After what seemed like hours but could only have been a few minutes, he idly settled to the ground in front of me. My every impulse was to scream at him, to imperiously order him to show me the way, yet somehow, intuitively, I knew that would be the wrong move. I needed to wait. I watched him, anxious for any sign.
He was still in no hurry. He began preening himself.
I waited, shifting my wait anxiously from foot to foot. My mind was whirling, trying to ascertain what I should do in this situation. Should I speak to him? Kneel and worship him? What did he want from me?
As this thought occurred, he looked up, his gaze meeting mine. It was the most piercing gaze I had ever experienced. It was as if he looked into the very depths of my soul, assessing my motives, assessing me.
I wondered what he saw. It was not the outward appearance that mattered, this much I knew. This eagle was somehow spiritual and connected to me. I do not know if we were connected by his choice or by some mysterious vagary of fate. I simply knew we were connected, our fates bound together and he wanted to know who his soul-partner was.
I looked at myself and my actions. I knew who I was. I was a man of honor, true to his word and bond. I worked to keep my country sovereign, my people safe, and to serve my king. Surely these were admirable traits? I knew they were the traits valued in the courts oh LaHana.
Yet...yet I was not in Lahana. I was in an undiscovered land of mystery, a land where the natural order was reversed. Here there seemed to be no hierarchy, no nobility, but rather a certain egalitarianism. The words of each villager were taken into account.
I thought back to the council. In Lahana there would be no thought of sharing a pipe with the peasants. There would be no though of sharing a council with them in the first place. A few of the nobles would gather together and make the decision, then send out criers to reveal the result to the peasants.
It was not something I appreciated, the inclusion of everyone. What could a young stripling such as Running Bear contribute?
Yet it suddenly occurred to me that this was not the opinion of Wise Owl. Wind Runner, the young man who had died in battle, this had been a great loss to Wise Owl not for his strong back but for his knowledge of traveling in the mountains.
He grieved the potential loss of Running Bear for the same reason. Yet Running Bear was not even 20. No Lahanish person of some youth would be granted any responsibility. They were to be seen and not heard. Why would he value the opinions and contributions of children?
Yet Running Bear was no child. He had a knowledge about him. He knew how to gather the salmon that were a great portion of the village livelihood. He was a mighty hunter of bear. He was a valued member of the community.
Could youth be valued? Could they have some contribution even before achieving their manhood at thirty?
I swear the eagle nodded as this thought occurred to me. As he did so, I noticed he was not, in fact, sitting in the fork in the road. The shift in weight I had made showed he was actually seated to the right. He was on the right path. The only question remaining was whether I was on the right path.
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