It’s 5 AM. 1814 Spring. One of the roosters outside the pentagon lets out a ragged crow, the kind that slices through the quiet before sunrise. David hears it and turns his head toward his angel. Christy is still dreaming, a soft smile resting on her face, her hair spilled across the blanket like a halo.

   He thinks she’s beautiful more beautiful than anything this mountain has ever shown him but the day is already tugging at him. I’ve gotta wake Michael… get my hunting gear together… today we find our visitor, he thinks. Whatever that thing is, it’s messing with Christy’s wishes, and I’m done letting it roam free.

   David sits up slowly, careful not to disturb her. The pentagon is dim, only the faint blue of dawn leaking through the cracks. He listens to her breathing for one more moment, grounding himself, because once he steps outside, it’s back into the unknown the screech, the red ribbon, the glowstones, the shadow that keeps slipping away.

Today, he intends to catch it.

   David walked over to the corner where his hunting gear was stored the bow, the pack, the small lantern he trusted more than most people. He reached for the strap when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

“Good morning, David,” Christy said gently.

   He turned, surprised she was awake so early. Her hair was still tousled from sleep, her eyes warm but a little distant, like she hadn’t fully returned from wherever her dreams had taken her.

“My dreams were really vivid last night,” she said, rubbing her arms as if the memory of them still clung to her skin.

   David studied her face, noticing the way her smile didn’t quite hide the unease underneath. Something in those dreams had shaken her, maybe the same thing that had been haunting the mountain, the same thing they were hunting today. Christy stepped a little closer, the early‑morning chill still clinging to her skin. David could see it now the vividness of her dream wasn’t just a comment. It had left a mark on her.

“What… what did you see?” he asked quietly, keeping his voice low so it didn’t spook her.

   She took a breath. “I saw the mountain glowing again,” she said. “Not like before this time it was brighter. And something was moving inside the light. Not running… not hiding… almost like it was waiting for you.”

David felt a tightness in his chest. “Waiting for me?”

   Christy nodded. “And there was this sound… not the screech we heard yesterday. This one was softer. Like it was calling your name, but not with words. More like… like it wanted you to follow it.”

  David’s hand tightened around the strap of his pack. He didn’t like the idea of anything calling to him from inside Bowl Top Mountain especially something that had already been messing with Christy’s wishes.

“Did it hurt you?” he asked.

“No,” she said quickly. “But when I woke up, I felt like it was still out there. Like it’s close. Closer than yesterday.”

   David exhaled slowly. That settled it. Whatever this visitor was, whatever shadow had been slipping through the caves and twisting Christy’s wishes  it wasn’t just wandering. It had a purpose. And now it had her dreams.

He slung the pack over his shoulder. “Then we find it today,” he said. “Before it gets any closer.”

Christy looked at him, worry flickering behind her eyes, but she nodded. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

Her voice trembled, but her resolve didn’t.

   David smiled softly as she spoke. “How special, Christy… Skyland loves you like I do.” He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was still worried about… you know what… last night.”

   Christy lifted her eyebrows. “Oh, the beast that took the ham sandwiches I made? How could I forget,” she said with a little laugh, though David could still hear the unease beneath it.

   She glanced toward her Emerald resting on the shelf. Something in the morning light made it shimmer brighter than usual. Christy stood, walked over, and lifted the gem carefully in both hands. The glow reflected in her eyes.

“David,” she said, her voice suddenly hopeful, “can we show this to Mama in Boontown? She’ll love it.”

“Of course,” David said. He stepped closer, watching the way she held the Emerald like it was alive. “I didn’t even know I built extra pockets in your glowstone pack for gemstones… but your Emerald fills the pocket all by itself, Christy.”

She looked down at it, smiling as if the gem were choosing her.

“It looks like the Emerald was surely yours,” David added, his voice softening. “You can take that Emerald anywhere you choose, Christy.”

   Christy pressed the gem gently against her chest, the glow warming her hands. “I think it wants to go with me,” she whispered. David nodded. “Then it will.” “I want to build you a jewelry box,” David said, tightening the strap on his hunting pack. “A place to store and hang your necklaces and lockets, Christy.”

    She looked up at him, her Emerald still glowing faintly in her hand. The idea made her smile that soft, grateful smile she only gave him when he was being gentle without even trying.

“You always think of things like that,” she said. “Even when you’re heading out to chase something dangerous.”

David shrugged, but his eyes softened. “I can do both,” he said. “Take care of you… and take care of whatever’s out there.”

   He turned back to his gear, checking the lantern, the rope, the small tools he and Michael would need once they reached the caves. The memory of last night — the screech, the shadow slipping through the dark, the stolen ham sandwiches still sat heavy in his chest.

Christy stepped closer, her voice quieter now. “Just be careful, David.”

He nodded. “I will. Michael and I are going to find that predator today. No more surprises. No more messing with your wishes.

”Christy touched his arm, her Emerald catching the morning light. “I’ll be waiting right here.”

   David felt the weight of her words settle into him steady, grounding, and exactly what he needed before stepping into the unknown. David tightened the last buckle on his pack. “Now… at this time, Christy,” he said quietly, “if it was still in there, it hasn’t climbed out. Unless it escaped out the bottom of the mountain… if it survived that fall.”

Christy’s eyes widened a little, but she didn’t interrupt. She just held her Emerald close, listening.

David stepped into the kitchen where the guests usually gathered. The moment he crossed the threshold, he froze.

The door was wide open.

Wide open just like the night the strange visitor slipped through it without a sound.

   A cold chill ran straight up David’s spine. The early morning air poured in, carrying the scent of pine and something else… something faint, metallic, almost like the echo of that screech.

Christy stopped behind him. “David…?” He didn’t answer at first. He just stared at the open doorway, the way the wind nudged it like an invitation.

“It was here,” he said finally, voice low. “Not long ago.”

   The kitchen felt different disturbed, unsettled, as if the creature’s presence still lingered in the corners. A chair was slightly out of place. One of the lanterns had been nudged. And on the floor, near the threshold, a thin trail of dust had been dragged inward… or outward.

Christy clutched her Emerald tighter. “David… what if it’s still close?”

   David swallowed hard. “Then Michael and I need to move fast.”David looked back at Christy, trying to shake off the chill that had crawled up his spine. “Maybe they’re out walking around Skyland… right?” he said, hoping his voice sounded steadier than he felt.

Christy stepped to the window, her Emerald still glowing faintly in her hand. “Look, David,” she said, pointing. “There goes Benny chasing a rabbit.”

   David exhaled, relief washing over him. “Good… thank God. With the way things have been happening around here, I didn’t know.” He moved beside her, scanning the ridge. “Did you see Michael running with Benny too, Christy?”

   She leaned a little closer to the glass, squinting toward the slope. “I think so… yes. There he’s coming around the bend. "David felt his shoulders loosen. The sight of Benny bounding after a rabbit, Michael jogging behind him, was the first normal thing he’d seen since the door had been left open again. For a moment, the mountain looked peaceful like Skyland was waking up the way it always had.

But the open door behind him still whispered danger.

And the trail of dust still pointed to something that didn’t belong.

   David rested a hand on Christy’s shoulder. “Alright. They’re safe. Let’s get ready.” As David looked out through the doorway, he caught sight of Michael jumping off the ledge with his glowstone pack strapped tight.

“Be right back, David!” Michael yelled, his voice echoing off the mountain walls.

   David hurried to the edge, leaning out to see what had happened. Michael wasn’t in trouble he was just counting the sheep, moving quickly among the fluffy critters. There were twenty of them, and he knew everyone by heart.

Suddenly, Michael started leaping straight up, scanning the ridge, calling out for a single lost sheep. His voice bounced through the valley.

Then out of nowhere David was rammed from behind.

   He stumbled forward, tripping over a dog, and fell face‑first, nearly sliding over the ledge. His hands scraped the stone as he caught himself, his body stretched out flat, his head hanging over the drop.

What happened? David thought, breath tight in his chest.

   He froze there on his stomach, staring straight down into the dizzying depth below. His heart hammered. For a moment he couldn’t move only feel the cold wind brushing his face and the weight of the mountain beneath him.

Behind him, something shifted.

And it wasn’t Benny.

   David heard a long screech shoot through the valley distant, but sharp enough to make his heart jump. It didn’t sound close, but it didn’t sound natural either.

   He rolled over and looked up just in time to see Milo circling high above Bowl Top Mountain, wings cutting smooth loops through the morning sky. David pushed himself upright… and froze.

A baby lamb stood right in front of him.

Just staring at him.

Before he could react, Christy came running out of the pentagon, her hair still loose from sleep. She scooped the lamb into her arms and hugged it tight.

“Where did he come from, David?” she asked, breathless.

David shook his head. “I’m not sure yet, Christy. But Michael is still looking for that lost lamb.”

   As if on cue, Benny barked three sharp times the signal he used when everything was okay. Michael heard it from below and immediately stopped searching. He descended back down the slope, then started the climb toward Skyland again to help David search the caves.

When Michael finally reached the top, he looked at the lamb in Christy’s arms, then at David. “How did the little lamb get up here?”

David shook his head again, slower this time. “I’m still working on that, Michael.”

   He looked at Christy, Michael, and Benny all gathered around the lamb like it had simply wandered in from a meadow. But David knew better. Nothing had been simple since the shooting star returned.

“Things are strange around here,” he said quietly. “Ever since that star came back.”

He glanced at Christy, at the way she held the lamb and her Emerald at the same time, both glowing softly in the morning light.

What kind of wish did she make? David wondered.

And more importantly…

Who or what heard it? 

   Christy brushed her fingers through the lamb’s wool, still smiling. “I like these extra‑sweet animals… but that wasn’t my wish,” she told David. “My wish is something we both get to share someday.” She gave him a little grin the kind that made David’s chest warm even in the cold mountain air.

   Michael stood nearby, watching Milo circle above the mountain again. “Do you think it’s possible that the bird was circling because it wanted to eat the lamb?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Michael added, shaking his head. “Never seen anything like that before.”

   Down in the orchard, Benny and the little lamb were already racing around Skyland like two kids who’d just discovered a new game. Benny barked happily, the lamb bounced after him, and the whole ridge suddenly felt lighter almost too light, considering everything that had been happening.

   David watched them, but his mind wasn’t at ease. The lamb appearing out of nowhere… the open door… the screech in the valley… Milo circling like he was tracking something… Christy’s dream… and that shooting star that had turned around and come back.He looked at Christy, then at Michael, then at Benny and the lamb tumbling through the orchard.

“Things are strange around here,” David said quietly. “Ever since that shooting star returned.”

Christy held her Emerald a little tighter.

David’s thoughts drifted back to her grin… her wish… the one she said they’d share someday.

What kind of wish did she make? he wondered.

And more importantly…

What kind of thing heard it? 

   Michael happened to land near the central shaft, his glowstone pack flickering as he touched down. David called out to him, “Michael, stay by the shaft. I’m going to grab my glowstone pack and my bow.”

   He stepped back toward the pentagon, already planning the next move. “And Michael,” he added, “I’ll get Papa’s knife for you. Just in case it comes after us in the shaft.”

Michael nodded, gripping the rail.

“I’m also bringing a hundred‑foot rope,” David continued. “I’ll secure it to the hitching rail so Christy can pull us up if something goes wrong.”

   Out in the orchard, Christy was now chasing the lamb around Skyland, laughing as Benny darted around them like a shepherd who’d had too much morning energy. The lamb bounced and zig‑zagged, its tiny hooves tapping the ground like it was playing a game only it understood.

   David watched her for a moment her hair catching the sunlight, her Emerald swinging at her chest, Benny circling her like a guardian. Then he turned back to Michael.

“Christy knows when I’m in trouble,” David said quietly. “She feels it. So let’s do this. Let’s find our predator that lurks in this mountain.”

Michael swallowed, adjusting his pack. “I’m ready.”

   David looked once more toward the orchard Christy’s laughter, Benny’s barks, the lamb’s playful hops all of it too sweet, too peaceful, too strange for a morning that had started with a screech echoing through the valley.

Something was off.

Something was watching.

   And the shooting star that had turned around and come back…that was no coincidence. Michael tested the straps on his glowstone pack. “Okay… it’s working well. Who goes first?” he asked, peering down into the shaft.

“I will,” David said. “I’ll attach the rope to me at fifty feet. Then you tie the end around your waist, Michael. You go second so I can guide you to the first cave.”

Michael nodded. “We’ll search for the unknown visitor. Be careful, David.”

   David pointed toward the dark opening below. “The cave with no sounds… just silence. That’s where Christy almost dropped her Emerald. She ended up using the gemstone as a shield to keep something away.” He shook his head. “We’re going to find out what that was.”

   Christy, meanwhile, was still out in the orchards chasing the lamb with Benny, their laughter echoing faintly across Skyland a strange contrast to the danger waiting below.

   Michael tied the rope around his waist, securing it with a double knot. David dimmed his glowstones, letting the soft blue light fade to a low pulse. Then he stepped off the edge and drifted slowly over the shaft, letting gravity and the glowstones guide him downward. The air grew colder. The light thinned. Shadows stretched across the stone walls as David descended deeper into the central shaft.

At twenty‑five feet down, he looked up at Michael. “Okay, Michael do what I did. Glow down your pack and start descending. Follow me slowly.”

Michael nodded, adjusting the lantern strapped to his side.

“You got the lantern, right?” David called up.

Michael lifted it slightly. “Right here.”

“Yes,” Michael said, lifting the lantern to show David. But as he raised it, the lantern clipped a small rock jutting from the shaft wall. The stone snapped loose, bounced once, then ricocheted down the shaft missing David by inches.

David jerked his head aside, watching the rock tumble into the darkness.

He waited for the sound of it hitting bottom.

Nothing.

Not even an echo.

That told him everything they were still very high up in the shaft, suspended between Skyland above and the silent caves below.

   David steadied himself, tightening his grip on the rope. He continued descending, slow and controlled, the glowstones on his pack dimmed to a soft pulse. Above him, Michael matched his pace, lowering himself at the same speed now, careful not to knock anything else loose.

The shaft walls grew darker, the air colder. The silence deepened the kind that made David’s ears ring.

He glanced up. Michael’s lantern swung gently, casting thin ribbons of light across the stone.

“Alright,” David called upward, voice echoing faintly. “Just keep your pace. Glow down your pack like I did and follow me.”

Michael nodded, adjusting the lantern again. “Got it.”

“You’ve got the lantern, right?” David asked, needing to hear it confirmed.

Michael tapped it with his free hand. “Right here.”

   David continued lowering himself toward the Cave of Silence the place Christy had nearly dropped her Emerald, the place she’d used the gemstone as a shield against something unseen.

And now, with the rope taut between them and the shaft swallowing the light, David felt it again:

Something was waiting.

Something was listening.

Nothing.

Not even a faint tap.

They were still incredibly high up suspended between Skyland above and the silent caves below.

   David continued descending, slow and steady, the rope taut between them. Michael matched his pace now, lowering himself at the same speed, careful not to knock anything else loose.

   As David drifted lower, the faint glow of Christy’s Emerald display came into view the little shelf ledge where she had once placed it. He remembered how she’d nearly dropped it here… how she’d used the gemstone as a shield against something unseen.

He noticed the shelf went deeper than he remembered a thin, dark opening leading into another cave.

“Michael,” David called upward, voice echoing softly, “it’s silent in there. Just like the cave we’re heading to now.”

   Michael reached the shelf and peered into the narrow opening. “Yeah… there’s some darkness in there alright.” He sniffed once. “Smells like rotted meat. Fishy, too.”

Before David could respond, everything around him went dead silent.Not quiet.

Dead.

The kind of silence that feels like something is listening.

David’s pulse jumped. “Michael pull on the rope. Stop us.”

Michael braced himself and tugged hard, halting their descent.

David stared into the strange cave, bow already raised, the glowstones dimmed to a faint blue. The air felt thick, unmoving.

He reached into the cave’s entry, grabbed a protruding rock, and pulled himself over to the ledge. He crouched low, steadying his breath.

“Come on, Michael,” he whispered. “We’re here. It’s quiet.”

Michael descended the last few feet and landed beside him. David reached out, grabbed his brother’s arm, and pulled him fully onto the ledge.

They sat shoulder‑to‑shoulder, lantern between them, staring into the tunnel ahead a long passage with a faint light glowing at the far end.

Something was down there.

Something that didn’t want to be heard.

David told Michael, “You stay here and hold onto my rope just in case I fall into this cave.”

Michael braced himself, gripping the rope tight.

   David, bow raised and ready, slow‑walked toward the faint light ahead. Each step echoed softly in the Cave of Silence, the air thick and unmoving. He reached the main opening and stopped.

Something glowed above him.

David looked up into the upper corner of the cave and his breath caught.

   A thousand glowstones were embedded in the ceiling, packed together like a shimmering galaxy. Their combined light washed the cave in a soft, eerie glow. The sight alone was enough to make him forget the danger for a moment.

Then he noticed it a thin slit of air, a narrow opening deeper inside the cave.

He turned sharply, bow pointed. “Hold ’em up,” he whispered, instinct kicking in.

And then he froze.

Paralyzed.

Seven feet away, a glowstone about three inches in diameter hovered in midair. Bright. Perfectly still. Suspended with no rope, no ledge, no explanation.

Then he saw it.

A talon as large as the glowstone itself holding it effortlessly, floating in place.

In the other talon, a gold nugget gleamed, catching the glowstone’s light and scattering it across the cave walls.

David’s eyes widened. He slowly lifted his gaze.

   A massive bird stood in the shadows above him, wings tucked, head tilted, watching him with an intelligence that made his heart pound. Its feathers shimmered with blue and silver, its eyes sharp and steady.

Could be a seahawk, David thought, lowering his bow inch by inch.

But this creature was far larger… far older… far stranger than any seahawk he had ever seen.

Michael tightened the rope behind him, whispering, “David…?”

   David didn’t answer. He just stared at the enormous bird the one holding a glowstone and a gold nugget like offerings and wondered if this was the predator they had been searching for…

or something entirely different.

David barely had time to breathe.

   A single, enormous flap of wings exploded through the cave a shockwave of air so strong it slammed into him like a wall. The bird swept past, its wingspan filling the entire tunnel. The force knocked David backward, sending him sprawling, his bow skittering across the stone.

Before he could recover, the creature’s momentum carried it straight toward Michael.

It clipped him hard.

Michael’s feet slipped off the ledge.

The rope jerked violently.

   Michael tumbled downward, spinning out of control, his glowstone pack flickering wildly as he descended the shaft. His lantern swung like a pendulum, throwing wild streaks of light across the cave walls.“MICHAEL!” David shouted, scrambling to grab the rope.

Michael’s voice echoed up the shaft, panicked but still conscious. “I’m okay! I’m okay! just spinning!”

    The rope twisted around him, slowing his fall but not stopping it. He dropped another ten feet before the knots caught and held, leaving him dangling, swaying in the darkness.

David crawled to the edge, heart pounding. “Hold on! Don’t move!”

   Above them, the massive bird circled once inside the cave, its talons still clutching the glowstone and gold nugget. Its wings brushed the ceiling, scattering dust and shimmering fragments of embedded glowstones.

It wasn’t attacking.

It was leaving.

The creature shot upward through the slit of air in the cave ceiling, disappearing with another thunderous flap that rattled the stone walls.

Silence returned heavy and absolute.

David gripped the rope with both hands, bracing himself. “Michael, talk to me.”

Michael coughed, still spinning slowly. “I’m here… just dizzy.”

David exhaled shakily, relief washing over him but only for a moment.

Because now he knew:

The predator wasn’t hiding.

It was watching.

And it was powerful enough to knock both of them around like toys.

   David made his way back to Michael, bracing himself against the cave wall as he pulled his brother up onto the ledge. Michael’s boots scraped stone, and finally he was safe beside him again.

David exhaled hard. “It’s a bird,” he said, still stunned. “Beautiful… strong spirit. And Michael he could control glowstones. Did you see him?”

   Michael shook his head, still catching his breath. “No. What I felt…” He rubbed the side of his face. “It was probably what Christy felt happen to her. Like a soft punch in the face from a pillow. That’s what it felt like. Awful fast, David.”

David blinked, replaying the moment in his mind the massive wings, the hovering glowstone, the gold nugget shining like a beacon.

“Well,” David said, “you didn’t see the gold nugget he was carrying then?”

“Nope,” Michael replied, still dazed. “Didn’t see a thing.”

   David stared deeper into the cave, the glowstones above them shimmering like a thousand tiny suns. The air still trembled from the bird’s passing. Whatever it was, it wasn’t just a predator. It wasn’t just a visitor. It was something older.

Something powerful.

Something that chose what to show… and what to hide.

And Christy’s wish the one she said they’d share someday suddenly felt far more tangled in this mountain’s secrets than David had ever imagined.

David helped Michael steady himself on the ledge, then said, “We’d better go find Christy. Maybe she saw him leave.”

Michael nodded, still shaken, and grabbed the rope. He stepped back into the shaft and began climbing upward.

   Michael ascended smoothly, glowstone pack humming softly. David waited for the rope to tighten the signal that Michael had climbed twenty feet and was ready to pull him up. When it did, David stepped into the shaft himself.

He left his hunting bow behind in the cave.

He didn’t even think twice about it.

Right now, all he wanted was to get back to paradise back to Skyland where Christy and Benny were waiting.

As he rose, David called up to Michael, “Dropping the lantern was a smart move. When you fell, it let you climb faster and easier on the way back up.”

Michael laughed breathlessly. “Didn’t plan it… but yeah, it helped.”

   The shaft grew brighter the higher they climbed. Michael looked up and saw the opening to Skyland a widening circle of sunlight that seemed to stretch larger with every foot gained.

   Warm gold light spilled down the shaft walls, chasing away the cave’s darkness. The closer they got, the more the opening expanded, like Skyland itself was reaching for them.

Michael called down, “I can see it now… we’re almost there.”

David felt the rope tug again, steady and strong. He looked up at the sunlight pouring in, at the promise of safety and Christy’s smile waiting above.

Skyland was close.

And whatever that bird was whatever spirit moved through the caves had let them go.

For now.

   David was enjoying the slow ride up the shaft, letting Michael do the hard climbing while he drifted behind him. The air grew warmer the higher they rose, sunlight spilling down in soft gold ribbons. David let himself relax for a moment, thinking about the bird about Milo and the impossible things he had seen.

A gold nugget… a glowstone… carried like treasures.  

What kind of creature does that?

   David called up, his voice echoing gently through the shaft. “Since that seahawk lives here, Michael… he might know more about these caves than any of us.”

Michael paused just long enough to listen, then kept climbing.

David grinned. “What do you think about the name Milo for our Bowl Top Mountain rescue bird?”

   Michael let out a shaky laugh, still trembling from the fall. “I was thinking about me descending down that central shaft,” he said. “Milo fits him well… after he sends you a mile low in the shaft.”

   David chuckled. “It was smart, you dropped the lantern. The extra weight, Michael in the situation you were in it would’ve taken you all the way to the bottom.”

Michael nodded, climbing steadily now. “Didn’t plan it… but yeah, it saved me.”

   David looked up at the widening circle of sunlight above them. Skyland’s opening grew larger with every foot gained, glowing like a warm halo. Michael could already see the orchard trees, the bright grass, the shimmer of Christy’s Emerald as she moved.

David’s voice softened. “Milo is probably behind all this weirdness going on in Bowl Top Mountain.”

He let the thought settle.

“Think about it, Michael… who else brings a baby lamb up to Skyland and just leaves it?”

Michael didn’t answer because the truth was settling in both of them.

Milo wasn’t just a bird.

He was a guardian.

A messenger.

A spirit of the mountain. And whatever he was doing with glowstones and gold…

whatever wish Christy had made…

whatever strange events were unfolding…

Milo was at the center of it.

   The young men were now close to Skyland. Michael reached the shaft opening first, grabbing the hitching rail with both hands to stop his upward climb. Benny rushed over immediately, licking Michael’s nose like he’d been gone for days.

   Michael laughed, pulled himself fully out of the central shaft, and looked over at Christy. She stood waiting, sunlight catching her hair, the lamb bouncing at her feet. Michael gave the rope a firm tug.

   David came shooting out of the shaft so fast he missed the grab rail entirely. He rose another ten feet before Michael yanked the rope downward, guiding him straight toward Christy.

David landed right in her open arms.

Christy held him tight, and David hugged her even harder. “You will not believe this,” he said, breathless.

   Christy smiled up at him. “David… I love you so much for bringing the gold nugget and putting it next to my Emerald sometime in the night. I found it. It’s beautiful.”

Michael’s grin stretched ear to ear as he watched David’s face.

   Benny barked sharply, tail wagging, and Christy looked at both men. “What, guys?” David took a breath. “Christy… the same guy who brought back that shooting star you made a wish on he returned you a wish next to your Emerald. I saw it.”

Christy’s eyes widened.

“Michael didn’t see it,” David added, “because Milo sent him a mile low into the shaft.”

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… didn’t see much of anything.”

David continued, “So Christy… Michael and I decided we’d name the seahawk Milo.”

Christy looked toward the sky, where the sunlight shimmered like feathers. “Milo…” she whispered. “It fits him.”

The lamb bleated softly. Benny barked again.

And Skyland felt different warmer, brighter, touched by something ancient and kind.

Milo had chosen them.

And whatever came next, the mountain was no longer silent.

“You know, Christy,” David said, still holding her close, “Milo hit Michael the same way you were hit when you were holding onto your Emerald in the shaft not knowing what hit you.”

Christy nodded immediately. “Oh… like a pillow punch right in the face.” She touched her cheek, remembering. “Exactly like that.”

David smiled softly. “He’s a magnificent bird. And I sure hope Milo comes back home to Skyland so we can get to know him better.”

   Christy’s eyes warmed. “He’s very smart, David. He will fly back to us.” She held the gold nugget against her chest. “He bought my heart and soul with this. He must’ve done it for you, David.”

Michael watched them, still grinning, still shaken but proud.

   Christy continued, her voice glowing as much as her Emerald. “Plus… Milo knows who to give the gold to.” She smiled at David, a soft, knowing smile. “He chose you.” 

   David felt his chest tighten not with fear, but with wonder. Christy wasn’t just happy about the gold. She was happy because David wasn’t afraid anymore. Happy because the creature he had worried about the unknown visitor had revealed itself not as a threat, but as a guardian.

Milo had been trying to show himself to David.

The pillow‑soft strike.

The glowstone hovering in his talon.

The gold nugget placed beside Christy’s Emerald.

The lamb delivered safely to Skyland.

The gentle but powerful push that saved Michael from falling too far.

Every sign pointed to the same truth:

Milo wasn’t just a seahawk.

He was the mountain’s spirit watching them, guiding them, protecting them.

And now, finally, David understood.

Christy squeezed his hand. “He’ll come back,” she said. “He already chose us.”

Skyland shimmered in the sunlight. Benny barked happily. The lamb nuzzled Christy’s leg.

And somewhere above Bowl Top Mountain, Milo circled waiting for the right moment to return.

   The day was perfect cool, bright, and gentle enough for a trip back to the house. Michael looked around Skyland, taking in the orchard, the lamb, Benny’s wagging tail, and the sunlight spilling across the ledge.

“Mama and Papa will be expecting Benny and me back later today,” Michael said. “With sheep. All twenty of them.”

He glanced at Christy, still cuddling the baby lamb against her chest. “David… what should we do about the lamb Christy’s holding?”

   David stepped closer, watching Christy stroke the lamb’s wool. “Michael, just explain to Papa that the twentieth lamb is up here on the mountain at Skyland safe and we aren’t sure how he got here.”

Michael nodded, already rehearsing the conversation in his head.

David kept watching Christy, the way she held the lamb like it belonged to her. I do have some ideas, he thought.

   Michael adjusted his glowstone pack. “We’ll be back up soon anyway.” David smiled. “You guys are planning on hanging onto your glowstone packs, so you can come up whenever you want. Just hang the red ribbon outside Mama’s house I’ll know you’re on your way.”

Michael grinned. “That’ll work.”

   Christy hugged the lamb a little tighter, Benny circling her like a proud guardian. The sunlight warmed the ledge, the breeze carried the scent of orchard blossoms, and Skyland felt alive touched by Milo’s presence even though he wasn’t there.

David looked at the lamb, then at Christy, then at Michael.

Everything was changing.

And Milo the mountain’s spirit, their new cave‑dwelling sidekick was behind all of it.

   They all sat down together for lunch the meal Christy had prepared for the guys after their search for Milo. The cool day, the soft breeze drifting through Skyland, and the relief of being back together made everything feel perfect.

Benny, of course, was already sniffing around for a sample of whatever was on the plates.

   Christy laughed and set a special plate down just for him a smoked‑beef sandwich made exactly the way Benny liked it. He grabbed it gently, tail wagging, and trotted off to enjoy his feast.

After lunch, Michael wiped his hands and stood. “David… we need to get headed back on our way to Smallville.”

David nodded. “We’ll be there on Fun Day, Michael. That’s our Sunday. We call it Fun Day.”

Michael smiled. “Going to Mama’s house to eat and visit.”

Christy clapped her hands lightly. “We can’t wait.”

   David looked at her holding the baby lamb, sunlight warming her face, her Emerald glowing softly at her chest and felt Skyland settle into a peaceful rhythm again. The caves were behind them for now. Milo was somewhere above, circling the mountain. And the three of them, plus Benny and the lamb, were sharing a quiet moment before the next adventure.

Skyland felt like home.

And Milo had made sure they knew it.

   Michael went ahead and strapped Benny’s glowstone pack on for the trip from Skyland back to Smallville. Benny barked the moment he felt the glowstones activate, the soft lift taking weight off his paws. His tail wagged like he’d just been handed a birthday cake.

   Michael still had his own pack on, standing next to Benny at the ledge that led off the mountain. He clipped the short leash between them one end on Benny’s harness, the other on his own belt so they’d fly as a team.

Christy and David sat together in the grass with the baby lamb, watching them prepare, praying everything would go smoothly.

Both glowstone packs lit up with a gentle pulse.

Michael looked at Benny. Benny barked once.

Then they took off running toward the edge  and jumped straight out.

   They soared nearly sixty feet from the cliff, drifting in a slow, graceful arc downward toward the valley floor. The sunlight caught their packs, making them look like two glowing comets descending from Skyland. David nudged Christy. “Michael’s getting good.”

   They watched the pair land right next to the herd. Benny immediately began circling the sheep, inspecting each one like a proud little foreman. Michael started counting them, tapping each head gently as he went.

“Look, Christy,” David said softly. “Michael’s counting the herd… and Benny’s checking them. It’s just so beautiful how they work together.”

Christy smiled back at him, petting the baby lamb curled in her lap. The lamb nuzzled her arm, content and safe.

   David stretched out in the grass. “Christy… I’m going to take a nap. With Milo teasing us or showing himself… I got hardly any sleep.” He rubbed his eyes, exhausted but happy. “We’ll head into the pentagon.”

Christy nodded, still smiling, still holding the lamb close.

Skyland felt peaceful again sunlight warm, breeze cool, orchard quiet but the magic of Milo lingered in the air like a promise.

And David, finally, could rest.

   Christy stepped inside the pentagon, the cool air settling around her. She gathered blankets and soft cloths, making a tiny bed for the baby lamb a cozy nest right beside her own. The lamb curled into it immediately, letting out a small, sleepy bleat.

   David watched her with a tired smile, his eyes already half‑closed. The moment his head touched the pillow, he was out like a light the kind of deep sleep that comes only after wonder, fear, and magic all collide in one day.

   Christy sat beside the lamb, brushing its wool gently. Her thoughts drifted to Sunday their Fun Day the day she and David always looked forward to. A day of Mama’s cooking, laughter, visiting, and the simple joy of being together.

She smiled softly, the lamb nuzzling her hand.

Fun Day with David.

Fun Day with Michael and Benny.

Fun Day with the whole family.

And now…

Fun Day with Milo somewhere in the sky above them, watching over Bowl Top Mountain.

   Christy looked at David sleeping peacefully and whispered, “It’s going to be a beautiful Sunday.” The pentagon felt warm, safe, and full of quiet magic  the kind Milo seemed to leave behind wherever he went.

Written By Jack W. Horn

9/13/2026