Hawks

Prologue

"But mum. I don't want to eat the mouse. I want a snake," A little eya squeaked. "You have to, Ghali. It's good for you," The eya's mom, a female Ferruginous hawk told her baby. "Your siblings love mice." Three other Ferruginous eyas were feeding off the mouse without a second thought. "It's good, Ghali. Try it!" Her eyes were as yellow as gold.

 "No. I don't want a mouse. I want a snake!" Ghali chirped. "If you don't eat then you'll become a Dhandi! You don't want to become a Dhandi. They are skinny and eat eyas!" Ghali's sisters shuddered. "I'm the only male in this boil. I decide what to do with my life," Ghali chirped demandingly. "I will have a snake or I will not eat today!" He turned his head toward the mountain. "Well then, I guess you will become a Dhandi," his mother teased. Ghali turned back toward the mouse and began to eat worryingly.

"It worked, mama!" His sister chirped. "Freyha, continue eating. That's all you'll get until tomorrow morning's hunt." "Yes mom!" Freyha continued to eat her portion of the mouse. Suddenly, a loud screech thundered from above. "Stay low, children!" Their mother ordered as she flew up. A skinny, male Harris hawk was circling above, eying the small boil of hawks. He noticed the mother charging up towards him. He darted around, trying to get to the eyas. Their mom dove down toward the Dhandi, her talons outstretched in front of her like 8 sharp spears. The male hawk turned to notice a female hawk diving toward him. "Shandi. Those are your tufts of feather down there, are they? They are pathetic." The Dhandi looked at the nest, then Shandi screeched, annoyed and tried attacking him.

"Oops." The male slightly dodged the diving female, and she began plummeting toward a thick brush of sharp, thorny cacti. A shrill scream of fear tore through the sky as Shandi couldn't catch the air in time. She disappeared through the trees, another shrill scream cutting through the air. Then.. Silence. No screaming. No calling. Nothing. The eyas began getting worried. The Dhandi dove toward the tree, then more shrieking came from the trees. Then.. More silence. The male came out from the trees, blood soaked talons and a deadly look in his eye. "Mum?" Freyha whimpered, then cuddled her sister, Hgala. "No.. Mum?" Hgala winced. As the Dhandi flew toward them, a massive call came from a massive male Ferruginous hawk. He charged toward the Harris hawk and air tackled him. The two massive males fought, until the male Ferruginous hawk said "That's the last time you will terrorize my family, Likan!" The male screamed. "We'll see about that, Oisana!" The male hissed.

Likan retreated, and the two flew away, leaving the eyas in the nest.

"Where's mama?" Freyha winced, looking down at the cacti. Ghandi noticed a twisted, horrifying figure down there. She was impaled on a dead branch. The eyas snuggled up together, and fell asleep, their dreams full of blood and nightmares.