A Song in the Rain

by Lydia Deyes

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The old crow bowed and led his companions across the river, where they dispersed. I turned my gaze to the hawks and other predators above me. They seemed to be faring better than during their first training exercise. The long hours of strenuous work were finally beginning to pay off.

  No birds were giving me any trouble, and boredom sank in. To amuse myself, I played with a pebble near me, lifting it and spinning it in the air with my mind. After a while, I felt a sudden tap on my back and dropped the stone in surprise.

  What is it now? I spun angrily to face a young hawk, who cowered before me.

  “Sir?”

  “What?” I snapped.

  He looked at the sky, then back at me. “It’s getting late, sir.”

  I looked to the west, along the river. Sure enough, the setting sun was stretching dark bands of red and orange across the sky. “Oh, well, I suppose you’re dismissed.”

  The hawk pushed himself back into the air to let the others know, and I marveled at how quickly time had passed.

  Everyone else must be finishing up soon, too, I thought. Maybe there was still time to check on the other units.

  I made my way to center camp as a starting point and was surprised to see Nyoka there. Shouldn’t she still be training the smaller animals? “Good evening, crawler commander.”

  “Good evening, Sheer, sir.”

  “How has training been going?”

  She said something with such exaggerated motions, I had to assume it was sarcasm. “Fantastic. In another year or two, they might be ready to fight a small army.”

  “There’s no time to joke around, Nyoka. We don’t have a year or two, nor is Nivek’s army a small one. Why aren’t you still in training? Work them from dawn to dusk if you need to, and if they still won’t progress, work them at night. I don’t care how you get it done, but they need to be ready by full moon.”

  The rat looked taken aback, but I didn’t regret the severity of my words. We had no time to lose. “Yes, sir,” she replied with a bow. “I’ll go gather them for more training right away.”

  As she scurried off, I looked around for Amery or Ryan. The setting sun was draping the forest in shadow, and I couldn’t see very far through the trees anymore. I flew up to the treetops and scanned the forest for any signs of the small birds or large mammals. If I squinted, I could make out a cleared oblong path in the distance. Only the larger animals in the army — probably with help from the beavers — would be able to make such an effect on the terrain.

  Even in the darkness, I could make out the ominous cliffs far beyond their training grounds. Something about them made me shiver, and I redirected my attention to the east. From this vantage point, I could see a cloud of small birds hovering just above the treetops, and a few gulls gliding above them. That would be Amery’s group. I only had time to visit one before night had truly fallen, so I decided on the badger’s command.

  The large mammals began trudging back towards center camp when I still had a ways to go to meet them. I landed on a tree branch and waited for them to come to me. I decided to nickname them “runners” for simplicity’s sake, like I’d started to call Spike’s command the “predators” and Nyoka’s the “crawlers.” Tomorrow, I’d come up with a name for Amery’s command. The runners dragged their paws, clearly sore and exhausted.

  Good, I thought. The training needs to be tough, to get everyone to their best in time.

  “Greetings, runner commander,” I called out when Ryan was within hearing distance.

  He seemed confused for a moment but acknowledged me when he spotted my resting spot. “Good evening sir,” he responded. I noticed he was once again using the phrase I struggled to grasp. I kept forgetting to ask Kevin or Amery what it was.

  “Has training been going well?”

  “Yes indeed, sir. They’re faring much better than they were at first.”

  “Excellent. What exercises are you using?”

  “Running, distance and speed, and various strength training exercises.”

  “What about fighting?” I asked. “Have you begun any training on battle techniques?”

  Ryan sighed. “Not yet, sir. I’ll begin that momentarily… when they are ready. It’s only been three days, sir.”

  “Of course,” I replied, but I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. The large mammals were already so fast and strong — why not start with proper combat? I held my tongue. “Very well,” I said instead. “On your way, then.”

  While the runners continued to lumber past, I looked up at the darkening sky. There were dense clouds above us, but nothing moved at all. The moon shone dimly through a crack, and I sighed. I wondered if the sounds of the crickets and frogs would be prevalent on such a still night, or if the whole world was engulfed by the dead silence that clung to me for all my waking hours. Without the distraction of a cool breeze or the scents it carried, my senses felt dull and heavy. I returned to my nest, weary and aching for a change.

  XXXIV

  Now that Spike had returned, I no longer needed to tend to his battalion. Instead of going to the river in the morning, I headed east to check on Amery and her command unit. Peckers and gliders, I decided to call them. As I went, I looked anxiously at the sky. It was so dark now, day could almost be mistaken for night, but there was still no wind and no hint of rain.

  I found Amery’s troops and sat watching them for a while from the shadows. Sparrows, cardinals, and other peckers flew for distance training among the dry, barren trees; gulls, geese, and other gliders soared high above them. Amery was fully participating in the activities of the peckers, while supervising the gliders at the same time. She could multitask far better than I could.

  While I watched the flurry and frenzy, I felt Kevin come up beside me. After some time watching them together, he nudged me to get my attention.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked when I turned to face him.

  “What is?”

  “The way the gliders are effortlessly suspended in air,” he replied. “It’s as if they are held there by strings.”

  I glanced upward, then looked back at him. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I wonder what would happen if one of them fell back from the others. Do you think the rest would go help him, or just move on? And would their commander notice, or is she too busy with the peckers?”

  I shrugged. “I dunno.”

  Kevin looked into my eyes for a little longer, and I couldn’t tell what emotion they held. His inner thoughts were a mystery to me, and their depths held me captivated until he looked away. What he’d said tugged at my curiosity, and the urge to answer his question sunk in. I puffed my chest. Maybe if I could show Amery what I was really capable of, she’d understand. Maybe then she’d approve of how I wanted to use my powers and grow my abilities so I could fight Nivek.

  After a quick glance in her direction — she was still preoccupied fluttering between a maze of branches — I concentrated on a young goose who was flying along with the crowd above us. I held her in the air, then cut her off from the draft and watched her fall. She flapped her wings desperately and opened her beak to squawk in surprise, and I laughed. This time, the laughter felt natural, like it was coming from deep inside me, and I didn’t shirk away from it.

  In response to the goose’s plight, nearly all the gliders changed course and rushed to her aid. I concentrated harder, pushing all of them so she was just beyond their reach as she flailed about. Elation filled every fiber of my being. I wanted this; I wanted more. And then I saw Amery, looking straight at me. The expression on her face quenched my joy like the cold grip of a winter wind. She wasn’t angry… just… sad.

  A twinge of guilt threatened to strangle me, but anger rose to fight it. “What?” I snapped at her. Why should I feel ashamed for what I was able to do? Why did she have the right to decide how I should use my gift?

  “You know what,” she said softly, turning away with obvious disappointment. I
released the goose, the fun long gone.

  “Well, that’s ruined,” I mumbled to Kevin.

  “Come on, don’t worry about her,” he replied. “She’s just a stuck-up grouch who doesn’t want to see you succeed. I thought it was hilarious.”

  I tried to appreciate his words, but Amery’s disapproval still stung. Why can’t she be as supportive as Kevin? With nothing left for me among the peckers and gliders, I decided to leave her be and head west along the river.

  When I came across the training ground of the predators, I saw that they were all on the ground, practicing one-on-one combat. Spike was flying high above to observe. “How’s it going up there?” I called. Upon hearing me, the old, mangled crow came down from his post.

  “Good afternoon, sir. You have trained them well.”

  “Thank you, predator commander.”

  “Not at all, sir,” he replied. “My unit explained the exercises you used, and I thought they were excellent. I’ll continue to use them, while adding my own concepts to the mix. One, you can see now.”

  “Wonderful,” I said. “Do you think these birds will be ready in time for the next full moon?”

  “I sure hope so. I’ve seen significant improvement, even in one day, but… I don’t know if any of us will ever truly be prepared to fight him, sir.”

  “I appreciate your honesty,” I said, “but we need to do our best to be ready. Nivek’s army may be larger and fiercer, but fighting is our only option. Keep up the good work, and maybe we’ll get close enough.”

  “Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  I turned and left him to train the predators. Besides, I wanted to see what the runners were up to. By the time Kevin and I neared the western edge of the territory, I could feel the vibrations of their many heavy paws pounding on the ground and shaking the trees. As the name I’d given them suggested, they were running; hard and fast.

  Already, they’d tramped a dirt trail through the woods. It led to the river, where they must have crossed, dipped into the woods again, and come back around. Rocks and boulders were piled up in some places; enormous logs in others would force the runners to duck or jump to avoid them. I recalled the oblong track visible from the treetops. They’d created a massive obstacle course.

  Brilliant! I thought. A perfect training exercise.

  I felt them coming ‘round the bend and held on to the branch for dear life as they rushed past in front of us. I closed my eyes and felt the rumbling ebb and fade as the mighty warriors ran. When they came ‘round to pass us again, I called out to Ryan.

  “Ho there, runner commander!”

  He drew the company to a halt, giving them a well-deserved break, then approached me, panting. “Good afternoon, sir,” he said, followed by the same mysterious phrase I kept forgetting about.

  “How goes the training?” I asked.

  “Wonderful, sir. My unit has made a lot of progress. But I worry about what the wolves are planning. I don’t know whether we’ll be ready to face them… the wolves are fast, strong, and many. We can train as much as we can, but do you think it will be enough?”

  “I know, Commander,” I replied. “We’re all worried, but we just have to do our best. You and your warriors seem to be more prepared than any other unit; I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Ryan looked down at his paws. “We should get back to training,” he said.

  “Of course. I’ll leave you to it.”

  “Farewell, and good luck, sir,” the badger said as I prepared to move on. I yawned. Checking up on all the command units was starting to feel like a chore, but at least I had Kevin for company as I traveled between them. As much as I was pleased by the runners’ progress, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Nyoka again. If the rat hadn’t pulled her battalion together yet, we’d never be able to fight the wolves. We were only as strong as our weakest members, and they were definitely on that list.

  Still, I had an obligation as the leader to visit all the commanders, so I sighed and made my way back towards center camp. If the peckers and gliders were to the east, the runners were to the west, and the predators were on the northern edge by the river, the only area remaining with enough space for training was the southern border, facing the city.

  When Kevin and I arrived at center camp, the sky had darkened even more. It was hard to tell what time of day it was. The air was just completely still, as it had been for the last few days — no leaves were swaying in the nonexistent wind.

  It must be high up in the sky, I thought, if there is any wind at all.

  “Can you hear the other command unit?” I asked Kevin. He listened closely, then nodded and led me through the trees ahead and to the right. Soon, I could see several small animals running about in what seemed to be utter chaos.

  “Is there any organization here?” I wondered aloud, not expecting a response.

  “Sir! I didn’t realize you were near,” Nyoka responded, popping into view from some sort of hole underground. I nearly jumped in surprise.

  “Wh… where did you come from?”

  “Did I startle you, sir?” She slunk back and adopted a sly, secretive look.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, you startled me… is this some sort of battle strategy? What are you doing?”

  “Of course, sir,” she replied, returning to a more professional composure and performing a small bow. “I’m sorry you thought otherwise. It may not look like much, but I do have a training session organized here. You see, my group is divided in two, and they take turns on opposite sides.” She pointed in the direction of animals in each group as she explained what they were doing. “One group digs tunnels underground and attempts to catch the opposition off guard. The second group is running through the forest and trying to catch the ones under the ground, pinning them down before they can surface.”

  I looked back at the scrambling rodents, lizards, and frogs. Now that I knew what was going on, I could see mounds from the tunnels, and it did look more organized — or at least, intentional — than it had at first glance. I remembered my conversation with her the other day, and how she’d expressed her frustration at their lack of progress. “Clever. Is this a new strategy, or have you been using this method for the last few days?”

  “I just started this regimen today, sir.”

  “Good. How do you think it’s going now?”

  “Very well, sir. They’ve improved significantly since the first day of training. I think I finally have this all under control. It’s… different to need to communicate what I want done, rather than force it on all of my subordinates to follow blindly. It’s harder, but more rewarding.”

  “Excellent. I still want you to work them extra hard, to make up for three days of wasted training.”

  “Of course, sir. I apologize for not meeting your standards the first time.”

  “Get back to work, then,” I said. “I don’t want to hold back your training any longer. You’ve got a lot to do.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  XXXV

  As we made our way back to center camp, the air started to thicken. The clouds above were finally getting too heavy to stay in the air, and I knew it was going to storm… worse than it ever had before. I shivered. “Kevin,” I said, “let’s get under cover before it starts to rain.”

  He didn’t even have time to respond before the air shook with one mighty rumble of thunder and the downpour began. I was soaking wet in seconds, paralyzed with fear. I’d made progress since my state when I arrived at the thirteenth floor, but this storm brought everything back. Terror threatened to strangle me from the inside out. “Be calm,” Kevin’s voice soothed inside my head. “I am with you. Concentrate, and you can conquer this. Use your powers. You can shield yourself from the rain.”

  I took several deep, shaky breaths. I landed on a tree branch and closed my eyes. It was harder to clear my mind of the fear, but after a moment I felt the rain stop falling. As soon as I opened my eyes to see the bubble o
f dry air I’d created, I lost my concentration and got wet all over again. It was even colder the second time.

  “Close your eyes, Sheer, and focus. I’ll lead you to a dry hollow.”

  I followed his advice and flew shakily behind him, following the gentle breeze of his wings. I trusted him to lead me, and soon I heard the magical words: “You’re safe now. You can relax and open your eyes.” When I did, I was sheltered in the hollow tree where we had lodged on our first night together. It had rained then, too, but only a light drizzle. Now, the torrential downpour had already turned the ground to a slurry.

  Breathing deeply, I told myself I was safe. Soon the rain would pass and I could live normally again. I thought briefly of the many animals currently out in training and wondered if they’d also sought shelter.

  No, I countered. They shouldn’t be sheltered. The rain was good for training. They would need to be able to fight regardless of inclement weather. They didn’t have a reason to be afraid, like I did.

  “I’ll check on the others for you,” Kevin said in my head, since I was still transfixed by the water streaming from the sky outside. “You just rest. Don’t worry about your duties. You deserve a good, long sleep.”

  I yawned, exhausted. “Thank you, Kevin,” I said softly. Then I drifted into sleep.

  ◆◆◆

  “Ze moon is half gone! Vill ‘e come or not?” The voice of the scarred wolf rang out, and I opened my eyes to see him. The heavy smoke wrapped tightly around him; it was like he was wearing it as a second coat. I wasn’t sure whether this was a vision or merely a dream, but I knew it wasn’t real because I could hear. The black wolf was looking at something to his right and didn’t see me.

  “All in good time,” a voice responded. I recognized it as the same one Nivek had spoken to in my previous vision. It was a strange voice, deep and echoing.

  “How long must I wait?”

  “Before the next full moon, he will surely offer himself up. I assure you.”

  “But when?”