This is another chapter of my collection of short stories (here the older chapters). I'm still writing it and it will take some more time. I'm writing it directly in English, using my poor and bad knowledge of English. The Italian version will be longer and more cured, of course. To translate the Italian version to English I'd need a better translator.
Now I want to talk about another of the creatures we travellers meet in our journeys. I met those beings more than one time, even if they are very shy.
The Mountain Chicks live in the woods and rentlessy travel through mountains, hills, forests. They are clever animals - well, I don't know if we should call them "animals", because of their intelligence and wisdom. Anyway. I saw two of them for the first time in a rainy night. I lost myself in a forest region and I was looking for a shelter. Two dark, large shadows walked by me and passed away. One of them shot a glance to me and I saw big, kind, understanding eyes. I stayed silent and astonished: I had never seen such creatures before!
I met again some Mountain Chicks, but I never had a chance to talk to them. Other travellers told to me of their encounters with the Mountain Chicks, and I collected those stories to have the best description of those creatures.
Mountain Chicks travel rentlessly, as I said. They are a race on the run.
Harmless, shy, peaceful, they run away from something we don't know. Do they have enemies? Predators? I don't think so. They just run away by instinct.
They fed on mushrooms, roots and moss. Their size is like a little man's or a child's one. They probably have feathers - it is not sure, actually. Their eyes are big and round, like bird's eyes. As I said, I'm just putting together what we know about them.
Some travellers communicated and talked with them. They can't say if the Mountain Chicks talk though. How do they communicate? We don't know.
In the night, the run across the woods and the ridges, heading to the most lonely places. Are they just scared by every other living creature?
In the daylight, they hide into dens or in the covert of the deep wood. Sometimes, during a storm, when the wind and the rain cover their voices, they sing sad and sweet melodies with a high-pitched voice. I'm one of the few, lucky ones who had a chance to hear their singing.
Every traveller I talked to showed to me their simpathy - their love - for the Mountain Chicks. I think it is because somehow we aimless travellers feel a kinship with those beings. Just my opinion.