All As One

By D. Lazerous

In a world of hate and contempt for

Another simply because they're different,

Or their ideals differ from the ideals of others,

One must remember that there are no individuals,

Only one mind, one heart, one dream for we are all,

Bonded and unified together as one.

- D. Lazerous

While I was still in school, one of my least favorite subjects at the time was History.  Unfortunately, because I was the aerie to the thrown, my teacher took it upon herself to load me down with as many extremely difficult projects as possible.  In this instance, the project was to research and explain on how the different Baterian clans came together to form the civilization that we had.  That day while I was beating my head against my desk at home, trying to think of how to present the mountain of information and useless facts I had accumulated, my grandfather walked into the room drawn by the thudding of the table.  He walked up to me and asked, " What is it that has you so frustrated that you've resorted to beating your head in?"  I handed him the assignment outline.

" I have to give this report in history, and I have no ideal on how to go about doing it."  I responded.  He looked it over for a while,

“ You know, when I was in school, I was given a similar assignment, and the only difference is that I was able to work with a historian.”

“ Really Grandpa,” I responded.  “ Do you remember any of it?”

“ Well, I’m an old fox and I’m not sure how good my memory is, do you think you could sit through another one of this old foxes stories?”  I of course agreed.  Anything to take my mind off what I was supposed to be doing.  I sat listening intently as he began reciting his memory.

Long ago, when Batariens hadn't yet figured out that they shouldn’t fight their own kind, the three major clans: Bear, Wolf, and Fox warred each other for land, hunting rights, and even stupid things like the color of another’s fur.  Inali, the leader of the Wolf clan, was a peace loving man who preferred to use reason and logic to solve problems rather than brut strength.  Not everyone in the Wolf clan agreed with his reasoning, but followed him nevertheless.  But this story isn't about him; it's about his son, Nashoba.

Nashoba was born on a beautiful moon lit night.  The sky was clear, and the moon was full.  The smell of fresh due on the ground accented the perfume of pine wafting in the breeze.  The entire tribe was in a joyous frenzy, as they always are when a child is born, but this was different for it was the son of the leader of the clan.  Many regarded Nashoba as the most handsome cub born to the clan; his soft gray fur covered his body like the snow covered the earth during winter.  A small white streak ran from between his brown eyes and ended between his small ears.  The entire tribe turned out for the occasion, each bringing a gift for the newborn.   The leaders of the surrounding Wolf tribes also came to pay homage to their compatriots child, some gave clothes, some gave the child bone radels or the trophy from a kill, but the best and most cherished of all these gifts was a spirit bag given by the their tribes elder, a wise old white wolf.  Inali and Talutah were typical over protective parents, not letting too many visitors to see he all at once and especially cautious when those outside the tribe came to visit.  It took four hours for the procession of well wishers to conclude.

Time past and like all children Nashoba grew and was anxious to set out into the world around him.  His fur lost the softness of his infancy and was replaced with the typical course fur all wolves had.  His ears and tail of course grew out, but he retained the white streak on his head.  When he was old enough to venture out of the den, Inali let it be know to everyone, that his son was to be treated like everyone else.  No one quite knew why, but Talutah wouldn’t let Nashoba out of the den by himself until he was seven, while the other children were out at five.  Nashoba had no trouble making friends, but the one he hung-out with the most, and possibly his closest friend was Duran, a young wolf cub the same age as Nashoba with a fairly common gray fur pattern offset with a pair of bright blue eyes.  When Nashoba and Duran weren’t in training, they were romping around the woods pretending to be, as Duran put it, mighty hunters.  On one of these playful days, Nashoba was heading for the woods, when someone pulled him behind a large rock that was nearby.  This of course startled him.

" Hey man, calm down.  It's just me, Duran."

" Duran, what did you think you were doing?  You scared me."

" Sorry."

" What do you want, I'm on my way to the woods, Jardic said he saw one of the Bear clan!"

" Bear Clan?!  Nashoba, you know him, he's a big liar, he'd say anything to get you out their so he can play some kind of mean trick on you and not get in trouble for it."

" Yea, I guess your right."

" Anyway, I got something better for us to do than go into the woods for one of Jardics pranks."

" What's that?"

" You ever see Soruk Kye?"

" Noo.. Why?"

" I'm going up there," Duran said proudly.  " You want to come?"

" I'd better not.  My father said he’s a pretty bad guy."

" Oh, your such a mamas cub."

" Am not!"

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

" Then prove it."

" Fine, let's go" Nashoba said, as he led the way to Soruks den.  Duran followed behind with a proud grin upon his face.

Duran and Nashoba climbed the hill up to Soruks den as carefully as they both could.  As they quietly crept into the den, Duran tripped on a rock and hit they ground hard.  They both ran for cover just below the crest of the hill.  As they feared, the noise Duran made when he fell woke up Soruk.  When he came out to see what had made the noise, Duran and Nashoba got a good look at him.  He was a tall lanky wolf with mangy fur, tattered ears, and a patch of crusty leather where his left eye should have been.  An all-together clumsy unsteady looking wolf, but there was something in his eye, a glint that warned that the old wolf was not what he appeared.  He looked around trying to find what made the sound, when he couldn't find it, he slowly drug himself dazedly back into his den.  When he was out of sight, Duran and Nashoba ran from his den as fast as their feet could carry them, only to run into Inali.  Inali had warned his son countless times to stay away form Soruks den, but as most parents know children rarely do as they’re told.  “ Duran, I want you to go straight home, your parents already know where you’ve been and are expecting you.”

“ Yes sir.”  Duran said sheepishly as he coward off.  He called Nashoba over to him.  Nashoba slowly crept over to his fathers’ side.  Inali turned to face him.

" Nashoba, what have I told you about going around Soruks den?"

" Not to go there."  Nashoba said quietly.

" And yet in your infinite wisdom you decided to disobey me."

" I know father, and I'm sorry, I really am."

"Maybe I should just hand over the leadership of the clan to you now, you obviously seem to think that you know better."

" I already said I'm sorry, what more do you want?"

" I want you to listen to me once in a while.  I don't make the rules because I find pleasure in doing so.  Soruk is from a time in our people’s history when the way of blood was the only way.  He's a trained killer, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

" Is that why none of the instructors teach me at the same level as the others?  Your afraid I'll get hurt?"

" I guess I have been a little over protective.  You noticed, huh?"

" Just a little.  I just want to be treated like everyone else."

" If that's what you want, then that's what you get.  From now on no one will go easy on you.  I told them that before, but it seams I turned a blind eye to what was going on.  You'll be treated like every other member of the tribe.  No preferential treatment.  Do you understand?"

" Yes," Nashoba answered as Inali started to walk away.  " Father?"

" Yes son."

" Thank you."  Inali simply nodded his head and walked off leaving Nashoba to go find Duran.  Walking the grounds of the tribe, he noticed that almost everyone he walked by was staring at him.  It seemed his Father had told his mother and from there it passed to the rest of the wolf community.  Finally Duran’s den came into view.  Nashoba ran up to the entrance and called out Duran’s name.  Duran came to the front of the den answering the call.

" Sorry Nashoba, I can't come out for awhile.  My mother's grounded me.

Come back in a couple of days, I should be out of solitary by then." he said with a little half smile.    Nashoba’s father wasn't lying, because the next few days it seemed as though the instructors were harder and stricter with Nashoba.  To Nashoba it almost seemed like they were harder on him then any of the other students, but then he realized it felt that way because of how easy the instructors were with him before.  He just had to readjust to they new way he was being treated and in actuality enjoyed the challenge.