fire. [o]

[Nessa]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2psq77s.jpg] "And then he dived, claws outstretched as he reached into the roaring coals, fire lapping at this tail and the air twisting itself like a live thing around his wings. It pushed to pull him from the sky, battling its will against his own and - rahhh!" The yell was copied in the squeals as he tottered forwards with his wins half raised. Owlets just on their feathers pushed over each other to get out of his way. Kale grinned, feathers fluffing up in pride. And Barden said he had no skills as a tale teller. Practise. Of course he was going to get better at this when he knew his audience. It would be worse when the new owlets and trainees came along...But of course he'd win those over as well. "What happened next!" As if none of the owlets had a mind of their own they all leaned forwards, eyes wide. Oh, Kale was loving this. "Why....You'll have to find out tomorrow night," he said warmly, lifting his head up to pull himself up higher. Practically glowing from all the attention. "Did you loose your talon like that?" Kale blinked, lifting the foot out of habit to clench it just to see if there was in fact a deadly talon missing. "Why-" "No! The idiot hit a tree!" There was a scattering of churrs along the back of the group that spread to the owls at the front. Kale flinched as if struck. Who - oh, hagsmire if he lost an audience because of this! He hissed, opening his wings in one burst that had owlets screeching and scurrying away in little hops. "Come back tomorrow if you dare! Now leave! Before I curse you to be moon blinked." The jest had owlets running to do whatever it was that was expected of them. Sometimes he felt guilty for using threats like that...Most of the time he didn't. Shaking in the way that birds do to settle their feathers he stalked away, glaring at the particularly innocent looking group of owls nearby. When were they going to stop that? It wasn't as though he'd purposely flown into the tree. Had they njot all made mistakes? Were not all Guardians equal? Well, some were more equal in terms of abilities than others. His own Ryb, for example, was much more euqal than those scribbling fools in the Ga'Hoology Chaw. That made him pull his head in a little more in guilt of his thoughts. He had family in that Chaw... "Blinking frinks," he mumbled, "I'll show them..." He would! They were to be taken out again to the fires to gather more coals soon, not that he'd heard that directly. He'd heard the rumours, supposidly from the meeting itself, and that was enough for him. It was an incredibly self satisfying thought to know his job was of such importance to the tree. words| 487 tag| open notes| kale's being an arrogant bug >3

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[Fin]

A great grey sat on his own at a nestmaid, deep in his thoughts as he held a cup of milkberry tea gently in his talons. The snake, knowing the ryb well enough to know he was too lost in contemplation to talk, slithered an 'excuse me' before slithering off toward another group of owls that had just arrived in the dining hollow. He nodded subconsciously to her, but his beak stayed firmly shut.

Recently, an alarming number of Tytos were being reported wearing regalia, or turning up at the tree wounded. It troubled him deeply as he remembered what his father had told him about the so-called Pure Ones. His father had been just a fledgling when their tyranny was at an all-time-high. He wrote few works about it, having little memory of it, but what he did write was enough to make you yeep. Poems of their night raids on families of owls, of the stealing of young Tytos and the crushing of eggs. Leonidas had never really understood the trouble that stirred deep in his father's gizzard, but now he knew.

Hearing a scream of an owlet, his thoughts were dissipated as he flashed his head up, eyes urgently searching for the cause as he stood tall. Leo put the cup down on the floor and flew over to where the noise had originated, but was calmed when it was only a young owl telling a story.

Rekindled fear set in his gizzard - A Tyto!

The great grey stood, almost stuck to the spot, but no one would have noticed him among a crowd of owls. Blinking back to reality, he watched as the young owlets run away. When he looked back at the owl and studied him a little, he was relieved - he was a Tyto who had been born here, raised by the Guardians, untainted by the thoughts of the Remnants.

"Something wrong, Leo?" A voice hooted deeply behind the owl.

Leonidas swivelled his head quickly, the rest of his body following when he saw who it was - Arctus!

"N-nothing, your Highness." The great grey stumbled, fluffing his wing feathers a little to try and hide his previous ruffled state. He knew how Arctus felt about owls identifying eachother simply by species and the opinions that followed it. Stereotypes were what the King hated the most. Flicking one last, confused look over at who he now knew was Kale, he flapped his wings and took off, heading for the exit of the hollow, off to his own office.

"So, Kale." The long-eared owl hooted, the tufts on his head halfway raised. He settled himself less than a wing's length away from the young owl and turned his head, looking for his nestmaid before calling her over when he spotted her. "You've been excellent in our chaw recently. Are you enjoying the life of a collier, lad?"

[Nessa]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2psq77s.jpg] Right now what the tree needed was hope more than anything. Kale snorted slightly at his memory of the bedraggled owl-thing that had appeared from no where, preaching that they - they! The Guardians of the Tree of Ga'Hoole were under threat from some outside thought. The pure Ones were no problem to those as mighty as the Guardians. Years of training had honed skills that were second nature. They would crush whatever tried to destroy the peace in the owl kingdoms. He was too full of self-importance to realise what he was thinking was almost exactly what the Remnants would have wanted to do to the Guardians themselves. There was too much anger and hate on both sides, perhaps. But Kale didn't see it. He saw his friends and family around him and fiercely hated the idea of loosing it all. Especially to some owls who appeared from nowhere. But what a story it would make if there was! Heroes would be made and broken if there was another...war. Names would be froged from the blood of the enemy and battle claws would be forged in their hundreds. His father would be so proud of him to hear him thinking like a historian. He churred slightly to himself at the thought. He wasn't an historian though, was he? He was a Collier! Braving the fires and battling with the air! Led into danger by none another than - "So, Kale." The Barn owl almost fell over as he twisted to face his Ryb and King. Arctus. "It, it's more than I could have ever hoped for, sir," he answered, bobbing his head in greeting even as he tried to straighten to his full height - nothing compared to the Great Horned Owl in front of him - just to try and make some sort of impresion on him. King Arctus was paying atttention to him. Him! When there were plenty of other owls, Rybs of other Chaws, Co-Rybs, and old friends for him to talk to. The thought almost made him go yeep from the shock of it all, only it would have made him look stupid considering he had both his feet on solid wood and no air under his wins. Plus he was only talking to him. Only...Even if he was being called 'lad'. There was not, according to his nestmaid, that much of an age difference between him and the King. Two or three years at the most. He was no longer just a Trainee. He was a Full Guardian. "It's been much more of a challenge than I thought it would be, sir - but what's life without a challenge?" He regretted saying that almost immediately, of course. Who was he to speak to the King like he knew him! Just a regular Guardian. Full Guardian, his mind reminded him out of habt. He'd been dealing with just a few self doubt issues since the incident with the tree, nothing that couldn't be fixed with a bit of adventure and flying, but they hadn't been out in...Well, a while. "Apparantly we're in for more challenges soon, sir? Someone mentioned the chaw would be going out again soon, for coals." Not to mention the idea of these...Pure Ones. That would keep owls on their toes without the tales even making a full scale appearance. All they needed was for old Metalbeak to appear and claim he was back from the dead, it would complete the story! He wasn't going to believe the ravings of some half dead owl from nowhere who'd joined the Guardians with no merrits or, or talent. Who was to say this owl wasn't lying to them to get them to doubt themselves? Who was to say this owl was trying to spread bad moral through the tree? Well, it wasn't going to work on him. The idea of upsetting the King with the thought was the only thing that stopped him from telling Arctus just what he thought on the matter. That and the idea that Arctus might stop him from going out with the Chaw next time... words| 710 tag| fin notes| thanks for joining!

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[Fin]

The tall long-eared sat comfortably infront of the owl, ears perked to what he was saying. Arctus rested his warm, amber eyes on the Tyto as he spoke, admiring the owl's way with words. Previous to his arrival, Arctus had just finished in Parliament speaking to the rybs, warning them of a brutal winter that was to follow. It didn't take a weather interpretation student to understand that snow had been falling more regularly, or the severe drop in temperature. Arctus had sent most Rybs away like Leonidas, himself staying behind to take his notes back to his hollow. He had heard Kale's story telling from a distance away, caught up with a young owl questioning him about the legends of Ga'hoole, asking him about Lyze of Kiel, which Arctus felt his duty to tell the owlet about.

When he next looked over at Kale, he noticed Leo standing nearby, almost frozen. It was as if he knew what the old owl was thinking - whether it was fears of the Pure Ones returning, or just the sight of a Tyto Alba that froze him, Arctus knew not. Having sent the Ryb away, he began to appreciate the young owl more hearing him speak so confidently. He wasn't lying when he said he was performing well in Colliering.

"I know our younger trainees look up to you, my boy. They rely on your courage when facing fire." Arctus responded thoughtfully, slowly nodding his head once to confirm what he said. He had seen the little owls mimicing Kale's movements, and he was thankful for it. Though he was young, he would make a good co-ryb.

"Rose!" Arctus hooted loudly, though not enough to silence anyone in the noisy dining hollow. He was calling for his nestmaid, and it wasn't long before a long, black-striped purple snake slithered expertly between crowds of owls, carrying two cups.

"Hello, Arctus... and you must be Kale? He talks a lot of you in his hollow." The snake hissed, her unseeing eyes turned to the Tyto, before moving between the two. "Milkberry tea, sirs?"

"Excellent, Rose! Take a cup, Kale." Arctus said with gusto, picking up one of the two cups and drinking out of it slowly, enjoying the taste of the well-cared for berry that grew on their home. Referring to his earlier question, Arctus hooted after drinking out of his cup: "You heard right, my lad. We are set to visit the Volcanos before winter truely sets in. It will be very testing, and I'm afraid we can't bring out our younger members." Lowering his cup a little, Arctus looked Kale square in the eye, adding lowly: "It could be dangerous, being so close to the Kingdom of Tyto. I'll make no special case of you Kale, but I plead you to be more careful than usual with these Remnants about. They aren't stories."

[◦myth ♫◦]

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[atrb=background,http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii286/Shiny_Pikachu/sindari2.png,true] The female could see the tree come into sight. "Phew," she hooted to herself. "Tis about time." she chucked lightly as she slowed to a glide, nearing the dining hollow. There was a racket coming from it, but the Great Horned did suppose it was.... well, dinner time. Twisting the tips of her wings slightly, she stooped down and flapped her wings, slowing herself down as she landed at the entrance. Or at least, made some kind of attempt..? She'd timed it wrong and felt her feet give way. "Whoah!" Sindari called, slippng over a wet leaf and landing with a sound smack on the floor. Quickly, Sindari leapt to her feet, brushing herself off. She coughed, wiping that leaf from her foot, scowling at it as she did so. She heard some owlets sniggering at her, so she turned to glare, and they shrank back into their little corner. "Hmph. Owlets, think they know how easy it is to land." she growled under her breath, turning from the owlets to see most of the hollow pointing and staring at her. She cleared her throat. "Oh, nobody leap up and help the poor owl." she said sarcastically. She felt her skin turn hot underneath her feathers; damned clumsiness! Why was it always her? She grumbled, and waddled through the crowd, her wings tight to her body, her eyes staring at the floor. She bumped into someone, and looked up. Her eyes went wide with horror; "Oh, urr... K-King Arc-Arctus! I, uh, I didn't, s-see you there..." she mumbled, moving her eyes down to the floor. GOD DAMNIT! Description = 4e8dbb Speech = 729bb8

[Nessa]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2psq77s.jpg] If Arctus knew better he might not have been stoking the fire of Kale's ego, but he didn't know better (Kale wasn't one to flaunt his love of praise around the older owl, even if he couldn't exactly cover it up) and the mere idea that the younger trainees looked up to him was enough to...Well. He'd be keeping an eye on them next. He'd have to try harder. Be better, take more notice of the air currents, watch the fires with even more vigilance, he'd have to, he'd have to - anything to become even better. He wasn't going to just stop trying now that a few owls took notice of him, no. He had to be everything that his stories were made of. Kale wasn't going to go and let anyone down now. "I'm...honoured that they do, sir," he hooted in reply, not helping the way his body straightened as he spoke. He wasn't sure if it was a compliment from the Ryb or not. There was no knowing what the owl was thinking of. For all he knew Arctus could be dissaproving of him and not like the fact that others were looking up to him. No, no, he was sure if wasn't as bad as all that. If it was he'd know. He'd be getting a warning about his behaviour if he was. "I will try not to mislead them," Kale added, body dropping a little. He was forced into silence while Arctus called the maid and he was grateful for it. He'd never truly been required to say all that much to anyone of any particular rank. Confident he may have been, but he was conscious of what he was saying. One wrong thing and poof. All his hard work would be for nothing. The nestmaid snakes always had a way of...making Kale nervous. Of course he'd grown with his own nesmaid and he didn't actually dislike them, it was only that...He always felt he should be helping them with things. They were blind. How did they manage to do anything, let alone do the work all around the tree? He shifted, claws clicking on the dry wood. "Yes, Ma'am; pleasure to meet you." Kale reached for the cup after a moment's pause, hoping, by glaumora, that he wasn't shaking. Arctus spoke of him in his hollow. It nearly made his dizzy. He wasn't disapproved of, which was a great relief, and he was being noticed! Kale was almost swaying as he sipped his tea. "Ah, thank you," he added in a mumbled to the little snake. "They will be disappointed to not be going, sir." How many times as a trainee had he been kept back and seethed about it? But it had kept him from making a fool of himself and dying too early. At least he wasn't going to be the one to break it to them. That would get him more than a few...Actually, what if he did? Just mentioned it in passing to the rest of the Chaw, that Arctus was the one to have told him? But what if the older owl had already told more than him, he'd look a fool for passing on knowledge that everyone already knew! Let the others find out for themselves, he wouldn't get in trouble for telling them early at any rate. Surely the great Arctus wasn't worried about this group - these Remnants? What danger did they pose to him? The great owl was one of the best fliers in the Tree, a brilliant Collier, a great King! These owls were, were pathetic compared to him. "I promise you, sir, I'll keep an eye out." Would he though? Maybe, since he'd promised, but...What was the point? It wasn't like they'd attack a group of Guardians so close to the fires - fires that this particular group knoew their way around like their own hollow. Something dampened his enthusiasm, howev: he'd never fought near the flames. He took a larger sip of his tea, eyes downcast. Could he? Fight around the fire? He didn't know. He hoped he would be able to if the times called for it. So emgrossed in his talk with the king he'd barely noticed what was going on around him. He missed everything from the passing of nestmaids to the entrance of other owls - even an entrance as spectacular as Sindari's. It was probably just as well that he did miss it, but he couldn't miss her bumping into his Ryb. Kale choked slightly on his tea, stiffening. What was she doing? Didn't she have enough wits about her to...to...to at least look at who was in the room! "Sindari!" he hissed, mortified for her (not that she needed him to be embarrassed for her, no doubt she was embarrassed as it was). In some attempt to try and rescue the situation in his own way (the wrong way, no doubt) he began to stutter an introduction for her. "T-this is Sindari, sir, of the Search and Rescue Chaw, n-no doubt you've heard of her. She's excellent at it..." he finished weakly, shrinking back slightly. Maybe if he slipped away he'd be able to get away without getting on the bad side of either party. Who was he to he to introduce the pair of them? With his luck they probably already knew each other... words| 931 tag| fin notes| hero worship much? >.> *hides* EDIT: erm, replied to myth's post as well! i figured he'd at least know a little of her since they share a hollow...area, house, place, dorm, bunk - yeah!

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[Fin]

Arctus sipped the rest of his tea contently, watching the young owl as he spoke. When he had finished his tea, he passed the cup tentatively back to his nestmaid, hooting a low 'thank you' as not to interrupt the Tyto. Returning to his full height, the King smiled at the Barn owl, hearing his evident worries over the younger owls in the chaw being disappointed, but the older owl merely chucked deeply.

"They aren't missing much. In fact, one look at the place and that could change their mind. Steam vents blowing up at you, knocking you sensless, rough air currents, you name it. Treacherous place." He added at the end. The long eared owl opened his beak to speak again, but the words were knocked right out when another owl bumped into him.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, regaining his posture slowly. His feathers were slightly fluffed up, but with a few quick flaps of his wings he was settled again. Shaking his head, he looked over at the owl who bumped into him, noticing she was avoiding his eyes. "No worries, young lady, it's very crowded in here." He hooted heartily, stepping along to the right a little to make more space infront of Rose.

Nodding to Kale when he introduced her, he squinted his eyes a little at Sindari, before pulling his head back. "Of course, I'd recognise that face anywhere - I knew your father." He hooted cheerfully, looking down to Rose before adding "Another cup of Milkberry tea please, m'am." She hissed a response and slithered away into the crowd.

"So," Arctus began, looking between the two owls, "excited for the Milkberry festival? Going to be a good one this year - lots of fruit on the tree. I expect that you, as full-guardians now, will be a big help in the harvest?" His amber eyes cast over both owls as he waited for their answers. Some may say it is just a distraction from the trouble happening outside of their tree, that they should be helping families of owls who have lost their homes or relatives, but it was what the hard-working Guardians needed the most - a distraction..

[◦myth ♫◦]

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[atrb=background,http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii286/Shiny_Pikachu/sindari2.png,true] How embarrassing. Sin couldn't think of anything more embarrassing. Anything at all. How much she wished she would just... burst into flames and disappear and no one would have to worry about her crashing into them. Forcing those macabre thoughts down into nothingness, the female drew a smile across her beak. True, Kale had hissed at her (but she'd crashed into the KING! Of all owls...) but he meant well. He introduced her and Sindari felt more nervous. When Arctus mentioned her father, her smile turned more rueful. "Aah, yes. M-my father," she mumbled quietly. "He spoke to me the other day. Mother laid a new batch of eggs and they're both excited; I was the only owlet that survived last time around." Sindari chuckled a little, though it sounded a little dark. Truthfully, Sindari had been pretty lonely as an owlet; there hadn't been many other Great Horned owlets at the time she was growing up, so she resorted to talking to herself. "Though my father is considering retiring being a guardian. He did admit he's not the owl he used to be." she laughed a little. Her dad was getting old; this brood would probably be their last, and he deserved to get some time off. Milkberry festival? Oh! how could she forget? Sindari loved milkberry festivals. "I certainly am looking forward to it. It'll be nice and fun, I guess." Sindari gave a light shrug. She didn't really know if it would differ this year, though she hoped none of the crazy tytos turned up and ruined everything. Because that really would suck, she did suppose. "I'll make sure I round up some younger owls to help; I hope they don't expect us adults to do all the work for them!" Sindari laughed again, and this time it was a proper, hearty laugh. It felt like she hadn't laughed for a good, long time. It was strange that she felt happier, almost lighter around Arctus. For a few brief moments her face turned to one of horror; did she..? No. He was the king; he could have any female he wanted. Why choose plain old Sindari? With an inward sigh, Sindari tried to distract herself with more conversation. "The weather is... urrr... nice-ish today?" Description = 4e8dbb Speech = 729bb8

[Nessa]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2psq77s.jpg] Didn't mean that they wouldn't be begging to go there, Kale mused, almost hurt at the King's disregard for what he'd said. They would care. It was treacherous, it was dangerous but that was why they would want to go. What other fun was there but adventure in such a Chaw as theirs? A Collier lived for danger! Or at least he did. Maybe he wasn't the stereotypical Collier and he didn't choose what others thought but Colliers were not soft hearted! Some would say soft headed, though, for flying into the flames...Bah! What did their opinion matter anyway? Why should the view of others stop those who had the skill from proving themselves to the tree? "When has common sense ever mattered to the young?" he hooted, half hoping he'd appear all the more intelligent for his words and a little less young himself. Not so many years between them...He lived in hope, he supposed. The King was mature and wise beyond his years, a true leader! He was everything that Kale would never be, had the rank and respect Kale doubted he'd ever have from the owls in the tree. Did it really matter that he never would? Well, yes. What mattered even more, though, was that he tried to get that respect from this owl. Imagine what people would think if he was at least spoken highly of by the King himself! Forget the people who laughed at him, they'd be eating their own words. He could just imagine the looks on their faces! But he lost the chance to speak more on the Chaw at Sindari's arrival, and he doubted the subject would ever come up again. It would be rude to talk of the Colliering Chaw with a Search and Rescue with them. The thought made them sound like two completely different species... A thought that was only made more poignant as they spoke of something he didn't know about. Kale didn't particularly like not being a part of any conversation. He didn't particularly like being pushed to one side – even if it wasn't what they were doing and it was all his own fault for introducing them to each other – and talked over. He was sure they meant nothing by it, he was sure, and they were being rather polite by actually speaking about it without acting as though he should leave them alone. Very polite. There was nothing worse than being pushed out of a conversation and then the owls in question acting like he had no right to stay there any more. Maybe, and this was a very small chance mind you, just maybe he was being bitter about it all. Sindari's father knew the King. It he was human Kale would have bitten the inside of his lip, as it was he concentrated on handing the cup back to the nestmaid who'd been kind enough to offer him it before she slithered away. Only half of it drunk. "Thank you," he mumbled, eyes on the pair of Great Horned owls in front of him. maybe he was being a little bitter. It was perfectly reasonable for a King to know an older member of a Chaw, he'd probably had top have gotten to know them when he became ruler of the tree, getting to know the older members so they wouldn't mind how you changed things...Sindari's father knew the king. What did his know? The dates of old battles and a couple of old dusty owls that wrote their own books on things. He swallowed slightly, ignoring – or rather, not hearing - both the darker laugh that Sindari gave off and the question Arctus asked of them both. It was only when Sindari answered that he realised anything had been said. If he wasn't then panicking about missing it he might have been offended by the term full-Guardian now. "It'll be...fun." Kale floundered. What did he think of the Milkberry festival? Of being out in the cold, slowly freezing weather all day? Not a great deal, to be sure. There was nothing more worrying for him that being outside all day in weather that wasn't good for any owl. Maybe both Arctus and Sindari could put up with it but he didn't have the full feather coverage that they had. His feathers were softer and there was a great deal less of them then there was covering the two Great Horned owls. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wished he had their advantage. Both insulating and good at keeping out the fire. Except in the summer he suspected it was a great deal harder to put up with. Kale shifted, one leg lifting to allow his foot to clench before he put it back. This was not going the way he'd wanted it to go...He jumped at the chance for a change in subject. "It's been stiller, I think, than recently," he added, hoping it was the right thing to say. words| 831 tag| fin notes| LAAAAAAATE and kale's being a butt munch as per usual. ignore him, he needs the humility.

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[Fin]

The King was pleased with Sindari's mature approach to him speaking of her father, nodding when she replied. A new brood. Though it was probably just wishful thinking, he hoped that the owlets would grow up to be just like their father, just like Sindari - the type of Owl this tree needed. It also marked the start of a new generation, a new beginning, and hopefully by the time they are old enough the threat of the remnants would have been nullified. He would never allow such a problem to fall onto the shoulders of the young owls of the future, to cripple thei rminds and thrust the world back into panic. No, that future was all any Guardian would need to inspire his gizzard and take flight in order to stop them.

Ear tufts lifting, Arctus felt an uncomfortable shift in Kale. He had gone quiet in the last few moments. Flicking his amber eyes over to the young Tyto and back to Sindari with unnoticable curiosity, the King shifted his wings a little. It was obvious as to why the young owl had become so uncomfortable - the conversation was not about him, it was instead about someone else, someone the King held in higher regard. It was suprising to see such jealousy from a noble, fresh Guardian, one who usually would show great courage and good intentions. Opting to ignore the small change in the Tyto's mood, Arctus nodded to Sindari again.

"The young owls will be summoned, as always. The path to self-discipline lies out there, not in a warm hollow sipping tea." He hooted to both owls, before continuing, "These cold days do indeed bring stiller days, but with the stiller days follows biting winds, temperatures low enough to freeze an owl's gizzard. It was only a few moons ago that it was so cold that parts of the great Sea surrounding us froze beneath the mist - saved a few lives, destroyed many." Arctus recalled the short months where thin floats of ice stalked the water's surface, where if an owl plummeted to the depths, it would either hold them until rescue came, or drown them without a sound.

"Anyway, young ones, I must leave. Parliament duties - it is soon that we will select a War Cabinet." Arctus hooted gravely to the two, his eyes downcast. It wouldn't take much to understand he was sad to see it happen, but no one could doubt the fire that burned in his gizzard, as hot as the coals he handles. "We must prepare for the coming storm."

With a final nod to both owls, Arctus stretched his wings wide before taking off, diving out of the Dining Hollow and heading straight for the Parliament's hollow.

_{(I might bring in another character, say, Lupinus? After you both reply, of course )}