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The first signs of the threat were all too easy to dismiss.
Feelings of being watched, or the rustle of movement in the leaves above. These were commonplace when one lived on Kraw. The planet itself would be watching you, always assessing whether you were edible enough to be worth the risk. It was the law of the jungle, and Edith knew what she had signed up for when she had chosen to make this place her home. One had to accept that they could not tame this planet. It could not be controlled, but it could be walked with and it could be guided. If you were strong enough, clever enough, you could guide the many predators of the jungle world away from your home. Even the jungle had rules. Smells and signs one could leave to warn things to stay away. It wasn’t a perfect defense, but that was another rule of the jungle. You had to adapt when things changed.
Edith knew how to play the Jungle’s game. Kraw was not a world you could take for granted, that was something you learned quickly. All the protections could be in place, she could have done everything perfectly. That didn’t mean it was impossible for one of the planet’s innumerable predators to pick off a stray animal, even one that had been penned up. Edith hadn’t really been all that concerned. You did not try to fight Kraw. You adapted, you outlasted the trouble until it simply wasn’t anymore.
This was the way to handle living on Kraw. On any other planet this would be a problem that needed to be “fixed”. But this was just how things could go in the jungle. She did a quick survey of the enclosure, but the fences still seemed to be in good repair. With nothing clearly wrong, the best course of action was simply to confine her axe-beaks to the barn until whatever creature it was moved on to find new prey. She had considered mentioning it to Sterra over dinner one night, but she had seemed so preoccupied with their baby that Edith didn’t want to get her thinking about a problem that wasn’t there. Edith herself had let the animals back out a week later, and another fortnight passed without any further signs of danger. Edith had moved on
Then a morning came where they had awoken to the bellowing of axe-beaks and Edith cursed herself for a fool. She and Sterra had both rushed out to the barn, guns in hand. Whatever had attacked their birds was already gone by the time they arrived. The barn looked like it had seen a bit of a struggle, but all the birds were still there when they counted, including the remains of the young one that had been attacked. After Edith had calmed the other birds somewhat, she joined Sterra in examining the body.
The axe-beak that had been attacked had certainly gotten a few hits in on its aggressor, judging from the splashes of black blood on its beak. Even the juvenile bird had been apparently too big to carry off through the window the attacker had used to get in. Its solution had been to tear off a leg and run, a meager meal to come away with for the effort it must have taken. That wasn’t what disturbed Edith about the scene however. The axe-beak hadn’t been gored or slashed by its attacker. Nor had some beast stabbed or stung it to death. Looking at how the poor thing had been twisted, Edith felt certain it had been strangled to death.
She sat in wait on the porch every night thereafter. Rocking chair creaking and shotgun resting across her blanketed lap. This too was a display for the wild jungle. Whatever was lurking out there would be able to see her. It was clearly an ambush predator, and her placement was a telegraphed safeguard against such a repeated attempt to raid the barn. Its doors were but a few yards away, and Edith only briefly dozed, a skill she had honed during her time in service. She would hear if the axe-beaks were disturbed again.
Now it was all down to patience. How long before the creature went in search of easier prey? Edith knew that her staying out here exposed at night worried Sterra, she couldn’t do this forever. This was a test of endurance now. Edith had made it one.
She sat, soaking in the noises of the darkened jungle. This was the fourth night now that she had spent out here, and she was starting to be able to tell the patterns in the cries and calls. When the jungle was at peace and when the forest seethed with hunger and fear. She fancied that this might be what the druids and their ilk were talking about when they spoke of being “one with nature” or at least, it might have been close.
Right now the jungle was in quiet waiting. The silence of waiting for something to pass by. It was closer than Edith would have liked, but it was on the far side of the house from the barn, and it seemed to be moving steadily onwards, so she wasn’t actively worried about it. This was Kraw after all. It would be more worrying if there wasn’t something out there that could easily choose to attack her.
She jolted awake from a period of dozing, her chair creaking at the sudden motion. Calming herself, she listened intently. No cry from the barn, the axe-beaks were likely well asleep still. She exhaled a soft breath and stared into the night.
Two pools of light stared back at her from the nearby tree line.
There was hardly any light out, but even the distant cold starlight was enough to see those eyes. As Edith sat motionless, one blinked, and then the other. She thought she could hear the faintest of rasping sounds.
The jungle was not a place for “making sure”. It was a place for decisive action. Edith sprung from her seat and rushed down the steps, raising the shotgun towards the thing in the trees. And just like that, the pools of light winked out. Edith cursed and pulled the trigger. The crack of the shotgun blast echoed into the night.
Edith stood at the edge of their clearing, staring up into the trees. She was certain she hadn’t hit the thing, but maybe it would be scared off by the sound of the shotgun?
The sound had certainly been noted by the nearby creatures. The jungle was awash with squawks and cries. The axe-beaks bellowed in their pen, she could even hear upstairs the angel cries of little Lesly.
“Sorry to disturb your rest, flower…” Edith mumbled under her breath, still scanning the forest.
Sterra rushed out the door only a few seconds later, lantern in one hand. her own weapon in the other.
“Did you see it?” She asked with the frown of someone who was still struggling out of the throes of sleep.
“Maybe…” Edith frowned. There hadn’t been any cry of alarm, nor sound of a fall. How certain could she truly be that there had even been something there?
“Whatever is out there is likely run off then… unless it’s something dangerous enough it doesn’t fear gunfire.” Sterra set down the lantern by Edith’s feet and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m going to try to get Lesly back to sleep, why don’t you calm the axe-beaks and spend a night indoors? You can’t be out there forever, silly.”
Edith gave a non-committal smile and nod. Sterra gave her arm a squeeze, then hurried back inside as Lesly’s unanswered cries for comfort grew in volume. Edith gave another scan to the tree line, then picked up the lantern and turned towards the barn. Sterra was right of course. If there was something out there that hadn’t been scared off by that sound, then it wasn’t likely she could do anything to the beast even if she saw it coming. Whatever was out there might still come back, but it would be unlikely to try again tonight.
As she reached for the barn door Edith heard a sound that made her blood run cold. Sterra cried out from the upstairs of the house, and there was another gunshot. Edith sprinted with a speed she did not believe she possessed. Whatever had been hunting their animals was smart. It knew enough to enter the barn and leave again without any clear trail. Was their own house any different, really? After all, a little baiting from the tree line got both her and Sterra well far away. She took the stairs three, four at a time, shotgun reloaded and ready.
She burst through the door to Lesly’s room preparing for any number of devastating sights. She took in the scene at a blur, the discarded pistol, Sterra in one corner, gripping tight to a bundle Edith prayed to be Lesly. The gangly thing in the window, all bones and sinew and hissing snarl. It was too man shaped. Small, but with grasping fingers she could vividly imagine around her axe-beak’s throat. It hissed at her, crouched in the window, and Edith leveled her shotgun with a shout of rage.
A second shot rang out through the night and the thing was gone, when Edith reached the window to look out, she could see no trace of it on the ground below, nor any sign of something scurrying away into the night. She thought she could hear the faint trace of muffled cursing or rasping, but it was stolen near instantly by the cries of the disturbed jungle around them. She turned back to Sterra with a look of fear and concern. Lesly’s whimpering quickly turned to blessed cries once again, and Edith sank to her knees in relief.
“I… I think we may need to move somewhere else….” She admitted with a quiet voice
It was time to let the jungle win.
Feelings of being watched, or the rustle of movement in the leaves above. These were commonplace when one lived on Kraw. The planet itself would be watching you, always assessing whether you were edible enough to be worth the risk. It was the law of the jungle, and Edith knew what she had signed up for when she had chosen to make this place her home. One had to accept that they could not tame this planet. It could not be controlled, but it could be walked with and it could be guided. If you were strong enough, clever enough, you could guide the many predators of the jungle world away from your home. Even the jungle had rules. Smells and signs one could leave to warn things to stay away. It wasn’t a perfect defense, but that was another rule of the jungle. You had to adapt when things changed.
Edith knew how to play the Jungle’s game. Kraw was not a world you could take for granted, that was something you learned quickly. All the protections could be in place, she could have done everything perfectly. That didn’t mean it was impossible for one of the planet’s innumerable predators to pick off a stray animal, even one that had been penned up. Edith hadn’t really been all that concerned. You did not try to fight Kraw. You adapted, you outlasted the trouble until it simply wasn’t anymore.
This was the way to handle living on Kraw. On any other planet this would be a problem that needed to be “fixed”. But this was just how things could go in the jungle. She did a quick survey of the enclosure, but the fences still seemed to be in good repair. With nothing clearly wrong, the best course of action was simply to confine her axe-beaks to the barn until whatever creature it was moved on to find new prey. She had considered mentioning it to Sterra over dinner one night, but she had seemed so preoccupied with their baby that Edith didn’t want to get her thinking about a problem that wasn’t there. Edith herself had let the animals back out a week later, and another fortnight passed without any further signs of danger. Edith had moved on
Then a morning came where they had awoken to the bellowing of axe-beaks and Edith cursed herself for a fool. She and Sterra had both rushed out to the barn, guns in hand. Whatever had attacked their birds was already gone by the time they arrived. The barn looked like it had seen a bit of a struggle, but all the birds were still there when they counted, including the remains of the young one that had been attacked. After Edith had calmed the other birds somewhat, she joined Sterra in examining the body.
The axe-beak that had been attacked had certainly gotten a few hits in on its aggressor, judging from the splashes of black blood on its beak. Even the juvenile bird had been apparently too big to carry off through the window the attacker had used to get in. Its solution had been to tear off a leg and run, a meager meal to come away with for the effort it must have taken. That wasn’t what disturbed Edith about the scene however. The axe-beak hadn’t been gored or slashed by its attacker. Nor had some beast stabbed or stung it to death. Looking at how the poor thing had been twisted, Edith felt certain it had been strangled to death.
She sat in wait on the porch every night thereafter. Rocking chair creaking and shotgun resting across her blanketed lap. This too was a display for the wild jungle. Whatever was lurking out there would be able to see her. It was clearly an ambush predator, and her placement was a telegraphed safeguard against such a repeated attempt to raid the barn. Its doors were but a few yards away, and Edith only briefly dozed, a skill she had honed during her time in service. She would hear if the axe-beaks were disturbed again.
Now it was all down to patience. How long before the creature went in search of easier prey? Edith knew that her staying out here exposed at night worried Sterra, she couldn’t do this forever. This was a test of endurance now. Edith had made it one.
She sat, soaking in the noises of the darkened jungle. This was the fourth night now that she had spent out here, and she was starting to be able to tell the patterns in the cries and calls. When the jungle was at peace and when the forest seethed with hunger and fear. She fancied that this might be what the druids and their ilk were talking about when they spoke of being “one with nature” or at least, it might have been close.
Right now the jungle was in quiet waiting. The silence of waiting for something to pass by. It was closer than Edith would have liked, but it was on the far side of the house from the barn, and it seemed to be moving steadily onwards, so she wasn’t actively worried about it. This was Kraw after all. It would be more worrying if there wasn’t something out there that could easily choose to attack her.
She jolted awake from a period of dozing, her chair creaking at the sudden motion. Calming herself, she listened intently. No cry from the barn, the axe-beaks were likely well asleep still. She exhaled a soft breath and stared into the night.
Two pools of light stared back at her from the nearby tree line.
There was hardly any light out, but even the distant cold starlight was enough to see those eyes. As Edith sat motionless, one blinked, and then the other. She thought she could hear the faintest of rasping sounds.
The jungle was not a place for “making sure”. It was a place for decisive action. Edith sprung from her seat and rushed down the steps, raising the shotgun towards the thing in the trees. And just like that, the pools of light winked out. Edith cursed and pulled the trigger. The crack of the shotgun blast echoed into the night.
Edith stood at the edge of their clearing, staring up into the trees. She was certain she hadn’t hit the thing, but maybe it would be scared off by the sound of the shotgun?
The sound had certainly been noted by the nearby creatures. The jungle was awash with squawks and cries. The axe-beaks bellowed in their pen, she could even hear upstairs the angel cries of little Lesly.
“Sorry to disturb your rest, flower…” Edith mumbled under her breath, still scanning the forest.
Sterra rushed out the door only a few seconds later, lantern in one hand. her own weapon in the other.
“Did you see it?” She asked with the frown of someone who was still struggling out of the throes of sleep.
“Maybe…” Edith frowned. There hadn’t been any cry of alarm, nor sound of a fall. How certain could she truly be that there had even been something there?
“Whatever is out there is likely run off then… unless it’s something dangerous enough it doesn’t fear gunfire.” Sterra set down the lantern by Edith’s feet and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m going to try to get Lesly back to sleep, why don’t you calm the axe-beaks and spend a night indoors? You can’t be out there forever, silly.”
Edith gave a non-committal smile and nod. Sterra gave her arm a squeeze, then hurried back inside as Lesly’s unanswered cries for comfort grew in volume. Edith gave another scan to the tree line, then picked up the lantern and turned towards the barn. Sterra was right of course. If there was something out there that hadn’t been scared off by that sound, then it wasn’t likely she could do anything to the beast even if she saw it coming. Whatever was out there might still come back, but it would be unlikely to try again tonight.
As she reached for the barn door Edith heard a sound that made her blood run cold. Sterra cried out from the upstairs of the house, and there was another gunshot. Edith sprinted with a speed she did not believe she possessed. Whatever had been hunting their animals was smart. It knew enough to enter the barn and leave again without any clear trail. Was their own house any different, really? After all, a little baiting from the tree line got both her and Sterra well far away. She took the stairs three, four at a time, shotgun reloaded and ready.
She burst through the door to Lesly’s room preparing for any number of devastating sights. She took in the scene at a blur, the discarded pistol, Sterra in one corner, gripping tight to a bundle Edith prayed to be Lesly. The gangly thing in the window, all bones and sinew and hissing snarl. It was too man shaped. Small, but with grasping fingers she could vividly imagine around her axe-beak’s throat. It hissed at her, crouched in the window, and Edith leveled her shotgun with a shout of rage.
A second shot rang out through the night and the thing was gone, when Edith reached the window to look out, she could see no trace of it on the ground below, nor any sign of something scurrying away into the night. She thought she could hear the faint trace of muffled cursing or rasping, but it was stolen near instantly by the cries of the disturbed jungle around them. She turned back to Sterra with a look of fear and concern. Lesly’s whimpering quickly turned to blessed cries once again, and Edith sank to her knees in relief.
“I… I think we may need to move somewhere else….” She admitted with a quiet voice
It was time to let the jungle win.