Canku Ota - December 27, 2003 - Thunderhawk – The Curse of the Robin Redbeast

The intensity in and around the homeground was unlike anything any of the mice had ever seen before. Thunderhawk and Blaze watched from the branch that they had perched on and were amazed. As they watched, they saw Michayla and Paddy up on the rocks of judgment and their eyes could not stop crying. They knew that their punishment would be severe and that their entire families may even end up being banished from their beloved homeground forever.

Michayla and Paddy’s families looked on in disbelief as Swift Warrior quickly climbed up the sacred assembly mound and took his spot on top of the ruling ancient rock to judge the case at hand. As Swift Warrior got to the top of his sacred spot he stood tall and held his arms high in the air and looked toward the heavens. As he did this the crowd cheered wildly. Then Swift Warrior, with a very solemn look on his face lowered his arms and stared intently at the throng. The drums of justice continued to beat loudly in the background and the medicine mouse continued his chanting. Then suddenly, Swift Warrior raised his right arm and turned his right paw into a fist. The noise was very loud and then in a very fast movement Swift Warrior opened his paw and all noise stopped. There was dead silence.

Michayla and Paddy were so scared they couldn’t even cry any more. When Swift Warrior had given the sign for all noise to stop, Pat and Papa O’Malley knew that the time had come for the trial. Their hearts were very sad. They also knew that they may be banished from the homeground forever for something that they had nothing to do with.

Swift Warrior spoke in a deliberate and very loud voice. The mice were all amazed at how deep his voice was and how strong it was for a mouse of his age. He was still in incredible physical condition and every mouse there thought about what he must have looked like in his prime.

As he spoke he said, “What are the crimes that we are gathered here today to address?” From the rocks of justice, just to the left of the ruling ancient rock the senior ruling elder, named Brogan stood and spoke directly to Swift Warrior. As he began to speak he bowed deeply to the ancient one and said, “Oh wise and noble leader of the valley of the river, we have before us two hateful mice who have chosen to tell terrible lies which resulted in one little mouse almost dying, but even worse than that, they caused the hated Red Beast to return to our world.”

Michayla and Paddy looked at each other and said, “Huh????” Pat and Penny and Papa O’Malley and Virginia O’Malley did the same thing. None of the mice in the homeground had known up until that moment that when Paden had run away, he had brought the dreaded Red Beasts back to life, to curse the beautiful smoky mountains forever with a new reign of terror.

Swift Warrior bellowed out, “Did you say that these two mice caused the terrible Red Beasts to return to the smoky mountains?” Brogan sadly shook his head up and down to confirm what the ancient had asked.

All the mice in the homeground got very nervous after hearing that news and looked all around to see what the other mice were doing at that awful information. Then off in the distance they heard the frightening sound of many Red Beasts. Their thunderous chirping sound shook happy valley and cast fear in all present.

Even Thunderhawk and Blaze knew what that sound was. While they had been able to eliminate the one Red Beast and save Paden, they knew that the sounds that they were now hearing were that of an entire flock of the horrible creatures and they knew that they would be no match for all of them.

It was obvious as the nervous crowd of mice listened that the Red Beasts were heading in their direction at a very rapid rate. All the mice knew that the return of the Red Beasts meant an end to the life that they had known and loved there in happy valley. It would never be a safe place to live again. They all knew that would have to leave and do so very quickly.

Swift Warrior spoke one last time and said, “The trial is no longer of any significance. The only important thing left for any of us now is to run as far as we can, as fast as we can and in many different directions in hopes of escaping the certain destruction that the terrible beasts will bring to our community. I now command you all you to run from here as fast as you can. Leave any and all of your belongings and just run.” The Swift Warrior jumped down from ruling ancient rock and did as had commanded. He ran!

All the other mice looked around and started frantically trying to gather their families together. The sound of the Red Beasts was getting closer and closer. Then the mice all began running as fast as they could in all four directions. Some north, some south, some east and some west. Pat and Penny ran to pick up Paden and signaled for all their other relatives to gather so that they could leave. Then they ran quickly to the east and disappeared from sight.

Papa O’Malley and Virginia sounded the assembly for their relatives and quickly headed to the north. As they disappeared from sight, Thunderhawk and Blaze heard the loud thunder of the Red Beasts feet as they approached the now deserted homeground. As the Red Beasts arrived they sniffed the ground and turned over every rock and bush that they saw. They were frantically looking for the little mice that had just left. They were making a lot of noise and chirping and snapping their huge ugly beaks at each other as they tried to find the little ones.

Then, as quickly as they arrived, they disappeared. The Red Beasts had split up into several groups and were hot on the trails of the little mice. The huge birds had their noses to the ground like a pack of wild dogs following the scent left behind by the mice.

Thunderhawk and Blaze just looked at each other with great sorrow. They were afraid that the terrible beasts would find the little mice very easily and there was nothing that they could do about it. It was an awful feeling.

There were tears in Blaze’s eyes as she asked Thunderhawk what they should do. He just slowly shook his head back and forth and a tear came to his eye as well. He had spent his whole life there in happy valley protecting those little mice and now they were gone.

He still vividly remembered the lessons of Running Deer and the way that he had saved Thunderhawk from death as a young bird. He remembered his adventure meeting and ultimately mating with his beloved Blaze. He remembered so many fights he had been involved in saving the little mice. Now it was all over. They were gone forever and he would never see them again.

As much as he loved happy valley he was now restless. He wanted to leave the place and never go back again. Then he turned to Blaze and said, “Hey! Let’s go on a long trip. Okay?” She sadly looked at him and understood what he was feeling. She hated to leave that place just as much as he did. She remembered so many things as well. But like Thunderhawk, she now knew it was changed forever. She looked right in his eyes and said, “Lead the way my love.”…and then they were gone.

Geoff Hampton is an internationally known author, speaker, motivator and business consultant. Hampton is the Executive Director for St. Mary's Health & Fitness Center in Powell, TN and is also a regular columnist for the wellness/fitness Website www.fitcommerce.com as well as Canku Ota. He can be reached by E-mail at GEOFFLHAMPTON@aol.com His national anti-obesity/diabetes campaign, The Wellness Wakeup Challenge can be reviewed at www.fitcommerce.com/wellness