The moan startled Amarian, causing her to leap upwards a wing-beat or so. She had almost become comfortable with looking at the bigger he, but hearing the volume of it's voice was startling. It....He, moved it's head from side to side in a convulsive manner and that huge mouth opened to draw in great gulps of air. Involuntarily flitting from side to side and up and down, she watched the bigger gasp and struggle for breath, before finally it, no..., he, sank back against the clover and went limp. Amarian sensed that ... he, was better off for having been given the water, so she darted back towards the brook for another leaf-full of the life giving liquid. This time however, she flew as high as she could, actually higher than she had ever flown before. When her wings had taken her to a spot that was at least three tall trees above the meadow she opened her mind and her mouth to send out a call for help from her clan. The power of her call surprised her. What she had intended to be a moderately soft trill, came out as loud as the mating call of a desperate hunter-bird at the end of the season. Realizing that she had sounded a call for help that many of the clan should hear, she let herself drift downward in a leisurely manner. As she did this she scanned the surounding area for any signs of danger. The only thing out of the ordinary that she saw was a white equa munching on the grass that bordered the stream some ways off. She was almost exasperated at this. For the equa wasn't a creature of the forest and she knew her Duties well. Of the 10 Duties, one of the most important was to give aid to all that might come to harm in the forest. Now she had two pressing matters! She found herself wishing and hoping that mother wouldn't be to angry at the burdens that seemed to be gathering on her youngest daughter. Finally reaching the water, she loaded another leaf full of the liquid and bore it back to the he. She had just begun to pour the water down over his lips when she heard the soft trilling of anothers' call. Dumping the rest of the liquid somewhat hurriedly she tossed aside the leaf and fluttered skyward a beat or two before answering with a soft call of her own. An almost inaudible humming sound caused by the beating of several sets of fae wings reached her ears just before a group of three of her clan burst thru the bracken on the side of the glade nearest home. When the trio saw her darting towards them, they stopped in mid air and waited for her arrival. Amarian was overjoyed to see that the leader of the trio was Salinathe. Though not blood related, the two had been close friends for as long as Amarian could remember. True, Salinathe was three surrounds older than Amarian and now had many responsibilities of her own that had reduced the amount of time that they spent together, but when together she was still Amarians partner in hi-jinxs. As she reached the trio, they and she, settled to the ground and Salinathe asked what had caused such a 'ringing' cry for help. The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth in a gushing torrent that cascaded over her thoughts and obscured coherency like a mist beneath a springtime waterfall. "Sploring, fly, not far.......fight, hurt one......needs water.....bigger....equa.....bigger bad hurt... give water...... bigger ... he.... bigger hurt.... what else could do? bad hurt.... he.... bigger he....hurt." The eyes of the others went huge at the mention of bigger and he. finally unable to staunch the flow of disjointed words in any other way, Salinathe pressed her hand firmly over Amarians mouth. "For the sake of the tree, please......please be still." "Mmmph?" "A hurt bigger?" "Unnh unnh!" nodding her head up and down. "A HE?" "Unnh unnh!" vigorous up and down motion. "A real HE?" "Unh Heeehhh!" Without releasing her grip on Amarians mouth, Salinathe turned to her two companions. "Laniol, get the council here as fast as you can fly. Remspth, see to the equa, it might belong to the HE." As these two fae darted off to obey the orders, Salinathe turned to Amarian and told her that she wanted to see the HE. Amarian wasn't quite sure she understood the emphasis that her friend put on the word he, but obeyed immediately. The next hours were forever a blur in Amarian's memory. She and Salinathe carried several leaf loads of water to the he. This only after Salinathe had stared at his face for a very long time. Finally her mother arrived with most of the rest of the clan. When all had examined the he, they had sent Amarian and a couple of the other younger fae's to help the clan's healer, Ylenier, as this wise old woman made the bigger healthy again, and the adult fae's went into council. It had been exhausting work. Amarian now lay back in the comforting arms of a young willow tree. Her mother had been very explicit! She and the other young fae's were to stay here until told it was time to come out. She was very confused and just a little bit hurt. Why wouldn't they tell her what was going on? After all she was the one that had found the he. She was the one that had discovered the equa that Remspth had brought back to be greeted by the he. But she now sat here with the other young faes. Not knowing what was going on in the glade were the he and all the rest of her clan were. Finally, Salinathe came flying out of the aspens and made her way to Amarian's side. At seeing the mood of her friend, Salinathe settled her gold and red wings about her and asked what the trouble was. The answer caused her to sit in silence for a moment or so. With a shrug of her wings and a slightly wicked grin she motioned Amarian to follow her to the side of the stream and they talked there for most of the rest of the evening. A bright morning dawned. The birds were singing their praises of nature and their God's. The trees hummed with pleasure, and even the stream was gurgling in happiness. None of this was lost on Amarian as she followed the rest of the clan into the sky as they headed towards the home grove. It paled in comparison to her own mood though. Her heart sang, her wings beat in joy, and she grinned from ear to ear! She was going to have a sister!