and speaks of Endilinti.} She immediately felt a wave of guilt from Third Son. She touched her beak to his. {There is no blame. It is what it is within the One. Fledgling is not like any other in the Tribe. He has his own Pathway, and is called.}
{I must go to the Salortog Den.} He hesitated, then continued with strength. {I ask respectfully, Eldest, what you hide about the first Salortog. What must I know?}
Mother closed her eyes. The moment she had dreaded was at hand. She drew a breath, steeling herself for what was to come. {Gather a small number of the strongest. I shall begin the Ihrid-Ohmefrai.}
{I already have. Shall I prepare for Vision?}
{Yes. Get the others}
She looked around at the waiting Tribe members, wanting to offer them some normalcy. "Is the evening offering ready?"
They went inside where Mother prepared their sustenance and the Tribe began the meal. She ate a few bites herself, washed and drank, then made her way to Vision Hall.
The Vision Hall was smaller than the common area. The floor was a largely flat slab of the black, sparkly rock. A steady trickle of water ran from a fissure, spilling through a pockmarked area where the stream formed little pools in the natural basins before flowing through a channel to the outside. The treetops formed a canopy high enough overhead to allow one to stand erect with room to spare. The leaf cover was thick, just as in the Great Hall, so that no water or snow got through.
Not a lot of time had passed when Third Son returned with four of the Tribe. They took places in a semicircle around Mother. Third Son sat beside her. All were silent, waiting for Eldest to begin. She considered each of them. Pethisto, Barwing, Isseum, Cyallogo. All still in midlife, strong bodies and minds. She knew each of them had accompanied Third Son on at least a few of his visits to the Salortog Den. She bowed to each of them, then turned to Third Son.
"Is the Irhid-Ohmefrai prepared?"
In answer, third Son regurgitated the sap he had extracted earlier into one of the small pools. It was thick and dark, soon the water was colored with it. Mother drank first, followed by the others in turn.
Slowly their minds began to join through Mother's Eye. She felt Third Son lending his strength through their Link, she allowed him to bear some of the weight of the Memory she was about to share. There was no need to delve into the stream containing her conduit into Tribal memory, this she kept in her own, She began to sing.
The First Salortog were benign when they came to the World. They built Stone Dens, coming and going in their strange flying machines, coexisting peacefully with the beings already there. But eventually they began to explore, and became interested in the Tribe. After a time, the Ihrid-Ohmefrai was discovered and the large-scale exploitation of the Tribe began. Members disappeared, held captive to harvest the substance the Salortog so desired. When they found not all Tribe could produce the Ihrid-Ohmfrai, they began the slaughter. Many of the young ones were lost then; only mature birds had the necessary organ.
The Tribe had always been at peace in their World. Mindful and meaningless death and destruction was not a part of who they were, nor did they understand what was happening until it was almost too late. By the time they acted, there were only two dozen remaining. Great Father led the strongest ones, including Mother, who had just come into her Eye. He joined them together and entered the Salortogs' feeble life forces. Their small, individual Essences could not withstand the power of the Tribe as one. Most withered and passed immediately. A handful escaped into the sky in their machines. A very few seemed immune, those were dispatched forcefully, with talon and tooth. Then they were gone. The Tribe had lost several more during the attack. Great Father, although he survived the actual attack, languished under the great and terrible weight of the Cleansing, passing into a madness before death mercifully claimed him. It was during that time he sang of Endilinti, the Salortog Savior who would help the Tribe if the Salortog ever returned.
Eldest Mother broke off the Song suddenly, taking a deep sobbing breath and was still. The others came out of it, solemn, frightened. They rested a few minutes to recover from the aftermath of the terrible Vision. Mother actually stirred first, shaking off the horror and taking a long drink from a clean basin. She drew herself to her full height, somehow looking younger as well as worn.
"Fledgling is missing. The Salortog may have him.. We will do what is necessary to reclaim what is ours."
Third Son rose. "We will begin with a visit to their Great Den. Doktor is there. If he is indeed Endilinti..." He trailed off, then added, "Doktor is not to be harmed. I shall meet you outside."
The others moved out, leaving only Third Son and Eldest. He soothed her mantle, grooming gently for a moment. He stopped, drawing back enough to look at her.{I shall send you my Eye if I can.}
Mother's eyes fluctuated with humor and another emotion he couldn't identify. {My Son, I am coming with you.}
He drew back, startled. {It will be dangerous. You are not able to make the flight.}
Mother sighed. She had expected his objection. No matter, she thought In this, she intended to get her way.
{I yet have life in me. I can still fly. And I have faced worse danger in the First Salortog invasion. I will go.}
Third Son could see she would not be dissuaded. {I am against this, Mother. But your desire rules. However, should you fall behind or need assistance, Isseum shall be at your side.]
Eldest Mother agreed to those terms, and she and Third Son made their way to the courtyard when the others waited. The six of them took flight toward the Salortogs Great Den, their wingbeats silent in the dark hour preceeding the dawn..
