Learning To Fly Without Wings Read online

chuckling softly as he returned the hug with one arm. “Take a day to rest and recover. Then we will work on holding your new form when your eyes are open.”

  “Thank you, Elder Swiftclaw!” Taiyra exclaimed. “May your fur!” With that she turned and dashed out of the tent. The day of rest was hard for the eager doe, but she knew the elder needed it as much as she did. His aging body was hurting him more and more, barely helped by the medicinal tea she brought him every morning.

  When the morning came to return, she rushed to the elder's tent, surprised to find the doorway closed. She stood conflicted for several seconds before she crept inside, her ears folding back in worry as she saw the elder's still form, lit by a single candle. Several thick blankets had been piled over his sleeping roll and pulled up over his head, but she did not see any rise or fall of the blankets to indicate he was breathing. “Elder Swiftclaw?” Taiyra whispered, kneeling beside his bedroll and stretching out a shivering hand as she fought back worry. “Have you gone to watch over us from the spirit world?” As her hand rested lightly atop the pile of blankets, she felt no warmth, and she lowered her head, closing her eyes grim acceptance. Her teacher was gone.

  The flutter of wings made the doe perk her ears as Blackwing flew into the tent, landing on her usual perch and looking at her with her usual aloofness.

  “Taiyra?” Came a familiar voice behind her a moment later. “You're certainly here early. I thought I'd have at least another hour before you showed up. Did you bring some of your tea?”

  Tiayra spun around in surprise, blinking as she saw the elder stepping into the tent. “Oh! Elder Swiftclaw? I'm... um...” She snatched her hand away from the blankets and hoped her surprise was less evident than she was afraid it was. “Of course I brought tea. I'm sorry to come so early, I'm just-”

  “Ah the energy of youth.” The elder chuckled as he hobbled into the tent, leaning heavily on his walking staff while his other hand clutched a small satchel. “If but I could borrow some of it. Of course you're here early. You're eager for your next lesson. I was feeling rather spry this morning so I went out scavenging a bit, but I can prepare these herbs later. Make yourself comfortable and we shall begin.”

  Feeling her heart lighten, Taiyra eagerly bounded to her feet and went to her usual place, slipping out of her loose coverings. “I'm glad you're feeling better, Elder Swiftclaw.”

  The elder chuckled and brought something out of the satchel before setting it aside. “I am as well, and I think to celebrate, I shall give you a gift. I think this will help you.” With slow and careful movements, the elder walked over to where Taiyra sat and tied a black feather into her forelock.

  “Oh! Thank you greatly, Elder Swiftclaw!” The young doe exclaimed, reaching up to finger the feather. “Is it from Blackwing?”

  The elder nodded, returning to his bed and wrapping himself in his heavy blankets. “It is indeed. She lost it just this morning, actually. And I think it will help you to focus. Now that you have learned how to change, you must learn how to keep your new form when your eyes are open.”

  “How will it do that?” Taiyra asked, her hand dropping into her lap.

  “Simple.” The elder replied, reaching for the small drum. “After you have changed and open your eyes again, you will have one black feather. This feather shall remind you of your new shape and help you hold it in your mind. You must not let go until you are ready to change back.”

  “I understand Elder Swiftclaw.” The young doe said with a smile. As the soft sound of the drum came to her ears she closed her eyes, opening them again when she had fully changed in the waking dream. Remembering the elder's words, she tried to keep the image of herself as an eagle within her mind even as she was immediately tempted with distractions.

  “Very good, Taiyra! Very good indeed!” The elder praised her cheerfully. “Now spread your wings for me. Dutifully the golden eagle's wings began to pull outward, but almost immediately the feathers began to melt away and the bird's form became amorphous until the young doe stood in it's place, her arms held out to either side. “You lost your focus, young one.” He chided, his hands patting out their familiar rhythm across the stretched skin of the drum. “Try again.”

  It took several attempts and one fall before the Taiyra was able to keep her shape while moving the various parts of her body. Only when the elder was sure of her control did he allow her to rest, sharing a late dinner of vegetable stew. In the morning, he assured her, Blackwing would take over her training.

  Taiyra tossed and turned restlessly in her bedroll, kept awake by excitement and anxiety despite her tiredness. Her training felt like it was taking forever and she wondered nervously if anyone else had taken so long to learn how to change form. She hoped she would not fail and shame her Grandmother and Elder Swiftclaw. But she was also eager to begin training with Blackwing. She finally fell asleep just as the sky was lightening in preparation of the first sun to rise.

  Running on a few restless hours of sleep, Taiyra struggled to keep her eyes open as she walked to the elder's tent. Blackwing sat on her perch, watching the tired doe with her piercing eyes. “You're late this morning, lotha degahr. Are you unwell?”

  “No, Elder Swiftclaw. I'm sorry to keep you and Blackwing waiting. It's just tha-”The rest of her words were lost to a yawn as she walked to her usual spot and sat down. Her head bowed and her eyes closed in readiness, but she was asleep before the elder put the first hand to his drum.

  The older druid chuckled softly, setting his drum aside, but his avian companion was much less patient. Blackwing let out a loud cry and launched herself toward the sleeping doe, screeching again while slapping the tarin with her wings.

  Taiyra cried out in surprise and fell over as she was assaulted, further disoriented by the seeming tornado of black feathers and ear-piercing screams. She lifted her arms to protect herself and the eagle's wing continued to buffet her for the space of several more breaths before she finally flew back to her perch, giving a final indignant screech.

  Taiyra lowered her arms slowly, blinking in surprise. When she slowly raised her head, the elder's soft chuckle finally reached her ears. “I'm afraid sister Blackwing does not have my patience. Are you alright, lotha degahr?”

  Taiyra ducked her head as she sat up, her ears folding back in shame and her tail curling tightly against her legs. Although there had only been affection in the elder's voice as he spoke the words 'little dreamer', Taiyra could only feel embarrassment at their reflection of her rude behavior. “I am so sorry, Elder Swiftclaw. Blackwing. Please forgive me, both of you.”

  “You are forgiven, young one.” The old bull said, amusement in his tone. “Are you sure you are feeling well? If you need another day or two...”

  “No, Elder Swiftclaw.” She said as his voice faded, the question unfinished. “I'll be alright. More time will only make things worse.” Taking a deep, calming breath and releasing her shame, the doe closed her eyes and began the process of her transformation.

  “Very good, young one.” The Elder praised as she opened her eyes again, holding onto her form. “And now I leave you in Blackwing's care for the rest of your training. Heed her well, she has raised many fledglings in her time.”

  Blackwing swooped down from her perch to land beside the transformed tarin. Her sharp gaze passed over her in close inspection, then the large eagle walked past her in a lumbering waddle that seemed unbecoming of the majestic animal. Taiyra found herself sharing a similar gate, however, as she followed Blackwing out of the tent, leaving the chuckling elder behind them.

  Blackwing stopped on top of a small swell. It only rose out of the ground a few feet, but to Taiyra it felt like climbing a real mountain and she was barely able to keep her form, find walking as an eagle to be cumbersome and ungainly.

  As Taiyra reached the top of the swell to stand beside the large black eagle, Blackwing turned her head to look at her, a transparent film of skin flicking across the bird's eye before retreating again. The young doe was so
entranced by the blink that the swat of the eagle's wing caught her completely by surprise.

  Giving a screech of shock, Taiyra went tumbling down the shallow slope, melting out of her bird form along the way until she was a tangled pile of limbs at the bottom of the swell. Blackwing's caw resembled a laugh in the young doe's ears as she tried to right herself. When she finally managed to get her legs back under herself and sat up, she looked up at the eagle with a look of hurt and confusion, but Blackwing simply began preening one of her wings, seeming indifferent to the tarin's embarrassment.

  Taiyra assumed that there must be some lesson the old eagle was trying to teach her, so she changed back again and made her way back up to the top of the swell, only to be swatted back down again as soon as her attention wavered.

  The third attempt had Taiyra focusing so hard on the eagle's wings that she forgot to keep track of her form and changed back into a tarin while waiting for the signal to duck. Both wings swatted furiously at the doe's face, sending her falling backwards in surprise.

  For several minutes, Taiyra sat and looked at the indifferent eagle, trying to figure out the lesson she was being taught. While her discomfort seemed to amuse the large bird, her actions did not seems to be done for the sake of animosity