Haven: Chapter Two
Shadow made his way into the Great Forest in search of Lightning his nephew. He knew to tread carefully in the home of the Animal Council. Any social misstep here could cause the Unicorns to lose face and the trust of all the animals of Haven.
I hate this place; he thought as he moved along an old path that would take him deep into the ancient woods. “Second time this week,” he uttered in the disappointment of his nephew’s choice of actions. Shadow narrowed his eye as he spotted a movement to his left near the trunk of a tree.
It drew shadow’s eyes to slight movement at the edge of a burrow. A young hare stuck his head out to glimpse the black unicorn. The hare offered a smile to Shadow, “Hello, Sir.”
Shadow lowered his head coming nose to nose with the Hare. “Are you a… a… un… uni… unicorn?” the young hare stuttered. Shadow exhaled through his nostrils knocking the young hare backward to the ground as he said, “Boo.” He watched and smiled as the hare rushed back into his family burrow.
Shadow chuckled as he moved along the path carefully to not crush any smaller animals beneath his hoofs. He noticed the increase in the odor from the mold as the air was becoming rich with moisture due to the approaching storm. He wrinkled his nostrils at the offending scent of the deep forest.
Few animals dared to stray out of their burrows and nests as the black unicorn passed. They all knew from the time of Thunder and Shadow’s father Zore that the black unicorn could be cruel when upset. It was because of this temper that Zore passed the mantle of Alpha to Thunder rather than Shadow.
Shadow loved the fear in the face of every animal that met with him. He preferred fear he earned to the respect that Thunder carried among the animals of Haven or the Love they all expressed towards Rain. He had no taste for what he felt was a weakness of character.
Shadow knew of his reputation among the animals but knew no one would dare speak ill of him to Thunder. Shadows anger was swift and unjustified in its level when triggered. Shadow may not have been a predator of their flesh, but he is a vicious predator of the inhabitant’s minds and imaginations.
Shadow paused and his ears twitched. He could hear a commotion up ahead near the center of the forest in an inhabited area. Shadow crept towards the growing ruckus. The previous clattering and stomping from ahead found itself now accompanied by the sounds of laughter.
Shadow pressed on into the forest in search of what he found to be an offending noise. He had no time for laughter. So, why should others have the joy that was never an option for him?
He always had to be Shadow “Brother to the Alpha” or “Beta of the Unicorn herd.” These whispered titles angered him. Each time she overheard the whispers it only made him dwell on his past and how he, the eldest, overlooked for Alpha. Instead, given to the younger brother Thunder.
Shadow’s horn glowed a sickly green, “come.” He scanned the nearby forest for his soldiers. A smile took hold as his visitors came.
A great and powerful grey wolf and its pack came out of the shadows and knelt before him, “Master, what would you have of us?” Shadow puffed his chest with pride at his lording over another beast. “Where is Lightning?”
“He is just ahead. We followed him as you asked. He is with those friends of his,” The Alpha Wolf reported. Shadow growled, “He will never grow up as long as he keeps messing with those weasels.” “You want us to get rid of them once and for all?” The massive beast asked.
“No, not just yet,” Shadow responded. The Alpha Wolf nodded in understanding, “Well, sir. Is there some other task?” Shadow exhaled, “No, go back to watching my daughter her ambitions will ruin my plans if we do not keep her focused.”
The Alpha and his pack bound away into the woods to resume their task. Shadow returned his attention to the sounds of laughter ahead of his path. He resumed his approach to the offending sounds.
Shadow was ashamed by what he witnessed as he entered the origin point of the noises. His face filled with shame as he lowered his head, “Lightning! What is all this?” Rage replaced the shame as his nostrils flared seeing the scene ahead.
Lightning, Shadows’ nephew, was thrashing about in play with two teenaged weasels. The weasel’s and Lightning had always been, close friends. When there was mischief the threesome was at the center of the mess.
“Come on, get it off my head,” Lightning laughed and called out to the weasel holding a bundle of moss across his eyed as a blindfold. Shadow grew impatient as he realized that his nephew had either ignored him or choose not to hear him, “LIGHTNING!” Shadow dug his hoof into the ground. He stepped close to Lightning.
The embarrassing actions of his nephew overtook Shadows’ emotions as he saw the eyes of every forest animal point at the unicorns childish heir. “You’re embarrassing us all again,” Shadow growled under his breath.
Lightning swung around trying to nip at the second weasel as he ran along his back tickling him. “Gonna make you pee, lightning,” laughed the second weasel, Slicker. Lightning missed and crashed into Shadow sending all four sprawling to the forest floor with a loud series of thuds. The three friends laughed, but Shadow scowled.
The laughter of the friends turned to snickers and then to silence as they realized what they had done. Shadow was the first to return upright. As Lightning rose Shadow pressed him back to the ground, “I am tired of covering for you, Lightning. Do you know what time it is?”
The observing animals of the forest retreated into their dens and burrows. The black unicorns presence terrified all on the island. They all knew of the predatory soldiers at his beck and call that would kill them all if he so wanted it.
Disappointment filled Lightnings expression as the realization of what Shadow was talking about. Shadow stepped backward and away from Lightning, “That’s right. You missed the run again.” Lightning while disappointed shrugged, “Why do we do that every day? I mean, we could miss a day. The veil has always and will always be here it’s not going anywhere, Shadow.”
Shadow noticed the forest fill with prying eyes watching and listening to the words they were sharing. “Be silent, Lightning.” “This is neither the time nor place for this conversation,” Shadow gestured to the many animals watching what was happening. “Your actions today cause the whole herd to lose face. They will never respect you at this rate. Now, let’s try to catch up to the herd,” Shadow glared at his nephew.
Lightning trotted away followed by his friends, Slick and Slicker. Shadow noticed the pair and stepped in their path. “Not you!” Shadow scolded the brothers. Slicker seemed about to speak when Shadow snorted at them. They rushed off in a blur to hide from the sometimes-violent back unicorn.
Shadow caught up with his nephew and then he matched pace. “Why do you do these things? You know as the next Alpha. You must be a leader you can’t just…” Shadow began but gets cut off by Lightning. “Why? Huh? Why do I have to be the next Alpha? What if I don’t want to be it?” Lightning blurted out.
Shadow steps in front of Lightning and glares at him. “What do you mean? You don’t want to be alpha?” Shadow scorns. “It’s an honor being chosen to become the next Alpha,” Lightning mocks his father’s words, “Blah, Blah, Blah. Yeah, I have heard it all before. No one ever asked me what I want. What if I had other plans?”
Shadow’s glare intensified as Lightning continued his childish rant, “you were so lucky that they made my dad alpha and not you. Grandpa did you a favor if you ask me.” “That’s it,” Shadow’s nostrils flared his anger erupted, “You don’t get it! Being made alpha is the greatest thing that could ever happen to one of our herd! I should have been alpha not your father! I was the eldest! I was the firstborn! It was my right!”
Lightning recoiled as Shadow continued his character-defining rant. “Thunder should never have been Alpha! But no one, not Zore, The Animal Council, or Thunder would let me become alpha! They were all against me,” Shadow lowered his head. “I would have been a great alpha, but they never gave me the chance,” Shadow gave words to his growing feelings of shame.
Lightning pressed his head against Shadows neck in a show of empathy, “I know it may not mean much, but I think you would have made a great alpha.” Shadow looked up to Lightning as a tear traced a path down his face. “You mean that?” Shadow was begging for a compliment. Lightning nodded, “You’re my uncle and I trust you.”
Shadow chuckled, “Thank you. I mean that.” He raised his head and shook his mane. “We need to get going. If we will catch up with the herd.” Shadow reared up and galloped off to rejoin the herd. Lightning smiled as he watched Shadow moving away knowing his uncle would always be there for him.
Lightning raised his front and whinnied. He rushed off to follow his uncle and rejoin the herd. He burst through the underbrush leaving his buddies Slick and Slicker behind.
“He knows they never made Shadow alpha because he is so mean, right?” Slick looked to his brother Slicker as concern clung on his face. “I don’t think so. We need to keep an eye on him as Keeper asked us too,” Slicker nodded accepting their duty.
https://www.amazon.com/Haven-Story-Lightning-Roger-Alderman/dp/1790578574/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545249509&sr=8-3&keywords=haven%3A+the+story+of+lightning
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