There seemed nothing more to say, so I flew away… off to the East, to where I knew my parents castle was. I only flew a few minutes to the East before I turned, and headed North. I knew my geography well enough to know that the coast was to the North, and that I could follow it all along to the East, all the way to the castle.
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.//
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Von