Zoë of the Mouse Wing – Part 3

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Mar 302012
 

“Are you okay, Zo?”

It was dark and it hurt when she moved. Zoë tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. She groaned, “What happened?”

“It was the storm. I was trying to find a place to land when the wind blew you out of your seat. You’re lucky I was able to catch up to you!”

Zoë forced through the pain to sit up. Her head was throbbing, “What happened to the tether?”

“I think it snapped…Do you have any food on you, Zo? I’m hungry! Preferably pickles if you have some!”

Zoë slowly started to feel around for her pack, “You know we don’t have any pick…” She stopped all of a sudden. “Where’s my pack?”

“I think it flew off when the tether snapped.”

“My scope!” Zoë was heartbroken. Her scope was her most prized possession. It had been a gift from her uncle when she was accepted into the Wing. It had been really expensive. It would be a long time before she could afford another one.

“You mean this?” Popkin produced a cylindrical objet from his plumage. “You were clinging tightly to this when I caught you. I thought it might be food, but it tasted awful!”

Zoë took the offered scope back. There was obvious scratching on it from where Popkin’s beak had bitten into it, but other than that it was fully intact! “Thanks Popkin!”

“No problem Zo! Only, what are we going to do for food without your pack? I’m hungry!”

Zoë forced herself to her feet. She was a little wobbly at first, but she was able to stay on her paws. “We’ll have to forage. Is there a stream nearby? You said you liked to fish.” She looked around. Everything was so dark and there were so many trees. “Popkin? Are we in the Forlorn Forest?”

Popkin nodded his head, “I couldn’t fly and hold on to you at the same time, so I had to land in the forest. I don’t know why they call it the Four Corn Forest though. I haven’t seen so much as a kernel!”

That was going to make things difficult. Furs got lost in the Forlorn Forest. Really lost! Some said that the Forest itself conspired against furs to keep them from leaving. Zoë considered that to be a fairy tale told to children to keep them from wandering into the forest. She could send Popkin out on his own, but she didn’t trust that the bird would be able to find her again. Best to stick together. Besides, she was confident that with her scope she’d be able to navigate their way out.

“Fly ahead of me, Popkin…” she told her friend, “Look for a stream so we can get some water and maybe some fish. I’ll follow on paw.”

“Okay Zo!” Popkin spread his wings and with a couple of flaps, he was off.

Zoë watched him fly for a moment and then slowly started to follow. If only it didn’t hurt when she moved…

Zoë of the Mouse Wing – Part 2

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Mar 232012
 

“Do you think they’ll have made any more pickles when we get back, Zo?”

“Maybe…” Zoë was only half-listening to Popkin. She was too busy making sure she didn’t forget any of the Sam’s flying lessons.

Take-off had gone very well. Since Popkin was an awakened Avian, he could be counted on to do most of the work…when he was kept focused. Letting him get distracted wasn’t so dangerous for him as it was for his rider. Sam ignored most of Popkin’s chatter. If the bird felt nobody was listening to him, he’d pout a little, but at least he was quiet. Zoë was beginning to see the merit in Sam’s approach.

As they flew over the Forlorn Forest Zoë focused most of her attention on the ground looking for signs of the missing children. It wasn’t going to be easy with the heavy canopy of trees.

“Where could they be?” Zoë said aloud, not really expecting an answer.

Popkin, answered anyway of course, “They’re probably fishing. There’s a lot of tasty trout in the streams around here. I like going fishing. Before I joined the Mouse Wing, I could spend whole days fishing. Maybe I’ll go fishing on my next vacation. Anyway, I hope they’re not playing in that big black cloud up ahead. No wait. There were no Avian with them, how could they fly? Would you like to come fishing with me on my vacation, Zo?”

Zoë nodded, “Maybe, sure…no wait, what?” She looked up at the chattering bird.

“I asked you if you wanted to come fishing with me on my next vacation.” Popkin repeated, “You should pay more attention.”

Zoë shook her head, “No, BEFORE that…” She looked around.

“Oh! Just that I hoped they weren’t playing in the big black cloud up ahead, but that was silly since furs can’t fly.”

Zoë saw the storm clouds just as Popkin mentioned them. That wasn’t good. The dark clouds were much too close for comfort. She’d been so focused on the ground that she’d forgotten to check her bearings. Such a greenie mistake. This was going to be a much bumpier ride now. She checked her tether. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Popkin?”

“I thought you saw it. Sam never misses things like big black clouds ahead.”

That hurt. As if she wasn’t blaming herself enough already without the reminder of what a rookie mistake she’d made. “Are we in any trouble, Popkin?” she asked.

“Of course not! I’m a good flier, Zo! Well, not unless the winds really pick up.”

As if on cue, a strong gust of wind buffeted the bird, almost knocking Zoë out of her seat.

“Okay that might be a problem…”

Zoë of the Mouse Wing – Part 1

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Mar 162012
 

The stars. They called to her. Ever since she could remember, she had been fascinated by the twinkling points of light in the night sky. She would spend hours each night gazing up into the night sky, noticing the different patterns. The only trouble with the stars was that they were so very far away. When she was little, she thought that being a member of the Mouse Wing would allow her to fly between the stars. It’s what she dreamed of.

She was not so little anymore. She knew from experience that the birds the Mouse Wing rode could not reach the stars, but it had not affected her desire to join their ranks. The day she first flew with Popkin had been both the most exciting and terrifying in her life. Over time, the terror faded, but the thrill remained. Older members of the Wing confirmed that they never lost that feeling of exhilaration.

She was still a junior member of the Wing; a greenie. That meant that she was partnered with a senior Winger, a blue, whenever she flew, which was not nearly often enough for her. Most of her time was spent taking care of the Wing’s bird steeds.

Most of the birds were of the Wild. They had been tamed by the members of the Wing and lived in symbiosis with them. The mice took care of the birds and in exchange, the birds let the mice ride them. Birds naturally like to fly so it was a good deal. Some birds, like Popkin, were enlightened. They called themselves the Avian and they joined the Mouse Wing for the same reasons the mice did…to help their fellows.

Popkin was talkative, even for an avian. He especially liked Zoë because she actually listened to him. She found him exasperating at times, but no more than her little brother had been when he was three.

“So when are we going out on patrol, Zo? Do you think it will rain? I’m hungry. Are there any more of those little pickles left? I really liked those. They were tasty. That reminds me, I’m hungry.”

Zoë listened patiently as she brushed Popkin’s back to smooth his feathers. “I’m hoping we can go out on patrol today. I don’t think it will rain. I think I gave you the last of the pickles yesterday, but I’ll ask if there are more on the way.”

Popkin nattered on happily as Sam entered the stables. Noting the serious look on her mentor’s face, Zoë set her paw on Popkin’s beak to silence him. “What is it, Sam?”

“A group of younglings has gone missing, possibly within the Forlorn Forest. We’re scrambling the Wing to search!”

Zoë was stunned. “The whole Wing?” She had not been a member for very long, but this was the first time she’d heard of such a wide call to fly.

Sam nodded, “Get Popkin saddled up, you’re going up as soon as you’re ready!”

Zoë nodded, “Who am I flying with this time? You, Sam?”

Sam smiled a half-smile, “Not me. You’re flying solo this time, greenie.”

“By myself?” Zoë said, both worried and excited.

The elder mouse recognized the tone of her voice. He’d sounded the same way when his blue gave him his first flight plan. “That’s what solo means, yeah.  We need every mouse in the air searching.”

“Don’t worry, Zo,” Popkin said, unable to keep quiet anymore, “I’ll take good care of you.”

All of a sudden a thought occurred to Zoë. She bolted towards the stable door. Sam called out to her, “Where are you going? I told you to get Popkin saddled up!”

“I need my scope!” Zoë called back to the bewildered elder Wing member.

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