A Birth day

Lucian chuckled as she told him no problem. He was thrilled as Rock took off with them on his back "Wow that was fantastic" he said " I never knew he had that in him" he patted Rock and smiled taking out a treat from his pocket and giving him it. Once they landed he slipped off his back and walked over to Michael as he looked up the tree to the large nest above. " what do you think lynx or not?" he asked and picked up some rope and made a harness from it then slipping it around himself as he clipped a crampon to it and a bullying device to stop him should he fall. " well Im ready you?" hea sked chuckling to Michael, " no bets this time or racing just get up and get down."

Jess chuckled as she heard the boys and nodded "Always happy to help" she said then looked to Marcus " I don't think there is a way to remove heads and put them on a shelf yet, but I know you'll be the first if this happens again" she chuckled as did Jessie as Jess turned and headed towards the door " now I have some supper to eat as I suspect so do you all" with a wave she left for the main house.

Ruby sighed in relief as she left and walked to the kitchen to reheat the shepards pie she placed some on two plates along with some salad for both of them and carried it over. " here this should help too." she said.

Michael checked the trunk of the tree carefully.

"No, I don't think so," Michael replied, getting out a harness and waiting for Hiss to thread himself through and attach to it. "If there had been a lynx or any sizeable cat, there'd have been some scratches or damage to the bark, and I see absolutely none, not even up to my height. I think we're clear. As for racing or bets, I never horseplay on a mission, and this is a rescue. Straight up and back down. Are we good, Hiss?" The rope nodded. "Alright, I'm going up." He set off climbing. Trees were easy, but since this was a rescue, he was using a rope and harness just in case. He could free hand a tree some other time. This was business.

"I did ask Robert about that once," Angus told her. "And he told me he didn't have a service department. I told him he was the bloody service department. He told me the brain mechanic was at the chippy."

"Figures," Marcus laughed. When Ruby delivered the plates, Marcus smiled. "Food. I had forgotten all about that. Thanks, Ruby."

"I smelled it when we came in, but I hadn't considered it yet. It smells good, though. Thanks, Ru," Angus said. "I had a chance to off her tonight, Ru. I still don't know if I should have done it or not. I hesitated. Had a chance to take out Tom too. I don't know. I suppose Robert will tell me if I gigantically cocked it up or not."

"He's not going to disagree with your choice," Marcus said. "He doesn't kill unless he has no other choice, and you weren't in that position tonight. He'll support you, and you know it."

Lucian nodded and let Michael go first so he followed behind climbing just as easily up the tree behind him. " good thing theres no lynx , be a shame to have to move it." he said as he climbed.

Ruby smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder " you did what was right, killing isn't you, nor the man I fell in love with" she told him . " now eat, before it goes cold" she said softly as she went and got a plate for herself .

"well I'll be headed back so Yu knows we're all good" Jessie said and looked at them both " see you around" he said and headed to the doo to leat them relax with some quiet. Ruby ate her food and then went to dish up some ice cream and strawberry compot.

" this is home made from your recipy Angus." Ruby said " hope I did good , don't want to spoil it." she picked up Caprice and gave her some on a spoon smiling as she liked hr lips and wanted more. Diamons on the other hand didn't know what to make of it but did want more making Ruby smile as Aria fed her.

Kate saw the female eagle, and the eagle was watching these men climb up the tree towards her nest. Kate called her, in her own language, telling her that she and the men were here to take her and her eggs to a much safer tree just a short flight away. Kate offered her safety and a new nest, lots of excellent hunting, and no worries about food for her and her chicks. The eagle was not sure about trusting Kate.

"Take nothing from the nest until I tell you," Kate called to Lucien and Michael. "She's nervous about us. This might take a moment."

"We're fine, Kate. Take your time," Michael told her. "We're about halfway up. We'll hold right here to avoid making her any more nervous." He believed that not going any closer to her chicks was the proper idea. Kate continued to talk to the female eagle, and then, as if he had known, Archangel showed up, and landed on Kate's shoulder and helped her talk to the female.

Finally, Michael saw Archangel leave Kate's shoulder and fly up and land on the edge of the nest.

"You're good now. As long as he's sitting on the edge of the nest, you're alright," she called up to them.

"Okay," Michael replied, and he resumed climbing. When he reached the top, he looked into the nest, making no move yet to take the eggs.

"How many do you see?" Kate asked.

"There's only three," Michael said.

"Three? That's wonderful!" Kate was elated. Most eagles only have one or two chicks at a time. Three is tremendous. Be very, very careful with them, and keep them warm."

"We've got it," Michael told her. The eggs were all just about double the size of a chicken egg. Michael dropped the first egg in his pocket, and then looked at Lucian. "I have one. There are two more, and they're about tennis ball size. Do you have a pocket or two for one or both of the other ones?"

Lucian climbed up the tree glancing down and hanging by one hand as he heard Kate talk to the eagle than telling them not to touch anything in the nest until she and Arch had spoken to the female. " got it" he said and continued up till he reached the nest once there he tried to get a good hold. Still, the female kept nipping at his hand " ouch, trying to, ouch get a hold, ouch" he said until she stopped and he pulled himself up to look in the nest. Once he saw Michael take one of the eggs he looked at the bird "Excuse me ma'am" he said and gently lifted one egg " Yep I actually bought an egg collection box " nothing fancy just a plastic box with fluff and separators so they don't hit each other" he opened it and placed the last two in gently. " it will keep them warm for a bit too" he added strapping it to his belt. " shall we repel" he asked Michael with a chuckle as he looked down at Kate " got the eggs, is she going to follow?" he asked.

Ruby cleared up the dishes and made a fresh pot of coffee for everyone she then sat down and opened her book to read again watching how Marcus and Angus were to make sure their head ached and the effects of the herbs were gone from their systems.

"Yeah, might as well. Nothing more to do here," Michael said. "And besides, the quicker we get the eggs back into a nest, the better off they'll be." Michael rapeled down to the ground.

"Of course she'll follow," Kate said. "Even if we couldn't have talked with her, a mother eagle is a wonderful parents. She won't leave her eggs. Archangel, lead the way and take us home. Find us that empty nest."

Kate got back onto the roc and prepared to leave, as soon as Lucian joined them. Kate told the roc to follow Archangel so they could put the eggs in a nest. She knew that, for a bird the size of the roc, it was not a big trip, but still, she was glad to be riding him.

Archangel landed in the top of one of the tallest pine trees on the estate.

"Well, damn, Bird," Michael sighed. "Couldn't you have picked a tree that had some better branches up at the top? I think we should use brooms to get up there, Lucian. Those top branches aren't nearly strong enough to hold a climber. It'll hold the eagles, but they're not big enough to hold a man. I'll take the first egg up and check out the branches around the nest just to be sure, but I really think you'll need your broom or your ruddy big bird."

Michael flew his broom up, deposited his egg in the nest, and checked out the branches. He didn't find any that could hold a climber. He looked at Lucian and shook his head. This was definitely either a broom job or a bird job. He flew his broom back down to the ground.

Lucian rapelled back down and un hooked himself holding the box with its presuois cargo inside he slipped on Rocks back and held one arm around Kate " okay back to the estate " he said and Rock took off with both of them on his back.

Once there he loked up at where Arch was sat and chuckled " oh boy agreed Michael, too flimsy for humans." he said accioing a broom. once on, he road it to the top of the tree. Seeing the nest he watched Micahel place his egg into it and he opened his box gently and placed the eggs next to each other in the nest with Michaels. then he backed away from the nest and tree so the female could inspct and sit back on them.

Landing on the ground he sent the brom back to where it had come from and looked to Kate as he saw the femal fly up and settle over the eggs " my guess is she likes the new nest" he asked as Jack walked over ith some fresh meat on a tray.

"food for the new eagle" he said standing loking up at the nest in the high tree.

"Oh good. Thank you, Jack," Kate smiled. "Poor thing's gotten thin since her mate died. She can't leave the eggs to hunt while its this cold. She'll appreciate that meat." She whistled for Archangel, and she explained what she wanted. Archangel took the meat in his talons and flew it up to the nest and left it there, settling in to sit on the back edge of the nest, behind the new female.

"Any chance they'll become a mating pair?" Michael asked Kate.

"Well, that decision will the theirs," Kate said, "but because she's already accepted that he can be around the eggs, I think that's a high likelihood. He hasn't ever understood how he can serve us and have a mate at the same time, and that's kept him from finding a mate, but maybe, if he finds he can befriend this female and still serve us, maybe he'll figure it out. I rather hope so. He's too clever a boy to never have a mate of his own. That would be a shame. Ive tried trying to stop him from feeling like he has to serve us, but we're important to him. He's bonded to us, and he isn't willing to give that up. So, I hope he finds he can have it all."

"That would be nice," Michael said.

"Lucian, your roc would have let you ride years ago, but the two of you couldn't find a way to communicate," Kate said. "We have a friend who is an alchemist. I'll have him make your rock and collar with a medallion, and you can have a companion medallion. It will allow you to call for him and to let him know when you want to ride. That should make the both of you happy."

Jacm smiled and loked to Kate " saw her coming and thought she was thin" he said as he lifted up the tray and let Arch take the meat. Now with the empty tray he smiled looking at Kate " like us all we keep our Mates safe " he said smiling as he handed the tray to Jess who took it and headed back inside. Lucian watched as Arch dove down and took the meat rrturning to the female and moving behind her. He turned to listened to Kate and nodded.

" yeah, he would have and your right, I could use something like that." he added offering her his pad and pen to write the mane of the alchamist on it. " I guess our lack of comunication just made our bond stronger, you know about that knowing and talking to animals as you do."

"Good observation. You'll be a real authority on all our creatures here in no time," Kate smiled at Jack.

Kate wrote down Gabe's name and address.

"I do understand that," she said. "I was the first in my family, so far as I know, to be able to talk with animals. Why its birds, I have no idea, but sometimes there just doesn't seem to be much logic in it. Now, this is the chap I was telling you about. His name is Gabe, and you'll like him, I think. He and his daughter, Mira, live in the Cotswolds now. Im sure she's got to be legal age by now or darned near it. Gabe does all sorts of alchemy and makes all sorts of enchanted devices and machinery," Kate said, handing Lucian the address.

The roc began squawking at Kate, and Kate turned to look at him, to listen. Then she called to Jack.

"Jack, you might be interested in this. This gigantic bird is a roc. They're extremely rare. he thinks he's the last of his kind, but there have always been rumors of a stray one or two up in the highest reaches of some of the most isolated mountain peaks, particularly in eastern Europe or in China. I don't know if there are more or not. Anyway, it could be a long time before you ever see another. This one, though, just said something to me. He asked me why we would let poachers up in our cliffs to hunt what he called 'the man dogs.' I can only assume he means that there is someone up in the northwest quadrant where the longhouses are, and they're hunting Fenrir and his pack. I don't know if Fenrir knows we could have intruders or not, but If they're here, they're likely to be some of either James's men, some of the crooked aurors we've heard some rumors about, or even a few of Tom's men. Don't go alone. Take someone with you if you go up there, won't you?" Then Kate realized she had let it slip in front of Lucian that Fenrir and his pack were living here. That had been completely unintentional on her part.