Leatherwing... Chapters 2 & 3

2.

Vrik was a growing boy and as he grew he learned that there were others who lived in the forest around his home. And some of those others were of his age. And some of those, if not to the same degree, shared his adventurous spirit. And he soon learned that his mother would let him explore a little further if he was with others, even if they were only children like himself.

And so, Vrik learned about friendship. And he thought friends were a good thing indeed.

Like all growing boys, Vrik liked to watch his father and admired how strong the man was. He was a hunter and a protector, and he would explain to Vrik about what the world was like even beyond the trees. Vrik couldn’t wait to see that. A world beyond the trees!

Vrik’s father answered all of Vrik’s questions, even when his mother disagreed.

“He’s still young. He shouldn’t know of such things!”

But Vrik’s father disagreed. “He needs to know. If I do not return one day, I want him to remember my words.”

But this would upset Vrik’s mother and she would simply say, “Don’t talk like that.” And then Vrik would ask more questions.

Vrik was always curious about the hunt as well. His father would talk about respect for the forest and thanking the spirits for what they took, but death was not something Vrik yet understood. And so he liked to pretend he was a hunter and he listened extra hard when his father taught him how to use a spear and a knife.

Vrik was too young to have a spear, of this his mother was quite firm, but his father still showed him. He would use a stick and practice the movements his father taught him every day. He liked it when his father watched him and smiled. And even though she still said he was too young, Vrik also saw his mother smile when she thought he could not see.

For his eleventh birthday, much to his mother’s chagrin, Vrik’s father gave him a small knife. And it instantly became his most prized possession.

“Every hunter needs a good knife. It can save your life, so take good care of it” his father would say.

And take care of it he did. And he never went anywhere without it.

3.

Vrik’s mother understood that her son was a growing boy, and that growing boys needed to have some freedom from their mothers. And so, when Vrik and his friends would go off into the forest to explore, she would worry, but she would also trust that they had listened. Listened to her when she told them to stay close, and not go too far.

“There are dangers even in these trees. And lizards and snakes, and spiders,” she would say, “are not least among them.”

“Yes mother” Vrik would reply with a smile. For he did not yet know these creatures, and to him they were exciting; prizes that his father and the other hunters returned with after days of being gone.

And Vrik wanted nothing more than to be a hunter. To explore beyond the trees, to track, fight and kill the dangerous creatures that threatened the people. These were things that Vrik wanted.

“Can I come father? I’m not afraid” Vrik would say when his father talked of the next hunt.

“You are not old enough yet,” his father would reply.

Vrik knew it was pointless to argue. This was the one area in which his father agreed totally with his mother. And by custom, a boy was not even allowed to learn the ways of the hunt until he was considered a man. And a boy did not become a man until after the swelling.

And so, in the spring, just before Vrik’s twelf birthday, Vrik’s mother was not worried when she called for her son and he did not answer. He had been wandering in the forest with some friends and she knew that he often pushed the limits of how far he was to wander. She called again, louder, but again there was no response.

They were playing to the south she thought, and took to the trees, the added height allowing her to see further and her voice to carry. She called again.

Nothing.

Worried, she began moving, first slowly, but gaining speed as she continued, her calls still unanswered.

Where could they be!

Her answer came moments latter when she heard a faint sound still further into the trees.

Was someone crying?

Moving through the trees faster than she thought possible, Vrik’s mother raced towards the sound, pushed to even greater speeds the closer she came to the sound.

It was someone crying.

She almost went straight past the source of the sound, she was racing so fast. Luckily she did spot the small huddled form, hiding in the roots of a great elm. It was T’ra, one of Vrik’s friends!

Moving quickly to the girl's side, Vrik’s mother grabbed at the child. She was a little older than Vrik, but she was over an inch shorter than her son, and she looked even smaller, crouched as she was on the ground, blond hair matted to her head and covered with dirt.

“Its alright child. Its all right” Vrik’s mother said as she took the girl into her arms.

But T’ra shook free. “No, its not alright… the lizard,” she trailed off, weeping once again.

“Lizard? What lizard?”

T’ra began to sob.

Vrik’s mother took the girl by the shoulders. “What lizard? Where is Vrik?”

T’ra fought back the tears and looked Vrik’s mother in the eyes. “He wanted to see the land beyond the forest. He said we could make it back before dark. He said we’d be safe.”

“What happened T’ra? Where is my son?”

“We were hiking. Vrik was in the lead, showing us the way. He always shows us the places he’s gone.” T’ra whipped her nose. “He was only a little ahead of us. It happened so fast.”

“What? What happened so fast?”

“Vrik yelled for us to get back. He yelled and then the lizard was on top of him.” T’ra shook her head and tears once again came to her eyes. “It was so big, moved so fast. I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared.”

Vrik’s mother stood as the girl’s body was once again wracked with sobbing. Looking to the forest around her, a vein hope coursed through her that she would see her son somewhere in amonst the trees. “Where? Where did this happen?”

T’ra shook her head, “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Where is my son?”

Choking back tears, she shook here head. “I don’t know. The lizard came, Vrik yelled, and I ran.”

Vrik’s mother looked to the forest, listening. Hoping.

“I ran. We all ran.”

To be continued...