Eclipse Event Stories (NOT CANON)

The way was long and the air felt heavy, the birdcatcher getting more and more nervous with every guard that passed her. She couldn't risk getting caught, maybe the dream she has had at night hadn't been a dream at all but reality! If so, she was in grave danger and Sun-Hee too. For a moment she remembered Cuvrar and worried if he was alright. They didn't get along well, but that didn't mean she'd abandon him. Still, with her successful escape in mind, she decided not to go back up again, but check every room on her way down to find him.

When she left her hiding place, she ran downwards along the spiral ramp until she found another hole in the wall and carefully looked inside. This one was empty, as was the following. The she found a den with a snoring Kumba inside, but she had no time to wake it, nor did it concern her what he was doing there.

Many, many dens she explored, losing her patience with every wrong one, but at least she had better hiding places now. Most of the rooms had sleeping visitors in them or no one at all, but every one of them had a nicely prepared nest, just like hers. A scary thought crept up to her, what if Cuvrar had been right all along? What if the birds were evil and the Tatras too and they lured strangers her for...one reason or another. She didn't know, but what tribe would have so many unused dens in their camp? It was very strange and unsettling.

Finally, after she had almost given up, Noeu found a dark green shape in one of the nests and slowly walked closer. According to the shape it was a Mayur hob, for sure, but she didn't know whether it was Cuvrar or not and she didn't want to alert anyone by waking the wrong Saliko. She carefully sniffed the body that was rising and sinking slowly with the breathing of a deep sleep and noticed the familiar smell of the hob she had met a few sunrises ago. Softly at first, but stronger as he didn't move, she shook him with her paw trying to wake him up. When he rose his head towards her, his gaze was empty and cold, as if he wasn't really awake at all.

«Cuvrar? We have to leave, come with me.»

«Hm? No...no good. I'll stay here.»

«I thought you didn't even like this tribe! Get moving, we don't have time!»

«No...no...»

He put his head back down and immediately he was gone again, sleeping as if nothing had happened. Cheondungchida had to leave, if he didn't come with her it was not her problem, at least she had tried. The female was sure he'd be fine, or at least she wanted to believe that.

She continued on her way down, this time not focusing on the other dens anymore and finally reached the bottom of the ramp. As she sneaked out of the tree, she looked out for the guards she had spotted at the entrance and saw them a bit ahead. The jill pushed herself along the outside wall of the tree, the Tatras backs were towards her. With her sharp claws she dug into the large root on one side and climbed up it, trying to get away from the entrance without being seen. At the top she looked around, a few more Tatras with shoulder mane, obviously part of this tribe, were roaming around, but scattered apart. As she saw an opening, she ran as fast as she could, Sun-Hee now flying besides her, obviously happy to be outside again as well. The two were rushing with breakneck speed, dodging between tree trunks and bushes until she felt she had gone far enough away so they wouldn't find her. Panting heavily and exhausted from the experience, she stopped and looked back, the tree emitting a strange light now. But despite feeling bad about Cuvrar and all other that were caught there, she was too scared to go back anymore, mostly afraid for her companion being hurt or suffering in any other way.

She turned back around and walked back towards home, in the direction of where the jungle was located. But the jill didn't get very far, after a short moment she heard a rustling in the bush next to her and thought she had been discovered and would get caught again, that time for good. A paw shot out of the leaves, grabbed her leg and pulled her into the dense vegetation, where she struggled to get her footing back. The green female was growling angrily, snapping her teeth around wildly, hoping she'd bite her attacker randomly, but suddenly she heard a whispering voice, urging her to stop.

«Ssssh! Hush now! I'm not here to hurt you.»

«Then why did you attack me?»

Cheon was suspicous, but the hob in front of her didn't seem very dangerous at all. It was a maneless Kumba with light brown eyes, empty spots and off-white parts in his otherwise golden-brown fur. His eyes conveyed a certain urgency and the jill decided to listen to what he had to say.

«Who are you?»

«I am Athelas, healer and herbalist of the rockdweller tribe. I'm here to find out what's going on with the cursed birds and find a cure for my tribe, so –»

«Oh no, not again.»

«Hm? What do you mean?»

«I don't want anything to do with this! I don't care about the birds, this curse or the wretched tribe there.»

«I see. Well anyway, I need to get inside and steal one of the birds so I can analyze it. Did you see them? Did they have red eyes and were they aggressive?»

«Both the Tatras and birds had red eyes, yes, but neither of them were aggressive.»

«Am I correct to assume you have escaped and fled from there? You seemed like it the way you ran and looked around.»

The Mayur jill with the yellow eyes nodded.

«Yeah, that's right.»

«Then you'll surely be able to help me! You know the area and where the guards are. I'm just going in quickly, grabbing a bird and leaving again, no worries, no wasted time.»

«I really dont –»

«Please, I'm begging you! Have you seen what the curse has done? Have you ever seen one of the Salikos getting sick and turning mad? Many from my tribe have snapped and I want to save them. We have kept them alive for now, hoping to find a cure someday, but my leader is getting impatient and our cells too few compared to the diseased. I need to safe them. But I cannot do it alone. Is there no one you want to safe?»

Thinking about what was important to her, Noeu realized the only one she wanted to protect was Sun-Hee and she wasn't safe inside. But the jill had great empathy and felt the sorrow of the strange hob in front of her. She felt his pain through his words, his voice and his eyes. She just couldn't say now to him.

«Alright, I'll help you.»

«Oh thank you so much! I swear, if anything goes wrong I will shield you from harm! Though of course, I'm certain nothing will go wrong anyway.»

Cheondungchida turned towards her conure that was sitting on a little branch next to her and nuzzled the soft, colorful feathers of the bird.

«You better stay here Sun-Hee, it's too dangerous for you inside. I'll be fine and I promise I will be back soon, alright?»

The parakeet, it's head tilted as it watched its partner leave, remained put as Noeu turned back towards the tree, together with Athelas, and Sun-Hee stayed behind, waiting for her friend to return from her crazy mission.