The eagle was flying high above the clouds using strong, fluid strokes of his powerful wings to propel himself forward toward the Bright Light. He wasn’t hurried as he flew. He was just enjoying his flight, the warmth of the air beneath him and the brightness before him. He glanced down at the trees below him. Green sprouted everywhere and the woods weren’t dense yet so he could see through them onto the ground. The earth was beginning to become green because the grass was beginning to replace the brown dirt. To his left, a plateau appeared in the distance. He angled his tail feathers to adjust his direction to travel toward it. He lowered his path as he streamed closer to the level land and he could see the water just past it. The Bright Light shimmered off the surface of it showing small ripples spreading throughout it. Along the edges of the water, sprouts of new spring grass were beginning to replace old brown stalks. He could begin to see small birds, some in groups and others spread around those edges. Still high above, he passes over the plateau where he could now see the few trees growing along the rough edges of it. He arced around and was able to look at the bottom of the hill to see a cave opening, black and mysterious. The woods began along the right of the cave and a tree stood separate from the rest with one branch aimed directly at the cave. Protector considered this branch, his branch, and it was the one he was focusing on. He lowered himself, steadying for a direct route to it and he flapped his wings. He then tucked them into his sides, streaked to it and suddenly straightened his wings, pausing above the branch and grasped the branch with his talons. The branch bobbed temporarily as he turned himself on it and faced the cave.
“Good day, Maxim,” Protector called down from his perch.
The large goose had watched the eagle fly across the water and land on the tree. He waded toward it, unafraid, stretched his neck toward him and said, “Good morning, Protector. How are you?”
“Doing well,” the dark eyes peered down at the goose. “I need to speak to The Wist.”
“The Wist?” Maxim asked somewhat surprised. “What do you want to discuss with them, my friend?”
The eagle stretched his wings out and refolded them into his sides before speaking again, “A business matter.”
The white goose looked at the eagle and slowly nodded his head. As one of the Sentries, it was his job to limit visitors to The Wist and, ultimately, The Leader. Ordinarily, he would turn away other bird types denying access to them, but he knew Protector. He, like himself, was personally chosen by Deke, the previous Leader, to be part of the inner circle. He turned and entered the cave leaving the eagle waiting on the tree branch. A short time later, the goose reappeared accompanied by a second one, another large white goose who separated himself from Mattias.
“Hello, Protector!” the goose greeted the eagle in a happy tone.
The eagle nodded in return and simply said, “Ack.”
The goose swam beneath the tree branch and turned to look out across the water. A few geese swam together in small groups, casually paddling in lazy circles gossiping to themselves. He knew other geese were stationed along the outskirts of the shoreline watching for those that might harm the flock. The eagle followed his lead and looked deeper into the surrounding woods.
“What is your reason for addressing The Wist, Protector?”
“I told Maxim. I have a business matter.”
A slight breeze ruffled the feathers of each of the birds and they remained unmoved.
“What sort of business?” Ack continued to inquire further.
“I found what has been missing.”
The goose in the water turned and looked up at the eagle who simply looked back and nodded his head. The goose turned back toward the cave and reentered it. This time Maxim, who had stationed himself to the right of the entrance to the cave, turned and entered it. He reappeared and paddled toward Protector and nodded. The eagle returned the nod, spread his wings, and thrust them down. He slowly rose and flew inside the cave.
It was gray inside and Protector’s eyes adjusted quickly. He immediately flew to the left once he cleared the entrance and settled on a large tree root arching in the corner. This, too, had become his roost when he attended Flock meetings in the past. Below him, sitting on the beach were The Wist, the six geese who advised The Leader on every aspect of managing The Flock. Daniel, the leader, and originator, of this body of geese, was the only one standing. When the eagle had settled on the tree root, he spoke.
“Protector, what do you mean you found what has been missing?”
“I found Deke.”
A burst of sound erupted and disturbed the quiet inside the cave. The white geese that were sitting calmly on the ground were suddenly up and waddling around in aimless circles. Everyone but Ack who remained in his spot close to the water’s edge. Daniel remained standing, unmoved, and quietly waited until the others calmed and repositioned themselves on the ground. The eagle waited patiently for the noise to die down.
“Please continue,” Daniel spoke to the eagle once the room was silent again.
“I almost ate him this morning,” Protector chuckled. “No, but I was hunting. I had just enjoyed a nice fish but was still hungry. I saw this speck of gray movement in a clearing and I approached it. It turned out to be Deke.”
“How is he?” Miriam, the oldest of the team spoke out.
“He is fine. He has noticed that his eyes aren’t as bad as he thought they were going to be. He feels that he isn’t going blind after all. They are limited but still working.”
“Where did he go?” Petra spoke up.
“A better question is why did he go?” another voice asked from the dark.
The quiet splashing of water approached them from the dark and The Leader appeared beside Ack.
“That is a good question,” Protector agreed. “He said when he realized that he wasn’t getting any worse, he decided that he didn’t want to be a distraction to Ki, so he left.”
“He wouldn’t have been a distraction,” Sam said aloud.
“That’s what he thought he would be,” Protector shrugged. “He was excited to get on with the next phase of his life.”
“We need to convince him otherwise,” Ack volunteered.
“Do we?” Daniel spoke for the first time and turned toward Ki, who was now exiting the water.
“I think so,” Ki said. “We could use him. He knows all about us and I could certainly use his wisdom.”
“Isn’t that we are for?” Daniel argued.
“You are,” Ki responded as he settled down on the ground. “But we will be only better with him in it. Don’t you think so?”
Daniel strode toward him and sat next to him. “Of course I do. He is my best friend. I know he will be helpful.”
“Well, we need to go get him and convince him to come back,” Ki said. “Protector, can you take us to where he is?”
“Do you mean where he was? He told me he would be gone from there when I told him I was going to tell you that I came across him.”
“I see,” Ki nodded. “Well, we need a plan. Gather round and we will come up with one.”
The other geese rose from the places where they were sitting and waddled to create a semi-circle around their Leader and re-seated themselves.
“Protector,” Ki looked up at the eagle in its roost. “Can you hear me?”
“I can,” he informed the dark colored goose below him.
“Then let’s begin,” Ki looked from the bird in the tree to the birds on the ground.
To be continued…
My First Stories 