She supported him down to the water’s edge and, while he slipped in, prepared a poultice for him from the mud.
“Did you know what would happen?” Arnie asked as he sat in the lagoon having a birdbath.
“That the enemy would disappear? Of course I did.” But as soon as she said the words Skylark understood what Kotuku had been getting at. There are no sides in love, Skylark. If you can’t learn not to win all the time, try at least to pretend to lose. “But,” she added hastily, “you gave me the idea.”
“Did I?” Arnie sounded pleased. But before he could ask any more questions, Skylark had changed the subject.
“Okay,” she said, “you can come out of the water now.”
With a hop and a skip, Arnie flipped out of the lake. He gave a vigorous shake and the water sprayed off his feathers. Skylark began to preen him. From the corner of her eye she saw Kotuku watching and nodding with approval.
A blissful look came over Arnie’s face. His eyes rolled up and he gave a deep sigh of contentment. “I could get used to this,” he said.
Skylark blushed. Having never been in this position before, she didn’t know how to reply. Instead, she concentrated on the job at hand. “That will just have to do for now,” she said. “It’s a pity they don’t have bandages around here. But that’s the way it is in birdland.”
Chieftain Kahu came flying towards them and broke the spell. Skylark saw that all the manu whenua at the inlet had lifted and were flying in their hundreds back to the cliff face where the sacred tree was.
Kahu bowed low before Skylark and Arnie. “Tui has asked us all to the paepae for the victory celebration. It is my great honour to escort you there.” His voice fell to a whisper. “Confidentially, you have saved the day, Chieftain Arnie, and we wish to give you the greatest honour.”
“But it’s really Skylark who did it,” Arnie protested.
It was too late. Kahu had already launched himself into the air. As Skylark and Arnie followed him, Kotuku joined them.
“Do you mind, dear, all this fuss over Arnie?” she asked.
“No, of course I don’t,” Skylark answered. “I was never any good at being centre stage. Let Arnie take the credit that is due to him.”
“You’re learning fast. After all, we know who was the real hero of the battle, don’t we? I salute you, Chieftainess.”
Skylark heard a huge cheer as they approached the sacred tree. Waiting for them on the highest branch were Chieftain Tui, Chieftain Ruru and Chieftain Kawau. Every branch was filled with birds. To one side perched Te Arikinui Huia, Te Arikinui Karuwai and Te Arikinui Korimako. To another were Chieftain Piwakawaka, Chieftain Koekoea, Chieftain Parera and Chieftain Kaka. The Great White Egret and her crack troops from China were sitting on the branch reserved for respected visitors. Chieftain Pekapeka was in his usual place, hanging upside down. On the ground, the wingless birds — Chieftain Weka, Chieftain Kakapo, Chieftain Kiwi and Chieftain Titi among them — were still settling down.
Young women, led by the comely Kahurangi, were dancing and twirling their pois for all they were worth.
“Come down from the sky, noble hero,” Kahurangi sang. She was shimmying and bopping in a way that wasn’t quite traditional, and totally ignoring Skylark. “Come into our midst and receive your reward.”
Huh, thought Kotuku. She’s so obvious. Throwing herself at Arnie.
Young warrior birds, winged and wingless, leapt forward in an eye-bulging, muscle-popping haka.
“Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora ka ora!
It was death, it was death! But now it is life!
It is life …”
Gesticulating, they called Arnie, Skylark, Kahu and Kotuku down to the paepae.
“Whakarongo ake au ki te tangi a te manu nei a te ma tui! Tui! Tuituia!” Chieftain Tui called everyone to attention.
A hush fell over the audience. It was spellbinding. Filled with anticipation. Sweet. Tender. Arnie gulped, looked at Skylark and held his wing out to her — and Skylark took it. “You’ll be okay,” she said. But her heart was thumping too.
Tui cleared his throat. “As the tide of the ocean recedes, so the tide has turned against the manu moana and takes them back to the sea where they belong. Let peace again prevail between us. Let the seabirds be happy where they are. Let them not try again to usurp the border.”
Pandemonium erupted. Birds tumbled and flipped in the air. A chorus of jubilation rose among the congregation. Tui lifted his wings to restore order. “Come forward, Chieftain Arnie, saviour from the future.”
But Arnie hung back and Skylark rolled her eyes and kicked him in the shins. “Ow! What did you do that for?”
“Go on! Everybody’s waiting! This is your moment. It was your destiny to do this. Everyone needs a hero. You are theirs.” She pushed him again, and there was nothing else he could do except grin stupidly, kneel before Tui and bowed his head.
“Chieftain Arnie,” Tui declaimed, “all the manu whenua thank you for your services. We wish to bestow upon you the highest honour any bird can receive. We dub thee, Sky Rider. Arise, Sir Arnie.”
The air rang with thunderous applause. Skylark felt a glow of pride, but couldn’t resist teasing him.
“What’s it like being Lord of the Wings?”
“I’m getting my own back,” Arnie replied. Before Skylark could stop him he turned to the audience. “I thank you all for this honour,” he said, “but I am only a garage mechanic from Tuapa. The honour you have bestowed on me really belongs to Skylark.”
Arnie knelt in front of her. “You are my lady,” he said. “I am simply your knight. You are the wind beneath my wings.”
A loud gasp arose from the manu whenua. A cock acknowledging a hen? During the formalities of the marae? Why, it was unheard of.
“Get up, Arnie,” Skylark hissed. “Oh please, Arnie, you’re embarrass-ing me.”
Arnie remained on his knees, and his gesture spurred Kotuku into action. After all, it had been Skylark who won the battle and been the cause of the manu whenua’s victory. Who knows? In her own world she was probably just an ordinary being, but look at her accomplishment in this world. Kotuku flew up to join Tui, Ruru and Kawau on the paepae. A yelp of protest came from Kawau.
“The Chieftainess from the future needs to be recognised, Tui,” Kotuku said. “Do it.”
Tui harrumphed, startled. He looked at Ruru who, remembering Skylark’s leadership at the inlet, nodded. “So many strange things have already occurred to change our world,” Ruru offered. “Another will not break the back of the camel.”
“Camel?” Tui shook his head. Sometimes Ruru could be so arcane and mysterious.
“Well?” Kotuku prompted.
“Don’t rush me,” Tui answered, his white collar bobbing. He looked down at Skylark. “Chieftainess, your love for your mother, and for us, has brought you on a journey that many of us would tremble at.”
And Skylark let go. All her life she had only counted on herself to get her through anything. She had never asked anything of anybody. She started to weep.
“Although you are just a small and ordinary bird, lacking in extraordinary powers —”
Kotuku stared hard at him with steely eyes. “What do you want to say a thing like that for?”
“—you have nevertheless proven courage beyond the call of duty. Who would have thought such a little bird could do so well? Ka mahi te tawa uho ki te riri. Well done, you whose courage is like the strong heart of the tawa tree.”
The manu whenua, swayed by Tui’s words, began to whistle their approval. Kotuku hadn’t finished with Tui yet. “Not so fast, Tui,” she said. “Down on your knobbly knees.”
“You’re asking too much, Kotuku —”