The bird followed the sound of his voice, then emitted a series of excited chirps.
Kik-kik-kik… kik-kik-kik.
“Hey there boy,” Hawk cooed. “Sorry I’ve been away for so long."
The bird’s ivory and brown feathers were lush and full, and when I looked closely I saw that its tail was almost the same color as my hair.
“He’s so beautiful,” I said.
“Wait until you see him fly.”
I looked up at him. “Can I? See him fly?”
Hawk smiled. “That’s why we’re here, mouse. Come meet Freya.”
Hawk moved in front of the other cage. Inside, a brown bird sat on one of the rubber blocks, her long yellow legs a match to her bright yellow beak.
She studied me with dark eyes.
“Freya.” I spoke softly, not wanting to scare the majestic bird. “Goddess of beauty and magic.”
“Yes,” Hawk said.
Bram had loved reading stories about Norse gods when we’d been kids. After our parents died, he’d taken to reading them to me before bed, even though I was long past the age of needing a bedtime story.
It was comforting for us both, I thought. A way to remember that we weren’t alone before we fell into our own dreams.
According to the myths, Freya could predict and even influence the future. She’d owned a magical cloak of falcon feathers that allowed her to fly.
The bird shuffled on the block before letting out a long chirp.
Weeeeee…
Hawk laughed. “I think she likes you already.”
As if to prove his point, Freya launched herself off the block in a flurry of flapping wings.
I stepped back, awed by the sheer power in her movements.
“Come on.” Hawk walked to a wall of equipment: leather gloves and hoods, straps and leashes, a leather bag and some sort of liquid. “Let’s let her fly.”
19
CASSIE
It took almostan hour to prepare. Apparently my shirt (purple) was too bright and I needed better footwear. Hawk took charge, fitting me with an oversized pair of work boots, a drab brown field jacket, and safety glasses that made me feel like a mad scientist.
Then he pulled on one of the big leather gloves hanging on the wall — he said it was called a gauntlet — and grabbed the leather bag, one of the leashes, and a thick leather pad at the end of a long strap.
“Stand next to me but don’t make any sudden moves,” Hawk said as he approached Freya’s cage.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
“It’s fine,” Hawk said. “My instructions are for Freya’s comfort, not because I think she’s going to hurt you.”
“What about Ares?” I asked.
“It’s safer to fly one at a time, especially with someone new in the mix.”
