Read Online Shadows in the Cave by Meredith and Win Blevins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Meredith and Win Blevins
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Over there was a piece of flotsam, not big enough at all to hold a human being, but…
He took a couple of strokes and grabbed it. It made floating a little easier.
He held his hands in front of his face and imagined the fingernails as claws. They began to change.
Stunned, he held his feet up one at a time and picturedthem as talons. Awkwardly, with the flesh still clinging, they turned into an owl’s feet.
Focusing fiercely, he made his arms into wings. He feathered his body. He altered his head, nose, and mouth.
Now he stepped onto the flotsam, and it bore his weight. He turned his head backward on its axis and looked at the land. The shore was an impossible distance to swim but an easy flight.
He jumped into the air and flapped. He teetered, swooped down, and got dunked. He climbed back onto the flotsam and launched again. The second time he achieved … well, it was his version of flight.
He let out a triumphant screech.
“Aku!”
“Aku!”
“Hey, Aku!”
“Can you hear us?”
Nothing. Out this far Shonan and Oghi couldn’t hear even the shush of the surf. The air was still, as though the earth had stopped breathing. The waves blocked their view. They couldn’t have seen Aku thirty strokes away. Far off to the left four pelicans cruised low over the water, on the hunt. Nothing else on earth or in the sky moved, except for the waves, in deadly procession.
Suddenly, Shonan saw something odd. A bird fast-flapped low over the water. It had no business being there—it was an owl, and owls hunted only on land and only at night or twilight.
“A winged panther!” exclaimed Oghi.
“A what?”
Oghi repeated the words, pointing at the owl.
“We call that a great dusky owl,” said Shonan.
Oghi shrugged and waggled his head oddly, like he was dancing.
The owl changed course and flew straight toward them. More amazingly, it hovered over the log they were pushing and circled, looking. It said in Aku’s voice, “Hi, Shonan. Are you Oghi?” the bird said to the turtle.
“Yes!”
The owl landed. “Sure am glad to see the two of you.”
Now Shonan had to watch Aku do it. Orange-faced, horn-tufted, beaked head into his son’s face. Wings into arms. Feathers to skin, talons to feet. Aku grinned at his father.
Shonan said flatly, “I hate that.”
Aku started to snap something back. Instead he slid into the water, so he could help push their log boat back to shore.
“You could have flown all the way back,” said Oghi.
Aku bit a lip. “Sounds weird, but flying so far makes me nervous. I’d rather be with you.”
They swam the log back toward the shore. It took forever.
Before long Shonan noticed that Aku seemed lackadaisical in his kicking, and unsure in his grip on the log. He put his arm around his son. Aku gave him a dazed smile.
“He’s chilled,” said Oghi. “When we get to shore, we’ll warm him up.”
Before long the three of them and the dog sat next to a driftwood fire. Aku managed a few words, and an occasional nibble on the parched corn they’d brought. Mostly, his eyes were busy soaking up the sea turtle man, who was no longer a man and was munching some grass in the shallow water.
Aku felt carefully, one by one, each of the owl feathers tied into his hair. He hadn’t lost any. Wondering how he gotback into human form with all his clothes and gear, he drifted into slumber.
Shonan half-heard quite a few words but stayed in his hide blankets. He wanted no part of this conversation. Aku and Oghi—who were both human beings again—were locked in some deep discussion. Oghi was advising Aku on how to be a shape-shifter and a seer and a … magician. Shonan swallowed spittle, and it felt like burying the word. Meli , he thought, Meli … But he couldn’t curse the dead wife he still loved.
Meli had spoken to Aku about following his nature. Shonan put no stock in that idea. He saw life as choices. A human being was clay, like a pot. Your parents gave you the raw material.
Over there was a piece of flotsam, not big enough at all to hold a human being, but…
He took a couple of strokes and grabbed it. It made floating a little easier.
He held his hands in front of his face and imagined the fingernails as claws. They began to change.
Stunned, he held his feet up one at a time and picturedthem as talons. Awkwardly, with the flesh still clinging, they turned into an owl’s feet.
Focusing fiercely, he made his arms into wings. He feathered his body. He altered his head, nose, and mouth.
Now he stepped onto the flotsam, and it bore his weight. He turned his head backward on its axis and looked at the land. The shore was an impossible distance to swim but an easy flight.
He jumped into the air and flapped. He teetered, swooped down, and got dunked. He climbed back onto the flotsam and launched again. The second time he achieved … well, it was his version of flight.
He let out a triumphant screech.
“Aku!”
“Aku!”
“Hey, Aku!”
“Can you hear us?”
Nothing. Out this far Shonan and Oghi couldn’t hear even the shush of the surf. The air was still, as though the earth had stopped breathing. The waves blocked their view. They couldn’t have seen Aku thirty strokes away. Far off to the left four pelicans cruised low over the water, on the hunt. Nothing else on earth or in the sky moved, except for the waves, in deadly procession.
Suddenly, Shonan saw something odd. A bird fast-flapped low over the water. It had no business being there—it was an owl, and owls hunted only on land and only at night or twilight.
“A winged panther!” exclaimed Oghi.
“A what?”
Oghi repeated the words, pointing at the owl.
“We call that a great dusky owl,” said Shonan.
Oghi shrugged and waggled his head oddly, like he was dancing.
The owl changed course and flew straight toward them. More amazingly, it hovered over the log they were pushing and circled, looking. It said in Aku’s voice, “Hi, Shonan. Are you Oghi?” the bird said to the turtle.
“Yes!”
The owl landed. “Sure am glad to see the two of you.”
Now Shonan had to watch Aku do it. Orange-faced, horn-tufted, beaked head into his son’s face. Wings into arms. Feathers to skin, talons to feet. Aku grinned at his father.
Shonan said flatly, “I hate that.”
Aku started to snap something back. Instead he slid into the water, so he could help push their log boat back to shore.
“You could have flown all the way back,” said Oghi.
Aku bit a lip. “Sounds weird, but flying so far makes me nervous. I’d rather be with you.”
They swam the log back toward the shore. It took forever.
Before long Shonan noticed that Aku seemed lackadaisical in his kicking, and unsure in his grip on the log. He put his arm around his son. Aku gave him a dazed smile.
“He’s chilled,” said Oghi. “When we get to shore, we’ll warm him up.”
Before long the three of them and the dog sat next to a driftwood fire. Aku managed a few words, and an occasional nibble on the parched corn they’d brought. Mostly, his eyes were busy soaking up the sea turtle man, who was no longer a man and was munching some grass in the shallow water.
Aku felt carefully, one by one, each of the owl feathers tied into his hair. He hadn’t lost any. Wondering how he gotback into human form with all his clothes and gear, he drifted into slumber.
Shonan half-heard quite a few words but stayed in his hide blankets. He wanted no part of this conversation. Aku and Oghi—who were both human beings again—were locked in some deep discussion. Oghi was advising Aku on how to be a shape-shifter and a seer and a … magician. Shonan swallowed spittle, and it felt like burying the word. Meli , he thought, Meli … But he couldn’t curse the dead wife he still loved.
Meli had spoken to Aku about following his nature. Shonan put no stock in that idea. He saw life as choices. A human being was clay, like a pot. Your parents gave you the raw material.
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