Chapter Seven

Chiara stretched, unfurling her wings in the weak morning sunlight. She had managed to fall asleep when she had returned to the lake. Chiara felt as if she hadn’t slept at all, her eyelids heavy.

          She knew she couldn’t go back to sleep as she should make use of her time to gather up Leothra to form the patrol. Anxiety struck her and Chiara was nervous for going back to where the dragons could still be.

          She sighed and got up. Many of the Leothra were still snoozing as dawn came and Chiara envied them. Chiara dipped her head over a dark red Leothra with orange wings which were tipped with yellow. She tapped him.

          “Aeolus?” she asked cautiously.

          Aeolus opened his eyes and grumbled something. Chiara thought she heard him mumble, “What?”

          Chiara sighed and shook him when Aeolus closed his eyes again to go back to sleep. “Wake up!” she said in a hushed yet stern whisper.

          He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What’s the big deal? I was having a nice dream...”

          “Chief Warrick sent me to go look for possible survivors from the attack with the dragons and to see if it would be safe to move back. He wanted me to choose no more than ten Leothra to join my patrol and I was wondering if you might want to join,” she rambled, beating around the bush to the direct question.

          Aeolus was finally awake. He stared at her. “Sure, I’ll join it. Now can I go back to sleep please?” he asked.

          Chiara shook her head. “Sorry there’s no time. We are headed out once I have gotten the rest of the Leothra that have been chosen.”

          Aeolus grumbled something under his breath. She didn’t say anything directly to Chiara. He stood up and stretched, yawning, as Chiara turned to go to where Delwyn and Bisman were.

          Delwyn and Bisman were siblings and acquaintances to her. Bisman was a dark grayish maroon Leothra who had cool blue wings. His sister, Delwyn, was a light pale tan with blue wings so light they were practically white.

          Bisman and Delwyn had quite the infamous family history. Chief Warrick had exiled their Boris for looking and acting too much like the Leothren, believing that he would be happier with them rather than with the Leothra. Boris and his brother were hybrids, their mother being a Leothra and their father being a Leothren. His brother had been allowed to stay however, and he and Boris’ mate both raised Bisman and Delwyn.

          After seeing the Leothren, Chiara realized how much Delwyn and Bisman gave off the appearance of a Leothren themselves. The similarities were uncanny but she knew they were still Leothra through and through. As Chiara bent down to wake them, she couldn’t help thinking of Casus and how she had turned out to be a spy.

          “Ka-Bisman, Delwyn, wake up,” Chiara said as she used her front paws to gently shove Delwyn awake.

          Bisman opened his eyes before Delwyn and looked around, his gaze alert. “What’s going on?” He asked. “Is something wrong?”

          Chiara shook her head as Delwyn yawned. She swatted Chiara away with one of her wings. “Nothing, Bisman! Go back to sleep it’s not even time to wake up yet!” She growled, turning over.

          “It’s me, Chiara,” she said. “Wake up, now!”

          “Up, up!” Chiara whirled around, startled. It was Aeolus who had spoken. He stood behind her, his feathers fluffed and ragged from sleep. “The mighty princess orders it,” he scoffed.

          Chiara repressed a growl as Delwyn finally stood up. Bisman paced. “Is something wrong?” he demanded, turning to her. He fiddled with the small stone on collar that hung around his neck.

          She shook her head. “Aeolus, since you’re here can you tell them for me please? I have to go get the others.”

          Aeolus nodded. Chiara trusted him to tell them the correct reason so she lifted her snout and strode away from them. She tried to seem proper and a good leader to them despite how she felt inside.

          Chiara walked amongst the snoozing Leothra. The sun gradually rose from the mountains in the distance. The sky was pink, gold and with a reddish haze as she had gathered the patrol together.

          Chiara chose seven other Leothra to join her, them being Triyah, Aeroo, Fani, Tal, Unako, Wrisn, and Eniro. She had taken her father’s word into account to choose ones of her leap who had different skill sets.

          Chief Warrick still slept as Chiara took a deep breath and set out, ahead of the rest of her patrol. She felt the wind whistle past her ears and breathed in the sharp cold of the frosty air. It wasn’t as freezing as Leothren territory but it for sure wasn’t the nice hot and humid jungle.

          Tal flapped up to Chiara. “So where exactly are we headed?”

          Chiara blinked. “What do you mean? I thought Aeolus said that he was going to tell everyone where we are headed and why. Didn’t he?” she frowned as she glided on an air current.

          Tal shook her head. “No, I know why and I know we are all headed back to the jungle,” she gestured to the rest of the patrol, “I just don’t know where we will go inside the jungle. Are we stopping by where you and the Chief live? The western side? Or towards the eastern region of the jungle? Leothra territory is large-dragons could be hiding in the southern part of it and we could check the north, think it’s safe, the entire leap heads back, only to be attacked. I guess we could check all the sides but I’m not too sure we would be able to do that that well within the amount of time we have been given. Unless we split up ...”

          “No, we aren’t splitting up,” Chiara answered in a firm tone. *At least not right now. I’m worrying as much as it is and I don’t think I can handle the stress of not knowing if half of the patrol is safe or not but knowing that if they aren’t safe then it’s my fault. No, splitting up is a bad idea.* “I guess ... we could check the main part of the jungle, work our ways up from the lower part of the jungle.” *Why didn’t I think of that though? Maybe Tal should be leader. Even she would be better than me, but of course not as good as Cephas,* she thought, making up her mind. “Yes, we are headed to the main part of the Leothra territory. The Grand Platform. Yes.”

          Tal nodded, banking some away from her. “Alright,” she said, “At least if we look there we might find Viorel and Flen.”

          Chiara, who had been absorbed in her thoughts, peered over to Tal. *Viorel and Flen ... those are her siblings. Are they gone too? Not Flen-he’s so young!*

          She battled against herself as they flew.  She debated whether she should say something to Tal. A few moments passed in silence. “I’m sorry,” Chiara blurted out of the blue.

          “What?” Tal asked.

          Chiara fluffed her fur in embarrassment. “Oh ... just I didn’t know-about Flen and Viorel. I thought they must be with the leap.” *Look at how strong and brave Tal is. She is more capable and smarter than me. She lost two siblings and she is doing fine. I just lost my older brother and it’s shattered me apart.*

          Tal lowered her head. “No-they didn’t make it to the leap. I don’t know where they are but I trust I will find them eventually.”

          Chiara marveled how Tal, despite the conversation that must be sensitive to her, still looked tough and confident. “You’re taking it well,” she remarked. *I wish I could be like you.*

          “Oh,” Tal said, pushing herself upwards a ways in the sky. “Actually, don’t tell anyone else, but it hasn’t been the easiest thing to struggle with. I just have to hold onto the knowledge that I will see them again. It’s all I can do.” She sighed, her dark indigo wings spread out against the light pink tinted blue sky.

          Chiara’s mouth gaped and she almost fell out of the sky. She caught herself in time and worked her wings harder to get back to her original altitude. “I’ve-I’ve never heard a Leothra speak that way.” *Maybe I’m not so different after all*, she thought to herself with a desperate hope.

          Tal shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I’m not so much like the rest. I actually share about my problems sometimes instead of keeping them all in to myself.” She flew on for a couple moments. “Also yes, I believe all Leothra have their own problems, whether small or huge. Leothra may think we are all so powerful by not showing our fears and troubles. But I think the truth is we are too afraid to tell others, too afraid to be the one Leothra who seems weak. I like to think of myself as brave for being different. In reality, you don’t have to be the mightiest warrior or the greatest hunter to be brave. To be brave you just have to stand up to what scares you most. Sorry if I got off on a little tangent,” Tal added apologetically.  It was as if she realized only then all of what she was saying out loud.

          Chiara glided in silence. She didn’t know how to respond to that. *Do I tell the truth and confess that I really am a coward? That I do indeed miss Cephas and I don’t know what I will do without him? No, I can’t. What if she tells father? What would he think of me then? What would the leap think? I would become an outcast if they knew what I truly am.*