“Why should I come with you?”
“I’ve told you. You’ll be safer as part of the community. You’re safer on the island. We don’t let the thousand enemies onto the island.” That was Daisy-petal repeating himself again.
“Over the water! Are you crazy? My family can’t swim that far and there could be anything is the water just waiting for the chance to eat us!”
“We'd be there to protect you, and we go over the water you wouldn’t even get wet. You’d be safe, not just on the way, but for the rest of your life.”
“So what about-” He stopped suddenly at a shout from above.
“Sir!” Blowing-feather pulled her staff from its sheath. “Owl.” The word was whispered as she snapped her visor closed.
“Down!” Daisy-petal thrust the outlander mouse into the leaf mould and turned following Blowing-feather’s gaze.
The owl was coming fast, swinging left and right through the branches with its eyes locked onto Blowing-feather. Daisy-petal unpouched his bolas and stepped clear of the log spinning them above his head. It would be mere breaths until it reached them, but enough time for him to wonder if the owl had met the Mecha Corp before. If it had, it would recognise the suits and swing away.
It started a dive and that answered the question, it was new to the area. A sly smile twitched onto his face. “Time to teach the beast a lesson.”
Blowing-feather raced along the log toward the oncoming owl, the last thing it would expect. Daisy-petal shouted as loud as he could and let his bola fly. The powerful arms of the Mecha suit gave strength to the bolas flight and as he had planned, his shout had attracted the owls gaze for a moment. A moment that gave Blowing-feather her opening.
In the that heart-beat she leapt, clearing the owls reaching talons and smashing into its soft underbelly. She thrust her power staff into the down and it discharged. The owl flinched at the shock just as the bolas whipped into its face. With a deafening squeal it turned suddenly away. There was utter silence for three breaths. The outland mouse gasped and lifted his head in time to see Blowing-feather smash in a tree and tumble to earth a good distance off.
"I've never seen any mouse stand up to an owl."
"It's what we do." Daisy-petal closed his bola pouch. He wrinkled his nose. They had been good bolas, he would regret their loss.
"It's a shame it killed you friend."
"Killed?"
"Yes. Were you good friends?"
"She is not dead." He rested a hand on the nervous outland's shoulder.
"But, the owl. She hit the tree."
Blowing-feather appeared back on top of the log. "We need to go."
Daisy-petal smiled up at her and noted the discharge burns on her staff. They were running out of weapons. "We're heading back to the island. Will you come with us?"
The outland mouse was staring open mouthed at Blowing-feather. He blinked, turned to Daisy-petal , nodded.
"Get your family. We need to move quickly and reach home before full dark."
This story is available in Polish!
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