Page 45 of Ladybird

Chapter 10

“Ihave never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life,” said Hunter later that day, looking at Regina even though he was sure she thought he was talking about her bird. He watched Hera take off from Regina’s glove, lifting up into the sky. The bright white plumage of the bird almost seemed to glow in the sun. The falcon flew so fast that it didn’t take long for her to almost seem to disappear in the sky.

“Yes, it is a wonderful feeling as well as frightening,” stated Regina, digging into the pouch hanging at her side for a piece of raw meat for the bird.

“What do you mean?” asked Hunter.

“My heart speeds up every time one of my birds takes off in flight. I know they are trained to return, but there is always a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that they might just like being free and not want to come back.”

“Has that ever happened?” Hunter watched the bird loop around above the lake and start heading back toward Regina.

“Nay. Not yet, anyway. And I hope it never will.” Regina whistled for the bird and held up her arm, letting Hera know it was time to return.

Hera swept through the sky, landing expertly on the falconer’s glove. Regina quickly rewarded the bird with a scrap of raw meat.

“What kind of meat is that you are feeding the bird?” he asked.

“Usually whatever the kitchen has. Chicken, rabbit, or even rodents. The birds love pigeon but of course I am not allowed to give them any since my father has his carrier pigeons at the castle. He gets very upset if the cook even suggests making a pigeon stew.”

“Regina, the hounds are ready and the hunters have spotted ducks on the water,” Robin called out to her. “Is the falcon ready too?”

“Yes, Hera is ready as well,” she answered back.

“What happens now?” asked Hunter.

“The kennelgroom will take the hounds down to the water where they will flush out the ducks. The water fowl will fly up into the sky and Hera will hunt and bring what she catches back to me. The same thing will happen as soon as the hunters spot grouse in the bushes later on when we hunt ground prey.”

“So the bird can hunt in flight and catch game on the ground both?” Hunter wanted to learn as much as he could about these interesting birds.

“Yes,” she answered with a nod. Then she looked over at her bird. “Are you ready, Hera?” Raising her arm in the air, the falcon flapped her wings and took off in flight.

Hunter heard the hounds barking down at the water and then the sound of many beating wings against air as a flush of ducks took off in flight. Hera was truly amazing. Flying above the flock, she dove down, catching one in midflight, clutching it with her talons. Then she flew back to Regina.

“Watch out,” shouted Regina, running toward the water probably so the bird wouldn’t have to fly as far with the heavy duck in her talons. Hera landed at Regina’s feet with the duck still in her grip. “Good girl, Hera.” Regina put the raw meat in front of the bird to lure her back to her glove, getting the falcon to drop the prey. One of the huntsmen scooped up the duck and took it away.

“That was fantastic! Just amazing beyond words.” Hunter joined her, beaming with pride, almost as if the bird were his. “You should be proud of what you’ve trained this bird to do,” he told Regina.

“I am proud of each of my birds as if they were my own children. I don’t know what I’d ever do without them.”

The day went by fast and before Regina knew it, the sun was already setting. They had made camp for the night and were sitting around the fire eating roasted duck, compliments of Hera. The hunt today, with the help of the falcon and also the hounds had been successful. They managed to bag a dozen ducks, six rabbits, four pheasants and even a lone badger. Regina was tired and she knew that Hera was probably exhausted. The falcon had more exercise today than she’d had in a long time.

“So, Hunter, what did you think of the hunt?” asked Robin, raising a cup of wine to drink. The night was still and the hounds had been rewarded with a rabbit each for their meal. Robin’s squire had cooked meat for them all and the huntsmen had helped to set up camp. There were three tents. One for Robin and his squire, another for the huntsmen, the kennelgroom and the dogs, and the last for Lady Regina.

“It was an experience of a lifetime that I’ll never forget,” Hunter answered. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

Regina looked over to realize Hunter was staring at her when he said that. Did he mean she was beautiful? Somehow, she thought so. She was sure the others must have realized it too and would see the blush rising quickly to her cheeks.

“It’s too bad we didn’t have two birds as was planned,” said Robin. “We could have brought in twice as much game.”

“Yes, I hope Roger is all right,” said Regina. “I wonder what he ate that disagreed with him so violently.”

“I was sitting with him last night at the meal,” Baldwin spoke up. “I ate the exact same food as he did, yet I feel fine.”

“Us too,” agreed Paul. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Nay, it doesn’t,” agreed the second huntsmen, Gregory. “Especially since Roger has always had a stomach that could withstand anything. I swear if he ate poison, it still wouldn’t bother him.”

“Poison?” Hunter stopped eating and looked up. “Tell me, who else sat with Roger for the meal last night?”