The Roo Collective Snippet 3

 Snippet 3

 

Counter stumped through the new warren, feelingevery bit of his advanced age. It was getting there though, one day at a time.He paused to let some younglings pass and then kept moving.

There were vertical movers but one was in use andthe other was loading so he elected to take the stairs. It was hard on his oldknees but the cane helped.

His free hand touched the polished railing as hetook the steps up to the top of the tree.

The new warren was centered around the thunkertree that had offered his people refuge during their moment of crisis. Withinthe tree the Roo people had found temporary shelter against the weather,predators, and the giants who had attacked their old home with poison fog.

Now, thanks to the surviving diggers it wasextending outward. They had gone out under the surface initially, splaying outin tunnels in all directions before going deeper to get below the frost linebefore the cold snap.

The diggers had achieved it. They had found an oldstomper skeleton to help with their efforts. He had just come from touring thatarea in his rounds.

As he went higher, the air grew colder. He pulledthe shawl tighter over his shoulders. His fur had thickened in the cold but hewas old. The cold seemed to seep into him more and more as each cold seasonbegan.

The climb was good for him, and the view wasrefreshing. He enjoyed that there were fewer Roo as he climbed; most had movedinto the tunnels and were huddled in the cramped quarters underground. Many ofthe oldsters were trying to hibernate. Some of the very old who had survivedhad passed away in their sleep. He worried about the additional loss of thatprecious knowledge.

Perhaps it was for the best though, the old ideasgiving way to new fresh ones that might keep them alive, he thought as he sawTinker in his workshop. He passed the open door and kept going.

When he got to the lookout point, he nodded to thesentries there and then looked out, sniffing his air and feeling his eyes slitfrom the bitter wind chill. He wouldn’t remain there long; he didn’t want tocatch a chill. But he did like it now. Funny, he hadn’t before. He’d hatedbeing exposed to the outside. Now it was nice; the smells were better than thecrush of bodies below.

He took his time to look about them, nodding toeach of the sentries. They nodded back politely.

At each of the four corners, he stopped. They weremarked by the directions. One was to the east and the rising sun, opposite thatthe west and setting sun. The north was marked with an arrow pointing to theNorth Star and the northern lights. Therefore, the last point was to the south.

In each of those general directions, a Roocommunity was located. None had offered to send help. It angered him to beignored. They hadn’t even offered to take in some of the refugees. Nothing atall.

He sighed. There was supposed to be a convoy oftrade goods midway through the cold season if the weather cleared. He wascurious if they’d hear about inquiries about it or see it at all. It wasn’tlike his people had a lot to trade.

Well, certainly not food items. But a lot wascoming out of the old warren these days. He turned and looked down. The heightswere dizzying but he still looked. Below there was a path leading to the oldwarren. Half of it was underground, the other half in a trench of the whitewater. The ice had been packed over the top in some places. In others it wasopen, and he saw a steady flow of figures moving between the old warren and thenew.

The younger set moved quickly to avoid the cold.He didn’t envy them the task of cleaning out the old warren, but it needed tobe done.

He nodded once and then turned to the east and thedistant glittering shape. He could just see the top of it over the screen oftrees between them and the clearing far away. The white snow had fallen on thegiant warren but it was still there.

He glowered at it but then shivered when the windspicked up.

“Better get inside, Elder,” a defender said. Heturned to the defender in time to see the other Roo look to the sky. He lookedup to see clouds moving slowly in.

“Storm is coming in,” the Roo warned.

Counter nodded and headed back inside. He couldn’ttake the lift down until he went one floor down. Once there he waited patientlyfor his turn to ride it down. He could go upstairs but going back down wastroublesome and dangerous. His fear of falling was great, so he exercised hispatience and waited.

 ~======~

Lop Ear was also out and about, making the roundsaround the warren. His focus was just on his duty though, the defenders forwhich he had been selected as the new elder and therefore leader.

Unlike Counter he took to the skytop first andthen worked his way down. He was quiet though, and his quiet movementssometimes exposed a defender who was not doing their job. He found Fat Humpasleep, dozing in a sunny spot at his post. The old defender clutched at hisspear for support. Nearby, Shredded Ear was also fast asleep.

He scowled. One asleep he could overlook. Boththough, that was a problem.

He went inside to a healer room and grabbed alistening horn. The healer wasn’t present so would not mind the temporaryabsence, maybe.

Once he was out, he got in place and then placedit to his lips and did a credible imitation of a screamer. He watched the twodefenders jump, eyes wide, clutching their weapons and chests as they lookedfrantically to the sky. Shredded Ear clutched at his chest.

When their ears twitched to his movement as he hidthe horn, they lowered a look on him, wide-eyed, panting, and angry.

“Why did you do that?!” Fat Hump snarled. “Wecould have stabbed you!”

Lop Ear knew the chances of that happening wereremote at best. Neither oldster had been in a fight in many seasons. “Had Ibeen a giant or a predator you would have been the first to die. But then theywould have attacked the warren!”

“I earned my rest,” Fat Hump said with dignity ashe came to attention.

“Did you rest in your nest?” Lop Ear asked.

“I need more every day,” Fat Hump said with asniff, eyes to the horizon.

“Then we need to find you other duties,” Lop Earstated.

He was glowered at but ignored the look. Hesurveyed Shredded Ear who was looking a bit chagrined. The other Roo flickedthe remains of his ears in acknowledgment of the rebuke.

Lop Ear nodded once and went back to his duties,returning the horn on the way.

 ~======~