Ssajann and his people speak the Siran language fluently, but you may not. Here you will find translations for the words that you probably won't understand. "Hello?" "It's only me, Ssajann,"

The next morning he awoke bright and early, as he usually did, though bright might not have been the right word. His tribe was so far north that at this time of day and year, the sun wasn’t quite to the horizon yet, and wouldn’t be for another few hours or so. Then again, the actual days were so short just now that he would have a hard time having any kind of fun if he woke and slept with the sun. Liisji told him it was because the seasons were slowing down. He knew it would be very cold and dark all day soon, so he wanted to get as much done during the light of as many days as he could get.       He was up early enough today to catch a small group of youngsters, just starting out, with the well wishes of their parents, on a hike out across the ice. The reason they were let go was because today was supposed to be a special day for the local fish, when hundreds would leap from the water, over a wall of ice between them and the rest of the ocean, and many would beech themselves and freeze, unable to flip back into the water.       The elder youngsters had already been to this event several times, and were eager to go back and bring home the tasty fish. The younger ones, like Ssajann, had yet to see this, as they were too young and clumsy last year.       The party set out soon after a brief head-count was made, led by four elders of the clan. They circled the group of excited kits to make sure that none were lost. It was easy to get lost if you were as white and fluffy as the snow around you, which was the point, ‘Jann thought. He didn’t much like being around this many kits all at once. They were too noisy and kept romping around and being generally playful. He would much rather have come out here on his own again, with or without the whole ‘fish festival’ as he thought of it, and seen what there was to see. With this many kits making this much noise, nothing in it’s right mind would approach. He was even skeptical that the fish would show this year; they had to have ears too, right?       Once they arrived at their destination, a broad sort of path between one wide expanse of ocean and another, Ssajann peered down into the dark, icy depths. He could see the wall sink down into the darkness, but he couldn’t see where it ended. The water was clear, but so deep that he couldn’t see the bottom, like he sometimes could in the deep ice lake where he’d seen his sea monster just yesterday.       They all spread out across the wall, so broad it could’ve fit five full grown adults standing nose to tail. He wondered how any fish could jump across it. He soon found out.       A sharp cry from one of the kits on the other side of the wall caught his attention, as well as the attention of the elders and every other sira gathered. Ssajann looked up just in time to see a silvery form rocket from the water, spreading long wing-like fins, and gliding over the wall. It landed with a wet ‘splap’ in the water, sort of sideways, but no less impressive for all of that. Ssajann stared as first two, then five, then more and more of the fish leapt over the wall at once, defying gravity in a way he envied. His tribe had traded the ability to fly for the ability to stay alive in such cold climates.       For a while, he sat in the middle of the wall, eyes upturned, watching the flight of the silvery fish with wonder. It took him a long while to realize that there was a commotion going on around him. Elders watched as kits scrambled around on the now slick surface of the ice, made even more slippery by the splashes and drops of water of the fish that hadn’t made it to the other side. One flipped pathetically in front of him, trying it’s hardest to reach one side or the other of the wall, but no where near either.       Ssajann stared at it for a while, admiring it’s smooth scales and long, sharp fin-wings, before picking it up in one paw and flinging it through the air to the open ocean side. He watched it slap down into the water and dart away to join it’s friends and family in the deep.       He wondered if they ever leapt the wall in the opposite direction. If they didn’t, why where there always more the next year? And if they did, why wasn’t there another annual fish-catching day in the spring?       Apparently he was lucky that no one saw him toss the fish back, because as he watched another kind youngster do the same thing, this time only nudging the fish into the water, she got a severe tongue lashing from one of the elder kits. They said she shouldn’t just waste food like that, and if they all threw their fish back, there would be no food at all in the clan. The poor youngster just sat there, stunned until the other moved off, but the next time a fish landed near her, she pretended not to see it and made sure no one was watching as her tail ‘accidentally’ flipped it back into the water.       Ssajann couldn’t help but giggle faintly as he caught this out of the corner of his eye, but he could see the other’s point. They always stored the fish caught on days like this. It helped them get through the winter. He hadn’t thought about that. So the next time a fish landed near him, he picked it up and settled it between his small wings, to keep it safe.       He gathered several fish that way, and only stopped when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. That wasn’t spectacular in and of itself, since there were kits and elders darting every which way to snatch up the stranded fish and load them into special net-sacks they’d brought along and unfolded for just such a purpose. However, this movement was far apart from the activity of the fish-catching sira, and it was far too big to be one of the fish they were catching.       For a while, he pretended not to notice. He snatched another fish and added it to his catch, before they were all called back in. The majority of the fish had already crossed, apparently, and any fish that jumped now would be safe from other hunters until the adults came back for them later. Besides, the sun was already setting. The kits were herded back into the center of the wall, where each added his or her contribution to the nets. After another quick headcount and the elders were satisfied that they had everyone, they headed out. They’d had a good catch this year. As the group was leaving, ‘Jann managed to keep at the end of the line. For the most part, the kits were exhausted now, and wouldn’t be capering about and getting lost, so the elders stuck to leading and herding them back home. He didn’t want to go home yet, however, even though it was starting to get too cold for his young fur to insulate him.       Still, he had to know what was in that snowbank. It drew him like he supposed the open ocean drew those fish, and he’d find it out or die trying. He didn’t actually like to think of the alternative, though, so it was more like ‘he’d find it out, or something else would happen.’       ‘Jann slipped away from their weary guardians as the group passed a convenient mound of snow, and he waited for them to disappear from sight and hearing before backtracking. Just as the elders had said, there were few fish still making the leap, but there were still one or two stranded on the wall.       He heard the crunching sound of snow being stepped on, and looked over, hoping that he hadn’t been spotted by one of the elders and was in trouble. No elder stood there. In fact, nobody stood there. Then he thought, what if it wasn’t the sound of crunching snow, but crunching bones? Whatever he’d seen before might have a taste for fish, and this was the perfect time and place for it to catch a quick snack.       Ssajann had never seen a larger predator than his own people. Then again, he’d never seen a large predator other than his own people, either. Pretty much the only thing here were fish and half-landing fish, like the one he’d seen yesterday that had to come up for air. So really, the fact that he thought it was another sira who was afraid to show themselves wasn’t so surprising.       It had to be a youngster, he thought. A full grown sira wouldn’t have hidden from their group. It must be a kit who hadn’t been awake early enough to catch the group, and had caught up just as they were leaving, but wanted to stay behind and have a snack before heading home. It made perfect sense.       The crunching continued off and on until ‘Jann called out “Mitanu?” The sound stopped, and a faint squeak was heard. “U’sh ya laah’K, Ssajann,” he said calmingly. He didn’t want them to think they were in trouble. The silence continued, and he became confused. Did they think they could just sit still and get un-caught? ‘Jann scrambled up the snow bank and peered over the top, then almost tumbled right back down again.       That was no sira. Pages: 1 2 3 4 Stats: Bunny Dragon Bunny Dragons are from Veniam Mactare : Ferreus Caves