Chapter 5
"Trust"
I must be diligent because the wild spoke in only two voices. Whispers. And screams.
The pack was on the move. Castle Rock was several days journey from the den and we moved from sundown to sunup, hunting lightly along the way whenever we had the chance. Castle Rock was located where the territories of the three major Mighty Hena packs met at the base of a small chain of mountains. The way the peaks rose up from the ground reminded me of a jaw lined with sturdy teeth. There was no place better for Mighty Hena to gather. I had been to council many times before. The hills became steeper the closer we came to the mountains and the trees grew tall and thick.
Large boulders revealed themselves from deep underground until eventually they rose up alongside the mountain itself. The grasses were still high where we walked, so I knew we had not yet arrived. We moved slowly for Mighty Hena on a journey. Our paws were forced to trot at puppy pace so none would be left behind. It was a vulnerable speed, so the pack stayed relatively close together. We spread out through the grasses, moving as one but with enough space to cover ground like a herd. The restless walkers took the lead up front.
Alpha led the way with Scout and our two Betas. Most of the others followed behind them, but they were still ahead of the pups. One or two adults kept to the flanks while another took up the rear behind Omega and I. Maw Mouth kept close to the side. His heavy greasy coat stuck up along his back like a fin. He would not admit it, but he liked the slower pace for his heavier bulk and was even shier still to say he liked playing rough with the pups whenever I wasn't looking. But it was Prima who trotted up from behind to keep at my pace. She'd been trailing us for a while now and glided up effortlessly beside me.
Her paws should have carried her to the front of the pack. The ease of her movements signaled a reservoir of energy that could've lasted the whole trip twice over. Of all Mighty Hena, she was the most beautiful. The lines on her head and legs were crisp and dark. Her glossy coat waved at the ends in sweeping strokes. The flick of her tail caught every eye and her paws walked on the hearts of others just as easily as her mate's. But she kept her gaze on the pups in front of us. She liked to watch and see how much they grew every time she returned from a hunt. Her eyes held them dearly. She missed them with a Mother's love.
"The pups are strong," she commented, paying tribute to the combination of blood and care and blessing that had been put into raising them and allowed them to travel with us this way.
Journeying at their age was tough, tiring work, but their first journey would be the most memorable, and the more experience they gained, the better. Prima then turned her attention to Omega who traveled just ahead of us and the pups. I could tell she'd been waiting for him to leave my side by the angle of her eye.
"Jealousy is unusual for a Prima," I said, amused at the amount of thought she was giving one considered so low from her station.
Prima averted her gaze despite my playful tone.
"Omega walks in your shadow day and night," she said. "A place I once used to be."
I looked at her then. The pups weren't all that she missed. It warmed me to hear her say such words.
"You have learned all that I have taught," I told her. "You no longer need my shadow on your back."
Prima had become a pinnacle of Mighty Hena health and demeanor. She could chase down Runner, roll with Alpha, and trot beside Scout. Her clutches were strong and healthy and her mind was as sharp as her teeth. The only thing left for her was to take my place as matriarch. One day, the day I could no longer fulfill my role as Mother, she would not hesitate to replace me, even if it came to a test of teeth. I respected her greatly for this. Almost as much as she respected me, and together, this understanding of our roles created the line that both connected and divided us. We both exerted a pressure upon one another and as long as we remained in harmony, the power of succession would not overwhelm us with ambition, stubbornness, reluctance, or regret.
In a healthy pack, the role of Prima and Mother naturally alternated many times in a pup's life. Prima birthed and nursed. Then, Mother protected and raised. Prima would not have them back until the pups grew into themselves. When that happened, Prima would bestow their self names upon them and bring them into the hunt to refine their skills and help them mature into their new bodies. Only when they proved themselves worthy would I then embrace them again with their pack name. From there, we would usher in a new generation. It would be a joyous occasion, but we could not celebrate until then. The wild forbade such anticipation.
I glanced up and saw Omega slow ahead of us. He stopped, stiff with concentration. His face was labored with focus as the pups continued past him. I came beside him, feeling the edge of something that was not right.
"What is it?" I asked him.
Curious, Prima also slowed to a stop beside us.
"I hear something," Omega said, confused by the sound.
I was too because I listened and heard nothing.
"What do you hear?"
His pupils widened with recognition.
"Screams," he whispered.
That's when I heard the feint screeching whistle in the air and looked up at the sky.
"Above!" I warned.
The pack heard my call, jerked to a sudden halt, and looked up at the clouds with a quick turn of their heads. It was Beta, who was also called Keen Eye, that saw the threat first.
"Sky Tail!" he shouted.
Named for the long colorful feathers that sprouted from their heads, Sky Tails were birds of great substance that migrated between mountain ranges. Their head feathers were signs of their status and their beauty hid talons that could easily mark the black backs of Mighty Hena, let alone a couple of pups. It was not the first time our pack encountered them. Nor would it be the last.
"Scatter!" Alpha commanded.
The Sky Tail would be upon us in seconds and our large group was an easy target from above. Sky Tail attacks were unrivaled in speed, often resulting in an instant kill, but they could not divert strongly from their directed paths because of it. All we could do was lessen the chances of who was caught. The weaker the Sky Tail, the harder it was for them to change targets mid-descent. The pack spread out and ran off in different directions as fast as they could, but even in this, the pack had purpose.
Prima launched forward and grabbed the nearest pup perfectly by the scruff. She then sharply pivoted and ran off to the side, deeper in the grasses. It was an awkward gait due to the pup's larger size. They were not meant to be handled so anymore. Maw Mouth rushed in from the opposite side. Not as quickly as Prima, but far more sturdily. He picked up a pup by the mid-section and carried him off without a drop of hesitation. Following their lead, Omega ran out farther ahead and grabbed the next pup in line. He dragged the pup into pace with him and the two ran off together. Not as fast as I would have liked, but the three were cleared away almost instantly.
That left two pups unattended. They did not know what it meant to scatter. They were still trained to stop and shrink when danger approached. As the others darted off, I tightened into a pounce. I could hear the whistle of the Sky Tail's rapid descent. It had already picked a target and did not change its course as the others separated. It was going for one of the remaining pups. In an instant, I remembered where all of the pups had been, who had been taken, who remained, and the way they tended to move and attract attention.
In a time too quick to calculate, I knew who the target was and sprang without looking at the incoming Sky Tail. I didn't need to see it to know that this race between us would come down to the blink of an eye, so I moved faster than the light between us. I used all my strength and skill to summon the power of the Spirit and propelled myself forward. The world rushed past me. It was nothing but a blur, and when the shrieking peaked, I snatched the pup in my mouth. His little legs flew out from underneath him and I pinched his skin in my teeth to hang onto him as the Sky Tail hit the ground in my shadow. The ground shook and a great burst of wind lifted my paws into the air. My tail slapped up beside me. Dirt and grass raced ahead of us, blowing my fur with the fury of a tornado, but I did not let go. I steeled my jaws so that my teeth did not break the fatty skin of the pup and scrabbled for the ground until my paws caught onto it again.
I continued to run as if the earth had never left them, but escape was not my intent. Not even Mighty Hena could outrun a twister, so I tossed the pup into the grass where it was thickest and spun back around towards the Sky Tail before I lost the momentum of it's gust. Prima's sleek, silvery form darted past me towards the pup I dropped. We felt each other pass and in that split second, silently exchanged responsibilities. It was not strength or station that allowed one to survive a fight with a Sky Tail, but skill, and none had more experience than me.
The Sky Tail was on the ground now. The grass had flattened around it from the impact. Its beak was thick and curved to a point that was dulled only by the sharpness of its talons. The bird did not waste time dwelling on its failure. The surface world was too dangerous for pity. It threw out its large beige and tan wings and jumped off of the ground to propel itself back into the air. One beat. Then two. A third might toss out an attack. The others were still too close to chance it. I leapt up after the bird with all my speed behind me and snapped my teeth around one of its legs. My back legs flew beyond me, but I needn't worry about landing on my feet.
The Sky Tail shrieked as my sudden weight dragged it out of the air. We sank down violently and I released my bite in enough time to roll out from underneath the bird as it fell onto its chest, clumsy with pain. A quick dart took me out of its wingspan. Another filled my teeth with its head feathers. I yanked the bird to its feet with a squawk. There was still enough room for the Sky Tail to turn around and peck me, but the others had returned by now. Keen Eye and Runner circled the bird, barking and snarling, while Biter and Alpha darted in to snap for the bird's attention.
Omega stood behind them with the pups gathered around his legs, watching with an awe that not even imminent danger could suppress. Prima jerked to a stop beside him with the last pup in her mouth. I pulled harder against the Sky Tail's feathers and it reflexively stretched out its wings. Maw Mouth rushed in and bit down on one wing. Alpha sprinted in and grabbed the other. They were the heaviest of the pack and dragged the bird's wings out so that it was forced onto the ground again. I rushed in and jumped on its feathered back, grabbing a new mouthful of tail closer to its head. This time, when I yanked the bird's head back, its neck was no longer protected by its barreled chest.
Hunter, blessed with a focus for finding weakness in prey, ran in for the throat, but a sudden fierce wind spiraled down from the sky around us. It twisted into a cyclone centered around me and the Sky Tail. The winds were filled with the Spirit. They cut like claws and thorns, pushing back Hunter before he could strike. Grass and dirt flew up in a cloud to darken the twister. Alpha and Maw Mouth released their holds and were thrown out into the grasses before the wind and debris could cut their exposed faces. I crouched low against the back of the Sky Tail and used its feathers as a shield. They easily deflected the razor wind as Mighty Hena could shadow. The twister expanded outward from us, forcing Omega and the others to flatten down low to the ground.
More of the grass blew away. Not a blade, let alone a Mighty Hena, was left to help me as two more Sky Tails descended from the clouds. They rode the spiraling currents down and landed with several strong beats of their wings. Given their size and the length of their tails, the two newcomers were mature adults. One male. One female. The male's plumage was worthy of his name. His head tail was long and blue and teal which was uncommon for his species. The feathers curved together into one, bending like the currents of air that polished them to a sleek and pristine shine. His figure was fit for a champion of the sky, but that did not stop his feet from being just as comfortable on the ground as they were in the sky. The very air itself curved around his body even when he remained perfectly still.
The Spirit was strong within him.
Beside him, the female held her wings outward towards the grasses as a means of dissuading the others from approaching her mate who had eyes only for me. And rightly so. During their descent, knowing I had lost my pack's help, I placed my paw at the base of the Sky Tail's skull. One more tug of the feathers in my mouth and I'd snap its neck. The male standing in front of us understood the power I held and was afraid I would exercise it at any moment. The only reason I did not was because the two new Sky Tails made no move to advance. Their earlier twister was a means of creating distance, not death. The male then broke the silence with a song I had never heard before.
It was filled with tweets and chirps and thrills. Notes of a complicated sky language I did not understand. Few who lived on the ground did. Afterwards, the male continued to stare at me, too afraid to flick his gaze down at what I now realized was a member of his flock. Maybe even his own fledgling from long ago. It would explain his panic at seeing the bird below me so close to death. Sky Tails raised their young one egg at a time and their raising took many years. It would be a tremendous loss to lose one who had grown so far into maturity. Seeing no response, the male carefully stepped forward with more music.
It was a brazen test of my patience.
The pack growled in warning for me. From the way their voices carried around us, I could tell they had split into two groups, one for each of the new Sky Tails. I needed no help with the one beneath me now. But they, too, stayed their jaws. Three Sky Tails come to ground to try to speak with Mighty Hena was unheard of. The male Sky Tail reached for me with his eyes, but I did not know what he was trying to grasp. It was a stalemate of unprecedented nature that required unconventional means to solve, and there was none more unusual than Omega.
He carefully inched out from the grass into the clearing where the Sky Tails and I were located. With such a low head and small presence, no one recognized his intrusion as a threat. The only thing he could possibly represent was an oddity that defied what either side expected of him. Omega continued to approach until he was halfway between me and the Sky Tails. It was either an act of unprecedented bravery or insanity. He took his eyes off of the Sky Tail, who was only a wing beat or two away, which was a very dangerous distance to be, and looked at me with those same pleading eyes.
"Mother," he humbly requested, "might you ask me one more time?"
"What did you hear?"
I had asked him this after every encounter we had together, and every time, I felt the Spirit moving between us. Clearly, he heard something in the chirps and tweets that the rest of us did not. His gift was at work again and it desperately wanted to avoid the catastrophic results of a miscommunication. I caught eyes with the male Sky Tail again. Hope glimmered within those large glassy orbs. Even he could tell that Omega was on to something. He was building a bridge between us just as he had done before. I looked back at Omega. My perch upon the bird's back elevated me from him.
It was a risk to rely on him for something so important, but if he could hear curses and prophesies, why shouldn't he know the tongues of the sky as well? I did not vocalize my permission because I did not need to. Omega could work his tongue in ways beyond mine and those words were much needed now. Reading my silent signals, Omega looked at the male Sky Tail again. This time, the bird focused all of his attention on Omega and sang. Omega pulled back under the pressure, but he wouldn't have spoken out if he had not been sure of himself. He trusted the Spirit within him and I couldn't have been more proud.
"The Sky Tail…" Omega began, trying to find the words between ours and theirs. "He implores you to release his pup. His sun? His son. Who was foolish and flew too close to the ground. He says no harm was done."
I tightened my bite at this. It wasn't from any of their efforts that the pups were safe. One of them would have been spirited away had Omega not heard the battle cry so far off. I glanced over to the grasses. All of the pups were now safely at Prima's side. She had taken Omega's place and released him of his watch. It was this solidarity in herself and her responsibilities that gave Omega the foundation from which to step forward. In this, I was also proud. The Spirit was at work here in more ways than one.
"Release him and there will be no more trouble," Omega continued.
I had no reason to trust the promises of a Sky Tail. Then again, none of us had ever truly heard their words until now. I remained where I was, unimpressed with his offer. The wild demanded no compensation. It was kill, be killed, or die anyway. In fact, if I cracked the Sky Tail's neck, it would enhance the reputation of the Mighty Hena. It was a great accomplishment for a creature of the earth to conquer that of the clouds, and I had every right to kill this Sky Tail for the threat he posed to my pack, especially the precious pups. The male knew this, but for some reason thought himself above the trials of the wild. That his son should be spared just because my pup survived, as if balance was achieved by fairness.
Far from it.
Maybe it was because Sky Tails floated above the world that they saw the misfortunes of others beneath themselves. The female proved herself just as lofty. She tucked away her wings and hopped closer to her mate. It showed her faith in her sky champion as if he always obtained what he achieved. Not because of the mercy of the Mighty Hena. She tried to track the movements of the pack as they repositioned in the grasses, but most were unseen, and thus, twice as threatening. It was unthinkable for her to relinquish a single feather of her long distance attack advantage in front of the enemy. The time she spent unfolding her wings would be the time it took a Mighty Hena to launch an ambush. The female could also be playing a trick to lure the others into a false advantage and force me into an exchange. Sky Tails carried power in their voices more than most.
Apparently, their words were strong in other ways too. Omega stood a little straighter. His ears swiveled forward and an expression of surprise lit up his face. I could not imagine anything stranger than what had already transpired.
"He says…" Omega paused, thinking. "He says they know of Mother."
All eyes turned to me.
"Sky Tails have shared stories of the…ink that flows across the land. They watch the black backs of the Mighty Hena from above. None as big as Mother's. Mother appears as if they flew only just above the trees and not the clouds."
Omega lost his words after this. He struggled to understand. The others fared even worse. But he said enough. I understood. The High Spirit of the Mighty Hena had shown itself to the Sky Tails. They watched our hunts from on high and the living lines we drew across the earth created a picture of our lives. Our bodies were small to them when viewed from the clouds, but distinguishable because of our shadowed backs. They saw not the size of the individual, but the size of the Spirit of our pack. It was not uncommon for High Spirits to commune with each other, but something else was at work here that had never been tried before.
There was no knowledge to draw from for this type of thing, so I did what I did best and trusted the Spirit. I removed my paw from the back of the young Sky Tail's neck and jumped off of him just as quickly. The Sky Tail took off in a flurry of panicked beats and loose feathers. Several colored ones stuck to my lips. More tawny ones dotted my back. The female took off after him much more gracefully, stirring a burst of air from the take off. The pack crouched down instinctively from it. I remained standing at the other end of the clearing and stared at the male who looked me in the eye again. It was a dangerous position to be in, alone, on the ground, surrounded by the pack, but he was not afraid because I had already shown my intent.
"He thanks you," Omega suddenly picked up. "He will not forget."
The male stretched out his wings and bowed before taking off into the sky after his kin. His gust was the strongest of the three which caused me to turn my face away. The sudden wind cleaned the feathers from my fur, but twined them into Omega's fur on the side of his head. We all looked up and watched the male Sky Tail circle above. He screeched and flew off to join the others. With their departure, the tension dispelled and Omega exhaled, dropping the burden of interpretation from his lips.
The pack walked out of the grasses and into view. Some still kept their eyes on the clouds. Most watched Omega and I. I could not explain what had happened and the pack did not expect me to any more than they expected me to explain how I was Mother. But there was one who was more perplexed than the rest. He wanted to know why I made such a decision because his blessing would have led him to make a different choice. Beta, who was also called Hunter, trotted up to me.
"Why no kill?" he asked of me.
Not for the sake of vengeance or bloodshed, but for the leniency that could one day betray us. His words were weakest in the pack. They were not needed for his gift, but it never stopped him from speaking anyway. It made me happy to know that even the Blessed still sought wisdom, especially when it came to matters close to their gifts. Hunter would not understand matters of the Spirit, but he would understand this.
"Sky Tail pride comes from their feathers," I answered him. "And that one will now fly with only half a tail."
My teeth ensured that even before the other two birds arrived.
"His very being will now tell of the shadows that snatched him from the sky."
Hunter lifted at this. His tail wagged and the whole pack listening in surged with a sudden pride. I looked them each in the eye.
"He will show the power of the Mighty Hena with every flight!"
Alpha threw back his head and howled. We raised our voices with him, and this time, our victory flew up to the heavens on the wings of a Sky Tail.
