[ussbansheec] Red Hummingbird
- From: "Moria Grace" <bansheec@xxxxxxx>
- To: <ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 00:07:52 -0400
"Red Hummingbird"
Moria, Joseph, Noah, Jada, Nightwalker
The morning sun was just starting to crest behind the mountains. The dawn was
approaching and Moria wasn't paying any attention. She sat quietly against a
rock by the lake, her knees bent and a sketch book pressed against her thighs.
She was sketching out the little bird from her dreams, which seemed to be more
vivid and different since she'd landed on Dorvan V. Instead of watching the
bird as it danced on the breeze, she was the bird.
"Hey there, little Hummingbird," Joseph said softly as he approached her,
breathing deeply of the sweet morning air. Setting a basket down beside her, he
added, "Ri'nanov sent breakfast."
Moria smiled as she looked up at him and then at the sky as it began to become
light. "Well that makes things a lot easier." She laughed and then put her pad
down so she could peek into the basket. "What did she send?"
"Fruit and scones and..." Joseph peered inside and started unpacking it.
"Coffee, tea, juice, jam sandwiches, some kind of cake type thing that she
likes, I think it's got cream and raspberries in it, more fruit and... aha!
Rihannsu sweet loaf."
"Blimey," Moria laughed. "who else is joining us? I know I saw Noah and Jada
this morning, but most of the colony is still asleep aren't they? And what is a
Rihannsu sweet loaf?"
"It's just me and you for breakfast unless the love-birds wander over. And
sweet loaf is just that: loaf that is sweet. It's bread, but moist and full of
fruit so you don't have to spread butter on it. Try it, she's a good cook,
you'll like it."
Reaching over Moria broke off a piece of the sweet bread and popped it into her
mouth. Her eyes lit up as she smiled. "That's great! Vix would love it."
"Most definitely. I'll ask Ri'nanov for the recipe, if you like." Joseph
grabbed one of the apples and took a large bite, grinning as the
sweet-bitterness filled his mouth. "She grows these too."
"Your Mum's cool, Hawk." Moria said with a bright smile as she grabbed one of
the covered tea cups. "She let me see some of her drawings. They're amazing."
She laughed as she looked at her pad. "Not like my rubbish."
"Don't talk crap," Joseph said primly. "What you been drawing this time? You
promised me a sunrise, if I remember correctly. One with the mountains in the
background and the lake reflecting the light."
Moria nodded. "I'll need my paints and the canvas I started for that." Picking
up the pad she handed it to him. "It's me. Well, the me in my dreams these
days."
A slow smile grew over Joseph's face. "What's this your called?"
"Red Hummingbird." Moria answered. "I think I finally get it, Hawk. I can be
who I am to me, without losing who I am to the others."
"Congratulations, Moria." Setting the pad and his apple on the ground, he
wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Red Hummingbird."
Moria beamed as she hugged her friend tightly. It felt right, the name, herself
in her own skin, it all just felt right. Then she laughed. "After all this time
I come up with a little red hummingbird dancing on the breeze."
"And what's so bad about that? Some of us are named, others find the name for
themselves. You're one of the lucky ones who could." Pulling back, he beamed at
her. "Now we have to find Noah."
Moria blushed but smiled brightly. "He said something about showing Jada a new
set of wolf twins near the base of the mountain. He'd be back before lunch to
go fishing with the others for the fest."
"Why don't we go find them? I bet my sister'd be nicely embarrassed if we
caught them holding hands," he chuckled evilly.
"Ya know sometimes I forget your a brother just like mine." There was a bright
gleam in Moria's eyes as she shuffled to her feet and then put her things into
her satchel. "Why don't we leave them alone and go back to your house. I'm sure
they're be along shortly."
"Because I wanna be a big brother for once?" Joseph grinned. "And anyway,
where's the fun in that?"
Moria rolled her eyes and then gave in. "Well, at least I can honestly say I
tried to talk you out of it."
Cackling, Joseph led the way to where he thought Noah would be. "So when do you
want your tattoo and where?"
"Can we do it while we're here?" Moria asked as she walked along side Joseph.
"And I guess it would depend on what design we came up with?"
"We can and it does. A little hummingbird probably isn't going to want to be
painted in bold colours across your back and I doubt you want the level of
intricate tattoo that Ri'nanov has. Actually, before we do it, maybe you should
ask her to show you the full extent of what Nightwalker designed for her. It
truly is the most beautiful piece of art I've ever seen. My father inked it
from memory and when you look into the wolf's eyes, you'd swear she was about
to leap from Ri'nanov's back at you."
Moria nodded. "I'll ask her when we get back as long as you don't think it
would be rude."
Noah crouched behind a long line of bushes and plants. He held open a small
hole in the vegetation so that he and Jada could watch the two white wolf pups
playing outside their den.
"They're gorgeous," Jada whispered as she shuffled silently closer to Noah,
setting her head on his shoulder.
"That one," Noah whispered as he pointed to the bigger of the two pups, who was
being pinned to the ground by the smaller one, "is the brother, the little io
is the sister." He enjoyed these outings with Jada. It felt natural for the two
of them to just take off into the woods or up into the mountains.
Jada blushed very lightly as she watched the two cubs play. "Sisters are always
faster and stronger than brothers," she informed him quietly. Leaning
imperceptibly closer to him, she asked, "How long before they grow up and leave
their mother?"
"They never really leave the pack." Noah explained. When the pups suddenly
stopped playing and became more alert, so did Noah. He put a hand on Jada's
back so she knew not to move or speak. When the pups turned and ran back into
the den, Noah felt a little better. They wouldn't have hide if it were their
mother.
Turning worried eyes on Noah, Jada whispered, "What's happened?"
Pulling Jada to her feet, Noah placed her between himself and a tree. "They
heard something coming."
Blushing a little brighter, she turned sage green and reached out to touch his
cheek. "Wonder what they heard."
"Joseph are you sure they're out here?" Moria asked as she followed behind.
"There's nothing out here but really weird looking bugs."
Noah sighed in relief and then crossed his arms across his chest and stood at
his full height.
Retracting her hand, Jada bit back a gasp at his reaction. Right, of course...
Just as she was about to make a light comment, she heard Joseph's loud laughter.
"Of course they're here, where else would he take my sister to cuddle and
smooch and generally try to woo?"
His face warmed with a deep blush and Noah couldn't bring himself to turn and
look at Jada. "That would be what they heard. Though I wonder why we hadn't
heard them sooner ourselves."
Moria pushed Joseph playfully as they came into view of Noah standing there
looking a lot like her father when he was trying to look stern. "Don't be such
a prat."
"Prat? Me? Never." Joseph chuckled for a moment until he saw the look on his
sister's face. "Hey Star, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," she muttered as she pushed away from the tree and folded her arms,
not looking at anyone at all. "I'm going to see if Ri'nanov wants to do some
baking today." With that, she stormed off, making a solemn promise to herself
that she'd never tell Noah how she felt because he clearly didn't feel anything
for her.
Noah watched as Jada stormed off and he felt a piece of himself breaking. She's
only sixteen. He had to remind himself. Even though she was far from behind a
child, she was still so very young. Looking at Joseph he snarled his lip and
then headed back towards the lake.
Moria blinked and watched as the two of them walked off and then bopped Joseph
in the head. "I told you we should have left them alone."
Joseph just blinked. "What the... Hey Noah!" and he set off after him.
"You should take Hummingbird back to the compound." Noah said without stopping.
"She can stay with our mothers and help them prepare. The eldest sons are to
meet Nightwalker and the others at the lake."
"She needs her tattoo," he said as he caught up. "And I need to know what's got
you so ticked. Come on, man, what did I do?"
Noah stopped and turned around, a smile on his face as he looked over at Moria
who was trailing along. "You've found your name then?"
Moria nodded. "Red Hummingbird."
The old man did it again. I owe him my next hunt. "The color of the fire that
burns in your belly and you passion. It's a good name, Red Hummingbird." Moria
blushed and Noah laughed. "It's also the color your cheeks eighty-five percent
of the time, not to mention your hair."
Shaking his head, Joseph chose to push a little harder. "And now for my
question. What," he said as he used strong, Rihannsu hands to turn Noah to look
at him, "did I do?"
"Lets start with bringing Moria into the woods and end with what if those pups'
mother had been around?" Noah replied. It was partly why he was upset, but to
be honest he was more angry with himself. He had no right to feel what he felt
around Morning Star.
"So... it's okay to bring my younger sister, who is 16 by the way, into the
woods but not Moria? Bullshit, my friend. Try again." Joseph stabbed his hands
onto his hips, looking for all the world like his mother.
"I know how old she is." He growled. "But Morning Star grew up around these
woods, around the animals who live here. She knows how to be careful out here.
These aren't koala bears and kangaroos living out here."
Moria blinked. "Hey! I take offence at that. Sure we don't have the same
animals but the outback isn't Disney Planet."
Ignoring Moria for a moment, Joseph pushed again. "Bullshit and you know it.
Tell me the truth."
Noah said something in Bajoran and then walked away again, this time not
stopping.
Moria blinked again. "What bug crawled up his ass and took root?"
"Stay here, Moria," Joseph said as he once again took off. Grabbing a hold of
Noah's sleeve, he span him around and glared. "I asked you a question, cousin.
Don't you trust me enough to tell me?"
Noah wanted to yell at him to growl to show him why he was a wolf. Instead he
simply shook his head. "It's not you I don't trust, Hawk. Now leave me be. Take
Moria back maybe she could have her tattoo done before the fest starts tonight,
it'll be another reason to celebrate and rejoice."
"Please tell me, man. You're worrying me."
"Not this time man." Noah smiled sadly and then headed deeper into the woods
instead of taking the path back to the lake.
Walking up behind Joseph, Moria put her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we scared
him?"
"Maybe," Joseph said softly, his eyes following his best friend away from him.
"Fuck, I don't know what to do."
"Ask Nightwalker?" Moria offered.
Joseph blinked then grinned. "You got awfully bossy since you found your name,
Hummingbird." Taking her hand, he led her down to the lake where he knew
Nightwalker would be. Sure enough, there he was. His tall, wide frame was
moving gracefully through a set of moves that could easily have been mistaken
for Tai Chi but were, in fact, the sun dance, to welcome the dawn.
Moria watched as Nightwalker moved and was actually surprised that a man his
age could move so gracefully.
"Come and join me, if you like," Nightwalker said as he continued, never once
missing a step.
"No, thank you, hru'diranov. I welcomed the dawn earlier." Sitting on a rock
near the water's edge, he watched the old man move. "You're still as spritely
as you were when I was a boy," he said as Nightwalker finished up and wandered
over.
"Of course I am, boy, I'll be this spritely for a good many years to come, let
me tell you," he joked.
"Man some of my Mummy's patients would pay a Ferengi's bank account for that."
Moria teased as she sat next to Joseph.
"For what, my dear?" Nightwalker asked with one snowy brow raised.
"Well," She blushed. "to be as health and agile as you are at half your age.
She has this one Admiral who comes to her all the time complaining about aches
and pains and he's no older then my Grandpas."
"Ah well, the secret is very simple, my dear: love life," Nightwalker told her.
"Even the bad stuff?" She asked honestly.
"Love everything." Beaming around him, Nightwalker closed his eyes and felt the
Realms press against his mind. "Bad things end, bad people die, bad lives can
be made good. Yes, Red Hummingbird, love it all."
Moria beamed as she looked up at the old man. He really needed to meet her
Mummy. She was so sure that she'd like him as much as she did. "You know?"
Laughing brightly, Nightwalker nodded. "You declare it to the world like a bell
ringing out. You glow, Red Hummingbird. It's a glorious thing to see."
"It's a good thing to feel too, Sir." Moria admitted.
"And will you please stop calling me 'sir'. I keep expecting to see my father
standing beside me," the old man teased. "My name, as I have told you countless
times, is Nightwalker."
Moria blushed. "Sorry, Si.. Er.. Nightwalker. I think I've spent to much time
around the people my parents work with. It's a habit."
"And do I look anything like those people," he asked, puffing out his broad
chest.
Moria smiled and shook her head. "Your so much better looking."
That made him explode with laughter again. "You know, you're a rotten liar, has
anyone ever told you that?"
"My Mummy and my younger sister Victoria." Moria laughed, her face and eyes
bright. "Repeatedly."
"So, other than to needless flatter an old man, what's brought you to the
lake?" Nightwalker asked, his eyes moving to Joseph.
"We need to ask you about Moria's tattoo," came the response.
"You're a terrible liar too, boy. But... a little red hummingbird, right?"
Moria dug in her bag for the sketch she'd been doing and showed it to
Nightwalker. "It's not quite right, I wanted to ask Talibah if maybe she could
make it better."
"Why? It looks beautiful to me as it is. What would you add to it?" Taking the
pad, Nightwalker ran his fingers over it. "Maybe dancing through a swirling
cloud of petals and stars, almost supported by them but equally as free as she
chooses."
"That's it!" Moria squeaked. "In my dreams I mean, that's how it is."
"He walks dreams just as easily as he walks the Night," Joseph said proudly.
"Here, boy, you design it. Get Grey Wolf to help you." He shoved the pad at
Joseph then frowned at the panicked worry on the boy's face. "What happened?"
"I don't know, he won't talk to me..." Joseph shot Moria the same worried look.
"He was with Jada and when we got there she left and he got moody." Moria
explained. "He walked off towards the mountains."
Nightwalker grunted. He knew, all too well, what was coming and it didn't sit
right with him at all. There are times, he told White Buffalo, that you truly
mystify me with your logic. How can this be for the best? If I spoke now,
they'd be together and happy... Shaking his head, he said, "He'll come back in
his own time. For now, you must be marked, Red Hummingbird." The joy in his
eyes belied the grief in his soul.
Excitement and a little fear washed over her. "I'm ready." Moria answered with
a smile
"Then take her back to the compound and make her complete," Nightwalker said
fondly.
Moria got to her feel and once again smiled at the old man before heading off
with Joseph. She wondered if Nightwalker was going to go talk to Noah, or if
they were all just going to wait for him to stop brooding. "What do I need to
do?"
"Be yourself and relax. It's going to hurt," Joseph warned. "If you want it
done properly then you can't have anesthetic." Leading her into the main
square, he took her to the offices where the Chief worked and then through to a
small, round room. In the center of the room was a bed with pillows and a
blanket. "Where do you want it done?"
"Here." She placed her hand on the right side of her stomach and hip. "And I
want it done the right way. I don't want any anesthetic."
"Okay then, pop yourself up on the table and slip your pants down a little so I
can get to the area unobstructed." Not waiting for her, Joseph began to chant
out the words Nightwalker had taught him and his father had sang for his mother
over 40 years ago.
Joseph was as good as one of her brothers, so Moria had no issues what so ever
with stripping down to her bra and low cut panties and hopping up on the table.
Her head was swirling with thoughts about what was about to happen, about what
it meant to her, about the possible fall out from it. But it was important to
her and she'd earned it, so whatever came after would be worth it just as the
pain would be. Though as she closed her eyes, listening carefully to what
Joseph was chanting, she couldn't help but think that she wished her Mummy was
there with her.
Very gently, Joseph set the needle against her skin. Be brave, he willed. Then
he went to work.
She hadn't really been sure what to expect as far as pain. Would it felt like
when she pricked her finger trying to learn to sew? Would it feel like getting
her ears pieced? In actuality it felt like just what it was. Getting stuck over
and over with a needle until the pain mingled into a constant sting. Moria
nearly laughed, despite the tear that crept from the corner of her eye, because
it kind of reminded her of how her bottom felt after a spanking.
Joseph kept the chant going the whole time, using it to center his thoughts for
how the image should be. It was slow progress but eventually, he was done.
Straightening up, he ended the chant and said, "Welcome home, Red Hummingbird."
Moria opened her eyes and sat up on her elbows. She hissed just a little at the
lingering sting but smiled brightly at her freshly inked skin. "Oh, Hawk, it's
beautiful."
"Just like you, little io," Joseph said fondly.
Slipping off the table Moria beamed as she wrapped her arms tightly around
Joseph. She hugged him and pecked his cheek before saying, "Thank you, for
everything, Hawk."
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