Fiction: Group 3
Pursuing the Star Flower
Harrow International School Hong Kong, Swan, Cooper - 12, Fiction: Group 3
t was a balmy day in the middle of nowhere by the Pearl River and all you could see was lush green
forest for miles and miles, fresh morning dew dripping off the leaves of trees, and bushes filled with
blooming, efflorescence flowers. All you could hear was the breath taking morning bird songs, the
muffled squeals of puppies wanting their mothers and the deep growls of the older dogs going for a morning
hunt. This was the home of the Lao Ying (Eagle) Tribe.
“My kill!” whispered Jade as he and his hunting patrol stalked closer to a hare. Jade was a beautiful
Rhodesian Ridgeback with hazelnut eyes and big floppy ears. The soft pad of their paw steps was as quiet as
the hare itself. The plan was for Mace, a huge German shepherd, to prowl around one side of the clearing
without disturbing the hare and for Snail, a rather large Bulldog and Jades best friend, to slink around the
other side, again without disturbing the hare but both of them creeping closer and closer until Jade could
make the kill. Jade would go straight through the middle with the speed of a falcon and slay the hare. If they
didn’t make the kill and went home empty-handed this would be very discouraging, especially because they
were experiencing a drought, and everybody needed to keep healthy. Boy oh boy would the chief of their
tribe, Boulder, be mad! Boulder was a menacing Rottweiler with big yellow teeth, matted fur and paws the
size of a plate. His eyes were half ice blue and half bright red! Nobody messed with Boulder! Nobody liked
him either because everybody suspected him of killing the leader of the tribe before him because he was so
power hungry! They closed in on the enticing hare with saliva dripping from their jaws in anticipation of
the kill… Snap! That was the sound of the hare’s neck when Jade made the kill.
“Nice kill.” Snail yapped happily.
“Thanks,” grunted Jade through a mouthful of fur.
When they got back to camp Boulder was very happy indeed because they had brought back the hare that
Jade had killed, as well as a plump bird that Snail had miraculously caught with a tremendous leap into a tree
and Mace had managed to snap up a couple of mice. The tribe feasted well that night but would it last?
When will this drought finally end?
Jade said to himself. It had been three months since the last rainfall
maybe more and everybody was getting weaker and weaker and weaker. They couldn’t survive for much
longer without food or fresh water. He snuggled up in his nest and went to sleep.
“Wake up,” murmured a voice in his ear. Jade thought it was Snail but when he opened his eyes it was a
dog he had never seen before. He immediately figured out who it was because he remembered the stories
his mum told him when he was just a puppy. Just before he had been born the leader of the tribe was a
gentle but stern golden retriever that everybody loved. His name was Rocky.
“I have been sent by Lightning, the god of dogs, to tell you that the only way to stop this drought is to go
to the great city, Hong Kong and find the star flower which is only to be found in Hong Kong. Now listen
to me Jade, it will be a long journey and when you get there you will encounter things you have never seen
before. There will probably be someone guarding it as well. It is very rare. When you come back you must
squeeze a few drops of it on to my grave. You will then have to wait for a day or two. Only then will the
drought stop.”
“I’m not sure I can do this,” Jade whined.
“I trust you,” Rocky said, “ Have faith in yourself that you can do it!”
“OK. I’ll try,” Jade said in a more confident tone.
I must remember the star flower!
Jade said to himself. He
turned to ask Rocky what it looked like but he had already faded away.
Never mind, I’ll figure it out when
I get there.
And with that he went back to sleep.
I
