The night was long, and the moon was high in the sky when Chaser awoke abruptly from his sleep. He looked around, beside him his other half was quietly sleeping. It was odd for Chaser to be awake and not his other half, it sort of felt like he was still in a dream with only half of his self present. Consciousness wavering, reality quavering. It wasn't sure if he was awake or not since it was unusual for him to be alone... but he wasn't along.
In the bushes ahead of him, a dark figure approached. It got closer, and closer and soon it wasn't so dark. The figure was illuminating the small space of Chaser's eyes. It was really quite close, but the buck wasn't sure what to do. Before he knew what happened, it was up in his face having a staring contest with him. Upon closer examination, it had a beak. It was a crane. Cranes were sacred. You don't just shoo a crane away. Chaser just sat there, near blinded by the bright yet familiar eyes staring at him. He half expected the foul to suddenly speak to him. To tell him the swamp's destiny was on his shoulders and that he was the hero to save the day.
Glowing eyes stared at glowing eyes until finally the craned stepped back. The crane understood something, something deep and mysterious. It glanced over at the sleeping doe, and then back at the buck. It repeated this process several times as if confused. Finally, with it's head straight forward it knew! This buck had just had some fun! With this in mind, the crane stepped forward again.
Chaser jumped back in surprise from the crane approaching him so suddenly again. He bumped back against Dancer, causing her to wake up and make a noise that Chaser was sure would scare the crane away, probably causing it to attract a crocodile that would be the end of him. He looked at his other half, who looked not at him but the crane who was looking at Chaser. She didn't bother asking, she didn't have to, as she quietly looked at the crane.The crane stopped approaching, not because of the doe who had awoken and sudden sound, but because he suddenly had forgotten what it had set off to do. Peck their eyes in? Was that it? That sounded right... was that why the doe woke up? He pecked her? No, no, no, he wasn't even near the doe, that couldn't be it. The crane stared for a moment again, standing on one leg, lifting one wing up... oh yes! Lifting his other wing as if he was going to take off into the sky the crane paused like so,
"May your life be full of many more stars than four."
Chaser felt like the crane was about to attack him when finally the crane lowered its wings. Chaser lowered his guard, and then surely, the crane hopped over to the buck and with a sure strike of energy, the crane peaked the buck on the hide. Chaser and Dancer both made a small cry. Success! It was finalized! That would surely bruise and stay with him at least a week, long enough to attach to another kimeti!
The sound of a splash in the water in the distance distracted the two kimeti, and before either of the kimeti noticed the crane was hopping off in the other direction towards the sound of the splash. For a moment, they thought they seen a kimeti in the form of a majestic starry sky in the swamp, but by the time the two kimeti looked at each other and then back to the crane, the form was gone.
