Utopia - The Travellers

Fierce!

"Fierce!"

I fly through the trees, swerving around tree branches, my wings slightly tilted so as to not to catch on a thorn or sharp edge. I hear Sparrow tumbling through the trees behind me, "Fierce!"

Grinning, I turn a right, hovering and glancing behind me. My grin strengthens as I realise that Sparrow is nowhere to be seen. I turn to keep flying but crash into a Lupiti with light brown feathers. I stumble as I try to fly backwards and my wing catches on a branch, "Argh!"

Sparrow sighs, swishing her tail with annoyance, "Fierce, dear, as your Carer I have to bring you to the Hatchling Tree until you are as old as twelve months.

I untangle my wing and groan. It's exactly what Sparrow says every morning. From when I hatched. For ten and a half months. I know I can't escape it but, like I've been doing since when I turned three months old, I pout, "I wanna watch the Hunt!"

Sparrow clicks her beak impatiently, "It's not safe, you know that very well, Fierce. A Hatchling like you can't just go bounding off with the Hunters."

I try out an old argument, "I'm gonna be a Hunter when I grow up, anyways. What does it matter if I go out now?"

Sparrow ignores it and flies off, beckoning to me with her tail. Despite my misgivings, I fly off after her, pumping my wings and rushing ahead. I know where we're heading, the place I dread every night and the place I have to bear through every morning. I look up at the towering branches of the mahogany tree, "The Hatchling Tree."

Sparrow zooms past me, "Yep."

I ruffle my feathers, not knowing why I'd said it out loud. Sparrow weaves in between the branches, up and up until I can't see her through the leaves. 

I take a deep breath and manoeuvre my way after her. On every branch, a group of Hatchlings gather around a Babysitter, manipulated by the stories they are being told. I stare at a group, my wings hitching to a stop; it's a story I know well. 

The Babysitter, Willow, explains, "Once upon a time, us Lupi were barely surviving in the Great Utopia. However, we were at peace. Our tribes worked together and shared goods peacefully. That is, until Golden Tribe became selfish and attacked all the Tribes at one gathering, seeking to rule over all. Our tribes fought against each other and many Lupi perished." 

Willow held up a claw as yelps of fear sounded, "Then, when the war was over, each tribe had to retreat to lick their wounds. Each Tribe was faced with the choice of their new leader, for their old ones had gone to live among the Ancestors. All the Tribes remained leaderless until, many years later, a special Lupiti was born. He had a black-tipped beak and golden feathers." 

The Hatchlings oohed and aahed, Willow continued, "This was obviously a sign from their ancestors! So, now, whomever has a black-tipped beak and golden feathers is destined to be Leader, soon."

The Hatchlings squeal with delight, "OOOOOooohhh! I wanna be LEADER!"

I smile slightly but then my emerald eyes drop to my light-brown feathers. So light that they are almost chalk-white. They will never, ever, be the colour of gold. I frown slightly and touch my beak, half-hoping that I'd grown a black-tip. 

I hadn't.

 Trying to shrug it off, I turn and keep flying. Only half my mind is on the way my wings catch the wind and avoid a collision with a branch. When I reach the top of the Hatchling Tree, where the oldest Hatchlings are, I stop. 

The older Hatchlings are all separated into groups, based on what you would like to be when you grew up. I land on the branch of the Hunter Hatchlings where my fellow Hatchlings are trying to recreate a Hunt.

I swerve around them and nearly scoff at the ridicule. However, I control my urges to tell them off and land beside Fern instead. I land at the place where the branch widens into a nearly flat surface, where Fern lies. 

Fern, the daughter of Sea Feather; Leader of Feather Tribe.

Fern, the black-tipped, golden-feathered Chosen One. 

Fern, my best friend. 

I sigh as I flop down next to her, "Hatchlings are soo stupid."

Fern replies with her regal manner and slightly posh accent, "Well, you are a Hatchling yourself, so, technically..."

She trails off pointedly. I roll my eyes, "You know what I mean and I know that you agree with me."

Fern nods, "That is true."

I irritably twitch my tail, Fern often says or do things that doesn't mean anything but sounds like it does, thus annoying everyone who hears or sees it. 

The branch wobbles as Sparrow lands on it, "Hello, Hunter Hatchlings."

The Hatchlings pretending to Hunt stop mid dive and quickly gather themselves in a tight bunch, "Good Morning, Sparrow."

Me and Fern squish in to the group. 

Sparrow becomes stern, "Now, Hatchlings, I know you all want to be the best Hunters in all of Animal Utopia." Pausing for a couple of 'yeah!'s and nods, Sparrow continues, "Well. The most important thing a Hunter has to learn is how every Hunter has an equal. You may become great and glorious, but that does not mean you can treat others as lowly peasants. They may be greater than you in many other things, if not hunting."

Despite my earlier argument with Sparrow, I hang on to every word and the meaning it makes, because I know to receive counsel from a Senior Hunter is rare.

 Fern, however, opens her beak and yawns loudly.

 All Hatchlings turn to stare at her. 

I raise an eyebrow. 

Fern closes her beak with a squeak that is both indignant and embarrassed. 

Sparrow clears her throat, "Am I boring you?"

Fern doesn't say 'of course not!' like what I and every other Hatchling would say if confronted like this.

 Instead she asks patiently, "Dear, Sparrow. You were a respected Hunter, I would expect, and your wise words shall be remembered. Indeed. However, if you are so wise and all knowing, you would be able to tell me why, I ask you why, can't I be a Healer when I become an official Lupiti?"

I glance at Fern with sympathy. Fern'd always wanted to be a Healer, from when she opened her eyes, just like I had wanted to be a Hunter.

Sparrow thrusts out her wings and thrashes her tail madly, "Fern, you known very well why not. You are the 'Chosen One' and the 'Chosen One' has to be our Leader one day. Some day you will be Fern Feather. And when that 'someday' comes, because it will, I promise you that I will not follow you if you were a Healer then. I promise you that nobody will."

All the Hatchlings cower beneath Sparrow's menacing glare. Even Fern squashes herself almost flat onto the branch to be able to being hit by her wings. Then Sparrow seems to shrink, folding her wings and sitting down, curling her tail around herself. 

She is, again, the gentle, wise Carer that we all knew.