Where's Ragtag? Blue Feather wondered as she gazed down from the roof of the John Hancock Tower. A gust of wind hit her and she fearfully hopped back.
She had never liked heights. The belfry of the Old South Church had always made her nervous, and now she was so much higher. Ragtag had decided that the top of the skyscraper would be the new headquarters for the Feathered Alliance.
Oh, well, Blue Feather thought, admiring the view. It's just this one time. She had already resigned as leader of the swallows. Bobtail had eagerly taken her place, and was now second-in-command to Ragtag. It was a job he would enjoy far more than she ever had.
Blue Feather crossed over to the other clan leaders. Gulls, pigeons, finches, blue jays, and robins were gathered, their eyes on the six eagles sitting on the roof's edge. The eagles were grooming themselves and looked rather bored. Blue Feather had already forgotten their names, although she knew that the larger one was Baldur's mate, Freya, and the other five were Freya's brothers and sisters.
Ragtag and Baldur had been scouring the city since yesterday's victory, looking for any stragglers from the empire. Blue Feather hoped her son would return soon. Even though she knew the eagles were friendly, they still made her nervous. She had never seen birds so big.
"Any sign of him?" Tattler asked as she limped forward. The sparrow's wing was mending, but it would still be weeks before she could fly. In the meantime, she was hitching rides on the backs of some of the larger gulls.
"No," Blue Feather sighed.
"How typical," Bobtail said as he joined them. "You would think that now that Ragtag's the leader of the Feathered Alliance, he would bother to show up on time for council meetings."
Blue Feather stifled a laugh. Bobtail was beginning to remind her of Proud Beak.
"To be fair," Tattler said, "Hoogol never used to arrive on time, either."
The birds fell silent at the mention of the great horned owl. It had been three days since his death, but they had been so preoccupied fighting the Talon Empire that they hadn't had time to mourn. Now that the raptors had fled the city, however, the birds' thoughts were turning more and more to Hoogol, Proud Beak, Loki, and all the others who had lost their lives. Headstrong alone had lost five cousins. They had won the war, but they had paid a terrible price.
Blue Feather looked out from her perch. The sun was high overhead, and not a single cloud marred the sky. The future seemed bright and full of promise. "I wish Hoogol were here to see this."
The birds nodded in agreement.
A sudden "caw-caw" attracted their attention. Bobtail watched uneasily as Garm and a dozen crows landed on the far side of the roof. There had been an uneasy truce between the crows and the alliance in the hours since the Talon Empire had been routed, but there was still a great deal of mistrust on both sides.
"I don't know why they have to be here," Bobtail complained. "I mean, this is supposed to be an official council meeting. Crows aren't allowed."
"Ragtag asked them to attend," Blue Feather replied.
Just then, Blackcap and his brothers chirped excitedly from their posts near the roof's edge. "Look, everyone!" Blackcap cried. "Here they come!"
Ragtag clung to Baldur's back as they soared over Copley Square. He still couldn't believe the eagle had returned. Baldur had been true to his word and kept his promises to both Ragtag and his mate. As soon as he had been reunited with Freya, he had convinced her and her family to return with him to the city.
"How do you like it?" Baldur asked as they soared past the Boston Public Library.
"I've never flown so fast in my life!" Ragtag yelled as the wind pressed back his feathers. He gasped in awe as the eagle beat his powerful wings. Together they climbed the nearly eight hundred feet to the top of the John Hancock Tower in a matter of seconds.
Beneath them, Ragtag could see the clan leaders. He waited impatiently while Baldur glided down to the roof. This was one council meeting he didn't want to miss.
"Bobtail, Blue Feather, Tattler!" Ragtag shouted as he hurried over to them. He was quickly surrounded by birds. "Sorry I'm late."
"Well?" the crowd asked with bated breath.
"I'm happy to report there's no sign of the raptors. The birds of prey have fled the city!"
"Is it truly over, then?" Kittiwook asked. "Are they gone for good?"
"It's unlikely they'll bother you again," Baldur said. "It's hard for raptors to get along with one another even in the best of times. With no leader to guide them, they'll probably scatter and go their separate ways. And even if they do manage to regroup, I doubt they'll be bold enough to return, now that they know your alliance is under the protection of eagles. No, I think it's safe to say that the Talon Empire is gone for good."
A cheer went up from the birds. Ragtag caught sight of the crows standing on the far side of the roof and suddenly felt sad. Tattler had told him about Loki. A hush fell on the crowd as Ragtag crossed over to them.
"I want to thank you for your help," Ragtag said to Garm. "We wouldn't have been able to defeat Surt without you."
Garm bowed his head.
"I'm sorry about Loki," Ragtag continued. "I wish he were here."
"I am an old crow," Garm said. "I've seen many battles and watched countless friends perish. I, too, feel sorry about Loki. His death feels empty and without meaning."
"Only if we allow it to be," Ragtag replied, and took a deep breath. "We came together to defeat a common enemy. Why return to our old ways? We have a chance to make Hoogol's and Loki's deaths count for something. I say let's put aside our differences! Let's unite all the clans of the city. Will the crows join the Feathered Alliance?"
The clan leaders froze. Bobtail stared at his brother in surprise. Nobody had expected this. Even Garm seemed taken aback. The old crow cocked his head to one side and peered at Ragtag.
"You're full of surprises. I'll say one thing about you, Ragtag. You are a worthy successor to Hoogol."
"Well?" Ragtag asked. "Will you join us?"
"Upon Loki's death, the leadership of the crows passed to me. Yet this is not a decision I can make on my own."
Ragtag nodded and watched as Garm returned to his clan. Instantly the swallow was mobbed by the other birds.
"Have you gone mad?" Kittiwook demanded. "It'll never work!"
"She's right," Bragi said. "It's one thing to have a truce with the crows, quite another to have them as members of the alliance."
"Heaven help us!" the pigeons wailed.
Bobtail shook his head. "Poor Ragtag, always the dreamer. If Hoogol couldn't make peace between the crows and the Feathered Alliance, what makes you think you can?"
Ragtag didn't respond. He waited anxiously until Garm flew back. "Well?"
"Your youth and optimism are infectious, Ragtag. Alas, old prejudices die hard. I wish I could give you better news, but the crows cannot accept your offer.
"However," Garm added as Ragtag slumped, "just because we don't join the Feathered Alliance today doesn't mean we can't build on what's been started here. Who knows? Perhaps in time even old prejudices will fade. Until then, I've volunteered to act as an ambassador to your alliance, if you'll have me."
"With pleasure," Ragtag replied, then addressed the clan leaders. "Who will represent us to the crows?"
The birds shifted uncomfortably and averted their eyes.
"I will," Tattler said suddenly.
Everyone watched in surprise as she limped forward. There was a murmur from the crows. Garm looked at Tattler for a long time without responding. Then the old crow bowed his head. "We welcome you."
"Hoogol would've been proud of us," Ragtag said. "I think today marks the beginning of a bright future for the birds of the city."
"Indeed it does," Baldur agreed. "And now, little Ragtag, it is time for us to say farewell."
"What?" Ragtag cried. The idea that the eagles might leave hadn't occurred to him.
"We have a new home across the Great Water," Baldur said. He indicated the device on his leg. "And as I'm sure you're aware, our caretakers get rather worried when we're away too long."
"But we need you!" Ragtag pleaded. "Baldur, please don't leave!"
"I'm afraid we must. Besides, I'm not convinced you need us as much as you think. After all, we didn't bring down Surt. We merely helped clean up the mess."
The eagle lowered his head and gazed at the swallow. "You have the heart of an eagle," Baldur said quietly. "As long as you and your friends stick together, I don't think there's anything you can't overcome."
Freya and her family impatiently stretched their wings. Baldur joined them at the edge of the roof. "Farewell, little Ragtag!"
"Goodbye, Baldur!" Ragtag shouted. "I'll never forget you!"
"Nor I you," Baldur replied. "You will always have a friend among the eagles."
And with that, the eagles launched themselves from the top of the skyscraper. They circled once, then headed out over the harbor. Ragtag watched as they grew smaller and finally disappeared altogether.
"Well, let's not stand around here all day," Bobtail said, tapping his foot. "We're long overdue for a council meeting. Do you know how much work we have to do? We'll be lucky if we finish before nightfall."
The birds groaned and followed him to the center of the roof. Ragtag stayed behind, his eyes on the sky where the eagles had vanished. Tattler hopped up to him. "You okay, Ragtag?"
"Yeah," Ragtag replied. "I was just thinking of Hoogol."
"He would have been proud of you," Tattler said quietly. "I know I am. You did well, Ragtag. Not bad for a swallow. Not bad at all."
Thanks to Sukhwinder Singh, Daniel Skoumal, and Chris Donaldson. Thanks also to Jan de Bont and Jessika Borsiczky, for providing the initial encouragement to write this story. And a special thank you to Jennifer Wingertzahn and the entire staff at Clarion Books. Without them, Ragtag would never have taken flight.