This story was written for the 2025 April A to Z Blog Challenge. Twenty-six words, one for each letter of the alphabet, were pre-selected by a random word generator (MacChatGPT) and were included for each section of the appropriate letter in the Challenge. The chosen word is highlighted within the text. To start the story from the beginning, go to https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4443.
When last we met in Part 13 – Marvelous:
Rowan and Springbounder seek the help of a con man known as Marvelous Marco. Rowan has worked with him before. Marco will help them find Adriana as long as the duo can obtain for him an egg from a rare galea bird as his price. Reluctantly, after finding out that it’s King Yarek who wants Adriana dead, Springbounder agrees to the arrangement Rowan made, and they set off for the galea’s habitat.
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Destiny Part 14 (nest)
It’s one thing to follow Springbounder. Talons tend to leave clear tracings in the ground, similar to a walking or trotting horse. Riding her when she is in a hurry to get somewhere is another thing. There was a reason that her legs looked like springs. There are no back-and-forth alternating steps at an even pace. Instead, she leapt like a squirrel, a very large squirrel. Trees and shrubs whipped by Rowan. He did all he could just to stay atop of Springbounder. There was no way he could remember the path they took. What made it even more incredible was that she did this all without making a sound. It would be easy for her to sneak up on anyone. Rowan was determined not to underestimate this chimera again.
Suddenly, Springbounder halted. Rowan heard, in his head, “We are here, now get off. The nest you seek is beyond this set of trees. Look for a tall white birch. You must climb up to the seventh branch where her nest lies. You should find the egg you seek within. However, you must be warned, the galea is not a friend of mine. She does not like uninvited visitors. She will kill without provocation if you are caught. I will be waiting here, for a while, for your return when you succeed. I assure you I’ll know your fate should you fail. Galeas are proud of their kills and show it. That being the case, I will seek out Adriana myself, no matter how many paths I need to follow.”
With that word of encouragement, Rowan dismounted and went forward through the trees, just short of the opening where he would have been spotted. He glanced up at the white birch no more than 50 yards from his position. He could see the nest on the seventh branch. The tree looked easy to climb. The galea was perched right on top of the eighth branch, looking away from Rowan’s position, making low squawking sounds. It was not a little bird. It had broad red wings, a sharp hooked beak, and formidable talons. It would not take much to rip a person to shreds. So much for it not being hard to get the egg.
Rowan figured climbing the tree and retrieving the egg would take at least ten minutes. Then, he would have to get down and return to Springbounder before the galea knew what had happened. That didn’t take into account that the galea was there and watching over her eggs. Retrieving the egg from the nest would require skill and luck.
What Rowan needed was a distraction, something that would draw the momma bird away from her nest. He had skills that might work in his favor. One, was stealth. Springbounder may have been quiet as she hopped through the woods, but Rowan could be quieter. The other skills were mimicking other sounds and the ability to magically throw his voice over large distances.
His first task was to find a spot far enough away from the nest that the galea, when there, would not be able to see nor hear anything going on at the nest.
It didn’t take Rowan long to find such a place; it was well hidden and had enough brush coverage that he wouldn’t be heard. The next step was to create something the galea would be drawn to. Fire and another galea would be the answer to that.
Rowan positioned fallen branches from trees to look like something was trapped underneath. He then cleared away enough of the brush surrounding the area so that the fire he would create would not catch fire to any other trees around. He then set a small fire ablaze under the branches that he had set up.
He timed the fire so it would be big enough when the galea approached that it wouldn’t be able to see anything underneath it.
Back at his hiding place near the nest, Rowan began to make the sound of what he thought a baby galea would sound like in distress and threw that sound to where his burning branches were.
In an instant, the galea, hearing the frightening sound of a baby galea in distress, flew off to seek it out.
As quickly and as quietly as Rowan could go, he went to retrieve the egg in the nest. He hoped he could do it and get back to Springbounder before the galea put out the fire and discovered his ruse.
Luck was with him that day. The egg was retrieved, and Springbounder was still waiting. Rowan leaped on her back, and they bounded away to the sounds of a very angry galea.
Springbounder was duly impressed.
To be continued in O – Observe
