Sentence:  And, by the way, during those halcyon days (the <WSD>halcyon</WSD> was there, too, chattering above every creek, as he is all over the world) we fought another battle. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  In classical legends, a bird said to nest on the sea, thereby calming the waters; later usually identified with a type of kingfisher, hence  a kingfisher.