Roberto let out a blood-curdling squawk of terror, remembering the horror stories. Many older siblings enjoyed frightening their little brothers and sisters with tales of viscous eagles, and his own sister had done the same. Only the other day had Felipe told Roberto about one such eagle attacking him and Azalea's deceased cousin, Adelaide, when they were young.

Roberto couldn't believe it. It was like a nightmare. His future brother-in-law was trying to kill him. Jespa had planted the trail of feathers to lure him away from the others. Jespa had lured him into a death trap.

The eagle's eyes glinted with satisfaction as it flew for it's new target, since it's original one had vanished. So shocked, Roberto couldn't react fast enough - he was then thrust into reality at the feeling of barb-like claws hooking onto his wing. Roberto shrieked as the eagle threw him at the nearest tree trunk. He scrambled desperately to his feet, whirling around and diving into the trees. He knew from the sound of eagle cries and beating wings that it was right behind him - claws lashed at his tail, skimming the ends. Never had he felt this terrified.

Sophia gasped as Roberto came flying out of a tree, his eyes blazing with panic and terror. "Fly for it!" He screeched; then they knew why. A Harpy eagle came crashing after him, and before the others could hide, it spotted them too, and it's eyes blazed with hungry delight as it took in the choice of prey. Sophia's immediate thought was little Bruno - he had frozen, brown eyes wide with terror as he saw the huge grey bird. With a shriek of fear, Isabella plucked him from the air, and without hesitation, dived behind the tree trunk. Azalea seized Sophia, shoving her into some branches - the sharp twigs scraped into her skin, and she felt it tear.

"Azalea -" she protested, but she knew there was the reason behind Azalea's frenzy. She had heard the story of an eagle attack on Felipe and Adelaide. Azalea dived into the branches as well, where she pressed against Sophia, shaking with fright.

Carlos leapt into action, squawking bravely and launching himself at the eagle's head - but the battle cry turned to a cry of agony as the eagle's beak talons slashed upon his wing, before tossing him brutally to the side. Carlos smacked into a branch, before he began to hurtle through space. But his claws snagged a branch below, intercepting his fall, where he lay there, stunned. Meanwhile, Jacinta attempted to flee, but gasped, her wing pressed against her spine. Her advanced age did not allow her to move fast.

The eagle, spotting the weak one, hissed. It tore toward the elderly female, but Roberto came hurtling through the air, attacking the eagle from behind. Distracted from Jacinta, the eagle focused on it's original prey. Azalea, to Sophia's surprise, ran to help Jacinta. She pulled Jacinta's wing over her shoulder, and dragged her toward the safety of a leafy branch, to conceal her. Sophia looked at the tree trunk, but Isabella and Bruno had vanished. But then she heard Roberto shriek.

She spun round, and was horrified by what she saw. The eagle had twisted it's head, hooking the curved beak into Roberto's shoulder. He cried out, as the eagle tossed him at a tree trunk, in a similar force as it had done to Carlos. Roberto slumped down the trunk, clinging onto his shoulder, gasping as his wing came away crimson. The eagle landed on the branch, making it shudder. It advanced upon Roberto, hissing as it did, the taste of his blood making it's hungry eyes feverish and frenzied. Roberto stared up at it, and, with no other option, held up his wings to try and shield his face. Sophia was briefly frozen, but then the urge to protect the bird she loved kicked in. A threatening hiss came from her beak, and, with bushed feathers, she rose her wings.

"Sophia, no!" Azalea cried, in protest. Too late. Sophia launched herself at the eagle, claws sinking into the bulk of it's back. Her talons found powerful muscles - this eagle was healthy, and based by the size, female. Healthy eagles were more deadly, and female ones were larger and more powerful. I'm in trouble. The eagle recoiled from Roberto, who was still clinging onto his shoulder, still in shock.

The eagle swung it's head violently, making Sophia flail up and down, her talons in it's back the only thing preventing her from being thrown away. She sank her beak into the crest of feathers in it's head, ripping out a large amount. The eagle screeched, and then it took flight. She hoped it was to flee, but she was wrong. The eagle floundered around in the air, trying to shake her loose, it's talons searching for her. She couldn't do this by herself - her claws were loosening, and she was lurching dangerously.

"Get out of here, you bully!" Carlos, flying oddly with his wing, finally recovered. He latched his claws into the eagle's wing, and then the eagle was under seige by a third macaw, for Azalea was now lashing out at it's tail, catching the skin of it's lower back. In the corner of Sophia's eye, she caught a glimpse of Isabella holding a piece of moss to Roberto's shoulder, to halt the bleeding, but he was trying to push her away, attempting to help the others. Sophia froze; where was Bruno?

But then she saw him. Cowering behind a young female, while three others headed for the Harpy eagle, squawking. Isabella must have sent him to get help. The eagle's grey plumage was now invisible under a writhing mass of blue, and a flash of red from Azalea. For a second, Sophia thought it was going to fight, but then it was no longer fighting back. The eagle, realizing that it was no match for more macaws, turned, and fled, shaking off it's attackers. Sophia let go, and hovered with the others, trying to catch her breath. Her heart pounded with the adrenaline and fear of what had just happened.

Then she remembered Roberto. Sophia rushed to his side, looking frantically at Isabella, where she was holding moss over his injury. Roberto slouched, in a daze. Isabella's attention was pulled away as Bruno came rushing from behind the female, wings outstretched to get to his mother. Sophia held the sides of his face, turning it upwards. "Eyes on me." She said, firmly, and at the sound of her voice, he looked up with dazed eyes.

By now, the others had recovered. Isabella was now hugging Bruno to her chest, forgetting the injury, but that was understandable. Sophia held the moss to his shoulder instead, risking taking a look. She was relieved to see that it wasn't too deep, and the blood was no longer running out of the wound. Jacinta, rubbing her spine, was watching cautiously for the eagle in case it came back, while Carlos was examining his wing, wincing, one of the patrol members trying to see what was wrong with it.

"What happened?" Asked Azalea, in a shaken voice. All eyes turned to Roberto. His pained expression was fixed on Sophia.

"Jespa." He rasped. She blinked, not understanding.

"What?" She asked.

"Jespa lead the eagle to me." Roberto said, eyes closing. Horrified gasps sounded from behind Sophia - it took a few moments for it to sink in, and then overwhelming horror washed over her, making her feel sick. She swayed violently, and she felt Azalea's wings supporting her. My own brother. He tried to kill him.

Later

Roberto flinched as Mateo applied the plant poultlice to his wound. Sophia, clutching onto his wing, looked ridden with guilt - so many times had she apologized to him, and no matter how much he told her it wasn't her fault, Sophia felt guilty. They were in Eduardo's tree - the patriarch was pacing up and down, muttering curses under his breath, while Mimi stood to the side with a face like thunder. The morning patrol members, and other witnesses, were also present - the patrol Bruno had fetched, and Azalea. Since Bruno was too young for this serious matter, he was in his father's care. The poor chick was traumatized.

It had been a few hours since the attack. Dozens of patrols had been sent out to hunt Jespa down, and bring him back to the ravine so he could be brought to justice. There was no excuse this time. It wasn't an accident - Jespa had attempted to murder Roberto, just to hurt Sophia. The news had spread like wildfire, and it had not gone down well.

Roberto had told Eduardo every detail. How he had been lured away by a trail of planted Hyacinth feathers, how Jespa had appeared, a Harpy eagle chasing him - then Jespa had fled, leaving Roberto to fend for himself. How that same eagle had endangered the lives of Carlos, older and vulnerable Jacinta, a mother and chick, and, to make things even worse, the matriarch of another tribe. If something had happened to Azalea, for all they knew, Felipe would have declared war after peace had been achieved.

There was no question of what was going to happen to Jespa. This madness had to end.

"We've found him." Jewel said, grimly, appearing in the entrance. She had been the first to lead out a search party, and since seizing a criminal wasn't Blu's scene, he had kept the kids busy. But now, Roberto was certain they would be watching. Behind Jewel, Jespa's grunts and struggles were heard, and the hisses of other macaws - a large audience had gathered outside, and many were booing and jeering. Attempted murder was not tolerated.