New Year's Resolution Page 3

I do not know how long I wandered. I was lost in thought and barely cognizant of my surroundings. At last things intruded on my awareness. This was not a land such as any I had ever seen or even heard of. This was an untouched land, an aged land of mystery and power.

Whereas Lahanah had been developed, albeit slowly, for many centuries there were far fewer signs of civilization here. The trees were massive...the girths of some were so large it might take 15 or 20 people to completely encircle them. I mentally contrasted this with the comparatively slender trunks of the trees from home. There the trees had been cut for castles, ships, siege engines, firewood, and anything else we could think of. The constant chopping and cutting had leveled our forests.

Here there were certainly signs that trees had been cut...those longhouses and canoes had to have come from somewhere...but it was much more selective that our own habitual clear cutting. I found that I liked it.

I suppose I would have wandered for many hours more had my attention not been captured by the flight of a bird overhead. It was a magnificent bird the likes of which I had never seen.

Not that I was unfamiliar with birds...I had, as did all noblemen, participated in falconry. But those birds could not compare with this magnificent beast. It twisted and soared upon the winds at heights I could barely comprehend, but even then I could see it was easily the largest bird I had ever seen.

I stopped and watched in awe. It circled lazily on the winds above, occasionally flapping its wings with a grace that belied its size.

I had never really been much for watching the various animals. There was a growing segment of our population calling themselves "naturalists" who were making involved studies of animal lives...their feeding patterns, mating patterns, social networks and other such things. I had never really been interested. They were merely animals...what difference did it make how they chose to feed or mate? But this animal...this magnificent bird was worth watching! For the first time I understand the inclination of the naturalists to watch animals for hours on end and it made sense to me. Perhaps they were doing something more than just wasting time.

It had always been thus with me. Those who shared my interests I regarded as intelligent. Those who found other things fascinating or found importance in things I considered to be nought but wastes of time, on the other hand, I considered nothing but imbeciles worthy only of disgust and ridicule.

Suddenly the bird spotted its prey and plunged towards earth...right in front of me. I never moved as it swooped down from on high, catching its terrified prey in its claws and carrying it off to its perch. I was so awed by the grace and majesty of the attack that to this day I cannot say what unfortunate animal was captured in those powerful claws...perhaps it was a squirrel or small rabbit, I do not know. But in some small way I felt like I had shared in the hunt with the bird which I soon learned was called an eagle.

The emotions of contentment as it had circled the sky, relaxed but vigilant, followed by the thrill of flight as it plunged towards its doomed prey and then the exultation as the evening's meal was captured...all these things coursed through me as if I myself had been the eagle. It was an experience like no other I had ever encountered.

I do not know how long I stood there in that massive forest, overwhelmed both by its immensity and by the powerful emotions I had just experienced. I might be standing there still had not some of my hosts come looking for me.

They had no trouble finding me for I knew nothing of tracking nor of how or why a person might wish to hide their trail. But several happy, smiling men came up to me. One gasped and pointed to the ground mere inches from my feet.

I glanced where they were looking. To me there was no story in the ground but for my hosts there was a complete tale of a small animal running, the bird striking and carrying it away mere inches from where I had stood. They saw it just as clearly as if they had seen it happen with their own eyes.

They pointed to the tacks, the sky, and me, continuing their rapid fire conversation even though I still did not understand a word of it. It was obvious something of great import to them had occurred.

After some time they completed their discussion and we headed back towards the lodges as a group.They were still ecstatic from the fish catching and even more caught up in awe at how close I had been to the eagle. When we returned to the village they quickly spread the story of what they had seen. The young lady I had been watching that caused my embarrassment in the first place was among the first ones told. I saw a glint of amusement in her eye, but chastened by my earlier experience I pointedly turned away.

As I had always been, even at home, I was alone even in the midst of many people. This was the first time I had noticed it, however. In Lahanah, the power to stand alone and aloof was a mechanism for self-defense and an expression of power. Here it was just loneliness.