THE DAIGHACAER BOOK ONE Chapter 6

Good morning

Today is Daighacaer day again.

I have been advised that I should only post little snippets from my book as there are pirates who steal one's work and present it as their own. They even take the work and present it word-for-word. What a sad world we live in at the moment. 

So, unfortunately, until the book is firmly ensconced on indie shelves and platforms, I will, instead of continuing the story, give my thoughts behind the development of each chapter. 

Editorial changes and other presentation aspects are currently being done before the book is published on a selected platforms.

Ryallor

Chapter Six introduces a child and a child's world perspective into the story. It also emphasises the father/son relationship which adds to the level of family completeness already hinted at in the story. It can be somewhat tricky writing in a child's voice and persona. It was important to me that childlike words and actions were not presented as a caricature but as absolutely believable.

Ryallor is a central figure and integral component of the story going forward and I wanted to develop his childlike character as well as to believably capture his childlike words and actions.

Here's a sweet interaction been Eryen and Ryallor:

Eryen looked down at the notebook, which was almost completely filled with Ryallor’s precise, childlike handwriting. 

“It does look like you’ve been very busy. I don’t seem to remember your book being quite so full,” said Eryen. 

A beaming smile lit the little boy’s face. “Daddy, you won’t believe it. I came here after my studies this morning and, while I was writing about my day so I could add it into my journal tonight, I saw seven eagles.”

“Seven? That’s very unusual. Eagles don’t normally fly in such big groups.”

“I know. I was so surprised too. They looked like they all belonged together though.” 

Eryen smiled at the puzzled look on his son’s face.

“And they were huge, Daddy. Much bigger than…” He concentrated, still with the puzzled look on his face. 

“Much bigger than if we put both our arms together. Like this…” He continued as he pulled Eryen around. 

“Open your arms out wide, Daddy,” Eryen stretched his arms out as Ryallor asked. 

“Yes, like that.” He moved to one side of Eryen and took hold of his hand as Eryen knelt to get to the same height as his son and stretched out his arms as well. 

“Much, much bigger even than that Daddy, and that’s huge.”

“That most certainly is huge. Far bigger than any eagles I’ve seen before. Where did you see them?”

“I don’t know where they came from but when I first saw them they were dancing and sailing in the sky all together. Well it looked like they were dancing and then like they were sailing just like ships on the water. They wove in and out making such won¬derful patterns in the sky. I just looked and looked.”

“I wish I had been here to watch with you, Ryall. I love eagles. They are such majestic birds.”

“Daddy!” Ryallor exclaimed excitedly.

“What, Ryall?” said Eryen as he looked down at his son with love.

“I used that word. ‘Majestic’. I wrote it down because it came into my head when I saw the eagles and I liked the sound it made. ‘Majestic’. Look here. There it is.”

Father and son laughed together and Eryen would have carried on reading but Ryallor moved the book behind him. It was obvious that he wanted to enjoy his father’s undivided attention.

“Do you want to hear what happened to the eagles next, Daddy?” 

“I most certainly do. What happened?” Eryen was instantly all seriousness once more. 

The eagles clearly had had an impact on Ryallor but that was not what kept Eryen’s attention. Simply enjoying the boy’s enthusiasm gave Eryen’s worn-out body a boost like nothing else could. He was always delighted to spend time with his son, who was such a very serious young person. He had his fun times, of course, but for the most part Ryallor looked at everything in life around him through ancient eyes. 

Eryen’s father told him a while ago that he had had almost the same focused temperament from when he was a tiny baby. His thought processes were apparently almost exactly the same as Ryallor’s, except that his own passion lay in finding ways to make things work better where Ryallor’s lay in putting his various thoughts and ideas into writing. 

Eryen was constantly amazed at the insight that his son displayed.

“Two of the eagles moved away from the others and flew around and around in a circle on their own and then they flew away. They looked so sad to leave, Daddy.” 

As children do, Ryallor’s face mirrored his thoughts and he too looked sad. Eryen did not move as he waited con¬tentedly for Ryallor to continue.

“The other five were all still flying in and out and around each other. I couldn’t stop looking at them, Daddy. As they flew, their circles got smaller and smaller and they flew closer and closer until they were almost above my head. I was lying on my back looking up at them; and they seemed to be looking right down at me and into my eyes. They seemed so close to me that I could even see their beaks and their eyes. They have such very beautiful eyes, Daddy. I wish you could have been here. You would have loved to see them; I know you would.”

“It looks like I missed something very special. I’m sad about that,” agreed Eryen. 

Ryallor nodded and excitedly carried on with his story.

“They stayed right above me for such a long time, Daddy. It was as if they were looking right into the middle of me. Into my heart! After a while one of the eagles dipped a wing and left to fly high again. Then all the other eagles did the same. It was as if they were saying goodbye. Well, I felt like they were saying goodbye.” He laughed self-con¬sciously.

“They may very well have been saying goodbye, My Boy. Eagles are very intelligent and they would have known that you were thinking about them.” 

Eryen hugged Ryallor who smiled as he returned the hug and then moved away so that he could finish telling his story.

“After they were all high in the sky again, Daddy, they were flying in a great big circle; and then all of a sudden one of the eagles swooped down and caught a mouse. All the others flew down too, one at a time, and I watched them each catch a mouse, all except one who didn’t find a mouse. I felt sad for the little mice but the eagles looked hungry so I guess they also need their food. I hope the one who didn’t catch a mouse found something else to eat. I wrote a poem about them,” continued Ryallor, merging one topic with another as children do.

“You did? That’s well done. What a very busy day you’ve had. I’ll tell you what. Let’s go inside and wash, I’m feeling very grubby. Then you can read it to me while I get changed for dinner. Alright?” 

As if Eryen had not spoken, Ryallor continued. “Well I only wrote most of it, Daddy. I asked Father Malmor for help with the big words, all except ‘majestic’ that was from my own mind. He saw me writing and came over to say hello. Then he sat with me and helped me even though he didn’t see the eagles. He said that my poem let him see them too. He was wonderful. We had a lot of fun working out how we could write the poem so everyone would understand what I saw and what I was thinking about the eagles. I think you’ll like it, Daddy.”

“I know that I will and I’m sure Father Malmor enjoyed helping you too. I hope you made sure to thank him for his help.”

Ryallor looked at his father with the haughtiest look Eryen had ever seen on anyone. “Of course I did, Daddy! I know how to be polite.”

“You’ll be a fine King one day, Ryallor.”

“Oh, that won’t be for ages and ages, Daddy,” said Ryallor with conviction. “First I have to help you when you take over properly as King from Grandfather and that won’t be for ever yet. Then you will be King and I’ll be your Heir Prince. I think that will be the most wonderful time of all, Daddy. Then we can spend all our days together and we won’t ever get lonely during the day waiting for the time when we can be together.”

Linking arms once more, the Heir Prince smiled as he and his young Princeling heir walked into their home. 

Of course, the poem for today will be the one that Ryallor wrote about the eagles. 

SHIPS IN THE SKY

The sky shone brightly 

A blue vibrant hue

Unspoiled today by powder puff clouds

Or gossamer wisps of candyfloss cords

In formation they flew 

The five

The five magnificent 

Ships in the sky

Fighters yes but scouts as well

Winging their way on the wind

Upward they soared 

Then circled once more

Regrouping it seemed while they rested

Skilled

Fully armed

Ready to kill

Caught by choice in a current 

They drifted earthward once more

Yet drift is not quite right 

They glided

Sailing close 

So close to the wind

Skilful forms with hollowed wings outstretched

Dove one by one down to earth

To suddenly rise once more to the skies 

Five fighter guides 

Claw over claw

Each with its prey suspended in death

Pierced in combat 

On talons of death

Raptors do not know 

What it is to rejoice

Yet it seemed as if these did

Their survival relies on these things alone

To eat 

They must hunt and kill 

If they do not hunt 

For their every meal

They will surely die

So these majestic raptors 

Take to the skies each day

To search where they can 

For their meals

Majestic eagles

Ships of the sky

Noble birds of prey

The end

Eryen applauded even as he felt choked by the unbidden tears which too easily filled his eyes. He was so very proud of his little son.

What made the poem even more delightful was the way Ryallor bravely stumbled over all the long words which were so obviously Malmor’s contribution.