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how long the scar was. Did it continue all the way across his
hip and how could someone have survived such an angry
wound? It was a nasty horrible looking line that shouted of
much suffering.
There were also two more scars, slender marks just below
his navel, pink against his sun-darkened skin. Eagle bonding
scars. He'd been true-bonded twice. Very few Eaglekin were
deemed worthy enough to be true-bonded with an eagle a
second time. Especially after their first eagle had been killed.
The extraordinary eyrie hatched eagles were protected at all
costs by their true-bondeds. Some novices gave up their trial
bond after their first year, rather than accept the
responsibility and go through the permanent true-bonding
ceremony. Hydeia's throat tightened.
She traced the second bonding scar. The male was
perhaps three or four years older than herself, much too
young to have earned the right to be true-bonded a second
time, even if he had achieved something extremely
remarkable for the Matrons to consider him worthy of another
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Upon Eagle's Light
by Clover Autrey
eagle. Most likely he would have been deemed as a tolin sha,
one of the unworthy, incapable of keeping their eagles safe.
Yet Uloki was a wilder. The Matrons would never have
permitted any Eaglekin to bond with a wilder.
Frowning, Hydeia stared at the puzzling man. He must
have performed the bonding ceremony with Uloki by himself.
But why would he do that? He had taken a huge risk. What if
Uloki had been half as intelligent as he obviously was? Or
worse, what if his wild nature had been too untamed, too
inhospitable and reckless with defiant emotions too powerful
for the Eaglekin to overcome? The Eaglekin's essence could
have been overtaken, sucked through their intertwining reyn
and lost irrevocably in the bird. Such occurrences were
whispered about, had been known to happen even with gifted
eyrie hatched eagles, but they were rare. Only Eaglekins who
had proven themselves resilient enough with strong minds
and resolute strength of purpose and will were chosen to be
presented to the eagles old enough to true-bond. Even then
they had to endure a trial year together.
Lost in the troubling thoughts, Hydeia dabbed rainwater
over the male's burn and winced at his sudden flinch and
moan. The flash of pain crossing his features unsettled her,
clenched the muscles of her abdomen.
"Shhh, shhh, you're well, all's well," she whispered,
smoothing his damp hair off his forehead until he quieted
again. The strands were feather soft on her skin, his hair a
tousle of glistening black curling around a strong face of lean
planes and angles.
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Upon Eagle's Light
by Clover Autrey
The eagles flew in, silent and graceful. Uloki climbed upon
his bonded's hip and rounded his wings over the man's upper
body as though he were an eyas that needed protection from
the weather.
Thoughts circled Hydeia's head about wilders and their
unworthiness and unpredictability to safely bond, yet the
Matron's words would no longer land. Hydeia had seen for
herself how the wilder had fought for his true-bonded, how
he'd drawn off the Rakens, how he watched over him now,
exposing himself to the rain.
He was as fine and as worthy a bird as any hatched of the
Fourteen Eyries of Gaspar.
* * * *
The summer storm continued throughout the following
day, pelting the farthermost edge of the large nest with
weighty drops that splashed back onto them. Hydeia left the
slumbering Eaglekin only long enough to backtrack and cover
their clumsy trail, hoping the rain would wash away the rest,
though it couldn't deter anyone with the least degree of
tracking skills. Fortunately it was apparent the Rakens didn't
possess such knowledge. Yet she wouldn't let down her guard
until she had the male Eaglekin safely away from the area.
After she retrieved her pack, she was also able to find the
rigid stemmed brown nutwort growing in a low cluster
between tall tangy maddle fronds. The sweet citrus scent of
the fronds released in the wet air as she rubbed across the
stalks to get to the nutwort, making her mouth water. A little
yellow snake flicked his tongue out at her before sliding away
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Upon Eagle's Light
by Clover Autrey
into the denser part of the fronds. Though she didn't want to
spare the time away from the male, she dug up two of the
fruity bulbs to take back with her.
After she returned to the nest, Uloki flew in with a stubby
quail fisted in his talons. He dropped the dead bird near
Tyalan and lowered his head while she accepted the courtship
offering.
Hydeia looked wryly at the Eaglekin and her stomach took
an uncomfortable little lurch. He slept hard, like a man who
hadn't rested in a sennight.
He was beautiful. His features were so peaceful while he
slumbered. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]