“Only you and I have the years to communicate with the pequam. We must locate his presence quickly and warn him of the tall ones. There is prey enough for it to seek out without working the darkness around their dwellings. Gather together the trophers and harness the silent night flyer, for we can use his senses and great speed to our advantage.”*
We should depart this evening, for if no other prey is found easily, the pequam will return to the place of his last kill to feast on what remains.** Those are now buried, so his presence there will be short. It is here we will first wait. For the rest of you, keep watch over the lodges until we return this morn; for the tall one who owned the dog may be about looking for its return.”
Hantar bowed in acceptance of the charge and headed out to assemble the trophers and call in the night flyer. The elders stood one by one and left in procession. When they were gone, Atnas went to the inner stores and here took from its only locked barrel some fire herbs used only when battle is possible. As he filled the small bag taken from his satchel, he called upon the great one.
“I do not seek the use of the contents herein. I wish not the need in reality. If the tall ones come upon us, provide time to sweep them with the sleeping herbs we so commonly use, for those leaves will not hurt them, nor will they remember; but if dire events set forth, then provide this fire mixture with its potent power.”
He then picked up his staff, blew out the lodge candle and headed into the darkness.
Now Nubbins have the ability to see fairly well in the dark and possess keen hearing, second only to the silent night flyer. Thus, night patrols are common and much of their business is done in darkness. These attributes have long been part of their being, but decades of encroachment by the tall ones have sharpened their skills.
Atnas found the trophers fully assembled and he gave each of them 4 drams*** of the fire herbs. They new the meaning of this and lowered their heads as he handed each their amount. Hantar was strapping on the shoulder perch for the silent night flyer who sat in the tree above him. When in place, the bird flew down and gripped the perch. It was a magnificent site to see the great flyer standing so tall upon his shoulder, his head already rotating, listening and looking. When all was ready, the party of little men, now more like warriors, headed toward the oak forest.
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*The silent night flyer or great horned owl is found throughout North America. It is our largest owl having tufted ears, and stands about 18 to 25 inches tall with a wing span up to 55 inches in length. Contrary to popular belief, these owls cannot rotate their head completely around, but can rotate it about 270°. This head movement compensates for their fixed eyes, which cannot move up and down or side to side, though their eyesight is very keen and they can see in almost complete darkness. Great horned owls also have incredible hearing, which enables them to hear sounds 10 times fainter than the human ear can detect. This allows them to find prey by sound in the dark. Their hearing ability is the result of asymmetrical ear placement, with one ear opening set higher on the head. This means that sounds enter the ears at different times and different angles, allowing the owl to use triangulation to pin point the direction and distance of prey by tilting its head back and forth and up down until the sound is equal in each ear. Add to its keen sight and acute hearing, a silent flying speed of up to 40 mph, and this owl is an awesome predator.
**Pequams or Fishers are known to eat carrion if no other prey or food source is available.
***Nubbins use the apothecaries' system, which survived in English speaking countries until the mid 20th century; hence 4 drams would be about 1/2 ounce.
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