The Story of Tiberius

Chapter 81

Jolting awake from yet another nightmare, Tiberius huffed angrily when he opened his eyes to pitch black darkness. Rolling over from his back to his feet, he heard the bones he had been laying upon shift because of his movements. Standing up, the fourteen year old red tailed hawk stretched his aching joints. Hearing his spine crack from his neck to the base of his back, he let out a small yelp. "That better not have broken something," he grumbled under his breath. Reaching up blindly, he found one of the branches hanging overhead. Grabbing it in his beak, the hawk pulled himself up onto it. Climbing up two more, he settled down just as the shed door opened.

"How are we this morning sweet boy?" Alfred's kind voice spoke softly. A moment later, Tiberius felt his hood get pulled off. Blinking his light brown eyes to adjust himself to the sunlight streaming through the small holes in the shed walls, he looked at his owner. His depressed mood quickly evaporated into thin air. Letting out a few tiny squeaks, the old red tailed hawk lowered his head and nuzzled his owner's forehead, purring all the while. Smiling quietly, Alfred reached up with a free hand and gently stroked the hawk's back. His other hand gripped his cane.

Shaking himself a little, Tiberius hopped down from the branch and onto his owner's leather glove. He had expected that they would be going outside and enjoying the fresh air while looking after the plants and catching mice. However, the sad look on Alfred's face told the hawk that wasn't happening today. Lowering his head quietly in sadness, he got back onto the branch. "I'm sorry fella. But I have a doctor appointment today that I unfortunately can not miss like I did the last seven times," Alfred apologized, petting the red tail's head with a kind hand. Pulling out a small bag from his pocket, he took out two pieces of venison and fed the hawk. Giving him a small pat, the old man looked Tiberius in the eye as he mumbled, "I'll be back soon... hopefully. You behave yourself." Pushing his glasses back up on his nose, Alfred reluctantly put the hood back on Tiberius's head.

Hearing his owner's footsteps fading away until he could no longer hear them, Tiberius sighed heavily. "Maybe a nap would-" he was muttering to himself when he sniffed the air and caught the scent of something in his shed. His hunger rising and instincts kicking in as fast as lightning, the old red tailed hawk struck out swiftly and accurately, despite having a hood on his head. A moment later, a small mouse that had entered his shed was no more other than a memory and a full stomach. Yawning, the hawk finished his sentence from earlier, "A nap wouldn't hurt." Stretching a little, he curled up on the floor. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep.

Having another nightmare about three hours or so later, Tiberius laid on the floor feeling miserable. Glancing upwards towards the heavens that he couldn't see with the hood on, the hawk grumbled, "I bet you're all laughing your heads up there, aren't ya?" Resting his head down upon the bones littering the floor, the old red tail could only wonder why he had to put up with a life of nothing more than endless misery for so long. Closing his eyes, he was about to fall asleep again when he heard footsteps approaching the rooftop from the fire escape. A moment later, it sounded like whoever it was had arrived. His feathers bristling, Tiberius got up onto one of the branches in his shed while the stranger called out one word.

"Max!"