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The seven geese naturally became a V-Form in the order they rose into the air. Liza was in the lead, Drifter settled slightly behind to her right, Ki then Jake was on her left. Mattias slid behind Drifter and High glided behind Mattias. Finally, Ack evened the formation by easing behind Jake. They flew in silence for a while heading for the bright light that was continuing its slow rise changing the color of the sky from pink to yellow then to bright, clear blue. The air around them was soft as Liza led them forward at a quick pace.
It was High who spoke first, “Why are we going so fast?”
“To get there!” Liza replied and made another strong push down of her wings.
“To get where?” Ki simply asked. “I agree with High. We do not know where we are going or how we are even going to find out. We should conserve our energy.”
Liza slowed as confirmation to the discussion.
“We can conserve energy and go just as fast,” High suggested.
“Of course,” Drifter joined the discussion. “The air glider would know.”
“How?” Liza interrupted.
“Go up until you feel a push from behind and you just go with it,” High instructed her.
Liza raised her head and began to push her wings in long, strong thrusts and the other joined her. The V-Form angled upward all as one, stretching higher into the sky. Suddenly, a rush of air pressed them forward and Liza almost stumbled.
“Spread you wings and just ride it!” High yelled to all of them and closed his eyes.
Drifter started to laugh. Ki joined him, laughing too. The others were silent, nodding at each other now and then except for Liza, who just glided with it. Now and then, she flapped, and the others joined her. They enjoyed the silence and the stillness for a while soaking in the sun and the crispness of the air.
“Well, I have never seen geese so high,” a voice shattered the stillness from behind them. As they began to look back, the voice continued, “Do not look back because then I will be in front of you.”
A shadow passed over them and a huge body eased down directly in front of them. It was an eagle with a massive wingspan with wingtips stretched out and angling up and down slowing to match their pace. The head of the predator was white and when it turned to address them, the hooked beak glistened in the sun. The green eyes were sharp and clear and noticeable to each one of them. The geese also glanced at the talons, curled and drawn back beneath the stretched-out tail.
“So,” he spoke again. “These are the geese of the Journey of Three/”
“How do you know?” Jake asked.
“Well, Deke and I are,” he paused for effect. “Friends. Everyone in all of Birddom know about this. Don’t you know how well Deke and The Flock are known? You need to understand your own history if one of you are to become Deke’s replacement.”
“Who are you?” It was Liza who asked the direct question.
The eagle returned his gaze solely on her before introducing himself. “I am called Protector and, no, that is not my given name. It is the name given me by your Leader and he asked me to protect you on this journey. Other than right now, you will not see me, but I will be watching you. Understand?”
The seven flew silently in response. Protector made a stroke of his wings once, then twice, before turning slightly to his right before speaking again.
“Do you see that tall tree in the distance, the one standing higher than the rest. Answer me.”
“Yes,” Liza responded.
“You will land at the base of it. You will receive instructions to your first test,” the eagle stated and then faced forward. They could see him tweak his wingtip and rise above them, circled to their left continuing in an upward spiral above them until he was just an object in the sky.
“Whoa,” Drifter spoke. “You really made him mad Liza.”
She flapped once.
Below them they were above a massive expanse of green, occasionally interrupted by small irregular circles of blue or gray.
“What don’t we know about The Flock? About Deke?” Ack questioned out loud. “I thought I knew everything.”
“Maybe you don’t,“ Mattas offered. “Maybe Deke chose to keep some secrets to himself.”
“I bet Daniel knows,” Jake offered. “Those two are bonded at the hip.”
“Probably,” High offered. “Liza, I think we should start heading down, slowly.”
“Thank you. I know,” and she started to angle down as behind her the conversation continued.
“They started something new and I am sure they had to cross many paths to achieve what we know now,” Ki offered.
“Great goose,” Drifter exclaimed. “I wonder why they started this; this way of living. Have you ever wondered that?”
“Not until now,” Liza joined in for the first time.
The greens below them began to become clear as they became trees of many shapes and sizes and those irregular shapes of blue became small lakes and ponds. The tall tree was getting closer and it, too, became clear. It was an old tree covered with green needles, not leaves as was their first perception of it. Liza led them in a small circle above it and they scanned it carefully for any signs of danger. High took a quick glance above them and spied the silhouette of a bird with wings outstretched and circling above them.
“I think it is safe,” High spoke to the team.
Liza answered with a dip of her right shoulder. The others mimicked her, and they slowly disappeared through the canopy. They quietly dropped on to the ground. It was dark with sparse light filtering through and casting shadows of dark and light on them.
“Spooky,” Drifter commented as they explored the base of the tree. On the floor surrounding it, brown needles padded the surface. Small fragments of white were scattered all around and within the needles. A sound startled them, and they hurriedly looked toward it. A sparrow had landed in a branch above them and the bird shifted his head from side to side and up and down in a nervous rhythm.
“Simone?” Ack asked the sparrow and in return, the small bird bowed.
“What’s going on?” Ack continued.
“These are bones!” Jake exclaimed facing the ground.
Suddenly, a thundering crash of sound surrounded them and refocused their attention toward the tree. They looked up as a small shower of needles fell on the ground around them. There, on a thick branch, toes with large talons surrounded and gripped it. Attached to the toes was an enormous horned owl with equally enormous yellow eyes that stared down at the seven geese. The eyes blinked and the head turned behind and then forward and looked back at them. The owl lifted one wing and used its beak to preen its feathers. The huge brown body, speckled with black and white streaks, caused the huge branch to sway and dip as it continued to nudge its wing. The wing dropped and the bright yellow eyes looked from the geese to Simone.
“Simeone,” the voice of the owl boomed, vibrating off of the trees. “King of Sparrows, it is good to see you again.”
The small bird bowed in recognition. The owl returned his gaze to the seven birds on the ground.
“My name is Great, and I have been asked by Deke, The Leader of The Flock, to give you the instructions of your first test.”
To be continued –
My First Stories 