Image of Cathedral Cove, NZ
Used under GNU
license
Coffin bay
The bay was only accessible from the sea. And it was from
the sea that the invaders came.
They knew the day. The wise men had warned them. ‘If they
touch us, we will sicken and die.’ They believed them; they had proven
themselves before.
The tall ship with the white wings approached. The canoes
met it. They waved, as if at friends.
The women manned their boats. The wise men said the invaders
did not value women warriors.
The invaders were pale and weak. Too long at sea. But the
wise men had said they would kill them all.
The invaders did not speak the same words as they did, but
they were careful to be friendly and smiling. They led it into the shallow bay.
The tall ship stopped; the invaders swarmed up like ants to close the white
wings. They shouted to each other.
A smaller boat was lowered and rowed to meet the women on
the shore. Only one craft had landed, but they did not notice that.
Inside the cave, the creature’s eyes opened. It blinked
extremely slowly. One of the women saw. She motioned to the others and they
turned their boat so that it faced out into the bay.
The creature was enraged.
A rival. With white wings. Loud. Disrespectful.
It exploded from the cave in a flurry of black leathery
wings and fire.
The women ran and paddled for their lives. The invaders did
not recognise the creature.
Fire cleansed them all.
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