Freedom Is for the Birds

acknowledge.

I would like to thank the small number of family members and friends who encouraged and helped me make this book for giving me the belief in the story that I needed—you know who you are.

I would also like to thank the number of others who openly disputed and discouraged me from making this book for giving me the determination and drive that I needed—you know who you are.

ONE

It was early, and K’Lar was watching their course and direction, making sure they were following along the correct landmarks. As he surveyed the terrain, he spotted a shadow that moved along the ground. K’Lar craned his neck up and saw his mate, D’Ree, far above him. She was glorious to watch, very elegant and agile in her flight, as if the wind were an extension of her body. He quickly turned into a welcome thermal and rose up to meet her.

D’Ree watched K’Lar below her, and saw him quickly gain height, so she changed her course to intercept him. At these heights and wind-forces, he struggled to stay in the wind currents that she could fly in. She smiled at her handsome mate when she reached him.

As she sliced the air beside him, K’Lar said to D’Ree, By my calculations, we need to turn into the sun now and follow the river that is ahead, so we can go through the foothills. See, in the distance to our right, there is the city. We should be at the old nesting site some time past high sun. They just had to follow the river through the city, to its edge, and to their little valley.

I fully trust your instincts, dear, D’Ree said and meant it completely. He was the best tracker that she had ever seen, and she truly relied upon him when they traveled. He had a gift for looking at the terrain once, seeing the true landmarks, and storing it away in his head. When he came back to that same terrain cycles later, he could update the maps in his head with the new changes he saw, and he always knew where he was. It was an uncanny ability that had saved them on more than one occasion, given all of the destruction that the humans constantly inflicted everywhere.

It will be great to get there and start on the repairs to the nest right away, said K’Lar.

I cannot believe we are almost ready to lay our clutch of eggs before we nest this year. She looked her mate directly in the eye, smiled, and added, But the time it took to make the trip east and back was so much fun with you. It was definitely worth it.

Yes it was, he replied with a devilish grin and chuckle.

K’Lar, I can feel that it will not be long before we will need the nest, she told him.

K’Lar quickly looked at D’Ree. As with all female hawks, she was larger than he, but he had keenly noticed how much more she had grown this last moon cycle, in preparation to lay the eggs. How are you feeling? How long do you think we have? he asked worryingly.

D’Ree laughed at K’Lar. You would think you were a first-time father, the way you are worrying. By my calculations, my love, I will be ready just past the full moon. Given that close timeline, they looked endearingly at each other and both turned into the wind in search of their territory.

∞

As they flew towards the city, K’Lar and D’Ree could not believe how many people now lived here. They had reached the outskirts of the city, and the rows and rows of houses, much sooner than they ever had before. It seemed to be taking much longer for them to make it to the other side of the city. There was also more eye and lung irritation, given the huge smog cloud of pollution that was hanging over the city.

They looked down at the seemingly chaotic masses of people below as they flew on and followed the river through the downtown core of skyscrapers. Do you people not know anything? You are clogging up and killing the very environment you all want to live in! yelled K’Lar. He looked to his mate and added, I am just glad that we should be at the nest soon, D’Ree. They flew swiftly on, wanting to be away from the humans and their contaminants.

∞

Hundreds of thousands of people feel as if they’ve been trapped all morning: stuck travelling on a crowded bus and/or a subway car; stuck driving in rush-hour traffic; and stuck working inside. They all want to finally enjoy some time outside in the sun, causing chaotic masses of people to swarm the streets and sidewalks to get to the pathways beside a river during lunchtime. Nobody has any room for any personal space amongst the crowds. People are bumping into each other all over the place. They are yelling at each other, Hey, watch it, Coming through, Excuse me, I’m walking here, Nice move buddy, Did you see that guy just cut me off? as some people fight the flow of the crowds and try to rollerblade, ride bikes, or run in amongst all of the groups of pedestrians.

Suddenly, they hear the continuous cries of Kree-eee-ar, Kree-eee-ar and all turn their heads toward the sky and point at two red-tailed hawks flying by. The birds sail by on the wind, seemingly without a care in the world. Ah, to be so free! all the people think.

∞

Although it did not take much longer to arrive at their destination, they did not like that it was now far within the city’s limits. As they crested the bluff that protected the valley and fields of the river, where they had nested for many cycles, the pair gasped in midair.

What happened to our home, K’Lar? cried D’Ree, instantly circling the thermal rise to see that everything from the bluff to the river was gone. They had endured the building of the houses on the bluff over the last few cycles, but the humans had left the valley alone, until now. Every field along the valley was a swath of mud. Every old, gigantic tree that they had hunted from and nested in was gone. There was no life left in the valley.

Look at the sign, D’Ree, yelled K’Lar as he slowly banked into a steep decline and aimed for an old hunting roost beside the road. It is now the future site of ‘Phase I, II, & III of Housing in Chaparral Valley!’ Why can man never leave anything alone? Why does it always have to be about them and money and greed?

People knew we lived here. I thought it was illegal to destroy hawk habitat? Is that not the human law for conservation now? asked D’Ree as she expertly landed beside K’Lar on the crossbeam attached to the pole.

They know that we are migratory birds, D’Ree. They probably waited until we left near the end of the last earth cycle, thus proving to the environmentalists that no hawks were using the valley at the time, and then they started construction right away. They will find any way around any rules that will interfere with their pursuit of money, said K’Lar.

What are we going to do now, K’Lar? asked D’Ree as she protectively tucked her wings around her growing belly.

K’Lar felt alarmed as he watched her. There is no sense in sticking around here. The sight of all of this destruction is making me ill, K’Lar replied very quietly. He lifted her chin with his wing and spoke soothingly to her, We are going to be okay, D’Ree. Let us fly over to our older nesting territory at the old farmer’s house. It was quiet and there were not many people around.

She smiled appreciatively at him and said, That is a great idea, K’Lar. The fewer people we see right now, the better. We should go. And with a glance at each other, they both launched themselves from the pole.

∞

As they flew out of the destroyed valley, they caught a thermal and were crossing over a major highway to the north when they reached a high enough altitude to see the countryside around them. Their spirits and hopes dropped. The farmer had apparently sold out to numerous developers, and the entire farm and its surrounding lands were now being converted into new subdivisions, with a huge hospital under construction in the middle of it all. There were already multitudes of rows of houses built, with people and machines everywhere. Once again, people’s greed had wreaked complete destruction on their environment.

K’Lar and D’Ree slowly flew down to a pole along the highway to assess their situation. Their heads hung as they perched, while trying to comprehend what was happening to them. They were facing having their clutch soon and did not have a nest or any hunting grounds.

As K’Lar said, Why did we have to pick this year to assume our nesting ground would be okay? he noticed D’Ree tucking her wings around her belly again as she started to sniffle. He grew very angry at what the humans had taken from him. He nestled up beside D’Ree and put his wing around her.

K’Lar leaned his head against hers and whispered, Do not despair, my love. We will be okay. I know that we are a long way from our other nests, so I am going to go scout the other farms around here. They cannot all have sold out. There has to be someone left who still believes in the sanctity of life. Rest now, D’Ree, and do not give up hope for a life for our young. He gave her a quick hug and a tender kiss on the head, looked her squarely in the eyes, and launched into the air.

∞

D’Ree stopped crying immediately as she watched K’Lar quickly rise into the sky and start circling on the thermals. She had seen that look of determination when he left and was truly not worried when he circled out of her field of vision. She trusted his instincts completely. He was very intelligent and resourceful, and any solution that he did find would prove to be very interesting, she was sure. She quietly smiled, thinking of him, and turned to look at the lost paradise that she remembered.

They had produced a clutch here the very first season they had come to the north to nest. She giggled, thinking of their first attempts at building their first nest from scratch. D’Ree also sadly remembered the chick they had lost to the farmer’s cats. After a few cycles of having chicks, juveniles, and full-grown offspring, she and K’Lar had both learned some lessons and were both a little wiser now, so she had thought.

She congratulated herself on taking things for granted and making the wrong assumption that things would stay unchanged in this world of constant chaos. Mother Nature was sure making them pay for it now. She sat quietly and was sadly reminded that there was always more to learn.

Her attention was quickly diverted as she keenly noticed movement in a field at the edge of the houses. Her belly now rumbled with hunger. It had been a long journey from the south to their nesting grounds. They had flown long and fast and had hardly stopped to feast along the way. D’Ree’s body was demanding food. She looked down at her belly now. She judged she had enough time left that she was still able to hunt for herself. She smirked wickedly as she saw the heads of gophers popping up in the grass. She pumped her wings and quickly launched into the direction of the sun, so that she could hide in its glare and not be easily detected. She started circling and was on the hunt.

∞

K’Lar quickly lost sight of D’Ree as he started circling around the countryside, scouting farms. As he flew, he thought. He was aware that a farm was not the most ideal place to nest, given the presence of humans. He quietly admitted to himself that their little valley had become increasingly infested with humans in the last couple of cycles. With the encroachment of the houses on the bluffs, more and more people had started to use the valley as a place to walk their dogs. Looking back now, he should have expected that the humans would destroy it.

He scolded himself for not scouting another backup nesting site before they had left last season. Now, they were in serious trouble, and needed a solution fast. He also realized that a part of him was actually excited about the prospects of a fresh start. They had stayed in the little valley for a number of cycles. It was time to move on.

A sudden flash of movement caught K’Lar’s eye. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had been, in essence, flying blind. He quickly admonished himself again for his complete lapse in judgment, but at that moment, he knew exactly how stressed he really was. He scanned below and realized that he was seeing an older-looking hawk that was trying to hunt.

It had just missed a strike at a very plump jackrabbit and was landing on a fence at the edge of the field. The rabbit and its entire brood could be seen in the field, watching the old hawk. As he looked intently, K’Lar noticed the grey at the edge of the hawk’s wings and knew that the hawk was past his best hunting prime. He was looking tired and hungry. If anything, K’Lar might be able to get some information about a possible nesting site from him.

K’Lar immediately recognized an opportunity and sprang into action. He tucked in his wings and did a death dive for a rabbit. Everyone’s attention was completely on the old hawk, to see what he would do once he caught his breath. Not a rabbit ever heard or saw K’Lar coming. Everyone in the field turned at the death scream, including the old hawk. He did not comprehend what had happened, until he saw K’Lar flying toward him with a small rabbit hanging limply in his claws. At that sight, every rabbit scurried underground to mourn the loss of one of their own.

The old hawk looked completely surprised when K’Lar landed on the fence next to him. Hawks are very territorial, but when overmatched, they know when to concede the fight. What do you think you are doing? he demanded of K’Lar while he took a stance, getting ready for a challenge.

K’Lar looked him in the eye and said, I am paying my respects and giving you your fair share of the kill for your effort. With some exertion, K’Lar managed to tear off a huge piece of the rabbit and tossed it to the old hawk.

My effort? the older hawk questioned as he caught the piece in his claw. He felt its weight and looked at it. He would feed well.

If you had not done the hard work and distracted them, I would not have been able to come up from behind and make the kill. So, as I see it, our combined efforts produced this fine meal, and it deserves to be shared. Do you not think? asked K’Lar.

Well, yes, thank you, replied the hawk. He then put some space between the two of them and started picking off the fur. After, he said, Thank you, Mother Nature, for this meal, and he started feasting immediately.

K’Lar thanked Mother Nature and started to eat his own meal. He quietly smiled to himself as he started to watch the hawk. He looks too old to be hunting for a family, thought K’Lar. He is not flying off to share the food with anyone. Maybe he will not be too territorial then if it is only himself to feed, he hoped. When they had both finished their meals, K’Lar cleared his throat, Hhmmm, to get the old hawk’s attention. He extended his wing in the hawk’s direction, offering the old sign of friendship, and introduced himself. Hello. I am K’Lar. What is your name?

He stared at K’Lar and looked at his extended wing. It had been a long time since he had seen the old sign of friendship. He was a bit of a recluse, after losing his mate some cycles ago. He did not even bother to migrate much anymore. This hawk intrigued him though. He slowly jumped over on the fence, extended his own wing, and brushed the back of his wing against the back of K’Lar’s. He stood tall on the fence, looked K’Lar in the eye, and said, My name is T’Nal. I thank you again for the meal. You could have just as easily flown off with the kill and feasted, instead of sharing. It was a true sign of respect and friendship that you shared. That is not seen much.

K’Lar bowed to T’Nal. I thank you, also, for accepting the gift. These are poor times indeed, and I truly do not mean to intrude in your territory. I saw an opportunity for teamwork, where we could both gain. I know only too well how badly it feels to lose your territory and have no control over it. I do not come looking for a challenge, only information, K’Lar said wearily. He slowly proceeded to recount to T’Nal all that had happened to him and D’Ree. He also explained D’Ree’s condition and the urgency with which he needed to find a nesting site.

T’Nal listened quietly and intently. It was indeed a sad tale that K’Lar was telling him. He understood all too well the destruction of humans. With that thought, T’Nal’s mind instantly reverted back to the memory of those cycles ago. It had been a human’s dog that had mauled his mate and killed her. His beautiful R’Tan had been on the ground subduing a kill, and she had not heard the dog coming up behind her. It had broken her neck after a couple of shakes, but not before she could give out a death cry that T’Nal had heard across the fields.

By the time he arrived, he saw the dog’s mouth and face covered in blood, running off of its leash ahead of its master, leaving the field where he found R’Tan. Her neck had been ripped open, and she lay lifeless, on top of the gopher she had just killed. Now her life and the gopher’s had been killed in vain, with no purpose. That was always the way of humans! In his grief, he would not leave her to the scavengers. He gave her back for Mother Earth to reclaim. He left the scavengers the gopher, as he had totally lost his appetite. Even now, his talons still showed the scars from his effort to bury R’Tan.

K’Lar had finished his tale and was now watching T’Nal. When T’Nal had said nothing when K’Lar finished, K’Lar had looked up and saw that the old hawk was obviously intensely caught in an old memory. Every talon and muscle on T’Nal was absolutely flexed and rigid, he was breathing rather fast, and a tiny tear had appeared in the corner of his eye. K’Lar waited quietly and patiently for T’Nal to regain his awareness and composure.

T’Nal came awake from his memory of R’Tan and knew instantly that he was going to help K’Lar and D’Ree. He was going to make them an offer that was win-win for them all. With a deep sense of happiness and hope, he explained it to K’Lar.

K’Lar listened and suddenly smiled at the old hawk with a sense of acknowledgment. They looked at each other, extended their wings, and brushed the backs of the wings together. K’Lar bowed to T’Nal, launched in the air, beat his wings hard, and disappeared around the trees.

∞

D’Ree was fast asleep when she awoke to the pole shaking from K’Lar landing on it. After a successful hunt, she had been tired from the exertion. She had roosted on the same pole that K’Lar had left her on, so that he would be able to find her. D’Ree could see that it was just getting to be fully dark out. K’Lar looked very happy with himself, so she said, What did you find for us?

K’Lar looked at her and said, D’Ree, you have got nothing to worry about. I have found us a home and a friend that you are really going to like. With that, he told her about his meeting T’Nal and his offer. When he had finished, she was smiling and looking relieved.

Once again, you totally amaze me, she said. You are so good at finding us a way, K’Lar. It is why I love you so much! She snuggled next to him as he put his wing around her.

Even though it was dark and he was tired, he asked, Did you eat, my love? You know you have got to keep up your strength over this moon cycle.

He is always looking out for me, D’Ree thought. Yes, I did catch a very fat gopher in the field over there, she replied smugly.

He smiled at her answer. He always tried to look out for her, but he could also count on her taking care of herself, if needed. It was a strength that he admired in her. He looked across the field and surveyed the subdivision, looking for any dangers in their immediate area. All of the construction machinery lay silent, abandoned for the night. Nothing moved, except for the humans in their houses. K’Lar and D’Ree nestled together on the pole, and settled in to sleep.

∞

TWO

D’Ree and K’Lar woke at first light. K’Lar was instantly aware that the gophers were moving in the field, and he launched into the air. In no time, he was bringing D’Ree food. There you are, my love, he offered as he hovered above her and dropped the meal beside her on the post. Then he flew off to get his own meal.

By the time she had finished eating her gopher, K’Lar was already back with one for himself. He is such an efficient hunter, she thought as she made room for him on the pole. She tried to wait patiently, preening and cleaning her talons, while he consumed his gopher. D’Ree was anxious to see their new home.

K’Lar saw that D’Ree was getting restless, so he quickly finished and launched into the air without a warning. He smiled down at her and said jokingly, Well, are you not coming? At that, D’Ree launched herself right at him, and they chased each other in the wind.

K’Lar led D’Ree directly to the fence where he had met T’Nal before. It took some time, for he had flown quite a distance while thinking. The old hawk was not there yet, so the pair perched on the fence.

Please explain this deal to me again, K’Lar, just to make sure that I understand it all. It sounded great before, but then I was very tired and had just woken up when you told it to me, said D’Ree.

I believe that I could do that, said T’Nal as he quickly flew out of a stand of trees behind them and landed on the fence beside K’Lar. With a deep bow in D’Ree’s direction, he said, I am T’Nal. It is a pleasure to meet you.

I am D’Ree, and as you are helping us, T’Nal, the honour is mine, she said, bowing back to him. Please explain exactly what help it is that you and my mate agreed to.

I will share my territory with the pair of you, soon to be more, in exchange for the opportunity to share in the effort and the rewards of using my grounds, T’Nal said. He looked across the field for a while then continued. There is already a huge nesting site, built by R’Tan, my deceased mate, and myself, in the trees over there. I know it is silly, but I have actually kept it built in the hopes that one of my offspring would come back to use it. Obviously that has not happened.

D’Ree looked at the old hawk and saw how sentimental he was getting. She asked him, So, why exactly are you helping us? I mean, it is not like you know us. Why does it not bother you to share your territory?

T’Nal looked D’Ree directly in the eyes and said, Because I am old and lonely, D’Ree. When K’Lar shared the kill with me and we talked, I realized how much of a recluse I have become since R’Tan’s death. I do not want to live like that anymore. R’Tan would be ashamed that I am not living life fully and sharing it with others. She always believed in helping others, and I loved her for it. K’Lar also made me realize that I am in my last seasons.

With a wave of his wings at the beginnings of K’Lar’s protest, he said, K’Lar, I know you took pity on me, and I am grateful. You showed me kindness and friendship when I really needed it the most. I know that K’Lar could challenge me for the territory and win, but I believe you both have displayed honour and that it will not happen. In short, it is because I am selfish.

D’Ree looked at K’Lar and knew he had spoken the truth about the old hawk. T’Nal was a hawk of the old teachings, and had honour. She winked at K’Lar, hopped on the fence until she was next to T’Nal, and hugged him. T’Nal, you are the least selfish hawk I have ever met. As she looked down at her belly, she said, I and my younglings thank you for this.

I was sitting on this fence, coming to terms with the facts that I miss R’Tan and that I am getting old. I was asking Mother Nature exactly what I was going to do about it when K’Lar flew out of the sky, said T’Nal.

K’Lar looked at T’Nal and said, I was flying in the sky, realizing how bad our situation was, asking Mother Nature exactly what I was going to do about it when I saw you, T’Nal.

The three hawks exchanged glances and said together, Then it was meant to be! and all started to laugh. D’Ree smiled at K’Lar, knowing that all had spoken true, and she felt hope in her heart again.

Now, who wants to go see your new home? asked T’Nal as he launched himself from the fence and headed toward a line of huge, old trees across the field.

∞

The line of trees was actually a barrier of old growth trees and other scrub brush that stretched on and around the fields on every side. Some wise farmer had used the forest when building his lands. He had left the barrier ten to fifteen trees thick in places and used it as a natural shield from erosion to separate all of his fields. The nest was buried in the branches of a poplar, which stood in the middle of a corner of the barrier. It was ingeniously placed where the trunk split into three separate portions, and was overshadowed by huge pine branches. It was extremely well camouflaged and had the protection of the trees around it. It was also the biggest nest that K’Lar and D’Ree had ever seen.

They all landed in the trees around it, and D’Ree said excitedly, This is fantastic, T’Nal! It is big enough to fit a whole family.

That was exactly how R’Tan liked it. We both shared in the rearing of the chicks, and we always lived together as a family unit, T’Nal stated sadly, looking at the nest.

D’Ree said, T’Nal, it sounds like you and R’Tan shared a beautiful life and love together.

We did. She was my one and only mate for life, and we completed each other perfectly. We raised many offspring in this nest, he said. That is why it is so perfect that you need the nest now. Having friends and offspring around again is exactly what I need to rejuvenate my spirit. He looked at D’Ree and said, Besides, R’Tan and I were both great parents. I meant it when I said I would share in the rewards and effort of the territory. I was also talking about helping with the chicks.

Thank you, T’Nal, D’Ree said.

You were very lucky to have experienced such a true and honest love, my friend, said K’Lar. How about we let D’Ree settle into the nest and rest a bit, and let us go find her something to eat?

Great idea, K’Lar, said T’Nal. He quickly flew out of the tree and circled as he waited for K’Lar to follow.

K’Lar turned to D’Ree, clasped her wings, and asked, Are you okay with all of this?

D’Ree looked at K’Lar, smiled, and said, K’Lar, I love how innovative your solutions can sometimes be. I mean, could you possibly have found a better home or friend for us? He really does seem to need us. It seems like he has been alone for quite a while.

He watched T’Nal circling above. Yes, he does. I am glad that we can be of help to him, D’Ree. But I really do not want to keep him flying up there while we stay here and talk. Get comfortable, rest, and we will be back with some food soon.

Okay, my love, she conceded. Then she said, Good luck, as she watched him launch from the tree and catch up to T’Nal. She gingerly jumped off her branch and glided down to the nest. This looks like a good spot, she thought upon landing as she curled up in the shadows under the branches and looked around at her new world. The nest was very well protected indeed, she noticed. As she looked above the nest at the branches, she thought, This is definitely going to help when it hails. All birds know the bodily damage that hail can inflict, and they fear the power of the storm that Mother Nature can create.

D’Ree looked around the nest itself now and took note of how well maintained T’Nal had actually kept it. There was a natural depression built in at the back of the nest, in front of one of the trunks of the tree. It had been lined recently with layers of fresh grass and hay. She quickly thanked Mother Nature for once again providing a safe haven for them to raise their chicks, and for providing it just in time. D’Ree nestled onto the bed of grass, got comfortable, and cooled off in the shadows.

∞

K’Lar was having a great time flying with T’Nal and learning the new territory. T’Nal had lived here for many, many cycles, and he remembered all of the changes he had seen inflicted upon his environment. K’Lar and D’Ree had never been near T’Nal’s territory, as they really had no reason to go outside their little valley to hunt. K’Lar now saw that he had taken the valley for granted and had grown complacent, and, consequently, he became ignorant about the condition of his territory. He vowed to learn from T’Nal and be ever vigilant of this territory, when it came to the activities of humans.

T’Nal took K’Lar around all of the surrounding fields and the highway system the territory included. T’Nal had a very extensive territory that included prime hunting grounds, which he had managed to keep all of these years. K’Lar was looking at T’Nal with new respect. It took a very resourceful, aggressive, and daring hawk to keep such a territory. K’Lar promised himself that he and D’Ree would help T’Nal recapture the stature that he had lost with the loss of his mate.

T’Nal suddenly dove toward a field. On closer inspection, K’Lar saw that it, too, was full of rabbits. He stayed in line with the sun as he watched T’Nal fake a strike at one of the rabbits and land at the end of the field to keep their attention. K’Lar saw that all eyes were on T’Nal, so he quickly picked a target and dove right for a family of rabbits who were standing at the back of the field, next to each other. K’Lar lined up his talons with the back of their necks and struck.

Two death cries rang out in the air, and rabbits scurried everywhere. T’Nal quickly flew to K’Lar to help subdue the prey. K’Lar and T’Nal each took one of the rabbits and landed on the nearest fence. After thanking Mother Nature for the meal, they feasted on the one adult rabbit together immediately. Both sat on the fence full to the brim, smiling at each other.

This could be the beginning of a great friendship for both of us, T’Nal, said K’Lar.

I thank Mother Nature for it, said T’Nal as he digested his food, basking in the heat of the sun.

As soon as they both could fly, each grabbed pieces of the young rabbit remaining and headed back to see D’Ree.

∞

K’Lar saw that D’Ree was awake and pacing when he landed. D’Ree could see that each of them carried meat in his talons. K’Lar handed her the one he had, then said, I am going to go and fly some of the territory. There are markers that I want to map out. He looked at T’Nal, who looked quite worn out from flying. Enjoy a rest, my friend. You have flown strong and true, and you have earned your bellyful and a rest. T’Nal smiled gratefully at those words. K’Lar turned to D’Ree, who had already started to pick at her piece of rabbit, and said, Enjoy and rest, my love. I will be back soon, and he took off again.

T’Nal looked at D’Ree, bowed, and said, I will take my leave too. I do not want to invade your privacy. This nest now belongs to your family, which I am fine with. I was only keeping it in shape for another to use anyway. I have been living across the field on the other side of the trees, on the other side of the bluff, ever since R’Tan’s death. I just could not live here by myself after that. So eat and rest, D’Ree. You will soon need all the strength you have got. I myself have feasted and intend to eat this, as well. I have strength to regain now. He grabbed his remaining meat, turned, hopped off the rim of the nest, and took flight.

D’Ree watched as T’Nal left, with an appreciation for the privacy he had given her, and for the irony of his words. She had not said anything to K’Lar about having back pains while she had been trying to rest. She knew that her time was close, but she did not think that it should be this soon at all. She was getting more than a little worried. D’Ree tried to eat some more; she knew she would need to keep up her strength. Her talons suddenly grabbed and dug into a huge branch in the nest. She panted as she stretched her wings out and arched her back, as another pain spasm swept through her body.

∞

T’Nal was for once happy as he flew back to his roost in his favourite old tree. It was on a bluff that overlooked most of his territory, and he and R’Tan had sat in it for hours, scouting for prey in the valley below. He watched the lights moving along the highway in the distance and thanked Mother Nature as he picked apart his meal and ate it. He had eaten very well and could feel his strength and his energy slowly coming back. He thought back and realized that he had been alone for almost three full earth cycles now. Since R’Tan’s death, he had not migrated, had not seen any other members of his family, and had completely cut himself off from the world.

T’Nal examined the bout of depression he had caught himself drowning in, admitting that in the last moon cycle, he had sat in this very tree for long periods of time, overlooking the field where R’Tan was buried. T’Nal had not been hunting, not caring to live at all. He had come dangerously close to withering away to nothing when he had finally gotten desperate enough to try to hunt. At the thought of K’Lar, he quickly thanked Mother Nature for providing him with a chance at a new life. He just had to keep up the courage to live it.

T’Nal finished his meal, flexed his wings and back, and realized how much flying he and K’Lar had actually done. He was stiff and sore, but he smiled with a deep sense of satisfaction. He felt tired from all of the excitement and exertion. He watched the sun set, and then quickly fell into a very deep sleep.

∞

K’Lar flew across the field and over the tree line to the field where he had met T’Nal before and landed on the