Rain and the Seven Stones
A Short Story by Jill D'Entremont
Chapter 3
“The first stone is the Stone of Energy. It is a red, shimmering stone kept by one called Granite. This should be fairly easy to retrieve, as Granite moves about as much as a rock would on its own...”
Kotah’s words sunk into her head as she crouched in the thick grass at the edge of a clearing in the middle of the forest. She was alert, but not tense. This was the camp of a herd of billed grazers, so they no weapons, no sharp teeth, and dull claws at most. Still, she’d rather not be chased or trampled if they noticed her.
Rain surveyed the area and immediately saw the bright red stone resting in a hole in a tree. Blocking access to the tree were two female grazers standing over a somewhat pudgy male. The male was a pale blue-green with deeper colored stripes, and he was currently sprawled across the ground with his head on a downed log. The remainder of the herd was nowhere to be seen.
“If you stay here, you have to pay attention and guard the red stone,” one of the females stressed as she cocked her head to one side. “The last time we left you here alone, you nearly allowed a windbeak to take it.”
“She claimed you had sent her,” the male balked back, scarcely lifting his head.
The other female rolled her head. “Yes, because we would have sent a hunter to come gather the stone for us.” She sneered in sarcasm.
“She was terribly convincing...”
“Just don’t let anyone take it, all right? That red stone is for our herd’s protection. Without it, we’ll be overrun by hunters!”
“Superstitious grazers,” Rain muttered under her breath.
“You know, I’m the one who found it for us!” The male called into the air as the two females started away from the camp. “It’s technically mine anyway!”
Now left alone, he stretched his long legs and scratched at his belly. Once these two actions were complete, he closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.
Rain waited longer, but the slothful creature remained unmoved.
“Well, I’ve clearly found Granite; a lazy bum just like Kotah said. And if he really is asleep...”
Rain began to move around the clearing, spreading her toes wide to creep silently past Granite. She kept her ears focued on the sound of his breathing among the gentle rustling of leaves overhead as she stepped out into the clearing. She snuck up to the tree and just as easily slipped the shimmering red stone from the hole. She heard nothing new, saw nothing move, and with the stone in hand, she faded back into the shadows.
She looked back at Granite before leaving the area, and the billed grazer had begun to snore. With a quick glance down at the stone in her hands, she shook her head and darted through the forest to return it to Kotah.
--
“I got the first stone!” she announced, bursting into the cave.
“Ah, look at you,” Kotah’s voice came from the silence. “That didn’t take long at all.”
Rain held up the stone and surveyed it herself. “Granite was alone and asleep. I was almost surprised at how easy that was...”
“Nothing will be difficult for you, Rain.” Kotah’s voice cooed in her ears.
A smile has spread across Rain’s lips as she watched the light reflecting off the red stone’s many facets. Simply seeing the stone in her hands was enough to build her confidence.
“Let’s move on to the second stone.”
“What about this one?” She glanced up.
“Place it on the ground near the wall, and I will hold onto it.”
“But if you’re a shadow, how...”
“There you go asking questions,” Kotah’s voice had shifted to annoyance. “Just place the stone in on the ground like I said!”
“I’m sorry,” she arched her brows worriedly and set the rock on the sand. She then backed away as a shadowed lump overtook the stone. But, instead of quickly disappearing, the form remained at the base of the wall.
“Now, the second stone is the Stone of Humility.” Kotah began as Rain eyed his shadow. “It is a yellow stone, and it is guarded by one called Thorn.”
“Wait, as in Thorn the crested grazer?”
“Yes.”
A sinking feeling was welling in her stomach. “I don’t remember him with a stone, has he always had it?”
“Is there a problem?” Kotah’s voice pecked into her mind.
She shook her head. “He was the leader of my herd… when I had a herd.”
“Again, is there a problem with you retrieving it?”
Rain’s lips pulled taught. “Well, considering he’s the one who banished me, he’s not exactly someone who’d be happy to see me.”
“If you make the right moves, he won’t have to see you.”
She drew in a deep breath. “True.”
“I will trust your skills to serve you well and retrieve the stone, just as you so adeptly captured the first. Remember,” Kotah’s voice rang softly in her ears, “I have no doubt you will be able to retrieve it.”
Without a word, the grazer bobbed her crested head. She took another deep breath and turned to face the sun outside the cave.