Find Your Wings

Leafsucker

Hopper's Narrative
The next day, by the grace of their Queen, I was granted to stay on this island with a specific title to hold up. There was no force involved. There were no more arguments from the rest, who were more desperate than anything. The young Princess, as jittery as she seemed to be around me, had agreed to let this happen. She was insufferable, just like all the others I've met so far, but she had some good potential. Being the only one rescued, she was to be just as heavily guarded as her mother as the foragers had to come out to get food for the day. For only two hours, they were allowed to cover a certain area with a lot of cover for them to hide in. Being the reinforcement, I was first to emerge from the ground. My eyes began to hurt a little from the warming morning sun as I climbed out from a small opening I dug for myself. I noticed the sentries go and scale the tree to their posts as I got a good look around the messed up clearing. As soon as I was sure that it was entirely safe, I took wing and flew to perch on top of the bridging tree root. It was a depressing to see how wilted and dry the grass was. It made me wonder how this colony still stayed here for so long. For me, to be trapped by water wasn't my idea of fun. But I bet it was really beautiful here in the spring, as the hills went out so long and the sky was so wide and open. I missed that beauty and I'm sure they did too. With a dry throat and an empty stomach, I pressed on.

The tree looked just as depressing as the dry bed. There was a high pitched cry of a distant bird beyond what I could see, instilling the hope I had that it could be a hummer. That was impossible. As far as my mission was concerned, there was no sharp, shrill wings or the sight of gold and red, but I was not going to put my guard down. So far, it meant safety for the ants. I snapped my claw aloud and Flik with the rest of the chosen eight began to come out, not the hill this time, but from these small holes through the ground from the tunnels below. As an emergency escape, it was a much better alternative that just fleeing back to the hill, which remained closed off.

"Remember." I spoke plain and loud for them to hear. "Only find one grain, for each of you. Two hours."

"Yes, Captain!" called one as the rest nodded, knowingly before they went off to search.

When they were set off, I began listening. Once again, I had that foreboding headache of a feeling that they were around. Certainly, that was not happening on my watch. While keeping these ants under my watching, I had decided to fly a little higher back into the hollow. Basically, right when I got higher to my perch, I swore I saw a dash of red right across the river. Seeing that immediately put me on edge. Just as I thought. We were being spied on.

Don't you think on it, you little waste of life. I viciously thought when what I saw was correct.

Of course, when the sentry saw the same thing, he had a mind to blow the alarm. I stopped him with my foot set down.

"B-but... Hopper, they're going to—"

"No. They're not." I bluntly replied. I kept my good eye set dead on ahead until those colors vanished. Supposedly.

The ant fell quiet just as I did until it was gone.

"They're spying on us." I finally spoke up, about to leave the tree. "They know I'm here. They won't just attack randomly while I'm here. Don't sound until you see them flying over the river."

"Y-yes, Captain."

Flying back down, staying low just above the grass, I counted the foragers, making sure no one else had gone missing. Who knew just how long it was going to be like this, so we all had to work together, no matter how unwilling most were. With my order in place, I flew a ways further down, keeping my presence as unknown as possible. I had to make myself known and that I was not taking risks this time around. I made sure it was only us. This scout was crawling about trying to avoid me catching him along the rocky cliffs of the island after he had the audacity to touch it. My choice may have been a crazy one but I plainly cleared my throat to get his attention. The red and gold scout hovered from the ground, holding on no fear.