Jayda of the Janka's: Okami, The Janka{Closed}

[Skittlez]

When her outer garments were put away she took of her bright red tights her mother had bought for her. Walking to the pond she rinsed them and laid down in the sun. The cool air struck her naked body. She shivered and was glad that she had done one thing right-she had worn her winter clothes, not her light summer clothes.

The wind gusted; Jayda scrambled through the low door and slid into her sleeping bag. She felt the warm and softness of the blanket covering her and she pulled the hood around her face so only her nose was exposed. The fur captured her warm breath, held it against her face, and she became her own radiant stove. In this cozy micro-world she forgot he hunger and recalled what she already knew about Janka's so that she could put it together with what she had observed.

Janka's are shy, elder Kapugen had said, and they desert their dens if discovered by man; yet this pack had not. Did Okami not know she was human? Perhaps not; she had never walked in his presence, the two-legged signal of "man" the wild animals. On the other hand he must know. Kapugen had said that with one sniff a Janka knew if you were male or female, adult or child, if you were hunting or not hunting-even if you were happy or sad. She concluded that Okami tolerated her because she was somewhat young, had no weapon, and was sad- a lost child.

She next considered Nails. Who was he? Okami's dependable friend, that was true, yet she suspected he was even more than that- a spiritual father of the fledglings. Nails took orders from Okami, but stayed close to Silver and the little fledglings. He was father when their real father was busy. He was Okami's serious partner. But Jello? Who was he? Where had he come from? Was he a fledgling a previous year? Or had he joined the pack just as she had, by soliciting Okami for membership in his tribe? There was much to learn about her family.

~356 Words

[Skittlez]

Jayda did not know how long she slept, for midnight was almost as bright as noon and it was difficult to judge the passing time. It did not matter, however; time in the artic was the rhythm of life. The Janka fledglings were chirping excitedly, that rang out the hour of the end of the hunt/ The pack was coming home. With Visions of Caribou stew in her head, she got out of her sleeping bag and reached for her clothes.

The fledglings may not have been eating, but certainly Okami would have to bring Jello some food. He had been home all night. Stepping into the sunlight, she put on her tights, danced a moment, and then pulled on her warm fur clothes. Leaning over the pong, he saw in the glassy water herself. She was a bit displeased. she was living like an Eskimo but did not have the face of an Eskimo, or that's what she thought. Her hair! She leaned closer to the tundra looking glss. Her har was a mess. Pressing it into place with her hands, she wished she had taken her mom's brush and comb she had passed down to her. She missed that, it was such a beautiful purple brush, the part you brush with was pure black. The comb would sparkle if you moved it in the right place, ad the fine points were sturdy and never bent. They were perfect. She sighed,they lay unused in the corner of a table drawer in the dorm she lived in, she hadn't used it much for she didn't want to ruin it.

Quickly she climbed the frost heave, lay down, and looked at the Janka's There was no meat to be seen. The three hunters were stretched out on their sides, their bellies extended with food. Jello was gone. Of course, she said to herself, he had been relieved of his duties and had backtracked the hunters to the kill. She winced, for she had been so certain today she would eat. So I won't, she said to herself, and that's that.

Jayda knew when to stop dreaming and be practical. She slid down the heave, brushed off her coat, and faced the tundra. The plants around the pond had edible seeds, as did all the many grasses. There were thousands of crane fly and mosquito larvae in the water, and the wildflowers were filling if not very nourishing. But they were all small and took time to gather. She looked around for something bigger.

Her brown eyes were alert as several Lapland long-spurs darted overhead. They might still have young, in their nests. Staying on one side of the heave, so the Janka;s would not see her two=leggedness, she skipped into the grass. The birds vanished. Their dark pointed wings were erased from the sky as if they had sensed her deadly purpose. Jayda crouched down. Kapugen had taught her how to hunt birds a few times by sitting and being patient. She crossed her feet and blended into the plants, still as a stone.

Presently a grass blade trembled and Jayda saw a young bird fluttering it's wings as it begged for food. A brown lark -like parent winged down and stuffed it's open beak. Another youngster begged and the parent flew to it to. Unfortunately the second little bird was so far from the first that Jayda knew they were out of the nest and impossible to catch. She shifted her attention to the snow buntings.

A movement in the sky above the horizon caught her attention, and she recognized the pointed tail and black head of a jaeger. She knew the bird well, for it hunted the shore of the Lake she used to play in at the Celtic.A bold sea bird, it resembled it's close relative to the gull, but was not a fisher. The jaeger preyed upon the lemmings, small birds, and occasionally carrion. Jayda wondered what prey it was hunting. Three more jaegers joined the first, circled close together as if over a target, then dropped out of sight below the horizon.

"The Janka killed!" She fairly shouted. "They're sharing the Janka kill!"

~692 Words

[Skittlez]

Jumping to her feet, she lined up the spot where they had disappeared with a patch of brown lichens in the distance, and ran with joy along the invisible line. When she had gone a quarter of a mile, she stopped and looked back. The endless tundra rolled around her and she could not tell which frost heave was which.

"Oh no!" She cried. She turned around and laboriously searched out the plants crushed by her feet. Near a pool she lost sight of her steps and then with relief recognized an empty lemming nest, a round ball of grass that she had kicked open. She pounced on it, saw a flower she had trampled, and ran up the frost heave to it. From the top she looked across the distance to her own precious house.

She reminded herself not to be so careless again. "One can get lost out here." She said aloud.

Jayda flopped down in the grass to rest. Her hand touched a patch of Artic peas. They were tiny but numerous, she took off her boots and then her sock, and filled it's toe with the vegetables. When all were harvested, she swung the sock over his shoulder and, striding joyously, rounded her pond and plunked the peas in her pot. She rolled them around with her fingers and they rattled musically. She rolled them again and made up words to fit their rhythm.

Peas that go tink, peas that go tot,
Peas that will never grow outside my pot

The fledglings chirped and Silver ran out across the tundra. She leaped with grace, her feathers gleaming like metal; then she swept into a dip in the landscape and vanished. Up from the horizon rose the jaegers, announcing that Silver had gone to the kill. Clutching the cooking pot to her breast, Jayda excitedly waited to see her bring back meat for the pups.

The jaegers cried, the long-spurs tumbled on their wings, and at last Silver came home. Her mouth was empty.

"I just don't understand," She said to the fledglings. "What is keeping you alive?" Putting down her pot she went to her lookout to try and solve the riddle.

Silver came up the long slope, gave the grunt-whine that summoned the fledglings, and Kapu ran to meet her. She pulled back her lips in a smile and nosed him affectionately. Then Kapu stuck his nose in the corner of her mouth. Silver arched her back, her neck rippled, and she choked up a big mound of meat. Kapu set upon it with a snarl.

"So that's it!" Said Jayda. "The meat's in the belly-basket. Now what do I do?"

Kapu let Sister share the meal with him, but not Zing, Zat, and Zit- as Jayda had dubbed the three tawny fledglings who had little personality as yet. Zing rushed over to the resting Silver and cuddled up against her. He rammed his nose to her belly, as if trying to find something to suckle. Silver tolerated this for a moment, then hissed.He did not stop looking and she snapped at him. He backed away, but when she stretched out he dove back into her belly again. With a loud cawing sound she rolled onto her stomach and cut off her belly from him. Zing got up and walked over to Okami, and stuck is nose in the corner of his mouth. Okami regurgitated food.

The secret of the fat fledglings was out. They were eating chewed and partially digested food.

They might eat food from the belly-basket for weeks before hey were brought chunks of meat that Jayda could share, and so she went out into the grasses again to look for buntings. Soon Silver and Nails trotted off in the direction of the kill. Having fed the fledglings, they were now feeding themselves. Jayda cautiously peered around the heave. Jello had not gone with them. Yet he had been to the kill.\. He would have food in his belly-basket.

When the jaegers arose into the air she picked up the pot and climbed once again to the top of her frost heave. Getting to her hands and knees, she gave the grunt-whine call. "Look at me. I'm nice." It said.

Jello strode toward her. So pushed around was he by Silver, so respectful of Okami and even Nails, that he was excited by a voice more humble than his own. He even lifted his tail and head higher than Jayda had ever seen him do., and, acting like the boss Janka, loped up her frost heave. Curious Kapu trotted behind.

As Jayda scurried to meet Jello, he hesitated and hissed softly."Don't be scared," She said and whimpered, He circled closer. Quickly rising to her knees, grunting the note of friendship, she slipped her hand over his head and clasped the top of his nose firmly in her fingers.

"I'm boss." She said as his tail and head went down in deference to the symbol of leadership. She started to slip her hand to the corner of his mouth, but he jerked awat, Then Kapu, as if understood th what Jayda wanted, swept up to Jello and nuzzled his mouth. Jello heaved, opened his jaws, and deposited food on the ground.

~869 Words