The Great Migration: Part One

      Her auburn eyes glanced down at a small bundle of fur beside her flank. It started to move.

      "You are awake at last, I see," the mother Bori cooed softly. The ball of fur uncurled and Takeinia found herself looking into a pair of auburn eyes like her own. They belonged to red baby Bori. He looked up at his mother and squeaked. Takeinia chuckled. The baby Bori, her son, was still young and weak, so weak that he could barely open his eyes.

      "My darling, my darling, born into this world just yesterday without a name. You must have a name, for one's existence is questioned when he has no name to answer too."

      "Squeak."

      Takeinia laughed again. "I have it, how about Borver?" The little Bori looked up at her, eyes glistening bright.

      "Very well then, Borver it is," Takeinia said softly. She then brought Borver closer to her side. He nestled into her thick fur and closed his eyes, prepared to drift into a deep sleep, when suddenly, the door of the den burst open.

      An old grey Bori stood there, his red eyes fixed on mother and son.

      "Nathaniel, my father," Takeinia whispered and she lowered her head, "have you heard any news about Rory?"

      Rory was Takeinia older brother. A few days ago, he had gone missing.

      A long, eerie moment of silence passed between the two. "Takeinia, my daughter, as beautiful as the sunset sky, we sent out a search party earlier today. The others said that they saw your brother heading into the woods in search of food for the colony. We headed out into the woods, we found him, dead. The cold killed him."

      Tears stung Takeinia's eyes, she tried to fight them back, but they came. "Shush now," Nathaniel coaxed, "Rory had a good life. He was a hero, if you will recall, he helped his fellow Bori in time of great need. He will be forever looked up to amiss the Bories, and I'm sure that one day, your son will look up to Rory, his very own uncle." Another uncomfortable silence followed.

      "I suppose father," Takeinia murmured, "and I'm sure Borver will one day be a hero as well." Nathaniel didn't answer.

      His thoughts were all focused on the snow, piling up outside the den as they spoke. "Takeinia," he said softly, "we must gather the other Bories. The weather is getting serious. We must migrate soon or else the cold will take us all."

      "But father," Takeinia cried angrily, "I cannot leave with Borver, not yet; he is far too young and far too weak!" Her father nodded.

      "I understand your feelings," he said, "but if you two do not leave, the cold will take both of you. Besides, many young Bories, including myself, have traveled with the great migration and lived to tell about it. Now you stay here while I go gather the other Bories. I will send Mysson to escort you to the meeting place when we are ready." And with that he left, leaving Takeinia alone.

      As precious time slowly began to slip by, like sand in an hour glass, or water during a drought, the snow started pilling up outside of Takeinia's den.

     ***

      When Mysson came to get Takeinia, she found her and Borver playing. Takeinia would swish her tail about and Borver would try to catch it.

      Mysson had been Takeinia's best friend ever since she was little. Mysson was not born into the colony; instead, Takeinia's father had found Mysson when she was a baby. She had been abandoned by her birth mother, left to die out in the snow. Thankfully, Takeinia's colony had had the heart to take the babe in.

      "Well, I see you are keeping yourself occupied with the little one Takeinia," Mysson laughed, "but we really should be going now, Nathaniel has asked me to escort you to the meeting place."

      "Very well then," Takeinia said as she scooped up Borver in her jaws, "lead the way."

      The green Bori led Takeinia through the thick pine woods of Terror Mountain. For as long as ether of the two could remember, every spring Bori colonies from all across Neopia would gather and form one large group. Together, large group would travel to Terror Mountain, where they would separate in to their own colonies once more and spend the summer there. In the winter time, the Bori colonies would group together again and travel south of happy valley to spend their winter there. And as far as the two could remember, Takeinia's father, Nathaniel had always led the Bori.

     ***

      It was night by the time Takeinia and Mysson reached the meeting spot. It was located in the heart of the woods, under an old red wood tree. All the other Bori had already gathered there.

      The colony itself was fairly small. There were only seven Bori in total, including Takeinia, Mysson and Nathaniel. Aside from them, there was Samuel, the Christmas Bori, Earl, the brown Bori, Auggie, the yellow Bori, and Candice, Mysson's daughter, the blue Bori.

      "Fellow Bori," Nathaniel began, all the Bori lowered their heads in respect for their leader "the chill of winter has fallen upon us. We must begin the migration." He cocked his head and motioned for Takeinia to come forward.

      "My daughter, Takeinia, and I will be leading the journey. Go, gather your friends and relatives and meet back here at sun rise." With that, the Bori got up and left, all except Nathaniel and Takeinia.

      "Takeinia," he said softly, "I fear that this will be the last year that I will be able to lead the journey, which is why you must take my place." Takeinia was silent. For a long time, she had known that this was bound to occur, but now it felt so awkward. So unreal.

     ***

      The wind whispered softly through the trees that day. The grey sky hung low to the ground, which was covered with a foot of snow.

      It had been three days since the Bori were on the move. Takeinia was informed that her colony was soon to meet up with the West colony. They would then join together and proceed on with their journey.

      Nathaniel was watching Borver, who was clenched tightly between his mother's jaws. She seemed distracted.

      "What is it that is bothering you?" he asked.

      "Everything," Takeinia mumbled.

      "I understand that you are stressed, Takeinia, because of all that has happened. Your brother is dead by the cold north winds, and now my health slowly begins to fade. But it is not the end of the world, for the world never ends. Do not let it get to you. Stay strong my child." Takeinia lowered her head. Her father's words had no effect on her.

      "Bori colony, across the river!" someone suddenly cried out, breaking the silence. Takeinia put down Borver for a moment to look. There, across the river she saw a colony of Bori, standing in formation, waiting to rejoin them."

      "The ice on the river is to thin," the leader of the colony hollered, "We will meet at the bridge."

      "Very well then," Nathaniel cried back. As the Bori moved out, Takeinia suddenly froze.

      "Father," she cried, "where is Borver?"

      Nathaniel cocked his head, "I thought you had him."

      Suddenly, Takeinia turned and saw a frantic look in the eyes of the Bori across the river. There, out on the ice, was a small, red ball of fur; Borver. When Takeinia had put him down, he had eagerly rushed out on the ice to greet the other Bori, but now he was stranded.

      "Borver," Takeina cried as she charged towards the river, but Mysson stopped her.

      "Takeinia," she cried, "are you crazy? If you go out on the ice, you will both fall through and drown!"

      An awful, gut wrenching cracking sound came from the river. The ice split open and Borver fell into the murky water. The current was taking him down stream.

      "My son," Tekeinia cried. She ran along side the river, but the red ball of fur only seemed to get farther away. Finally, Takeinia collapsed to her feet with exhaustion.

      As Nathaniel and Mysson rushed to her side as she watched her son being swept down river.

      "Borver," Takeinia sobbed, "my dear Borver is dead. He is dead and will not rise to see the sunlight again."

      But little did Takeinia know, her son was not dead at all, he was just lost and alone. Alone in a strange world to fend for himself, and for the next few years, no one would even know about this stranger, swept away from his family in Terror Mountain. Not until Arkatha came along anyways.

To be continued...