A ring of cubs stood around Hilael. Mocking, shoving, hitting. What they always did. Hilael stood there quietly, just watching. As he always did. They would lose interest if he didn't respond. They always did.
But today, they did not. One of the cubs picked up a sharp stick. Hilael felt a twinge of fear. And as usual, there was nothing he could say for he seemed to have lost his ability to speak. Rather frustrating, really.
Luckily for Hilael, his younger brother was never too far away. He seemed to have a sixth sense for when the other cubs meant Hilael harm. Muso had climbed high in a tree and prepared to dive. He had seen his mother perform a dive once when hunting a deer, and he had taken up the trick for defending Hilael.
Hilael watched as Muso leapt from a tree, but to his alarm the ring of cubs discovered him and the one with the sharp stick turned to face Muso as he descended. Quite concerned, Hilael took the ring by surprise and shoved the cub with the stick to the ground. This in turn evoked a reaction from the others. Hilael was scratched harshly by two while the third was knocked viciously to the ground by his diving brother.
It was chaotic and confusing for Hilael the next few minutes as he was aware of little pricks of pain as he received a few more scratches, and he saw a blur and flash of feathers and claws as his little brother fought off the four like the little devil he was. Hilael stumbled a bit and backed away as the fight finished and the four cubs left them.
Muso had received a few scratches and bruises, but he was not discouraged and stood his ground triumphantly. He smirked as he watched the retreating forms of the other cubs, and gave them a little wave despite any snide remarks they tried to wound him with. Muso snorted in their direction after they were long gone and turned to Hilael.
"How come you never fight, 'Lael?" Muso plopped down on a tree root near his brother.
"I..." Hilael started, but that's all he could manage. He shook his head slowly and forced himself to take a deep breath.
"I know. Can't talk," Muso nodded. "You're weird like that."
Hilael stared blankly ahead and exhaled.
"Maybe you should just stay with me all the time instead of going off alone?" Muso grinned.
Hilael squeezed his eyes shut and focused on trying to breathe.
"I know, I know. It really tucks you out being stuck around somebody all the time. I don't mind keeping my distance," Muso nodded. "And I quite enjoy ambushing them anyway."
Muso sat quietly with Hilael as he calmed down. At length, Hilael stood up. Muso nodded and jumped to his feet.
"Come on, let's go see Granny Misen. She's the best for cleaning ouchies," Muso said as he stretched animatedly.
Hilael nodded and fell quietly in line behind his little brother.
Muso was often teased as well. Many remembered when their eldest sibling Shanku was exiled from the clan and just as many seemed to know about their long lost uncle Turai being exiled. It was funny, their funny little family. Two exiles, their great-great-grandam Shanku having risen from Gatherer to Hunter, their father leaving the council to take a place as a Warrior and wed a Hunter. And then there was Muso. He grinned to himself. I am the perfect sneak! None can catch me! If only Shanku had still been around, I could have taught her a few things and she'd never have gotten caught either. And like her, I'm a good fighter too. I wonder why Hilael isn't?
Hilael, the quiet one. When he could be persuaded to speak, he seemed to know a great deal about the forest. He was a little clumsy and often spent time alone. And rather scrawny. He often seemed not to be hungry. Granny Misen with a knowing wink would say he simply hadn't found his calling yet. She felt he would blossom into a great individual someday.
Well, it'd better get here soon! Muso glanced over his shoulder back at Hilael. As per his usual, Hilael was a pace behind and watching Muso's feet as he guided them home. He frequently wiped away the trickle of blood from his lip.
"How come you barely know when you get cut but always know exactly when you bleed?" Muso asked, puzzled.
"It is very, very annoying," Hilael said flatly. Hilael often spoke flatly. Gentle, but with little emotion to it. Perhaps Muso and Shanku had soaked up all the viciousness of the family and that was why Hilael was left with only passiveness to inherit from their parents?
Before long, they arrived to the great cave where the clan lived. From the outside, it was nothing more than an overhang, with a few crevices here and there appearing at different places in the area. Little chimney holes and their little rocky peaks to ward off the rain. But inside, it was a great cave. With many passages and chambers, some of which had been hollowed out and reinforced by the clan. In went Muso, followed as always by Hilael. He picked his way through the passages and soon arrived where his mother's parents lived.
"Granny Mi—sen!" Muso called out cheerfully and skipped on in.
Misen was inside, minding the fire and cooking a supper for her and Haro. She hissed and clucked her tongue when she saw her grandcubs, and went to fetch her dressings.
Hilael sat quietly and was compliant as Misen tended to his scratches and bruises, and she fussed roundly about the other cubs. Muso yipped and squirmed as Misen tended to him because the medicine did sting, and she scolded him for not being as good as his older brother.
If he was as good as me we wouldn't be getting scratched in the first place! Muso thought hotly as he stretched his aching muscles.
"Why do you never fight back, dear?" Misen shook her head sadly.
"It would not be good," Hilael said softly. There was a look in his eyes Misen couldn't quite understand, but it worried her.
"But I bet they'd leave you alone after!" Muso grinned mischievously. "Of course, unless your clumsiness came out in full swing and you were so bad they'd pick on you more."
"Muso, don't discourage him," Misen scolded.
"Well, it's a possibility! He's not the most graceful deer in the forest," Muso huffed.
"Sparrow," Hilael said. "I'm a Sparrow."
"Now who told you that?" Misen asked curiously.
"Probably somebody who saw him looking at something all twitchy like the little sparrows do," Muso kidded and tilted his head from side to side like a bird.
"No," Hilael said in his gentle way.
"Deer, sparrow, or kurach, you are both my grandcubs, and your mother is sure to have your supper ready soon, so scamper on. You know where I'll be if they come after you again," Misen said. "Go on."
Hilael nodded and left. Muso paused, and watched him leave.
"You do good, seeing after him," Misen said softly. "He needs somebody to look out for him now that Shanku's gone."
"But what if something happens to me?" Muso asked sadly.
"You are just nine years and too young to be worrying about such things," Misen said matter-of-factly. "Hilael will come through some day. He just needs more time."
"Well I hope that day hurries up and gets here," Muso sighed. "It's hard enough finding a playmate when both of your older siblings are outcasts."
Misen watched sadly as Muso went home. If only Shanku had stayed home! Hilael would still be Hilael, but things would be much easier for Muso. She couldn't imagine how much rougher it would be for the youngest either. She sighed and shook her head, and returned to tending supper as she waited for Haro to come home.
