I cross my arms over my chest and widen my stance.
“Zarriko’s tribe are not happy,” Tryk finally informs us.
Mavyx’s mouth turns down at the corners as he nods. “Zarriko’s tribe are never happy.”
The Shadow-Wing’s head tilts to the side, conceding my Second Spear’s point. “This was not about your territory having fewer mimykcah and more frizikki,this…”
“Let me guess,” Rynn says, taking in a deep breath, “Zarriko’s males are still not happy about our tribe keeping the new females.”
“Not only that. It is that none of them have ignited their heart-stars, except for their High Spear. Some feel cheated out of the chance for a mate and do not think that Zarriko cares because he has found his. They think you keep the females for yourselves…. There is talk of disposing of Zarriko so a male that would fight harder for more females to come to them is in charge. And…” Tryk pauses, wetting his lips with a swipe of his tongue.
“And what?” Rynn insists.
The Shadow-Wing shifts on his feet and rubs at his jaw, his unnatural shadows showing themselves on his skin from the touch. “They think,” he says, tilting his head as he speaks, “that with Zarriko gone, perhaps another male will be able to claim his mate with heart-stars of their own.”
Ezryk curses. Mavyx looks even more stone-faced than usual. My High Spear bares his teeth at the very thought of such a thing and spins to take a few paces away, only to come right back, his hands on his hips. “How do you know of such a thing, Tryk?” he demands.
The two Shadow-Wings share a glance. “Once you learn to live in silence and shadows, it is easy to overhear conversations. The Protectors, they… well, when they patrol in pairs, there is often much talk between them. They think the jungle does not have ears.”
This is not good.
“It is true,” Ezryk nods to himself. “I made every effort to stay away from Protectors when I was out there, but sometimes I was an unseen guest at their camp, staying just out of reach from their fire’s light. It was enjoyable to hear voices whenever you could. I would replay every word of their conversations in my mind for days after. Protectors talk freely in the forests.”
“We must warn Zarriko,” I offer. The thought of a male murdering another and then taking his mate as his own makes me clench my teeth so tightly my jaw aches. “Will he hear it?”
“I do not know,” Rynn answers, shaking his head. “But if he does not, we must strike first, before they do.”
“Before they do what?” The female voice drifted into the space causing us all to turn toward the hut entrance. My High Spearess enters, a wide smile on her face as she comes to her mate’s side. She is followed by both Ah-Lanah and Dove, each of the females drawn to their males like blooms to sunlight. They tuck themselves so neatly into the sides of their mates it makes my own side feel cold from Bea’s absence. “We came to find you,” Zahreenah says, her smile matching those of the other females. “Chastity is teaching some of your finest Protectors to twerk, and I thought you might like to spectate,” she says, grinning. “Are you done with your meeting now?”
“Yes,” Tryk answers swiftly before anyone else. “Tell me, High Spearess, what is‘twerk’? I would learn of it from your‘Chastity’this night if I may?” he asks, his tail flicking behind him and his shadows dancing at his temples.
It does not go unnoticed by me that the Shadow-Wing says the female’s name smoothly, just like the females do. It is odd. The name is difficult for a Trixikka tongue to master, but here Tryk is saying it as if he has been practicing until his tongue is trained around the sound.
“No, you may not,” my High Spear answers. “We have not decided what is to be done.” He glances around at our small gathering before issuing a press of his lips to the crown of his mate’s head. “Tell us your information again. I would hear what the females have to say on the matter.”
* * *
I wish my Bea had been there to hear it. I would like to know what she thinks of it all.
Unfortunately, by the time I leave the High Spear’s hut to return to my own, stars already dot the night skies, and many of my brothers and the human females rest their heads in their nests.
And my female is in mine, her heavy breaths steady with sleep.
Tryk had retold his tales of trouble within Zarriko’s tribe for the female’s ears to hear. They had been as concerned as we had, but something about their response had soothed me like a cool breeze on heated skin. When I first heard of the troubles, my fists itched to take up both spear and blade. Males speaking ill of their High Spear was bad enough, but what exactly had theyplanned when it came to getting more females to their tribe? Taking them from us by force?
Our females, though?Theybelieve that we should talk with Zarriko and his males. Spend more time with them. Listen to their concerns. They said it needs to be less ‘us and them’. They even mentioned the idea of combining our tribes into one - a notion that made my feathers prickle and my High Spear’s nose wrinkle.
It has never been done!
Of all things, it had been decided that rushing to violence against Zarriko’s males, and attempting to bring the tribes together were opposite ends of the same spear. We needed to grip the situation in the middle, where the handling is best. It has been proposed that our meetings with the other tribe are not sufficient enough, and that an invitation will be made for them to come and feast with us, right here in our village.
And, although I very much hope this plan can help blow away the edges of ‘them and us’, I won’t lie and say the thought of even more males spending time around my Bea is an easy one.
Glancing at my own chest before I climb into my nest to join her in slumber, not for the first time, do I send prayers to the Goddesses to make my heart-stars bright. Make them so blinding and clear that every male two hundred wingbeats away could see that she is mine, and I am hers.
Chapter 16 - Bea
When I wake, I wake alone. Just as I had been when I’d laid my head on Zyntarr’s feathered nest. Had he not come back to me last night? Whispers of that unanswered question haunt my mind.‘Even without heart-stars that shine bright for you?’
