Find Your Wings

Emerald's Allegiance

I had the habit of just staring at the stars at night, thinking to myself. I would find a high perch and just stand there, even to the point of seeing the sunrise. That very night though, I had a sick feeling that something was coming. I hated it. I paced, I wanted to rip something apart... It drove me crazy, so badly that I couldn't sleep that night. My wings kept twitching, wanting to fly so badly. A part of me wanted to fly away, but I knew I couldn't.

Even then, I had an immense guilt of how we lived before the poisoning. Molt didn't have it in him to just come up and talk to me much. When I would glance at him, he would turn his face away from me. Living with these birds kinda changed how I used to see things. It used to be every hopper to himself but .... But now I worried about the amount of flowers we had left and worried if there was going to be enough for Flitter and her two for them to migrate for the summer. I never used to feel this way back at the lavender. It was just all so different. Other grasshoppers barely showed any consideration, even to their wives and nymphs. Alone was probably the right word to use for those old days. Life changed, drastically... so fast that it kind of left me in a daze. I hardly remember my mother that much, but it hurt to know that... she never returned, to at least try to find us. I couldn't risk us dying by going back so we probably did the right thing. Not that she really cared about us that much. Just... Here, I learned that it's common sense to look out for our families simply because we were all just trying to survive. We all had the same goal.

Emerald definitely taught me to have some humility to say the least. Flitter trusted me more than he did. He really knew how to get his point across.

The sun was just about to leave before I saw him come all the way down from his sentry to mine. I was low to the ground, sitting on this naked branch of some thorn bush. At first, I was thinking that he wanted to eat my head. But knew better than to flee.

Emerald hovered and soon sat by me on the branch. I knew better than to look him in the eye but I could feel his eyes on me.

"Hopper." he addressed me, straight forward.

"Yes." I acknowledged, patiently holding my claws behind my back.

"You two were the first neighbors to ever be this close."

Emerald's voice was gentle, but very deep due to his age. I could tell his flight pattern had been getting a little slower, but he was still kicking.

"I never knew grasshoppers quite like you, Hopper. You've protected my mate since then and now my last two children. You know my law of keeping a distance. I set it only for the good of my flock."

Knowing that I had to speak only when given permission, I knowingly nodded.

"Share your thoughts with me, soldier." he lowly ordered.

"Yes, sir. Um, I understand why these laws were set. I too... want my flock safe. If I still had one."

Emerald turned his eye down at me.

"You do still have one."

I smirked, sadly.

"Thanks, Emerald. I'll never forget the opportunity you've given to me and Molt."

"You may not have feathers, but we both fly the same."

I knew what he was going to say.

"We fly with pride." we both spoke.

That was the motto they all lived by. Of course it was all so different from how my clan lived. Hummers had their beauty, their skills and love for life. Grasshoppers.... Who knew what we were for, really. I felt the leader sweep his wing out to stretch.

"I am granting you a just reward for your loyalty to us, Hopper. We've known you for many seasons, come and gone. You worked hard to earn my allegiance. Now you have it. Your young brother, as well as you, will always be welcome among us."

"Sir..." I softly exclaimed in shock.

"The world is harsh and will always be harsh. We've all seen the horrors it can throw. Poison, the need to feed, the anger and the pain. And the fear. We all have them. We all have seen them. We are birthed, we grow and then we die. The most important thing is to live before we die. Help the flowers to grow so that in time, those flowers could help someone else."

"Emerald... I could only try. I never thought that my kind could have... a better purpose."

"Good. Keep trying. We all have a purpose."

The bleak conversation stopped and we both stared up at the appearing stars.

"The spring is ending. The flowers are wilting. We must migrate soon to follow the water." Emerald spoke again.

"Where will we go?"

"There is a meadow, just beyond the cactus. It goes long, so we have to cross it to find more flowering fields."

I looked to where he was pointing, towards the horizon.