Wild Wings by Don Conroy

Author:Don Conroy [Conroy, Don]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1991-01-23T22:00:00+00:00

Vega looked blankly at the black vulture, who seemed to know more than he was letting on. The hedgehog drove his muzzle behind Vega’s perch, fastened his mouth over the thin leather leash, and began to chew and gnaw at it.

A door opened and the falconer stepped out. He stretched his arms over his head and gave a loud yawn.

‘Hurry!’ yelled the bateleur eagle in a rasping voice.

‘The Nusham is awake.’

The cara cara called nervously in alarm.

‘Quiet!’ said the common buzzard. ‘You’ll only catch the Nusham’s attention.’

Vega tried to control his trembling body as he watched the hedgehog chewing away at the leash.

‘It’s done!’ cried the hedgehog, beaming with pride. Saliva ran from his mouth.

The falconer walked towards the kennels with food for the dogs, not noticing the spiky mammal scurrying away down the path and out through a gap in the wall. Gates creaked and clattered as the falconer left the kennels and strolled through the falconry. He stopped and checked each bird as he passed by. Vega swivelled his head, his eyes searching the sky.

‘Make a bolt for it now!’ ordered the black vulture.

The Nusham came closer, the birds looked on and the tension became unbearable. Surely the Nusham would notice the broken leash! Vega felt paralysed for a moment, then he suddenly flung open his wings, and arched them back. Capella’s words rang in his head: ‘Freedom must roar within you!’ With a sudden rush of pointed wings he leapt from his perch and flew into the freedom of the air.

‘Goodbye, old friends,’ he called, as he soared higher, skimming and floating over the tree tops.

The startled Nusham watched in disbelief as the young kestrel planed overhead, then flew away beyond the line of trees that surrounded the falconry. The birds shrieked and called, beating their wings in support.

Vega alighted some distance away on a larch tree. His heart was pounding, his body trembling. He could hardly believe it. This was freedom, to fly anywhere he might choose, to perch anywhere he wished and rest in any tree he desired!

Wide-eyed he looked back. He could see the beech trees of the falconry in the distance. They looked so beautiful, yet who would know by looking at them that they masked a bird prison. He shuddered at the thought, having now tasted the first moments of freedom.

Scanning the area he could see the meadows stretching out before him - hedgerows of hawthorn, some rowan trees, holly and white alder bordered the fields. A hare moved through the hedge and across the open field. It stopped to nibble at sweet clover, sat upright on its hunkers to look around briefly and then bounded away.

Dogs barked and to his horror Vega could see the falconer and his dogs crossing the fields and heading in his direction.

The falconer didn’t hold out too much hope of catching the bird. He wasn’t too concerned about losing a kestrel but he had a fondness for this one because of the circumstances surrounding its birth. He sorely missed the golden eagle and the black kite, both gone in the one week.

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