Green shuffled from one branch to another, scraping the tree bark with her mandibles without care. She wasn’t looking for food, or scouting the area for potential enemies, simply traveling. She was on an adventure to curb her boredom.
A few days ago her feet would have led her in the direction of the farm; but she had gotten over that initial phase of reckless angry overreaction, ‘how did he leave me behind!’ Now she was in a relatively calm phase of ‘revenge against the stupid leader who thinks he is better than me and can stop me from going where I want to go!’ Those were her exacts thoughts after Yellow caught her sneaking away on the first night and second night, and the third one.
She didn’t want to mess with him because he was cool; and that poison bullet stung worse than a bad brush with a musty-crusty flower (made up name for a yellow purple striped flower with irritatingly poisonous leaves), but her motto demanded payback.
She wasn’t going to mess with Yellow. Firstly, he scared her. Secondly, he was cool. Third and most importantly, he was only following Black's order. Now Black, ho-ho, she was going to get him in the worst way possible. He needed to be taught a lesson for messing with her. Did he think the shade belonged to him and its denizens were his subjects? Well, she had news for him, and it was all bad.
So she was on a trek through the uncharted parts of the forest with revenge on her mind. She knew Black would follow her from a distance, like always. Oh, she knew, alight; she was a scout. Finding those trying to hide from her was her job. He could be hiding ten ant heads under the foliage and she would know because that nymph brained mandible snapper sucked at hiding.
His strained movements created enough noise that she feared he would attract something or another. And those accidental releases of alarm whenever something shocked him… oh, they really worried her. What if something got him before time to have her fun with him? That would be too bad. And it was not like she wanted him to get eaten by some critter! Whose bottom would she tickle then? She’d have done something else if she knew taking revenge was so troublesome.
As for the farm… it was too bad that no trials lead straight to it. Apparently, it was for security purposes. Since a trail could also lead the farm security straight back to their camp, exposing their activities and finding the tunnel before it was even complete.
That’s what Black told her, but she knew the truth. They wanted to keep her away from the farm!
Well, tough luck with that because she already knew the general direction. North of the camp, right from the musty-crusty flower, then around the furry mountain that moved sometimes and straight from the Boogey-Woogie bug. The last one was a dancing bug with glowing behind end. And then… well, that’s how far she had gotten last time before she was caught.
She had let them catch her. How else would they have caught a scout in the middle of the forest, with the sun retiring from the sky for the day? Stupid Black thought he was better than her. She would show him.
Why not now?
Black was following her, wasn’t he? A plan formed in Green’s mind. She’d have her revenge and even get free of the distraction. Excited to see Black vent in frustration, she went out of her way to put a scent signal at the edge of a leaf, creating a beacon as her leader called it, cut it off and let the wind take it away from the branch. She almost released amusement imagining the result, but held herself back and quickly hid between a group of leaves.
Black appeared only a breath later and carefully sneaked after the scent. He was chanting to himself to be silent as a feather and flexible as the wind. Green found it impossible to hold her pee back; this was too hilarious.
She peed from pleasure when Black started shaking and snapping his mandibles in anger. He had noticed the trail leading away from the branch and into the abyss below.
Who jumps from the top of a tree? That stupid, Green little—
He vented and Green heard everything, enjoying herself to the fullest.
She had much fun watching him vex. It would have been fun to watch him go off the rail and follow her beacon to the bottom of the tree— but she decided to let him off the hook. Yes, he was trying to keep her on an extended leash, but their circumstances were wild and the situation deserved prudence.
Green wasn’t stupid. She might have her mood swings and tempers, but she knew better than to damage the team because of such a small matter. It wasn’t like her, but they were not in their zone anymore. The forest inside the army’s territory was a tamed beast compared to the unfazed and unchained wilderness they were in. Who better to know the difference than her, a scout?
Well, she had better make her mind fast, because Black was about ready to jump after her, or the leaf that she had thrown down. That would be fun to watch…
Let’s not, she decided.
She came out of her hiding spot, sneaked past the bunch of leaves separating them, and slowly made her way toward Black. She might have given up on taking big revenge —for now— but there was nothing wrong with a few small ones. She could tickle his ticklish bottom, right? He always showed such an extreme reaction to that. She decided it was alright. Might be even better than having him think she had run away forever.
But she had only taken a few steps when suddenly her surroundings grew odd and something heavy brushed against her consciousness. Somehow her legs buckled and she stumbled forward. That was… worrisome. Not to ignore the fact that Black was running toward her. How did he know that she was behind him? Did he know where she was hiding? That would mean he was voluntarily playing her game. He wasn’t someone nice like that. He was saying something.
—Behind you?
What did that mean? Did he mean to look behind? Was it a trick? Black and trick, those were not the words she ever thought to use in the same sentence.
—Look behind you!
Oh, no. She finally noticed. There was something behind her. It was large and crude, huge, humongous, scaled, and deadly: A lizard. How had she not noticed it until now? She had failed to notice danger; it was a failure on her part as a scout.
The lizard was gearing to attack, readying its body for a quick straight lunge. She recognized the movement. It wasn’t much different from how her leader had taught them to move. Only the scale was larger, easily distinguishable, and slow.
The green, arrow-headed creature had its legs bent. It was behaving exactly like how Silver had taught them. It was going to come straight at her, lightning quick. The only way to survive was by dodging to the side, not forward or backward, but to the side. She had to be quick. She was quick, the quickest of the captains under the strongest leader. Red was the smartest, yellow was the most accurate, and black was a pain in the bottom.
She was to wait till the last moment until it lunged at her. What else had Silver told them? Ah, yes. Don’t move before it does. Be ready. One—
It moved. She remembered and rolled away… just that her legs gave up at the last moment from the tension. She couldn’t move. She was scared, horrified, paralyzed. Her heartbeat crazily. She was still right in its path and very likely to be eaten. Its mouth grew large in front of her. The foul odor spread to engulf everything in her surroundings. She tasted it. Death —it reeked of death.
But somehow when the mouth closed she was still outside, distinguishable from the lizard, a living entity. Did she escape the jaws of death? How? When?
She hadn’t found strength where there was none. No. Black had pushed her out of the harm’s way, and they were falling, together. He held her under his legs, tightly hugged, protected.
It’ll be alright. You are safe. Don’t be afraid. He was telling her the same thing over and over again.
Was it alright though? They had survived; but were they safe?
Hey! Can you hear me? She could hear his voice. The signal was there, but it was faint, barely registering in her mind, stuck in the moment where the lizard had almost eaten her. Almost wasn’t enough to give the moment justice. She had died. The difference between life and death had been—
Green!
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Alright, alright, she heard that loud and clear. She pushed Black away when he tied to make an internal connection with her, and they fell separately into the foliage covering the ground below.
She was up on her feet when he found her, a little dazed and out of it, but perfectly intact otherwise.
Are you hurt anywhere? Are you fine?
So much talking, so less walking. What could happen to her? She was not a recently laid egg that needed to be pampered! Or a nymph that needed to be carried everywhere. But he had saved her and she should at least answer him properly. Didn’t her leader tell them to respect their saviors? Yes, he did. But enough with that!
We need to get back. This is why I was telling you to no run away alone. This place is not the army’s backyard where you could run around without worry. What would have happened if I hadn’t followed you? You worry me sick!
YOU WORRY ME SICK, YOU OLD STINKING BRAIN FART!
She didn’t say that obviously. Somethings are better kept to yourself until the right moment. However,
Black had put his life on the line to save her. So he deserved to lecture her. She might be crazy of the mind but was also fair of the heart.
But he kept going and going and she reached the limit of her patience. She was fair, but Black was too boring. Who told him to abuse his newly found grace? She was wrong, fine! Just get the move on; she was sure he would keep talking even if his ass was on fire. She had doubts about his priorities.
I’m sorry for running away. She apologized. Black was taken back. But can we go now? I thought we were getting late?
You apologized. That was a statement, but whatever. She might seem normal enough, but deep down she was afraid the lizard would follow them to the ground. It was no wonder she was in a hurry to get out of there.
Yes. Now, let’s go back, shall we?
What? Just like that? You are not going to retaliate? Make me chase you further into the jungle? Black put his antennae over her chest and behind to check if she was alright. She allowed this much, but he better not touch anywhere inappropriate like her antennae. The goodwill period would expire then.
You are not hurt, are you? Are you afraid?
Well, that did it. Now she was losing respect. Next thing she knew he’d be coming after her to tickle her bottom in the name of revenge. She couldn’t have that. That would make her the laughing stock again.
What’s that? She pointed toward the tree trunk, and she tickled his bottom when he turned like it was the last time she was doing it, then turned heel and ran away. She didn’t rush deeper into the forest, but back toward their camp. Black chased right after her, fuming and furiously bleating.
Who told him to make fun of her? Only she had the right to make fun of others! No one else had the privilege. However, deep inside, she felt warm and wanted.
They had a surprise waiting for them when they finally returned. Silver had sent them a scent message and he wanted their help.
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You can go in, Shepherdess.
The small, orange headed mountain driver released a scent that drove the jawbreakers to the walls, opening the way for her. The mountain drive ants were her competition, the group that currently occupied the defense station in the tower.
They were the ones that had forced the other groups to refuse her request to hunt inside their territories. They were the bad guys.
They controlled all the checkpoints, and nothing happened without their permission. It was no wonder that the other groups feared them.
The shepherdess was staring when the guard raised her antennae in a questioning manner.
Any way I can help you, Shepherdess?
She shook her head and rushed out of the dirt creation that was the checkpoint. She stopped only when she had made it to the other side of the bridge. She had to pass three such checkpoints to travel from the inner region to the core area where the tower stood erect. Her heart had thrummed crazily every time one of them had asked her identity.
They could bar her from entering the tower by simply rejecting her identity. According to 786th soldier, the information broker that had helped her crew in the last few days, they had done that to others and the same could happen to her. Her every word had been an eye-opening experience for the shepherdess. She used to believe the farm was fair, but the reality was darker than the confining depths of her colony where she used to work tirelessly from day to night to shred leaves for fermentation.
The tower got her attention when she tried to take her mind off the matter. She remembered hearing someone describe it as a beast, frozen in time and space with its mouth open and legs all jumbled together.
It was the central hub, the master station for all and everyone of any worth. She could sense Jawbreakers standing in line, laden with tributes and shepherdesses from other regions raising flags to be allowed to submit the tributes. The giant jawbreakers stood guard at every junction.
A series of trails connected the bridge to the tower, each distinct from the other. Together they covered the network of roots that made the ground floor, providing pathways to the various sections and escape routes.
The shepherdess took one of the trails and made her way toward the tower. She didn’t have any reason to panic, besides the call form the top of the tower where the eight took office, but she was shaking. The other shepherdesses took note of her and waved in her direction. She waved back out of habit, but then remembered the information brokers warning and fell into a deeper hole down the self-humiliation lane.
Her evaluation had come too early. She hadn’t even and time to prepare for it, yet. There were only two reasons it could have been fast-forwarded so early. Either the decision had already been made and she was found lacking, or the authorities had decided that she could handle the rising stars.
Failure meant a return ticket back to the narrow confines of her colony and the tiresome work of shredding leaves without rest. She would not accept it, but did she have a choice?
Thinking about the group reassured her.
With conviction, she climbed the tower. The residents recognized her but none approached, for even they knew that she hadn’t been recognized yet. Right above the ground floor was resident quarters for the shepherdesses and the jawbreakers. Her burrow was on the fifth floor.
The security was stricter inside. There were more pit stops, but nothing too unusual. You get used to all the checking and cleaning. That’s important. Nobody wants to carry a parasite inside and get everyone infected; worse, to spoil the honeydew. Jawbreakers occupied every corner from the first to the fourth floor, moving about doing nothing, protecting the tower, and waiting to be called to tow tributes from the farm. She was to go further up, to the tenth floor, the top of the tower.
An elevator shaft bypassed the sixth to the ninth floor. That was where the honeydew was stored. And no one was allowed into those floors without permission, even the shepherdesses.
In the end, the elevator shaft opened into a large and circular but empty chamber. The ringed base was similar to the rings of a tree, but the tower was clearly not a tree unless it was hollowed out; a strange thought for someone in her situation. She should be more worried about her evaluation than the history of the tower, but it was a nice distraction. It helped her calm down.
She crossed the echoing chamber to the other side. For some reason the chamber worked like an amphitheater, causing even her shallow steps to ring like drums in the emptiness. The hall was nothing but a waiting room, one easily large enough to dwarf any queen’s chamber. The shepherdesses had always wondered its purpose since no one was allowed into the tower without permission and only a select few other than the authoritative figure ever placed a foot on the top floor. Maybe it was a symbol saying you are all alone from up here. It could be. Her thoughts occupied her until there was a movement from the other side.
Finally the doorkeeper, a flat-headed ant that kept the passage closed, slid away to let her pass through. She could only be impressed by it. Usually, thoughts regarding its origin would have followed, but this time she only felt numb. Fear had caught up to her. This was the moment every shepherdess dreaded.
Here she comes.
Nine sets of hardened eyes inquired her as she entered the chamber. All were royalty and male, except one. A few faces softened at her admittance, the rest hardened. The shepherdess grew dazed from the attention. The scrutinizing gazes of the representatives had such an effect on her.
These Nine ants were the strongest beings of their respective colonies or at least held some amount of influence in their areas.
The ants sat in a circle with their backs to the walls. There were no guards inside, nor any advisers or followers. It was her and the leaders, all alone in the chamber. One could figure out the farm's political dynamics just by knowing who sat with whom and how far from the others they sat. 786th had drilled her with all the information she’d need to make the conjunction, but she forgot all of that when she sensed the ninth scent in the chamber.
It was memorizing; it was captivating; it belonged to a princess, and everyone knew there was no place for a princess on the farm. Unless, she was the guest of honor, the representative from the true owner of the farm, and the leader of the alliance.
What was happening? Why would someone so important be present for a simple evaluation of a shepherdess? Or maybe the evaluation wasn’t so simple after all and her fate wasn’t deeded. Was her group that special? Well, there was no doubt about that.
Don’t be afraid, child. The shepherdess couldn’t believe it, the princess spoke to her. Her scent was enthralling, so full of emotions, so drawing. She almost forgot all fear from the suggestion alone.
Come forward.
She went.
Your evaluation has been canceled, Shepherdess. Her heart thrummed. Instead, we have a proposal for you. And it skipped a beat.
The door slid close behind her, separating the chamber from the outside world and trapping her with a decision that would decide her fate on the farm.