“Tselnto?” I said.

“Yes,” he said, coming forward. I hear you have been doing some interesting things and I am looking forward to hearing all about them.”

“Yes, yes I have,” I said, “But how did you get here?”

“Oh, once I got done interviewing everyone at the Castle I transformed into a Horseboy and rode here.”

I stared at him, “You transformed into a Horseboy and rode, by yourself, all the way across the plains just to catch up with me? You Elves are crazy!”

He grinned, “Well, yes, we are. Of course, everyone’s crazy, aren’t they? You won’t catch me attacking a full grown Dragon in mid air will you?”

“But that…” I paused. I had liked doing that. It was what Eagles did… not Dragons, particularly but, diving and attacking and all. So what was he telling me? That turning into Horsemen was what Elves did? Or…

“So, you are really into this whole ‘Kolchno thing?” I asked him. “You really do want to get to know me?”

“I knew it was going to be hard,” he said. “It’s not like I can be what Tristan is. Most of your life is up there, and I can’t go there. And no, I’m not going to transform into an Eagle, or a Dragon, or something, just to go up with you.”

I laughed. “No, I wouldn’t expect you to. I’m sorry, I haven’t exactly been the greatest object of study. I completely forgot you at…”

“Are you two coming?” Seth said, stepping back out into the courtyard where he had left me to greet Tselnto. I stopped my apology and, awkwardly, hopped after him.

Luckily they had planned for me and gave me a ‘room’ right inside the hallway and off to the left. A nice big room. //We can hold our meetings here,// Seth said. //The Ghosts will just cling to the walls, but the Dwarves, Spearman, and I will all need chair space. What would be good for you? Some kind of stick?//

I blushed. When I was young I had had some bird that people said would talk (but it never did) and I had kept it in my room on a stick. But really, what else was I to do?

//Sure,// I said. //If the Dwarves could make something up.//

They did, too, and it didn’t even look like a stick. It was kind of a raised platform with edges and, unless you came right up to it, you couldn’t even see the slats that I could hold on to. And they and Haddassah had them cover the whole thing up with royal cloths or something, so it looked official. Who knows, I may even have looked wise! It certainly was easier to sit in while Tselnto grilled me. I must say his Eagle was getting better and better; it was like I really had someone to talk to. And, somehow, he seemed to be getting to know me better, too. Not like the Fisherboys did, or that one Elf turned Fisherboy, but like… I don’t know… like someone who might write my story?

It took several days for Seth to arrange the meeting, but Stone Walker, and his wife (Shadow Whisper) came by several times in the meantime. And then when the meeting was called, to my utter shock, Seth said, //… and so I’d like my brother, the Eagle Prince, to present what we have worked out.//

Almost, almost, almost I stuck my head under my wing. As it was I didn’t speak for several seconds. //Gentlemen,// I said, looking out over the room… which was absolutely packed, //we, my brother and Stone Walker and I, have worked out a plan that, we hope, will change our war against the Dragons. Most of you heard about our most recent hunting trip. Our plan is to get more Eagles to come over, and form more Forts: including Eagles, Ghosts, Spearmen, Dwarves, and Elves.//

//Elves?// a Spearman said, //what do we want them for?//

//They wouldn’t live in the fort but, as you know, they are living in the mountains. We are thinking of using them as additional scouts and relays. They can set up relay stations and pass messages back and forth. With the Eagles ready to fly scout, it will be important to pass messages along the ground.//

//How many Eagles do you think you can get?//

//I don’t know. This is an entirely new phenomenon for us, the Eagles, that is. We, they, knew that you others existed but we never had anything to do with them. I will have to go back and try to talk to them.//

There was a lot more discussion, and some refinements, but eventually everyone agreed with our plan. The Dwarves pledged to start working on the forts right away.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I felt sorry for the Ghosts and Spearmen. They had passed the word and a couple hundred of them were down below, and had been traveling all night to catch up with where I would be in a couple of hours.

Indeed it wasn’t even two hours before I came out over the top of the clouds and looked down into a new valley. A beautiful valley, but I wasn’t here to admire the scenery.

I started scanning for Dragons, and it wasn’t long before I saw one. But it was a huge one… easily twice the size of the ones I had already killed. I was very, very glad that I was so high above it. Then I noticed that it… that she… wasn’t alone. After her, not too close, was a whole stream of the males. I had heard about this, but I blushed to see it. But it meant…

I followed her, from high up and far back, and I watched the males drop off one after the other. Three males ended up following her all the way to the end, and I had to hover forever while they fought it out, and then one and the female ate the other two. And then they walked together into a cave.

This was fantastic! I circled endlessly above the cave, waiting for the male to come out, but he never did. But I did see the others, the Spearmen in the lead, coming to where I circled. When they got close I dropped down, to talk to the lead Spearman… not that I wanted to talk to a Spearman, but I needed to give a report.

//They went in that cave up there,// I said, when I got there. //A male and a female.//

//A mating pair?// he said. I wish he hadn’t said that. How was I supposed to know? I mean, I assumed so… Luckily he didn’t care what I thought, he was already signaling, and they were all hurrying forward toward the cave. He was ignoring me, so I took off, going back to my circling.

It was interesting how they did it. First the Spearmen came up, and stood at the doorway with their spears. When they arrived, several Ghosts stationed themselves around the top of the cave. The rests of the Ghosts, and all of the Spearwives, then immediately began dragging stones and wood over to the cave. The stones they piled up in front of the cave, the wood they held back. Then, when the hole got almost closed, they started throwing the wood into it. Then, when the wood was in, they threw torches that they had lit… and then they closed it.

Suddenly, about five minutes later, there was an enormous explosion, and the stones and the wood went flying out of the hole… knocking several Spearmen out of the way, and burying another in debris. Then, from the hole, emerged the female. The Spearmen that were left poked with their spears as she snapped at them. From the top of the hole I saw several Ghosts drop on top of her. Writhing around she knocked off all of them except two, who were too far back for her to easily get with her mouth… as long as the Spearmen were there, that is. So she took off, and I dove.

It seems crazy, but I just can’t tell you how badly I wanted to kill her. And, as well, I knew that, when she got to a height were she could afford to glide, she would be able to pick off those ghosts.

She saw me right away, and turned to face me as I got close, a contemptuous look on her face, as if to say, “You? Such a sparrow to come after me.”

But I knew what the Ghosts could do, if I gave them a chance. I measured her neck with my eyes, and darted in, cawing.

She looked a bit taken aback but, unlike the males, she didn’t just dart after me, instead just facing me with some coil in her neck.

//Two more, and then attack,// I said, knowing that the ghosts would understand me. //One,// I said, darting in again, //Two…// this time with cawing and flapping, //Go!// I shouted, going right in, straight against her face.

At the same time one of the Ghosts dug in ?his? claws against the Dragons back, while the other darted up toward the neck. I didn’t let up, knowing that I had to distract her so the Ghost could do her job. The Dragon darted out her snout against me, and I grabbed on to her nostrils and held on with all I had. The Dragon snarled, and thrashed me back and forth for what seemed forever. And then, suddenly, her eyes glazed over.

I let go and tumbled, then snapped out, watching the Dragon… and the Ghosts. For they clung to the dead body… a very stiff dead body almost as if… I flew back over, it was still gliding! The head was dead, but the body was, somehow, still going on. The glide was taking it down but, it was still gliding. I flew over, to the neck. //Let me take you down!// I yelled.

//Can you?// it yelled back. //Can you fly with one of us?//

//No, but I can crash carefully!// I said, and darted in, grabbing it and darting off, and down. I held my wings locked, and looked for somewhere to set down. There were trees all over the place except for a river. A creek really but, any port in a storm. I was holding the ghost very awkwardly in my talons as we came down and then, when we got close enough, I let him go… and flapped back up. But there was nothing I could do for the other one, the Dragon was coming down fast, and hard, and almost on top of me. It hit a tree right in front of me, flipped around, hit another tree, and landed… hard.

I heard a splash from behind me, and turned to see the one ghost, the one that I had dropped in the stream, came splashing out, hurrying toward the Dragon, and then he stopped. //I guess I could have saved myself a ducking,// it said, and I whirled to see the other Ghost climbing, slowly, off the body of the Dragon.

//I don’t know,// the other one said, //you were up on the neck.//

At this we both looked and I agreed, anything on the neck would have been absolutely crushed. I was surprised the other had lived.

//We scurry well,// the second Ghost said, coming up to me and seeing my look. //I just kept scurrying around to stay on top, and I mostly succeeded. I got clipped by a branch up there.//

We laughed together, and then began eating. We had been there quite a while, actually, before some others showed up… the Spearwives with their huge knives. The Ghosts and I watched for a while as they cut the Dragon up, and then moved forward when, suddenly, they began to sing, excitedly.

What we saw were eggs, eggs being removed from the body of the Dragon. One of the women turned toward me, //This has never happened!// she said. //Never have we killed a pregnant Dragon! And this is only our second female.//

Suddenly everyone was looking at me, and I got very embarrassed, and flew off.

I hadn’t risen very far when I saw, back at the cave, that they had killed another Dragon… the male. I landed to take a look, and a Spearman came up to me.

//This is wonderful!// the Spearman said. //You killed the female too?//

//Yes,// I said. //And she had eggs…// I started, but he cut me off, grinning,

//Of course she had eggs!// He said. //These two they…//

I flapped off before I could be forced to hear the rest. It was like I couldn’t avoid it nowadays. I headed back to my tree, with Scraggle Weed and them. I was tired, and wanted a nap.

But I didn’t get one. When I arrived my brother was there, with Caleb.

//Hello!// he shouted, from the bottom of the tree. //Mind if we come up?//

//No,// I shouted back… although I did. I wanted to sleep, to get away from all of this!

//We hear you’ve been doing a great job,// Seth said, when he climbed up to where I was. //Just what we needed, someone to spot the Dragons from the air. I imagine you’re a bit tired, tho.// He said, looking at me.

//I am,// I said. I should have remembered that my brother had spent a good deal of time as a Fisherman… wise in the ways of relationships and people. Probably what made him such a good King.

//Tell you what,// he said, //you take a good nap, and then we’ll talk.//

Well, I ask you, who could take a nap under those conditions? //Let’s talk now,// I said.

//Ok,// he said, sitting down on a branch. //Let’s talk.//

//You’re a bit of a problem… for us, for yourself. You are in an awkward situation. You can’t turn back to a Farmer… or Ghost or Spearman. But I don’t think you’re going to be comfortable just being an Eagle, flapping around, eating rabbits…//

I huffed. I hadn’t eaten a rabbit in years. Too small.

//So, we were thinking, Tristan and Haddassah and Caleb and I, and we set a test, and you passed with flying colors.//

//You mean, this hunt?// You think I should just hunt for the rest of my life, like this, with you all?//

//No, no not quite…//

-

-

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

//You’re an Elf!// I said, stupidly. I never did wake up well.

//Yes,// he said, //we have a colony here. As I understand it, you are closer to civilisation than you were when you started the hunt. We saw most of your hunt last night, but I waited till this morning to greet you.//

//Well, good morning, then,// I said. //Who all is here?//

//Oh, a whole host of Spearmen, and a passel of Ghosts. Plus my family, of course. We tend to live fairly far apart here in the mountains, so the nearest family is several miles away.//

I peered through the branches, and then looked back at the boy, //What is your name?// I asked, //I am Jonathon…//

//We all know who you are,// he laughed, //and my name is Tzentauri.//

//Glad to meet you,// I said. //and, if you could, I need some information, and I know that Elves are experts at information.//

//Yes?// he said, squatting down with one foot each on two branches, and his tail going up in the air to a third branch.

//There was this Ghostlad, yesterday, and he helped me kill a Dragon. and I want to know his name.//

//Why not just ask?//

//I…. ummmm… I’m embarrassed.//

//Embarrassed? To ask a question? Is that typical for Eagles?//

I sighed, and proceeded to tell Tzentauri about we Eagles and how easily we were embarrassed. Finally he nodded, //Very well,// he said, and started to climb down.

//I’ll start hunting,// I said. //I’ll be back tonight.//

I was very tired when I flew back to the tree the next night. I had caught a Dragon near the ground, and wing crippled him with one pass. Then I caught another flying high and just badgered him until he landed. He had no idea I had been anything except a nuisance until the first Ghost scurried up his back.

//You have returned,// Tzentauri said, when I landed.

//I have. A good day for hunting. Two down. What of your hunting?//

//My hunting…? Oh, the name.Yes, I found it out. He is called ‘Scraggle Weed’… which is a better name than it sounds. The Scraggle Weed is a small plant found in the mountains, which grows in very difficult places. And so the name…//

As Tzentauri went on and about the Scraggle Weed, I busied myself committing the name to memory. Perhaps one day I would be King of the Eagles and would need to know how to keep people’s names in my memory.

//… at the bottom of the tree.// he concluded.

//What?// I said.

//Scraggle Weed. He too enjoyed talking to you yesterday and, with a group of his friends, is waiting at the bottom of the tree for permission to come up.//

//Well, why didn’t you say so?//

//I just did say so,// he said, looking confused.

//Come up, Scraggle Weed,// I said, forgetting to say the name in Ghost (which was one of the things that Tzentauri had told me.)

Soon whispered clackings could be heard as several Ghost lads (or lasses, one could not tell with Ghosts) crept up the tree. //Jonathon!// the boy in the lead said, //You gave us no Dragons today!//

//I brought down two Dragons,// I protested.

//Yes, but far from our sector,// Scraggle Weed said, settling himself on the bark just above me, while other Ghosts clung all around him and me.

//Well, that was where they were!// I said, laughing. Then, remembering something, //Say, I have a question for you…// I looked at Tzentauri, //for you both. There are these… paintings on some rocks. I have seen three of them so far. Huge paintings… do you know what they are?//

//Surely,// said Tzentauri while,

//Of course,// Scraggle Weed put in. //They are our sculptures.//

//The Ghosts?//

//Yes.//

//Sculptures?//

//Yes. They involve no paint. We actually make them by spitting on the rock.//
//Spitting?//

//Yes. Our spit can partially dissolve some rocks, and so we make those pictures.//

//But how… how can you see them?//

//We always put them where they can be seen,// Scraggle Weed said.

//No, I mean, when you are making them.//

//Oh, we don’t need to see them then. We know what we want to sculpt, and we just sculpt it.//

//Wow,// I said. //But they are huge!//

//Yes. They take a long time, and many Ghosts working together. We have to go over the same picture several times before it can truly be seen from afar.//

Several times? I thought. Wow.

//So, who are your friends?// I asked, and he introduced me around. I still ended up not knowing which were boys and which were girls, though… with names like ‘Crushed Gravel’ and ‘Badger’… well… who could tell? I did begin to get an idea of their life, tho which, for most of them, was outside a lot of them time. They had the forts which they shared with the Spearmen, but they spent most of their time outside, scouting for new places for roads, new places for forts and, most of all, Dragon lairs.

//Are there other Eagles here?// one Ghost (which I thought was a girl, since she was called ‘Scented Spruce’) asked me after we had pretty much done discussing Ghosts.

//No, not now,// I said, //I just came to visit my brother and his family; and then they asked me to help with the hunt.//

//And a good idea that was. We have killed more Dragons in the last two days than we usually kill in a month… outside of smoking out a lair, that is.//

//Really?//

//Yes,// Tzentauri said. //The Dragons are not very obliging as to come to the Forts just to be killed, and up to now no one has been able to get to them in the air.//

There was a bit of a pause and then Scented Spruce asked me, //Do you have any family? I mean, Eagle family?//

I was tempted to stick my head under my wing, or take off, but I knew that wouldn’t work the same way with Ghosts and Elves as it did with Eagles, or even with my Farmer family, so I tried to face the question bravely. //Sort of. There was a mother and father Eagle who kidnapped me, and raised me. Up until a while ago I thought of them as my real Mother and Father.//

//Oh, you must hate them,// one of the smaller Ghosts said.

//No, no… not really. You see, their egg had died, been killed really, and so the Mother… they don’t have many children, you know, and they have them a long, long way apart… anyway the Mother saw me on the mountain, climbing, and she just couldn’t resist. They aren’t supposed to do it, but all the Eagles know you can transform a Farmer or Fisherlad or whatever.//

//So, did they get in trouble?//

//Well, no. I didn’t tell anyone.//

//Why not?//

//Because he loves them, idiot,// Scraggle Weed said, seeing my discomfort. //So, have you ever built a nest?//

I laughed, //No, that is just for when you mate and the girl needs to lay her egg.//

//We’re going to mate,// Scraggle weed said, moving over to Scented Spruce, //Spruce and I…when her time comes. I can’t wait.//

At this I did put my head under my wing. How could he talk about that!

//Where are you going to hunt tomorrow?// Tzentauri asked, after a few seconds.

//I think I am going to go Northwest from here. That is where they seem to have been coming from. Maybe they have a lair or something there./

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

And that poor Elf. I wondered where he was.

The second Dragon was much easier to find. He came from about the same place as the first one… approximately, at least. And he was eager to fight, coming right up after me, flapping up the thermals.

I didn’t even try the dive this time, but concentrated on his face. I had several advantages… quicker on the wing (for short distances), experienced at fighting Dragons, and, most of all, I could put my beak, my Talons, and my wingtips in just about the same place at the same time… which I tried to arrange to be the Dragons face.

He, or they, had the advantage that they were bigger, quicker on the long flight and… I found to my chagrin, could whip their tail about.

He almost caught me with his tail once when I had dropped back over his right shoulder (thinking about a wing strike). As it was I just lost some feathers, and about a pound or two of dignity… since I let out a rather animal-like ‘squawk’ when it hit me.

He paid for it himself, though. His tail was part of his steering mechanism, and the slash at me jerked him around some, causing him to lose altitude. But, still, overall, his tail was a serious problem for me.

I moved up to his head and started ‘teasing’ him again. It seemed to me like these Dragons were easily angered. They didn’t mind relaxing in the thermals, but they hated having me around their heads. A little ‘squawking’ or ‘cawing’ around their head caused them to react most vigorously.

And it was one such reaction that won me this battle. He had coiled his neck back as I got close and then, when he figured I was in range, he launched his head out at me. I coiled up and put forward my beak, my talons, and my wingtips and, this time, I got a grip, right on his eyelid and jaw to the right side of his face. He screamed, and I clamped down and bit at his nose with my beak. The he screamed again and shook his head alarmingly, sending me flying off.

I stabilized quickly and urgently but, when I recovered enough to turn around, I saw that I needn’t have worried, the Dragon was paying no attention to me at all. One glace at the right side of his face told me that he would never be seeing out that eye again, and the pain that he was in left him totally distracted from worrying about me.

I took my time for the next part, looping up above him, watching his movements. He had obviously lost at least part of his ability to tell how far away I was, and he kept snatching at the air… and then twisting his head around to try to deal with his injury.

In the end I didn’t even need to force him to the ground, he went down himself, desperate with the pain. And then, once down, he didn’t even see the Spearman that, wisely, approached him on his blind side and put a spear through it.

I sat moping while I ate, wishing my Ghost buddy would show up. It was getting dark and I hoped he would share my tree. But as time went on it became obvious that I had outpaced the Ghosts, and I retired to my tree myself.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

//I’m fine,// he said. //Just kind of bruised and confused.//

//Why were you on the head?// I asked him, because I really wanted to know. //I thought you all went straight for the neck.//

//We do, and if I had been alone I would have. But we lads and lasses aren’t strong enough to be sure to get the killing blow at first, and we lose a lot to getting struck off against trees and things. So when we hunt together we smaller ones go straight for the head, which really distracts the Dragon, and we can blind him too. And then the older ones strike the head off.//

//It can be a bit of a ride for you, eh?// I said, working on getting the head all the way open.

//Yes,// He said, gnawing at the end of the neck which lay next to him. //Great hunt, though. Nice not having to go into a lair to get a Dragon. Good eating too, eh?//

//Absolutely. The best thing I have ever eaten! The Beasts are good, but these are better.//

//I’ve never had Beast,// he said. //Except dried and smoked up from the plains, and it doesn’t taste so hot that way. For that matter, Dragon isnt’ anything special when you dry it or salt it or whatever.//

I shuddered. Dried or smoked or salted anything sounded horrible.

//Do you have to eat that much?// I asked.

//All the time. The Spearwives will dry and smoke this stuff, the part we don’t eat… if there is any that we don’t eat, that is. We are a big party.//

That was true enough. Already there were dozens of Ghosts and Spearmen around the kill, and the Spearmen were preparing a fire. One of the Ghosts came over to me. //When you have eaten, tell us, and we will spead out again.//

Again? //You wish to hunt again?//

//Of course. We have assembled three hundred Ghosts and two hundred Spearmen, and not all for one Dragon, as good as that is.//

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

Not that I remembered any of their names, hardly.

//My name is Stone Walker,// the Ghost said. Seth and I had been waiting outside the Ghost fort for him to show up… if you can call it ‘showing up’. Almost invisible against the rock, and incredibly flat, he had crept down the wall in front of us and was now ‘sitting’ upside down in front of us. A few yards behind him ‘sat’ another Ghost, which I took to be his wife, with a baby Ghost clinging to her back.

I can’t say I was really thrilled with the idea of going into a fight with a female and a baby but… Ghosts did things their way.

//We are looking for a lair in this direction,// he said, waving a paw to the Northeast. We are hoping that you will help us. And, even if not, hopefully we should have some good hunting. The Prince, here, has been telling us of how you fight, and we have decided to work in support. Mostly we Ghosts, but we will have a couple of teams of Spearmen ready in case we find something. We work together well here in the mountains. I wouldn’t want to visit one of their plains forts.//

//So what do you want me to do?//

//What you do. Rise up, seek out the prey, and knock them down. Just don’t go too far too fast, so we can keep up with you on the ground. And don’t worry about them once they get there… we’ll take care of that part.//

The Ghost left… in what seemed proper Eagle manners to me, so I took off too. As I went up I looked out for my allies. The Spearmen were easy to spot… they had some large tents out on a couple of hillsides, with stacks of supplies in leather bags, and guards out all around.

The ghosts were harder. Of course, that was a lot of the point. We had created them, forced a brand new transformation, in order to fight the Dragons; and one of the big deals about them was that they be hard to see. Part of that was their flatness… they stuck right tight flat against the rocks they ‘walked’ on. But the rest of it was the ability that they shared with Trolls to change their fur to the color of whatever they were on.

I could see them, tho, if I tried hard. I don’t know, my ability to focus or something, but I could see these splotches against the rocks. And then, as I looked, scoping them out and following their direction of travel, I saw something else.

I stopped… well, we don’t stop, but you know what I mean… I stopped moving forward and just circled around. There, in front of me, was an enormous boulder and there, on the boulder, was a picture. A huge picture. Carved right on a boulder. It was a picture of a Dragon… and the mountains it flew in. Indeed, looking around, I could see pretty much the exact scene it was taken against.

I stared at the boulder for several more minutes, trying to figure out how it must have gotten like that, when I noticed that the Ghosts were moving past me and decided I had no real way of figuring out how it had gotten that way while still flying, and that I had Dragons to kill.

Not that they were easy to find! I don’t know if it was because of the work of the Ghosts or what, but we searched for a good three hours before I saw my first hint of a Dragon… and he was far, far away; far to far for my partners to ‘take care’ of any Dragon I knocked down, so I kept looking.

I did keep an eye out on him, however and, despite his having disappeared here and there several times, I was able to follow him. And he was coming closer. I started easing over in his direction… as did my ‘gang’. I even saw the Ghosts send a runner back to the Spearmen, who duly roused themselves and started moving their camp.

It was an hour after that that it really started to look like we would be able to attack this particular Dragon. He had caught himself a mountain goat and was eating it. He had noticed me, too, and kept glancing in my direction inbetween bites.

And now the Ghosts, themselves, had seen him. They were several miles away from him, across a valley, but his location, on a high ledge, made him visible for miles… especially for them, who were on a slope opposite.

I continued in his direction, hoping to get right overhead him, when, eventually, he got nervous and took off, flapping in my direction. I figured why tire myself out, and so I got into a thermal and started rising. Soon he was in my thermal, and rising too, and I decided it was time to attack.

I started my dive, and he saw me. For the first few seconds he just continued to rise into the thermal but then, when I started to get close, he did a side slip and plunge, gained speed, and looped back almost in my face, and forcing me to side slip and dodge… and then I immediately turned myself, to keep him off my tail.

When I turned back he was back in the thermal, staring over his shoulder at me as he turned. I swoop and turned to get back in the thermal myself, ending up at the opposite side of the thermal from him, and lower.

And I couldn’t afford to be lower, so I, carefully, flapped my way higher. As I did I kept one eye on him (as he kept circling and keeping an eye on me) and with the other I watched the Ghosts and, eventually, the Spearmen come up.

When I was just a little bit higher than him I decided to take another tack. I reversed my direction in the thermal, and circled over toward him.

I was watching only him, now, and he was completely focused on me. I think he had been waiting for me to make some move… probably hoping to just snatch me out of the air in one gulp. (I was, of course, too big for one gulp, but you know what I mean). It seemed to me he grinned as I came up (Dragons can’t really ‘grin’, of course, their months are too fixed for that) and I saw him ‘tense’ as I came up. I was only about ten yards higher than him and I wasn’t at all sure how much distance he could get with one big flap but, I had to take the risk.

Just as I got to him, I, myself, darted forward, slashing at his face with my talons. He obviously wasn’t expecting this but he whipped his face back in time and slip-stalled taking himself out of my reach.

But I ended up still on top, and came at him again, this time from over his left shoulder. And this time he did try to snap his head out at me… and we both partly succeeded… with my talons striking his face, and his face knocking me for a bit of loop.

And he nearly had me as I tried to recover, too. He looped his whole body amazingly and dove at me, and only the most arduous flapping and scratching got me out without his teeth sinking into my shoulder. And I kept the flapping up until I was, once again, above him. I did not want that to happen again!

He seemed to think he had gotten the best of the exchanges and continued to circle in the thermal. But I now knew what my role was and, once I had gotten a few yards above him, circled back.

Time and time and time again, now staying above him at all times, I circled against him and dashed out my talons, or flapped out my wings, or hovered just out of reach. And again and again he launched his head against me, trying to sink his teeth in my shoulder. But I kept myself just out of his range and neither of us really succeeded…

Except for two things. The first was that I noticed, after each exchange, that we got a little bit lower. The second was that we were getting into a pattern and…

He had just snapped at me, like he had done several times before, and I had flapped back and up, like I had done several time before, but this time after five or six flaps I tucked my wings in and lowered my beak and *dove* directly down at his wing and he had pulled his head back (thinking I was done) and he didn’t recover in time and I *hit* his wing, almost bouncing off but I reached out my talons and gripped and ripped and then spread out my wings and ripped more and then I was bouncing in his afterwash and he was screaming in pain in front of me.

I flapped up, desperately. If he had done an immediate turn about, like he had done several times already, I would have been done for. But, instead, he was alternately trying to flap, screaming, sideslipping, and trying to balance his glide.

And now I was above him, and ready to finish this fight. Again and again I snapped at him but now, with part of his wing shredded, he was seriously handicapped trying to respond. Gone was his ability to leap toward me with a mighty flap, the pain and the imbalance of flight distracted him and the lack of surface area combined with having to fight me off meant that we were, together, getting lower and lower.

And I was now concentrating over his other wing, almost panicking him. He knew, we both knew, that even a little damage to that wing would basically finish his ability to fight back.

As it turned out, I never did get to that wing. I just kept snapping at him over and over, and he kept loosing altitude. And, unbeknownst to him, I knew I had allies on the ground. Indeed I saw them, and they were spreading out all over the valley underneath me.

I think he eventually saw this, as he tried to make a break away into a small valley. But I was having none of that and got in front of him, forcing him back and down, forcing him to do a complete turn around back toward ‘our’ valley.

He then changed his tactics entirely and, I guess, decided to fight me on the ground. There were Spearmen all over (and Ghosts, but I don’t think he could see them) and he planned his landing to, basically, crash into one of them. I’m sure he was amazed when the Spearman, instead of trying to set himself and take the Dragon on the Spear (which might have worked but might also have given the Dragon a chance to take his head off with one bite) the Spearman instead backpedaled mightily, allowing the Dragon to land unopposed. The Dragon, landed, turned immediately sideways, no doubt intending to fight the both of us off simultaneously.

I, however, was busy rising above him. My job was done, and I was looking forward to some rest, and watching my allies at work.

The Spearman started shouting, singing really, at the Dragon and, keeping one eye on me, the Dragon turned back toward him. Then the Spearman, while still singing, stomped his feet and started making waving/poking motions with his spear. I imagine the Dragon was very confused… but I wasn’t, because I could see the Ghosts, three of them, creeping up on either side... one up a tree and two along the ground. From the size and all I thought they might even be a family.

If so, it was the son, up in the tree, who leapt first. And not for the neck, per se, which was what I had always heard. Instead he went directly for the head and, basically, clung there. It was left to the other two to race for the mid neck, and, quickly, reaching out with their talons and ripping.

The blood fountanined out much more forcefully than it had for my Dragon, but stopped just as abruptly. And the head (with the Small Ghost still riding on it) dropped to the ground.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I held out my wing, and he awkwardly ‘shook’ it. //How many of the family are here?// I asked, as we watched the Spearwives, whom they had called over, to cut up the Dragon. Then they brought up the head and some of the organs and Seth stood there while I ate them. I suppose it wasn’t ‘polite’, but I wasn’t’ a Farmer, I didn’t have to worry about their rules… did I?

//All of them, really. Even Greg and his wife and children.//

I looked at him,//Greg has a wife and…// well, of course he did. What was I thinking of? We had been born the same year. His kids were probably ready to have kids.

//How many children does he have?// I asked.

//Only eight,// he said. //He lost a couple in a Dragon attack three years ago, and a third was severely injured, and still has problems walking. But whenever we go out he transforms to a Horseman, and he has no handicap there. But, they’re all right over that hill there, waiting for us. I sent a messenger back when I saw it was you.//

I took off over the woods to the path realizing, almost as I landed, that I had left without saying ‘goodbye’. My Eagle manners were going to make me unpopular. I kept leaving people and just flying off… oh. Like I had left that Elf who was studying me. Poor chap. Now he would have to travel all the way across the continent, and arrive just about when I would be ready to leave!

//Uncle Jonathon!// A boy said, running up to me, //they said you might come!//

The boy was followed by a dozen or so other children who all came up and stopped, with the usual awkwardness over how to greet me. A couple of the girls, however, solved this with a group hug with me at the center.

//They have just recently been Fisherkids,// my sister in law said, coming up. I think they would have been a little more reluctant to greet their Uncle the Eagle other wise. Did you have a nice trip over?
//Oh, it was wonderful. I enjoy sea travel… the wind, the fish… especially the fish.//

//I like fishing, especially as a Fisherboy!// my nephew said, the one who had greeted me at first. //Did you fish as a Fisherboy?//

//No, dear, he has to stay an Eagle, remember?//

//Oh, yeah, I forgot. Do you like being an Eagle?//

//Can you take me for a ride?// a smaller copy asked.

//No, no I can’t,// I said, //I’m not big enough to carry people.//

//Did you help kill the Dragon?//

//He killed the Dragon all by himself,// Seth said, coming up from behind us. //And we need to keep moving, I’m afraid, if we are to get to the next inn before dark. I suppose you will want to fly, Jonathon?//

//Yes. I won’t need an inn, either. But I will meet you there, if I can. I need to hunt.//

//What are you going to hunt for?//

//I won’t know till I see it,// I said, and launched myself into the air. That went better, I thought to myself. I sort of said goodbye.

Hunting went well. There wasn’t much large game, but plenty of smaller stuff. I guess no one has had an opportunity to hunt much here. My poetry club buddies would love it here! I got done in plenty of time to be waiting (in a tree) for my brother and his kids and grandkids.

//Jonathon!// the one cousin, the boy, said, yelling at me. I would have to learn all their names, but they were all born after me.

//Jonathon,// Seth said. //Shall we talk? I’ll have Caleb here (the boy) build us a fire. Up on the hill, Caleb, on that rise there. Then, Jonathon there has eaten but I haven’t, so if someone could bring me something.//

No one said anything, but an older girl grinned and ran off into the inn.

//That really was impressive, you know,//Seth said once we were seated.

//What was?//

//The way you took out that Dragon. I was very impressed.//

//Well, it was harder than some prey, but easier than others. I saw it coming from a long ways away.//

//Flying has that advantage, I suppose. But I meant your technique. You are a lot smaller than he was and you seemed to have killed him almost immediately… or, at least, disabled him.//

//It wasn’t that hard, pretty much any of us could have done that. It was a bit tricky deciding where to hit him, being so big and strong. But, eventually I decided that the wings were really their weak point. I know the ghosts go for the neck, but that is hard for me, when they’re flying. They can move them all about easily, you know. So it was obvious that I had to hit him in the wing. It was kind of tricky once I got him on the ground…//

//We can help with that,// he said.

//What?// I said.

//We can help you with that part, if you can get them down.//

//Get what down?// I asked him.

//The Dragons,// he said. //You go up and knock them down, and we can handle them on the ground.//

//When?//

//Well, we would have to get you up to the front lines. You got one here today, but it is actually kind of rare. They know that we have these paths, and they do like to attack us on them, but they don’t come that often. We’d have a lot better luck up on the front lines.//

//You want me to go up there? To the front lines? But I’m just a kid!//

He laughed. //You are as old as my oldest son, who has several children of his own. But I know what you mean. Still, you handled that one Eagle well, what makes you think you won’t be able to do as well next time?//

//But… but you mean I should…//

//Yeah. Why not?//

Why not? Because I had never dreamed of it? Because I was an Eagle not a Ghost? Because…

//I guess so,// I said. //I can try, anyway. Do you want me to go now?//

//Now?! Heavens no. We’ll spend the night here, then a couple of days more to get to the Dwarf capital city, then a couple of days to arrange the expedition… no, it will be at least a week. You can wait a week, no?//

//Oh, oh, yes.//

//Great,// he said. //So, this is my grandson Caleb…//

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

The morning was wet on the ground, but clear in the air, and flying was wonderful. The boys, and all the others from the wagons, came out to see my off, and waved until I was out of sight, or, at least, until their mothers called them to help get the wagons moving. I deliberately circled as near to them as I could, and stayed there until I was quite high, but them set down to deliberately travel.

When I wanted to I could move, and I was still relatively full from yesterday, so there was nothing holding me back. That night found me roosting in a tall tree in the foothills, just inches away from the real mountains. I roosted aways off the trail, so that no one might mistake me for something I wasn’t. It was a more boring night than the previous night, but I did get a little more sleep.

The next day following the trail was a little trickier than it had been, as I as trying to follow a narrow path in the mountains instead of a broad trail on the praries. But it was still doable, especially with the Dwarves that, themselves, seemed to be constantly moving up and down; sometimes on foot but mostly with wagons, narrow wagons that fit their trails.

About midday two things happened simultaneously. The first was that I saw, on the ground, a caravan that wasn’t like the Dwarves but instead seemed to be made up of a very mixed race group. The second, which didn’t give me time to examine the first as well as I would like, was a speck in the sky.

I had no doubt about what it was. Every scrap of knowledge that I had, from both my Eagle friends and the Farmer officials and my Father, told me that there were no Eagles here on ‘The Day’. So this must be a Dragon.

I climbed. If I was going to face a winged opponent I wanted to be above him. And it did look as if I was going to face him. He seemed to be winging in my direction.

I watched him as he came. At first, even for me, he was just a speck in the sky. But, rapidly, he began to resolve to my eyes. And as he did my anger grew.

I don’t know, to this day, if it was something instinctive, or if it was a result of those poems I had heard, years ago, but just the site of that Dragon caused an enormous anger to grow and grow in me. I liked to hunt, I had been even more eager to get into the hunt against the Beasts, but I was desperate, desperately angry, furious, almost blind, to attack, and kill, and eat, this Dragon.

It, on the other hand, seemed largely to be ignoring me, and concentrating on the path. They couldn’t see it, as it was very careful to take side valleys and stay below the horizon.’

But I could see it. I was high above it, and the group on the path, and it’s path didn’t’ hide it from me, largely. The group on the path could see me, as well, and had stopped and formed a defensive posture, in a semicircle against the cliff that ligned the path. Other groups, too, either formed their own posture or hurried to join with the large caravan.

I didn’t have too much time to spend watching them, though, as I was too busy watching the Dragon, and planning my attack. It was huge, of course, easily twice my weight and five or six times my length, counting the head to the tip of the tail.

And it looked rather well armored, as far as the body went. The neck was vulnerable, of course, but it was also incredibly flexible. Assuming that the Dragon saw me coming, and I didn’t know how I could avoid that, he could whip it about and snap at me with his mouth if I came against his neck. I knew I would have to get to the neck eventually, but I didn’t think it could be my first target.

The eyes, a favorite target of mine, would also be difficult for the same reason. So, that left…

He was getting near to where I knew it would have to turn soon, into a side canyon and then into the main canyon. But, to do that, it would have to climb. And, like me, that would make him vulnerable.

He started his climb, and I started my dive, from over his right shoulder. He saw me, as I knew he would, but he was half way up the hill side toward the side canyon, and was rather committed. He could turn and glide back down, or he could try to continue through and try to make it to the top before I got to him.

Which is what he did. He started flapping more vigorously, glancing frequently over his shoulder to watch me approach. I stayed centered, as well as I could, on his body directly behind his neck. This much have confused him… at my size it looked like nothing but a suicidal move on my part.

He easily reached the side canyon but, like me, his instincts argued against being the ‘underneath’ person in a fight, and he continued to claw for height. As I got closer and closer he started to try to move around a bit to try to shake me off, but that was very difficult as he was trying to climb at the same time. His head, too, whipped back and forth as I got closer and closer.

This was similar to chasing a goat, indeed a bit easier. I stayed on target, directly behind his neck, until the last possible second and then I snapped my wings open, snapped my talons out, and swerved, just barely, to one side. My wings and talons slowed me up just a fraction, and my swerve took me into… and then through… his left wing.

I had no attention to give to him after I was through, being far too busy trying not to hit the ground. Going through his wing membrane had slowed me signifigantly, but it had also put me into a tumble, and I saw the ground coming up fast against me, as it had that day at the cliff. But here, unlike there, I was uninjured, and I managed to swoop past the hill, arrowing down the side alley, until I could start to go back up.

The whole time I had been hearing screaming from behind me, far enough behind me to not worry about being suddenly attacked, and I finally had a chance to turn around and look. It, too, was coming down the side valley, but it wasn’t going to be in the air for long. It was flapping desperately but the lack of lift, and the imbalance because of the one wing, were taking him inexorably toward the ground. I circled up, and then back, arriving over the Dragon just as he crashed into several trees and slid down a scree..

I flew over and landed in a tree, watching him struggle, and curse. He turned toward me, reaching out his neck.. but he was too far down the scree. And then he started to try to fly. But with each flap he howled with pain as, indeed, his injury must be incredibly painful.

But what was I to do? My blood was raging, and I wanted to kill. Surely if I left him he would just heal and fly away! And besides, I wanted the kill.

I flew down, hovering over his head, snapping at him as he snapped at me. But I had the advantage of being still able to fly, and hovered just out of his reach, snapping at his face, scratching at his nostrils, flapping at his eyes.

Soon my efforts began to be rewarded, as blood began to cascade down his face and inside his nose, causing him to cough, sneeze, and shake his head from side to side… which made me even more able to attack him. Soon I was able to scratch one eyelid with a talon, and then pick at the opposite eye (when he flinched away), basically blinding him. I flapped off, circling quietly above. The Dragon, knowing its vulnerability, circled frantically itself. I knew they had a method do see without their eyes, but it didn’t seem to help him much here, as I circled just overhead and he was in agony. I bode my time, watched his movements and, when he circled just the wrong way, darted in toward his neck.

It was much harder than I had heard about when the Ghosts did it. I got a grip on what I thought was the right part of the neck, but I had to spend the next few minutes fighting his beak off. I gripped tighter and tighter but it didn’t seem to cut off his wind (of course, he did have a large neck) and, though I pecked at his neck whenever I had a chance, it didn’t seem to do any good for the longest time.

Then one time, right after he managed to get off a very painful peck at my shoulder, I managed to tear a little deeper into his neck… and I was rewarded by a fountain of blood, which quickly cut off.

I thought I had failed, as he kept at me for several more seconds before his eyes started glazing over. Taking advantage of the lull, I leapt in the air and went back to my tree, working on nursing my wounds and watching him die. His body continued to thrash about for the longest time, and then, finally, stilled.

//Well, Jonathon, that was pretty impressive.//

I whirled around. Standing on a ridge a dozen yards or so away, just out of the trees, was a line of people. Most were spearmen, holding the huge spears that gave them their name. But there, in the middle, was a Farmer… my brother, Seth.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

As I flew It thought over the Horseman’s offer; not the marriage, obviously, that was impossible in a couple of different ways. But the job. Eagles didn’t have ‘jobs’ obviously, but given I had Farmer parents… and given who my Farmer parents were… I felt an obligation to *do* something. And he was right. I could be of great use here.

And it was beautiful, oh so beautiful. The coast, with it’s incredible cliff, these plains, and… I looked forward, those mountains. What beautiful mountains!

I didn’t have too long to contemplate their beauty, however, as coming down from my right was a line of clouds which threatened some ugly weather. I looked around for a good place to weather the storm and wasn’t very impressed. I didn’t really look forward, as an Eagle, to weathering out a storm out on the plains, with nothing for me feet to really grip.

I was in a thermal, and, while thinking about this, I turned in my circle back to the caravan by the stream, and decided to try something.

They had noticed me before, but they all stopped what they were doing as I came closer. As I came even closer they all started to dress, and mothers to call their children to them, and back to their wagons. The Fathers and older boys, on the other hand, dressed and armed themselves. Luckily none of them seemed to have any long distance weapons, so I should have time to talk to them.

I came in a long glide parallel to the stream, and as far from the wagons themselves as I could manage. I didn’t want the men to get upset about their women and young. And I tried to make my glide as non-threatening as possible, landing slowly and decently in front of them.

//Greetings!// I yelled in Farmer, as soon as I had landed. It is rare that you see anyone look quite as startled as these men looked. I even noticed several young heads popping out of the wagons to stare at me (and being pulled just as quickly back in).

//Ummm, greetings,// one man managed after a few seconds pause. He was standing toward the middle of the group with an adolescent male and, although I hadn’t been a Farmer for a long time, I thought they looked like Father and Son. //We weren’t aware, at least I wasn’t aware, that Eagles spoke Farmer.//

(I almost had to laugh. A decade ago he would almost certainly have said ‘human’, but relations had really changed since then.) //I think I am the only one,// I said, //And I only speak it because I was born a Farmer.//

//You… you have transformed?!// the adolescent male said, //Into an Eagle!?//

//Yes,// I said. //I was kidnapped as a young child.//

//Wow, I wish I could do that,// the boy said, stepping forward toward me. His Father looked for a second like he might object but, with a glance at the other Father’s, he said nothing.

//Well,// I said, //I think you are a bit old to sleep under a mother Eagles wing like I did for years. And, from what I am told, I won’t be able to change back. So unless you want to be an Eagle permanently.//

//But you were once a Farmer, like us?// another boy asked.

//Yep. I was up mountain climbing with my Dwarf friends, and I was captured.//

//You got to know Dwarves?// Yet another boy asked. They were all beginning to crowd around me, a couple of them reaching shyly out to touch my feathers. //I had never met a Dwarf until I was on Schip… I hadn’t transformed either, but I did on Schip. Into a Fisherboy. That was fun.//

//Yes, I always liked being a Fisherboy.//

//You’ve been a Fisherboy too?!// My original friend said.

//Yes, my Family took lots of trips even when I was young, so I got to transform to Fisherboy and even Elf, once.//

//And then Eagle!//

//Yes, well, we didn’t do that on purpose… at least it wasn’t me or my parent’s idea.//

//What’s your name?// the first boy said. //My name is David.//

//My name is Jonathon,// I said, and soon the other boys had introduced themselves. We were going on to other subjects when a gust of wind ruffled m feathers and reminded me. //Do you think I could stay here during the storm?// I asked. //There is a pretty big storm coming.//

//You could stay with us, couldn’t he Dad?// David asked. Without waiting for his Father’s answer he turned back to me, //we have lot’s of room in our wagon, Mom and all the kids stayed back at the house. We’re on a trading trip, setting up trades for our estate. My Dad is the chief trader. We took samples down to the Castle, you’ve seen the castle?//

I nodded my head, and we came up to his wagon. It wasn’t an easy jump… to short to use my wings and a little tall to just jump… not counting the cover of the wagon that I had to avoid with my wings. //We took them down to the castle and met with a lot of people there. We already sell to the Dwarves and them, of course, but we are hoping to branch out and sell to the other new colonies. Have you seen any of the new colonies?//

I shook my head, doing my best to move over so the Father (and then several quiet other boys who seemed to hope we wouldn’t notice them) could come into the wagon.

//I haven’t either. But there is one down by this really huge marsh way East of here. They are hoping that trade will really take off there. But it’s hard to get goods down the river, so we think we are going to have to Schip them to the Castle, and then by Schip from there. We have great goods too…//

As the boy talked on (and on, and on) I got a good idea of how this, the first colony, was doing. The estates, anyway, seemed to be doing very well. //Do you have problems with Beasts, or Dragons?//

//Not Beasts, not usually. But the Dragons are horrible. We thought you were a Dragon, at first, which made us really nervous as we don’t have any Spearmen, or even any Horsemen. They don’t usually come this far from the mountains, you know.//

//Do they attack you much? Have they killed many of your friends?//

//Oh, they don’t attack Farmers so much anymore. We lost several people when we first moved to our estate, including one of my brothers, my older brother. But not so much recently, as our defenses have gotten better. But they attack herds and things. We have several Trolls that live near us, and the Dragons have really hurt their herds.//

//But, I thought we were killing Dragons.//

//Oh, we are, but they are breeding more. So far we have only ever found one female with eggs. So, well, we can kill all the males we want and it doesn’t do that much good. And the mountains are so big, it is hard for us to defeat them. We only even live in a small part of the mountains.//

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I spun around, almost taking off in instinct. There, standing in an arc behind me, were several horsemen, an adult male, several of his sons, and even a few wives… all holding their spears, carefully. And he had spoken horseman, which I hadn’t spoken since before I transformed.

//You are welcome to some of my kill,// I replied in Farmer, hoping that they understood it… since I didn’t think I could take off fast enough to get away from their spears; and my Horseman wasn’t good enough for me to reply.

The Horseman father looked surprised… in the inscrutable way that they usually have. //You speak Farmer?// he asked. //I have seen your kin taking Beasts off the plains of our former home, but never have I known that they spoke Farmer.//

//I can speak some Horseman,// I answered, //but not very well, it has been a long time.//

//Interesting,// he said, and waved his sons forward to divide up their share. //When you have eaten perhaps we can talk.//

I turned back to the Beast, tearing at the flesh, my heart racing… I had never known joy like this. The young men gladly left me the organs, the brain, the eyes, and all the other truly good parts; contenting themselves with the meat of the haunches and ribs.

//So,// the Horsefather said, coming up to me as I picked at the bones, //How is it that you speak Farmer?//

//Because I was born a Farmer,// I said. The Horseman’s entire family (the males and younger girls) had gathered round me, and I felt the weight of their eyes on me.

//Indeed?// the father said, //I was not aware that even Farmers could transform so far as to turn themselves into flying creatures.//

//I wasn’t aware either. I was kidnapped by the Eagles when I was very young… I pointed at a girl sitting near him who seemed to be about the age I was when I was taken, //and they raised me until I transformed… and afterwards, of course.//

//Here?// he asked, looking up at the mountains.

//No. There are no Eagles here, not that I know of, anyway. Back on Eilish.//

//So, what are you doing here?//

//Visiting my brother, my Farmer brother, and his wife and children.//

//Well, have a nice visit,// the Horsefather said, and I remembered how foreign that would seem to him. Horsemen didn’t ‘visit’; they only ever saw other families occasionally, unless they were involved in some kind of job… which reminded me.

//So, what are you doing here?// I asked him.

//This is our patrol area. The ‘front line’ is far from here, but occasionally Beasts break through, and that is our job, to keep them away from the forts and travel areas. One of my sons saw these Beasts and then we saw you. We stayed back in order to watch your technique. Most impressive, taking on a mother with her children all by yourself. Imagine what we could do if we worked together.//

//I… I need to go and see my family but perhaps afterwards… although I don’t know how I would find you…//

//If you aren’t in too much of a hurry, perhaps we could at least find and kill the rest of this family? With you to spot for us we should find them soon enough.//

//I can do that,// I said. //I’m not in that much of a hurry. I can spot him for you, and then be on my way. You just watch where I hover.//

//Very well,// he said, with a grin, and turned to whistle at his family.

Seconds later I was airborne, and minutes later I saw them. The area hear was hilly… not tall hills but continuous rolling hills, which must make spotting very hard for those on the ground. And they were feeding down in a ‘valley’. I circled over the spot (which was kind of hard as it was half in and half out of a thermal) and watched the Horsemen coming close in.

Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t going on, and that I was going to participate in this hunt. I watched for a few minutes, though, to see how they were hunting. I watched until I saw their weakness. The Beasts were very tough, and when attacked with the light spears of the Horsemen, they put their head down, and most of them bounced off. Even the smaller Beasts were doing well at keeping them off. If I could only…

I came down, close, and circled over head. The two smaller Beasts, having recent experience with me, were very nervous, and began lifting their heads. Immediately the Horseboys, seeing their heads lift, immediately started launching their spears attempting to catch their necks when their heads were lifted. Most missed… or hit the head, but eventually one or two hit and the smaller Beasts started bleating.

This caused distress for the mother, who must somehow have blamed me for her children’s distress, and turned toward me, bellowing with rage. This, of course, opened her up to the spears of the Horseman and older Horseboys, and soon they, too, had spears in the neck.

I got tired of my passive action, and dove down, screaming, at the pack. Frightened already, bleeding out, surrounded by Horsemen, they panicked, and stampeded.

Which, of course, was what we were looking for. I let the Horseman and his older sons and, along with some of his younger sons, went after one of the young. Running away like it was, he was an easy attack for me. In two passes I had him completely hamstrung and was back in the air, searching for the other young one. As it turned out I wasn’t needed with that one, the horseboys already had it down… like me they had hamstrung him. I went a little higher and saw that the Horseman and his sons had the big Beast down as well, so I returned to ‘my’ kill.

The Horsegirls were busy cutting, and they backed up, rather fearfully, from me as I landed. But I ignored them, and started in on the head. These Beasts were so huge that I didn’t really need any more than the head, especially after my previous meal. If I ate too much more than the particular bits on the head, I would be unable to fly!

And so I was sitting, preening, and watching the Horsegirls finishing up the butchering, when the Horseman came over to me. //Well, my friend, it seems we hunt very well together; and not just for your ability to spot. As long as you promise to remain in your Eagle form, and not hunt after any of my wives, you are welcome to come back and hunt with us at any time. In fact, perhaps I would even give you one of my daughters if you stay with us long enough.//

He looked at one of the girls with the meat, //What do think, my daughter, would you like to have a husband who can hunt from the skies?//

The girl he spoke to looked at me, blushed, and turned back to her work. Her father laughed. //An easy catch that might be, but a difficult taking!//

Now it was my turn to ‘blush’, sticking my head under my wing, and causing everyone to laugh at me. //I have to go now, I think,// I said, causing them to laugh again. Not knowing what else to do I took off, glad to gain the freedom of the air. I had a lot to learn about how to relate to all of these non-Eagles.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

Guards came running out, staring at me, and then they ran to some stone stations built into the wall. It was hard to see inside, but I saw an enormous catapult. And others were coming out with great spears. I even saw one or two Spearmen, who, I knew, didn’t ordinarily stay at the capital and must have been merely visiting.

I wasn’t too worried, thought, as I knew that The Day had been informed of my transformation and, if I needed to, I could always go back to the Schip.

But for the moment I pressed on, moving from one thermal to another. In the end it was the same guard (I kept an eye on him, just for fun) who suddenly turned to another guard, they conferred for a minute or so urgently, and then that guard ran off and everyone seemed to relax.

Then, to my great joy, a new flag ran up the flagpole on the gauche side of the castle… my flag! Since I was born I had had a flag, of course, all of us did, and mine was the ‘Prince Royal Adoptive’ flag, not because I was adoptive, but because my brother Seth had abdicated in my favor (being rather busy taking care of The Day, where he was King under our father).

But, I didn’t remember my flag that well but still, there was something different about it. It was flapping and hard to see, but I did eventually make it out. In one corner, there was a special mark… A mark I had never seen before and, just in the corner past that mark, an eagle rampant. Cool.

And now the collection of people on the ramparts began to change, from being mostly guards to being mostly civilians… all manner of civilians, and all dressed ‘fancy’, so I assumed they were officials. And then it started to become obvious exactly where they wanted me to land, setting up some kind of barriers around an area of the wall, and covering the barriers with all sorts of fancy banners or rugs or something. And then, and I had to laugh, they brought up a lamb… no doubt so I could have a snack on arrival. I guess they couldn’t quite figure out if I was a visiting dignitary or an important (and dangerous) animal.

One thing I couldn’t see, however, no matter how much I scanned the people, was any of my family. I knew I wouldn’t recognize the kids, since they would be grown beyond all measure, but I thought I would still recognize my brother, and I didn’t see anyone at all like him.

I got close and the guards began ligning the barriers, in a ‘guard of honor’ position, and all of the others stood behind them. I took my time coming in (not that they knew that, of course, no one could tell from down there!) and then came up in (what I hoped was) an impressive glide and then swoop and stall, landing perfectly in the center of the area they had marked out for me.

//Your highness?// A Dwarf said, once my wings were folded and I had turned toward the awaiting ‘dignitaries’.

//Yes, I am Jonathon son of Caleb, and Brother of Seth.//

//Welcome to the day, my Lord Prince. We are heartily glad to see you. We can only regret the absence of your brother the King.//

//Oh?// I said, disappointed.

//Yes, my Lord. He and his family are visiting the Dwarf King and the Ghost leader to discuss strategy against the Dragons.//

I continued to greet the various officials but my heart was sick. Here I had steeled myself to fly up here by myself and meet my older brother and he wasn’t here. I let my thoughts wander a bit and then, suddenly, something hit my consciousness…

//… if you would like.//

//What?// I said to the Elf standing in front of me.

//If you would like, you can follow after them. I don’t know what your rate of travel would be, but I imagine you might even be able to catch up with them before they get to the Dwarves.//

//I could?//

//Yes, depending, as I say, on how long it takes you to get there.//

I turned, why, I could see the mountains from here… it wasn’t far at all! I hopped up to the edge of the wall and stared at them. Surely it wouldn’t take me long…

I was in the air and nearly a mile away before I realized that I hadn’t actually said good bye, or anything, to all of those important officials gathered to greet me. Oh, well.

The track was easy to follow: years of caravans following the same trail had left permanent marks on the ground, and dozens of caravans still plied the trails. Two hours later I saw the first fort ahead of me (Forts being a bit smaller than mountains and harder to see from a distance) but I didn’t stop.

It was a beautiful flight, the more so as the night started to set in. I didn’t know how the forts would react to my landing there, so I set down on the top of a taller hill just before it got to dark to fly.

Dawn was chilly… I had forgotten how the morning breezes blew on these plains. I wasted no time in getting in the air, taking large flaps to warm myself up.

I had barely gotten myself into my first thermal when I saw something on the ground… a Beast! I had seen Beasts a few times when I was young, and hadn’t liked them then, but my blood fairly boiled now.

It was a young Beast, and looking past him, I saw his mother and two other young. But I didn’t care about them, the first Beast was my prey!

I swooped down toward the young Beast, who spotted me and darted to the left, bleating and causing me to miss. I flapped up to attack again and circled around. The Beast had gone over to his mother, along with the two others. This was going to be harder. First I would have to drive her away… no, that wouldn’t work, he would merely follow. No, first I would have to disable him.

Which would be hard, given how they were standing, all facing outward. But my dad had taught me well and I circled around, above them, which confused them. The center of my circle was right above them and they kept turning from side to side trying to keep me in view… which wasn’t easy with their forward set eyes. Eventually, after about half an hour, they started to break up, turning in place and then farther away, each of them trying to keep me in view. I let them go through a couple of rotations and then, choosing my time, I dove at the small one, my target, twisting and turning in the air to confuse him.

My strike was off from what I wanted, I caught him high on the haunch instead of lower, toward the hamstrings. But his bleat, and the mother’s angry roar, satisfied me… for that dive. As I climbed up again I noticed that he was, at least, limping a little. And the others wer acting, as prey will, a little disturbed by the scent of blood. They had joined together again, but restlessly. I didn’t circle around as long this time, I didn’t need to, a couple of circles and they were breaking apart again.

My drive struck beter this time, I struck down all his left haunch and leg, feelling something definitely give. After I turned away, and then back, I saw that he was limping, seriously. Now for the second part of the attack… driving the others away. I didn’t even circle this time, but came swooping back, ‘caw’ing at the top of my lungs (I hated ‘cawing’, it seemed so crow-like, but it could be very effective at panicking prey) and flapping in their faces, talons extended.

I concentrated on the mother, as I knew I had to move her in order for the two other young to go as well. My talons, my ‘cawing’, and my flapping, right in her face, made her nervous, but at first she held steady, roaring back at me. But then, after my fourth pass, she began backing up. At first the injured smaller Beasts could keep up, but, after four or so more passes she broke into a trot, the two little ones beside here. I stayed after her, and broke her into a run, and then kept after her for a mile, before turning back to her son.

He was limping after her, bleating, until he saw me coming toward him. Then he stopped, and roared as I approached, in imitation of the Beast that had fathered him. And he kept up the roaring, and the turning, as I struck him again and again, until I succeded in hitting his left foreleg, and he dropped to the ground on his side. After that, despite his struggles to turn toward me, it was just a few seconds before, landing, I dispatched him with a quick blow to the neck.

I had attacked this Beast like nothing I had ever fought before. I had no idea why, but I had been incredibly angry the whole time, as if this Beast was somehow a personal enemy. But then, when I started eating, it was like nothing I had ever eaten in my whole life, like my whole body was on fire to devour the Beast.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

--Now, you must recite the poem again-- the fisherlad insisted when he, and a crowd of twenty or so fisherlads and lasses, climbed up to sit with me… one of the ‘fisherlads’ being my elf friend, and one of the lasses, I was given to understand, his sister. --And no translation, either-- he said to Tselnto, --I want them to get the full effect.--

I obliged, of course, and when I was done I was ‘forced’ to tell them poem after poem. One short poem (a a famous teaching poem about nest building) they forced me to repeat over and over again until several people in the audience (including Tselnto, who had heard it before, and the elflad and his sister, and the chief fisherlad) had it memorized.

--That… that was a very different experience-- the elflad said. --My name is Teletore, by the way and this is my sister, Trintri. I can see why my buddies wanted me to hear that as a fisherlad.--

--I don’t understand-- I said --How is it different?--

--It is… emotional. Before I heard the sounds, and they go together very well, as I said the first time. But this time, even tho I didn’t understand the words, I heard the emotions. I can’t describe it better than that.--

--Oh-- I said. --I mean, of course poetry is emotional.--

It certainly changed the rest of the trip, though. Whenever I wasn’t flying, fishing, eating or being quizzed by Tselntro, I was reciting poetry to the gang of Fisherboys and Fishergirls.

Speaking of Fishing, I did my regular fishing, of course, but one thing I had forgotten was that the boat stopped every day for an hour and everyone went swimming and fishing. The first day it took me by surprise, but soon I fell into a routine. I would ‘fish’ with them, and they would put an enormous basket on the deck for my ‘catch’. I tried to out do my ‘gang’… we would weigh their fish and my fish after each hours swim. Sometimes I won by most days they beat me rather easily. Of course, they had a big gang!

The other thing we did during swimming time, and it took us almost a week to think of this, is I would ‘give rides’. I told you how it was impossible for anyone to ride on me, but Teltore came up with this idea, like I said after two weeks, for me to swoop down and grab some boy by the hands. Then I would swoop up, like I was trying to lift a heavy fish. I couldn’t actually get aloft with them, but I could get a decent altitude and speed, and then I would let go, and the boy in question would dive from there into the water. This was the other thing that kind of slowed my catching fish… with one boy after another holding out their hands to me. It was great fun, though, and I think it made me really popular.

So, all in all it was a great trip. We had one storm which made me kind of miserable, but it only lasted a day or so, and the fishing was, for some reason, great afterwards, which almost made up for it. They did send a Fisheman up to me to ask if I wanted to go into the hold, but really! That would have been ten times worse.

And then, when they told me we were getting near, I started hovering over the Schip for much of the day, as high I could get. Then, on the second day, I saw it… at first a tiny speck on the horizon and then, when I went closer, it resolved to a long cliff with, I saw eventually, a castle and a harbor. They had improved the harbor dramatically since my time, with long piers jutting out past the reef on both sides of the harbor, with several boats tied up to them, and men carrying goods to and fro from them.

“So, you saw it?” Telentore asked me, when I landed.

“Yes. It is beautiful.”

“Are you going to fly ahead? Is it too far?”

“No. No.”

He looked confused at my answer. “You’re not going to fly ahead, but it isn’t too far?”

“Yes.”

“Why not?”

I put my head under my wing but, in spite of all I could do, he didn’t go away. Instead he, and the gang, inched closer until they were touching me on all sides, waiting. Eventually I couldn’t take it any more and pulled my head out. “I’m scared.” I said. “I haven’t seen my brother in so long, and he has never seen me… like this” I said, holding out my wings.

“He’s your brother!”

I stared at him “Eagles don’t have brothers… not really, anyway. My mother’s next, is still an egg! Once he hatches, I will hardly ever see him; at least that is what I have heard.”

“But this isn’t your ‘Eagle’ brother, this is your ‘Farmer’ brother… and Farmer’s do ‘brother’s’. Your Farmer brother will do anything for you, and he will be glad to see you… even like that,” he said, grinning.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m a Fisherboy, and we do relationships. And I’m an Elf, and we do cultures. And… and I’m your friend, and, yes, I’m sure.”

I sat there, perched, for quite a while. And then I went down and got a fish, because it was going to be a long trip.

—

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

The guards, after the first couple of days, got used to my being there and would come over and talk to me, telling me stories. I was particularly fascinated with stories about my brother’s realm, ‘Come the Day’.

//You have fought Dragons?// I asked the guard as he begun a story. //They use Farmers now?//

//Only if we’re good at crossbows,// the guard said, //which I am. We, that is, your father, were visiting the Dwarves and Ghosts at Endorii, our newest fort at the time, when the Dragons mounted an attack.//

//Do they often attack?// I asked.

//It’s funny. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t. The Elves have some explanation, but I have never understood it. But, anyway, they mounted this attack and when the Spearmen found out I could man a crossbow they let me. They’d always rather use their big spears, you know.//

//Did you kill any Dragons?// I asked him.

//Not all by myself!// he said. //At least, not so I’d know. I loosed off at least a dozen quarrels, and I know several hit, but I didn’t have time to figure out if I killed them myself, or if a Spearman or Ghost finished the Dragon. We killed them all, more than a dozen, and only lost two Spearmen and a Ghost lad//

//Are we winning?// I asked him. //The war against the Dragons, I mean.//

//Oh, well, it’s hard to tell. We’re not losing, anyway. We keep adding more and more forts, and killing more of their lairs... but there doesn’t seem to be any fewer of them... and we almost never kill a female or her young.//

//That can’t be good,// I said.

//No, no it can’t. Mostly just young bucks we kill and...// he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye... //well, maybe you know that that doesn’t exactly help keep their numbers down.//

I laughed, //I knew all about that before I was even captured,// I said. //Especially with Dragons having so many males compared to females.//

//Exactly,// he said, sounding relieved. //So, I don’t rightly know the answer to your question.//

//What question would that be?// A voice said from behind me, and I turned. It was an Elf, a young male. The guard scurried off the way that they always did when I had ‘company’, and it was up to me to answer the Elf’s question.

//We were wondering if we were winning the war against the Dragons,// I said, staring at him with my head to one side. I had a hard time telling people, Grubbers, apart sometimes, but I didn’t think I had seen this Elf before.

//Ah, yes, an excellent question. In territory we are winning, but it is very costly, very bloody. And our war with the Dragons is slowing our conquest of ‘The Day’ greatly. Overall I would have to say we are winning, but not quickly.//

//My name is Jonathon,// I said, in Eagle fashion hoping that he would...

//And I am Tsentlo,// he responded, bowing slightly. And then, in horrible Eagle, “You are my ++Kolchen++.”

Kolchen? I was his area (or person) of study?

“I am sorry I am so slow in arriving, but there was a great deal of discussion about who would get the post until eventually I was chosen. None of us have, as an expertise, the study of Eagles, but my whole family has long studied birds in general and...” he added hastily,”…I myself was going to be studying languages. So it was decided that the combination was appropriate.”

“I... you are going to be my Kolchnar?”

Elves don’t blush, but he came close, “That would be wonderful, but, as you may know, that doesn’t happen very easily. And, in your case, it would be very, very difficult, as I cannot travel with you. I am merely your Kolchno.”

My parents agreed readily that I should go, and, as far as the guards and my cousin told me, everyone was excited about the trip. And, after I asked, my young cousin got to go too. I think I was something of a celebrity. Of course, I guess I was a Prince. There was a little bit of concern about what I would eat, until I convinced them I would be happy to catch (and eat) my own fish.

//Are you sure you want to go?// My Farmer Mother asked me, as we stood on the dock. I think she was embarrassed that we had done so little together.

But really, what could we do? I couldn’t even go in the rooms where they had their parties, or even my cousins and siblings bedrooms. I couldn’t eat with them… and neither one of us would want to (although I enjoyed my meals with my cousins on the beach! Almost every evening they would make a bonfire on the beach, and I would catch fish for everyone that wanted to come (and myself).

//Yes, Mother. I want to see Seth again, and Haddassah, and my nephews and nieces… and Tristan// I said, repeating what I knew what would make her happy. And it was true, too. My oldest brother, my only older brother, was King of ‘The Day’, the island we were settling, and I has always admired him, and loved the trips that I had gotten to take to The day before I had transformed. And this trip, well, I was sure it was glorious.

//Time to get aboard,// Caleb said, waving at me, and I turned back to my parents. //I’ll be back,// I said, touching them with my wings… the compromise we had reached for ‘holding hands’ (with my father) and ‘kissing’ (with my mother). A couple of flaps (and admiring ‘ooohs’ from some visserknappen) and I was up on the crosstree besides the lookout.

//Greetings// the lookout said, knowing that I spoke Fisherman //ready to travel?// He was a grizzled old Fisherman, who probably had refused retirement and so got given jobs like lookout.

//More than ready!// I said //I have always loved it at sea.//

//Can’t swim like that, though.// the Fisherman asked. //Are you going to transform?//

//No, Teltar says I can’t, or I shouldn’t try//

//We’ll miss you in the water then. Pretty much everyone transforms nowadays. I remember when I was a kid, there was only that Seth and his family that transformed, that is until that one trip. And then, after that for a while after that it was only humans and an occasional Elf. But now even the Dwarves transform, it is practically a requirement//

He was looking at me in the challenging way that Fishermen have, and I challenged him back, //I tell you what; you transform into Eagle and I will transform into Fisherman!//

//Well played.// he said, and we went back to watching the Schip get warped away from the dock by the rowboats. Soon that was done, the rowboats left, and the crew was scrambling up the lines to let out the sails.

It had taken a bit of work but they had found, created a spot for me that left me out of the way of the work. But still I felt like I was cramping (and distracting) them, so I took off. Soon I was far above the boat, and the harbour, watching my boat and the other boats moving in and out of this, the principal harbour of Eilish. It was a beautiful sight… combining loves from both of my loves. It was truly a view from a height.

I stayed up about two hours, and then, spotting a large school of Tuna swimming near the surface, I dove down. I had improved my technique out of all measure and grabbed my prey and was airborne again with hardly a struggle. The Tuna struggled mightily, though, and I could see passengers and crew watching me as I flew over to the Schip.

//Catch,// I shouted, and dropped the fish near a group of Farmer lads… grinning as I watched them leap back from the thirty pound fish as it landed on the deck and then flopped about mightily. Several Fisherlads and Fishermen ran forward before it could work itself off the deck, though, and, grabbing belaying in pins, stunned it… the Lads dragging it off triumphantly below decks, where their sisters and mothers would gut and pack it in salt.. or else the cooks would cut it up for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, I climbed back up again and sought out the school. When I spotted it I saw I wasn’t the only one, a pair of dolphins was feeding off the edges. I left them alone and sought out another large fish, on the opposite side of the school.

This fish didn’t come up so easily, and I had to struggle mightily to get back in the air, and then I had to flap hard to make it back to the deck. I landed and had killed it with a thrust to the brain when Tselnto came up.

“A heavy fish for you,” he said.

“Yes, just at the edge of what I was able to do.”

“Will you eat it all?” he asked, and I cocked my head at him… was he asking to share? Or was this just an Elf question? Oh, well, it didn’t matter.

“No, not all of it. You are welcome to take your share,” I added, starting in on the head, pecking out the eyes rapidly. A Farmer girl standing near squealed and turned away. The boys who came and ate with me were more used to my table habits, I would have to remember to be more careful on board Schip.

//Lads,// Tselnto said, //Bring knives and cut some filets. Let them know,// he said to me, //where to cut. They won’t be used to it.//

The Farmerlads came up with their knives and, between bites, I directed them to take what fish I didn’t want. I was feeling very generous so gave them quite a bit. It wasn’t like the sea would suddenly be empty.

//When you are done,// Tselnto said in Eagle //I would like to discuss the different varieties of wind again.// I sighed and finished up.

//Very well, but back on top// I insisted, launching myself up; and he, a younger Elf, and a gang of curious Fisherlads (and a couple of their sisters) climbed up to my cross tree.. the latter getting bored very quickly at the discussion.

When we were done discussing wind, the young Elf asked, //I would like to know about Eagle mating habits.// In Farmer.

I stuck my head under my wing, preening myself in my embarrassment, and Tselnto said, ++That is not an appropriate subject.++

++But, my father…?++

++It is not an appropriate subject to discuss with a younger Eagle, any more than it is with a younger Farmerlad or a younger Dwarflad. In the case of the Farmerlad he will be very willing, but reasonably ignorant, and it is culturally inappropriate. The Dwarflad, like the young Eagle, will be both ignorant and easily embarrassed about the subject.++

++Is that why he has his head under his wing?++ the lad asked.

++Jonathon speaks Elf++ Tselnto said ++and yes. That is an Eagle way of avoiding a conversation. Another Eagle will know this, and will either change the subject or go away.++

There was a pause, and then the young Elf tried again, //Is it comfortable here for you?//

//Oh, yes,// I said, pulling my head back out. //I love this, perched up here. Don’t you? You live in trees.//

//We do,// the young Elf said, //but we are a little more protected from the wind. I find this a bit exposed.//

//You have no feathers, only naked pale green skin,// I said.

//That is true,// he said. Elves didn’t get embarrassed easily. And he wasn’t ‘naked’ exactly, but dressed in the short pants of a Fisherlad.

//Will you transform tonight?// I asked him.

//Probably not,// he said. //I have never transformed before, and I am told that the first transformation takes some time.//

//And you are speaking Farmer,// I said, --You would do better to speak in Fisherman, if you wish to transform--

--That is so-- he said --but in my eagerness to talk to you I forgot.--

--An Elf? Forget?-- I asked him, and I could swear he blushed.

--I am young, still-- he said.

--So am I-- I laughed.

--Are you?-- he asked. -- How old are you?--

--My parents tell me I am twenty four years old.--

--So how old is that in Farmer time?-- the Elf asked. Everyone measured themselves against the farmers, with the Dwarves and Elves living longer and developing more slowly, and most of the other races living quicker.

--We are not sure-- I said. --We think perhaps I am as an eleven or twelve year old, or even younger.--

--That is slower than us or the Dwarves.-- he said.

--Yes, slower-- I said. --Do you like poetry?--

--Poetry?-- the boy said… and we were interrupted as the Fisherlads (no doubt observing that our ‘wind’ discussion was finished) came up and greeted us.

--Poetry?-- they echoed, when the question was explained to them. --Eagles do poetry?--

I stuck my head under my wing again, as Tselnto said --I have found out that Eagles do ‘do’ poetry, as you put it. Indeed, excellent poetry. If he will tell you ‘Diving Storm’ I will attempt to translate it for you. It is a beautiful poem, and one that I think you would appreciate.--

I pulled my head out, and all of the lads were sitting there staring at me, so I began, and this is the way that Tselnto translated it:

Diving Storm

The wind was rising, the waves were crashing, the sky was darkening but

I was hungry so

I rode the wind and braved the waves under the darkening sky and

Sought the fish

I sought the fish that I would need to

Eat and fill my

Hungry stomach and give me power to ride

The wind over the waves.

The fish in the storm went deep to the peace of

The depths and

I sought, through the darkening gloom for even one small fish to

Fill my stomach

I sought and I sought until I almost despaired of

A long hungry cold night with

Nothing inside me and no one beside me and

Bitter defeat

But just as I turned too return to a cold hungry nest there

Appeared to my eye

Just one brave and foolish fish that rode high seeking, itself

Smaller fish in the waves

The wave tossed surface confused my attempts to…

Here he stopped his translation for a minute, thinking. Then he said, --I can’t really translate that next word. It is a word that means kind of ‘calculating the rate and angle of a dive in order to hit a target. It is all one word in Eagle, and not even a big word.--

--Go on anyway-- the oldest fisherlad said --we are enjoying the poem. I never knew Eagles did poetry.--

--Very well. I shall say…--

Spot and dive and I cawed in frustration while

My prey, my intended prey, continued to frolic in the waves

Waves which defied me

Then, for an instant the world stood still

As he rose to the top

Of a wave that was going away perfectly and

I dove

The wind beat around me as my wings tucked tight I

Dove down to

The wave that caught the last rays of the sun and was translucent

And stretched ready

(He stopped for another few minutes there, to my disgust and that of the Fisherlads, to explain that by ‘stretched ready’ he meant that the wave was moving away from me and still holding my prey in a good position for my dive. He and I had discussed this word many times in our discussions but it was a horrid interruption to good poetry. You didn’t explain poetry while it was being said, you only critiqued it afterwards!)

Then the glorious shock as I hit the waves with my claws

Outstretched and they grabbed the prey while

I came out the other side and struggled, struggled, to gain height while my prey

Struggled, struggled to get loose.

Then the dark closed in for good and

My flopping prey in hand

And the wind threw me into its teeth even as I

Struggled to find the shore

For a while it looked like my enemy would win and

My prey and I locked together would

Fall into the waves but just as I dropped to the level of the waves I

Saw the shore

Pounded by waves it lay before me, tantalising near and far and

It drove me to a final thrust

Though I thought my wings were breaking still I gave one and then another flap and

Then locked steady

(Luckily he didn’t try to explain that.)

Even so I landed, tumbling in the surf, eager to land, eager to breathe and yet

Determined not to let go

Of my prey which, itself, feeling the water on it’s scales struggled yet more mightily and

Together we rolled.

But He Who Is blessed me and not my prey that night as

The waves, though they almost killed me still

Threw me with my prey far from themselves, knocking out my breath but

Throwing me on the shore.

Tselnto stopped there, and I stared at him, for that was *not* the end of the poem. But then I realized that the next verse dealt with the death of the fish it what was, for these perhaps, a rather graphic way… with the fish glaring at me steadily while I… well, perhaps enough said.

--Wow!-- the fisherlad said --That was beautiful. The translation was interesting, but the poem itself, in the Eagle language, that was powerful even when I didn’t understand it.--

--Yes-- the Elflad said, --The cadences and rhymes were very well done, and the meter was well adapted to its subject.--

The Fisherlad looked at the Elflad pityingly. --Are you going to transform?-- he asked him.

--Why yes, I will try.--

--Sleep with us tonight-- the Fisherlad said --We know how to make you transform. And then, once you are a Fisherlad, we will bring you up to hear the poem again.--

The Elflad looked confused, but nodded, slowly, in agreement.

—

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I took my time, gliding and fishing over the next few weeks… never deciding whether I was eager to get there or scared to death. Finally, however, I saw it, and my heart leapt into my throat. Our castle. That is, my parents castle and where I had grown up. A typical castle, I supposed, with four turrets, each flying pennants... My mother and father’s flags and two others I didn’t recognize but obviously based on our family. It stood on the very edge of the island, at the top of a large cliff, with the waves coming off the ocean and pounding at the base. My room was... had been... on this side and I had always loved standing on my balcony and looking down at the ocean; especially during a storm. My nurse had frequently thrown a fit at the state of my clothes after a half an hour or so of wave watching during storms.

With my eagle eyes I could see people all over the castle... guard on the walls, others walking by various windows. It was a long time before anyone saw me, tho. Finally one guard did see me. I saw him first look, then hesitate, then call out for another guard. The two of them watched me for several minutes before the second guard sent for a page. A quick discussion and then the page went racing off.

Soon many people were standing watching. And among them... my parents. That was who I assumed they had to be, but they were so old. For all my discussion back with the Dwarves I still wasn’t prepared to see them this old.

And I wasn’t prepared for this reception. There were dozens, almost hundreds, of people beginning to line the walls and balconies. Several small children who I imagined must be my nephews and nieces, or cousins.

Eagle flying involves moving from thermal to thermal, a slow process. I think, however, my father soon caught on that I was going slower than I had to, and I soon saw guards and pages run from my father, and the crowds began to disappear. Even the guards left my fathers side and it was only he and my mother (and one set of children unnoticed on a balcony) that awaited my final arrival.

I left the final thermal with a long, slow, downward glide, turning back and forth to stall my momentum and then, at the last minute, turning parallel to the wall and braking heavily... landing ten or so feet in front of my parents. I wanted to bury my head in my wing like nothing I have ever wanted before; but I knew it would be wildly inappropriate, so instead I stood, head up, and faced my father.

And it was my father who came forward, awkwardly, his hand reaching forward and then jerking back. We Eagles didn’t shake hands, after all. My Mother, after clutching him during my landing, stood and stared into my face while he came forward.

//Jonathon?// Papa said.

//Father,// I said, my voice sounding harsh in my own ears. Mother took a couple of quick steps forward, and then stopped, her eyes filling with tears. //Mother,// I said, and that was the last thing I had to say for a while. They both came up and we awkwardly but fervently hugged.

//We heard just a few days ago,// Father said. //Everyone has been very excited.//

//You can’t imagine how much we have missed you,// mother said. //We always hoped you were alive.//

//You... you thought I might be alive?// I asked, turning my head to one side and then (realizing how odd that must look) snapping it back upright.

//Oh, yes. We didn’t share it with many people, but the Ellyl... the Elves... have long considered that the Eagles constant kidnapping might be some form of transformation. They almost always steal someone your age... the age you were when they took you.//

//I... I didn’t know. Did you, could you...//

//Try to get you back? No, there was no way. You are the first Eagle that anyone has been able to talk to. There must be something about the transformation that makes it hard to communicate.//

//Oh,// I said, //Oh, yes. Very, very hard. I... they were about to kill me when I finally managed to say a couple of words. And after that... yes, it was very, very hard.//

//But now you, my son, stand as a bridge between the two worlds.//

//Do you want to come in?// Mother asked, //Are you cold?//

In? Cold? I shook my head. Why would I want to go inside?

//Oh,// Mother said, //Oh, of course, you must be used to being much colder than this.//

I laughed, //Oh, yes. Much, much colder.//

And I told them some about my life.

//So, you aren’t ready to mate yet?// my Father said, when I had discussed my various friends including Hans.

//Oh, no, not nearly ready,// I said.

//Eagles must live much longer than even Dwarves,// Father said.

//Yes. That is what we decided, Hans and I,// I said.

//You and I have some other things to decide,// he said.

//Yes, Father.//

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I flapped my wings a couple of times, //I think so. It still hurts a little, but mostly just stiff.//

//Well, come this way, then.//

I hopped after him. I hated this. Eagles didn’t ‘walk’ well, we were built for flying. And this corridor was long, small, with many doorways. It must have taken several of them to haul me in here. I was glad I had been unconscious.

We came through one final doorway, and I stopped, blinking my eyes. It was so bright… and I had been inside so long. I stood on the back of a ledge, still in the shadow, and still the light hurt my eyes. I blinked a few more times, and then hopped forward, then again, until I stood on the edge.

We weren’t very high up, here, perhaps only a half mile as the Grubbers counted such things. My heart leapt at the open air, and, with a giant leap, I took off. Free, into the air. Diving down and finding a thermal, which took me up, up, up….

“Whaawhoa!”

I looked over, a couple of miles to my right, and there was Kh. “Kh!” I said, and the two of us rose, together, moving closer and closer, until talking was more comfortable.

“We were sure you were dead!”

“Almost,” I said, “my wing was broken.”

Gheerraa looked at me, “Your wing was broken? How did you survive?”

“I… the Grubbers fed me.”

“The Grubbers?? They fed you??”

“Yes. But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok. Come to club?”

“No. No, I have something to do first.”

“Oh?”

“I need to talk to someone…”

I waited, in the thermals nearby, until Mom had flown off and Dad had taken her place. I’m sure they had seen me, but no one said anything until I landed at the edge of the eyrie.

“Whaawhoa?”

“Father.”

“You shouldn’t come here.”

“I had to come. I had to talk to you.”

“I see. We were worried. We had heard… we had heard you were dead, actually.”

“Oh, yes. I suppose you did. I’m sorry. Well, as you see, I’m alive.”

“Your mother will be glad.”

“How is the egg?” I asked. I knew father was right, that mother would be glad, but I also knew what occupied all of her thoughts.”

“Good, good.”

“This time.”

Father looked at me. For a long time I said nothing, then, “I found out that I was never an egg.”

“I see,” Father said, and then looked down at his leg, and began preening himself. I knew he would say nothing else, and I turned and took off.

“Whaawhoa!” Jehenna said. “Gheerraa told us that you were alive.”

“Yes, I am alive,” I said. “Have I missed any poetry?”

--

It was late the next afternoon before anyone worked up the courage to ask me about my time with the Grubbers and, in the end, it was Whehehnarr.

“So, you took food from the Grubbers?” he asked me.

“Yes,” I said, and hid my head under my wing, just for a minute, working up my own courage. I had known I would have to tell them. “Yes,” I repeated, pulling it out again, “and there is something I have to tell you.”

They all waited, patiently, and I finally managed… “I found out I was never an egg.”

None of them said anything for a few minutes, until, finally, Jehenna said, “I wondered. You knew all those words, and you have always shied away from certain subjects.”

“Are you… are you mad?” I asked.

“Mad?” she asked, surprised, while Gheerraa came behind me and started preening me. “No. Whyever would we be mad? My own mother was never an egg. But, how did you find it out?”

“I met some people that I had known from before I wasn’t an egg,” I said.

“Really?!” Whehehnarr said, crowding closer. “How did you find out?”

“I… I can still speak some of that language.”

“So that is why they didn’t kill you?”

“Yes.”

We didn’t say anything for a few minutes more but, over the next two days, they got the whole story from me. Without saying anything about it, they all did all the hunting and kept inviting me to share. I knew if I had crashed somewhere where they could have gotten at me, they would have done the same thing when I was injured… just as I would have done.

“What are you going to do now?” Jehenna asked, two days later, when the two of us were coasting through some thermals near the Poetry Club.

“I’m going to have to go back and meet them, at least,” I said, referring to my parents.

“Yes, I think so,” she said. “Mother still remembers some of how the Grubbers live, and it would be… wrong of you not to do so.”

“Yes, yes, I think that is right,” I said.

“Well, I hope you will come back,” she said.

I looked at her, feeling things neither of us could say. “Yes… yes, I will be coming back.”

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

//I’m sorry,// I said, two days later, //for biting your hand. Does it still hurt?//

He held up the bandage, //Oh, no. This is mostly for show. Mother says I have to keep the bandage on, that wild animals pass on bad infections.//

I snorted at him, and he laughed. //Seriously, I’m fine. I’m glad you’re talking again. Do you want to talk to... anyone else?//

I knew who he meant, and appreciated his tact.

//Yes.//

--

//How much do you remember?// the man asked, when he came in.

//Not much. I thought you were... my father.//

//I’m not, obviously. I am way too young. I am your brother, your younger brother.//

//Gerald?//

//Yes.//

//You were, what, three when I was... when I...//

//Yes. I was three years old when you disappeared. They searched for days, but the Dwarves never go as high as the Eagles nests, and so they had no idea where they were. And most of us thought...//

//You thought they had eaten me, of course. It is the natural thing to think. We would have no problem eating someone that size. I eat goats all the time.//

He chuckled, //My brother eats goats, ‘all the time’. Won’t Mother and Father be freaked out to hear that.//

I sat up, and flapped my good wing, //Where are they? Will I get to see them?//

“Well, of course you will get to see them, the question is when. They had just left for ”The Day“ when I came here with my family. So they will have to find out about it and come back.”

//I wrote them a letter, and told them that I thought it would be best if we met them at the castle. Your wing should be better in a couple of weeks, or so the doctor says. It was just a ‘green stick’ fracture, he tells me.//

//So, I would fly to the Castle and meet them there? Would you come?// I was suddenly nervous, nervous at the idea of meeting my own parents.

//If you think that would work,// Gerald said.

//I have someone else I would like you to meet, if you think you are up to it,// Gerald said. He and Gunther were sitting with me. We had been talking for five days now after my ‘revelation’.

//Who is it?// I asked, //I think I can meet them.//

//It is Hans,// he said, and I buried my head under my wing. Hans. I remembered Hans. I remembered being pulled away from him, and being mad at him that he had never rescued me.

I finally pulled my head out. //Yes, I would like to meet him.//

//Jonathon? Is that really you?//

He looked completely different. I could barely see the resemblance in his face. And he was much older.

//Yes. Yes it is. How are you doing?//

//Oh, Jonathon. They told me it was you, but... but it was hard to believe. I watched you...// He stopped, //but you asked me how I was doing. I am doing fine. I have a wife now, and two children.

I cocked my head to one side. //But, you are a Dwarf? I thought… you have mated already?//

//Oh, yes, years ago.//

//Then, then Eagles must live longer than Dwarves?//

//I guess so… you haven’t married?//

//Oh, oh, no. I couldn’t. I don’t even want to. I mean, yet.//

—

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

//I’m sorry,// I said, two days later, //for biting your hand. Does it still hurt?//

He held up the bandage, //Oh, no. This is mostly for show. Mother says I have to keep the bandage on, that wild animals pass on bad infections.//

I snorted at him, and he laughed. //Seriously, I’m fine. I’m glad you’re talking again. Do you want to talk to... anyone else?//

I knew who he meant, and appreciated his tact.

//Yes.//

--

//How much do you remember?// the man asked, when he came in.

//Not much. I thought you were... my father.//

//I’m not, obviously. I am way too young. I am your brother, your younger brother.//

//Gerald?//

//Yes.//

//You were, what, three when I was... when I...//

//Yes. I was three years old when you disappeared. They searched for days, but the Dwarves never go as high as the Eagles nests, and so they had no idea where they were. And most of us thought...//

//You thought they had eaten me, of course. It is the natural thing to think. We would have no problem eating someone that size. I eat goats all the time.//

He chuckled, //My brother eats goats, ‘all the time’. Won’t Mother and Father be freaked out to hear that.//

I sat up, and flapped my good wing, //Where are they? Will I get to see them?//

“Well, of course you will get to see them, the question is when. They had just left for ”The Day“ when I came here with my family. So they will have to find out about it and come back.”

//I wrote them a letter, and told them that I thought it would be best if we met them at the castle. Your wing should be better in a couple of weeks, or so the doctor says. It was just a ‘green stick’ fracture, he tells me.//

//So, I would fly to the Castle and meet them there? Would you come?// I was suddenly nervous, nervous at the idea of meeting my own parents.

//If you think that would work,// Gerald said.

//I have someone else I would like you to meet, if you think you are up to it,// Gerald said. He and Gunther were sitting with me. We had been talking for five days now after my ‘revelation’.

//Who is it?// I asked, //I think I can meet them.//

//It is Hans,// he said, and I buried my head under my wing. Hans. I remembered Hans. I remembered being pulled away from him, and being mad at him that he had never rescued me.

I finally pulled my head out. //Yes, I would like to meet him.//

--

//Jonathon? Is that really you?//

He looked completely different. I could barely see the resemblance in his face. And he was much older.

//Yes. Yes it is. How are you doing?//

//Oh, Jonathon. They told me it was you, but... but it was hard to believe. I watched you...// He stopped, //but you asked me how I was doing. I am doing fine. I have a wife now, and two children.

I cocked my head to one side. //But, you are a Dwarf? I thought… you have mated already?//

//Oh, yes, years ago.//

//Then, then Eagles must live longer than Dwarves?//

//I guess so… you haven’t married?//

//Oh, oh, no. I couldn’t. I don’t even want to. I mean, yet.//

View from a Height

On a world far away, several races live… mostly in peace. What few knew was that they were all one race… that a dwarf could become an elf, who could become a troll, who could become a farmer.

A young farmer prince was climbing with some of his dwarf friends when he found out that the same thing applied to eagles…

—

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

But the most important thing was, sitting in front of me, far in front of me, was a Grubber. It was a different kind of Grubber, taller, thinner, longer limbed. It had a tail, and wasn’t the same shade as the others had been.

It was covered with stuff, like the others had been, but it was a different kind of stuff, almost as if made from parts of a tree. <<Ah, you are awake. Can you understand me?>>

He was talking to me. I knew that. And he had said that I was awake.

<<Awake, me>> I replied, and took a drink. When I moved I noticed that someone had tied my wing to my body, and covered it with something. I thought about taking it off, but I knew it would hurt. My head was spinning, and I was sick to my stomach. The water helped.

//Can you understand this?// he asked, and I looked up sharply.

//Yes.// I said, because I could. It was very different than the noises he had been making earlier, and these noises made me angry, but I understood them. And somehow they made me feel safe.

//Good. Who are you?//

“Whaawhoa.” I said.

//Yes, but in this talk, how would you say it?//

//My name is…// “Whaawhoa.” I said.

He shook his head, and then tried something else, //How did you learn this talk, this language?//

//In dreams.// I said, //It is dream language. Bad dreams.//

I took another drink and then began picking at the meat. I wasn’t sure if it would make my stomach feel better or worse to eat some meat. I was hungry, but sick. I tried some.

//Tell me about the dreams.// He said.

//Bad dreams,// I said. //Sad. I cannot fly, I am tied to the ground.//

++Interesting++ he said.

++What is interesting?++ I asked, and he looked up sharply.

++You understand this language?++ he asked, quickly.

++Some. The other easier.++ I answered. The meat seemed to be doing well, and I went back to eating. He talked some more, but I ignored him.

Over the next few days... altho I really couldn’t tell day from night, many other people came by, altho the one male the most often. I talked to him some, and ignored him mostly. I ignored most of the others, too.

One day, tho, a smaller person came. One of the first kind, the short and fat kind. Somehow, I liked him. //Hi. I hear you speak Farmer?//

//I can speak. I don’t like it, it makes me angry.//

//Why?//

//I don’t know. It is from my dreams, and they make me angry.//

//What do you normally speak, then?//

“I speak like this, of course, like all Eagles do.”

//That was pretty, if a bit loud. What did it mean?// He asked me, and so I told him.

//My name is Gunther,// the boy said, //what is your name?//

“Whaawhoa,” I said.

//That’s hard for me to say,// He said, //What should I call you in my language?//

//Well, it means ‘beloved wind’, but I don’t think that works. Pick a name for me.//

//OK. How about ’Bill’?//

I looked at him, //Is that a joke?//

He laughed, //Yep. You like it?//

I laughed too, which hurt, and we had my new name.

Gunther and I had fun talking. He told me how it was that I had woken up here.

//You see, we had some medicine, and we put it on a sheet, then we wrapped it over your head. You fought hard, you were scared of it. I don’t blame you for being scared, I would be scared if a bunch of Eagles tried to wrap a sheet over my head.//

//But I don’t remember any of that,// I said.

//No, the medicine made you sleep, and it made you forget.//

//Oh. We don’t have medicine like that,// I said.

//Do you have medicine?//

//Not really. If you are sick, Mother might bring you some plant or something and make you eat it. Usually it makes you throw up.//

//Yuck.//

//Well, you feel better after you throw up, at least I did.//

The other man kept coming, and Gunther told me it was important to talk to him, too, so I did. He spent a lot of his time talking about my language, the Eagle language. He had me talk to him, and tell him what things mean, and after a while it got so he could speak some of the words, altho not well. His voice was far too weak.

He brought by a series of others, too, who all talked to me. He asked me if I knew them, which was silly, but I duly told him, “No,” for each individual person.

Most of the people were the short people. A couple were the taller kinds with the tails like my teacher. Once they brought in this very funny looking man with feet like a duck, and who talked to me in yet another kind of speech. I answered him, and everyone was pleased, but I couldn’t say more than that.

But then, one day, someone else walked through the door.

//Bill, Bill!!// Gunther yelled, over my screaming, “What is wrong?!”

But I couldn’t tell him. I didn’t know. All I knew was that someone new had walked through the door and I was screaming. I couldn’t even tell, myself, what I was yelling. It was a word I didn’t know, a word I could never admit I knew.

Everyone had frozen in shock. There were five of them, plus the new one, and they were all staring at me.

//Bill, Bill!// Gunther had ran over to me, and was hugging me. Eagles didn’t hug, but I understood it, and eventually calmed down.

//Bill,”//he said, //Why did you call him your...//

I couldn’t hear that word. I screamed again, and shook him loose.

He stepped back at him, and I screamed, //Don’t call him that! Don’t say that word! He isn’t, he can’t be!//

//No, Bill, he isn’t. He only has two children, and they are both very young, and both in Farmer form. But why did you say that he was?//

//He can’t be.// I said.

//He isn’t, Bill!// Gunther said, and came over and hugged me.

//Who are you?// I said to the stranger, after I had calmed down. //Why do I know you?//

But he didn’t answer. Instead he walked over to me and looked me in the face. //Jonathon?// he said, and my world ended.

View from a Height

On a world far away, several races live… mostly in peace. What few knew was that they were all one race… that a dwarf could become an elf, who could become a troll, who could become a farmer.

A young farmer prince was climbing with some of his dwarf friends when he found out that the same thing applied to eagles…

—

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

I opened my eyes and saw Grubbers. Two Grubbers were standing in front of me, and I heard one behind me. They were all yelling at me, and throwing rocks. It had been a rock that had woken me up. Another rock hit me in the breast, a rock thrown by the boy... the Dwarf boy.

I had to make them stop, I had to. They were going to kill me. I hated them, I hated who they were, I hated who they represented; what they represented. But I had to make them stop.

Those weren’t just noises, they weren’t just voices, I knew what they meant. I knew I knew.

[Format note: Showing the use of other languages is rather tricky. I am going to use different quotation marks for a new or unexpected language. These might look like «this» or //this// depending. If I use different ones, that means different languages.]

<<Kill it!>> The boy in front of me screamed, <<Kill it!>>

Another rock hit me from behind, and the boy that was yelling picked up another one, but the other looked at me, confused.

<<Let’s just leave it alone,>> he said.

<<What?>> Said the other, throwing a rock at me and missing when I ducked, <<Why?>>

Another rock hit me from behind, in the head. I was dizzy, I was sick, and I was in incredible pain, but I had to make them stop.

<<Don’t,>> I croaked. But they didn’t seem to understand, and three more rocks hit me before I managed, again, <<Don’t. Don’t kill me.>>

<<Stop!!>> The one boy said, the smaller one in front of me, <<Stop!! It’s trying to talk!>>

<<What?>> came a voice from behind me, <<Eagles can’t talk.>>

<<Don’t kill me,>> I whispered, and the world went black.

I awoke, to a crowd. When I had fallen asleep there had been two boys in front of me, and now there was a whole crowd. And mostly adults, adult male Dwarves. But the boys were still there, “It spoke, father! It spoke to me.”

<<Eagles don’t speak,>> the father responded, but he didn’t sound convinced.

<<I heard him too, Elder Gunther, I heard him say, ‘don’t kill me’.>>

<<Look, he’s awake,>> the first boy said.

The all looked, and were silent. I looked at them, and then saw that someone had put a bowl of water near my beak. I took some, I needed water.

<<Talk>> the one boy said to me. I turned my head sideways and looked at him, at them. I understood what he was saying, but I wasn’t sure what to say back.

<<You see son,>> one of the men began, when I finally managed,

<<Don’t kill me>> I said.

View from a Height

On a world far away, several races live… mostly in peace. What few knew was that they were all one race… that a dwarf could become an elf, who could become a troll, who could become a farmer.

A young farmer prince was climbing with some of his dwarf friends when he found out that the same thing applied to eagles…

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

—

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

So I awoke early in the morning and decided to take vengeance on these grubbers for disturbing my dreams. I left the cleft where I had sheltered and wen out to find me some.

It was harder than you might think. After a while I spotted the Grubbers climbing the cliff and left my thermal toward the cliff. And they have seen me and tried to get back down to the ground. But I was too fast for that. But this was tricky flying. I had to fly closer,

The wind came around the corner at absolutely the wrong time and in the wrong direction. I was just turning out to bear my claws at the Grubber the wind hit me and led me exactly the wrong way; it flipped me toward the cliff.

I was off-balance already trying to make my turn and was taken completely off guard. Flipped back toward the cliff I couldn’t recover in time, and as I was trying, I clipped an outcrop with my wing.

The pain was incredible. My vision turned completely white, and then red. When it cleared I was several yards away from the cliff and falling fast.

I tried to flap, but the pain was impossible. Even levelling out was beyond what I could do. I was spinning, spiralling toward the ground; which was at least a hundred yards down. I spun around and hit the wall again, this time with my other wing. But I saw it coming in time to pull my wing a bit and just lose a few feathers.

But now I was going down even faster. I stretched out my good wing, my right wing, and I did my best to stretch out my left wing as well. I slowed but my left wing was still losing too much of lift.

I saw the ground coming closer and closer. I knew if I hit at this speed I would die. I would have to try to snap my wings out, fully out, at the very last moment. I watch and I watched, and finally I snapped them out, as far as I could. The pain was incredible, the ground came up and met me, and the world went black.

View from a Height

On a world far away, several races live… mostly in peace. What few knew was that they were all one race… that a dwarf could become an elf, who could become a troll, who could become a farmer.

A young farmer prince was climbing with some of his dwarf friends when he found out that the same thing applied to eagles…

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

—

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von