[The Barrow-Wight]

Seeing that his captains were assembling their companies in the trees around him, Akaaw took a moment to dig in his nest for the stone he had been keeping for a day like today. It was buried among his many other keepsakes, but he soon found it and clasped it firmly in his beak. He jumped away from his perch and dropped directly to the base of his home tree, landing in a pile of dead leaves. There, he placed the stone gently on the ground and scratched among the detritus until he revealed a small cache of pebbles similar to the one beside him. Quickly, he placed the stone among the others and pushed the leaves back over them so they were once again concealed.

He closed his eyes and stood silently for a moment.
Tree and stone, Feather and bone
He opened his eys and tapped the tree thrice with his beak.

The hidden stones were part of a short ceremony that Akaaw performed each time he led the horde away from the valley. Starting when he had first gained his position as chief, he had always given an offering to the spirits of wood and stone. Though the rock of the valley remained silent and gave no notice of his gift, he was sure the trees understood. Many times he had heard them whispering, and he liked to think that they appreciated what he gave.

He looked up as his great murder began to rise into the air in great masses of fluttering wings. The morning sun was momentarily blotted out as they climbed higher and higher, circling in a great, black wheeling motion. Akaaw gave one last, silent prayer to good fortune and launched himself up to gather his leaders and begin the trek northward.

[ December 15, 2002: Message edited by: The Barrow-Wight ]