Plucky stood at the base of the nearest watchtower. In front of him was a wooden ladder - the only sure way up or down. Up close, Plucky realized this tower was taller than any tree he had ever climbed. Djim looked up at the tower, then back at Plucky.
"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?"
"What? No! I can climb this!"
Plucky retorted, trying to hide his fear.
"You don't have to lie about it. If you're afraid, just say so. Everyone is afraid of something."
"Well, what are you afraid of?"
"I'll make a deal with you. If you climb this ladder, I'll tell you sometime."
Plucky took a deep breath, grabbed the rung above his head with both paws, and began to climb. The climb up was fairly easy. Back on the ground, Djim shouted, "Don't think about how high up you are! Don't look down, and you'll reach the nest before you know it!"
Plucky looked down at Djim then shouted, "What did you say?" He immediately froze. Djim was as small as one of the fingers of his paw. Plucky strained to hear what Djim was saying and finally made out the following: "I told you not to look down!"
"Oh, now you tell me!"
Plucky's eyes were shut tight, and he grabbed the next rung as firmly as he could. It felt like an eternity had passed before he realized Djim had climbed up the ladder beside him.
"You can open your eyes now, Plucky."
"I'm scared, Djim."
"Okay, I want you to try something. I want you to open your eyes and look up this time."
Plucky slowly turned his head upward and opened his eyes. He saw an orange-red sky. The watchtower had disappeared. After a moment, the realization kicked in. He looked forward and beheld the rim of the tower's nest. Annoyed, he told Djim, "You could have just told me I had reached the top, Djim."
"I could have, but the look on your face was worth doing it this way."
Plucky climbed into the nest and turned to glare at Djim, but he was already climbing back down. Plucky leaned over the rim and shouted down to Djim.
"Where are you going now?"
"I have to gather my battle gear." After a pause, Djim shouted up.
"This is the safest place in the valley! You'll be fine! Remember, if you see anything other than hyenas coming to the party, wave the red flag!"
"Red flag! Got it!"
There was still some time before nightfall, so Plucky spent it looking at the valley. For being mostly dirt, it was surprisingly stunning. The river still sparkled under the fading sunlight. Up above, the first stars began to shine.
"Nice view, isn't it?"
Plucky spun around and saw Djim.
"When did you...?"
"I am a cougar, you know."
"Weren't you getting ready to fight?"
"I was. Someone has to keep watch while you sleep."
"What about you?"
"We have your father's magic owl to thank for that. It keeps us from getting tired."
"Really? Wow!"
"Your father was a wise bear."
"I wish I could have known him."
"I wish you could have too. Now try to get some sleep. Tomorrow looks like it's going to be a long day."
Plucky yawned, found a blanket in the corner and curled up beneath it.
———
Plucky awoke and immediately heard the clamor of shouting and soldiers rushing about. Djim was nowhere to be seen. Remembering the king's orders, he stood, located the flag and held it at the ready as he scanned the horizon. It was still dark out but Plucky could make out the cougars arming themselves for battle.
Despite the fact that Plucky was in a safe place, his mind still raced. He had heard tales of his father during the battle, but to experience one himself was already proving to be much different from anything he knew. It was then he remembered his pendant. He grasped it and it brought him some comfort and courage. He then wondered where Djim was.
Just then, Plucky was startled by a guard climbing into the watcher's nest. He sternly handed Plucky a clawed staff, albeit a bit shorter so he could wield it without too much difficulty. Before leaving, the guard warned Plucky.
"Make sure to watch for any enemy trying to climb your tower - they may try! Wave your flag if you should see such a thing!"
Plucky quickly nodded as the guard leapt over and caught hold of the ladder to climb down. He turned back, staff in paw, and gazed across the expanse of the plains, and intermittently watching for anyone climbing the tower. This was more work than Plucky was used to, and he felt worn out after an hour or so. He shook himself and refocused his sight on the plains.
As the sun's first rays crept upon the horizon, Plucky saw the plains come alive with a swarm of ants. With a new found energy, he waved his banner, but soon realized there was no need, as the cougars below had already taken notice of this new threat. The cougars quickly formed up, creating a blockade along the near side of the river.
As the king made his way to the front of the formation, he shouted, "Steel yourselves! No hyenas in our valley! This day is ours!"
With each command the cougars stomped their feet and growled, as if in agreement. Plucky waved his banner a second time as he caught sight of hundreds of hyenas charge forward alongside the ants. Many hyenas leapt up to mount the ants, while others filled the spaces in between them. The king shouted, "Attack their front legs, then their necks! Mind their pincers!"
The king raised his staff. It was adorned with a red cloth beneath the claw. He pointed the claw forward, upon which all but the last rank of cougars waded in and swam across the river, meeting the hyenas and ants straight on.
To Plucky's surprise, he saw the hyenas and ants were afraid of the river. The water turned red where they came into contact with the water - the same shade of red as Plucky's ruby. He silently thanked his father for casting this protective spell.
Because of this spell, the cougars were able to gain their footing and valuable ground before engaging the enemy. The organized forces of cougars quickly scattered to match the disorganized forces of hyena and ant. Soon after, a cloud of dust formed, making it hard for even Plucky to see what was happening on the battlefield. He thought he saw a company of hyenas leave the battle amid the confusion, but he wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the cougars were having a difficult time what with the dirt being kicked into the air. They had to depend on their sense of smell and their instinct. Djim was right in the middle of it all. It seemed like everywhere he turned an ant was fiercely snapping it's pincers, the only sound ants could make. The hyenas, by contrast, were easy enough to spot.
Djim ducked low, narrowly avoiding a set of pincers snap shut just above his head. He spun around, dove beneath the ant, and thrust his staff upwards as hard as he could. The ant immediately collapsed, trapping Djim beneath the ant's frame. He struggled to get out in vain. Suddenly, he recognized the scent of approaching hyenas. Thinking quickly, he burrowed in deeper. The hyenas uneventfully passed by him. A few moments later he heard a pair of cougars approach.
"Help!" He cried as he repositioned himself so as to be seen once more. Two cougars spotted him and together, they lifted the ant's body up just enough so Djim could crawl out. One of his comrades dusted himself off.
"We're at war, and you're worried about getting dirty?"
The cougar sneered at him.
"I mean, thank you," Djim said.
The two cougars continued on their way, then one of them pounced on a hyena. Djim dropped down on all fours once more. There were hyena, ant and cougar feet all around him. He crawled around and, as sneaky as he could, began pulling out hyenas' legs from under them, only then to attack. Every now and then a fellow cougar would accidentally trip over or step on him.
Soon, more cougars realized what he was doing and followed his lead. They overtook many hyenas this way. Soon, a new problem arose: the dirt in the air began to settle, so the hyenas finally caught wind of what the cougars had been doing. Most stood up and engaged in paw to paw combat, kicking up dirt once more. A few of the remaining hyenas still on foot dropped down to all fours, but were easily overwhelmed, as the cougars had been fighting in teams since the beginning of the battle. The tide was slowly turning in the cougars' favor. Plucky set his banner down in relief.
The hyenas fought ever more fiercely, felling several cougars. When they realized they were losing, it appeared they began retreating. The king cougar raised his staff in victory. The remaining cougars cheered. When the dirt settled again, Plucky cheered as well. At the moment, his delight was cut short by a loud commotion coming from behind him.
