Upon a Feathered Wing

Two mice scurry silently through a patch of tall grass. Stopping every few inches to listen and check for scents. One is older and grey with one eye. The other is light brown, fresh from his mother's nest. "How much further do we have to go?" The young ones always ask too many questions. "Seriously One--, Sam, how much further are we going? The barn is so far now and--. "If you are so scared go back then." Sam hissed. "You call me One Eye but I always come back with food and supplies for the nest. You have been suckling from your mother for too long and it's time you started bringing something to the table. That's why you are here. To learn and shut your mouth. You are here to listen, to smell, and to keep your eyes in the sky Lucas. Not to ask questions."

Lucas felt dumb and ashamed. He was letting his fear get the better of him. He had ventured out before but never this far from the barn. "One Eye" Sam was the best at foraging for food and finding water. Most mice learned from him. He had the years and the scars behind him. He was there when Lucas' dad was caught by the farmer's cat, Diego. Sam tried to help Lucas' father and lost his eye instead. Ever since then Sam has taken special care to make sure and educate Lucas and his siblings in the way of stealth and gathering necessities. However, "One Eye" has had another reason to be on edge.

"Down" Sam was already flat on the ground and making sure he was downwind. "Diego?" Lucas asked. Sam put his paw to his mouth signaling Lucas to be quiet. Sam then pointed upward. Lucas slowly looked up to see her. High above Sam and Lucas floating weightless in the sky was the new threat Sam had been worried about, Luna, the great Barn Owl that had been roosting near the farm. Sometimes in the very barn as the nest!! Luna was a big brown and grey barn owl that had recently come to the area. Then like a flash she swooped into a tree. With no warning, Sam was on the move. Lucas was still awe-struck and barely noticed what Sam was doing. They ran to an old tire that was laid flat and hid.

"Do you see now why I told you to keep your eyes in the sky?" He whispered. Lucas nodded. He was out of breath or scared or both. "We must be careful. We have to wait until she moves again. However, if we move while she is in the air we are Dead. As fast as we are we cannot outmaneuver her. Her eyesight is another factor we cannot underestimate. She probably already saw us but went for an easier target or a better vantage point. Either way, we are screwed." Lucas knew how serious Sam was. They had been out several times in the past few weeks and he had never seen Sam this nervous.

A week earlier Lucas was present when Sam successfully took on Diego and injured him. Earning the cat a visit to the vet and currently kept to the inside of the house and only let out to eat. Sam was cool, collected, and sure of himself. Sam twisted, jumped, clawed, and bit his way to victory over the big cat. Sam didn't seem stressed in the least. He wasn't even breathing hard afterward. Now, Sam's fur was on end and his one good eye kept darting to the sky. His breathing was quick and his mind was thinking of every scenario possible.

"What do we do Sam?" Sam didn't seem to hear Lucas his head was darting back and forth and suddenly he stopped. He motioned for Lucas to move closer. Through a small hole in the tire, Sam told Lucas to look. "You see the tractor?" Sam said. "Yes," Lucas said. "Our only chance is to run to the tractor". Lucas' eyes grew large. "We have two options. We chew through the tire and make the hole large enough for us to run through it or, we waste precious seconds climbing up and over the tire and then run for the tractor." "Both are suicide," Lucas said with panic. "Why can't we just wait here in the tire?" Sam's one good eye narrowed. "We are mice. Not cowards. Death is a part of life. We don't get to choose when it comes for us but we sure as hell fight it with every breath we take. No owl, no cat, and certainly no coward is going to prevent me from seeing another sunrise. Your dad knew the risk. He took it. Do you have the guts to live or are you gonna shame your daddy and his name by cowering in a tire to be an easy meal for the owl?"

This was the second time Lucas got to feel shame tonight. He was being a bit of a baby. He was scared when he saw Diego just sleeping on the porch! Now another predator is hanging around and this one can fly and see in the dark. Lucas was thinking of his mom and siblings. He was thinking of his dad. He was thinking of the other mice and their jealousy of him for spending so much time with "One Eye". "One Eye" Sam asked Lucas to come along. Asked Lucas if he wanted to learn. Showed Lucas how to be a better mouse. The other mice had to beg Sam for a sliver of knowledge. Yet Lucas just had to be around and Sam chose him. Now he was betraying that kindness with cowardice and Lucas was beside himself with shame and guilt.

Just then Lucas heard gnawing. He stopped his inward thoughts to see Sam chewing at the small hole in the tire. Lucas said nothing and began chewing too. In moments their efforts paid off. The small peephole was now big enough for both Sam and Lucas to run through. "You are going to wait here and when I give the signal you run like the wind." Lucas simply nodded and kept low and in the shadows. Sam chewed another hole in the tire so he could see the tree and see what direction Luna the Owl will fly. However, to his horror, he could see the glint of her eyes reflecting light right in his direction. She knew he and Lucas were in the tire and was only waiting for them to move. "Upon a feathered wing does Death come for us all," Sam muttered to himself. "What?" Lucas asked. "Nothing, change of plans Lucas, we run in tandem. Whatever happens, no matter what you hear or see you run as fast as you can and make your way to the engine compartment of the tractor do you understand?". " You go first and I will be right behind you. Listen to the rhythm of her wings. The wings always give away when an owl is about to strike." Lucas' heart was beating so fast and hard everything Sam was saying sounded muffled but he understood.

Sam held three digits up on his paw. Slowly he counted down to one and Lucas didn't wait for Sam to give a sign he just started running as hard and fast as he could. His heart was beating so hard he could hear Sam's steps behind his. Then the weight being lifted from a branch and the ominous "WOOSH" of wings cutting through the night air. "The rhythm," Lucas thought, "The rhythm of her wings will tell me when she will strike." Lucas barely finished his thought when the beating of Luna's wings was now a silent flow of air flowing through feathers. Lucas angled himself instinctually and managed to jump between the great talons of the owl. Luna's talons hit the cold hard soil and scattered a few pebbles. Luna, however, was already in the air again repositioning for another strike. The tractor was still a good fifteen feet away. Lucas stopped only long enough to regain his footing and kept running, Sam was next to him. They were almost to the tractor, a few more steps to freedom. "Look out!!"

Without warning, Luna's great foot was on Lucas. Talons on either side of his head. All his air was knocked out of him. He couldn't breathe and all Lucas could see was Luna's great glowing eyes. Then without warning her foot was off him and Luna was screaming in pain. Sam "One Eye" was biting the back of her clawed foot and Luna was once again in the air trying to shake Sam's grip loose. Luna got about seven or eight feet in the air before Sam let go. Sam seemed to land correctly but it was clear he hurt himself when he landed. Still "One Eye" made his way to the tractor. Lucas had already made it under the tractor and was watching Sam limp to the tractor when Luna landed between the tractor and Sam.

Luna stood up slowly to her full height and spread her great wings. Her back claw on her foot hung from a piece of flesh on her foot. Blood trickled into the soil as Luna placed her foot down gingerly. "You are brave for a mouse with one eye," Luna said. "I'm braver than most mice with two eyes," Sam said. Luna's eyes widened, then narrowed and then laughter erupted from the Owl. The great owl seemed to laugh for eternity. Sam thought of attempting to run for the tractor but, decided against it. Then Luna seemed to read his thoughts and snapped her attention back to Sam. "It has been many moons since I've laughed let alone spoken with those who would be my food." Luna's wings fluttered as she limped closer to Sam. "I am Death Upon a Feathered Wing, yet here I am injured before my prey. We have both injured each other so come, let us talk of the nature of things." "For what purpose?" Sam asked. "The words we speak now will determine whether I eat you now, later, or never seeing as your young companion is beyond my reach for now. Is this fair?" Sam looked at Lucas and back at Luna and nodded his head. Luna moved closer still limping and still very much in pain.

"What does Death Upon a Feathered Wing have to tell a half-blind mouse?" Sam asked breaking the tension between predator and prey. "Your actions and choices go against the nature of your kind. I seriously thought you were sacrificing the younger one to ensure your survival. Instead, he was a diversion so you could injure me. Why is this?" Sam thought for a moment and said, "The young do not live to serve the old. Rather the old serve the young to ensure the survival of the next generation." Sam's words visibly perplexed the Owl. Her great head turned sideways as if she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "How is it that you came to such an epiphany and decided to adopt such a philosophy?" Sam thought for another moment. Each word held the power of life and death and he had every intention of seeing another sunrise. "I lost my eye because I first thought of myself. When my brother died to the house cat it was because I acted in the manner Mice always act. I was rooted in self-preservation but when my brother's life was leaving his eyes I chose bravery but, it was too late. The cat already bit my brother in half and saw my attack. His great claws slashed my face and destroyed my eye and now all I have of my brother is these scars and his children. Life is too short to think of one's self. You must think of those who will never know you. You must think of the future."

Lucas looked on in silent horror as Luna and Sam spoke. He caught himself several times not breathing and having to gasp. They seemed to talk for a long time when all of a sudden he heard "One Eye" Sam say, "Lucas come here and meet Luna. Death Upon a Feathered Wing does not meet many she would eat." Lucas slowly came from the shadow of the tractor and walked to stand beside Sam. The owl looked down at both mice and again spread her wings. "I have decided what I will do Sam "One Eye". I will not eat your kin today. Nor will I eat you. However, you are coming with me. There are others of my kind who will find the courage of mice intriguing." Lucas looked at Luna then Sam and back to Luna but before he could say anything Sam said, "I will go with you but, on one condition. You will tell the others of your kind to not hunt or roost here. For the bravery of mice will flourish here and spread."

Luna was truly astonished. Here she was being told by her prey what She was Going To Do. She who has earned the title Death Upon a Feathered Wing many times over is being told by her food where SHE will hunt! The sheer audacity of it all was enough to make her drop dead. However, the sun was rising and she would need to roost soon. "Very well Sam "One Eye" your request will be met. Come. The day comes and I have many leagues to travel." "Sam no you can't do this! The nest and the other mice need you. I need you." Lucas half yelled and half cried. Sam however put his paw on Lucas' head and calmed him. "You have been taught most of what you need to know. You are a good mouse, now all you have to be is brave Lucas. Be the bravest mouse you can be. Look at what I have accomplished. I brought down a cat and now I get to fly on the feathered wings of death. Is that not more than any mouse you've ever heard of?" Through his sobbing Lucas nodded and acknowledged the truth of Sam's words. Sam climbed onto the back of Luna and said his final farewell to Lucas. "Be brave Lucas. Be the bravest mouse that ever was. Even braver than me."

Then with a great gushing of wind Luna was in the air and Sam "One Eye" was gone with her. Lucas watched and watched until Luna was a speck in the sky and the heat of the sun was warming Lucas' ears. Then as if noticing for the first time in his life his stomach growled with hunger. Lucas scanned for Sam's original target. There was a bin near the farmer's porch that held Diego's food. Near the bin was Diego's bowl. Diego would leave food in it sometimes. Lucas then ran to Diego's bowl and stole some food before returning to the nest. When he returned alone many mice looked on sadly and some angrily. He didn't blame them. Sam was respected and could never be replaced. He wasn't home long before he got word the Nest Leaders wanted to speak with him. He gave the food to his mom and siblings and headed for the Leaders meeting area at the center of the nest. He told his story of the night before. He wasn't surprised when no one believed him. The leaders laughed at him and refused to believe that Sam stopped an owl and saved him. They didn't believe Lucas spoke to the owl either. They didn't believe that Sam's bravery saved them all and future generations to come. That was okay though. He would show them all soon enough. He was brave. He was gonna be the bravest mouse that ever was. Even braver than "One Eye" Sam.