ROCCO'S WINGS

Chapter 1 - River Gang Boys

Chapter 1 of ROCCO'S WINGS

The goat had already been bleating for longer than Rocco wanted to hear it. Hauling himself out of bed, he stomped outside. How was he supposed to sleep with so much squawking going on?

Poised on his top step, he gazed across the yard. A goat was standing up against the bramble fence. Lifting its yellow eyes, the animal bleated again.

What was it doing here?

Rocco's house, the last in the row, had a clear view down the path, all the way to the village yard. No one was even up yet. The well stood empty. The pulley hadn't started its squeak-squeak as the women began drawing up buckets of water to fill their pots or wash their clothes.

The day's game of kickball had yet to begin. The ball, a wad of tightly wound tickets, sat forlornly in the middle of the yard.

Fluttering his wings against the cool air, Rocco jumped down the steps. Coming to the bottom, he stared over at the goat. Was it hurt? Why wasn't it with the other goats?

The effort of flying up was going to wake him up completely, but what did it matter, he thought pushing off with his toes. He was already too wide awake to fall asleep again.

Up, up he flew until he had a clear view over the fence. In the distance, Jafari and his father were walking along, spear poles in hand. A herd of goats moved, a bobbing strand of white against the stony ground. They were off in search of edible grass.

A goat bell clanged.

It wasn't like Jafari to leave a straggler behind, thought Rocco as he glided back to the ground. Tucking his wings up tight to make himself look small, or at least less raptor-like, he approached the goat. Someone had tied its foot to the fence, tethered it in such a way that he didn't even see the rope until he was hanging right over the animal.

He reached down to untie the knot. A flutter of panic rose in his throat. Why was the goat tied up here, out in the sun, without water or shade?

Swallowing hard, he stood up again. In the corner of his eye, in his bird eye vision, he spotted a rock hurtling through the air. He ducked hard. The rock flew past, narrowly missing his head as it crashed into the brambles behind him.

'Take that you freak!' shouted a voice.

Across the yard, Snaggletooth was running right at him. His mouth hung open in a sloppy grin.

'Get away from me!' Rocco frantically kneed the goat. He needed room to spread his wings, but the animal wouldn't move. Startled or stunned, it only pushed back into his legs.

'Move! Move!' Rocco pushed again.

'Loser!' Snaggletooth called, galloping ever closer.

Two other figures had just stepped out from behind the fig tree at the side of the house, Snake and Grimly. They'd been hiding there, waiting for their moment of glory – the ambush. Both boys began to run. One had a stick, the other carried a rock.

Rocco's heart had already been thumping fiercely, but now the throbbing moved to his ears. He'd never be able to fight all three of them. He yanked hard, but his tunic pulled back, caught on one of the finger long thorns in the fence. Rocco yanked again. A loud ripping sound erupted as Rocco, torn tunic and all, jumped free.

His wings sprang wide. His eyes were so full of sweat that he could hardly see.

'Go ahead then, monster! Go ahead and fly off, if you're too scared to stay and fight!' Snaggletooth lunged, breathing hotly on Rocco's neck as he reached forward and seized Rocco's wing.