The sun dawned on a fresh, new day, the winds cool and the sun warm. Hannke was curled up under a fern bush, protected from the morning dew. His dreams had been haunted by images of growling cougars, one in particular, a pale-furred female with blue swirls in the hearts of her golden eyes.
Wren was breathing quietly in a tree nearby, still deep in sleep. Cinderblock was nowhere to be seen.
Hannke slithered out of the bush and to the edge of the cliff. He frowned down at breaking mist. What caused the mist, and what happened when the sunlight touched it? Why did it disappear?
Hannke had never been afraid of heights. He had been scared back at the lava, but that was because it was, well, lava. There had been many high places where he had been scared, but not because of the height itself. It was strange. He was scared of pretty much everything else.
He gazed down. There was a path, rocky and uneven, but still a path. It led down to what must’ve been the bottom of the cliff. Hannke slithered onto the first ledge. He balanced as well as he could and continued onto the next, descending lower and lower into the mist. Soon it got dark. Hannke looked up at where he had started, and then resumed climbing down. After a bit, he reached the ground.
Sunlight streamed through the mist, blanking the ground in warm rays. Hannke breathed in the fresh air. He began to slither toward the rock formations.
Suddenly, a distant roar sounded. Hannke froze. When the air fell silent, he followed his dust trail back as fast as he could. Just as he began ascent, a shape parted the remaining mist and a long-furred wolf dashed through.
Hannke had never seen a wolf before, but Guardian talked of them often. It was rumored that far away, across great plains, there was a rich, green valley where the wolves had their lair.
Pursuing the wolf was a pair of dusty cougars. Hannke would’ve thought that a large wolf could fight a cougar, but this wolf looked only about the size of one of the large cats.
Before Hannke knew what was happening, the wolf leapt onto his ledge, almost knocking him off, and scrabbling up a little higher before pausing, panting, just above him.
Hannke got a good look at the wolf. It was a small juvenile female, with long gray and brown fur and yellow-green eyes. Her chest and tail-tip were white.
Just then, one of the cougars jumped up, landing on a ledge below Hannke.
“Oh, darn it,” the wolf growled, steadying herself. “Right, they can climb.”
Hannke panicked, slithering up the rocks as quickly as possible. He reached the wolf, and she watched him with interest. “Hey, could you show me the safest way up?”
“Um, I guess,” Hannke gasped hurriedly. The wolf followed cautiously as he scrambled up the rocks.
All of a sudden, an aviary shape appeared above the cliff. “Wren?” Hannke cried.
“Not Wren. It’s me!” replied the bird. Who’s ‘me’? Hannke thought. Then he remembered the shape in the tree the night before. Oh, that thing!
A slim dark gray heron half glided, half plummeted down to the ledge, flying into the first cougar, who had just reached it. The cougar went tumbling down, slamming into her partner and knocking them both off of the cliff. Unfortunately, the cougars were on their feet and climbing again in no time. The second one reached the ledge and lunged for Hannke, but the heron got in the way and flapped his wings in the cougar’s face. “Keep climbing!” he shouted. “I’ll distract them!”
Hannke and the wolf scrambled the last few rocks and collapsed at the top, just as the cougars leapt up to join them.. Wren was awake and didn’t ask any questions, just ran at the cats. The wolf turned and growled at them, too. Hannke looked around desperately for Cinderblock.
The heron had knocked one cougar down and was chasing the other off, flailing his feathers wildly. The cougar dashed down to join his friend.
“WHAT HAPPENED?!?” came a voice, and Cinderblock burst out from the cover of the trees. She looked at the wolf; collapsed in exhaustion, Hannke and Wren; both looking shocked, and the heron, who was shaking his feathers out. “Jackdaw, explain this, please.”
The heron gazed at her. “Just some cougars. Hannke, and this wolf, were being chased up the cliff. We got rid of the cougars,”
“Hey, how do you know my name?’ Hannke cried.
“We had a talk last night,” Jackdaw said. “‘We’ being me and Cinderblock. Ochre stopped by for a little, too, but he flew off again after that.”
“Oh, speaking of which, I have good news for him!” Cinderblock exclaimed.
“Wait, slow down,” Wren interrupted. “Can we at least figure out what this wolf is?”
“My name is Charisma,” the wolf said. “I messed with the cougars. They did not appreciate it.”
“I know what you mean,” Cinderblock nodded in agreement. “How did you get out here, though?”
“I’ve been traveling for a long time,” Charisma began, “I came from the Emerald Valley Pack of wolves. When I was toward the end of my puphood, the pack decided to organize an expedition to find and destroy as many cougar lairs as possible,”
“You’re having a problem with them, too!” Jackdaw interjected, then looked embarrassed. “Sorry. Continue.”
“I volunteered to go,” Charisma continued, “But the Pack didn’t let me, saying I was too young to put myself in danger like that. Despite this, I snuck to join the group who were going, and they couldn’t do anything to make me leave. Fortunately, Tenacity, who was leading, made sure I kept out of danger.
“Just as we left the territory, we encountered our first cougar. I, being reckless, charged at it and was knocked into a small gorge. My older cousin Dauntless ran down to get me, but was attacked by another cougar and held down. In fright, I backed into a river and was swept away, and washed up in the Desert of Pillars, which is what we call the place where you found me.”
Jackdaw gazed at her, then spoke. “Well, you can stay as long as you want, as long as you don’t attract any cougars.”
Cinderblock rolled her eyes. “We can fight them.”
“That sounds horrible,” Hannke said, and Wren nodded in agreement. “And, um—cougars?”
“You’re a young cobra,” Jackdaw replied. “You have strong venom. You could easily take down a cougar.” Hannke shuddered at the thought of fighting a creature much larger than him, let alone biting one.
Charisma let out a grumble. “I’m hungry,” she said. “Mind if I go hunting?”
“Don’t wolves hunt in packs?” Wren asked.
Charisma flicked her tail. “I can manage.” She stood up and padded into the woods.
“Welp,” Wren said, watching her go. “What now?”
“I need to find Ochre,” Cinderblock sighed. “He’s never around anymore,”
“I’ll go,” Jackdaw interrupted.
“No, stay and watch these two,” Cinderblock stopped him. “I can run faster than you can fly.”
“Fair enough,” Jackdaw agreed, and Cinderblock also headed off. He looked at Wren and Hannke. “Do you guys want to do anything?”
“Who’s Ochre?” Wren asked.
“He’s a friend,” Jackdaw responded. “He’s been very subdued lately.”
“What do you mean?” Wren pressed.
“I think it would be better if he told you,” Jackdaw answered her, while hopping toward the cliff.
“Hannke?” Wren asked, “What do you think?”
Hannke wasn’t listening. This was his exact dream, his exact vision. He knew what was wrong with Ochre, and he knew it wasn’t true. That was the good news Cinderblock had. She was going to pass on the message that Conglomerate had given her.
“Are you okay, Hannke?” Wren cried. “Is something wrong?”
“N-no?” Hannke exclaimed.
“Very believable, Hannke.” Wren gazed at him suspiciously. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing, I swear!” Hannke replied.
“I’m worried, Hannke. I really am.”
“Aren’t we all,” Hannke sighed. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’m letting you down, Wren. I’ll always try to be your best friend.”
“At least I know you’re good at trying,” Wren said quietly, not quite meeting his eye.
“Wren, are you losing my trust?” Hannke asked worriedly. “Because if you are, I’ll do my best to make it up to you. I swear.”
Suddenly, Charisma crashed through the foliage, eyes wild and leaves in her fur. She shook the burrs out of her pelt and scrambled to her paws.
Jackdaw flapped vigorously over and landed beside Wren, scattering feathers. “Charisma! Back so soon?”
“Cinderblock needs our help!” Charisma gasped.
“What?” Hannke cried.
“She ran into a cougar, and he seems to know all of her tricks!”
The feathers along Jackdaw’s neck ruffled. “Well, then we need to go!” He took to the air, rather shakily, with none of the grace Hannke had seen on him when he had flown down the cliff. Wren followed hastily.
“What about me?” Hannke asked.
“You can climb through the trees,” Charisma replied, before dashing back through the bushes.
Hannke followed her advice and slithered up into the higher branches of the nearest tree. By the time he reached the branches of the next tree, Jackdaw, Wren, and Charisma were nowhere to be seen.
He moved as fast as he could through the branches, pausing to rest at a large one before continuing. This was a tiresome way to travel. The others were probably there already.
Suddenly, the branches rustled and Hannke froze, flattening himself against the bark. An awful creaking sound filled the otherwise quiet air. Hannke’s stomach lurched as a branch above him began leaning gradually towards him.
I should move! He thought angrily, but he was petrified, clinging to the tree. The tipping branch continued to lean toward him at a snail’s pace.
All of a sudden, the branch lurched and began crashing through the canopy. Hannke ducked as leaves swiveled right past his head and tore down through the branches before hitting the ground hard.
Hannke was still frozen, huddled against the bark, his heart pounding. Hours seemed to slide by as he waited for it to settle. What. Was. That? He finally thought after his mind processed the event. He was quite shaken and it was a while before he started slithering again.
Sounds of battle rang from ahead, and Hannke hurried his pace. He slithered onto a tree overlooking the clearing where the battle was taking place, another clearing by the cliffside.
Cinderblock had the cougar cornered against a tree. He stared at her guiltily. Hannke blinked in surprise.
“What was that for?” Cinderblock was shouting, tail lashing. Wren, Jackdaw, and Charisma were off to the side, watching. “You attacked us for fun? Have you any idea how rude that is?”
“I’m sorry,” the cougar apologized. “I just wanted to go home and tell my family how brave I was,”
Cinderblock sighed. “What’re you called?”
The cougar blinked. “I’m Jaggedtail,” he said. “I live with my littermates, Mala and Score up in the mountains with my mother,”
“So, Jaggedtail, why are you giving way such information?”
Jaggedtail shrugged, his tail twisting. “Mother told me mongooses were evil. But now, I realize you think we’re evil, so why bother fighting? Why can’t we just talk it out?”
Cinderblock growled. “Because some animals really are evil, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Think about it as predator and prey. Prey-creatures probably think predators are evil, but they don’t fight back, because they exist to be hunted. The only reason we’re fighting is because you cougars are going over the top.”
Hannke leaned closer, paying close attention to Cinderblock’s words. She was right. Even though there were misunderstandings about evil-ness, some snakes, cougars, mongooses, egrets, some of any type of animal were evil, and that was why nothing could be solved.
Cinderblock sighed again. “Alright, Jaggedtail, I’m going to let you go. But get out of here and don’t tell anyone that this happened,”
Jaggedtail nodded vigorously and scrambled to his paws. “Yes! I will! I’ll roll in mud to wash off your scent and tell Mother that I went hunting!”
“Good,” Cinderblock nodded. “Now scram!”
Jaggedtail turned tail and bolted out of the clearing, his scent fading gradually. After it dispersed into the afternoon air, Cinderblock turned and gazed at the trees. “Hannke? Are you there?”
Hannke lifted his head. “Yes! Are we going home now?”
Cinderblock gazed at Jackdaw with uncertainty. “We still need to find Ochre,” she pointed out, but then shook herself. “I can do that by myself. You guys are free to head home.”
Hannke slithered down from the tree and to Wren. “How was it?”
Wren laughed. “He was easy to defeat. I think Charisma was overreacting,” she said as they began to slither back along the cliffside, leaving Cinderblock behind.
Charisma caught up to them. “What?” she protested, “You never know with cougars.”
Jackdaw looked at them curiously. “You guys have really uncovered part of our secret,” he said.
“Really?” Hannke asked, suddenly feeling guilty. “I-I-I won’t tell anyone!”
Jackdaw smiled softly. “I know you won’t. But still. You know more now than we originally intended.” He turned away.
Wren leaned closer to Hannke. “I think groups of cobras, mongoose, and egrets are joining together to fight the cougars,” she whispered. “That’s great, isn’t it?”
Hannke frowned at her. “That sounds wrong,” he hissed, “Why would they do that?”
Wren gave him a look. “How am I supposed to know?”
“I’m starting to wonder if you’re secretly one of us,” Jackdaw hinted mysteriously.
“So I’m RIGHT!” Wren exclaimed.
“Hey, the untrustworthy wolf is still walking right behind you!” Charisma interrupted.
“OH NO! I take back everything!” Wren gasped.
Charisma snorted. “Too late!”
Jackdaw flapped up and took the rear, grinning at Charisma on his way back. Hannke admired how good he was at being mature and playful at the right times.
“We have to take her prisoner,” he whispered to Wren. “before she tells anyone what she knows,”
“La la la, definitely not eavesdropping on any conversations!” Charisma sang from behind them. “Nope, not me, I'm no eavesdropper!”
“You’re right,” Wren gasped. “Quick! Now!” She flared her wings and tackled Charisma, taking her by surprise.
“Ack!” Charisma yelped. “Jackdaw, help!”
“I’m on Hannke and Wren’s side, remember?” Jackdaw reminded her. “I should help them!”
“Noooooo!!!” Charisma cried as Jackdaw flew in to join Wren.
Hannke laughed quietly as he watched Charisma’s wide-eyed gaze go from one bird to the next. Even a wolf could be taken down, if the right birds were sent at her.
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