“Forty-three!  Forty-three generations of my family have lived in these woods, and now, all one hundred and seventy four of us are homeless.”  Grandmother Crow, lineage keeper of her family was angry.  How can she pass on The Knowledge of the Family when the family no longer has a place to call home.

She turned around and looked at the devastation of the woods.  Men stomping all over her home territory, machinery digging holes, pushing down trees, demolishing homes, places of safety for so many, and all of the men being so very disrespectful.

“Forty-three generations.  Lost.”

She moved to the edge of the land which had been her family home and called loudly for a conclave.  When all were gathered together, it was an amazing sight.  No-one had been injured or killed, the Watchers had been very vigilant and able to give good warning, but now, the way forward must be planned.  And she needed to share The Knowledge to several others who would be able to lead the way towards finding a new home.

In the conclave, Grandmother Crow summoned the seven oldest, most advanced acolytes and in a complicated dance of sharing, she passed The Knowledge to each of them that it may not be lost.  No longer was she the queen of her family.  When the ceremony was complete, she turned and quickly left the devastation behind.

Hours later, weary, lonely, Grandmother Crow settled into a tree far from her home territory.  She was very tired, but most of all she was filled with melancholy.  Hours later she was woken by a giant eagle landing in the tree. 

“Grandmother Crow,”  the eagle said, “are you alright?  You seem despondent.”

Grandmother Crow sighed.  “Yes, Brother Eagle, I am finding the ways of men to be uncaring and destructive.  My home is destroyed, my family scattered, and I am not sure where to go from here.”

They sat in silence for a while before Brother Eagle spoke.  “Grandmother, I am Eagle, I fly high in the heavens and look down on the tiny lives of humans.  I, and my brethren have seen much which even you and your family would consider to be amazing.  If you are no longer anchored to this part of the wood, why don’t you fly high too and see what else of wonder you can find?”

Grandmother Crow looked at Eagle and for the first time since the men had destroyed her home and scattered her family, she felt a small pulse of excitement.  “Brother Eagle, you have amazing sight and you are wise.  I will take your advice, and fly high.  Thank you.”

Brother Eagle dipped his head and with a flap of his large wings, he jumped into the sky, then after circling above for a while, he flew away, far into the distance.

Grandmother Crow watched him until he disappeared from sight, then she too leapt off her branch, flapped her wings, and rose into the sky.  In large curving spirals, she climbed higher, and ever higher.  The earth fell away beneath her and the sky began to turn dark, yet still she climbed.

Grandmother Crow entered into The Void.  A place where all is just potential.  Nothing is there until thought brings it into the world of existence.  At first she just continued flying, without thought, but very soon thoughts moved into her head and she realised that she needed companionship, crows are never meant to live alone.  Another spiral higher and thought came again into her head from The Void:  her family would already be setting up new homes, making new hierarchies without her.  Where could she go?  A third thought came into her mind I will go to the opposite side of the world and see what is there.

And so, Grandmother Crow, started to spiral downwards again, through the darkness of all potentiality into clean, bright light.  She could feel the warmth healing her body, and very soon she could see an ancient forest in a land very different from her home.  Her future was now filled with limitless potential.