Chickens of The Dawn

Vision

As Yoko leapt up the tree, leaving behind a very taken aback group of hens, the undergrowth rustled once more.  The chickens panicked, thinking a predator had followed Yoko, but the determined elderly hen called down before they went berserk. "Forgot to tell ya.  Jeff and Izzy came too."
Jenny groaned. Jeff. Of all chickens, it had to be good old Jeffery.
The smart Alec rooster strutted from the tall grass, carrying Yoko's handmade sword, a piece of steel, around his torso. He immediately herded Izzy, who looked pretty unimpressed, over to the tree. "I couldn't leave you poor helpless hens without a rooster, you wouldn't have a leader, a dominant male, an alpha! Jiffy, I know you have lead them this far, and I respect--"
"You're darn right I lead them this far." She growled, feeling a surge of protection for her flock. She was the leader. She was the alpha. She was strong. Jenny was about half way up the tree, but she jumped, flapping her wings and hitting the ground quite lightly. Jeff looked shocked for a moment, as did the other hens, but Jenny wasn't done. It was the way of all chickens to have a leader, a protector. It was the way of chickens to fight for that position. Jenny's neck feathers raised and she stepped closer to Jeff, taking her sword from her side and pointing it at the rooster's chest. He noticeably began to redden with embarrassment at this action of dominance.
"W-what are you doing Jiffy?"
"My name is Jenny you daft idiot!"
"Right.  Jenny.  Well, Jenny, put that blade down before you hurt yourself, okay?"  The red rooster slowly reached up pwith a foot and tried to lower the hen's sword.  Jenny clucked with outrage and jabbed the blade into his breast harder.  He backed down, looking annoyed.  His yellow eyes narrowed and he stepped back, realizing the hen was completely serious.  Jenny sailed up into the air before Jeff could ready himself, coming down upon his back with talons outstretched.  She raked her claws between his feathers and down his skin, and the rooster squealed like a chick.  He flapped his wings and tripped over his own feet, scrambling behind the tree.
  Jenny dropped her sword, her expression changing.  What an idiot.  She thought irritably.  She knew the only way to fight the rooster would have to be his way, so she kicked her blade aside.      
"Come out here, you coward.  We'll fight it on your bloody terms."
   Jeff obviously was well aware what she meant, and must have calculated how stupid he was making himself look in front of these hens, so he reappeared and bolted for Jenny, neck feathers raised.  He jumped up with his spurs, sharp and gleaming, aimed directly at her neck.  The hen easily dodged and muttered under her breath about how stupid this was. 
    Throughout her youth, Hawthorn was always the soldier, and he loved to practice on Jenny, making her already hardened for this.  Chicks play could come in handy, the hen supposed.  She leapt out of the way as Jeff tried to lunge at her once more, then slashing at his face as he raced by.  He screeched with rage and pain as blood spurted from the wound, but he ignored it and circled around the grey hen.  Jenny stared at him with disdain and glanced up to see her flock cheering her on.    Feeling a rush of pride for them, she flapped her wings and focused on Jeff once more.   He had  grabbed his sword, and was waving it around clumsily.  Jenny dashed over to her own and  immediately charged at the rooster.  He tried to get out of the way, but Jenny had already thrust  the blade into his foot.
  "OW!" He yelled.  "GOOD EARTH, WAS THAT NESSECARY?!"
"Dominance, dear Jeff.  You're a rooster, you should know this." Jenny chuckled, pulling her blade from the place where she had stabbed him.  The wound was at the base of Jeffrey's middle talon, so Jenny, for good measure, slashed the sword over her head.  She brought it down upon the chicken's foot, slicing the finger clean off.
   "WHAT THE—" Jeff stopped short, his red face going white, not breaking the death glare he aimed at Jenny.
   "You are beneath me." He whispered menacingly.  With that, he spat at the grey hen's feet and limped away into the field, seething.
   Jenny raised her sword in triumph. "Victory!" she called.
Her flock cheered, but suddenly Slate appeared from the upper branches.
   "Jenny, Yoko sees something.  You...you might wanna come up."

As the grey hen reached Yoko and Slate, where they perched on the upper most branches of the pine tree, Jenny noticed the hen's somber expression.
"It's a good thing I looked, lass, but I'm afraid it's not the best of news."
Jenny scrambled up, anxious.  What could be so bad?
"Oh my goodness." She murmured, looking out upon the land that stretched out below them...or rather, water.  A winding flow of liquid stood between them and the land on the other side.  Craning her neck, the young hen looked out on either side. 
   "I think it's called a river.  I've heard of them in stories." Yoko explained.
"Poses quite the problem, though, boss." Slate chuckled bitterly. 
  Trying to stay optimistic, Jenny tried to encourage her comrades.
"I bet there's a bridge somewhere.  It's not like we're not near humans, I'm afraid we always will be, but they always like building things, so let's hope that finally comes in handy."
The hens looked doubtful.  "Jenny, you know as well as I that if there is a bridge, it will take us days to reach it.  If, Jenny, if.  We don't even know.  We don't want to fall off course, and my instincts tell me we gotta find another way to do this." Slate argued.
Before Jenny could respond, there was a rustling beneath them and Lennox appeared.
"Uh, sorry." She stuttered, noticing the trio's serious faces.  "Uh, yeah, so idiot rooster showed up again."
Jenny glanced at Slate and rolled her eyes.  "I'll come down in a second, as long as he's not threatening anyone."
Lennox shook her head and disappeared once more down the tree, the distinct sound of twigs snapping as she made her way to the bottom. 
Yoko nodded curtly.  "Its alright captain, I'll go deal with him."  The bald hen suddenly leapt into the air off the branch and flapped her wings, not bothering to hop from branch to branch.
Slate and Jenny stared after her.
"Did she just jump off the tree?" Slate asked quietly.
"Yes she did."
"Woah."
The pair raced to the end of the branch to see Yoko below, looking unharmed as she lectured the rooster.  It was basically physically impossible for a chicken to fall that far and not be hurt, as they must have been 15 meters up the tall pine tree.  How had the old hen done it?  Jenny and Slate looked down with their beaks agape for a moment before shaking themselves out of it.  "I'll ask her later." Jenny murmured, still awestruck.  Slate huffed with amazement and reluctantly turned her focus to the river.  Jenny shook herself and followed, gazing out at the landscape before them.  Behind them, the sun slowly lifted above the horizon in the east, where the field of grass lay as a barrier between now and their old lives.  Sharp shadows cut through the rays of sunlight like black daggers of darkness, from the very depths of the moon itself.  Everywhere the darkness stalked them, as formidable as any foe.  Jenny knew eventually it would claim one of them, and she dreaded it.  She glanced at Slate, who sombrely gazed out at the gathering light.  The Blue Haze hen's eyes were a dark amber, and Jenny studied them.  Slate had the makings of a leader, she knew this, and couldn't let it go to waste.  The dark grey hen had quickly become one of Jenny's closest friends, and the Ameracauna trusted her completely. 
What if Jenny was claimed by the dark...?  Who would lead her flock?
Slate.  Slate could, and would lead.  Jenny knew, in that instant, that Slate was the future leader. 
The young hen was about to blurt this out, but decided against it and held her tongue.  It could wait.
Slate broke into her thoughts as she spoke, "I think we could probably swim."
"What?" Jenny scoffed.  "That's ridiculous.  Chickens aren't exactly...how to I put it...Uh, watertight."
Slate nodded, not looking at Jenny.  "I know, and I think we would be cold--wait!"
"Not going anywhere." Jenny muttered.
"Watertight!" Slate exclaimed.
Jenny looked at her blankly.  "Watertight...?"
The dark grey hen shook her head.  "Watertight." She said deliberately, exaggerating her tone.
"Watertight." Jenny nodded, pretending to know what the heck her friend was talking about. "Right. Yes.  Watertight."
The pair stared at each other.
"A raft.  Watertight.  We could float over on something that is watertight, you cherry blossom!"  Slate nudged Jenny playfully as the grey hen opened her beak and let out a long "Ohhh!"
Jenny let the thoughts and ideas in her head swirl and slowly formulate a plan.  Slate pondered the same beside her and the hens perched in silence.  Finally, Jenny spoke.
"I think know what to do."