Lupus Rex Read Free Page A

seek the har—”
    A quickened pounding of black feathers cut off the badger’s voice. In a fury, Fragit was on the badger, pecking at his head and shoulders. Rompus succumbed and lay still. Even though he was a good bit larger than the General and could surely manage to free himself from Fragit’s grasp, he would then face the whole of the murder. Against such great number he stood no chance. So he lay prone while the General flogged and pecked, the blood flowing from his brow and into his eyes. The violent assault passed, and General Fragit hopped away. All around them the murder cawed in boisterous approval.
    “Do not question! It is not for the lesser animals to question!” He raged thus and pounded his wings. “You will gather for the stores today, all that you can! The Reckoning must commence tomorrow!” He took to wing, and the rest of the crows rose with him as of one mind. “It is the order!” he cried out as they flew up and into the Murder’s Tree.
    Rompus lay in a frazzled heap in the middle of the field; undeniably the crows’ field. Sulari moved to his side and laid his warm form next to the badger, offering solace and comfort. The badger looked to his friend. “I never know when to be quiet, do I?” he asked feebly. Ysil could see that there were a number of cuts on Rompus’s head and not a few on his shoulders, but that he was not greatly harmed, only bruised and humiliated.
    “We must speak when our hearts command,” said Cotur Mono, stepping to the hare and badger. “You are guilty only of that. Now, we must gather grain while there is time. The hour is near when the man will come.”
    With a somewhat difficult effort, Rompus rose to his feet and waddled away. At the edges of the field, the squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and a few rats were scampering about eagerly, gathering grain in their mouths and running back into the brush. Within seconds they would return, gather more, and rush back into the bushes.
    “My dear friends,” called the old gray hare, “make great haste! The gathering time is here. Make great haste!” He hopped away to join the effort with the rest of the gatherers.
    With that the quail and the doves flew into the brush. All was in chaos within the nesting bush. Harlequin was beside her brothers, helping to feed Incanta, her old feeble form bent low. Monroth was close to the old one. As he passed, Ysil heard Monroth say, “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I will protect Harlequin and the little ones. The journey will not be hard.” Incanta looked up to the young quail with a minor curiosity.
    Ysil was disgusted. “Let’s go, Cormo,” he said.
    As they passed, Ysil heard the old quail answer Monroth. “You will, will you? I am sure there are many who will be looking after you, young one.”
    They walked through the bustle of the nest and past its border into the open woods beyond. There was a small clearing behind the first row of bramble bush, and Ysil made his way to that more private spot. Gomor was there, as was Sylvil.
    “Look what I found!” said Gomor, and there beneath him was a small pile of blackberries, ripe and tasty. The four of them sat in the clearing and ate, talking of the morning and what was to come the next day. Gomor would soon have to go back to help gather and fill the burrow, but seemed to have slipped the duty for now. Sylvil was quiet as usual, but naturally gravitated to Cormo.
    Cormo looked to Ysil. “What is the Reckoning?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” answered Ysil. “But within the whispering of the elders this morning I heard Cotur Mono speaking to Monroth. He asked Mono if he knew when there would be a new King Crow. Cotur Mono said ‘After the Reckoning.’ Exactly what this ceremony is, none of us know for sure— certainly a fearful thing!”
    Gomor looked confused. “But why wouldn’t Sintus be the new King? He’s the oldest.”
    “I don’t know, and I don’t think any of us ever will. We won’t be here.”
    “Oh! Yes