The Cave Part 5

Tharkin never answered my question. I tried to get him to interpret the vision I had seen in the smoke, but he claimed he had not seen what I had. This was no more satisfying for me than it would be for anyone else, but after several days of working with him maintaining the extensive gardens and tending to the livestock, I learned that he was master of what he would reveal and when. If I wanted to learn more of the voice in the cave, I would have to seek it out, or stumble on the answer in my own time.

"What is that?" asked Tharkin one morning, as we sat drinking tea before tending to the daily chores. I had heard a sharp cry as well, and it was not hard to find the source. There was a bird, a very large bird fallen in the middle of the garden behind the house. The creature had just barely missed the pool of water, crashing in a pitiful pile of feathers right before our eyes. It was a bird of prey from what I could see, an eagle of some great size. Slowly walking towards it, I felt rather than saw it was still alive. A large arrow protruded from its body.

"Oh, who would have shot this beautiful creature?" I found myself asking aloud.

"Ignorant people," replied Tharkin, quickly moving towards the downed bird of prey.

The great eagle was in fact larger than the man I had come to respect with silent awe. Tharkin was taller than myself, but the bird was larger still, a fact that had escaped me by not noticing exactly where it fell. Next to the pond it had looked small, but now that we had gathered near it, the size frightened me.

"Is it dead?" I asked solemnly, thinking there was little chance that it could have survived with an arrow and a fall. Blood seeped out from its wound, covering the feathers and leaking in drips to the ground.

"No, we have a chance," he replied, moving with confidence to the prone creature. While I watched, he began to chant words softly, placing his hands upon the creature which shuddered for a moment. The eagle's eyes were closed, but even with a sharp beak that could not move in smile or grimace, I could see the tension of pain. Still, my eyes were riveted by Tharkin, who never hesitated but slipped the arrow out after a long song of words that were completely foreign to me. Blood poured from the wound were the arrow had been released, but slowly it stilled.

Tharkin's hands began to glow with a soft blue light, and while his left hand rested with calming assurance on the eagle's chest, the right hand moved to cover the wound. This was magic I was watching, there was no doubt. Some vague recollection of healers came back from my blocked memories. Men and women with ointments and salves, bandages and splints. Yet never had I seen pure and raw power being used to heal the way I was witnessing it now. Some natural order, or perhaps a human limitation, was being completely bypassed here.

The wounded flesh was knitting together before my eyes. No longer bleeding, in fact some of the fresh blood seemed to retrace it's flow back to the rapidly shrinking puncture. I was so fascinated watching the blood race back to get inside the flesh before closing, I almost did not see the eagle looking at me. It was not stirring, but its great eyes seemed to lock on my face with an intensity that was not normal, even for a creature that preyed on ground dwelling animals from afar. It was not a cold stare, but a very intelligent and accessing look.

The eagle spoke, a sharp sound to my ears. I did not understand, but Tharkin seemed to comprehend without trouble. He turned to look at me with those piercing blue eyes. They were both looking at me, at it was a little unnerving, but then the older man went back to his task, moving his hands in slow circles over the wound that was still healing. A light of glowing yellow radiated from his finger tips, and then it was over. The damage had been healed. The bird of prey was whole and rolling over onto its feet. Standing tall with folded wings behind, this magnificent creature toward over me, turning its great hooked beak in my direction. For a moment, I was afraid I would be attacked.

"He said your kind shot him," said Tharkin, standing now with the eagle. "Far away beyond the mountain range. He has flown far with that arrow, and sought out this sanctuary he has heard of since he was an eggling."

"That looks like a long time ago," I replied with a half smile, staring up at the great creature whose golden eyes never left me. "He flew a long time with that wound? He is very strong."

"Yes, and there are not many more of his kind in this world."

"I hope he does not wish me ill will," I added, as the great creature shifted its weight, huge talons grinding up the turf with ease.

"No you are with me, and that is enough to vouchsafe your life," answered the old man, wiping some dirt from his pants that he had acquired while kneeling over the eagle. "However, you might go and get some of the fish you caught yesterday for smoking, and bring them to our friend. It would be a judicious offer of peace between you two."

There was no arguing with the wisdom of that suggestion. I had indeed caught several large fish from the pond after our labors the previous day. The waters were far deeper than I had imagined at first sight, and within those chill shadows hid creatures of great size. Beautiful in silver and blue scales that glittered when the sunlight reached them at the surface, these were fed a long time by Tharkin before he harvested them.

Heaving two huge fish I had cleaned and begun the process of brining, I was a little worried that the eagle would not appreciate the salting process that had begun, but I was very wrong. The magnificent creature ducked its head and quickly ripped flesh from the fish, downing chunks rapidly, then swallowing whole the second fish which was a little smaller than the first. It finished by drinking some water from the pool. The meal was over so fast, I was afraid I should have brought more out from our storage. However the eagle did not act unsatisfied, and began to speak to Tharkin again in that very sharp, almost harsh voice.

They were an interesting pair, as I considered them a few steps away. The huge bird stood still, while Tharkin sat on a large stone near the water. The face of the man was difficult to read, but he appeared to be absorbing everything said with rapt attention. It was then that I noticed Tharkin rarely blinked, his eyes two azure blue pools that seemed to see through the eagle. When he responded to the creature, it was in plain common speech doubtless for my benefit, and the eagle responded with croaking sounds of understanding.

"He came to me a few days back, from under the mountain," said Tharkin, clearly referring to myself. It was a little disconcerting to be spoken of while present. "No, he has not been of any concern to me. He is a hard worker and recovering his memories. I would tell you if there was danger."

"He thinks I am a danger to you?" I asked with some surprise, feeling I should speak up for myself as this conversation was taking an uncomfortable direction. Both the man and the bird looked at me then.

"He is very curious about you," replied Tharkin. "It seems he saw you many days ago in the dry grass plains to the east."