The Flock: The Quest – Chapter 17 – Reunion

Protector lowered himself to be gliding right above Deke.  The goose noticed and looked up at him.

  “Sentries up ahead.  I make out three.  I think they are on the lookout for you,” the eagle called down.

  “Yeah, you are probably right.  Do you want to go ahead of us and let them know we are on our way?” Deke called back to the eagle.

  Protector nodded and raced ahead of them. 

  As he watched the eagle get smaller and smaller, Deke said aloud, “Did you hear that?”

  The geese behind them called out in recognition and Deke nodded.  He continued to lead them at the same altitude and at the same speed.  They were at a casual speed and occasionally they floated on the warm air rising beneath them.  Deke could see the eagle was returning to them.  They all watched the big bird rise above and circle behind them.  Protector coasted above them and flapped his wings to match their speed.

  “I was told to tell you that we are to go to the Meeting Place upon arrival.  Yes, Simeone, even you,” Protector explained to them. 

  The trees ahead of them separated and they all knew the plateau above the cave was almost upon them.  Protector raised his tail feathers to cause a slight stall, and he fell in behind them as Simeone flew up to his side.  Deke led them over the plateau and into a slow circle around their home waters and lowered carefully into the water.  The eagle and the sparrow flew ahead and disappeared into the mouth of the cave.  The six geese spread out into a line and slowly swam toward it, too.

  “I think Daniel and Ack need to go in first and the rest of us will wait outside,” Deke suggested.

  “Why?” Jake asked from the far left of the formation.  “Why not go in together?’

  “I think they have some reporting to do and we will just be sitting around waiting for them to finish.  How boring,” Deke replied.

  “I hate to say it, but I believe he is right,” Daniel said to them as he swam ahead and turned to face them.  They slowly enclosed themselves into a circle and Daniel continued,  “You completed the assignment of The Quest and found Deke.  Not only did you do that, but you also asked him to come home and he did.”

  “I did,” Deke said looking over at Liza who was directly across from him.  She was looking at him, too.

  “Ack has to report to the Wist since he is a member of that group and I will have to explain myself to Ki.”

  “I get it,” Mattias spoke up.  “but I have to go to High.”

  “I know,” Ack said to him.  “Go and I will explain your absence to everyone.”

  “Good luck, Daddy!” Drifter teased Mattias.

  Mattias turned to leave the circle but then looked back at Deke.  “I am glad you are home with us.”

  Deke nodded and then Mattias hurried away from them as he headed to the far side of the large body of water.

  “Let’s go,” Liza said.  “Let’s get on with it.”

  Ack and Daniel nodded at the remaining geese, turned, and headed toward the mouth of the cave.   Drifter followed them and Jake started to follow but turned toward Deke and Liza and asked, “Tell me something, Deke, why did you decide to return with us?”

  Deke smiled at Ki’s best friend and looked at Liza.

  “Ah,” Jake said. “I thought so.”  He bowed to the two of them and turned toward the cave.

  The two remaining geese silently drifted side by side watching Drifter and Jake laugh with each other.  A sentry approached them from inside the cave and they looked at each other.

  “Shall we?” Deke said to Liza.

  “After you,” she bowed to him.

  The Meeting Place was dark.  The quiet splash of water echoed around the huge room as they swam toward the beach where the Wist waited for them.  Ki was at the center, Ack was to his right and Daniel on his left while the others stood behind them.  Perched above on the roots of the trees that hung from the ceiling were Protector and Simeone.

  “Welcome home one and all, especially to you Deke,” Ki said to them.  “Believe me, I am so glad to see you!”

  Drifter laughed aloud and Jake nudged him.  He shook his head back at the larger goose.

  “I was just informed of your little adventure, guys, and I wish I were with you.  Mattias swatted an enemy in mid-air?  I would have loved to see that.  His little nest of goslings will love to hear that story.”

  “Not High,” Liza replied.

  “Wait?” Drifter said.  “Did you say goslings?”

  “I did,” Ki laughed.  “He has five hatchlings and they hatched just today.  I knew you were on your way home when I heard about that.  It was kind of a sign, I guess.”

  The cave grew quiet for a moment.  Ki entered the water and approached Deke.  He paused in front of hm, bowed his head, then turned to Protector and Simeone asking them, ”Can you hear me from here?”

  The two birds nodded in affirmation.  Ki looked at Ack and Daniel who were still on the beach and signaled to them to join him.  They entered the water and when they were beside Ki, he turned, and the geese formed a circle.

  “First, thank you all for risking your lives to be part of this Quest.  I know it was selfish and not becoming of a Leader to ask for help, but I really appreciate it.  All of you,” he turned again to the birds perched above him and bowed.  They bowed in return.

  “It takes a good Leader to ask for help,” Deke responded.  “I always did.”  He looked knowingly at Daniel, Protector and Simeone.  “Everyone needs help once in a while.”

  “That’s why I wanted you here, at home, with us,” Ki said to Deke.  “To help us.  To help me.”

  “Of course,” Deke bowed to him.  “It was wrong of me to leave.  Forgive me.”

  “No need to be forgiven.  I get it.  Well, I get it now.  Being the Leader is a huge responsibility even with the help of Daniel and the Wist, it isn’t easy.”

  “No, it’s not but you are going to be a great Leader of The Flock,” Deke said as he swam toward him.  “Do you want to know why?  Because you have a lot of help from all of us here, and also from those outside.”

  Ki nodded and bowed to Deke.  Suddenly, the inside of the cave erupted with noise as the birds inside announced their agreement.  The two Sentries at either side of the entrance to The Meeting Place looked at each other and smiled.

  Later, in a quiet corner on the far side of the pond, two geese huddled together head to head.  After they had left the Meeting Place, they joined the others to meet High and Mattias and their five goslings.  They silently left them and made their way to this interlude where they were drifting together, head to head.  Liza lifted hers and smiled.  Deke looked at her for a few moments with a look of wonderment in his eyes.

  “What?” Liza asked him.

  Deke continued to gaze at her noticing the way the Bright Light reflected off of her feathers dazzled him.  The sounds around him remained soft as he heard the waves hit the shore, the wind rustling the tall grass that hid them, the occasional honk of a goose, the croaking of a frog, and the buzzing of water bugs skimming just above the water.  He looked up into the sky and spotted way up high, an eagle with wings spread out wide, floating on the warm updrafts of air circling in wide turns, vigilantly watching over The Flock.  He sighed and returned his gaze to Liza, who was still looking at him, and he said, “It’s good to be home.”

The End

Gregory A. Jenkins – October 20 – December 22, 2020