The Audrey Stork

 If Briejus lacked any know-how, or fell short of complete closure on any conundrum the wind swept hillscape held, Caitirine* didn't know of it. Cait stood firmly next to her guide, who (though old in age) seemed impervious to the night wind which beat around his body like running rivers past stone. Cait, on the other hand, squeezed old Briejus's hand at times, and worried that she might have almost hurt him with the pressure of her trying to not be blown over. Briejus would smile when he felt the trusting cling of her 6 year old hand in his, leading her through the endless limbo of grass covered hill slopes.
     "Keep going Caitirine," he would say once they rested at the top of each knoll "We are past time, and what does it matter to stay in one place?"
     "Well..." nerves would always pause her here. Cait never understood why so much fear came when passing through the dark from one rise to the next "If you go with me then okay... but it's so dark down there- every time!"
The space between each moon splashed rise was a dark river of shadow, that from a distance made each rounded hill top look like thousands of tiny islands stretching forth into the starry sky. A tender painting that met in a line on the evening horizon. Cait thought to herself, We must have been walking for a dozen hills now. Its been an hour at the least... it feels like weeks! Has it been weeks? The truth was she really didn't know, and thinking about it brought her to frustration.
     "How long have we been walking?" she asked,
     "And what does it matter? Do you have to be somewhere young lady?"
     "Well... yes... I have to-" while Caitirine thought, she came across something that seemed to trouble her even more then the question of time had. She not only came short on if she had anything else to do or place to be, but if there ever had been. She strained her young mind to picture existence outside of the nethering wilderness, the forever evening they walked through, and couldn't. Come to think of it she thought I'm not sure I've ever even been anywhere else.
     "The more dark we pass in between hill tops, Dear, the more you will see that there is nothing to be scared of. The only thing down there in the dark, is you and me. Does that sound bad?"
    "Well I'm not scared of you!" she squeaked excitedly, clinging to this empowering information.
     "And are you scared of you?" Briejus prodded  humorously.
     "Noooo!" Caitirine danced and shouted at her old friend with giggles, "You can't be afraid of yourself- that's funny!"
Briejus raised both eyebrows in wise sympathy and admiration for the innocence she proclaimed.


   

     They walked on. The wind came in rolls over the gentle cress's, revealing itself by causing ripples in the tall silver grass. It looked like an earth sea to Cait, and she was sailing it into the night. The stars speckled in eternal endlessness above her and Briejus, and they continued their walk into the amaranthine wilderness, colored silver and blue.
     "What is that?!" gasped Cait. She leapt backwards and scrambled to hide behind her sturdy old guide, who stopped to observe what had distressed her so. A large dark shape moved quickly over the hills to the side of them. It streaked and snaked through the low lines between the moonlit covered tops, where it would stop, and seemingly scan its surroundings before moving on.
     "That my Dear," grinned Briejus "that is why we are here."
     "What is it?" Cait asked in a quiet voice, looking up in the dark, clinging to his pant leg.
     "That is the Audrey Stork. It's quite gentle. In fact it wont notice you at all. Would you like to take a look? Its beautiful, and I think you might like it."
The calming assurance that flowed naturally from Briejus caught up Cait's imagination, and all fear blew away, leaving only curiosity, with grand images of what the shadowed creature might be.
     "Yes I want to see it closer." she said, but with hesitance.
Briejus picked up Caitirine's small, weightless body and slowly began to jog forward with his spindled legs. But incredibly, to Cait, the old man flew faster then a race horse over the hills, his legs never moving close to the speed they were actually going. She was caught up in wonder. The wind did not grow louder as it crashed around their speeding bodies, but instead fell mostly silent, leaving them in a floating and quiet run, the old man carrying her, and heading in the direction they had seen the mysterious Audrey Stork. Finally, as they had run to the top of yet another hill, they spotted the beast perched on the next height nearest to theirs. It was a magnificent thing, as large as a town trolley. It was covered in what appeared to be sleek plumage that reflected like finished alloy, causing a dazzling mirror with every source of light around them. Its neck was long and coiled upon itself, carrying what resembled a massive wolfs head. Its eyes shot out a reflective, and seemingly, neon blue that struck Caitirine to the core with wonder. The creatures breathing could be heard across the way, a deep inhale and exhale that made Cait's skin tingle with awesome power. A strong odor of wild animal reached her nostrils and she tried to put into words what it could be.
     "It smells like a field!" she said up to Briejus, looking towards him for approval. "It also smells like a stone turned over after the rain... It is beautiful! Does it know we are here?"
     "Oh I suppose so." Briejus looked at her with calm amusement. "But he is busy. Too busy for small folk like us."
     "Busy with what?" She asked.
Briejus sighed and smiled, "Well, with his journey into the hills."
     "What is it, Briejus?"
     "It is the wonder of the night. The strength of the wind. It is our intrigue, our restlessness put to rest. He is not lost Caitirine. Every hill top he is on is the place he means to go."
Caitirine stared at the Audrey Stork until she felt her eyes burn with not blinking. Her wonder and fascination settled in her chest, becoming a solid and still burning. A burning that blossomed resolve.
     "...I would like to follow him. He- he seems so free." She managed to mumble out, her body taut with the passion of the moment.
     "And he is. If you follow him though you will have to speed up. And one more thing Caitirine: he never stops. Would you be able to follow him into the night?"
     "Yes." Caitirine said for the first time with complete confidence, "Yes, I will follow the Audrey Stork."

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*Caitirine is an older Latin form of Katherine. It means 'Pure'.

WHEN GOOD KING BILLY MOVED AWAY

     King Billy is moving? No there has to be some mistake- King Billy has been the King since... well, since most the other kids could remember. If you were at least double digits or older then you might have remembered Queen Alyssa (who now would vehemently deny ever having anything to do with the “little kids”). But nonetheless, so it was, King Billy was moving away. His mom didn’t seem to like his dad anymore and wanted to go somewhere else; King Billy had to go with her... or just Billy now I guess. All the kids in the neighborhood had gathered together in Sam Aikins backyard for his royal farewell. Sam stood there next to Adam Plunkett, his best buddy who always carried the bow. There was Sarr Rollins with Petey McKay and Jeff Woods sitting cross legged together near the side of the woodshed. J Wright stood closest to the town square, looking up towards the King, who sat perched upon their totem. The town square was what they called the area around the old, half rotted dog house- their totem- sitting in the center of the Aikins families backyard. It sat right between the house, the properties rock wall which ran along the garden patches, and the woods to the back. King Billy sat upon its black shingled roof, squinting in the noon sun at them. It was more or less silent. No one really knew what to say. What do you say to a king? How did you say good bye?

Starr looked up from her crossed legs and asked softly, “How far away are you going to live?”
“I dunno...” mumbled Billy.
“And what if you don’t wanna go? Could you just tell em’ you don’t wanna?” asked Adam.
Billy quietly shook his head.
“Well,” he said at long last, “maybe if I’m moving we should change the teams name?”
The children all stiffened.
      “Whaaaat?” J scrunched his eyes up towards Billy’s spot on the dog house, “We took forever coming up with a new name after Alyssa!” The name had been “Alyssites”, and after she left to join the older kids so unceremoniously, they had all decided that the name had to be changed. So when Billy became King they officially changed it to “The Tree Runners”. This had been Adam and Sams idea, which they took from their pride of being able to run through the woods at top speed (a talent others didn’t seem to have). Billy sat in thought “How about the Billy Boys?”
“Oh no!” the kids all cried out together.
“Ok, ok... The Lions?”
“Naw, thats so boring” said Starr.
“Well then, what would you call it Starr? I thought The Lions was a good name!”
Starr stared up at the sky, thinking. “The Sky Birds?”
“Ha-ha, no team of awesome warriors are going to call themselves ‘The Sky Birds’. How lame is that?” Sam intervened, giving her a challenging stare. Sam did not seem often impressed by Starr and what he called ‘her girlieness’.
Billy continued, “Well, maybe we could call ourselves the Moon Clan?”
“Isn’t that what you’re older brothers team use to be named?” quizzed Adam.
The children dropped back into their silence. It sat on them unbroken except for the occasional wave to shoo a fly, and the woo woo of a Morning dove observing them.
The Aikins family bloodhound, Loyd, had romped on into the kids circle to investigate the group sitting on the grass. Though the Aikins family happened to have an old dog house in their backyard, it was left by the previous owners, and was not meant for Loyd (or any other living creature, short of rodents) to find the suitable comforts of a home in, due to its decrepit state. In fact the only time the dog had been inside it was when the kids had captured him as a “woods beast”, and caged him inside of it.
“Blegh! Get away from me, you droopy faced dog!” Star gagged out. Loyd had lumbered up to her and his large flaps of mouth skin danced around her face and his tongue flicked out to lick her. Sam looked at Star with satisfaction. Good boy! he thought, lick her face clean off.
     “Misses Aikiiiiiins!” cried out Star, wrestling to shove bumbling Floyd away, “Heeeelp!” The kids all burst out into sudden laughter at the plea for assistance from Floyd's ugly face she had made. Miss Aikins appeared at the back doorway with her phone held up to one ear.
“Floyd!” she called, “Come inside buddy! Come on- Hey William? Is William back there with you kids?” The laughter and grinning died out as the grown-up zoned in on one of the group, and Loyd trotted toward the house.
“Yes?...” a few of them chorused softly with mild concern.
“William your mother just called me, you need to head home and pack.” The group quickly exchanged a wave of glances and, in conclusion, all turned towards Good King Billy; the backdoor screen slamming was the only sound to follow. Sam snorted, “Star, you smell and look like dog breath.”
“You dodo, how can I look like dog breath?”
Sam looked more happy than ever that she had just asked that question, but before he could answer-
“Shhh!” Adam hushed them suddenly and jumped forward, squinting into the woods at the far end of the backyard, cupping a hand to his ear.
Suddenly all of them stood and a tense silence crept out of the grass, trees, and doghouse, that left them with the roar of blood pounding through their ears. Sam stepped up next so as to be shoulder to shoulder with Adam. They both took a sentinel stance, looking hard into the tree line. “BeeBo’s?” whispered Sam.
“BeeBo’s.” confirmed Adam.
“What is it?” King Billy demanded.
“BeeBo’s my Lord. Permission to scout?”
“Scout” King Billy agreed, then turned to the rest of the kids, who were now taut with the ready, “The rest of you. I only have this last friday left. I have led you for the better part of 3 summers. We are not going to let the BeeBo’s run us off on this day. Today they will be the ones who run. Go now! Grab your weapons and be ready for battle!” The kids began to scramble, grabbing their sticks from the inside of the dog house. Meanwhile, Adam and Sam were already armed with their weapons and braving the sure future conflict, down at the tree line.

Adam walked quietly and slowly into the woods, the hot afternoon washing away with the shadow of the trees. Sam followed steadily behind him. The silence was deafening, but this is what the two worked best in. Both their swords were dually gripped and held at an angle to the ground behind them.
  “RAH RAH!” a shout came from the brush as a flash of skin came bursting out, chained mace whipping in circles as the savage sprinted toward Sam in the rear. Adam spun around and raised his weapon to the ready. Sam dropped to one knee, barely missing the mace head brushing over him. The savage ran waist first into the blade Sam had stuck out to his side, stumbling over it and falling dead, face first onto the forest floor.“RAH!” another savage called from farther off in the woods. Sam turned to Adam and exchanged a glance of urgency, both of them panting from the surprise of the attack.
“What happened” asked the King, when the boys came running back out of the treeline. The both of them took a one knee bow in front of the King before standing to report.
“Savages Sire. Of BeeBo, we’re certain.” Adam turned to Sam and added, “Sam was attacked by surprise.”
“And are you hurt?” said the King turning to Sam.
“No my Lord. I dropped him. Fit for battle”
“Alright!” The King raised his voice, turning around to face the rest of the people, standing fully armed next to totem throne, “Into the woods. Savages are attacking, and they probably want control of the creek beds mill. We cannot let that happen! Tree Runners!”
“Tree Runners!” The army of children chorused back, with their weapons pointed skyward. And into the woods they marched. By the time they reached the creek bed the mill had been destroyed. Shattered wood and tools lay scattered around where the structure once stood.
     “RAH! RAH!” The last cries of the culprits were heard, distant on the far side of the forest.
     “Too far gone. We’d never catch them without chancing having to attack them in their own fields. I don’t think we’d be able to take them there.” Said Jeff, the troops navigator, “They probably have their watch crew still planted to the north of the big rock.”
     “Alright. The mill can be rebuilt in time. Everyone head back to the totem.” The King resolved.
“Coming?” asked J, turning back to the King, who stood there surveying the destroyed mill.
“No” said Billy, “No... perhaps its time I bless our woods. Today being my last- I must ask our trees to be in our favor...” J nodded and the faithful family the King had led over the last 3 summers treaded solemnly back to town square.

The King walked reverently among the cool and hushed forest. His eyes running up and down the towering trunks of every well known spruce, fir, birch, and oak. These woods were mine thought the King to himself. Please, please protect my people... please protect my friends... Billy didn’t know exactly why he was leaving. He didn’t really want to. But leave he would, and his reign would only fall to the memories of those who once lived and fought under him. Billy bit his bottom lip and almost cried, a moment that was put away with a gut wrenching sound.
  “Rah, rah” it came calling out of the brush, “The King is alone. Are you blessing your woods?” a savage from the BeeBo’s sauntered out from behind a tree, a long sword slipping out from his back sheth. The King opened his mouth to call out. “And you don’t have enough bravery to challenge me on your own?” taunted the savage. The Kings mouth clamped shut with royal pride. Another rustle, and a second savage joined the first, weapon raised into attack stance.
“This- this isn’t fair!” protested the King.
“Surely the mighty King of The Tree Runners could take two savages? Ready to make your last day a day you fell? When’s the last time you fell?”
“Two weeks ago- in glorious battle! Just like your about to.”
The King lashed out with his sword, missing the first savage as he lept to the side. The second savage ran forward bringing his sword down over his head, catching the King by his heel. The King quickly hopped back on one foot, now impaired by his wound, but lost balance and toppled backwards. The savages expertly rushed to tap all of his limbs, rendering him useless by rules of “The Game”. The King laid on his back, staring up at the two enemy faces that now looked down on him. The first savage grinned, “Gotchya. You were always slow William, they’ll be happy to get rid of you.” The second of them piqued with attention, and turned towards his partner.
     “Their coming- lets go!” The other boy bent down towards Billy and sliced the Kings throat without  hesitation and fled with speed back into the deep of the woods from whence they came.
“KING!” called out Adam, who- hearing the ruckus- had come running back to check on the safety of his Majesty.
“Adam, here.” Said King Billy, still laying on the spot of his death.
“King... What happened?” Adam came running, and knelt next to him.
“The Savages- they knew I would be alone. They knew I would bless the woods... someone must have told them I was leaving. I think it was a trap...”
“Are they still here?” Adam tensed and began to raise his sword.
“No they've run off...”
“Are you okay King Billy? Did they hurt you?” Adam asked with concern as big tears began to stream down Billy’s face, while he squinted up towards the tree tops.
“I don’t wanna go.” He choked.
Adam reverently looked down at his hands, which he tried to focused on not twiddling.
“We don’t want you to either...”
“Will you guys miss me?"
“Of course... did you think we wouldn't?” Adam mumbled.
“No... honor me please. I'm still your king today, aint I?"
“Yes.” Adam scrunched his eyebrows, “Yes, today you're still our king. You can always be our king. You don't have to go you can stay with me in my room! I'll ask my mom! We can-”
      "Adam, I think I'll miss you the most." Adam's half spoken sentence caught in his throat as Billy's gently brought him into reality.  

That afternoon, according to the rules of ‘The Game’, Billy died. And the next morning in real life, to the children of Blue Creek Dead End Dr., so did his existence.