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Juvenile fiction about three prairie dog and mystical golden eagle... work in progress |
| It's a story of an unlikely friendship formed between prairie dogs, a swift fox, burrowing owls, & mystical a golden eagle revolving around a need to restore the balance of nature in the prarie. |
| THE GREAT ESCAPE By Robin Gavilan Illustrated by Luke Layton PROLOGUE Hundreds of years ago maybe more in a land far away or maybe closer, lived a small animal called a prairie dog. Important to the survival of many other animals, the prairie dog burrowed under the ground and when it rained had parties celebrating in their little tunnel homes. The rain water was caught, saved for bathes, drinking, and the moisture brought richness to the grasslands. Deer antelope and bison grazed the meadows along with these fat, brown, furry little creatures that loved to eat. They snipped and trimmed the grasslands with their claws and sharp teeth. The guard perched at tunnel entrances watched for falcons, hawks, swift fox, and black-footed ferrer which were their predators. Men of the nearby tribes walked the rich grasslands and lived among the prairie dogs. Occasionally, a grazing deer antelope, or bison fell victim to a spear to feed the nearby tribes. Men from the tribes used the skins of the animals along with the feathers of the falcons and hawks for clothes. Without water--animals, men, or grasslands could not survive and without the animals the tribes could not survive. As man of the animals used the burrows of the prairie dogs for mes, the burrowing owls, toads, mice, and prairie rattlesnake all played a part in the circle of life. Sadly, occasionally the prairie dog fell victim to one of its many predators. As they all needed the grasslands and one another in someway to survive, balance existed among the community. There existed among them a great golden eagle that legend said came from nowhere and everywhere. She was different from the other animals being a seer and a sorceress. She had endured the ages and her purpose was to keep the balance with little outside interference. Intervention was undesirable unless necessary. The animals and the tribes feared her. For all of these years there had been balance, animals existing one with another. The prairie dog created food for the environment and made it richer by creating underground water storage for vegetation with their tunneling. Man and nature for a time walked hand in hand. All was at it should be. Progress had interrupted that balance. Rivers and streams were damned for crops and livestock. The prairie dog environment had been changed which changed the environment of others. Some animals became few in number, the swift fox, golden eagle, burrowing owl, black-footed ferret, and prairie rattlesnake. These animals had lived in prairie dog burrows and the burrows were becoming fewer in number. Allowed the chance, nature could heal itself. Was it too late? The Golden Eagle, knew it was her time..... Some wanted to help but others would fight. So the problem began with a evil twist on the truth as is often the case and will lead Scarface to discover his true heritage as Kumara son of Alf the King of the prairie dogs. His mother Althea must find a way to assure the future for her offspring. Our tale starts here…. ************* CHAPTER 1 "Why do I always have to be it,” yelled Bonnie. She raced around the corner of the tunnel closing in on Claire. Her heels sprayed dirt as she rounded the next corner of the tunnel. Claire said, “You’re never going to catch me.” She was looking over her shoulder and she misjudged the next turn and she felt Bonnie grab her black tail. Scarface watched from around the next bend. Lost in thought, he stood and waited. His paws placed under his chin, large dark almond shaped eyes stared off into space. The incident had changed their lives forever and the three of them were always together. Since their return from the human world, the other prairie dogs treated them like outcasts. The community seemed scared of them and their only hope was one day they would regain their trust. Scar waited just as he always waited when the humans held the three of them captive. That's how he had gotten his name. She’d given him it to him and the name had stuck. A human taught him sometimes enemies could become your friend. If not for her they might have been trapped in that world forever. He was oblivious when Claire tagged him. “You’re it.” Said Claire. “Why you.” Scar laughed as he started down the burrow after them. They were immersed in their game when a shadow blocked the entrance of the burrow. They froze. Slowly they inched their way to hide around the corner. "It's a swift fox." Claire whispered, “Let’s go Scar.” "No not yet she's scared. Let's see why.” Scar said. “She seems...sick.” Bonnie said. "I think she's going to have pups." They watched when suddenly, the fox stopped, listened, and sniffed the air. “Wha da ya think?..” Claire shivered. The prairie dogs could smell the Coyote now. The large ears on the fox trembled and she skittered backwards. She pushed further into the darkness of the sand and dirt passageway of the abandoned prairie dog town. Scar looked at the fox and thought, perhaps this might be a time to make a friend of an enemy. “I have a crazy idea..." Bonnie and Claire looked at each other. Scar had gotten them into some strange situations but not without a purpose so they trusted him His sturdy little body stood firmly in the shadows. Bonnie and Claire hung back to see what was going to happen next. “I think I can help you!” Said Scar to the fox confidently. Bonnie and Claire were horrified and whispered. “Are you insane?!” “Maybe, but I don’t think so. Swear not to touch us and we’ll help you.” “Why would I do that?” said the fox. “The coyote is an enemy to us both and right you need help. My sisters and I need friends.” Said Scar. “Why would you trust an enemy?” “We don’t have time to keep arguing the tunnel is beginning to collapse! Do you want help or not and do you swear?” They could see the coyote probed the burrow anxiously. All were in danger and the prairie dogs backed up quickly. The fox, frantic said. “Yes, yes I swear.” "Scar I don't trust her make her swear on something like....I don't know... I've got it! Pups... Make it her pups! Make her swear on her pups! Bonnie bartered. The fox saw the snout of the coyote. "I swear on my pups now let's go!" "We have a deal then and we see what you do for us in the future for now we have to hurry!" Desperate, frightened, and in pain she needed a place for her kits to be born soon. “l'll swear on my dead husband if you help me.” Scarface led the way deeper into the tunnels. Their game had taken them far into the burrow in an area not in use any longer. As outcasts they were confined outside of the main community but still a part of the Prairie Dog Town and were forbidden to enter this part of the burrow. Abandoned and deserted for years it attracted all kinds of danger. Earning the trust of the town was not an easy task so entering the forbidden zone was not a good way to accomplish this goal. Their Mom had been taken by the humans and their Dad had fell prey to The Great Golden Eagle so they were orphans. It was left up to Scar to persuade the others that he Bonnie, and Claire had not been infected by the disease of the Humans. Wandering into the forbidden zone was defeating all their goals, but they were young, curious and eager to explore. Except for Claire she was afraid of her own shadow; however she always tagged along trying to prove she was all grown up. Unfortunately she failed miserably. “Why is it so narrow here? I can barely crawl so how do I know you’re not trying to kill me?” “You don’t. For now you have to trust me. You’ll see. The burrow goes down a little deeper opens into a nice den, then ahead you’ll be able to get to the outside.” They had just gotten to a small cluster of tunnels before the larger den and the Fox wasn’t looking so well. Bonnie and Claire were staying close to Scarface. “Are you are going to be all right?” “I have to stop and rest for a moment. I need to lie down. She looked at the three Prairie Dogs all staring back at her. She felt quiet strange. She needed to ease the stress. “My name is Thelma. What are your names?” “I’m known as Scarface. This is my sister Bonnie and our little sister Claire.” Claire said, “I’m not that little and I’m not scared of anything they just think I am.” Claire edged a little closer to the Fox and looked at her closer. Then she drew herself up taller blinked her almost black eyes at the Fox innocently and edged closer still. The fox lifted her head and cocked it side to side watching her somewhat amused when… “BOO!” shouted Scar… Claire bolted like a scared little rabbit. Scarface laughed uncontrollably. “You should have seen yourself Claire. You jumped straight up a foot. I could have sworn you were running on air. You’re just too easy.” She hid behind Bonnie and Bonnie yelled at Scar. “What’d you go and do that for. Do always have to tease her?” Bonnie turned to comfort her sobbing sister. It was kind of funny but she didn't want Claire to know, she was too upset. “Due to my brother’s rudeness I haven’t had a chance to speak to you I do hope you will keep your word. I know if my mother had made a promise she would have died before she would have broken it.” Thelma said, “As would have mine.” And then she rested her head on her paws. They all just watched each other for a while. Claire sat close to her sister and glared at her brother and peeked at the Fox shyly, embarrassed. Having regained his composure, Scarface sat deep in thought, watching the Fox. Although the Fox was tired and in pain she considered her options. Bonnie; observed everything and everyone as she always did. She had never seen a fox up close nor had she any wish to before now. Bonnie looked at her as closely as she dared. She really was quite lovely. She was mostly gray with a black nose but her sides were a yellow tan and so were her legs. The rather large looking things on her head must be her ears but my goodness such ears—the things she must hear. Her eyes were bizarre. They were an amber color and almost glowed in the dark. While their older brother continued to watch their guest Bonnie and Claire wondered what in the world had come over Scar. He was larger than his sisters. He weighed almost four pounds, not fat just a large prairie dog. She noticed while looking at him that he was a darker shade of brown than she. She also noticed that while Prairie Dogs have little ears that fit close to small round heads she could hear really well, so big ears might not necessarily mean better hearing. Bonnie glanced briefly back at Thelma who was also watching her. She looked quickly away back at her brother. Bonnie had to admit while she got really annoyed with Scar he was older and smarter, as he had proven that when he planned their escape before even though he had to trust that human Lila. Now he was making friends with another enemy a very dangerous one and Bonnie had no idea why. CHAPTER 2 Circe surveyed the prairie,--her domain. She was known as The Golden Eagle and all feared her. It was not understood that it was in their best interest that she intervene to keep the peace. Her power went beyond the scope of worldly understanding. Victims died and she took the blame. She was content not to be understood to protect the truth of her identity. She had spied the intruder pawing at the burrow. She could not have this. The territory belonged to her. The Eagle dove in upon the unsuspecting coyote with the speed of a semi-truck. She hit the back of the coyote talons open, ready to grasp and claw the animal. As soon as the coyote was aware of the attack Circe let go and retreated. She circled for another attacked. Fur, blood, and flesh hung from her claws. The Coyote was stunned and turned from the burrow to the face his attacker. The Coyote was not sure which way to look for another assault. While the coyote hesitated the Eagle dove again this time with more speed hitting him with her powerful talons and crushing beak where the Coyote could not reach the eagle. She held tightly and the Coyote thrashed around to no avail. The Eagle released her grip and was gone as quickly as she had come. The Coyote ran before another attack was delivered. A fight in The Golden Eagle’s territory was more trouble that he cared to have. Circe was satisfied that the battle for today had been won. Thelma raised her head alert. “I hear The Golden Eagle. She killed my husband.” “She killed our father too.” Said Scarface. “We need to hurry. It’s not much further to the den.” “O.K. Time is short and I am growing very tired.” They proceeded further into the tunnel and it opened just as Scar had said it would into a large den where they all entered. “I have just a few more questions for you, Scarface. How do you know you can trust me and how do I know I can trust you?” Asked Thelma. “First, we’ve kept the first part of our bargain and so have you.” Said Scar. “Like my sister Bonnie said I don’t believe any Mother who made a promise on her unborn children and a wife who made a promise on her dead husband would break it. Like I said before we need friends even one that appears to be an enemy. We will prove ourselves very useful to you for more than just finding you a den. You will need future food other than Prairie Dogs as part of your diet. We have a friend who can help us find food for you. You and your babies will need future protection and we’re willing to provide that. If you agree to help us some time in the future then we have an agreement. Can you do that?” Asked Scar. “I do not understand what makes you enter into such a strange contract with one such as myself and how it is that find yourself an outcast in your own community. Why you would take such a huge risk?” Help me to understand. I still have some time left before it is time for you to leave.” Said Thelma. “I’ll try.” Said Scar. “When we were younger, the human gatherers came to get Prairie Dogs to take to the pet stores.” It was as if Scar drifted into another world indeed he went back into the past when he was just a youngster and his sisters were just babies and his Mother was still alive. It seemed to him it was all happening again. (Scarface continued) “I remember how frightened I was but because I am the oldest I felt as if I needed to be strong for Claire and Bonnie and even my Mother. We were trapped in cages and placed in the back of a large delivery truck with a lot of other cages and a lot of other prairie dogs. Some of them I knew and some of them I didn’t. The man in the truck went by the name of Fred. The woman went by the name of Lila we met her when we got to a holding building where we were fed and treated all right I suppose, until the day Lila the put our Mother somewhere else.” ********** “We’ll keep them here until the main building is ready for them, Lila.” He was the owner and marketer. I listened to everything that happened in that place. I got the idea Lila had just started working there. “Keep the mother away from them and see if you can begin to train the babies as pets. See if she can be tamed. If not we’ll see if she can have pups with that male that we’ve been holding for awhile.” He said. Lila said. “I’ll bet I can tame her but they don’t breed well in captivity.” “What makes you such as expert? If that’s true there’s plenty more where she came from. I’m leaving now. See you in a while.” Said Fred. “Can’t wait.” Lila muttered under her breath mockingly. “Did you say something?” Said Fred looking over his shoulder as he walked out the door. “Just have a nice day that’s all.” She said as she looked up from the cages. Even though she was gentle, she took my Mother away after he left. I was horrified by what that man had said. What would father think? And my poor Mother, what would she think? “Mother, Mother!” I called after her. I looked over at her. She looked at me tears in her eyes. Little droplets of blood from my face pressed against the cage splattered onto my feet that were wrapped around the cage bars as I hung there my white belly exposed for all to see. I climbed up and down nervously for what seemed like hours. I was so distressed over my Mother I was unaware of the pain I had caused myself, her, and my sisters. I said to my Mother much later. “We’re nothing to them but future “Slave Pets.” I can’t stand it.” “You need to stop being so rebellious it doesn’t get you anywhere and it upsets Bonnie and Claire. Now look at the name that Lila has given you, Scarface. You have spent so many hours with your face against the bars that you have scarred your handsome face up. You’ve paced and climbed and made a nuisance of yourself. You need to take care of Bonnie and Claire. Please, bring them to me.” Bonnie grabbed the bars and her little brown face pressed against the cage. “Mother, I miss you so but don’t worry I’m taking care of Claire.” Claire was cuddled up against Bonnie close to tears. “Hello, Mother.” Mother talked to them tears in her eyes. “You are all almost grown now and Scarface as he is known now is going to be taking care of you all. Do as he says. No matter happens to me remember that I love you and always will.” “Nothing is going to happen to you, Mother!” I said. “They will bring you back to be with us. I know they will! They have to.” I didn’t want to believe anything else. “Scar.” Said my Mother. “Please promise me to do better if not for yourself for your sisters and myself. Remember I’m counting on you and that I love you.” “I’ll remember and I love you too.” He Said. I put aside my feelings day after day. Lila would sometimes take us out and let us run around in a little room to let us exercise, I decided to start to take advantage of this time. I’d use it to check out the building only she kept us in a room. The best I could see it was a plain gray concrete building. One day after she had dropped me in the playroom and went to get Bonnie and Claire I began to think she wasn’t really all that bad. When Bonnie and Claire came into the room they loved to play and made it fun. Lila sat on the floor with us. We would all climb on her. I’d never been close to a human. Once I even got close enough to look into her eyes, they were a mesmerizing amber color with large black pupils. For a moment I couldn’t tear my eyes away. She smelled different sort of a deep musky not quite a perfume smell. Her long brown hair was soft and she didn’t mind if we nuzzled in it. She was gentle, petting and cuddling us. Sometimes she would even get our Mother out and bring her into the room. Fred almost caught her. However, she was able to get Mother back into her cage before he entered the building. While she was gone I checked all the openings in the room. Even though I began to like Lila at night I practiced locking and unlocking the cages. Then “Unknown Disease” came and everything changed. We never left that building at least not the way it was planned we should leave. “Well, this isn’t good.” Fred said. We have to quarantine all of the prairie dogs for at least six weeks. At least ours have had no contact with the main building. They have quarantined prairie dogs even though they probably got it from some imported animals from Africa. At least we know our animals are clean.” “What’s going to happen after that and what’s going on exactly?” Lila asked. "Is the disease really "Unknown" or are they just not saying?" “It seems some people have come down with an "Unknown Disease" that had Prairie Dogs which were ill or later died from the disease. The Center for Disease Control traced it to imported African animals which gave it to Prairie Dogs. So there has been an ordered quarantine everywhere. At the main building they are disposing of any animals that have come in direct contact with sick animals. For now we’ll just wait and see what happens. If I thought I could get away with it I’d just take them back where I got them from but if you get caught turning them loose into the wild people are definitely in trouble. I’m not ready to do anything rash yet.” Said Fred. "Anyway that's all I know." “What do you mean? Like dispose of them?” “Yeah. They’re no good to me if I can’t sell them.” “I’ll take them off your hands, Fred you don’t have to do that.” “I’m afraid the law won’t let you.” “It’s just that you know and I know there’s nothing wrong with them.” “I said I’m not going to do anything right now but wait all right.” “All right.” “Besides I might be able to make money on them some other way. I have other ideas. Now I’ve got puppies to take to pet stores and you’ve got prairie dogs to quarantine, papers to process, and some breeders bringing by some puppies later this afternoon. Find somewhere to stash to those prairie pests out of sight.” Fred said. “But there’s nothing wrong with them, Fred.” “I don’t care. I don’t want people getting spooked because they think we might have sick animals here.” Lila had to put our cages in the back located by a window. Sometimes I sat and stared out the window. I saw people come and go. I saw the people that brought the puppies. I came up with a plan of escape plan that I was sure would work. I recognized one of the trucks that came to the back of the building. It was a truck from a ranch not far from where we lived on the prairie. He brought hay. There were rabbits, mice, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs brought in daily even ferrets. Lila was not always with us in the building but she was the only person that touched us. Sometimes another person would feed us but that was all. We never even knew her name. All we knew about this person is that she kept everything clean and fed us when we were hungry. In fact before Lila had mysteriously shown up that’s all they had ever had around the building. It’s all they had ever needed. I had over heard Fred talking about it on the phone. How Lila had convinced him that he needed to hire her. How it seemed she was always convincing him of something. Except I had heard Lila talking to herself once and saying even she couldn’t make a difference where the will was strong enough. She kept saying money its always money that gets in the way. We were hidden and for the next six weeks our Mother was allowed to be next to us. My plan involved the blue truck that came and went with the hay to feed and clean the cages of the many different animals in the plain concrete building. On the day of the Great Escape there was an argument going on. “You’re going to do what?’ Lila asked. “But there’s nothing wrong with them!” “So what! There’s a permanent ban on selling them to pet stores. They’ll cost me more than they’re worth. What else am I going to do with them? I need to make some kind of profit on them….” “The truck was outside and I had already undone the cage latches…” Said Scar to the Fox remembering again the awful scene as if it were yesterday. Chapter 3 Just then they all heard a noise coming from the left tunnel that connected to the main den. It was a scratching burrowing noise. They all became quite and still, holding their breath. All at once a round head containing yellow eyes poked through the opening followed by a speckled feathery gray body gasping, “What in the world do we have here?” “Johnny you scared the life out of us. You might have said something or let us know you were there.” Said Scar. “I scared you.” Said the Burrowing Owl. “Is this a fox? “What do you think?—it’s a squirrel?” “All right you needn’t be so sarcastic. I was just shocked…I mean geeezz..” Said Johnny. “All right I get. Step over here a minute.” Said Scar rolling his eyes. The Burrowing Owl was looking over his shoulder walking with the Prairie Dog and shaking his head. “What are you thinking? Are you insane?” He said to Scar. “Let me try and explain but you have to trust me.” Said Scar. “Johnny she needs our help and protection right now. She’s kind of in a helpless state. Later she may be able to help us but right now she needs our help. Besides I figure we need all the friends we can get, right.” He cocked his furry head at Johnny then added. “We need you to help us get her food. Can you do that?” Scarface asked him. “You see we help her she helps us. And besides that she needs other kinds of food besides the obvious if you catch my drift. Well what do you think?” “What makes you think you can trust her? Asked Johnny. “Hellllloooo” They heard coming from the tunnel. “Did you forget I was here.” “Oh yeah, Frankie, come on in.” Johnny rolled his amber eyes. Frankie strutted on her long legs into the den straightening her ruffled feathers and puffing up her white chest. “Really Jonathan, how many times have I asked you to call me Francine?” She looked around at the odd collection of companions and nodded blinking her large owl eyes. She had been listening and knew what was going on and wanted to be right in the middle of everything. “I hate it when you call me Johnathan. And I can’t stand the name Francine. Frankie fits you just fine. You only want me to call you that because they’re around.” He shuffled his foot awkwardly on the ground. “Now what was I saying oh yeah, how do you know you can trust her.” “Thelma made an oath on her unborn children and her dead husband. The Golden Eagle killed her husband. So that gives us a common bond and a common enemy. Not to mention that we rescued her from the coyote.” Said Scarface. “Hello.” Said Thelma. “I really don’t like being talked about like I’m not here. Scar if you don’t mind guys speeding things up a bit. I’m going to be a little busy in not too long.” “I’m sorry I’m being rude. Thelma this is Johnny, Johnny this is Thelma.” Said Scar. Johnny looked at Thelma rather suspiciously and then he looked at Scarface pulled his white eyebrows together and then nodded his head formally at Thelma, “Nice to meet you.” He said stiffly. “Charmed I’m sure.” She said sarcastically. “Well what am I chopped liver.” She looked over at Thelma and winked. She leaned her small form towards the clearly uncomfortable fox. “I’m Francine, honey and I’ll make sure everything is alright don’t you worry.” She said. Somehow her words seemed to visibly comfort the fox. Johnny said. “She always seems to have that affect in any situation. I don’t know what it is.” Scarface said to Johnny. “I’m sure you two will be friends you just don’t know it yet.” Thelma looked at Johnny and showed her teeth just a little bit and he backed up. Scar said. “Thelma really our agreement, remember.” “I was just playing, your story was distracting me from the obvious, please finish.” “Johnny you and Frankie have already heard this before so if you don’t mind hearing it again.” “No man I love this story. But there is one thing I’ve always wanted to ask you?” “What’s that?” “Well, your Mom said Lila gave you the name of Scarface. What was your name before that?” Johnny said. “I can’t remember. I’ve tried and Claire and Bonnie were too young. I can’t remember my Mom calling me by it after Lila started using Scarface. I don’t know why. Anyway back to the story.” *********** (Scarface continued)…. Fred and Lila were arguing. “I’m going to sell the three younger ones to a State Park who has a Taxidermist that wants a family of prairie dogs to complete their exhibit.” “What? I thought after the quarantine you said I could have them.” “I changed my mind. I need to make some money on this whole thing and a they’re willing to pay good money.” “Well I want them.” Lila said. “I’ll pay you, Fred.” All the while Fred was heading towards the cages. Just then Tim the truck driver opened the back door. “Hey you guys I’m here with your hay delivery. I’ve already stacked most of it.” Said Tim. Mother told us, “No matter what happens I want you to run and don’t look back. I’ve lived my life. I want you to have a chance to live yours. Scar you take care of Bonnie and Claire. ” I said, “I’m not leaving without you.” She made me swear that no matter what happened I wouldn’t look back and I’d make the girls go on. She told Bonnie and Claire. “Girls I want you to do want ever Scar tells you. Promise me. I love you so much. I’ll always love you no matter what. Take care of each other. No matter what happens don’t look back! Just know I’ll be right behind you. Promise me. All right?” “We promise, Mother.” Said Bonnie and Claire. Both girls were fighting back tears. I didn’t have much time to think. All of the cages were unlocked. Fred was standing in front of our Mother’s cage. The cages were located near the back door and everything happened really fast. Things didn’t happen like I hoped they would. Fred started to pick up Mother’s cage and she sprang at his face. Mother yelled. “Run”. She grabbed him with her front and back feet and bit his nose. In the meantime we hit the floor running and Lila made no effort to stop us, she just edged the door open. I looked back in time to see Mother go sailing across the room and slam into a wall. She slid down the wall leaving a blood smear. My heart was in my throat but I did not slow down and I did not let the girls look back. We climbed up a hay bale and jumped into the back of the pick up truck. We climbed into some old feed sacks and hid. We heard Tim muttering to himself. “I don’t know what’s going on in there but I want to get out of here before Fred comes out. He’s not one of my favorite people, Red. Poor Lila, why’d she ever want to work here? Come on Red let get out of here.” He talked to his dog that was looking out the window of the truck. I told the girls to be quiet so the dog, the last thing I wanted was a barking dog.. Lila screamed, “Look what you’ve done.” “Look what I’ve done! Look what she did to my face.” Said Fred. Lila said, “Let me see. I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks. I know it hurts. You must have frightened her. She’s never done anything like that before.” Lila was wasting time trying to keep Fred distracted so he wouldn’t notice the other Prairie Dogs were gone. “What was the cage doing unlocked?” Asked Fred “These little guys are escape artists.” Said Lila. Lila noticed from the corner of her eye a slight movement on the floor. . He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blotted his bleeding face and started towards the prairie dog on the floor when Lila said, “I’ll take care of that I don’t want you touching her you’ve done enough already.” “I don’t know what you were making such a fuss about I was going to kill her anyway. I just didn’t expect to be attacked first.” He suddenly became aware that the other cage was empty. Where are the other Prairie Dogs?” Said Fred. He ran out the door in time to see Tim driving away. “I’ll bet those little critters are in the back of his truck.” He looked around and didn’t see Lila anywhere. Oh, well he thought he didn’t have time to worry about that now. He needed to catch Tim. He went to get in his car and couldn’t find his keys. “Lila, have you seen my keys?” He looked all over the building and couldn’t find her anywhere. Her car was still in the parking lot but she was nowhere to be found. Where had Lila gone? He never seemed to be able to find her when he needed her and he needed his keys now. He looked all around and finally found them in his desk drawer of all places. He never put them there. Those prairie dogs had become an obsession. He had made a good deal with the taxidermist and the park; he could see it now. Beside that prairie dog had made him look like a fool. Now he wanted revenge. All these thoughts ran through when he glimpsed the blue dot on the highway. The highway straight ahead; the prairie on both sides was spellbinding. He felt there was no way to lose the blue truck. He noticed a shadow coming towards the car. At first he was not alarmed by it. As it got closer he saw dark brown feathers on wings of a golden eagle gracefully gliding on the wind. It was a beautiful sight; then, suddenly, it dove and its 6 1/2 foot wing span filled up the wind shield of his car. He slammed on brakes and hit the soft shoulder of the road; then as suddenly as it came it was gone. Fred’s struggle had just begun. He came back onto the highway. His brakes were locked up; the car began to spin in a circle. He hit the soft shoulder of the road; bounced onto two wheels then careened onto his side and was wedged. The last thing he saw was the golden eagle in the distance and then blackness. ************** Tim pulled up at his house just outside the barn and was getting out of the truck. “Hey Tim.” He nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned and saw Lila standing beside of him. “Where in the world did you some from?” He asked. Lila reached up and touched his temple, looked into his eyes, and then said, “Its not important how I got here just offer me a ride home after we talk and forget about it.” She removed her fingertips from his temples then said, “Is that any way to greet a friend?” “I’m sorry now what was I saying? What a pleasant surprise? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” Said Tim. “Oh, just thought I’d surprise a friend. Hey before you let Red out of the truck I think you might have some stowaways from the store in the back of the truck.” Said Lila. She dropped the tailgate down and said, “Come on guys hit the road.” We were scared at first but Tim stood there like he was in a trance. So we jumped down and I looked at Lila puzzled for a minute. She looked at me with those strange amber eyes, “Hurry up, Scarface, times running out.” She said. We took off across the plains until we got home. What we didn’t expect was the greeting when we got back. We were stopped by a guard and put on trial by our own community. Some humans during the crisis released prairie dogs into our community. Some of them were sick. When members in our community became ill and some died panic set in. When we came back all signs of disease within the community had passed. No one would believe we weren’t exposed to the illness but memories of the former panic were enough for them to keep them from listening. So once again we were alone and not accepted by our own kind for something that wasn’t true. The humans didn’t want us and our families didn’t want us. We were confined to a part of the burrows no longer in use and so now you know the rest of the story and here we are. Thelma said, “Well I think your story explains a lot but now my time is here and I need to be alone.” “Can we do anything?” Said Scar a little awkward. Frankie intervened, “Don’t you worry sweetie. Us girls will take care of you. You’re going to be just fine.” Bonnie and Claire looked at each other. Maybe she’d take care of her but they weren’t planning to leave their brother’s side. “Uuumm we have to go with Scar.” Said Claire. “We’ll bring some food with Johnny. That’s how we’ll help. Right, Bonnie.” Bonnie chimed in, “Yeah, we’ll help Johnny.” “All right, all right I can see I’m the only female with enough wisdom about such matters as these.” About that time Thelma groaned loudly and Frankie yelled. “OUT OF HERE WITH THE LOT OF YOU!” They all began to scamper down a burrow from the past, with legends connected to them that were beginning to raise the fur along Scar’s back. Chapter 4 “So you expect me to find food enough to satisfy not only a fox but a fox with babies.” Said Johnny. “You can do it I have faith in you.” Said Scar. Scar was consumed with some of stories he had heard from the past about this section of burrow and not really paying attention to his sisters and only half paying attention to Johnny. So lost in thought was he that Johnny’s voice seemed to be coming from far away. What had he heard about this place? It was so long ago? The burrow tunnels stretched out in every angle like a maze. Sometimes it was so often easy to confuse things he had heard with things he had done. There was a reason they were not suppose to come here. Something awful had happened here. The elders were afraid of this section of burrow. Scar was sure he’d never been here. He’d been almost every where in the underground burrows but never here. “Scar, are you listening to me? I’m going to go on up ahead and see what I can find I’ll meet you back here in about an hour.” Scar came back to senses “Right, Johnny, later.” “Man, it’s spooky round here. But just a little further back is my den and entrance.” “Yeah, yeah. I know. But I’m going to explore over here for a little longer. Might need to know more about it.” “Be careful man. Bad vibes over here.” “I will.” Claire had never any of the stories and her attention was drawn to a narrow tunnel that angled off to the right.. Curiosity overtook her fear. Heart pounding she inched her way through the tunnel. The smell of rot and was that peculiar smell and that white looking mountain at the end of the turnaround. She stumbled over something and then brushed off her fur ran a few steps and fell into a pile of skeletons. She began to scream. Bonnie called, “Claire where are you?” Scar knew instantly what had happened. His claws sprayed up dirt as he rounded the tunnel corner. Where was she? “Claire? I’ll catch up with you later.” Claire stood there paralyzed by what she saw. It was all prairie dogs. She knew that. Hundreds and hundreds of them, how had they died. She began to slowly back down the tunnel. By then Scar and Bonnie had found her. She looked at them and then at all of the dead animals. Scarface said, “Poison. The humans did it back a long time ago. That’s why we’re not supposed to come here.” “Will it poison us too?” asked Claire tears in her eyes? “No not anymore.” Said Scar. “Don’t worry I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.” “It’s o.k.” Said Bonnie. “I should have been watching you instead of worrying about everything else going on.” Scar said. “Let’s catch up with Johnny and see if we can find some food for our guest.” “I still think this is crazy.” Said Bonnie. “Well, I think it’s going to work out fine. Look you know how hard it is to be alone. And I know it seems crazy but I just have this feeling. And if you’ll trust me just one more time.” “I do trust you. Let’s go, brother dear. How ya doing Claire. Get over your shock?” “Yea, I guess.” They caught up to Johnny and he was sitting near the opening of the burrow with a look of amazement on his face. He was shaking his head and showing a dead rabbit to us. Scar looked at him, “Well I didn’t expect you to work that fast and I didn’t think you caught things quite this big.” “I didn’t catch this or kill it. I found it laying at the opening of the burrow like an offering or something.” Said Johnny. “Sure, sure I’m sure it’s just a good luck but we’ll take it.” Said Scar ******* Circe watched from above. Yes, just good luck. Think what you like but, soon very soon the time would come when it would be revealed why there was a need for those who did not ordinarily share the same space to be friends and cooperate one with the other. They would also see Circe was not to be feared but respected. Even as Circe observed all of these things so did Lila watch, know, and listen. She was proving to be an important part of the cycle that had begun. She would try and undo as much of what the human race had begun as she could even though she really did not belong in this world anymore. She did not belong anywhere anymore. She—Circe her reign, how much longer could it go on in a world like this one? Circe flew back up to her plateau she had two important guests up there she had to attend and they knew the importance of the battle about to commence. Humans had been allowed to interfere with the balance of nature much too long. Balance must be restored. Circe would rely upon instincts awakened from long ago to guide her in this stance. She was a sorceress with the soul of an eagle or vice versa. With the wind under her wings it was easy to forget the cares of the world and as she soared the bliss she felt in her heart was enough to make these past years some of the most content she had known. Lila felt the draw of the cold winds upon her and she knew they would serve her well. She breathed in deeply the icy air dizzy from the recent transformation. She had coasted in and landed on the cliff and transformed eager to check on Nuada and Althea. They must plan there attack soon. She only hoped they were strong enough to help. “The men are planning to come in three days for all of the prairie dogs. They claim they are going to relocate them. However, I know they are really going to take them up to park reserved target practice and hunting and use the animals there.” “You can’t do something to stop them?” “My powers are confined to the elements and animals than to manipulating people. I’m limited I have to work within the confines of their own will.” Said Lila. If I unleash my full powers I do not know what will happen…Anyway that is not necessary. I just need to restore what is right and what has been taken away. All of us can do it together. Life is eternal we all affect each other from the smallest to the largest. I do not want to be part of the humans any longer than necessary. There is much more peace here.” Lila seemed tired. “It is difficult for me to maintain this form. I have been content as an eagle for so long. I prefer it. I am happy. Let me look at your wounds and see how you are today before I change back and gather food for you both. I have others I will call to our side. Even the coyote will stand with us on this.” she said to Nuada and Althea. ************ The winds howled and there was hardly any visibility in the sand. In the distance a large grey cloud seemed to be moving across the prairie coming in the direction of cliff where the Golden Eagle dwelled. Just as the cloud neared the cliff the wind stilled and from the center of the cloud stepped a large grey coyote. “Circe I have come as you requested. What is you need?” Lycurgus asked. “All right as you wish, Circe, this is your war and that is why you called me here in the first place. Is it not? I had gotten a little lazy and was enjoying waiting around for things to just change around me and sort of go with the flow.” *************** Thelma was growing very tired but just as she thought she could make it no longer the first kit was born. She cleaned him up and looked up at Francine with her large brown fox eyes and cocked her head. Just then another pup and then another was born. Altogether Thelma had four healthy kits. She had cleaned up all the pups and Francine strutted over to the mother and fainted. “The way I see it Sammy…. You don’t mind if I call you Sammy?” and he continued on never even waiting for a reply because he really didn’t care if Samuel Baxter preferred Samuel, Mr. Baxter, Sammy, or just plain Sam. “These here varmits are going to make more money as targets for hunters than what we were supposed to get for relocating them.” “Sam I prefer Sam.” “Uh.” “Sam I’d rather you call me Sam.” “Oh yeah sure whatever… Now what do you say? You game we sell to the hunters I already got a offer all you gotta do is go along with it.” “We’re being paid to relocate them not take them to be killed for sport.” He really did not like this character. Not that he had any love for the prairie dogs but he liked this country bumpkin he was hanging out with even less. Still if the price was right maybe he should consider it. |
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