![]() He knew his falcon loved him, and when he was certain it was not just tamed but perfectly tamed, he went to his father and showed him what he had done, expecting him to be proud. When it learned to circle and come to his wrist, he neary shouted with delight Sometimes the bird would hope to his shoulder and put its beak in his hair. When it dived to the ground, it moved like likght. “He began to see that the falcon was beautiful, that its slim wings were built for the speed of flight, that it was strong and swift, fierce and gentle. But the boy was glad, because it was progress, and because he wanted the bird to know him, even if the bird had to consume his blood to make that happen. Later it ate so savagely that its beak cut the skin of his palm. Hee fed it from his hand, and at first it would not eat. He was meant to keep the falcon blind, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it – instead he tried to sit where the bird could see him as he touched and stroked its wings, willing it to trust him. He learned the equipment: the jesses, the hood, the brail, the leash that bound the bird to his wrist. “He stayed with the falcon constantly, keeping it awake by talking to it and even playing music to it, because a tired bird was meant to be easier to tame. But the boy tried, because his father told him to make the falcon obedient, and he wanted to please his father. He didn’t know it, but his father had selected a falcon that had lived in the wild for over a year, and thus was nearly impossible to tame. It would slash at him with beak and talons when he came near: For weeks his wrists and hands were always bleeding. Its sharp beak made him nervous, and its bright eyes always seemed to be watching him. “The falcon didn’t like the boy, and the boy didn’t like it, either. ![]() ![]() Falcons are raptors – killing birds, his father told him, the Shadowhunters of the sky. “When the boy was six years old, his father gave him a falcon to train. ![]() “Of course.” For a moment a bleak amusement colored his voice. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |