Pocket Wilderness Conflict – On the run Dan

Anna gathers the hatchlings closer. She stretches her wings just enough to shield the little ones as she levels a gaze at Flo. She bristles and quite firmly sets her flippers.

“What is the meaning of this, Flo?” she asks rather sternly. Furthermore, she gives Flo a withering stare, and pulls the hatchlings a bit closer. Flo appears to not be listening to Anna. Instead she is eyeing something just beyond Anna. Something that is causing a growing look of alarm on Flo.

Pocket Wilderness Conflict – On the run Dan

Anna turns to look in the direction of Flo’s stare. She is astounded at what she sees. Indeed, she blinks in confusion, and to be sure she is seeing, what she is seeing. It is her Dan flying with wild abandon, his eyes fixed on Anna and the hatchlings! Furthermore Roy the Rowdy is galloping alongside Dan. They have almost reached Anna and the hatchlings and Anna is very glad.

She turns to admonish Flo. And discovers Flo is nowhere to be seen. The area is clear. At that moment Dan arrives and without missing a beat nudges the hatchlings to follow him. Roy the Rowdy has entered the road and begins to linger, causing all traffic to pause.

Pocket Wilderness Conflict - On the run Dan

Dan leads the hatchlings across the stalled road. He nods to Roy as they pass by, and clicks his bill for the hatchlings to keep following! They quickly waddle across the road. Dan isn’t too concerned with the incredulous looks from the humans in the vehicles. Indeed, it was as if they had never seen flippers before!

Within moments they are safely across the road. Anna is the last to leave the road behind little Gilbert, the smallest of the hatchlings. Once they are all across, Roy the Rowdy joins them, leaving the traffic to resume its flow. They continue further into this strange new country for a short time.

Once the wilderness had engulfed them, they paused, while Dan and Roy the Rowdy had a small palaver. After a short time they said their farewells, and Roy the Rowdy had begun the journey back the way they had come.

On the run Dan

Dan and Anna waddle side by side now, as they lead the hatchlings into the new pocket wilderness. It wouldn’t be long before they reached their new nest and Anna and the hatchlings can safely rest. Dan will be making the journey back just as Roy had done. Furthermore, he was now on the run.

After the hatchlings are safe, he shares the plan with Anna. Then he gets moving. There was only going to be one chance to get things right. It would take courage and determination and the fate of every pocket wilderness was at stake. Dan waddles back toward the pond. Indeed, just as he and Roy had discussed. This is where the real challenge will be found.