Eyes of the Raptor
Synopsis: A short story from the POV of a group of Redtailed Hawks--from the elder Cloudbuster and the children he oversees.
Chapter 1--The Fledgelings
Rainmaker, Whitefeather and I, Cloudbuster, had always been looked upon as the 'sage elders' of our circuit. We had a large territory we skulked and stalked for prey every day and we were in no need of food or water. Sometimes the occassional buzzard would fly above us, but we weren't worried about them. As far as we were concerned, they were fellow raptor allies, even though they were scavengers, living on whatever raptors like us or humans tended to leave behind.
Our granddaughter, Firefeather, had recently brooded with her mate, Redtalon. They had a big batch of eggs. Being spring, all sorts of life was beginning to stir and we were excited to see how many babies our pride and joy would have. Redtalon was a bit puffed up about it too. He had wanted to be a father since he could remember and was secretly jealous of his sister Blackbeak because she had tons of fledgelings already. Needless to say, Blackbeak was a fertile little femme fatale, but he didn't hold a grudge against her. He was happy that no hunters had shot any of her children. They were living in the group harmoniously and shared our kills eagerly with others.
Redtalon had about 7 babies, each of which had a different personality. There was Scruffbeak, a little boy with fighting spirit and a never-say-die attitude. He was afraid of nothing and kept his astrophobic brother, Sunspot, under his wings when the big, bad, violent thunderstorms came.
Sunspot was just as his name implied. He was ever so avid, ready to please and a ray of sunshine wherever he happened to toddle about.
Then there was shy but graceful Rainbow. She tended to follow in Sunspot's shadow.
Talona was the exact replica of her daddy, right down to her red talons. Brave, proud, slightly arrogant but family oriented, kind and gentle when the situation called for it.
Then there was a little runt named Greyfeather. The family was worried he wouldn't make it much past his first birthday due to his size and stature, but he surprised us all. He was soft-spoken, very quiet and had great poise and intellect.
Swiftfeather was brash, loud, tomboyish and very acrobatic when she flew. She loved going on adventures and tended to be impulsive. We really had to watch out for her, due to her sometimes reckless nature.
At last, but not least was the Redtail I felt would become my successor someday. His name was Sirrus. He had a very esoteric and surreal way about him and had such apriory knowledge that we were left utterly speechless in his wake at times. He was the most meditative and spiritual of us.
Chapter 2--The Fledgelings Grow
Luckily, the brashness and reckless phase that Swiftfeather went through as a toddler quickly vanished. She was still a tomboy and liked to be closer to the male Hawks than with the females. It didn't mean that she wasn't feminine though. Whenever she saw a fellow raptor dead on the side of the road, she wasn't afraid to weep and mourn along with us. We would hold a burial for the raptor, no matter what species it was. It didn't matter if that raptor had been different than us. We were connected because we were raptors. Any member of our raptor family deserved such dignity and was laid to rest appropriately. We were given about a week to observe that raptor's life, even if it had been only through hearsay (we raptors tend to hear things on the wing and on the wind about our brothers and sisters in the skies) and thereby give the fallen their dignity in death. Though, in spirit, they would always soar alongside us, and we would meet them again when we went to fly in the Other Sky once we passed.
It was April, the season for tornadoes. I had felt a stir in the sky and noticed that many of our fellow birds had flown to find cover just in case something were to happen. I felt strange vibrations in my wings and knew they weren't good. It wasn't superstition. This had happened before when I was but a wee lad. It was good then that I listened to my intuition and I wasn't about to take second chances now.
Rainmaker, my beloved bride and friend followed me to a hideout we had made years ago when I had been courting her. Our son, Whitefeather, had gathered all the other Redtails to our bungalow before the thunder, lightning and violent rains began to fall.
We hadn't had time to eat any dinner, but waiting out the storm was the most important action of the day. We could always eat our prey later. They were having troubles of their own too. I could hear them shivering in the leaves and I felt sorry for them. I knew what it was like to be afraid. Even though I was larger, I was still scared. I had been through more storms than any of them, but my fear was still apparent. With shaky knees, I drew under the comforting wing of my sweet Rainmaker, who allayed all my petrification.
Chapter 3--Renewal of Life
We as hawks had always thrived best in the greener seasons, especially when everything was awakening once more. Even after the torrent, we had come out from our holes in the ground to find that we had missed being ransacked by another tornado. My premonition had been correct once more. I had been the first to sense it, but the others could feel a sort of disharmony and unrest within nature herself. The so called 'calm before the storm'. I never understood why they call it that because it feels absolutely nothing like calm and everything like apprehension, nerves, and of course abject horror. Luckily we pulled ourselves together as a team and overcame our petty fears. Being scared in this situation had lead to our survival though, thank the Mother.
The grass was becoming lush and verdant and more creatures would be romping in our territory, fit for the eating. We understood their struggle to survive as well as ours, but such was the way of nature. We only prayed they held no bias against us as we didn't against them.
The butterflies and bees are hovering about in the azure sky, speckled with the occasional raincloud. Sunshowers or 'fox weddings' as we sometimes colloquially call them, will pop up every now and then. It'll dampen a hunt but the rain subsists and a hunt can resume. The Mother gives us plenty and we are never in want. After all, the rains give us our water, and that is more important than food.
Chapter 4--Seeing Many a Sunrise and Moonrise
I hadn't known how many days had passed since the coming and going of so many fledgelings we had overseen. I knew Whitefeather and Rainmaker would outlast me, since the females of the species typically do. I didn't find any fear or ruffling of feathers realizing my fate was the same as all mortal creatures.
Seeing my time was drawing near an end, I had drafted Sirrus to become sentinel, prefect and preator in my absense. In a way, I would never leave. I prayed my wisdom would be part of Sirrus' routine. He had grown much since his nonage and had proven to be a more than worthy candidate as Kinshawk.
My eyes had grown dim, but I could still fly and walk. I could feel my breath becoming more labored as I had stated my farewells before my final goodbye. I was surrounded by my entire family as well as other raptors we had all known well in the same circuit. A funeral was a familial affair, and none were left out. As I lay dying, I could feel Rainmaker stroking my wing, beak and face. Her soft tears fell upon my face as she held me close.
'Don't be sad, Rain. You know you'll be taken care of. I will be in your heart and in your mind forever. We'll meet again in the Other Sky.', I said as my breathing began to slow and my heartrate decreased. As my eyes fluttered, their shapes became less recognizable and solid. I could only see a terrain that my vocabulary couldn't even define in colors I had no words for. No pain hindered me and no fear wracked my heart, only the steady decreased breath and heartbeat within my frame.
Epilogue
I could see my lifeless shell lying beneath me and could hear the mourning of my fellow hawks, but I gave them one last beat of my powerful wings to know I would always be with them, even in the Other Sky. I could see my relatives as well as humans of all races, creeds, beliefs and colors. Watching from above, I knew they wouldn't be bereaved long but would thrive long after my body had decomposed. I had nothing to worry about; Sirrus was and still is an exhemplary leader. He will do grand things in his time, moreso than I ever did. So now, I leave you with a final farewell, but remember if you sense the wind tousling your hair or the gentle whisper of poetic mirth in your ear, know it is I who gifted and blessed you in your communion with Mother's creation.
Cloudbuster, Hawk Elder
Chapter 1--The Fledgelings
Rainmaker, Whitefeather and I, Cloudbuster, had always been looked upon as the 'sage elders' of our circuit. We had a large territory we skulked and stalked for prey every day and we were in no need of food or water. Sometimes the occassional buzzard would fly above us, but we weren't worried about them. As far as we were concerned, they were fellow raptor allies, even though they were scavengers, living on whatever raptors like us or humans tended to leave behind.
Our granddaughter, Firefeather, had recently brooded with her mate, Redtalon. They had a big batch of eggs. Being spring, all sorts of life was beginning to stir and we were excited to see how many babies our pride and joy would have. Redtalon was a bit puffed up about it too. He had wanted to be a father since he could remember and was secretly jealous of his sister Blackbeak because she had tons of fledgelings already. Needless to say, Blackbeak was a fertile little femme fatale, but he didn't hold a grudge against her. He was happy that no hunters had shot any of her children. They were living in the group harmoniously and shared our kills eagerly with others.
Redtalon had about 7 babies, each of which had a different personality. There was Scruffbeak, a little boy with fighting spirit and a never-say-die attitude. He was afraid of nothing and kept his astrophobic brother, Sunspot, under his wings when the big, bad, violent thunderstorms came.
Sunspot was just as his name implied. He was ever so avid, ready to please and a ray of sunshine wherever he happened to toddle about.
Then there was shy but graceful Rainbow. She tended to follow in Sunspot's shadow.
Talona was the exact replica of her daddy, right down to her red talons. Brave, proud, slightly arrogant but family oriented, kind and gentle when the situation called for it.
Then there was a little runt named Greyfeather. The family was worried he wouldn't make it much past his first birthday due to his size and stature, but he surprised us all. He was soft-spoken, very quiet and had great poise and intellect.
Swiftfeather was brash, loud, tomboyish and very acrobatic when she flew. She loved going on adventures and tended to be impulsive. We really had to watch out for her, due to her sometimes reckless nature.
At last, but not least was the Redtail I felt would become my successor someday. His name was Sirrus. He had a very esoteric and surreal way about him and had such apriory knowledge that we were left utterly speechless in his wake at times. He was the most meditative and spiritual of us.
Chapter 2--The Fledgelings Grow
Luckily, the brashness and reckless phase that Swiftfeather went through as a toddler quickly vanished. She was still a tomboy and liked to be closer to the male Hawks than with the females. It didn't mean that she wasn't feminine though. Whenever she saw a fellow raptor dead on the side of the road, she wasn't afraid to weep and mourn along with us. We would hold a burial for the raptor, no matter what species it was. It didn't matter if that raptor had been different than us. We were connected because we were raptors. Any member of our raptor family deserved such dignity and was laid to rest appropriately. We were given about a week to observe that raptor's life, even if it had been only through hearsay (we raptors tend to hear things on the wing and on the wind about our brothers and sisters in the skies) and thereby give the fallen their dignity in death. Though, in spirit, they would always soar alongside us, and we would meet them again when we went to fly in the Other Sky once we passed.
It was April, the season for tornadoes. I had felt a stir in the sky and noticed that many of our fellow birds had flown to find cover just in case something were to happen. I felt strange vibrations in my wings and knew they weren't good. It wasn't superstition. This had happened before when I was but a wee lad. It was good then that I listened to my intuition and I wasn't about to take second chances now.
Rainmaker, my beloved bride and friend followed me to a hideout we had made years ago when I had been courting her. Our son, Whitefeather, had gathered all the other Redtails to our bungalow before the thunder, lightning and violent rains began to fall.
We hadn't had time to eat any dinner, but waiting out the storm was the most important action of the day. We could always eat our prey later. They were having troubles of their own too. I could hear them shivering in the leaves and I felt sorry for them. I knew what it was like to be afraid. Even though I was larger, I was still scared. I had been through more storms than any of them, but my fear was still apparent. With shaky knees, I drew under the comforting wing of my sweet Rainmaker, who allayed all my petrification.
Chapter 3--Renewal of Life
We as hawks had always thrived best in the greener seasons, especially when everything was awakening once more. Even after the torrent, we had come out from our holes in the ground to find that we had missed being ransacked by another tornado. My premonition had been correct once more. I had been the first to sense it, but the others could feel a sort of disharmony and unrest within nature herself. The so called 'calm before the storm'. I never understood why they call it that because it feels absolutely nothing like calm and everything like apprehension, nerves, and of course abject horror. Luckily we pulled ourselves together as a team and overcame our petty fears. Being scared in this situation had lead to our survival though, thank the Mother.
The grass was becoming lush and verdant and more creatures would be romping in our territory, fit for the eating. We understood their struggle to survive as well as ours, but such was the way of nature. We only prayed they held no bias against us as we didn't against them.
The butterflies and bees are hovering about in the azure sky, speckled with the occasional raincloud. Sunshowers or 'fox weddings' as we sometimes colloquially call them, will pop up every now and then. It'll dampen a hunt but the rain subsists and a hunt can resume. The Mother gives us plenty and we are never in want. After all, the rains give us our water, and that is more important than food.
Chapter 4--Seeing Many a Sunrise and Moonrise
I hadn't known how many days had passed since the coming and going of so many fledgelings we had overseen. I knew Whitefeather and Rainmaker would outlast me, since the females of the species typically do. I didn't find any fear or ruffling of feathers realizing my fate was the same as all mortal creatures.
Seeing my time was drawing near an end, I had drafted Sirrus to become sentinel, prefect and preator in my absense. In a way, I would never leave. I prayed my wisdom would be part of Sirrus' routine. He had grown much since his nonage and had proven to be a more than worthy candidate as Kinshawk.
My eyes had grown dim, but I could still fly and walk. I could feel my breath becoming more labored as I had stated my farewells before my final goodbye. I was surrounded by my entire family as well as other raptors we had all known well in the same circuit. A funeral was a familial affair, and none were left out. As I lay dying, I could feel Rainmaker stroking my wing, beak and face. Her soft tears fell upon my face as she held me close.
'Don't be sad, Rain. You know you'll be taken care of. I will be in your heart and in your mind forever. We'll meet again in the Other Sky.', I said as my breathing began to slow and my heartrate decreased. As my eyes fluttered, their shapes became less recognizable and solid. I could only see a terrain that my vocabulary couldn't even define in colors I had no words for. No pain hindered me and no fear wracked my heart, only the steady decreased breath and heartbeat within my frame.
Epilogue
I could see my lifeless shell lying beneath me and could hear the mourning of my fellow hawks, but I gave them one last beat of my powerful wings to know I would always be with them, even in the Other Sky. I could see my relatives as well as humans of all races, creeds, beliefs and colors. Watching from above, I knew they wouldn't be bereaved long but would thrive long after my body had decomposed. I had nothing to worry about; Sirrus was and still is an exhemplary leader. He will do grand things in his time, moreso than I ever did. So now, I leave you with a final farewell, but remember if you sense the wind tousling your hair or the gentle whisper of poetic mirth in your ear, know it is I who gifted and blessed you in your communion with Mother's creation.
Cloudbuster, Hawk Elder
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