Two shadows crept through the trees. They were silent, almost ethereal. Two children materialized from these shadows next to a bush. A girlish face peeked over the entanglement of branches and leaves. Her eyes gazed back and forth, scanning the woodland clearing beyond.
A voice whispered from behind the girl, "What's it look like, Nicki?"
She whispered back, "Look's all clear to me." The girl's face disappeared back behind the bush.
The branches began to rustle. Then a boy's face peeked out. "Yep, you were right!" he said.
"Spud, why don't you ever believe me without checking it out for yourself?" Nicki called quietly.
"Cause you're my sister," he replied blatantly.
The two hushed themselves as they pushed through the foliage. They walked slowly into the clearing and stood in the middle of the knee-high grass, staring up into the sky.
The taller of the two was a lean boy of about thirteen of fourteen. His skin was a dark tan and he had rusty brown hair. He was clad in loose-fitting dark green shirt and shorts. A long knife was sheathed at his side and a bag hung over his shoulder.
The girl looked to be about the same age and was darkly tanned also. She had golden brown hair that was cut just below her shoulders. She, too, wore a loose-fitting dark green shirt and shorts. She had a short bow and quiver slung over her shoulder.
Their faces showed a striking resemblance. It was unmistakable that they were twins. Each of them appeared also to communicate to the other in a telepathic manner.
The boy turned to his sister. He grinned and said, "I think this is as good a spot as any."
She replied, "I agree." She cupped her hands to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle-like call. She smiled and said to her brother, "Won't be long before Skyler will come."
"I know," the boy answered.
A low-sounding squawk came from overhead. The twins looked up to see a brown and gray falcon looping above the trees.
The boy pulled a leather armband out of the bag he was carrying and fitted it onto his forearm. He looked up to the bird and began to click his tongue loudly, calling out to the bird. The falcon swooped down and flew to the boy. Its talons extended and gripped onto the armband.
The falcon chirped to the boy. It sounded nervous and impatient.
The boy glanced over to the girl. "He sounds frightened. Nicki, I think he saw something wrong."
Worried looks crossed their faces. Nicki stroked the bird's neck to calm it. She spoke soothingly, "It's all right, Skyler. You're safe with us. Now, can you tell me what is wrong?"
The falcon tilted its head and stared at Nicki. She stared back into its eye. A silent communication seemed to pass between them. After a long moment, Nicki looked to her brother.
"Skyler saw strange men. An army, by the size of the group. They spoke a different language and were very hostile. They even tried to shoot down Skyler." Her hand scratched the falcon's head. "But good ole Skyler was too fast for them." The bird squawked proudly.
The boy frowned. "I think someone should be told about this." He glanced at the bird. "Nicki, ask Skyler where he saw these men."
Again, the silent exchange took place between the girl and the falcon.
"Skyler saw them by the edge of the forest. Spud, that's not too far from here. What do we do?" Nicki sounded frightened.
Spud thought deeply, then spoke hesitantly. "First, Skyler should go back to his family." He nudged the bird, which responded by taking off into the air. The falcon screeched a farewell and disappeared into the sky. Spud continued, "Now I think we should go deeper into the forest and find a ranger. They can then warn everyone."
"Sounds good," Nicki answered.
With that, the two ran into the forest. They were totally silent, except for Nicki, who said, "You know, Spud, we forgot to wish Skyler a happy birthday!" Then they were gone, lost in the shadows of the forest.
written by Ben Brick
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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