*
Simon blinked his eyes once and stood as still as a statue on the floor of the forest. They waited for what seemed like an eternity in the shadows of the thick forest for the primate to make his first move, and he was so still that they pondered whether the monkey had actually been turned into a statue. He truly was gifted at remaining steady for long periods of time. He was so convincing that Crush thought maybe a curse had been cast on the monkey as he stood there. Slowly, Crush saw Simon lean forward to place his hands on the ground, and quicker than the blink of an eye, the little ape leaped into the air to clap both hands around the tiny bird before it could escape.
“Nice going,” Crush whispered to Simon as the monkey handed the fluttering bird to him to hold. Showing the innocent creature to Boulder as it pecked at his fingers, Crush asked the man of stone for his opinion. “Will this one do?” Boulder eyed the harmless bird as it began to squawk at its captors with a mix of both anger and fright.
“Yes, I believe so,” he said with a twinge of doubt at their actions. “I know exactly how this one feels,” he added as he stroked its tiny head. The little bird could not resist the temptation, and it pecked his fingertips when he drew his hand away. “One cannot help but feel guilty at our intentions and empathize with you little one. But this must be done.”
“After our fight with the giant birds outside of your home, Boulder, I can’t say I feel guilty,” Crush replied.
“All animals are different from one another, Crush. We cannot hold this small creature responsible for another’s deeds,” Boulder answered.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Crush responded at the light rebuke, and then asked him another question. “Once we find the entrance, how do you plan on sneaking into the mountain with the commotion of this little creature in tow?” Crush asked as he held the squawking bird.
“It will calm down after a time,” he answered. “You can hardly blame him for his fright.”
“No, I can’t. The bird can probably sense that I am part cat,” Crush said he looked around to see if the noise had attracted any attention. Simon reached down to pick up a rock and showed it to Crush as a suggestion. “That’s okay, Simon. We need the bird alive and healthy for the plan to work.” Crush unstuffed his shirt from where he had tucked it into his pants, and he gently wrapped the bird into the folds of his clothing. Bundled around his waist, the bird was bound but could still breathe through the permeable clothing. With very little noise coming from the captured animal, Crush returned a frown to the others. “I’m not happy with treating it this way, but we have no other choice.” Simon and Boulder nodded their agreement, and then they listened for any indications that they had given themselves away in the din of capturing the bird. Crush sniffed the air, Simon scanned the forest, and Boulder felt the ground for vibrations, and when they were all satisfied they were alone, the trio crept out into the open field that separated them from the base of Scalus Mountain. They sprinted across the many acres that divided them from the foundation of the single peak, and Crush was the first to make it to the safety of the rocks that overhung a section of the mountain. Simon quickly scampered in to join him beneath the foreboding rocks, and they waited for Boulder to arrive. The man of stone was, of course, slower at a sprint, but he kept a steady pace along the way until he reached the shelter. Crush checked the small bird that was stuffed in his shirt, and when he felt the peck that struck his fingertip, he knew the bird was still alive.
“Seeing this tiny bird, you know, it kind of makes me curious where the giant birds came from,” he said as he cradled the bird gently in his shirt. Boulder offered no explanation, so Crush let the observation go unanswered as he secured the petite fowl into the folds of his shirt. When he was ready to move, he looked both ways at the edge of the rocks to see what lay in the vicinity. “Where is the entrance to the cave?” Crush asked Boulder. “Is it nearby?” Boulder placed his hands upon the ground and felt for vibrations or abnormalities in the stone.
“I can sense the mouth of the cave above us, and . . . ,” Boulder paused as he placed one of his hands to his head in thought before he finished. “We are not alone.” His eyes opened as suddenly as the words passed his stone lips, and he carefully walked to the edge of the shelter in a squat position so as not to be seen. Just past the edge of the forest in the distance, he saw a treetop sway though there was no wind in the air. Birds scattered into the air, and he could feel the steps of a giant running through the forest. Listening warily, the tree wavered to a stop, and then there was no movement in the woods. “On the other side of the river, I sensed someone following us before as we marched through the forest, though it seemed to stop when we reached this side of the river. I would surmise that they may have found us once again.” Crush sniffed the air, and he could detect no one nearby.
“If there is someone out there, a giant or a man, I cannot smell them from here,” Crush whispered to Boulder as he crept up behind him. “If it is indeed a giant, I don’t know that there is much that we can do about it. We’re this close to getting into the mountain,” he said as he pointed to the ground in frustration, “I don’t believe we should quit now. Even if we’re seen going into the mountain.”
“That may be true, human, but you should be thinking about what you might do when you get out of here. It is a long journey back to my home in the mountain,” Boulder emphasized, and Crush could not deny the logic.
“Maybe we can stay under here in safety. Is there a way into the mountain under this shelter?” Crush asked in hopes of getting the answer that he wanted to hear.
“No, Crush. We must climb the rocks above this chamber to the entrance that lies above,” Boulder replied. “Which means that you may be right. We may have to risk revealing ourselves for the sake of completing the journey.”
“Yeah. I know that you can go on forever without food and water, but those fish that I ate at the river are long gone,” Crush agreed as he placed his hand on his growling stomach. “I can’t afford to wait out this journey for days on end.”
“Perhaps you’re right as well,” Boulder said as he took in the urgency that surrounded him. “Would it be too much to wait for the cover of dark? That would at least provide us the chance of sneaking inside unnoticed.” Crush licked his lips and openly sighed at the proposal, but he found it difficult to argue the logic. It would only be a few hours until daylight fell, and if nighttime gave them the best chance of getting in and out unnoticed, then it made sense to give it a try.
“All right,” Crush said as he laid his hand on Boulder’s shoulder. “I’m going to go to the corner there to lay down and take a nap before I gnaw off my own arm,” he added with a growl.