Widderkin - 20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20.

A dig in the ribs woke Keiran and his eyes opened to Rhys's happy grin and the somewhat puzzling view of bright blue sky.

"Come on, slug! Everyone’s finished breakfast and it's time to get moving. Kron’s been hunting and Kan and Krol went to the creek with us to have a drink."

Kieran jerked to a sitting position.

"It's morning?"

"It won't be if you go to sleep again. Everyone's been up for about three hours."

He gave Kieran a searching look and then a little nod.

"You look good."

A huge grin spread across his features.

"Well, you always look good, but you know what I mean ... We’ve got a special treat for your breakfast."

Kieran made a dash to the nearest clump of bushes and returned to the glowing campfire and lots of morning greetings.

"Where’s Woorawa?"

Tan looked at his watch.

"Exploring! He'll be back in ten or fifteen minutes. What do you want for breakfast, Kieran? Fish or grilled meat?"

Neither was being cooked so Tan’s slightly off centre look meant it must be some kind of trick question.

"Make that bacon and eggs and a bowl of fruit please. Did anything happen last night?"

Tan started scraping the coals and Mr B answered.

"Two hours of non-stop rain, Kieran, then it completely cleared and we were visited by lots of the deer creatures. The creek started rushing loudly and we wondered if the clearing would get flooded but that’s died down a lot now. Part of the fire survived all the wet somehow and Woorawa and Rhys build it up again, then we sat around it while Woorawa told us one of his Dreamtime stories."

Kieran sent a questioning thought to the griffins and smiled with satisfaction when their heads turned. Amazing. Krol was vastly improved and just as alert as Kron and Kan. Tan had just scooped half a dozen blackened shapes from the coals though so he returned his attention.

"What's this?"

"Breakfast. It's unreal. Kan fished a few out and showed us how to find them."

He transferred the shapes to a flat rock and bashed them one by one with another rock then peeled away bits of broken shell.

"Suck the flesh out, Kieran, and see if you like them as much as the rest of us do. Be careful it's not too hot though."

Kieran lifted the shape close to his nose for a sample smell then blew a few times to cool it. He sucked the hot flesh into his mouth then promptly turned and finished off all the rest.

"New food! And they’re delicious. Are they hard to find?"

The all-round grins meant they'd been expecting this response. Tan dug in a different area of the coals and scraped out more of the tasty shellfish.

"They wedge themselves between rocks in the creek bed and Kan probed them out with his talons so we’d know what they look like. I thought they were just rocks but Woorawa looked closely and worked out they were alive."

Kieran looked over to the griffins again.

"What else have they been doing?"

"Kron was hunting while the others went to the Creek and Krol’s been stretching his wings and flapping a bit. He hasn't tried flying though, so were not sure if he's just not ready or if he needs more healing, and he's been eating everything Kron brings him."

Kieran finished his second round of shellfish but before starting on anything else made another trip to the privacy of the brush at the opposite side of the clearing to the creek for a rather imperative call of nature, then a trip to the creek for a wash and a drink.

"Have you worked out any plans for today, Kieran?"

"Just that I hope we can get moving again, Mr B, but we can't leave till we know Krol’s okay. It can't be too long but I’ll need Rhys's healing hands to work that out. Krol’s waiting for us now."

Kieran was touched when one by one the three griffins pressed their beaks against his chest and rubbed gently up and down in a way he understood was a gesture of preening and recognition. When they did the same to a wide-eyed Rhys, Kieran explained what it meant.

"It’s special, Rhys. They’re saying we’re part of their flock. Rest your hands on Krol's head so we can find out how he is."

Krol's head lowered, in anticipation, to a convenient position and the double contact with Rhys and Kieran went ahead. The blue glow spread till Kieran thought to switch it off, and a feeling of satisfaction and achievement filled his mind.

"He doesn't really need any healing, Rhys. All he needs is more recovery time, so I've told him to stuff himself full of food and then I’ll put him into the same kind of healing sleep we used yesterday. After a couple of hours we’ll wake him and he should be ready."

"He’s eaten everything Kron’s been bringing, Kieran. He must be fairly full already."

Kieran concentrated and then laughed.

"He is but he’s going to force down two more rabbit creatures."

Three giant griffin heads bobbed and keened with their sounds of communication and after taking a few clearing steps Kron launched purposefully skyward.

"More hunting?"

Kieran watched as powerful flapping changed to the more skilful gliding mode of flight.

"No, I don't think so. I got a sense that he had some other purpose."

Krol's head and neck convulsed with the well and truly familiar gulping motion as he swallowed the last half of a torn carcass and then squatted in his resting position.

Rhys was impressed.

"You say it’s not talking, Kieran, but he sure understands you well enough."

Kieran reached with his mind and implanted the deep sleep command.

"And it gets easier every time I connect.”

The next few hours was very relaxed as far as Kieran was concerned. He wandered to the creek to have a look at how much extra water was flowing after the rain and then, after being shown what to look for, found a few of the shellfish creatures and, prompted by Woorawa and Mr B, clicked their pattern into his mind. Next he spent some time with the horses, encouraging them to eat their fill and relax in preparation for a long afternoon of travel. He relaxed himself then, sitting by the campfire and talking with the others while they waited till it was time to rouse Krol. They were all very curious about what it was like to communicate with the griffins, Rhys most of all, with the prospect of Krol taking him flying strong on his mind.

"Did he say when, Kieran? It sounds fantastic but I don't see how I can stay on."

"I know. His neck’s far too big to put your arms around and there’s nothing to grip except feathers ... I'd ask Kan about it but he's kind of resting in tune with Krol."

"Could you go in and find out things like you do with the Eagles and the horses?"

"I could, but it doesn't work that way with the griffins, Mr B. I was going to explain it to Rhys last night but all I did was sleep. They’ve got strong rules about anyone going into their minds and they have to be happy with your reason why before they give permission ... The same as you all do really."

“Amazing! They must be a lot cleverer than other animals then. They certainly seem like they are, but having concepts like privacy and morality is a huge difference."

Kieran was startled and then puzzled.

"You’re right, Mr B, and I don't understand. They are more clever than George but they’re definitely not like people. When I made contact yesterday these rules were there as part of the getting through process and I just accepted them without thinking about it. I had to."

Mr B nodded thoughtfully, paused, then took a big breath before speaking.

"... Well! ... That raises other issues, Kieran. Have the griffins come into your mind after asking permission from you?"

"No, I don't think they can."

"What about with each other? It's my impression that they communicate mostly with those keening sounds."

"They do ... What are you getting at, Mr B?"

"If they have a structure in place for mind communication but don't use it themselves then someone must be using it with them."

"We know that someone can do that. They’ve been getting into our minds, or trying to, ever since everything started."

"Indeed, but they’ve never asked permission and that's very different, Kieran. I think it might be very important to try and find out from the griffins who talks to them. We need to know what’s been happening to us and someone who works cooperatively with them could be quite reasonable."

Rhys thought that was funny.

"No one’s not going to cooperate with a five metre griffin who can snap them in half with one bite."

"If they can take control like Kieran does then it doesn't matter how powerful or dangerous the creature is, Rhys."

"I suppose! ... How about asking if there are towns or people further down the trail? So far we've only seen animals and wilderness."

"It's beautiful wilderness and I love the way the animals all seem to be friendly. There must be people somewhere though, Rhys, because the trail’s too defined to be just an animal track."

"It could be animals, Kieran. There are a lot of the lickers around and if they keep moving between clearings to search for grass they'd easily make a trail as defined as this one."

"I'll ask Krol as soon as he wakes up. I wonder where the griffins live?"

"It's probably somewhere close, Kieran. My imagination tells me it's a big cave high up in the hills where they can just jump off a ledge when they want to start flying."

"A cave? Well they sure couldn't have big nests in the trees. The branches wouldn't hold their weight."

Kan woke, but it was because Krol stirred then stood and stretched his wings. Kieran rushed over with Rhys and, while they were once again being given the touch to the chest and symbolic preening, he made full mental contact.

"Oh my God! Rhys! They’re leaving, both of them, as soon they can. Krol says it’s really important and they can't wait any longer. He says taking off will be a strain but after that it's easy. Quick! Hold his head for an energy boost. That's all we’ll be able to do for him."

Rhys's hands and Krol's head glowed bright blue for a few seconds and Krol gave a screech of what must be pleasure. His gaze stayed with Kieran for a few more seconds then he walked a few steps, spread his wings, and launched skyward.

"He made it and he looks good. He’s bigger than the other two, Kieran."

Kieran was in communication and didn't speak till after Kan had joined Krol and both griffins were shrinking into the distance. Everyone else had come rushing to find out about this unexpected development.

"They've gone and they're not coming back. Krol was in a terrible rush so I only had time to hear the biggest things in his mind. Someone's going to guide us along the trail and when we reach the trees we’ll see him again. I got a sense that it's a long way for ground travellers and that we should get going straight away. I also got the idea that we’ll be camping next to a big lake. I'll call the horses so we can get them saddled up."

Stunned looks and a quizzical silence was broken by Rhys's laugh.

"Wow, Kieran. What happened just then? It feels like the griffins just gave us our marching orders for the next few days."

Mr B, Woorawa, and Tan all nodded their agreement and Kieran steadied the rushing tangle of his thoughts before speaking.

"I didn't explain properly. They weren't orders at all, Rhys. Kron was especially excited about meeting up again and just seemed to expect it would happen. There's a person involved too, because I got a mental image of an old man from both of them."

"An old man? That must be who goes into their minds."

"Well, the griffins have extra good feelings about the meeting and they wouldn't be liking him if he was bad news. I hope we'll be able to find out where we are."

"That's what we're looking for anyway, Rhys. I agree that this wilderness is beautiful but I've been concerned that it’s so vast we might have to travel for weeks and weeks before meeting anyone. Kieran’s link with the griffins tells us we'll have that meeting in a matter of days. It's great news."

"It could be even sooner, Mr B. Kieran said someone was going to guide us."

"Yes, I was going to ask. Who is it and when are they going to turn up, Kieran? Do we start following the trail straight away and they’ll meet with us somewhere along the way?"

"I have no idea. It was one of the last ideas to come through before we broke contact and it was more a general sense of assurance that we’d be helped on our way than anything specific."

"Does this mean we've got a long journey ahead of us for the rest of the day?"

"Yes, Tan, and tomorrow, and the day after."

"Well, we’re going to eat something then. It’ll only delay us half an hour if we cook now while we've already got a fire going and food we don't have to find. If we wait till later in the day we’ll be held up at least twice as long."

"Hey, good thinking, Tan. Rhys and I will get the horses saddled and ready while you’re cooking."

Kieran was slightly puzzled.

"There’s no food here. Do you want me to call up some of the Rhys fish?"

"The food’s in the creek, Kieran. I've got two of the rabbit creatures held under water with rocks so they stay cooler and fresher. I'll go and get them now."

Kieran went too, because he was feeling thirsty, and he laughed at Tan’s reaction when they reached the creek.

"Just as well we came now or there mightn’t have been anything left."

When Tan went to retrieve the carcasses Kieran stopped him.

"Wait a couple of minutes while I learn the new mind pattern, Tan. We'll take them back to the campfire and cook them."

"What are they?"

"Who knows! Woorawa would probably call them giant yabbies. Burrimul described something like them at the Valley of the Eagles when he was telling us about different kinds of Bush Tucker to look for in the creeks."

"How will we pick them up? Those claws look dangerous."

"Hang on while I get the pattern ... There, I'm holding them still. Pick them up like this."

Kieran grasped behind the horny head and weirdly protruding eyes, where the major claws joined the body, and lifted the creature out of the water.

"See, it's easy. I wish Woorawa was here to kill them so I don't have to. Grab a stone so I can make it quick."

Tan started to move, but then froze where he was. Preoccupied with the strange water creature he was holding, it took a few seconds for Kieran to register Tan’s stillness. For an instant he thought Tan must be having some weird and unexpected reaction to the fierce pincers and spiny look of this water creature. When he lifted his head in query he saw total shock and fear in the eyes that were staring fixedly past his shoulder. What? Kieran whirled to follow the stare and froze himself with the same shock and fright.

Sitting on its haunches just a couple of metres away, a feline monster with huge fangs showing from its slightly open mouth was staring fixedly at him. Behind and to the side another was standing on all fours, also with frightening fangs at the ready. Kieran’s hair stood on end till, pushing through the fear, he reached with his mind in the hope he might have enough time to take control.

Amusement? Both minds were registering amusement at the reaction to their sudden appearance but, more importantly, there was no aggression, just a sense of greeting and pleasure to be meeting. With the pattern now clicked into place Kieran felt three similar minds radiating the same message from somewhere in the distance. Intuition told him to play the game back at them so he gathered his thoughts and, thanking Woorawa for pressing so much practice, he planted the image in both minds that they were suddenly facing a rampant griffin with wings outspread in full aggressive display. Both monsters cowered and backed away for the short time before Kieran returned their perception to normal and sent his own amusement.

Whoops! Time to assure Tan.

"Friends, Tan. They’re the guides Krol was talking about. They think sneaking up like that’s funny so I paid them back. Hang on while I tell the others.

"... Friends? ... I hope the payback was a good one. I think I got ten years older in ten seconds."

"Me too. Just stand still. They want to greet us properly and I'm not sure what that means."

It meant a degree of sniffing, then a lot of hand and face licking which was so obviously friendly Tan and Kieran both started laughing, and then some gentle head butts to the chest and groin. Tan’s look when this happened was priceless and had Kieran chuckling every time he thought of it for the rest of the day.

"Grab the carcasses, Tan, and we’ll go see how the others are coping."

They’d all been traumatised by the initial sighting and Rhys was at the point of lashing out with his Spook rope when Kieran's assurance came through. That assurance was immediately backed for them by the horses who showed not a skerrick of fear at the proximity of tawny panther like creatures bigger than themselves, just the same kind of interest they showed to the deer creatures.

Back at the campfire the five great felines squatted placidly while the sorry looking carcasses were cooked and eaten. The interesting news that they now had a new food source was barely noted because Woorawa, Rhys, and Mr B were so conscious of the giant predators and their watchful eyes. Tan wasn't quite as wary, but as he said when Kieran told everyone to lighten up and relax, "It's hard not to be super-conscious when a huge panther with teeth and claws that could rip you to pieces in seconds is sitting just a few metres away looking at you like you might be a tasty snack. Kieran, you should get them to give Rhys and Woorawa and Mr B the same greeting we had."

Kieran laughed because that brought Tan's expression at the groin bump back.

"All right, but the griffins are far more scary and no one was wary of them once we knew they were friendly."

"That's different, Kieran. The griffins are impossible. These are huge versions of the top predators on earth that we associate with eating raw meat and we haven't had the benefit of seeing the friendliness in their minds like you have."

"Okay, Mr B. You’re first for a formal meeting with Gryl. He's the leader and after he’s sniffed you and licked you you can rub your hands up and down the back of his neck. He loves that. I guarantee by the time Rhys and Woorawa have met him you'll all be relaxed.

"He told you he likes his neck rubbed?"

"No, but I found out lots of things I'll tell you after your proper hello."

"And which one’s Gryl? This biggest and scariest looking one I suppose."

"Of course, Mr B. Of course."

Being sniffed and nudged with great deliberation in private areas and having your face licked profusely with a long and powerful tongue leads to smiles and laughter and in a few short minutes Kieran's guarantee was well and truly successful.

"Gods, Kieran! I wonder if there's a reason why everything’s so big? The horses, the deer and rabbit creatures, the griffins and now these. What have you found out from them?"

"They’ve got the same rules built in about getting permission to go into their minds, Rhys, but they’re a lot more open than the griffins and sort of welcome it. They were sent here to guide us and protect us till we reach the big trees."

"Sent? Have they been in contact with the griffins then?"

"No, it's that old man again and they've got the same important feel about him that the griffins had."

"What about ... What's he doing?"

Gryl was on his feet and padding ... towards George. Two heads approached each other and after a sniff from Gryl and a noncommittal snort from George, George's head went down to continue his interrupted grazing.

"Wow! How was that? I almost expected George to get eaten. Gryl's back’s higher above the ground then George's even."

Rhys was right. This side-by-side comparison, well nose to nose really, made Gryl’s astonishing size really stand out. Woorawa was intrigued.

"The horses saddles wouldn't fit but I wonder if you could ride them? Imagine how fast they’d be. Big cats on earth are built for speed. Ask them, Kieran. They might be friendly enough to let us."

The answer came back immediately.

"The answer is yes, Woorawa, but not here. I'm getting the idea they need a saddle that specially suits them."

"Unreal! Cheetahs can reach seventy miles an hour and Gryl has to be way faster with legs that long and strong."

Rhys chimed in.

"We'll have a race, Woorawa, when I go flying on Krol."

"That's cheating. Flying’s too easy."

"Too much talk. Finish your meat so we can get moving. The panthers are all impatient to go."

"Why’re we calling them panthers? They’re yonks bigger, their colour’s different, and their heads look more like a lion without a mane – except their ears are longer."

"Don't ask me, Rhys. Tan started it."

"Their fur is sleek like a panther and there's something panther-ish about the shape of their body and the way they walk."

***

Does anyone want me to cook this last piece of meat?"

"We’ve all stuffed ourselves, Tan. Throw it in the creek and let the crayfish things finish it off."

"What crayfish things?"

"We already told you about them, Woorawa."

"Um ... I wasn't listening."

"They’re big, like yabbies half as long as your arm. We’ll look for some tonight when we camp."

The five panthers stood up, trotted to the exit end of the clearing then stopped and looked back impatiently.

"Boy, they don't like waiting."

"They saw that the food was gone and the horses ready so they headed off."

Everyone helped spread the coals and ashes so the fire would go out quickly, then mounted up and headed after the panthers.

***