The eagle woke up tired. Every muscle ached as it looked around. Hunger. Cold. It was primal, basic, just act and live as it pulled its head from its wing. Looking around, it gave everything a long stare.
His gaze lingered on what was below, mostly trees and snow. Nothing looked right, like the white stuff didn’t belong. He flapped his wings a few times to shake the snow and stiffness out of them, giving a small skree. It was morning, and time to find food.
He fluffed his feathers out and felt a little bit warmer once he did, as he gazed down one last time. Then, crouching down and spreading his wings, he leapt from the branch, his wings catching the air as he started to circle, scanning the ground for anything.
---------
Charlie takes a moment before speaking, “That must have been about the time Shiners and I finally got out looking for you” he said, frowning as if something was bothering him, but not saying what. “I wanted to go out earlier, but didn’t want to miss you in the dark. I grabbed some simple camping supplies and food and got a backpack. By the time I was ready, Shiners was already outside.”
Shiners bobs his head. “I wanted to look earlier too, and even tried a little, but before the sky got brighter, I could have flown right into you before I knew you were there,” he said, scratching at the branch with his talons. “Really wasn’t easy.”
I listen to them curiously, not wanting to interrupt. This was all news to me.
“I rode my bike, and we headed north, hoping that was the direction you had headed in,” Charlie says. “It looked like it, but I wasn't sure what might have happened. We searched the whole area hoping that you might have come back, but no luck, not even any signs you were around.”
Shiners tilts his head. “You're kinda easy to see in all the snow, but the most I saw was a couple of bald eagles. We started calling for your name, hoping you would hear us.”
Charlie gives a small, embarrassing laugh. “We thought we saw you at one point, and chased you for about five minutes, but it turned out to be an immature bald eagle.” He gives Shiners a side knowing glance.
Shiners’ nares turn red. “Hey, it was high up, and I could barely see an outline, anyone could make that mistake.” Turning back to me, he adds, “So what did you end up doing?”
I shrugged.
-------------
Everything below moved with a stillness. The day had started, and life should have been appearing, but there was very little. Only the rare bird or small animal. Nothing felt worthy of his attention. His wings tilted as he tried to get a better view, the trees making it hard to spot anything ahead. All his instincts told him this wasn’t home, but it was where he was.
He was hungry and knew he had to get food of some kind, finally noticing something below as he flew along, but it was weird. A large pinkish thing was running along the beach, way too big to be food. Something from his memory made him think of his nest.
He shook his head, confused, not eagle or food, and turned away with one last glance, deciding to head south this time.
This time south, he followed the weird game trail with bright yellow prints in the middle. He could see massive beasts travelling along the trail. The sun reflecting off of them occasionally. But then, as he headed south, he saw something familiar. A small animal in a field, hopping along. His instincts kicked in. It was small, but he was hungry enough to try.
He circled low, not enough light yet for his shadow to alert the hoppy thing below. Once more, he circled above it, then dove straight down, talons spread, hunger growing with the anticipation of a kill. A squeal, a skree, and it was over. The smell and feel were perfect. He finally had food and had begun to eat when an annoying buzzing sound interrupted him. He looked over to see a sky stealer staring and hopping excitedly. He hissed at it. This was his food.
He spread his wings to protect the kill as the sky stealer backed away. Good. HIS food. He turned back to eat more when a strange sound made him look up, a pink thing with weird colored fur stood near the sky stealer. TOO BIG. TOO DANGEROUS. He hissed again and leapt into the air, wings beating hard as noises echoed behind him.
Charlie frowns. “That was when we finally spotted you. We were out trying to find you when Shiners saw you dive into the woods and flew back to let me know,” he said, looking a little unsure of what to say next.
Shiners scratched an itch on his head with a talon. “Yeah, I was so happy to see you, and that you finally got a kill. Must have been my skilled training,” he said before clearing his throat. “Well, I went to say hi, tried to speak in your mind, but all I got was a static-like sound, and you hissed at me. HISSED. I backed up.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I winced at that.
Charlie shakes his head, “You shouldn't have to apologize, given what you've been through it's amazing you're still sane...ish. It was our fault for not realizing it sooner.”
“Well, as soon as I arrived, as you said, you seemed to panic, hissing again and then flying off, leaving your kill,” he says, motioning to the rabbit leg, “Go ahead, it was your kill, you earned it, felt wrong leaving it.”
Shiners shrugs, “You went through a lot. I’m surprised your bird brain wasn’t permanently damaged, eagles never were that bright,” he finishes. At Charlie’s AHEM, he looks apologetic at that, “So what happened next?” he asks, knowing what’s coming up but wanting Mike to realize it himself.
I wince, shaking my head,
Charlie eyes me, “Mike, unless you can tell everything you remember, you will never get through this. We have a few guesses about what happened, but we want to hear your story first,” he says.
Shiners gives me a caring look. “Believe me, you get no criticism or judgement from me, nothing you did is something I haven’t done. Heck, you've seen what ravens eat. Still think you are wrong not to want to at least try a good dumpster meal. Worst case you’re a little embarrassed.”
I frown, kicking at the snow, trying to delay it.
Charlie shakes his head, “Not had a chance, for some reason I decided to go out in the cold and chase after my friend.” He says with a small smirk, “Though I’m going to have to go home some time today and school, hopefully I won’t be grounded. Might be able to make it for lunch.”
Shiners nods. “If you're up for flying, we can check later, or even tomorrow. But enough stalling, Charlie is probably in trouble for not going to school, don't make it any worse.”
I sigh at this. “Fine, but remember I’m bigger than you, Shiners, and I’ve got sharper talons,” though there’s nothing really behind it. “As soon as you two spooked the eagle, it took off flying to the south.”
------------------------
The eagle flew away from the intruders, giving a couple of angry skrees. HIS food, not THEIRS. One of them, the sky stealer, seemed to be following beneath him, but he didn’t want it stealing his next kill. He could hear its annoying calls, and that strange hissing noise was back. Something about them felt familiar, but he was too annoyed to care.
He kept flying away, his eyes following the game trail below, hoping for something, anything that might provide food for himself. He finally hears silence behind him and hopes the sky stealer has given up. As he continues down, he sees something ahead near the trail. One of those bigger animals was grazing, but it was wounded and hurt.
He circled it a few times, watching from above, his talons tightening at the chance to hunt again. He gave one last look for the sky stealer before beginning his descent, wings folding slightly as he dropped, eyes locked on the prey. The air screamed past his feathers. It hadn’t seen him yet. Good.
He came in fast and hard, striking the animal on the side and sinking his talons into it, tearing a bite from it, and killing it. It was strangely easy, but it had been wounded. He was just glad to have had a chance to eat. The taste was exquisite and wonderful.
-------
Charlie glances over at Shiners as they give each other a look. “You said you caught an animal… do you remember what kind of animal it was?” he asks, as if trying to get me to remember something.
I frown. I look away, still trying to deny the truth. But a look from the others makes me sigh. It feels like the rabbit leg is already in my throat and caught there.
“You're almost there, it’s okay, no judgment here, you didn’t do anything wrong, even if your human mind thinks so,” Shiners says encouragingly.
I grumble, not so glad I couldn’t puke as my stomach rolled too much.
Charlie gives me an assuring look, “You're there finally. There is nothing wrong with that, you’re an eagle now, not a human. Your body needs different things. Why does it being dead for a while make any difference? Didn’t look like it had been there more than a day or two at most, which in the cold is fine.”
Shiners nods, “I’ve eaten worse than you can handle. It’s fine to be appalled, but don’t forget what you are now.”
He flies over to me, landing next to me. Putting a wing around me he comforts, “You are our friend and nothing you do will make us reject you.”
Charlie gives a dry chuckle. “Well, unless you try to eat me, that might put a small dampener on our friendship for a few minutes.”
I shake my head at this. I say, calming for the first time since I woke up. I’m still bothered and a little sick, but at least I have the support I need.
Charlie rolls his eyes, “Least I bathe, when was the last time you did?” He teases back, “Well, once you took off, I tried to follow you as best as I could, but you and Shiners were moving too fast.”
Shiners nods. “I followed you for a little while, but I didn’t want Charlie to get lost, so I returned to tell him where you’d gone. We followed the road for about fifteen minutes until we found you again. Thankfully, you stayed near it, and we found you just like you said, in a small field off the road, eating a dead deer.”
Charlie nods. “We approached you slowly from a distance. Once you’d finished eating, you seemed less spooked. You even let us get closer, and for the first time, it almost looked like you remembered us.”
I nod.