Chapter 14: His Scent

The estate was bustling. The soft sounds of people conversing and working in the distance disrupted my walk to the chicken coops. Usually, the estate is tranquil. The only sounds are insects, livestock, and birds.

This time of year, I listen to the long whistle mating calls of the quail. I walk on a cut path through the field to the coop and on occasion will startle a pair of quail from the grasses and delight in watching the way they waddle run to the next hiding spot.

I hear the starlings chirps and whistles. Their feathers a stunningly black iridescent speckled with rainbow hued white and brown. During the heat of the summer their beaks are a stark yellow, long with a sharp point. When I have a moment to steal away, I love laying in the fields watching the large flocks of starlings make shapes in the sky.

If I was lucky I would see the beautiful red bird. Legends say that the red bird is a messenger from the spirit world. To cross paths with one is a sign that lost loved o