Eagle Riders

I was about 9 years old and was lost in a huge forest. I climbed a trail up to the top of a hill where suddenly I was surrounded by people on giant eagles. One of them was golden and without a rider. He seemed sad, so I sat with him and talked to him and scruffed up under the feathers behind his head. There was a giant louse, which I pulled off of him.
"Feed it to him," one of the riders said. The camp grew quiet watching us.
I fed the eagle, he took it and then crunched it up. Then he licked me.
"Looks like you have a new friend."
When morning broke, the riders were gone and I was alone with the giant eagle. He had a saddle and I was able to get it strapped on and, though scared a bit I climbed on.
We leapt from the hillside and bounded into the air. "I can see my town from up here," I shouted. There was a whooshing noise as one of the riders and his great brown bird dropped out of the clouds right next to me.
"Lets fly there," he shouted.
He then shouted instructions on how to use the reins to command the bird, (Rather than drag his head around.) The right rein was up and down, the left was roll left or right. Both forward was dive both back was dive.
"When you get better you will be able to tell him what to do without the reins."
We flew towards my home and spotted the town guards out patrolling. I shouted down to them and we raced back to town. Everyone was glad I was OK. That was when I realized that I was going to be leaving my indenture to the sheppard I was working for, and would be joining the riders permanently. There were some tears, and the sheppard's wife made big lunches for all of the eagle riders, and two for me. We took off and circled the town once then headed towards the distant mountains in the south. During the flight the eagle told me that his previous rider had been killed in a fight with a flying snake, the image was of a wyvern, and he thought he would never have a partner again. I was a little concerned, as I couldn't see any weapons, and all I had was a sling. We practiced throwing sling stones from the air, then we would dive and catch them before they hit the ground. The Leader of the riders watched with a huge smile on his face. Soon I was flinging stones everywhere and the other riders were whooping and diving after them. Then flying right on top of us and dropping them back into my hands. We came across a huge herd of Bison like animals, the riders swooped over them until they spotted one having trouble keeping up with the herd. I was unprepared for the hunt and the lances and the blood. But after it was over I calmed down and enjoyed the meal with everyone else. The riders had spread out and gathered some roots and fruit to go with our share. I noticed that my eagle was just finishing a molt, he was very young, also. I slept under his wing and must admit was somewhat disappointed to wake up here instead of there.