'Not that well, I’m sorry to
say' Habby informed him.
'It’s a sign of the times,
I’m afraid,' noted Paco sadly. 'With the eagles disappearing, so is our memory
of them and we forget our own legends.' Paco let out a long sigh before
continuing. 'When I first came to this valley over sixty years ago, the sky was
full of eagles. You could look to the sky at any time, and it would not be long
before a couple of eagles would be seen dancing on the air waves.
As a young boy, I used to sit
for hours watching them. This is the only valley in Europe with Great Eagles.
Did you know that Habby?' Habby said he did.
'The farmers have always
hated those birds.' Paco went on. 'It’s because they can’t control them, and
like all greedy people, what they can’t control, they want to destroy. Before
the farmers had muskets, the eagles still ruled over this valley. They taunted
and teased the farmers, and took what ever livestock they could carry.' Paco
shook his head sadly, as he remembered the way it was. He lifted his head and
looked to Habby. 'Anyway, that's enough of reminiscing, I was going to tell you
about the Eagle Man.
Legend says,' began Paco,
'that many years ago, shortly after the Duke led the families out of the burning
lands. A great eagle fell in love with a girl from another tribe. She had
saved it from some hunters who had put an arrow through its wing. After the
wound healed, instead of flying away, he stayed near the girl, accompanying her
where ever she went. When Gwyl, lord of eagles, and all creatures of the air,
heard that one of his family was behaving no better than a pet, he summoned the
eagle to leave the girl and come and explain himself.
The eagle pleaded with Gwyl
to let him stay with the girl. Gwyl refused at first, and angry that the eagle
had disobeyed him, changed him into a human, telling him that if he loved these
creatures so much, he should go and live among them. He also told him that
although he had the body of a human, he would always have the desire for freedom
that flows through the eagle's blood.
At first the eagle did not
mind. In his new body, he thought he could win the love of the girl. Alas,
life is never so simple. Not knowing the right customs of men, and unable to
communicate in mans tongue, he tried to approach the girl. The girl became so
frightened when he approached her (for she could only see a stranger, clothed in
rags and screeching at her), that she panicked and ran away screaming for help.
Some members of the tribe, hearing her cries came to assist her. When they saw
the Eagle Man, they took him for a lunatic and beat him severally.
It took him many weeks to
recover from his beating. When he had, it was only to find the girl and the
Gypsies had moved on. Desperately he sought for her, but to no avail. In human
form and without proper speech, he was unable to ask what he needed. With his
screeching tongue, and ragged clothes, where ever he went, people took him for a
madman.'
Hear Paco paused in his
narration. Looking to Habby, he shook his head in sorrow. 'Why does our own
fear make us so cruel to other people Habby?' He asked. Shaking his head, he
continued. 'Where ever he went, people beat and stoned him, then set dogs on
him, driving him from village and town, until he was afraid to enter any place
with humans.
Driven to insanity by his
treatment, he wandered alone living like a wild animal. For many years it was
said he lived alone in the woods, screeching to Gwyl for forgiveness and to be
restored to his former glory. Alas his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Our ancestors, many centuries
ago, found him starved and near to death. They fed, clothed, and in time, even
taught him some of the human speech. When he lived amongst us, it seemed as
though we had been blessed by God. For the two years he lived with our tribe,
luck and good fortune followed us. Eventually, the tribe wandered to this very
valley. There for the first time, our people saw the Great Eagles. It must
have been too much for the Eagle Man to bear. When he saw the Great Eagles
flying, he reverted back to the screeching tongue with which he had been found.
For days, without food or water, he stood upon a rock, calling in his language
for Gwyl to allow him to join his brethren in the heavens.
But Gwyl was unforgiving.
When at last he realised that he would forever remain a human, his tormented
mind finally snapped their links with sanity. 'Mad!' He screamed to all
around. 'I am mad. Of course I am. Look at me now, I who was once of the
Great Eagles. I would have to be mad, to want this form. You people are
yourselves free folk and like me, you to are doomed to wander for eternity in
search of your destiny. By helping me, you have sealed your own fate. There is
a doom on all eagles and free travellers. When next history repeats itself,
your way of life shall end, and the great eagles will disappear from these lands
for ever.'
With this riddle he let out a
piercing screech that rang through the night. At the same time he threw his
arms to the heavens with such force that his heart was torn apart. All who saw
this were both amazed and terrified, for in death the Eagle man was finally
released from his torment. As he lay on the ground, two great eagles flew into
the camp, and lifting the body bore him away. Witnesses swear, that as the
eagles lifted him up, they saw his human form disappear and he returned to the
eagle he had once claimed to have been.
During Paco’s narration, the
light inside the caravan had started to fade, as afternoon crept towards
evening. He was just concluding his tale, when a piercing shriek such as the
Eagleman may have rendered, echoed around the valley. All three people in the
wagon were jolted by the sound. Paco and Habby simultaneously stood and made
for the door, Lorrita hurriedly moving aside to let the men pass.
Habby was through the door
first, looking skywards, what Habby saw sent a cold chill through him. Paco now
exiting the wagon let his eyes follow Habby’s. Dropping to his knees, he made
the sign of the cross to ward off evil. Up above, a great eagle was circling
the camp. Its magnificent features, bathed by the red rays of the sinking sun,
gave the onlookers below the impression it was flying through a sea of blood.
Gypsies are extremely
superstitious. They knew it was no coincidence, that this bird cried out when
it did. Coinciding with Paco’s tale and the events Habby had gone through that
day. They were certain that they had seen and heard an omen.
Visibly shaken, Habby bade
farewell to Lorrita and Paco. Before departing, they agreed that a meeting of
the Elders must be called, to discuss the days unusual events. Promising to see
him at the meeting, Habby made his way back through the ever encroaching
darkness to his own wagon.
As he entered, the smell of
freshly baked bread and a simmering pot of meat and vegetables reminded him of
how hungry he was. Looking around the caravan, he asked his wife if Manana had
returned.
Anito was a little agitated.
'Not yet,' she said. 'It’s unusual for her to be this late,' she continued,
expressing her concern.
Looking out the windows,
Habby saw the last rays of the sun, sinking behind the mountains. 'How long has
she been gone?' He asked.
'Since a little after
midday,' Anito replied.
'I feel uneasy, there are
strange things happening today.' Habby told his wife. He then went on to tell
her what had happened in Paco’s caravan.
Anito also crossed herself.
'I’m worried about her,' she told Habby.
'We’ll give her till full
darkness, then if she’s not back, I’ll search for her,' Habby assured her.
The darkness was spreading
through the wagon, and with it the feeling of dread that both parents felt.
Anito lit the tallow candles, casting illumination and shadows through their
home. It was the noise of workers returning from the field that spurred Habby
into action.
'I’ll ask around,' he told
her. 'She may have gone to one of the fields and be returning with some
friends.' Placing a heavy hemp woven jacket over him, he once more left the
wagon.
Once outside, he was glad he
had worn his jacket. The temperature had plunged with the sinking of the sun,
and the cold air attacked his exposed hands and face. As he breathed, clouds
of condensation formed where his warm breath met the chill evening air. Making
his way through the corridor, he stopped by its entrance at the outer ring.
For an hour he waited there,
stopping each returning group of workers to ask the same question. Always the
answers were the same. No one had seen her. His concern was growing with each
negative answer he received. By the time the last group had returned, Habby was
frantic. Returning to Anito, he told her Manana was still missing.
'What shall we do?' Anito
asked, the worry and tension obvious in her voice.
A look of anxiety etched
itself across Habby’s features. He shook his head, as if wanting to clear it of
unpleasant thoughts.
'I’ll organise a search,' he
said. 'All we can do is look and prey that nothing is wrong. I’ll look; you
prey.'
The Eagle
&
The
Dove 
