The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 247
A soldier beside her added, ‘I kin clarify matters fer yuh Sarg. Got that squinnyin' lot we ‘ad in the meeting burrow safe, apparently they couldn’t move fast enough when death was a few paces behind 'em.’ He smiled grimly, ‘all the survivors from the last fighting’ group, ‘cepting us are with 'em too, Sarg ’
Sarg nodded, ‘Losses?’
‘Those fighting the rats, Sarg. Got a couple of minor scrapes among 'em, but no civilians lost.’
After a moment of silence, followed by revengeful mutterings, they went out into the new diggings and abandoned Base-Burrow to the enemy.
The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 248
Namwec resumed her snake-like swaying, ‘so dearest parent, I shall clarify my brothers’ actions for you.’ Her voice was scornfully spiny, ‘Overconfident of strategy, ill-prepared for upset and, when ambushed, their forces floundered and fell. They’ve abandoned scouting and are, even now, slinking back with no slaves, many fewer rats than they left with, and a whole mischief of trivial excuses tripping from their whiskers.’
Atlas and Armi both shivered involuntarily as a heartbeat of silence followed.
‘Punish them for me Namwec, punish them well.’’
Namwec shivered too and with a grin, malicious as a velvet-veiled trap, began to purr.
The note in my backpack, which I wasn’t to open until now, brought a chilly clarification to my confusion. It read: “It’s okay to remember that you were loved very deeply. Your presence was always a ray of perpetual sunshine, and you filled our lives with much happiness. We loved you with what we once called a ‘holy passion.’ “Well, at least we used to. But our lives and loves constantly change, and we must adapt. "So, though you are only ten, don’t think we have abandoned you. Rather, we are giving you a fresh start." Good Luck, Your Parents
Our species is often unjustly criticized for careless parenting, abandoning our young at unsuitable nesting sites and leaving their survival to chance before hatching. I wish to clarify, we always provide a wide variety of acceptable postnatal foods to sustain them until our return. We are not the wicked parents you think we are. We are simply afraid of our offspring and give warning not to investigate or approach our younglings after birth until their scales have hardened for, before this time, they are viciously insatiable, have a limitless appetite and will consume anything, dead or alive, within their reach.
The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 247
ReplyDeleteA soldier beside her added, ‘I kin clarify matters fer yuh Sarg. Got that squinnyin' lot we ‘ad in the meeting burrow safe, apparently they couldn’t move fast enough when death was a few paces behind 'em.’ He smiled grimly, ‘all the survivors from the last fighting’ group, ‘cepting us are with 'em too, Sarg ’
Sarg nodded, ‘Losses?’
‘Those fighting the rats, Sarg.
Got a couple of minor scrapes among 'em, but no civilians lost.’
After a moment of silence, followed by revengeful mutterings, they went out into the new diggings and abandoned Base-Burrow to the enemy.
The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 248
ReplyDeleteNamwec resumed her snake-like swaying, ‘so dearest parent, I shall clarify my brothers’ actions for you.’ Her voice was scornfully spiny, ‘Overconfident of strategy, ill-prepared for upset and, when ambushed, their forces floundered and fell.
They’ve abandoned scouting and are, even now, slinking back with no slaves, many fewer rats than they left with, and a whole mischief of trivial excuses tripping from their whiskers.’
Atlas and Armi both shivered involuntarily as a heartbeat of silence followed.
‘Punish them for me Namwec, punish them well.’’
Namwec shivered too and with a grin, malicious as a velvet-veiled trap, began to purr.
'... snake-like swaying, scornfully spiny, excuses tripping from their whiskers'... such marvelous use of language, Terrie.
DeleteGOOD LUCK
ReplyDeleteThe note in my backpack, which I wasn’t to open until now, brought a chilly clarification to my confusion. It read: “It’s okay to remember that you were loved very deeply. Your presence was always a ray of perpetual sunshine, and you filled our lives with much happiness. We loved you with what we once called a ‘holy passion.’
“Well, at least we used to. But our lives and loves constantly change, and we must adapt.
"So, though you are only ten, don’t think we have abandoned you. Rather, we are giving you a fresh start."
Good Luck,
Your Parents
Dangerous progeny
ReplyDeleteOur species is often unjustly criticized for careless parenting, abandoning our young at unsuitable nesting sites and leaving their survival to chance before hatching.
I wish to clarify, we always provide a wide variety of acceptable postnatal foods to sustain them until our return.
We are not the wicked parents you think we are.
We are simply afraid of our offspring and give warning not to investigate or approach our younglings after birth until their scales have hardened for, before this time, they are viciously insatiable, have a limitless appetite and will consume anything, dead or alive, within their reach.