Song of War Chapter Six

Zeus walks the north path after talking with Zuki to update her on the events of the morning. She had been providing positive energy to Kathy, the mother of the house, who was home ill. Zuki said she would be on patrol later in the afternoon.

After cutting through a couple of yards Zeus makes his way to the middle path and noticed a blue jay sitting on a fence. The blue jay watches as robins chase after grackles in every direction. Blue jays were known to be mercenaries so Zeus made his way over to the fence.

"You getting paid?" Zeus asks. 
The blue jay looks down, looks back at the commotion in the skies then back at Zeus again. 
"I have no stake in this."
"The time will come when you have to pick a side. Choose wisely."
The blue jay nods. "Believe me, I will."
"Have a name?"
"They call me Buster," and he flew off.

Zeus cuts through a couple more yards and makes his way to the main path. He catches a glimpse of Torch as he left the path and entered the brush. A hunger twinge reminded him he should eat and he makes his way over to Lucy's patio where a bowl is waiting. As he eats he keeps his eyes trained further up the path as he mulls over what needed to be done.

After a short nap Zeus woke to the angry sound of grackles voicing their displeasue of the robins chasing them. Zeus knew it was time for him to patrol the main path. As he walks the battle continues in the air above him.

Yak and three other grackles flew down in front of Zeus at the point he was expecting.
"Stop!" shouts Yak.

Zeus takes two more steps as a dozen more grackles quickly take their places behind their general and several more come down behind Zeus.

Yak snarls "You'll have to pay the toll!"
All the other grackles let out a chant of "Pay! Pay! Pay!"
Zeus takes another step forward. "You're not dealing with a little bunny or squirrel."
Yak's eyes widen. "You'll have to pay or else!"
The other grackles started their chant as they hopped around Zeus. "Or else! Or else! Or else!"
Zeus let out a primal growl and hisses. "Then it's or else!"
Yak is surprised by the response and hops backward as Zeus slowly makes his way forward. "You had your chance. Get him!"

The moment the grackles start to focus their attack on Zeus three howls were heard and Sundown, Torch and Zuki emerge out of the bushes and join the fray. It is a blur of claws and fangs against the beaks of the grackles. In less than a minute it is over as only two wounded grackles manage to get away. Yak is among those left on the ground. Zeus had taken out eight, Sundown and Torch got five each and Zuki claimed a dozen by herself. 

Zuki walks over and places a paw on the gash on Zeus's left ear. He winces but lets her work her healing powers. After a couple minutes she finishes and Zeus surveys the victims of the battle.

"At least we put a dent in their numbers," Sundown offers.
"True," Zeus answers as he looked back up the path toward where the grackles had settled. "This should end their ground efforts. Now it's up to the robins to do it in the trees and skies."

Song of War Chapter Five

Zeus woke early to start his patrol of the middle path. He sees fragments of broken robin eggs on the ground. After several more feet he sees some more. After surveying the area he spots Sundown approaching from the ridge.
"There are more of those on the north path also."
"Not good."
Before they can continue their conversation Ritmo flies and lands on a branch above them.
"Zeus! Sundown! King Maestro has requested you come quick! Sebastian is there with important news!"
Zeus nods. "We'll be there."

Zeus and Sundown arrive at the Royal tree which sits off the main path several feet behind the eastern most mulberry tree. Torch was already there along with Ma and Pa. Maestro and Harmony sit on their special branch as the rest of the court sit in branches above them. Sebastian is sitting on the lowest branch with a chickadee under his wing.
"Everyone this is Chet," Sebastian starts. "He has some disturbing news. Go ahead, Chet. Nothing to fear here."
Chet takes a big breath to calm his nerves.
"Yesterday I was in the bushes off the main path between the sand pits and where the grackles had settled. Soon there were several grackles on the ground and one talked about it being a good spot for a toll. I stayed put not wanting to give away my position. Soon Lon came up the path."
Ma gives an audible gasp.
"After threatening Lon the lead grackle questioned him. Found that he was on his way to visit Ma and Pa. He told them about the Royal Robins and their numbers and some of the names. Then the lead grackle finished with some questions about Zeus because they had seen him."
Zeus looks at Sundown and shrugs while Pa tries to console Ma.
Chet looks directly at Ma. "They let him go. Lon is alright. They sent him back home."
"Oh thank goodness!" she exclaims.
Chet continues, "A few minutes later Sid came by and they quickly had him cornered."
Zeus knew Sid was a squirrel that lived along the main path but closer to the lake.
"Sid said he didn't have anything to offer just as Lon had," Chet shared. "But the grackles were rougher with him as four each held a foot tightly in their beaks while the leader threatened to peck his eyes. Soon Sid was giving up the locations of all the robin nests he knew about."
Gasps and howls went up from the Royal court.
Zeus and Sundown grimace as they exchanged glances.
"Thank you Chet," said Sebastian.
"Yes, thank you Chet!" King Maestro adds. "This is so troubling. We had reports of many robins returning to raided nests last night."
"Sundown and I have seen shells scattered on the middle and north paths," Zeus shared.
"Only one response to this," King Maestro said before he lets out a tone Zeus had never heard before. Soon the rest of the Royal court are making the same sound. Zeus soon learned it was a declaration and that was their song of war.

Song of War Chapter Four

Lon is happily strolling down the path looking forward to time with his sister when two birds flew down in front of him.

"Stop!" shouts Yak.

Lon is startled and takes a step back as ten more grackles flew down behind him attempting to block his retreat.

"You'll have to pay the toll," Yak continues as a dozen more grackles land behind him.
"What?" Lon replies nervously.
"Do you have any food?" Yak asks.
"No"
"Tsk. Tsk. You'll have to pay or else!"
Then all the other grackles offer up a chant of "Or else! Or else! Or else!"
Lon starts to shake and says "I have nothing."
Yak tilts his head and inquires "Information?"
Lon feels his stomach churn as he says "What would you like to know?"
"Ha! See you do have something!"

Yak takes a step forward as the other grackles formed a solid circle around the two while other grackles flew down to fill the gaps. It only takes a few minutes for Yak to complete his interrogation before sending Lon back from where he came.

"See your sister another day!" Yak shouts as Lon took off in a full sprint.

That evening a baby robin wakes as there is rustling at the edge of the nest. 
"Mama?"
Before he could make another sound a dark feathered grackle is upon him and his two sleeping siblings. 

Song of War Chapter Three

Zeus knew they were trouble the first time he saw them. Actually he heard them first. Dozens of grackles are in the tops of two evergreens and a walnut tree. All seem to be shouting the same greedy chant.

"Mine! Mine! Mine!" over and over again is all Zeus can hear as he walks by the three trees and proceeds down the path.

He is unaware of the many eyes that follow him.

"That is a big one!" said Ik.
"We'll worry about him later" answers Yuk.
Yak leaned in and adds "Yes, later."

A loud cluck from the top of the tree signals their leader is summoning them. Rok and his mate Iz are the leaders of this flock nearly 200 strong. Ik, Yuk and Yak are his generals and follow his every whim.

"No time to waste!" Rok starts. "Yak go set up a toll. Yuk oversee the rotation in the walnut tree. Ik take a few and see what else is around here."

"Yes sir!" all three shout and then flew off.

Iz drops down from her higher vantage point and cuddles next to Rok. 
"Good times ahead" she said.
"Yes but much work first"
Then he starts the grackles in the evergreens in a new round of "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Zeus had walked down the path near Torch's house and found his friend waking from a nap under a tree. 
"Seen that new flock of birds at the walnut tree?" Zeus asks.
"Not yet but Sebastian has been getting the word out. He didn't have anything nice to say about them."
"Did he say if they eat walnuts?"
"Ha! They don't but he said they put walnut juice on their feathers."
"Eeewww!"
" I know. But that is why they are camping there."
"Hope it's just temporary"

Song of War Chapter Two

Walking the path Zeus got to know many in the community. Some lived in houses and most lived in the wild. Zeus found nearly everyone to be friendly and cordial.

Sebastian is a Great Horned Owl that oversees a vast information network, He has smaller birds that are loyal to him and act as his eyes and ears. His territory is expansive running from Lake Seaham to the west, into the North Woods on the other side of the north path, into the fields east of the gravel road and into the trees on the other side of Apple Road. Sebastian keeps constant tabs on every chickadee, house finch, nuthatch and sparrow in his domain.

Maestro and Harmony are the king and queen of the ruling family of robins. Maestro has three brothers: Adagio, Allegro and Tempo. Harmony has a sister Melody and a brother Tone. Harmony is also close to her cousins Sing, Song and Lala. Maestro had also appointed three knights to protect the territory named Fuga, Himno and Ritmo, 

Eve and Adam are the head of the bunny family but everyone calls them Ma and Pa. Eve has a brother Lon who visits regularly from his place on the other side of Lake Seaham. Their daughter Honey still lives along the path but all their other children leave the area when they get old enough.

Clem is a wild turkey that sticks close to the area often choosing to be left behind when his five brothers make their journeys into the surrounding territories. He is happiest when his brothers circle back around every few months but doesn't want to trek across the countryside. Otherwise he is content to wander between the path and Apple Lane back and forth to the lake.

Gunther is a raccoon and one of the few that Zeus neither trusts nor likes. Zeus has seen him bully and sometimes try to attack some of the smaller animals before he stepped in. Plus he knows Gunther steals food that was left out for him and gets into the bird feeders. No honor in living the mask lifestyle. 

Speaking of the bird feeders Zeus likes watching the ones set outside the house of a lady that works at the bank named Lisa. She has a husband John who is a writer and two daughters Elizabeth and Christina but go by Lizzie and Tina. Besides being kind to the birds they sometimes put out food for him also. Zeus will let the girls watch him eat but takes off if they get too close.

The house of the nurse Lucy was only three to the east. Two houses further east had a big bulldog named Bruiser. Zeus talks with him through the fence occasionly but won't enter the yard of a dog.

Two more dogs lived three houses to the west of the bird feeders. They are a couple of Boxers named Foreman and Frazier. Both are still puppies just over a year old and really hyper. One day they calmed down enough to let Zeus know they weren't actually brothers but did come from the same shelter.

Five houses futher west there are two more dogs. One is a Scottish Terrier named Montgomery and the other is a German Shepherd named Major. The first time Zeus encountered them Montgomery was yelling as he came off the porch and Major appeared at the fence without making a sound. Zeus didn't like that and thought it made him sneaky dangerous. Sebastian later mentioned it meant he was well trained and disciplined. Since that time Zeus has come to respect Major.

His buddy Torch lives four houses east of Bruiser and only two houses from the gravel road. Sundown lives on the other side of Blueberry Lane about two houses down the street from Montgomery and Major. Zuki lives on Cherry Lane just a couple houses from First Avenue and the middle path runs behind her house.

Song of War Chapter One

Home is more than a house. That is true for a cat named Zeus. He is a powerful Maine Coon who calls home wherever he lays his head.

Zeus and his three friends patrol the path to Lake Seaham and the surrounding area. There are actually three paths but the other two merge into the main path as it heads west toward the lake. The main path runs east to west and has a dense tree line on the south side and the backyards of occasional houses on the north side.

The town of Seaham lies to the south and the last major road on its northern edge runs on the opposite side of the woods. That main road is Apple Lane and it has two roads splinter off it near Lake Seaham. The first called Lake Seaham Road leads to the lake and the houses that surround it. The other is First Avenue which goes into a small community and intersects with Blueberry Lane and Cherry Lane.

The main path runs behind the houses of Blueberry Lane. Its eastern most point comes out on a gravel road which leads to a couple farms. To the west the path goes about two miles to a hill that overlooks Lake Seaham.

The middle path also starts near the gravel road but further north. Its route runs behind the houses that face south on Cherry Lane and continues a couple hundred feet past First Aveneue where it starts to curve. The path heads south and connects with the main path at about its half mile mark.

The north path is the most isolated and least used. It starts where the gravel road meets the north woods and travels along the ridgeline for about a mile. Then it cuts steeply down the hill before leveling out and merging with the main path past the one mile mark.

Zeus knew all three paths like the back of his paw as did his three friends. Sundown is a Siberian with white fur on his chest to offset the rest of his black cat appearance. Torch is a Kurilian Bobtail, rocking that orange tabby look and was almost as big as Zeus. Zuki is a Siamese with a definite attitude but enjoyed the company of the others. Together or alone they patrolled the three paths. Why? That is what cats do.

The others had houses to return to but Zeus no longer did. He once lived in one of the houses on Blueberry Lane with two young men but on moving day he was out on patrol and they did not wait for him to return before driving away. The neighbor lady realized what happened and kind of adopted him after that. She is a retired nurse named Lucy who told Zeus it broke her heart when they did that. She left food on her back patio and he sometimes let her pet him while he ate. But he vowed not to enter four walls again and refuses Lucy's invitations into her house.

He did sleep on her patio sometimes. Or crash under the porch at Sundown's house or in the bushes outside Torch's. He never stayed at Zuki's plus she never offered. Besides that there were plenty of trees and bushes to get cozy under all along the path to Lake Seaham.

Song of War Intro

I am starting a new writing project called Path to Lake Seaham which I plan on being a series. The first in the collection will be Path to Lake Seaham: Song of War. I will release each chapter on here as it is complete.