Yearning to Fly

This is chapter 53 of The Inheritance, a serial fiction novel on FITK

Late Friday Afternoon, December 4, 2020, Seattle

“Where’s Mareka?” said Mary, “She can set the table.”

“I think she’s out in the back yard,” said Sean, “Communing with her corvid companions.”

Mary went over to the patio door and saw her daughter performing a strange little dance in front of an informal gathering of crows—some perched on lawn furniture, others in trees–all of them were looking intently at the child. Sean joined Mary at the door.

“It appears to be ‘Dances With Crows’,” said Sean, “I wonder what it is that they see in her?”

“Inter-species communication… ” mused Mary, “I used to do that. It’s been a while… not much since Mareka was born… only one ‘active’ per family, I guess.”

“Do you miss it?”

“I’ll take the joys of motherhood over that any day,” said Mary, “My magical powers are fading,” she added, somewhat wistfully, “We haven’t used the rings since she was born, either.”

Mary was referring to the telepathic rings passed down to them from Sean’s grandmother Emily via Edwin Duddle. Mary and Sean had used them communicate but had discontinued the practice. Mary found that interfered with the mother-child bond; it was too upsetting for both Mary and Mareka. Sean had found that using them was upsetting too.

“Those were a bit much, weren’t they?” said Sean.

A choir of caws accompanied by the fluttering of wings indicated that Mareka’s performance was over. Eyes blazing, she came in to the kitchen.

“How are the crows today?” asked Mary.

“They are well,” said Mareka, tersely.

“That’s a good thing you and the crows have going,” said Mary, “What is it that you are doing with them?”

“I was thanking them for watching over us. I told them that they could go back to their regular roosts, that the danger was over.”

“They are a good group to know,” said Mary, “A good group to have on your side.”

“And they were teaching me how to fly,” said Mareka, blithely.

Mary and Sean looked at each other but didn’t comment. Mareka seemed lost in thought. After a minute of this silent impasse, Sean spoke:

“Hey Kiddo, would you set the table, please?“

“Okee doke, Pops. What’s for dinner?”

“Omelets… with tater tots.”

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Friday Evening, December 4, 2020, Reykjavík

In his bedroom, Vilhjálmur Stefán, Sean’s son (with Þora) had gotten out of bed and was looking out the window at the backyard of their apartment complex. A group of ravens had descended on  and were clustering around the edge of a trampoline. It appeared to the boy that they were looking directly at him.

“Guð gefur umbun fyrir hrafninn… ”

Hilmar, Villí’s uncle who lived with him and his mother, had come into the room and joined him at the window.

“God gives rewards for the raven, “ said Hilmar, “They don’t usually like to be this close to humans but the recent snow and cold weather makes them less picky.”

“They are looking at me,” said Vilhjálmur, “I think they know me.”

“That may well be,” said Hilmar, “I will leave you with your friends, but don’t stay up too late, you need sleep to grow.”

With his uncle gone, Villí resumed his vigil. As he studied the birds he began to think of his half-sister Mareka. He got a mental image of her flying down to join the ravens below. Closing his eyes, his vision intensified and in his mind’s eye the vision shifted focus. He saw Mareka standing in a room with a man. There were sounds of birds cawing. Mareka was holding a gun and as the man came nearer, menacing her, the sound of birds cawing became louder. Then there were three sharp reports, gunshots perhaps, and Villí saw the man crumple and Villí’s vision turned red. Villí opened his eyes and saw that the ravens had left. Shaken, Villí returned to his bed and tried to fall asleep.

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Late Friday Evening, December 4, 2020, Seattle

Sean and Mary were talking in bed.

“Well, that was an interesting day,” said Sean, “Never a dull moment around that child.”

“I’m thinking that I’d like to try the rings again,” said Mary, “Just to see what would happen.”

“You mean now?” asked Sean, “While we’re naked?”

“Yes,” said Mary. She took out a velvet case from the bedside table, “Especially because we’re naked.”

They slipped the rings on and waited.

“I’ve got nothing,” said Sean, “How about you?”

“Not me, either,” said Mary, “It might take a while… But I can think of something we can do in the meantime.”

“Rings or not, you could always read my mind,” said Sean.

Afterwards, Sean and Mary were cuddling.

“I’m not sure how to say this,” said Sean, “But I did feel like I got something from the rings—not like it used to be—but definitely something beyond love-making.”

“Try English,” said Mary, “And if that doesn’t work, we can try the body language again.”

“It’s like this, and it may seem like wishful thinking on my part,” said Sean, “At the peak, I felt merged with you, not in the obvious way, but then we were joined by another being… ”

“Yes?”

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”



Next chapter: Spelling Lessons