Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Rosemary and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers' amusement everywhere across the globe.
Rosemary: Apes Together Strong Chapter 3
Nothing can dissuade Noa from pursuing the Top Nest. The most perilous climb of them all in this sacred rite of passage.
Noa stubbornly stays his course, his desire to possess an eagle of his own one day overriding his common sense.
They assess the distance between where they are to the Top Nest. It's way too far. Noa will never make it, let alone Rosemary.
Already shaking his head, concluding it's too far even for his skills, Anaya said, "It's too far."
"Find another way," advised Soona.
Noa isn't going to let this deter him. This is his moment.
Thinking quickly, Noa snatches two rusty pipes sticking out nearby. Tugging them free from their lodging, grunting, Noa keeps one and hands the other to Rosemary.
Pushing it into her hands, firmly, a deadest expression in his eyes, Noa said, "Follow me."
"Noa," said Anaya, questioningly, seeing all this.
Noa backs up as far as he can and then charges for the edge, to the shock of Anaya and Soona. To everyone's amazement, Noa makes it as he uses the pipe as an anchor.
"Yeah," exclaimed Anaya, excitedly.
Soona aims an indignant glower at Anaya, not wanting to encourage this recklessness.
Too late.
Rosemary follows her twin across the drop, utilizing the exact same running start he did. Her landing is a bit shaky, but she gets the job done.
Both of the siblings have successfully made it across safely.
Now it's time to see if it's worth it.
It is.
Upon reaching the nest, Noa and Rosemary find the jackpot.
There's not one, not two, but four eggs in this one. Exactly what they're looking for and then some.
Laughing, turning and holding up four fingers for Soona and Anaya to clearly see, Rosemary said "Four! There are four!"
Noa pant hoots, raising a victorious fist.
Rosemary doesn't waste any time.
Since she is better positioned on the nest for it, Rosemary chooses the egg that sings to her heart, just as Soona instructed. Cradling it close to her chest with a hand curved around it over the pouch situated on her chest. Bunching up her legs, Rosemary launches herself in the air and is caught by Soona and Anaya's linked arms.
Now it is Noa's turn.
Noa has a lot less time than Rosemary. No sooner does he start reaching for his egg of choice than a loud screech is heard in the air, quickly getting closer to him.
It's the mother eagle of this brood, and she's none too happy to see an intruder at her nest.
At the last second, Noa manages to snatch an egg when the mother eagle slams into him with her sharp talons, knocking him from her nest.
"Anaya! Soona! Rosemary," hollered Noa, desperately trying to get a proper grip while clutching the egg to his chest as he slid down the building's incline.
Rosemary, Anaya, and Soona give chase, but none of them is close enough.
"Noa," shouted Soona, reaching out to try to grab him despite not being close enough.
None of it works.
Noa falls off the edge, dropping out of sight.
Eyes wide, Anaya said "Noa!"
"No," gasped Soona.
"Brother," screamed Rosemary, horrified.
Turns out the three of them needn't have worried.
Somehow, Noa had gained a foothold on a piece of scaffolding barely dangling off the decrepit building. Thankfully, in Noa's case, it remains secure enough to save him in time.
Shaking it off in light of his accomplishment, Noa proudly holds up the egg he claimed in extreme satisfaction and pride at this grand accomplishment.
The immense relief that hits them all at once is too much.
Anaya releases an enormous exhale and flops backward onto his back, and Rosemary and Soona lean against each other for support, sharing pleased smiles.
The fact that Noa now has an egg doesn't save him from the punch his sister sends into his shoulder.
"Ow," said Noa, wincing.
Too angry and alarmed by what almost happened to actually speak, Rosemary signed, "Don't scare me like that. I thought you'd died!"
Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Noa apologized, "Sorry."
Sighing, hugging her brother, Rosemary signed, "Let's go. It wouldn't do for us to return after sunset."
On the way back down to where the horses are tied off, the close-knit group of friends is debating about what they think their separate eagles will look and act like with them.
"Do you wonder what your bird will look like," asked Anaya.
"As long as it doesn't look like you, Anaya," jibed Soona, poking fun at him.
Rosemary and Noa laugh at Anaya's expense.
Upon finally reaching their mounts, the four of them come to the realization that not all is as it should be.
Something has disturbed the horses in their absence. Their mounts are deeply unsettled by something, as can be seen by their uneasy fidgeting and tugging at the reins from where they've been secured on fallen logs and hanging branches.
Each of them goes to check on their steeds.
Gently shushing her mare, Soona signed "Scared."
Noa instinctively checks his saddlebags to make sure everything is in place.
It's not.
Spinning around, Noa signed "Blanket missing."
The sudden sound of a twig snapping nearby alerts them all that they're not alone.
Whatever has scared the horses so badly is still hanging around for reasons unknown to them.
Shifting closer together, twirling a stone in her sling, Soona asked "What is it, Noa?"
Speaking just as quietly, Noa said "Something in trees."
Exchanging a grin with everyone else, Soona expertly swings her sling and sends the rock flying with careful aim.
The stone hits its target with a hard thud.
The thief yells in pain and runs off into the brush, wearing the stolen blanket wrapped around them.
Eyes widening, identifying the culprit, Rosemary exclaimed, "An Echo!"
What's an Echo doing here?
Whatever this Echo is doing in Eagle Clan territory, it won't be staying for long.
Hooting and hollering intimidatingly, Noa, Rosemary, Anaya, and Soona break off in hot pursuit of the thief to retrieve the blanket and scare the Echo off.
Unfortunately, the Echo already has a pretty good head start on them and manages to escape through a dark tunnel at the edge of the territory that leads directly into the forbidden valley. The blanket is left behind hanging from a branch, now stinking of Echo.
Knowing the dangers of the forbidden valley, all four are hesitant to get too close to the tunnel to fetch the blanket, but Anaya steals his nerve and picks it up with the other three apprehensively staying where they are.
Holding the blanket up, Anaya said "Definitely not Ape. Think it is Echo, like Rosemary said."
Gruffly, Noa said "Echo do not come in from the Valley."
"I saw it, Noa," insisted Rosemary.
"Then what was it doing here," said Soona.
That is a mystery that maybe they should investigate.
Just as they are contemplating what to do with this, strange noises from the dark tunnel send them running back for the horses.
Nope.
No way.
Time to go home.
Authors Note:
I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D
For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.
So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.
I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.