Choose the Sky by Elizabeth Cole

Author:Elizabeth Cole
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: SkySpark Books
Published: 2016-07-09T18:00:00+00:00

* * * *

So the world spun on. The hard frosts of deep winter receded, and the days started to lengthen infinitesimally.

Most mornings, Domina was at work as usual. Despite Eva’s presence, despite everything, she was still needed as the lady of the house. In the middle of the day, a servant came up to her, telling her Luc wanted to see her.

“He’s in the great hall, my lady.”

Mina entered the room. “You asked for me?”

“I did.” Luc stood near a large box covered with a heavy cloth. “I have something for you to see.”

“What is it?” Mina asked suspiciously.

“That is for you to find out,” he said, gesturing for her to uncover the object.

She took hold of one corner of the cloth. It was even heavier than it looked, a rich brocade that blocked both light and sound. She lifted the cloth a bit and peered behind it.

A squawk greeted her, and she gasped. With a little tug, she slowly pulled the whole covering aside, revealing what was underneath.

In a large wooden cage, a magnificent peregrine falcon stood on a perch. It stretched blue-tinged wings as wide as it could, showing a feathered breast as it gave a squawk of warning.

“Oh, how beautiful!” Mina gasped.

“Eva brought her along when she came. But I waited for the weather to improve a bit, and also, I wanted the bird to rest after the journey.”

“You must be so pleased to have her here,” Mina said. “Do you intend to go hunting with her soon?”

“I don’t.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

Luc smiled. “She’s yours. My wedding present to you.”

“Oh.” Mina put a hand to her mouth. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

“I know that,” he said. “Is it so difficult to believe that I’m giving you something just because you’ll like it?”

“It’s far too grand, Luc. This is a falcon for princes.”

“It is a falcon for the lady Domina.”

“I can’t accept such a gift,” she said, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the bird, which was perfect in every way. “I never thought I’d get to hunt with a peregrine!”

“Now you can.” He handed her a brand new glove, the leather tooled into a dense floral pattern. “Try it on, Mina. You ought to get to know your new hunter.”

She slid the glove onto her wrist, and then opened the cage door very carefully.

The falcon shied away at first, but Domina spoke to it in a low, steady voice and it soon calmed.

“There you go,” she said. “Come step up.” The bird obeyed, stepping from the perch to her arm, flexing its sharp talons into the heavy leather that protected Mina’s skin.

“I’ll get some meat from the kitchens, my beauty, to feed you.”

“Our falconer councils against that,” Luc told her. “Birds hunt better when they’re hungry.”

“Nonsense,” Domina said. “I feed my hawks the choicest meat I can. They need to know I care for them. Then they will fly their best, to please me.”

“Is that your method?” he asked.

“So I was taught. If you treat a creature ill, it will not trust you, and there is no bond between you.

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