72 THE RETURN

CHAPTER 72 THE RETURN On their long flight home, Brightbill and Glimmer soared above rolling waves, and above tall sea cliffs, and above the wide, flat tundra. They passed high above a beach and continued above the poison tide as it spread south through the ocean. After three days of flying, that familiar rocky shape appeared in the distance. The island looked awful. It was gray and spiked with dead trees and surrounded by cloudy water. But as the geese flew closer, the island's greener interior came into view. They glided over the hills and down into the forest, and there, following Loudwing through the undergrowth, were their precious little goslings. Not so little, actually. The goslings were growing fast. They'd already lost their fluff and were covered with silky feathers. Loudwing sang to the goslings as they waddled along. "Left, right, left, right, we walk like this when we're not in flight." And the goslings repeated, "Left, right, left, right, we walk like this when we're not in flight."

The old goose stopped suddenly, and the goslings piled up behind her. "Look who it is!" she whispered. The goslings smiled and squawked and flapped over to their parents, bonking into one another and tumbling across the ground. Brightbill and Glimmer wrapped their wings around the five little geese, and they all held each other close, for a very long time.