Fly With Your Heart

Chapter Ten

     I slowly opened my tiny eyes.

     Back in my nest, cozy as ever, I felt safe. I looked out over the ledge and saw the ground far, far below me. Atâhk sat above me, keeping me warm against the chilly dawn air. Waskôw and Yôtin weren't here, so I assumed that they had already gone rock hopping.

     I wriggled out from underneath my Father and shook my down. I ruffled through it, fluffing it up and making sure it was nice and clean. It had been white when I hatched, but it was now more gray-brown. I felt close to having feathers, and I was very excited.

     I wonder what it will be like to fly, I thought, gazing out at the pinkish sky. The sun was just peeping over the edge, soft yellow amidst the darkness. A single star shone high above. I looked at it, wondering how lonely it must feel.

     When I learn to fly, Morning Star, I will keep you company. I vowed. You will be lonely no longer. I heard shuffling sounds behind me, and quickly dove under my Father's feathers. I tried to make it seem like I had just woken up, but Atâhk chuckled.

     "Oh Kîsik, I know you were up. Your down is cold." I felt my skin burn in shame. Since the cougar attack, my parents kept me on close watch. That meant staying under them before, and after, sunrise or sunset.

     I sighed. As a young eagle, I wanted nothing more than to fly. I wanted nothing more, than to explore the world and learn all its secrets. But that could wait a bit longer. "Yes Papa." I looked back at Morning Star. She was so beautiful up there, and I remembered my promise.

     I'll keep you company soon, my friend.

. . .

     I remembered this as I flew under the night sky. It was a sunrise after my first hunt, and I had never felt better. Well... almost. The memory sparked a loneliness in my heart, and I longed to see my family again. If not my beloved brother, then at least my parents.

     And so that was why I was flying at night.

     I can find them, I thought. The mountains are big, but I can fly now. It might seem foolish, to think I could find my blood amidst this stone land, but I had hope. I flew all night, never stopping. The sky was clear, and the moon full. It seemed like a good omen, because I could see well. Maybe it meant that I would find my family, if not tonight then some other time in the future.

     I didn't know where Morning Star was exactly, but I knew she was watching over me. I flew under the heavenly lights, scanning the crags for the familiar cleft in which I had grown up in. Further into the night, I slowly began to lament. I realized, that I had never seen my home from the sky. And even if I had, it would look just the same as any other crack.

     I couldn't even figure out which direction I had flown from home, much less how to get there. The sorrow lodged in my stomach, and I blinked back tears. I'm just tired, I thought stubbornly, in the morning, I'll look again.

. . .

     Cold air seeping under my feathers woke me up. I had found a copse of small trees to roost in, and I spent the night there. The dew had settled on my wings, and I shook them stiffly. The cold wind air gathered under my limbs, chilling me further and I shivered.

     I realized why I was so cold. The first frost had come. The dew on my feathers had frozen to ice, and I would have to wait for the sun to melt it away. So I sat, waiting for my savior to rise. Morning Star sparkled above me, and I sighed.

     "I can't keep you company now, my wings are frozen stiff," I told her. The star blinked back.

     A while later, I felt warmer. The sun had risen and the air was crisp. As I lifted off the gray branch, I was thankful for my down. It kept me warm throughout the night, and away from death. Heavy clouds rolled in later in the day, and I suspected rain.

     I renewed my search, swooping between the peaks of the mountains and searching for home. The wind I flew in was like an entity. It breathed, stopping occasionally and then coming back full-force. There were warm currents for me to rise on, and cold spots where I could fall if not careful. My feathers were like feelers, by which I knew where these breezes traveled.

     I felt moisture gathering, rising in the air with the warm wind. It carried me several wingspans higher before I leveled off. I gently pumped my wings, barely stiffing a feather. The cloud fluff trailed behind me, creating two thin, white, lines.

     My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of a crag in the rocks. The cliff face was tall, and smooth. Just above the crag way a thin walkway. I cried out, singing a song my mother had taught me. I hoped they would recognize my voice, for it had changed dramatically since I was a chick.

     I heard no answer.

     "Ma? Pa?" I asked. "Yôtin?"

     Still nothing. I felt a horrible sinking feeling in my stomach. I landed in the cleft and looked around.

     It looked like no bird had lived here at all. The rock was barren, void of any life. The gray colour reminded me of the wires which made up my cage. I shuddered and left as quickly as I could. As I left the cliff, I spotted a pika not too far away.

     A pika looks like a large mouse without a tail. They sometimes stray far from their nests in search of food, and I was lucky to find one here. Unfortunately, because of its size, a pika can hide almost anywhere.

     That's why I was so glad to see that it had nowhere to hide.

     I took off, racing to get to it. When I was several wingbeats away, it noticed me. It screamed, a high-pitched squeak, and bolted. I power-flapped my wings, and soon caught up. I pounced on it, ending its life quickly and sending my thanks to the skies. I bent my head to eat, but paused when I noticed a flash of orange fur.

     A fox.

     It slunk between rocks, trying to sneak up on me and steal my food. I hissed at it, and launched forward. I missed it, and it grabbed the pika away. I shrieked in anger and rose in flight to defend my meal.

     The fox ran between boulders, pausing occasionally to try and swallow the food but I was relentless. I swooped down, and landed right on the fox's haunches. It yelped and let go of my prey. I shrieked and grabbed it, flying away quickly and not stopping until I found a forest to hide in.

     I landed on a branch and finally began eating. The meat tasted good, like sweet grass and nuts. Once I was done, I stayed in my spot and looked at the clouds. They were whizzing by fast, and the wind was picking up. It whistled with a strange sound, one I didn't recognise right away. But then... I thought there were... words?

     "Help! Help me!"