Dance of the Elephants (To be continued)

Moonlight herd: 

Matriarch (Leaders of the herd, and migration guide): Tansy- Rare female albino, with rare blue eyes, named for her love in the herb tansy 

Females (Elephants who aren’t male, and care for the calves):  

Peanut- Dusty female with light brown eyes, named after her love of peanuts. 

Maple- Female with deep blue-gray eyes, named for the maple shaped spot on her forehead 

Sage- Female with green eyes, named for her sage colored eyes 

Ruby- Female with amber eyes, named for her amber eyes 

Star- Female with blue eyes, named for her rare white color 

Fern- Female with green eyes, named for her love of rare green ferns 

Iris- Female with purple eyes, named for her eyes and love of the smell of iris flowers 

Calves (Baby elephants, who if male leave the herd when old enough to fend for themselves, usually 2-4 years old):  

Flow- Female with blue eyes. Mother is Peanut, named after her flow with life. Her mother always tells he she can flow through any problem  

Forest- Female with brown eyes. Mother is Tansy, named after her great connection to the earth and to other animals 

Dirt- Male with honey-colored eyes. Mother is Maple, named after his dirt-colored skin 

Elders: 

Floral- Light gray nonbinary, with yellow eyes, named for their love of all plants 

Rain- Dark gray female with gentle light brown eyes, named after her gray color 

Male elephants of the savanna: 

Bull: Rock- Gray male with cold brown eyes 

Males: 

Cliff- Brown male with amber eyes, father of Dirt, and Maples mate 

Storm- Gray male with yellow eyes, and Peanut’s mate 

Bark- A male with golden eyes, named for his fury if he gets mad 

Sun- Male with kind light brown eyes, father of Tansy’s kid

Flame- A male with green eyes, named for his flaming soul 

Chapter one: 

“Mom!” Flow called. Her mother, Peanut, glanced over at her. 

“Yes sweetie?” Peanut rumbled. Flow pranced up to her. 

“When will I be able to learn how to dance?” She cried. Peanut laughed, lifting her trunk. 

“My silly calf, you know the rules, you will learn when you’re five.” 

“Aw. But that's SO far away. I want to learn how to dance now. I can already do some of the moves. Look!” Flow protested. Then she reared up on her back legs, shook her ears, trumpeted, and twirled. 

“That’s nice dear, but we must follow the rules. Understood?” Peanut said. 

“Fine.” Flow grumbled, stomping away towards Forest. 

“Hey Flow!” Forest called, rushing over to her with a grin. “What’s the matter? You look like you just lost a trunk wrestling match!” 

Flow paused and rolled her eyes. “It’s the dance rules again. Mom won’t let me learn until I’m five. I wanted to impress everyone with my moves!” 

  Forest’s eyes widened, and her ears flopped dramatically as he bobbed his head in sympathy. “That’s the rules though! But I bet you can teach me some of those ‘moves’ before then. Show me!” 

  With a flick of her tail, Flow considered her offer. “You really want to learn?” she asked, her initial frustration beginning to melt away. 

“Of course! I’ll need to learn; we all must. So, let’s be dance partners!” Forest exclaimed, excitedly bouncing on her toes.  

Flow beamed at the idea. “Okay! Just follow my lead. First, you must rear up like this…” Flow stood tall, placing her front legs on a fallen log as she struck a confident pose, shaking her ears to create a rhythm. 

Forest mimicked her, wobbling slightly and almost losing her balance. “Whoa! How do you make it look so easy?” she laughed, trying to regain her balance. 

“Practice! Just like the older elephants do at dance festivals. They make it look effortless. Here, let’s try shaking our tails and stomping to the beat,” Flow suggested. 

With that, the two friends began to stomp and sway together, creating a rhythm that echoed through the trees. They laughed as they danced, often breaking into fits of giggles when Forest accidentally stomped on her own tail or when Flow tripped over a twig. 

As they danced, Flow felt her heart lighten. Even if she couldn’t officially learn yet, at least she had Forest to practice with. “Let’s see who can make the best trumpet sound!” she challenged. 

“Bring it on!” Forest trumpeted, and they both burst into a series of playful blasts, their joyful sounds filling the air. Little by little, they began to feel like real dancers, inventing their own moves and building a secret routine. 

After the sun dipped low, casting golden hues through the branches, Flow and Forest finally flopped down on the grass, panting with joy. “That was amazing!” Flow exclaimed; her eyes sparkling. 

“Yeah! We must do this again. Just imagine how awesome we’ll be by the time you’re five!” Forest grinned, shaking her ears with excitement. 

Flow nodded, her heart racing with anticipation. “And when I do turn five, we’ll show everyone our routine! Just wait until Mom and the others see!”  

“Yeah!” Forest agreed, her ears flopping around. They both trotted back to the acacia grove and stood under the shade of a tree. 

“I’m glad you’re my best friend!” Flow whispered. Forest nodded, beaming. 

“Yawn. I’m going to go to bed.” Flow said. 

“Ok. But at midnight go to the moon lake, I have something to show and tell you.” Forest whispered. 

“Fine.” Yawned Flow, trotting off to her sleeping mother. She closed her eyes and let sleep engulf her. 

Flow opened her eyes to see Forest standing over her. 

“I’m coming.” Flow muttered, getting to her feet. 

“Follow me.” Forest whispered, trotting towards the moon lake. Flow pranced after her friend. 

When they arrived, Forest stood at the edge of the lake, looking out into the deep waters. 

“Flow.” Forest whispered. 

“Yes?” 

“I brought you here to tell you that I really like you, even though you’re a girl. And when were older, maybe we can be mates?” Forest asked. 

Flow was speechless. “You like actually like me?” 

“Yes.” Forest whispered. “Do you want to be secret mates for now?” 

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!!” Flow cried. “I’d love to!” 

“Thank you.” Forest whispered, nuzzling Flow on her head. 

“The truth is that I also kind of liked you. But now, I really like you.” Flow said, shuffling her big feet. 

“Great!” Forest said, swishing her tail.  

“Now let's go back to the grove before anyone finds us here.” Flow said.  

Chapter two: 

“Too late.” A low trumpet called. “You two aren’t supposed to be here, let alone in the night.” Tansy grunted, while Peanut looked scared.   

“Eep!” Forest whimpered. “Sorry Tansy.” 

“We’re very sorry.” Flow whispered, hoping to be forgiven. 

But Tansy’s glare was cold. “It's much too dangerous out here, lions, hyenas, vultures, crocodiles. You both could have been killed!”  

“Tansy. Please.” Peanut cried. “There just young calves, and we were here if anything happened.”  

“I don’t care. In the herd, young elephants will follow rules, or they aren’t good enough to be an elephant.” Tansy yelled.  

A big shadow appeared from the other side of the clearing. “What are you doing here?” A male elephant spoke. Flow stared at him; he was bigger than Tansy.  

“Storm? Is that you?” Peanut said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Dad?” Flow stood still. She wanted to rush towards him and cuddle him. But she knew that was forbidden.  

“What are you doing to my child” Storm rumbled anger flaring in his eyes. 

Then another elephant pushed past Storm. 

“Sun?” Tansy called. “What in the world do you want? I don’t want anything to do with you!” 

“I’m helping a calf, unlike you.” He yelled. “Leave the poor calves alone!” 

“Never! I’m just protecting them, saving them from the dangers of-” Tansy started. 

“That never happened.” Sun finished. “If that's actually true, then you wouldn't be scaring them, matriarch.” He trumpeted in anger. Then a third elephant trampled in. 

“Rock!” Sun yelled. “Good of you to come here!” 

“Boys that’s enough” Rock trumpeted. “Tansy, if you don’t take care of these calves they will live with us. I don’t care if they're not males!” Rock said, ignoring the gasps of shock coming from Tansy and Peanut.  

Peanut looked at Storm then to Tansy. “We don’t have a choice.” Peanut whimpered. “They will take them by force if we don’t comply.”  

“Never!” Tansy yelled. “Females belong with females, and males belong with males! Thats how it is, and how it’s always been.” 

“Well, we’ll take them if it means they’ll be safe.” Rock said. 

“Fine. Do that, but if you do, we have Dirt. We can kill him if its needed.” Tansy warned. 

“But that's not the way of the elephant. We don’t kill, Tansy, even if the elephant who wants to do it is a liar.” Rock stammered. 

“Flow, come talk to us.” Storm spoke gently, and quietly.  

Flow trotted up to Storm and Sun. “Yes?” she whispered.  

“I need you to meet us here with Dirt at first dawn. Before the herd leaves.”  Sun whispered back. “Over there, behind those trees.” Sun nodded to a spot with thick trees.  

“Ok.”  Flow whispered, then raced to catch up with her mother. 

“Flow.” Peanuts gentle voice said. “What were you doing out there?” 

“I can’t tell you.” Flow whispered back. “I’m sorry.” Then Flow collapsed on the ground with exhaustion. Flow stood up and trudged towards a tree, then she closed her eyes. 

Flow woke, and realized it was dawn, so she trudged up the slope, and them halted. She’d forgotten Dirt. Flow silently walked over to him. 

“Dirt.” She whispered. “Follow me.” 

Dirt opened his eyes, blinking. “Wha?” 

“Follow me.” Flow repeated. “Your life depends on it.”  

Dirt huffed but got up anyways.  

“Good calf.” Flow whispered. “Come on.” They trotted up the slope, side by side, and reached the tree. 

“Flow! Here!” Rock’s soft voice called. 

“Flow! Wait up!” Forest said, trotting to them. 

“Forest! Sorry. I forgot you were coming.” Flow whispered. 

“Forget about it.” Forest whispered kind-heartedly. 

Flow looked at her secret mate. “What now?” She asked turning her gaze to Rock.  

His gaze shifted from happy to nervous. “We go to my herd.” He replied cautiously.  

Flow nodded, and Dirt whispered in her ear. “Why? I want to be with my mommy.”  

“I know, but matriarch want’s to use you as leverage, and you’re much better then that.” Flow whispered back. 

“Oh.” 

“Come on! This will be an adventure!” Flow cried, following Rock. 

Rock sighed “Come on.” 

Chapter 2: 

As we walked towards the males camp, Flow was lost in thought. “What now?” Flow questioned herself.