Chapter 12: Soaring with eagles

I stretched with the pack on and glanced at Aveline as she sighed. I had not told her how we were traveling yet and grinned as I headed for the Keep. She looked at me and then grinned as we headed for the tower. I had checked the two huge dragon kites the night before so all we had to do was put them together.

We secured the packs and bows before moving to the edge of the tower. The late spring wind lifted us and I turned to head south. We were heading to the west, past the Highlands and Finagore to an area of thick forest and few people. No ranger had been that far in a decade and it was past time we paid it a visit.

Once out of the pass I turned to the west and Aveline moved up beside me. Our trip seemed to have the weather on our side. After we went past Finagore it was another couple of days before we reached the ancient forest. Very few men had ever ventured into the forest. Elves sometimes came and spent time but one good thing was most of the foul ones did not enter.

The huge forest bears or saber lions were uncanny in the way they stalked and killed them. There were many other beasts in the forest that would trap and kill if they were threatened. I glanced at Aveline as we circled the edge of the forest and then a giant eagle leaped into the air. I was worried it would attack but it beat its wings to go higher and then circled us.

Several minutes later it drifted closer to Aveline and I shifted and moved to get between them. It slid away but I stayed with Aveline and it came back. It turned its head to look at me and I could see how intelligent it was. It began shifting and turning as if to herd us and I hesitated before looking at Aveline and calling out, “It wants us to follow.”

She nodded as the huge eagle looked at me before screaming and nodding. We drifted over the forest and an hour later I saw the outcrop of rock sticking up above the trees. The eagle guided us around it as a dozen more eagles leaped into the air. Soon they were all around and forcing us down.

I let Aveline go first and she landed on the northern edge. I flared my kite as I settled beside her and she was already shedding the harness. I glanced around as one of the eagles landed not to far away. I climbed out of the harness and settled the kite to the ground before turning to walk towards the eagle.

It was easily taller and larger than me, even standing and I stopped when it shifted, “You want us here?”

It bobbed its head and turned to look towards the center of the outcropping where I saw several huge nests. I nodded and returned to my kite to get my pack and bow before collapsing the kite. Aveline walked with me and whispered, “The tales say the Sky Eagles are very smart.”

I glanced at her, “They have saved a ranger or two in the past.”

Another eagle on the first nest lifted a wing as if pointing the way and we kept going and climbed higher. We went past a few more nests until we reached the highest one where a huge female shifted as she stood. She moved away from a huge chick and I looked at it before removing my pack.

The baby had an arrow through a wing and another in its shoulder. Aveline slipped her pack off, “What are you going to do?”

I glanced at her as I pulled a soft rag out, “Help.”

I gestured back the way we had come, “I need a fire and hot water.”

She nodded and turned to start searching. I looked at the female eagle, “We will need a rabbit.”

It bobbed its head and looked up before screaming and one in the sky above us answered. I moved into the nest and the baby cried out as it shifted. I knelt and gently lifted the wing to look at the arrow before folding it. I was careful as I pulled my folding knife and held the tip of the arrow. I cut into the arrow a couple of times before snapping it.

I shifted the baby as it cried out and pulled the arrow out. I lifted and extended the wing as I looked very close at the wound. I sighed and glanced at the mother as she leaned forward, “It did not hit bone or the tendon.”

I turned to pull out a cream the elves use to treat wounds and applied it before cutting my shirt into strips and binding the wing. I looked at the other arrow which was more serious and held the point as I cut it and broke it off. I checked the baby and rubbed the side of its head, “Just a little more.”

I held its shoulder and pulled the arrow shaft out and tossed it away as the baby sagged. I turned as Aveline knelt beside me, “The water is almost hot.”

I nodded, “We need to keep it aware so the shock does not hurt it.”

She nodded as I moved out of the nest. Aveline had made a small fire and used our only pan to heat the water. I dipped the rag in the water before returning, “If one of the eagles does not bring a rabbit you will need to go hunting.”

She nodded again and I glanced at her, “Be careful. The arrows were dark brother arrows.”

I turned to clean the entry and exit wounds. I used the cream on both wounds before looking at Aveline as she brought one of her shirts. I took it and carefully cut it and used it to wrapped the shoulder and other wing. I moved as the mother bent over to touch her baby and another eagle walked to the nest and dropped a rabbit.

Aveline took it and moved to the fire before cleaning it and cutting the meat up into tiny pieces. I kept talking and caressing the young eagle as it laid in the nest. Finally we had to filter the warm slightly cooked meat and dice it fine before trying to help it eat. I knew the baby needed the warmth to fight shock.

When we finished I looked at the mother, “She needs warmth and rest.”

She nodded and shifted as she moved onto the nest and over her baby. I moved out and to my pack before looking at another of the eagles, “Where is the one that did this?”

It turned to look towards the north and I reached for my bow, “Time to kill...”

The eagle lifted and stood and I looked at it. It lifted and opened a large foot and I looked up into its face, “You can carry me?”

It nodded and I looked at Aveline, “The bandages need to be checked in a few hours.”

She nodded and I checked my quiver before moving to the eagle. It was careful as it grabbed me and crouched before leaping into the air. I held my bow tight with one hand and one of the huge eagles clawed toes in the other. It flew higher and others joined us as it turned and started north. I watched the forest below and saw the smoke before we got close.