I awoke again and all was silent. I crawled up onto the wall to stretch, rippling each muscle quietly in turn. I yawned, and felt my entire body fill with air. It was very warm in this room.
I crawled down the stairs, on the ceiling. I found the door latch awkward. We would have to get rid of these silly door things.
My Mother, although I can’t describe to you how I knew she was my Mother, glanced at me with one eye as I came in. I could tell from the slight bulge that the baby was underneath her nursing. From across the room a figure launched itself at me through the air. I batted him playfully against the far wall, “Greetings my Brother.”
“Greetings sleepy one,” he replied. “You awake later than everyone-of-us-males.”
“I awoke long ago.” I replied, “But it was a good time-to-sleep. Father is out?”
“Yes. He says he will meet you at third-left-upper-right.”
We had discussed these kinds of directions in our language learning sessions, but they had never really made sense before. Now, however, my brain effortlessly made the translation of these directions into spatial coordinates and landmarks. I moved out of the room on the ceiling, with Brother behind me.
“Waited-for-me?” I asked.
“No. Although if-desired. I slept past Father’s awakening, and Mother judged me not yet alone-going,” he said, climbing onto my back.
“Father will decide,” I replied, “and I think in your favor. Mother is yet of the old, and doesn’t know. Has she gone?”
“No. Soon. Sister-one she waits for still. Then to other-Mother baby and Sister will go, and they will go name together, Father and Mother.”
“Glad I am I do not have to wait.” I replied.
“Glad I am that you are with me, and I don’t have to wait. You will name me?”
I glanced at him. “Father's it is, if he wishes. Else glad am I.”
“Father you will permit,” he replied confidently. “He leads, but you have always scouted ahead.”
A greater compliment in our new language was difficult to imagine. We changed together and crept past the Spearmen guarding the walls. I think one of them may have noticed something. Of course, neither of us were very good at this yet.
We soon arrived at Father; Brother and I taking turns moving and watching. We saw several Dragons off to the east-east-north-up-five and smelled various animals including a large badger, but other than that it was an uneventful trip. I believe that Brother could travel by himself, and would say so. Better of course, as for all of us, to travel with a partner. But to be forced to stay inside like a suckling…
“My Father,” I greeted, my Brother staying quietly on watch, as was appropriate.
“My Sons,” he replied.
“Have you named me my Father?” I asked. Surely this rock where he stood surveying had been a wonderful spot for naming. I climbed on his back and looked around.
“Yes. I have decided to call you ‘Badger’. You began life in a hole, but walk in the world. And you are tenacious, and fight for what is your own.”
I shook myself all over at the naming, my blood flowing hot within me.
“Go now,” he said, “And return when you hear my call.”
Scouting, my first act. I began the protective circle around my Father and Brother, my eyes scanning the sky. I gloried in the rock flowing under me, and the sky above me. At one point I became curious, and glanced underneath me. I realized that I had never seen the underside of one of us. Always flat against something, I didn’t even know what I looked like.
And when I looked I had an overwhelming feeling. We would not be seen as a very modest people, but here was our modesty. We were ‘naked’ underneath. There was nothing much to look at, the flat leathery skin, the nipple area (undeveloped on males of course) and the genitals lower down, difficult to see. But this was something I knew I would not show to anyone.
At one point I saw a cave. In my earlier life it would have been a tremendous temptation to crawl in there and explore. But now it was just a hole in the ground. I could go in, of course. It wouldn’t be uncomfortable. But I had no particular desire to do so.
I heard my Father’s call and scurried (carefully) up to where he was.
XLVI: Naming
"Badger," he said, "this, your younger, Brother begs the boon of a name.”
“My Father,” I replied, “willingly would I grant him one, but I would not deprive you of the honor.”
“You deprive me of nothing,” he replied, “it is honor indeed to have raised a Son to whom his Brother comes for a name.”
I turned and faced my Brother, and he crawled onto my back. The name would not be permanent, of course. Our people did not do that. A name was for a season in life. And for this season--
“My Brother, I have heard of a creature, but have not seen it. A friend told me of it. It lives down toward the Trolls, in the mountains, but not of them.”
“It is a quick creature, with large ears, to listen to all around it. It is a small creature, who hops wisely and well. It has fur that changes from the summer to the winter.”
“My Brother, I name you ‘Snow Rabbit.’”
Everyone is always pleased at a naming, but still, I think he liked the name. Soon Snow Rabbit was scouting while Father and I discussed the change. Then we heard--
“It is your Mother’s call. I will go to her. Take Snow Rabbit and scout for us north-north-west.”
I called my command to Snow Rabbit and we were off, patrolling for my parents while they named.
--
It was two weeks since I changed and everyone else had changed except some of the older families and Benedicta. Her Ghost was impeccable, and she still participated continuously in the discussions between the women. Many women even entrusted her with their past-sucklings when they went out with their husbands to scout. But she had not changed.
And she was getting more and more-- frustrating to deal with. She was constantly at my shoulder. I even had to kick her out of the latrines and my bedroom again. She almost ignored Snow Blanket, even though they still shared-- well, not a room anymore since we didn’t use them, but a corner. She seemed to have reverted to our first few days when all she would do is what I directly commanded. Finally I decided.
“Benedicta,” I said, being alone with her, “It is time you transformed.”
The look on her face was impossible to read. She looked angry, and confused, and…. something else. But I led her to an empty room, and left her to her emotions, whatever they were.
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von