The Well of Ishrahan

Chapter IX: Epilogue


Reported location: N16º 25.3' W016º 11.8' Activity level: 9. Ambient: 27.7 DegC. Days since reset:74. Daily VMG: 0.7 km/h. Local movements typical in settled wintering area

They released me beside a tributary of the big river, at a place with scrubby trees along the bank under which some hogs rooted and snuffled. It didn't look very promising. I tried my wings cautiously at first and then, find them to be working well enough, I took off and climbed. Below me the man, the woman and the boy stood by their vehicle and waved with great enthusiasm.

Humans do this waving thing a lot, I've noticed. Perhaps they are trying to fly.

From height, the outlook became rather better: not far away to the north I could see that the terrain was low-lying and partially flooded, a marshy wetland with small islands dotted through it. I angled in that direction and a huge expanse of reedbed came into view with open water beyond that. And there were birds – an astonishing number of different birds...

Even more than four.

There were familiar ones: ducks and cormorants, kestrels and herons, wagtails and storks, and many others that I had (at that time) never seen before, including pink flamingos strutting through the shallows. Perhaps the most prominent birds on the water side were the white pelicans, rafting in groups and throwing water over each other in that feckless irresponsible way they do. I thought the pelicans might be a good sign that there were fish to be taken in that area, and so there were – but in truth they were rather small. And you know what we ospreys always say:-

If you've got to have one, have a big one.

It didn't take me long to discover that the big specimens were down at the southern side where the water was deepest. I tracked one from a reasonable height, the strong sunshine of this new land making for an easy target acquisition. By now I was experienced enough to take care of where my shadow was falling: if the the fish once caught sight of that, it would vanish in an instant. By luck or judgement I timed my dive to perfection, made a clean lift, and looked round for somewhere quiet to enjoy my first meal in many days.

There were very few leafless trees at that season, but I spotted one and perched quite high up. Two or three bites and I was just starting to enjoy the head, (always the best bit – my father often kept it for himself) when there was a fan of wings and two birds pitched onto a branch opposite, making the whole tree shake with the impact of their landing. They were female ospreys – full dominant adults in their breeding plumage of the year. Both were much larger than me, and one thing was immediately obvious...

They were extremely angry about something.

“What are you doing here?” shouted one.

“What do you think you're doing with our fish?” shrieked the other.

“Thank you, Doris, I'm dealing with this,” said the first, “See here, youngster: this is OUR fishing-place. Get away down to the shallow end and take what food the pelicans might have left for you. Juveniles are not allowed up here!”

I swallowed another piece of fish, taking my time over it before replying in the best Scotlandish dialect I could muster:

“Awa' an' bile yer heid, ye daft auld gowk.”

She bridled. “Did you just call me a gowk?”

“What's a gowk?” inquired the one called Doris, who was obviously struggling to keep up.

“He needs a good thrashing to learn him some respect for his elders. Give him a good thrashing, Doris!”

“I thought you were dealing with this.” replied Doris.

Another leisurely morsel went down while I glanced around. Several other adults had gathered on nearby perches to watch the fun. I cleaned my beak carefully on the branch and leaned on one leg:

“Now listen to me... I have come here over mountain and ocean and the empty desert. I have braved shot and sandstorm, deadly scorpion and eagle owl, and I have survived them all. I have stood among the lost ruins of Ishrahan itself and lived to tell the tale – so if you think for one moment that I'm afraid of you two, I suggest you think again.”

A thunderstruck silence fell over the pair. Their beaks opened and closed, but no sound came out. The larger female pulled her head back, looked at her companion, then back at me.

“Well I never heard the like!” she squeaked.

And with that they both flew away.

I really enjoyed the rest of that fish.

___________________________________

I never saw the man and the fair-haired girl again. I did hear of them, one time – but that is a whole other story.

The boy I see every day, in the proper season: he came to live in the village close to the edge of the Reserve, and he goes to the small school that is there. And each day after school he comes down to the wooden watching-platform beside the big water. Sometimes if I am not busy with fishing or other important matters, I fly over and perch on the railing – far enough away, but closer than any other osprey would dare – and he chatters away, perhaps telling me about the things he has done or seen that day. 

I can't understand any of it, of course, but we stay there companionably enough for a while.

Then he walks back up the path to the village, while I return to my favourite branch for a bask in the afternoon sunshine, and look out over the reeds and the blue water, and the dusty trees. All things considered, this place is a good place...

It is not Ishrahan.

But for us it is home.

 

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