Unconditional Love

With the support of Rook and Gabe, she had managed to help with the salvage of the kaiila pens. Fortunately, they had managed to get the rails down so that the bulk of the herd had been able to escape, but there were a few burned carcasses around, then there were those that had succumbed to the smoke. As is the nature of smoke, it rises and the lofty creatures did not have a chance. They were not able to get close to the ground, like the sleen, where the fresher air was.


This ordeal was hard for her. Everywhere she looked, she saw burned earth, dead bodies, and would have to stop from time to time, when the flashbacks would invade her mind. It was almost as if Rook knew when this happened, because he was right there, with a hand on her back, speaking low into her ear that she was fine, and if this was too hard, to go back to the wagons. She would shake her head. This had to be worked through, and that was not going to happen safely ensconced in her wagon with the girls.


Walking along, she saw something that stunned and revolted her at the same time. She saw a bird, literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a fence post. Sickened by the sight, she nudged it with the toe of her boot, and jumped back as three tiny chicks scurried from beneath their dead mother's wings. Dropping to her knees, she reached out to capture one of them, holding it gently in her hands, as tears streamed down her face. It was not hard to understand what had happened.


The loving mother had sensed the impending disaster and had carried her offspring to the base of the post and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety, but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived, and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast....because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings could live.


Carefully she gathered the three chicks up, holding them against the warmth of her body and walked slowly to her wagon, totally unaware of those that looked at her oddly, or that spoke to her.


Suddenly, she understood the unconditional love of a mother, and vowed that she would try to come as close to that mother bird as she could. Hopefully, she will find the strength to be that strong and self-sacrificing. If not, she would spend the rest of her life striving for that.