Long Ways to Go Part XIV

Dawn’s light was just a few minutes away.  Uncle and Petra were in the lead.  Raven and I followed a bit behind them.  We’d come back to the little cave and picked up the trail of the Enemy’s children.  It was easy to see where I’d been injured.  I didn’t realize I’d bled that much.  Strange to see my blood dried on those branches.  It was a lifetime ago.  The bridge was still in sight, the one I had been headed to.
This time, it was slightly different.  I could see the colors shimmering off it.  And it was further away than it had been.  Between it and me were the solid high walls of rock cliffs going way up in the sky.  I understood how it was, Uncle’s determination to get back home.  I could see it.  I could see a barrier, a wall, shimering all around it.  Petra said that’s what we came through.  I wanted to examine it.  Uncle said we’d have to find the Magicians first.  The Enemy was too close.  So, here we were on the trail of those babies.  I wasn’t sure I really wanted to meet the grown-up versions.
We changed course and headed for a range of hills in the distance.  I blinked my eyes to get the farthest range.  I hadn’t been paying attention and of course, I missed whatever it is was they’d seen.  It turned out to be that baby.  It was following that bird creature along a river.  I frowned.  Where was that fish?  There!  A flash of light in the stream.
I leaned forward, trying to make out more details.  Raven jerked a bit, then settled on a course towards that flash of light.  I closed my eyes, hoping the spinning would stop.  By the time I opened them, we’d closed the distance and were heading for an outcropping just behind the children.  I slid down to the ground and stood on shaky legs.  Uncle was already moving to the edge at a fast crouch.  I tried to follow.  My legs wouldn’t move.  I reached up to grab Raven.  She was staring at me again.  I shuddered at that look.  When uncle and Petra turned to wave us forward, they stared at me.  Now what had happened to me?
“We’d better not waste any more time.  You’re changing again.  Your eyes look more like Petra’s and Raven’s.  What do you see?”
“The same as I did before.  Cept I got dizzy a couple times, especially after I saw that fish.  My head feels different.  Got a head ache too.”
“Your head is a bit larger.  Not much, mind.  More in the front.  Well.”  He tilted his head to study me carefully.  “You might not want to go back, if this is permanent.”
What could I say to that?  Not a thing.  I had no idea what they were talking about.
Petra and Raven began talking in that warbling language of theirs.  I took a deep breath and walked to the edge to look down.  Yep, something was definitely different.  My balance was off.  My head was a tad bit bigger.  Just enough to make me wobble on the way to the edge.  I rubbed my face, my heart leaping to my throat and trying to climb out.
I sat down.  Pain exploded all through my body.  A wrenching, stretching sort of pain.  I couldn’t breathe.  Then. friends and neighbors, it was done.  I did’t hurt anymore.  My head felt light, my heart settled back where it belonged and I took a deep breath.  I stood up.  My sight was back, better than before.  I looked over the edge.
There was the flash of light, off in the distance.  Those two babies were following along the shore, not a care in the world.  I started tracking that fish.  It flashed for a few more seconds, then was gone.  I checked the kids.  Yep, they’d stopped and were setting up some sort of netting.  I frowned.
“What kind of creature needs that big of a net?”
“Where do you see it?”
“Near the river.  Right about where the fish stopped.”
“Petra?”
He’d turned his head in the direction of the river.  “I see.  They set trap for something.  We fly there.  Not see us coming.  They too excited.”
I sighed.  Flying was not a good thing for me.  Got a pleasant surprise when I climbed on Raven.  I fit better, didn’t feel as clumsy when she took off.  Wind rushing against my face wasn’t as cold.  I leaned into it, closer to her head.  We glided into the trees near the river and came to rest on a branch high enough to see them.

Long Ways to Go Part XIII

It was a fast flight to Petra’s village.  Grandfathers and Grandmothers were looking out for us.  We didn’t see any Enemies and no problems.  Weell, aside from the matter of my eyesight.  Uncle’s talking and whispering with Petra and Raven didn’t bring us one bit nearer to knowing what was happening.  I did talk until I was almost purple, telling them everything that had happened to me, what I did, where I went.  Worse than Mom when she wants to know why I did or didn’t do something.
Oh.  One other thing.  I could understand the dragons.  I couldn’t talk to them but I could understand what they were saying.  Petra greeted this news with a sigh of relief.  He’d been wondering how I knew to do some things.  He was beginning to think I was clairvoyant or some such thing.  Uncle and I hid our laughter.  I was able to use some part of my mind to understand other languages.  I hadn’t told them about listening to the other animals and birds.
We headed for the kitchens upon our arrival.  We were hungry and tired.  Besides, I didn’t feel like hanging around too many of the people right away.  My eyes.  They’d changed.  Uncle, well, he and Petra had gotten used to my eyes.  Raven still watched me with a distrust that bordered on fear.  So I sorta knew what to expect.  And why I hid in the kitchen.
Yeah, I can see you’re all thinking that I should have known better.  Most of the village traipsed through the kitchen during our meal.  Some stopped to talk with Petra and Raven.  Most gawked at me and Uncle, mostly me.  At least I had something to occupy myself when everyone was getting their fill of my unique situation.  In case you’re wondering, our eyes can see different things from most people, like colored light, far distance.  Well, getting off track here again.
We walked over to the Healer’s Circle.  By this time, the crowd was thinning out a bit.  I imagined they were home discussing me.  It was different from a Hunt.  Eyes were on me and me alone.  I wanted to hide behind Uncle.  Good thing he wouldn’t go for it.  I had a lot of explaining to do.  I thought my throat would be sore for days after I was finished.  Took most of the night to tell them everything they wanted to know.  In the end, it was because I’d touched the Mother’s Blood without Protection.  And it was like Uncle said:  it had changed me somehow.
I began a different sort of training with Petra and Raven when I woke up.  My eyesight was closest to theirs.  And other changes, no one knew.  It didn’t take long to see once I’d accepted my eyesight.  The hard part was accepting people’s attitudes.  I was strange, even among these strange people.
Uncle was determined to get home.  He spent a lot of time with the few Magicians in the village.  Turns out there was a couple in hiding who’d worked with this sort of events.  We’d have to go to them.  It was safer for the People.  The Enemy was searching for anyone who had knowledge of the Mother’s Blood.

Long Ways to Go Part XII

“Uncle is outside.”  Raven turned to examine me.  I didn’t care for the look in her eyes.  If she continued to watch me like that, I decided I was going outside, no matter what.  It had been a couple days anyway since I’d seen the sun.  It can’t be that important for us to stay inside. We were at the top of a cliff.
It was a little easier to see in the semi darkness of the camp we’d made for ourselves.  Least when the sun was shining.  Uncle stayed outside quite a bit since I woke up.  Petra had him doing those exercises that were a combination of mind games and balancing.  I tried it for a bit but my balance was off.  I had a dull ache in the back of my neck which didn’t help.  I was constantly hungry and didn’t want to be whining around about it.  And thirsty.   I fell asleep thinking about home and the feasts we had on the First Moon Day.
“We have to bring him outside.  In the sun.  At least for a short time.  It’s not good for him to be in the dark all the time.”
“Yeah.  I know we have to get moving.  I just don’t know how to prepare him for the changes.”  Uncle’s voice was strained.  “How long will it be til we get to the Sky People?”
“A couple days.  There’s another cliff we could shelter in about half way.  Petra’s shoulder is healed.  He should be able to carry you with just a short break during the day.”
I wondered at the sudden silence.  Didn’t dare even open my eyes a slit to see if they were looking at me.  I could feel their eyes on me.  It was an itch I couldn’t reach.  The silence made me very uneasy, mind you.  Getting rid of the itch meant I’d have to say something.  That should get their eyes out of the trance they seemed to go into whenever they looked at me.
“I’m small enough.  Petra could carry me in that sack she brought.”
The stares continued.
“Tomorrow morning is when we’ll be going?”
Nothing doing.  If anything, the stares intensified.  My whole body was crawling now.
“Guys.  You’re starting to scare me.  What is it?  What’s wrong?”
Oh no, that wouldn’t do.  My voice was heading into the high range for boys.  I hadn’t ever been so nervous before.  Not even when we put a hole in the canoe.  There was such a serious, intent look contained in those stares.
Raven squeaked.  “How are you feeling?”
“What a strange question.  I’m feeling fine.  Not even sore.  Just hungry. Oh and thirsty?”
“I think you’d better come outside.”
I got to my feet and stumbled to the cave entrance.  The closer I got, the more I wanted to hang back.  Not a good feeling.  Well, I made it.  Cept you know what.  Things looked different.  Very different.  I blinked my eyes.  Shook my head.  Blinked my eyes again.  Still the same.
Everything still had a different look to them.  I shook my head, this time in confusion, disbelief and a growing sense of unease.  I turned to see Uncle stepping ahead of me.  Like he was afraid I’d do something foolish, like step off the edge of the cliff.  One thing for sure, I wasn’t about to do something like that, even if I didn’t know what was happening to me.  Another thing I did know was we needed to get where ever we were going and fast.  We, I needed answers.

Long Ways to Go Part XI

I’d slept for most of the day.  The pain was gone.  I’d not felt so good since I don’t remember when.  Uncle and Petra were gabbling along in that language.  I listened to them for awhile.  Then, it started making sense.  I kid you not.  Just listening to them in that cave with nothing else to do but listen.  It was a bit like listening to the squirrels, crows and animals around the house at home.  Listen long enough and quiet enough, you can hear them talking.
“We’re surrounded here.  Raven made it through flying by night.  We’ll have to stay here til they give up the search.  She might be able to bring in enough food.”
“My nephew has attracted a lot of attention from the Enemy.  Too bad he’s not fully trained.  When I left, he was first level warrior.  Couldn’t have got much further than that.”
Their voices faded.  I listened harder.  Nope.  I couldn’t hear them anymore.  Had they left me, thinking I was still sleeping?  I opened my eyes.  Or thought I did.  It was so dark in that cave, I couldn’t see nothing.  I relaxed and drifted off to sleep.
“Do you think he’s slept off the effects yet?”
“Hard to say.  Mother’s Blood affects everyone differently.  Expecially an unguarded touch like that.  As you said, good thing it was a small piece.”
“And what about the time difference?  It’s been six months over there according to my nephew.  I’ve been here three months.  I’ve kept track of that time.  Is that something that’ll have to be taken into account?”
“What is time?  Guess that’s something we’ll have to ask when we get to the Mountain.  I am learning that Sight needs to be checked out, carefully.  What we See is not always what is there.”
“Like an illusion? A mirage?”
“Before the war started, the People were more numerous, spread out over much of the land between the River and the Mountain.  Many of the ones who’d know were in these areas and they were killed when the war began.  A few were captured.”
“Is there any writings?  Did they teach anyone else?”
A long sigh.  The dragon cleared his throat.  “Most of the apprentices were killed.  Very few of them survived that first wave of attacks.  The ones who know the most are very careful who they share the knowledge with.  Sorry to say this:  it was a couple of the Elders who worked with the Enemy and brought the attackers in.  Once the first village fell, the rest were easily brought down.  Now the Magic is in the hand of the Enemy.  They’ve corrupted our Way.”  Another long sigh.  “Their misuse may be the reason you and your nephew are here.”
Uncle was silent so long I thought I’d fallen asleep.  I wondered about the dragons, the People.  I thought it was strange they called themselves “People.”  They were so different.  I thought about their eyes.  The chills that ran up and down my spine whenever they watched me.  The glowing wasn’t as odd, now that I’d thought about it.  It was something inside the eyes.  Like two people were looking at me.
“Guess we’d better get some sleep.  Is that muscle cramp letting us yet?”
“It comes and goes.  Been much better since Raven got her herbs mixed.  We’ll begin the exercises in the morning.  Both of you will have to practice.  That much we can do.”
I wondered what kind of practice could be done in the darkness of the cave.  I wasn’t much good with the memory games, cause that’s what it sounded like to me.  And how long was the darkness going to last?  I was quite sure my eyes were open.  I could feel them blink.  I pondered these and several other questions  while I was in the dark.
Come to find out it wasn’t dark.  My eyes were still feeling the effects of the Mother’s Blood.  That Blood was changing me in ways I still don’t fully understand.  Near as Uncle could figure it, I was still growing and the Blood worked with the changes I was already going through.  And when I finally got my sight back, it was a total and complete shock.  Well, again, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Long Ways to Go Part X

We found a nice little spot to rest for a few days.  On the third day, just at dawn, I was on watch for what I didn’t know.  There hadn’t been any animals, birds or any signs of life that I could see.  Uncle told me to just yell if I saw any movement at all.  So, I yelled when a shadow glided into the clearing.  A big shadow that circled.  By the time it landed, Uncle was holding a spear ready.  The shadow warbled in the same manner that Petra did.
I wasn’t zactly relieved when Uncle and Petra greeted the shadow.  Uncle motioned me to pick up the bag that I never even seen drop.  Twasn’t that far from me either.  Hoo, I needed sleep.  With the three of us, one being sick, twas hard to stay awake when sleep was always being interrupted.  And the gabbling coming from those two.  Something was up.
Sure enough.  We needed to leave right away.  Some of the stuff in the bag had come loose.  I shoved them back.  I was tying it up when I saw this little piece of shiny stuff.  Not being one to consider what might happen, I reached to pick it up.
“No.  Don’t touch”
Too late.  I touched the thing and tried to let it go.  I couldn’t move.  Pain shot through my hand all the way to my head.  Light exploded.  Then dark.  When I woke up a bit later, Petra was moving my arms.  It hurt.  That was what woke me up.  Pain in my head.  I groaned.  Trying to talk hurt.
“One needs to be a bit more careful here.  You’re lucky that was just a little piece of the Mother’s Blood.  It’s used to treat wounds.  It causes them if one doesn’t know how to use it.”  Uncle handed me some water.  “We’ll have to hurry.  The Enemy is much closer now.  Petra can’t fly for a couple more days.  You’ll have to walk between us for a bit.”
I tried to nod my head.  Pain was not as bad.  When I sat up, I saw the other creature, the dragon.  I got chills running up and down my spine.  Seeing two of them towering over me had those chills chasing each other all through my body.  Least I didn’t shout, okay, okay.  Scream with the terror that wanted to bubble up through my already hurting brain.
I managed to walk for a few miles.  Then we reached the cave where we would spend the next couple days.  Big problem.  We’d need to be carried to the top of the cliffs.  My skin was crawling with the chills going up and down my back.  Petra’s mate stared at me with those curious eyes they had.  No, I never did know her name.  It was too hard to say.  When I stood long enough on my own, she swooped over and picked me up.  I was too startled to do anything but hang on.
Seeing the ground rush away from me was petrifying.  Uncle and Petra looked very tiny.  She back-winged, warbled, and set me down as best she could.  Yeah, yeah.  I was hanging on to her with all the strength I had.  There was a distinct glint of humor in those eyes.  I realized she’d be laughing if I didn’t let go.  Sure was glad Uncle was still at the bottom of the cliff.  He’d most likely laugh too.  Weell, she pushed me towards the cave opening and dropped out of my sight.  I resisted the urge to watch her.  I was dizzy enough.
As soon as I got into the dark coolness of the cave, my head didn’t hurt quite so bad.  I closed my eyes and relaxed against the wall.  By the time the rest were inside the cave, I was having a hard time staying awake.

Long Ways to Go Part IX

We followed a stream of water for a ways.  Petra was gabbling again and they turned up a short path that wound under some bushes.  There was a squawking noise and we froze.  After a few heart stopping moments, we kept on going.  We come up to a tiny clearing wehre we rested for a couple hours.  No one said anything.  Petra rose to his talons and shook that sleek head of his.  I saw a shadow flit from the top of a nearby tree.
Petra pointed his beak to the sky and squeaked a tiny noise.  He tilted his head slightly and his eyes were glowing at us again.  We followed him up the trail only he could see.  I was hoping that I wasn’t leaving any tracks as it was a mite hard to tell where I was stepping.
We walked til the sun was just coming over the hill.  Petra squeaked that tiny noise again.  Uncle motioned me forward.
“We’re stopping for a couple hours.  Petra needs to rest.  I’ll be going back down to check the trail.”
He handed Petra the last of the soup bags.  He was gone without another word.  I collapsed to the ground right where I was.  I watched Petra for a bit.  I hadn’t had a good look at him for days.  He was taller than uncle and covered with dark brown feathers.  His wings were folded on his back.  I knew he had talons but I was surprised to see arms with three tiny talons on them.  Uncle had put a poultice of some sort on his shoulder and it started to bleed again.  I checked the bags for another and didn’t find any.  I folded up a piece of my shirt and held it against the poultice.  When the bleeding stopped, I relaxed against a tree.
I studied the land around me.  I could see the river was off in the distance, a little silver flash in the morning sun.  We were high up on a hill.  Looking down, I could see why we were tired.  Aside from the wounds we both had, it was mostly uphill.  Cept for the last bit, it wasn’t even noticeable during the night.  Green, many different shades of green, were all I could see below.  Above, the sky was changing from the first colors of dawn to the blue of the early morning.  The sun was completely over the horizon by the time Uncle got back.
“We’ll have to get to the other spot.  Petra gave me directions already.  We lost them.  Tracks are leading up the hill further down the trail.  Hopefully, we’ll be under cover by the time the Fliers get here.”  He frowned at my shirt setting on Petra’s shoulder.
“It quit bleeding.  I didn’t want to move it til you got back.”
“Ahh.  By evening, you’ll know more about the care of wounds than you really wanted to know.  The dragons are more touch and go than we are.  Long as the bleeding is stopped, we’d better move.  The next rest will be halfway from where are are now.”
I must have rolled my eyes or something cause he smacked me on my shoulder.
“Wake up.  If you guys weren’t hurt, we’d have been there already.”
I dragged myself into a sitting position.  Hadn’t known I laid down.  Must have dozed off a bit.  Sure was glad he hadn’t come then.  Think I might have been wishing to be home, or that this was all a dream.  We commenced moving on the trail underneath the trees.  Uncle had tied my shirt with a piece of leather, grabbed a drink of water and led off carrying Petra.  I picked up the rest of the stuff and nearly dropped it when a large shadow flew overhead.  I froze.  Uncle and Petra looked up.  That strange noise warbled out of Petra’s throat.  I hurried to catch up after they left me standing there with my heart in my throat.

Long Ways to Go Part VIII

Welcome. friends and neighbors.  Good to see you back.  Pretty good of you to bring some food and drink.  I’ll be finishing up my story tonight.  Hope everyone got enough rest.  Now, the reason I’m telling you all this is so you’ll have an idea if something happens to you.  We found out about how this thing works.  When and where haven’t been rightly figured out yet.  Uncle decided that warnings needed to be sounded.  Getting ahead of myself.
I was stuck in that cave for four suns, waiting for the Enemy to leave the area.   I slept  most of those days.  Uncle left me by myself for a bit while he went off to get some more food on the third day.  Petra wasn’t talkative.  He watched me with those curious eyes of his.  They were set on each side of his head, like most birds.  They glowed in dim light from the very tiny fire.  I wasn’t sure if he ever blinked.  It gave me the chills in my neck, having him watch me like that.
“We can leave as soon as it’s dark.  There’ll be a bit of moon to light the way.  Once we make it to the foothills, Petra will lead us the rest of the way.”
“How come he doesn’t talk?  All he did was stare at me.”  I tried to hide the shiver that went from my neck to my spine.  “I’d wake up and he’d be staring at me.”
“His tongue isn’t shaped to talk.  We figured out the words he could say.  I talk a bit of his language and it’s hard.
“Get ready.  We’ll have to bring most of this stuff.  Petra says it’ll be about four Suns to get to the People’s cove.”  He shook his head.  “We would have to be here in the middle of a war.  We’ll have to stick as close to cover as we can.  Your hunting lessons will come in handy.”
I finished the packing of the little Uncle let me carry.  Wondering why?  Well, it’s cause I had to carry the water bags.  He’d made some soup and filled three of them with it.  The other three were filled with water.  That’s when the seriousness of the situation settled.  Carrying soup meant no fires for a while.  I was wishing I’d stayed in the village stead of heading over to the falls to fish.
Uncle grabbed hold of the rope he’d brought in with him and tied it to his wrist.  Told me to hang on.  The blackness of the cave stunned me.  Those eyes staring at me weren’t helping one lttle bit.  Petra blinked and head out.  Sure was glad to see the stars when we got to the edge of the cave.  Uncle coiled the rope and hung it on my shoulder.
We didn’t have no trouble til we got to the foothills.  Petra was flying just above the treetops when an arrow flew out of the trees off to the north of us.  Petra fell.  Uncle dropped his stuff and motioned me to stay.  The moon seemed to fly to the horizon while I waited.
The rustling of the brush alerted me.  I turned to see Uncle carrying Petra as best he could.  I scurried out to help.  The arrow nicked his shoulder, just below the wing.   He’d kept the arrowhead and fletching.  The rest he’d broken along the trail.  We needed to find some place fast.  I aint been so helpless in years.  The best I could do was carry Petra’s load.
Uncle and Petra gabbled in that bird language for a bit, then set off.  I followed as close as I dared, trying to watch our backtrail and keep them in sight.