Berganashio - Chapter 19

The meerbirds heard Larkin and followed him to the best of their ability. The sea-wolf ship continued to splinter and flail around like a pierced octopus. Sea-wolfs were scattering all over the place. Some of the sea-wolfs chased after the fleeing meerbirds and merfaries but they realized it was no used once most of them were off, high into the sky.

Cotton stealthily swam in the ocean water. Bry and Pori were clinging to the back of his neck. They had to be careful because they were trying hard to not be seen by the ferocious, nasty sea-wolfs.

Far from the sinking ship, Larkin and Villi landed in a ginormous redwood tree. The trunk of the tree was at least twenty-five feet wide. This redwood tree was peculiar, as it liked the seawater. Most redwood trees tended to prefer dry areas and most of them also hated salt. This redwood tree was the only one of it's kind. The meerbrids landed in the tree with Larkin and Villi.

"Who are you and where do you come from?" Larkin interrogated the meerbirds.

Keenwai, not far from him, answered for the group of meerbirds. "We are meerbirds and we come from the southern burrow lands. We were taken from our land and were forced into slavery aboard the sea-wolf ship. Who are you?"

Larkin glanced at his sister. "We are merfaries. From the northern merfarie gardens. We were at the bottom of the sea visiting our friend Tilly. Like most other creatures, we hate the sea-wolfs because they're killing off all the other creatures in the land."

"And that's what made you want to sink their ship?" Dror asked from a branch that was a bit lower than Larkin and Villi.

Larkin nodded, "Yes, we thought that if we could sink their ship, then it would drive them away from the sea scavenging or slow them down at least."

Kunya finally spoke up. "I think it's going to take more than sinking their ship to stop them."

Villi agreed. Her wings shimmered beautifully. She had a purple tint to her as she rested in the tree at the moment. "She's right."

Down below, at the base of the tree, Cotton, Pori and Bry peeked up from the water. The water was gently lapping at the sides of the tree. The root system of the tree was very beautiful and intricate. Pori could not help but admire it's natural beauty. Pori half whispered, half yelled up at Larkin and Villi and the meerbirds. "Is it safe and clear?"

Villi nodded and Pori and Bry flew up to their siblings in the branches above. Cotton, of course stayed in the water as he could not fly or climb the large tree trunk.

Larkin was thinking. "We must form an alliance."

"For the purpose of?" Keenwai asked.

"For the purpose of fighting off and riding this land of the sea-wolfs for good." Larkin's face appeared strong and serious.

Keenwai was not exactly sure if the merfaries could be trusted as they had just met them. He was, however, impressed by their courage to sink the ship. They had saved a large part of the meerbird mob and he felt indebted to them for that. He was unsure what an alliance would look like with creatures like the merfaries. "For this alliance... what do you have in mind for us?"

Larkin looked at his siblings. "Come with us to the merfarie gardens to meet our parents, the King and Queen. We will organize a large army to attack the sea-wolfs before they find us and destroy us."

Dror tensed his strong back. "May I have a word with you, Keenwai?"

Keenwai motioned for him to fly over, closer to him and Kunya. They whispered to one another.

Dror swallowed slowly. "Several of the meerbirds are blind. There was something that flew through the air on the ship that got into their eyes and they cannot see. I believe that some of us should fly back home to the mob with the ones that have suffered from blindness."

Kunya's heart sunk, she felt compassion for the recently blinded meerbirds. "Oh, no. I will go back home with them and care for them."

Keenwai shook his head. "No, Kunya. I have a different idea. Dror can lead the meerbirds back to the burrow lands to let the rest of the mob know that we are alive. You and I can go with the merfaries to form the alliance with the king and queen of the merfaries."

Dror nodded. "I would be honored to lead the meerbirds home."

With admiration and masculine affection, Keenwai smiled calmly at Dror. "You freed us from the chains in the ship. Without your willingness to walk in your anointing of freedom, we would have likely drowned in the sea with the ship back there."

Dror humbly bowed his head slightly. Without another word, the three meerbirds broke up the small huddle of conversation. Keenwai informed Larkin and the other merfarie siblings of the plan to come to their gardens.

The sun was setting with layers of lovely colors. Dror led the meerbirds back to the burrow lands. They were a beautiful sight as they quietly flew back toward their home. They'd now tasted bitter slavery. Their freedom tasted all the sweeter as they stretched their wings.

Kunya was stunned into silence. She felt badly about the blinded meerbirds but she also wanted to submit to Keenwai's authority as the chief. She missed her family, but she also felt the importance of supporting Keenwai more. She certainly did not want him to go alone with the merfaries. She sighed. Her heart was beating far too fast for her own comfort.

Larkin and Villi lifted in flight in the opposite direction. Keenwai and Kunya followed them. Pori and Bry swam back down to Cotton, notifying him of the evolving plans to go to the merfarie gardens. Cotton swam with Pori and Bry again. He always found amusement in Pori and Bry's continuous bickering.

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