A Bat's Tale by Lingwiloke

Chapter 1

Written for B2MeM 2017. Prompt and Path: “Animals” - Green Path, Square Three.

A companion piece to this photomanip I did for Scribe_of_Mirrormere in last year’s fandom stocking exchange. Beta by the amazing Goldilocks, thank you!

She-of-the-Shadow has called me again. She is a strange one. She is like those-who-speak-in-tongues, the star-people, yet not, like those biting-light-hot earth-children of the Dark One, yet not, and sometimes, she is like us who-hear-the-world, and yet...

She has been here for as long as my people can remember, when my mother was milk-wet-blind-small still and her mother before her, and before even that. When she calls, one must follow, always, so sweet is her call; sweeter than the milk-scent or the faint noise of easy prey, more urgent than the squeak-wail of a tiny one that is hungry, more alluring than the heady smell of one ready to mate.

So I fly - fly - fly - as fast as my wings will bear me, until I hear her form on the ground below - she is more-than-air today, shadow but wings but fur-less skin and a tongue-that-speaks, and when I come near, her shadow envelops me and her wings close around me and she catches me in her not-paws and cradles me close. Her shadow-breath-song is soothing, and I feel sheltered and safe.
But she holds me up to her face now, and while I do not understand her whisper-tongue-speech, I somehow know what she wants me to do, as if she is painting a path in my mind - she wants me to fly high, and fly higher still and higher, to where no-one could fly if not held by her song-touch. To fly where the lights in the sky are blinding almost, and the air is death-cold and empty.

But I have done this before and I am not afraid; I shall fly for her.

I will fly with her shadow-touch lending my wings strength, carrying me high, and her song in my mind to guide me.

I will fly high, and far, far to the West; and there I will meet Her-born-of-the-Stars who dwells in the West yet and cannot hear the song She-of-the-Shadows has sung for her. I will fly to her and sing her the song, and she will understand, and her joy will light up the sky in waves of greens and blues and violets. She will give me sweet fruits in thanks for my troubles, and warm me with her light, and then she will sing for me. And I, I will carry her song back with me, to the east and to Her-of-the-Shadows. And she will hear it, and so will be joyful, too.