Wings of Fire Legends • The Blue Comet

Chapter Ten

Jaguar kept his ears pricked and pointing behind him to pick up on every sound. Each noise other than what he was looking for was a distraction. There was the rustle of the leaves in the wind, the chitter of the monkeys and birds everywhere around him, as well as the subtle crunches of dragons pulling mangoes from their branches. Even when the RainWings held the fruit in one talon and stabilized the branch with the other, their claws still made small sounds when they cut the mangoes free.

     All this care to minimize the sound of their foraging was to amplify Jaguar's ability to guard them. He could not do anything about the floating mangoes, nor could the fruit-pickers, and that was why they had to transfer them to their baskets quickly. The entire time, Jaguar had to keep a sharp eye and ear out for any approaching danger.

     What could a RainWing possibly fear in the jungle?

     Why, other RainWings, of course.

     While the gatherers were stationary, grabbing fruits, a RainWing from an enemy clan could easily sneak up on a nearby tree and use its blowgun on them. They did not even have to be close; all they needed was a clear shot. And, with the constant movement of the fruit-pickers and the food they were gathering, it was easy to spot them even with their scales camouflaged.

     Jaguar, however, was better camouflaged. He was perched on a stable branch above the mango tree. He had sat there when they found the mango tree and would not move until the signal was given – his absolute stillness made him harder to spot, but it also meant that he could not look behind him. That was why he had to listen. The only part of him that moved were his eyes, carefully hidden through squinting lids. He was skilled with picking out every detail even with partially closed eyes, ready to fire his blowgun should he need it. There were no dragons other than his foragers by the mango tree. Good.

     The call came to move on. Below him, Toucan mimicked the song of a plum-throated cotinga – a small blue bird with a loud, chirping wail. The other two fruit-pickers closed their baskets, secured them under their chests, and covered them with their wings.

     Jaguar tightened the grip of his tail on his branch then swung down, stretching his neck so he could whisper to Toucan.

     "Are we finally going back?" he asked. "We're getting too close to the Orangutan Clan."

     "I know, but I want to bring back a few jackfruits from the tree by the river."

     "That's right on the border!" Jaguar hissed. He took a deep breath to make sure no red appeared on his scales.

     "Yes, but if we get the fruit that hangs over our side, it shouldn't be a problem."

     But that tree's always been a problem! Jaguar thought. Crunching his stomach muscles, he pulled himself up and slipped around the trunk to the other side of the tree. Going there is just asking to be attacked. Toucan never listens.

     With a resigned sigh, Jaguar spread his wings and fly-hopped to the next branch, overshooting it so he could swing with his tail and gain more momentum. He travelled west, swinging and leaping between vines and tree trunks until he finally landed on the thick moss of an ancient kapok tree's trunk.

     Below him, there was a stream cutting through the jungle, overshadowed by the thick canopy. On the bank across from him grew the jackfruit tree. He could see the heavy gourds hanging from the branches, most of which leaned over on his clan's territory, even though the roots of the tree were on the Orangutans' side.

     This is a mistake, he thought as he scouted for enemy RainWings. There were no warped shadows or patches of sun, no heavy leaves, no pointing monkeys. A macaw preened itself in the jackfruit tree. Jaguar hoped it would leave before they came, otherwise it would startle and potentially give away their position.