Free Birds - Heart of an Eagle by QuailyCat (essential reading txt) 📕

Chirp blinked open his eyes to the sound of the newly born chicks in the next cage chirping.
Just another ordinary day cooped up in this cage at Stevie's Bird Store with Feather and Berry.

He thought. Feather was his sister, though they were so unlike each other. They always fought. Berry was his best friend. She was a pretty blue chaffinch and was quite small.
"Goodmorning, Chirp." Stevie had come to give him his breakfast. Chirp gave a small tweeting of thanks before tucking into his breakfast. For some reason, Chirp had been born with the special power to understand flightlesses. He had learned to imitate some of their words as well from the parrots.
"Hi, Chirp! Want to play Cheek-peck?" Berry said from next to him.
"Okay." He replied. Cheek-peck was a game where they would have to try to peck each others cheek, and the first to peck a cheek was the winner. It was harder than it seemed. It was extra hard for Chirp and Berry too because they were experts at it and were at the exact same level.
They began to peck, and Chirp took a dart towards Berry's cheek, but heard the shops store creaking open.
"OOH! Mummy, look at all the birdies!" A little girl with short brown ponytails dragged her mum in and ran around the store looking at all the birds.
"Hello. What can I do for you?" Stevie asked.
"I want a birdy!" She said, then requested, "Can I open the cages to pet them?"
"Well, you'll need to close the door-" Stevie began but then stopped when the girl began opening the cages rapidly.
"Wait, the doors open!" One of the birds with their cage open said, and flew towards the open shop entrance.
"Freedom!" Another cried, and followed.
The girl ran up to my cage and flung it open.
The world seemed to slow around me, and I thought.
Should I fly away? How will I survive out there? I don't know how to get food for myself! But I'll be free, and that's what I've always dreamed of. I don't know what to do!

"Come on! We're free at last!" Berry told me and flew towards the door.
Should I go?

Chirp prodded Feather awake, said:
"We're free!" He then flew after Berry.
"We are? We are!" Feather cried, and landed next to Chirp on the pavement.
"Stop those birds!" Stevie shouted, and flung himself at the birds.
"Fly!" Berry screamed.
She flew off into the crowd of the large city they were in. Chirp followed her, with Feather right behind.
The three birds flew as far as they could, and when they reached a small apple orchard, they flopped down with exaustion.
"How long were we flying away?" Chirp asked breathlessly.
"About, hmmm... let me think. Maybe... FOUR WHOLE SEASONS! I'M SO TIRED!" Feather snapped at him.
"Well your not the only one! You always think of nobody but yourself!" Chirp retorted.
"Please, stop fighting. Feather, you don't always think of yourself and no one else, but Chirp is right. We're as tired as you are. Chirp, your my best friend, but the one thing I find anoying about you is-" Berry began, but was cut off by Feather.
"Everything is anoying about Chirp." She snorted.
"Feather!" Berry rolled her eyes, then turned back to Chirp. "The only thing I find anoying about you is that you're always fighting with Feather."
Chirp's stomache then gave a loud growl.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Berry said, then added, "This orchard should be full of worms. Lets go in different places to forage. We can meet back here when the sun is halfway across the sky, or earlier."
"Okay, Berry." Chirp agreed. He was glad Berry was with him. He always felt better when she was with him, and she was a great leader. Sometimes he wondered if they could be more than friends one day.
Chirp looked around, wondering where there would be worms and bugs to eat. He saw a small dip in the ground, earthy smells pouring out from it.
Earth for worms...

He thought. He flew over there. He pecked at the ground, and soon found a large, fat worm. He was about to grab it when something large and heavy flung its self at him. Chirp was knocked onto the ground, and his attcker said:
"That was my

worm. If you want it, you'll have to fight me for it."

Chirp widened his eyes in terror.
"Did you say fight

?" He asked.
"Of course. What else might I have said? That that was my worm but you could have it because you were about to take it?" The other bird sneered.
"But I don't know how to fight!" Chirp cried.
"Well too bad!" The birds flew at Chirp, unsheathing his claws. Chirp realised the talons looked as if they had been sharpened on something hard like a rock. This bird must have been trained to fight by his flightless.
Chirp tryed to dodge his attacker, but was too late. The bird knocked him to the ground, and reached out his foot. Chirp could actually feel the claws about to slice him to bits. He knew this was probably the end of him. He didn't stand a chance against this huge Osprey. The talons were about to touch his feathers when a call rang out.
"Stop, Large!" Chirp perked up his head and saw a beautiful, multi-coloured macaw standing on the edge of the dent in the ground.
"Scarlet, this is our

worm! This trespasser was trying to steal off our territory!" The bird, apparently named Large, told her.
"Release him, Large." Scarlet ordered, and when Large let go of Chirp asked: "What is your name, young one."
Chirp was about ot answer: "None of your buisness!", but stopped himself. Large had looked ready to murder him, but had listened to Scarlet when she told him. This bird must be very important, and for some reason he just felt alot of respect towards her, so he answered:
"Chirp. I hope you don't mind me asking, but where exactly am I? What's going on? Where are your flightlesses?"
"Flightlesses? Oh, you mean the No-wings?" Scarlet asked.
"Yes. The No whatever you call them."
"We don't have any."
"You mean, they just left you on your own?" Chirp exclaimed, shocked. "That's so mean!"
"No. We never had any. We don't live with No-wings. We're free birds." Scarlet replied. "Do you?"
"Yes. Well, sort of. I'm waiting to get one. I was. I escaped, but I don't know what to do now."
"Chirp, do you dream of being free?" Scarlet asked Chirp curiously.
"Actually, I do. I want to be a great eagle, with every other bird looking up to me." Chirp spilled out his dream, then felt a sudden wave of embarassment. He had told no other bird that ever.
"Me and Large live in what we call a Flight. In it you care for all the other birds in the Flight, by foraging for food, and fighting for your Flight. I am leader of Dreamflight, and Large is my deputy."
"Deputy?" Chirp echoed.
"When Scarlet am ill I will lead Dreamflight. There are two other flights. Powerflight, very strong and aggressive, and Skyflight, very calm and mellow." Large explained to Chirp.
"But why are you two telling me all of this?" Chirp asked.
"Because, Chirp, I was wondering if you might join Dreamflight."

"Really?" Chirp cried.
"You mean, you don't want to?" Scarlet's eyes filled with dissapointment.
"I would love to!" Chirp decided. "I can be free, I can help others, I can live a life to be remembered! Tell me more about the Flights."
"Okay. Powerflight is lead by Night. He's a blackbird. Skyflight is lead by cloud, a puffy white budgie. When you are too young to fight or hunt, you are a Young. When you are training to fight and hunt, you are a Learner. And when you are fully trained, you are a Flier. When you become too old to do any fighting or hunting, you are a Retired. When you are a Learner, you have someone to teach you. They are your Trainer. When you are nursing chicks, you would be a Nurse. You would be a Learner at your age." Scarlet looked behind Chirp. "You don't have anyone else with you, do you?"
"Um, well, there's Berry my friend and Feather my sister. But Feather wouldn't want to join any Flight. She's more of a lie around bird. And Berry, she would like to join actually." Chirp replied.
"Do you think Feather would be good at nursing chicks?" Scarlet asked.
"Yes. She's a great nurse."
"She could do something to help Dreamflight. She could be a Nurse. Could you try to find them and convice them to join our Flight?"
"Okay, Scarlet. Where should I go when I find them?"
"Come strait back here. We'll be waiting for you."
"Okay." Chirp agreed, and flew off into the deeeper parts of the orchard towards where Feather and Berry had gone together. When Chirp spotted Feather pecking in a small hole, he was delighted.
"Feather, Feather! I need you to join Dreamflight with me! I've made friends with Scarlet and Large and it's going to be great!" He squealed.
"What are you talking about?" Feather asked.
"I mean, I met some birds, and they asked me if I wanted to join Dreamflight. Dreamflight is a