Morning Song of the Sleen

They were on us in a flash like the span between moments in a dream. It did not last long. A few fractions of those moments I suppose though in the midst of it I can say I did not believe it would ever end.

It was not heroic or courageous. It was not like a fight in a Singer's song or a battle that would inspire a Year Keeper to name a year after it. It was just bloody and vicious and there was no thought but to live. I am not the kind of man whose life flashes before his eyes when death comes close. Death is always close and I tend to look over his shoulder at life on the other side. One day I suppose death will touch me but I know when he does that my eyes will still be on the horizon. I never want to look back on my life. Not out of need for second chances or regrets.

In the middle of all the fur and claws and fangs I felt Rocca against me and I with a sudden thought I grabbed for the pommel and swung into the saddle. Rocca and blue took off and their swiftness was no match for the sleen that were left. By dawn I could hear them calling to each other behind us and it was then all the adrenaline and shock began to wear off and I started feeling all the hurts. A sleen or two had gotten a hold of my left side and my leg .. thigh and hip had been torn into. One of them tried to make a meal of my ribs also. Rocca must have been at my right .. it was all a little hard to remember at this point. With dawn and the chance for a rest I reined in Rocca and cleaned myself up as best as I could. Both kaiila suffered wounds but nothing too serious. We were lucky. More lucky than anyone had a right to be. How many had we killed? Enough it seems to ensure the kaiila getting away without being hamstrung. My quiva was coated in blood and sleen hair. Both kaiila had enough flesh and hair in their claws to make a couple sleen with. We were lucky.

I was still about a day's ride from the Harigga so all the water I had with me I gave to the two kaiila. My wounds were going to get infected .. that was a given for I had no way to clean them properly. But I was not too worried for I was close to the Harigga where they could be seen to better. I grabbed the pommel with my right hand and pulled myself up with my right boot in the left stirrup. Then I eased into the saddle and finally got my right leg swung over where it belonged. I was going to be favoring my left side for a while.

As dawn shot gold and pink ribbons all over the Sky I listened to the song of the few remaining sleen as they mourned the passing of pack mates. I had intended to be the hunter and instead I had ended up the hunted. But I had survived. There would be one more day that I would feel the wind on my cheeks and see the plains stretch out before me.