Chapter 9
"Friendship"
I am surprised. Not because Omega had broken away from the others and was first to meet me at my return, but because two large Brown Owls were with him. They perched in the trees above him, one on either side, and whenever they moved, they moved in tandem. I turned a long cautious glance in their direction.
"What is this?"
Omega folded his ears and averted his eyes, more bashful than ashamed.
"Well…" he began, unsure of what to say because he did not understand himself. "They came to me during council and have not left."
That was unusual. Brown Owls tended to watch from a distance. It was possible they arrived late to the gathering, but given all the creatures we saw before, it was just as likely they were always there and only now revealed themselves. Exile's summoning broke a boundary we creatures never knew existed between us.
"Do they speak?" I wondered aloud with Omega's gift in mind.
"They watch," he answered.
Suspicion narrowed my gaze. I was growing tired of prying eyes. Omega lifted his head now that the conversation shifted away from him.
"I think they wait for you," he said.
One of the owls twisted its head to look at me sideways. The other did the same in the opposite direction. I was tempted to snarl and scare them off, but Omega was not bothered by them, so I did not waste my breath. Too many words had already been spoken for my liking. More than I realized.
"The owls remained even after the Alphas disbanded and all other creatures left," Omega went on. "The only reason I can think of is you. You alone were not present."
I did not know what to make of this, but it was also of little importance.
"The council has ended?" I asked, confused.
It should have taken another night to discuss the Bone Takers, the Iron Mouths, and Exile's proclamation.
"Upon your howl, the formal discussions ended," Omega explained, furrowing his brow. "Was that not your intent?"
It was not. But just as how the council began with the Spirit, it also ended with it, and this time, it had chosen me. The oldest instead of the youngest. I did not miss the irony. In fact, I was only all the more certain that the Spirit was still at work. If the council had ended, tonight would be the last night the packs spent together before returning to their homelands and it was already almost spent. I thought of Ezekiel's prophecy and a sense of urgency filled me.
"What of the proceedings?" I asked, picking up my step again.
I felt farther from the pack now than up on the mountain with the Doom Seer. I missed much, but luckily, Omega took my earlier jest to heart. He trotted up beside me, proudly lifting with the responsibility of recounting what had transpired in my absence.
"The Alphas have come to an agreement," he said. "They believe these strange and unusual things endanger the Mighty Hena, and it is the Mighty Hena that should face them."
Good. The Doom Seers' cowardice was not contagious. I glanced up as the owls took flight and glided above us just below the canopy. The bold birds. They must have thought that their silent wings also made them invisible.
"Should Exile and his pack return, we have agreed to fight and prove our pack mightier than his own. None will be spared."
This was also good. Mercy did not belong in the wild.
"The forest dwellers were especially angry at the creatures that came from the mountain in the Seer's visions to defile our sacred place. They vowed to dig up the nests of the Vipers and Hooded Backs and increase patrols of the rocky border for Mountain Cats."
I liked this swiftness and strength, yet I still could not shake my doubt. Alphas never agreed so easily.
"What of the Iron Mouths?"
Omega did not miss a step in pace or thought.
"They have appeared in the riverlands too, but it is the grasses where they truly lie. Warrior and the lesser packs shared much. They have seen the Iron Mouths spring up along the Yawning River, trapping those caught within. Once clamped, their jaws never open again. They have also seen strange creatures traveling and camping through the land. Some with humps on their backs and strange fur, but they are unsure what to make of them yet."
The grasslands did not need more enemies.
"The lesser packs will scout the land and mark all that they find so that we may be warned of their teeth. Many new Mighty Hena joined this cause."
They were no doubt still filled with the fever of the hunt. It shinned in Omega's eyes even now. The thrill and satisfaction of chasing down and destroying that which threatened us connected us in ways deeper than I thought. From here on out, all Mighty Hena were of the same pack. At least, until our common enemy was vanquished.
"And the grasses?"
Omega would not understand if I asked of Mato. Self names were supposed to be lost when ascending into the pack, but a Mother remembered all.
"Alpha has sent runners to each of the packs. The grasslands will come to the aid of any that howl. And because the pups are strong, we will follow the dust of the herd when we leave the mountain so that we may always be found."
It would be tough on the pups, following the game trails so early, but they had only shown interest in gaining experience anyway.
"Three have left us for this, but others have come to join us, both from the rivers and woods, to fill their shadows."
It had been a long time since the Mighty Hena did such things, but I could not forget the words Ezekiel Doom Seer said to me. Would this still be enough to conquer his visions? His own heir had succumbed to the power of cursed Spirits and Exile's way with their power was alluring to those infatuated with desperation, ambition, and desire. I heard the drum beats echo in my steps even now.
"And the Bone Takers?" I firmly added, because I would not give them power by whispering.
Omega folded his ears again, but he did not shrink from their name. Much honor and courage had grown in him these past few months.
"The Rivers vow to clear the bones from their banks and scatter the scavengers from their temples. As for the grasses…"
Omega lowered his head a little.
"I told the tale of our journey to the burrow in your absence," he said. "They asked me what I saw at the river."
He then looked at me with the same eyes I saw on the bank of the Yawning River. They were red, like most Mighty Hena, but they were also dull. Muted like the rest of him, but only because it served him well to be quiet. All the better to listen to the secrets of others. And in this case, the secrets of the Spirit.
"Warrior has vowed to check the burrow since the Doom Seers cannot be trusted. The Mighty Hena will ensure that their ritual grounds are crushed and splintered."
I slowed to a standstill as we approached the outer reaches of where the packs still loosely gathered. I did not see Warrior or his kind. They must have left to fulfill their promise. Wanderers were not meant to linger anyway. But a majority of the packs remained. I was relieved to see them milling about as usual. They had returned to themselves and seemed no worse for wear despite the dire circumstances they had narrowly escaped. The Alphas and other Mothers and Fathers were able find resolution on their own. My doubts were unwarranted.
Omega trotted a few paces ahead before he realized I was not there. He paused and looked back, curious.
"Mother, why have you stopped?"
I wasn't quite sure myself.
"Everyone is waiting."
The light twinkled in his eyes again and it pulled my distant gaze to him.
"They say we cannot leave without tradition. That Mother must tell a story before we all depart."
And just like that, the strangeness that had befallen us disappeared. It no longer held sway over me. I accepted it and would face it as all Mighty Hena do, teeth first, because no matter which way the wind blew, the fighting Spirit of the Mighty Hena would remain. Our hearts and our traditions would survive because we placed them above the needs of ourselves. Just like now.
At the end of every council, a Mighty Hena was chosen to tell the packs a story. A tale of our heritage or experience or wisdom. It mattered not who it came from, but Mothers and Fathers were often sought to fulfill the role because of their knowledge and experience. The stories carried great lessons within them and reached many ears at once. They filled our hearts and our minds and our souls with good things. For as much as the Doom Seers and other creatures looked down upon us because of our simple language, these stories were the Mighty Hena's greatest secret. We did not boast of them because there was no need. They were meant for Mighty Hena and Mighty Hena only. And for these, I always had words to spare.
"Come then," I said, "And I will tell you a story.
Omega wagged his tail and quickly hopped into step when I passed him. We walked into the mingling of Mighty Hena towards the table and the owls above us veered off into the trees along the outer edges of our gathering. It did not take long for the others to recognize our presence and many trotted along with us. Some casually took their time while others ran ahead to find the best spots to listen. They gathered around the table again. This time, however they pleased. I felt Mato's glance from up on the hill where he greeted the new Hena into our pack.
The Mothers and Fathers of the forests and rivers were already lounging in their favorite spots among the others. Pups ran about the slabs while young ones sat close or up on the table, dangling their paws and tails over the edges. The only ones not present were those filled with rebellion and mischief. I noticed that Jumper was nowhere to be found. The rest roughhoused and played while others watched with anticipation as Omega and I stepped up onto the slabs below the table.
Prima cleared some of the pups away so that I could sit and face the others who gathered around. The other Primas sat behind their litters to keep a watchful eye over them. I looked around at young and old alike, familiar and unfamiliar faces all around. No one was held captive. No one turned a deaf ear. All patiently waited for the one moment when there was no division between us. When there was only Mighty Hena and the Spirit of the pack.
I knew what story to tell.
"Listen well my many Hena," I told them, voice carrying far into the woods despite the softness of my tone. "For I have a story to tell."
The pups and young ones and adults scattered throughout the trees and rocks quieted down. Most listened. Other pretended not to care, but kept their ears turned in my direction anyway. Maw Mouth was the worst pretender.
"What story will you tell Grandmother?" one of the young ones sitting close to the table asked.
A great pressure filled my heart. Grandmother was what the young ones of the other packs named me for they had Mothers of their own to call, but this young one of the forests did not know what a great honor it was to be spoken aloud and to be accepted into another pack as one of their own. I smiled, harnessing the love in my heart so that it spread far and wide to the others.
"I will tell a story of how we became Mighty," I said, inclining my head toward the young one who spoke.
She wagged her tail, sweeping the others around her. To tell such a story meant to tell of our history, and tonight, I meant to tell it from the beginning. At a time and place long before our ancestors howled across the lands. So long ago it was now legend. Myth even.
"On a night when the moon was bright and the sky was clear, a star fell from the sky," I began while looking up at the night sky. "It blazed a trail of yellow and green and white light before it struck the earth in a cloud of dirt and rock and grass."
The pups froze, immediately entranced by imaginations of such an otherworldly sight. Others milled about napping or nuzzling or quietly teasing one another, still finding comfort in this type of gathering which was a pack in its own way.
"With three points on its head and ribbons on its ears, this was no fiery rock or twinkling crystal, but a living thing," I went on. "The land had never seen such a creature before. A Hena, who had been watching the night sky, came to where the star had fallen, curious as to its purpose. This Hena was grey like the moonlight and carried a great black mane on his back. Shadows stained his legs where he waded through the darkness every night."
The adults knew this story like a well-rehearsed dream, but the pups and young ones were fresh ears. They pictured their own markings in the tale.
"What is this creature? The Hena thought. It glows like a star yet stands like a sprout. This is no flower of the world. I have found something very special and must tell it to the night.
The star, unable to see the Hena approach because of his color, grew frightened. Then, he heard the Hena's triumphant howl and found him in the darkness.
A creature with so great a voice could not be evil, it thought. So it cried out, Oh creature of the night, I beg for your help. The Dragon of the Sky hunts me. It screams like a storm, flies like the wind, and thrashes like lighting. I cannot fight against it. Surely, you can help me.
I am neither the strongest nor the fastest nor the smartest, the Hena replied. I am alone with only the moon to guide me. How can I help you against such a terror?
Your moon is bright and my flesh is like the light. The dragon will surely find me, the star explained. Might I hide in the shadow of your back until the hunt is over? If I am found, I will flee and be caught and die so that you may escape. But if I am saved, I will grant you a wish. Anything your heart desires.
The Hena considered this. There was much he needed to survive. The wild was unforgiving. So he agreed.
If you survive, I wish to be able to fight against such danger, he said. I do not want to be afraid anymore.
And since the star was much smaller than himself, the Hena hid the star in his shadowy cloak."
I made a show of turning my back to the crowd and flaring my mane with a touch of shadow. They eagerly lifted and looked at one another's coats, trying to do the same. I whipped the shadow behind me and it settled back into place like a living curtain.
"Then, a great crack formed in the sky and a creature like a snake coiled down from the clouds to where the star had fallen. It had green and yellow scales and was the largest creature the Hena had ever seen. It wrapped and writhed as it looked, but did not find the star. Its eyes were sharp, however, and it spotted the Hena even under the veil of night.
Where is the star? the snake demanded, but the Hena did not answer for it would not tell a lie. Where is the star so that I might devour it and have my wish?
The Hena did not speak.
With no other clue, the serpent followed the Hena all through the night, but his silence remained. Night after night, for seven days, the serpent returned to the earth, but was unable to find the star's light. Eventually, The Dragon of the Sky grew tired.
I must search elsewhere for I would have found it by now if it was here, the serpent said.
It then returned to the sky and disappeared into the night. When it was safe, the star came out of hiding. Its glow was even brighter than before because it was now strong enough to go back home.
You have fulfilled your promise, the star said, and now, so will I. Because it was your howl that I found you and your silence that protected me and your darkness that shielded me, the Spirit will fill you with these things. You will become a great Hena unlike any other. A High Spirit above the rest.
But the Hena became sad at this.
I have no wish, he quickly replied.
This, in turn, saddened the star because granting wishes was one of its own heart's desires.
Is that not why you saved me? it asked.
It was, he replied, but if you grant my wish, our time together will end. At first I was alone, but now I will be lonely.
The star smiled and danced with light.
Your humility makes you Blessed, it sang, Never again will you be lonely.
It then cast a net of stars over the night, bringing the sky to earth.
The Spirit within you will draw others in and many friends will befall you, it said. Take these gifts so that you may protect them as you have protected me.
And so, the star returned to the sky and the Hena took his gifts and became Mighty."
The rest would have to wait. By the time the story ended, the sky was bright, the pups were asleep, and the young ones drowsy. I looked out among them as dawn broke through the trees and I felt the same peace as when I used to stare into Father's golden eyes. We used to tell this story together. He always said I should play the part of the star but his coat often betrayed him. This was the first time I told it without him.
What would he say if he were here now?
I looked up at the thought like the Hena who once watched a falling star and I saw the two owls still watching from a distance. The answer came to me in Father's voice. He turned to me in a memory filled with the rising sun. A laugh softly brushed his lips.
"Friends?" he chuckled, recounting the star's final blessing. "Whoever said they must be Mighty Hena?"
