Fly With Your Heart

Chapter Twelve

     The sky gray, clouds still emptying snow, the wind brisk. That was what the world was like when my life changed again.

     This time, for the better.

     I sat upon Nîpisîy, keeping her warm, when loud voices sounded outside. They rapidly approached, and I realised that they were coming here. Three, full-grown eagles were flying to this cleft. Nîpisîy's Mother, Father, and brother perhaps? Hopefully.

     My eyes widened, imagining what they might do to me if they found me with no explanation. "Hello?" I called out.

     The voices outside stopped. They must have recognized my tone as non-chick, and stopped flying. I began explaining. "My name is Kîsik, I found your daughter gliding away from your nest. She tried to fly before she was ready, and I returned her here."

     A moment later, a huge golden eagle landed in the rock wall opening. He walked over to me slowly, as if trying to scare me. It was working. I trembled in my spot, but I didn't leave. The eagle looked me up and down, then at Nîpisîy below me. Two more eagles landed, a male and female the same size.

     The first one looked at me. "Is what you say true?" he asked. His voice was softer than I expected, although I detected a hint of suspicion in it. I nodded my head. He looked back at the pair, and they stepped forward.

     "Get off my chick." The female commanded.

     I hesitated, "will you sit on her after? She still might be cold..." The strangers glared at me, and I moved away quickly. The largest one took a step toward me, but the smaller male stopped him.

     "Mistik, wait to hear what N-. What your sister says." He looked at me with narrowed eyes. "If you really saved her, what is her name?"

     I answered with confidence. "Nîpisîy."

     The Mother's head turned sharply to me. "So you saved her?" She asked, eyes betraying her thanks. I began to nod, but the small male – I presumed the Father – stopped her.

     "Hush. We have to wait."

     And so we waited. I was sent to a lower cleft while the rest of the family slept together. I stayed up longer, staring at the sky. Wondering, why they weren't more grateful? Probably because they just found me, in their nest, with no proper explanation. It was naïve of me to think that they would be happy, but that is what I thought anyway. After all, I was barely even an adult myself, with little social skills. Like I even knew what those were.

     As the eve turned to dusk, then night, and finally dawn, I slept in a cold crack. I was awoken when the sun crested the mountaintops by Mistik, Nîpisîy's brother. He gestured to his old home, and I followed. The morning air was crisp, fresh. Last night's snowfall left the world stark and white, so as we flew the sun reflected harshly into our eyes. We landed back in the large cleft, and I nearly slipped on ice.

     The Mother, sitting on her chick, looked up sharply. "Come in, darling! Nîpisîy's woken up and told us everything." I glanced at the other two birds, and they nodded. I stayed perched at the lip of the rock. "Won't you come in?" She asked.

     I shook my head. "I'd better get going. I need to find my family."

     The Father laughed. "Sure, but only after we've fed you and listened to your side of the story first!" Hmm, at least they're being nice, I thought cheerily.

     The female sat up from Nîpisîy and walked over to me. "I'm Wayakesk, this is my mate Nîpisîs, and my son here is Mistik. Thank you for saving our daughter."

     The little chick frowned. 'I didn't need saving, I had it under control!" I laughed.

     "Not when I found you!" I joked, and Mistik laughed with me. Nîpisîs waggled his wing, coaxing me inside. I walked in, settling down near the entrance but still close to the family. "What would you like to know?"

     Mistik spoke first, "how did you come to find my sister?"

. . .

     "And so, that's how I found her." I ended my story, sadness in my chest renewed. The family of four looked at me, shocked. Mistik found his tongue first.

     "You flew before you were ready?" His mother cuffed him with her wing, but I nodded. Nîpisîy looked at me, scared.

     "Is that what could have happened to me?"

     "Now, now," her Mother soothed, "it didn't, because an angel saved you. Thank you Kîsik."

     I bowed my head sheepishly. Nîpisîs waddled over to the ledge, saying he was going hunting. I sat awkwardly where I stood, not knowing what to do. Mistik, eventually (though coaxed by his Mother) walked over to be and began preening me.

     I sighed, "I haven't been preened in ages, thank you." He smiled shyly, if I could have seen his skin I might have noticed that it was flushed red. I returned the favour, running my beak through his feathers.

     "I would like to come with you," he said. I looked at him, and he stuttered. "I-I mean, to find your family. I left the nest, so I have nothing to do, really."

     I nodded thoughtfully. It would be nice to have company.

. . .

     When his Father returned, Mistik and I set off on our journey. We had eaten a nice fox, caught by Nîpisîs. Nîpisîy had laughed as we set off, shouting something about flying really closely. I stole a glance at Mistik.

      He was very handsome, I couldn't deny. The way the sun shone off his feathers was exquisite. A mate would be handy, and I wouldn't feel so alone. Deep in my gut, I knew that I wouldn't find my parents. But I didn't want to dwell on that, so I shook my head trying to clear it of these thoughts.

     We flew in comfortable silence, and Mistik followed me every time I veered away to look at cliffs. The sky was a dull gray, still not quite empty of its load of snow. It would fall again today, for sure.

     As I glided through the sky, I felt my hope slipping. Every nook and cranny was as empty as the last, and I knew that I could never find my parents.

     We had found another cleft, and I landed inside, knowing what I would find. It looked almost exactly the same as the one I had grown up in, save for the fact that it was empty.

     As I looked around the barren cleft, I let out a choking sob. Mistik, stationed at the entrance, glanced up sharply and hopped over. "What's wrong?" He fretted, frowning and looking her over.

     I cried harder, "I'll never find them! My parents, I know this is hopeless!" I wailed, and the other eagle awkwardly wrapped his wing around me.

     "I-it's ok."

     "No its not!" I screamed, nearly lunging at him. He looked scared almost, even though I was way smaller than him. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" I apologised and quickly turned to fly away. I launched into the air, winging away as fast as I could.

     The sky seemed darker, clouds heavier. I flew in a random direction, not caring where I went. After all, I had no home now. I had no family, at least not anywhere I could find.

     I missed my mother, my father, my brother. Even my sister, who had not been the kindest to me. Any one of them would do, but I couldn't have them. I could never have them again, because I was not worthy. I had proven that by choosing flight over them.

     I was destined to be alone.

     "Wait!" Someone called after me. The voice, and language, was eagle. Adult male.

     I stopped, hovering in place as I turned around. Mistik had followed me! I frowned, ready to turn him away, but he glanced up at the sky hurriedly. The clouds were even lower now, and small flecks of snow drifted lazily down. We were in a valley, far from any mountains where a crag might offer a shelter from the coming storm.

     "Let's find a place to stay the night," Mistik offered.