They must be a funny pair, Daniel thought to himself. A snow-white goose and a huge brown, white-headed eagle flying side-by-side in the air. They were high in the sky, normally too high for a goose, but seemingly perfect for the two of them. Once they became air borne, they quickly decided to fly this high to take advantage of Protector’s keen eyesight. To Daniel, the landscape below them were simply different shades of green but to the eagle, the gray shade of the trees made on the ground had grown longer as the Bright Light slowly edged downward on their right.
“Do you see any hidden water, Protector?” Daniel asked the eagle. “Big enough for us to stop for the night?”
Protector moved his head slightly to the left and then to the right. He turned his head toward Daniel and said, “Over there to our right and there is even fish big enough for me to eat. Fish are much nicer to eat than mice.”
“How can you see all of that from way up here? Lead on, my friend, lead on,” Daniel encouraged him.
Protector smiled at himself and slowly led them down in large circles in the warm air. He loved riding the currents especially at this time of the year. The season has turned from cold, crisp air to the warmer air of longer light time than dark. He looked back at the white goose trailing him. He had his wings spread wide and was following him at a short distance. The trees were getting larger and he straightened his angle of flight and flapped his wings once to level their flight path just above them. The glimmer of the water he spied from above was beginning to reveal itself through the branches in front of them.
“I see where you are going now,” Daniel called to Protector. “We can settle where we can find a suitable tree for you to rest on near the water so we can talk.”
Protector acknowledged him by saying nothing but rising a little higher where he could see perching possibilities. A tall tree to their left drew his attention and he headed toward it. The closer they got to it, the larger the water grew before it. He led the goose out over the edge of the water and swooped back around toward the tree. He heard the goose land in the water as he grasped a branch mid-way up the tree. He turned to face the goose who was swimming toward him.
“Wow, Protector, this is a lot of water and I would guess there is big fish for you, huh?”
“I think so, Daniel,” Protector almost chuckled as he spoke. “So what’s the plan?”
“Should we eat first then talk about a plan?” Daniel suggested.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” the eagle said as he rose and flew over the goose.
Daniel laughed as he turned and watch the eagle fly across the large body of water. After watching the eagle dive a few times into the water, he turned his attention to the water below him. It was clear and after a few seconds, he spied a few small fish swimming right below him and he dipped his head and feasted. When he was satisfied, he returned his attention to the eagle. The big bird was circling above him and he watched him. Eagles were certainly graceful looking, scary looking, and he should be afraid of them, but they certainly were graceful. When did he first meet this eagle, the one they called Protector?
It was because of Deke, of course, that they were introduced to him. Actually, Deke introduced Protector to the Wist, not to him He remembered the day as he was leading a discussion with his team and, ironically, they were discussing the security of The Flock.
“We should have teams of sentries walking the perimeter of the pond constantly,” Zelda was saying. “This would keep enemies away or at least aware that we are looking out for them.”
“Walk or swim. I think we are safer in the water than out of it,” Sam had countered her.
Deke had entered the Meeting Place cave and a huge bird streaked inside with him. The movement caused the five geese already inside the cave to dodge and bleat in surprise. Deke started to laugh.
“That,” he said to the team. “Is funny.”
“What’s going on?” Daniel demanded of his leader. “Why did you bring an eagle in here. An eagle!”
“What are you talking about?” Deke answered him with a question.
“Security,” Daniel answered him.
“Perfect,” Deke stated. “Fellow geese, I would like you to meet Protector, our eyes in the sky. Protector, I would like you to meet the advisory team of The Flock. We call them The Wist.”
Daniel remembered the introductions well but as he watched the eagle fly toward him with a fish clutched in his talons, he wondered why? Why did Protector join us then?
The eagle flew deeper into the woods then returned shortly to the tree above him and the dark brown eyes looked down at him, waiting.
“Before we make a plan,” Daniel began. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure,” Protector simply said.
“Why did you join The Flock?” he asked.
“What you really mean is why did I follow Deke?” Protector corrected him as he looked down.
“Well, yes,” Daniel admitted as he tucked his head into his chest.
“It is a quite simple story. I found him alone on top of that plateau above the cave. He was sitting in the shade of one of those trees. I saw him and landed nearby. He saw me land and called out, ‘what is it like to be an eagle?’ I thought what a strange question to ask me. I had to think about it awhile and he waited. I finally said what I was feeling at the time – ‘alone’. He said to me, ‘Really? Do you want to join my flock?’ I said ‘yes’. Really, I probably said, ‘I guess’. That sounds more like me.”
Daniel looked up at the eagle with surprise but agreed with him, “That does sound more like you.” Daniel looked thoughtfully at the huge bird above him and came to the quiet resolution that everyone needs to belong to something and said, “I guess we should move on from then to now. First, do you think this might be a place for him to be found at?”
“No,” Protector looked up across the water as the sky was beginning to darken as the Bright Light lowered itself to its resting place. “This place is too big for him or even too big for the entire flock.”
“I agree,” Daniel was beginning to think about where Deke might really be. “Protector, where would you go if you want to be alone?”
“Do you mean outside of flying?” Protector asked.
“Yes.”
Protector thought about that for a moment or two and finally said, “I might go home.”
“Hmmm,” Daniel let that sink in and he thought about it for a while. Home. Home does seem reasonable to him. Where would Deke go home? “I think you have something there. I don’t see him as being so random but more intentional. Maybe he did go home. Tomorrow, let’s head back to our meeting place with the team and if no one spotted him, we have to talk about that possibility with them.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Protector agreed with him. “Let’s watch the sky now.”
The sky had quietly turned to a slight pink to orange with a cloudy black line slowly edging its way up. The Bright Light was settling into its nightly resting place and the two birds watched the day ending. It was time for sleep.
To be continued…
My First Stories 