Storm Season | Shelha Series 2 | ✔

Promise

The next day dawned bright and clear. The Coppertails had spent the night in a damp hollow but seemed no worse for wear. And why should they, thought Whipper? This was their home, after all.

The herd had just returned from their overwintering grounds on the Grass Flats. Whipper listened with fascination to their tales—of grass that grew well over even Lance and Finch's heads, of ground-dwelling birds with hidden nests, of paths you had to find by scent alone. Then Nightstar brought up the Rock Flats on the Grass Flats' other side, and everyone laughed at Whipper's bafflement that any place could be so flat and go on for so long.

"Have you ever crossed them?" he asked.

"Only me," said Lance. "All Flat and Lowlander kits start out on the edge of a place called the Lowlands, and if Flatlanders form big and strong enough herds, they usually turn migratory. I was part of a small herd that started to migrate, but we broke up on our first trip. I stayed here."

"Where do Northlander kits grow up then?"

"In the Grass Flats, or out on the Plains," said Finch. "We're never quite sure which ones are less lucky."

"I'd rather deal with grass cats than Mountainairs, personally," said Dusty. "But then again, I was a Grass Flat kit."

"I'd take Mountainairs," shuddered Finch. "Nightstar, you had Western District Flatlanders too though, didn't you? Not even just Mountainairs."

"I think we can all agree that Lance had the easiest kithood," said Nightstar. The Coppertails laughed.

Shekel, Dash and Shenla returned the following morning. The bonded duo immediately made it their mission to teach Whipper tail-talk, and it became an unavoidable topic that Shekel had only half a tail.

"Oh we love this story," he said as Dash leaped up.

"Where's Finch? Oi Finch, c'mere! We need a Drakon!"

In two dozen heartbeats, the cast was assembled. Finch disappeared for a moment and returned with leaves representing Drakon wings clamped in his mouth. Lance procured a reed, which Shekel stuck to what was left of his tail. He and Dash sallied forth across the rises while Shenla and Svelt found more reeds and pretended to be grass. Lance assembled a mock bird's nest in a hollow and fled the scene. Dash walked right by it, but Shekel—trailing behind—stopped to have a look. Drakon-Finch struck. With comical ferocity he bore down, captured the reed 'tail' and attempted to 'fly' away. Dash leaped at him. The 'tail' came off as planned and both parties tumbled in opposite directions.

Shekel began to chase the Drakon, which got so terrified that it lost its bearings and plunged headfirst into the grasses. Nightstar was a predator in wait. Capturing the Drakon, she dragged it into a conveniently assembled lair. The grass closed behind her, and the story ended.

Act over, Shekel made a dash as Finch in an attempt to get his 'tail' back, which of course didn't happen. Giggling uncontrollably, the orange Coppertail fled with the 'tail' streaming from his mouth alongside his Drakon wings. He shed these in an attempted diversion. One caught under Dash's paw and he took a spectacular tumble, tripped Shekel and sent them both into a meltwater pond. When they had recovered from the shock, they tore after Finch. He was laughing too hard to escape. There was a splash and a triumphant yell. Shekel came trotting back with 'tail' carried proudly in his mouth. He bowed to his audience and looked regally over his shoulder... then bolted as a soaking wet Finch came barreling back with an evil grin. Whipper could not remember the last time he had laughed so hard.

By the end of the day, Whipper had mastered all the basic motions—taps, flicks, curls and swishes—that would be adapted and combined to create tail-talk. In a half moon's time he was conversing with everyone except Lance, who had a Flatlander flick-accent and was harder to understand.