Jake and Ki were floating in the middle of the water in the center of the cave. They were facing each other, simply drifting, riding the rise and fall of the small waves beneath them. It was almost completely dark. The others had left, including Protector, who flew outside when the decision had been made who would be joining him in The Quest.
“I don’t want to go,” Jake told his best friend, The Leader of the Flock.
“I want you to go,” Ki told him.
“But I don’t need to go,” Jake argued swimming closer to Ki. “I need to stay near you.”
“No,” Ki swam forward toward him. “You don’t.”
“The others know what you want, and they will get him to come back.”
“I need you to go to be me. You are my best friend and you know me best of all and you know why I need Deke to return to The Flock.”
Jake remained silent as he looked at the goose before him. The bird was smaller than him but was always the one who came up with the ideas. Ki always showed initiative and drive. He was observant and quiet. He thought before he spoke, asking lots of questions. Ki lived to learn.
Jake was not like his friend at all. He grew up with this small goose as their parents had nested next to each other. The two of them hatched almost at the same time in nests just a few feet from each other. Jake admired his friend’s drive and it was early on that he decided to follow Ki no matter what, to keep him safe.
“Ok, I’ll go for you,” Jake finally said as he turned and swam toward the entrance, not looking back. Ki shook his head, satisfied.
As Jake passed through the mouth of the cave into the light of day, he paused to allow his eyes adjust to the light. He paddled with his right leg only, spinning himself in a small circle. Small ripples of water spread from him toward the nearby shore and also into the center of the pond to a small group of five geese. They were waiting for him in a semi-circle and were silently bobbing up and down as the ripples smoothed beneath them. Jake saw the others, nodded, and swam toward them.
“Together again,” Drifter said as Jake joined the to face the semi-circle of geese.
“Seems so,” Jake said as he settled to drift with them. “I have a question for you guys – why can’t we leave now instead of at First Light tomorrow?”
A spattering of quiet laughter spread among the group. It was High who broke the laughter directed more at Mattias than the rest of them.
“Why go at all? What makes anyone think that he would want to come back especially since Protector said that Deke said he didn’t want to because he would be a distraction.”
“High,” Matthias answered first. “I want to go.”
“But she is right,” Liza admitted. “It will be difficult to convince him to come back with us. He is very smart, and I believe he could live alone if he wanted to.”
“You are probably right,” Ack agreed. “But look at what he could teach Ki. He was our leader for a lot of seasons, and I know what he knows could help the rest of us.”
“That is so true,” Liza agreed. “I learned so much from him in the short time I was with him when you guys left for the southern pond. Where to find food, how to stay warm, and how to stay safe here in the cold season. Truthfully, I don’t think he wanted to leave this pond, ever.”
“He seemed to love the cave,” Drifter added.
“There are lots of ponds around here,” High remarked. “What if you don’t find him?”
“Oh,” Jake said remembering his conversation with Ki. “We need to find him.”
The others looked at him as they floated.
***
The next day, the sky was beginning to become early morning gray and five geese gathered in front of the mouth of the cave. Ack, Drifter, Jake, Liza and Mattias waited to be allowed into the inner circle. High was staying behind to be ready to nest when the time was right. Predator had just flown inside ignoring the Sentries that stood in their assigned positions. The sky around them was beginning to turn pink when Daniel appeared in the entrance and simply nodded for them to follow him. Ack lead them inside and they fell into a line behind him with Drifter being the last one to enter the cave. Daniel continued to the middle of the room where Ki was waiting for them.
“By now, you know what to do,” Ki casually told them. They, in turn, spun around to face the entrance just at the time the Bright Light broke the horizon with a thin orange strip of light. The ripples in the water instantly caught that orange light as each small hill of water shimmered. As the Bright Light rose in the sky, the shimmers jumped to the walls above the entrance of the cave and spread overhead. Suddenly, the shimmers widened and spread through the water and the colors of the rainbow began to gather and explode on the walls. The geese gasped in delight and the eagle on its perch on the side of the cave, rose, stretched its head to his highest height and the dark eyes reflected the light show, and he was glad he was there in the room. Slowly the colors on the wall faded as they were replaced by the pale morning light entering the cave. Ki swam around to face them with his back to the entrance.
“Okay, that is always cool. It is different every day, but it is time to go. Remember, you will go with Predator to the place where he came across Deke. Oh, and do you also remember Simeone,” Ki paused, and a sparrow flittered above Predator’s head. “He has agreed to go along with you or, at least a bird from his troop will go with you, to serve as an informer to keep us posted as to the progress of your Quest.
“It will be me going with you,” the sparrow informed everyone.
“Good, but I am surprised,” Ki commented. “Well, the last thing I want to say is this: work together. Don’t fight over who is in charge because no one is. But I do know you guys because I was with you so no fighting among yourselves. We need Deke back with us where he belongs along with the rest of you.”
Ki looked at each of them one at a time to emphasize his point saving his best friend for last and to whom he nodded. “Protector,” he added. “I can’t ask you to stay with them beyond your showing them where to begin, but…”
“Don’t worry,” the big bird stretched his wing to their fullest and rose from the tree root. The breeze from one flap of his wings caused the water beneath them to rise and fall. “I love adventures,” he cried as he flew from the cave.
The sparrow flitted after him through the entrance. The geese swam behind them and spread their wings just outside the entrance and rose into the sky. Drifter was the first one out and was already in flight. Liza flew to his left, Jake fell in place to his right, and Mattias flew directly behind them shaping a diamond as they rose to catch the eagle directly in front of them with a small speck of a sparrow to his right. Ack rose last, following close behind them, finally falling into line behind Jake.
The Quest has begun.
To be continued…
My First Stories 