Wings in the Darkness

Their Children

Kareen and Terin flew to their perch in the great hall.  They had changed out of the simple clothes to protect them from dye.  Kareen wore a shirt and pants, for eagle women couldn't wear dresses; the underside of dresses would be left exposed to anyone they flew over.  Terin wore his leather vest armor and pants, and has his sword at his side.

She hoped that would be enough to protect him.

The great hall was, like the rest of the nest palace, woven out of innumerable sticks, and had perches for various families.  The king's perch was at the top, and on closer inspection one found that the sticks there were finely carved, and the fireflies pinned to it were painted.  The sticks that made up the nest palace were so finely woven together that they would withstand almost as much as stone, which was a good thing in Kareen's opinion.

The two of them landed on their own perch.  Inside, apart from the nest appearance, it looked like any other home.  Furniture, other rooms, and children rushing up to greet their parents.

"Mother!" cried a young girl who ran up.  She had brown wings like her mother, and brown feathers on her head.  Behind the girl was a young man with red wings, like his father, however he also had the red feathers that stuck up and back on his head.

"Mother!" cried the girl, "Are goblins really coming?"

"Yes Mila," she said.  "I can't deny it."

The young girl disappeared into her mother's arms.  Kareen wrapped her wings around the girl protectively, whispering comforting things in her ears.

"Don't worry," said the boy, reaching his hand to his sister's shoulder.  "I'll look out for you."

"You'd better," said Terin.  "Do you still have that knife I gave you?"

"Right here father." He pulled it out, and it gleamed in the firefly light.  It was curved, like a bird's talon.

"You're not old enough for a sword," said Terin.  "But you can fly circles around anyone else." He put his hand on the boy's shoulder.  "You keep her safe Jenin."

"I will.

As Kareen held her daughter, she kept thinking that these family ties were all they had to protect each other, and that wouldn't protect Terin.  He would be at the forefront of the battle.  All she could do for him was make sure their children were safe.  She let go of her child and led her into their home, Terin and Jenin following, and then a voice was heard speaking loudly to the entire hall.

"Eagle women!  The battle is coming now, and only half of us fight!  We women are as valiant as the men, why can we not pick up swords to fight?!"

Kareen and Terin stared at the black feathered eagle woman flying high above them.  Terin leaned over to Kareen and said, "should you tell her, or should I?"

"I was the one who got the compromise," she said.  "I'll deal with this."

She said farewell to Mila and Jenin, and flew up.  She felt that this eagle woman had the right to express her opinion, but now was not the time.  They couldn't afford trouble amongst themselves when there was enough trouble outside their doors.  One thing this woman said was absolutely true.

The battle was coming now.