A/N: Been forever since I coughed up a GoGH fic. Decided to piece this one together, as it has been nagging at my mind for over a week now. Just a one-shot with no plot, yet stuffed with everything else. These kinds of things must be my specialty. And of course, who else would it be about other than my two favorite Barn Owls?
Enjoy, and please review!
You are My Healer, You Are My Giver
Even though I was wrapped up in the lucid dreams my mind weaved for me as I slumbered, something was not as it should be in the waking world.
There was no bubble of warmth beside me, no trace of that delicate milkberry scent or the feel of healthy feathers upon mine. I realized I was alone in the hollow she and I shared, and I grew curious as to where she had gone.
My sleep cycle ended prematurely, and I groggily stirred, the dream melting away like liquid nickel poured into a mold. Peeling my eyes open, my vision was foggy at first, but became crystal clear after I swept my third eyelid over both of them twice. I turned my head lazily to the right, and sure enough, there was an empty space in the nest beside me. I yawned and stretched my wings, flaring them wide as if in stationary flight.
I rose to my feet and thought, Where have you run off to, my love?
I stepped out of the nest and walked quietly over to the porthole, hoping that maybe she was perching on one of the nearby branches outside. Perhaps she could not sleep and had resorted to watching the dawn bleed immortal light and heat upon the Earth once more. I leaned carefully out and scanned in all directions, searching for her ivory plumage on land, in the sky, and in the Great Tree's multitude of boughs.
I did not catch sight of her, and I sighed.
I hopped down from the lip and perched on a sturdy branch just below, gripping the rough bark with my sharp talons. One week ago the time of the Copper-Rose Rain had begun, that relaxed, cool slice of the year when the aging earth prepared in advance for winter's icy brutality. The Great Tree was shedding its leaves at a modest amount, the auburn and golden fans spinning and dancing as they descended through the utterly still air.
The glow of a milky twilight painted the island and the water that encircled it, the hidden sun's rays peeking out from the eastern horizon, mirrored perfectly by the sheet of liquid called the Sea of Hoolemere.
It felt odd being awake at such an hour, as practically every owl and snake were sound asleep in their homes. That being said, there was no one I could ask to help me pinpoint Pelli's whereabouts.
She was somewhere on the island, of that much I was certain. It would take me no more than ten minutes to scour the grassy field surrounding the base of the tree and the beaches beyond, and I felt very sure I would find her eventually.
Drawing a cloud of the dry, ancient odor of the season into my lungs, I spread my wings and lofted into flight. Banking to the west, I sailed a few wingspans beneath the Tree's lowest boughs, my glossy black orbs directed downwards.
I drifted on as silent as a scroom, my wings working the air noiselessly. I glided over bushes and grass and rocks and sand all at once, spying nothing I recognized as my mate as I completed one quarter of a revolution.
Still heading in the same direction, I soared over the south sector. It was devoid of life, save for the few tiny voles scurrying about. To the eastern edge I directed myself, increasing my altitude slightly to take in more terrain.
And that was when I noticed a smudge of white sitting idly on top of a dull gray boulder entrenched in the sand.
It was keenly familiar, even from this distance, and my gizzard clenched in recognition. I slowed my flight speed and spiraled down to her, braking firmly with my wings as I came in for a smooth landing. I alighted neatly on the jagged slab and approached her from behind, planting myself on her right side.
"Hello, dear," she greeted softly, her gaze fixated on the unreachable eastern boundary of the world, where the blinding orb of the sun was due to rise. "I knew in my gizzard you would come looking for me the moment you discovered I was missing."
I replied, "Of course, Pelli. Part of me feels incomplete when I am not in your presence."
She whispered, "A profound example of true love, dear."
I smiled warmly and inched closer, my left wing brushing against her right.
"Why are you out here all by yourself, Pelli? It's almost First Light, and yesterday was very tiring for you and me."
At last she looked my way, her eyes gleaming like polished isinglass dyed the color of the night. Her expression was neutral, neither joyous nor downcast.
"I was too distracted to rest. I've been… thinking, Soren."
I cocked my head.
"Thinking about what?"
"Thinking about us… and my life before us…"
I rotated my head back to its normal upright position.
"Well… that is certainly interesting. Would you mind going more in-depth as to what you mean?"
"Alright, dear. But first, what do you say we leave this uncomfortable rock and head down to the shore?"
I motioned with my right wing.
"Lead the way, my love."
She fluttered down to the expanse of tawny grains, choosing a spot just out of reach of the water. I imitated her, tucking my wings away where they belonged and crouching down onto my belly.
She opened her beak to speak, but a pair of coughs escaped instead of words. She clenched her eyes and doubled over, making choking sounds as her stomach and breast rippled.
I was not alarmed in the least, as she was only ridding herself of a pellet.
But I still laid my wing tenderly upon her spine to provide her some comfort. She hacked and spluttered as the mass of fur and bones was forced out of her gut and up her throat. A tense few seconds later, she spit it out with a final harsh cough.
She gasped for breath to recuperate, gazing sheepishly at me.
"Thank you… Soren. I'll admit… I was caught off guard…"
"You're welcome, my love. But remember, we are owls, and it happens to all of us."
She widened her smile and turned it into one more genuine.
"I won't argue with you there," she said, her tone even and free of exertion.
She inhaled a quick breath and loosened up the muscles in her body, setting down onto her stomach. She preened her breast briefly and swelled her lungs with oxygen.
"I was a happy owlet, as my parents were devoted to me on a level that matched their devotion to each other. I was their only child, so it's fair to say I was spoiled and a bit unruly. I wanted them to give me all that I would ever want, and many times did I push them too far and earn a scolding. But nonetheless, they cared for me with all their hearts, and I loved them without bound."
She paused and averted her eyes, staring off in the same direction she had before.
"But when the Pure Ones came and invaded the Tyto Forest, recruiting for their twisted cause all the willing Barn Owls, and either enslaving or killing those who refused to ally with them… the only paradise I had thrived in since I hatched crumbled around me. I was about three years old then and capable of living on my own, but I was reluctant to leave my mother and father. But as fate had preordained since the day of my birth, I was eventually left with no choice."
She stalled yet again, a depressing sigh slipping from her beak.
"The Pure Ones tracked us down while we were on a food-gathering trip, and we, the hunters, became the hunted. They confronted us and ordered for us to surrender, and my parents denounced them. The angered squad of three closed in, battle claws flashing, and my mother and father shrieked at me to fly away as fast as my wings would carry me, and never look back. Torn between my survival instinct and the innate desire to defend them, I hesitated. One of them knocked me to the ground and threatened to slash me open, and I wounded my attacker enough to free myself and bolt."
She tilted her head down, and her talons dug into the gritty substrate.
"I will never forget the piercing screams that echoed among the pine and fir trees as my parents died by the Pure Ones' talons. I was alone, so alone, and I drowned myself in private grief for many moons. My outgoing nature changed, as did my selfish tendencies. The chilling pain of their loss affected me that profoundly. Waking up every day with the notion that my parents were gone forever turned me into a shadow of my former self, and many times I wondered if there was any point in my existence. I wished I had perished alongside them, and yet, I did not possess the courage to take my own life…"
She inhaled a much-needed breath, and then continued.
"In the aftermath of their murder, I despised the Pure Ones with every fiber of my being, vowing that should I ever run into another one of their filthy members, I would fight with all of my strength, even if it meant I met my demise in the process. But my vow was never completed, because not only did I not seek them out deliberately, but I was never found by another scouting party. I flourished in solitude, the natural beauty of the Tyto Forest allowing me to keep a grip on my sanity. It also provided a reason, however shaky, for me to treasure the single thing I owned: my life. Perhaps Glaux had a plan for me, and in some mysterious way influenced me to not succumb to depression."
It was then that she lifted her head and turned her entire body towards me, peering deep into the windows to my soul. In the most heartfelt timbre she had used so far, she parted the halves of her beak and spoke to me, her accent melodious and rich like a chorus sang by the angels of Glaux.
"After you rescued me from that fire and spent countless hours educating me in the ways of this magnificent place, a myth made real, you changed me, Soren. I recovered mentally and spiritually, piecing together the shards of who I used to be. You healed the wounds I had suffered and gave me a new purpose in life. You were someone I could appreciate and admire… someone I could offer my heart to when the time was right."
A heavy breath she inhaled, and then resumed the pouring out of her touching words.
"You came into my life at just the right moment, teaching me that love is a force that conquers all the negativity in this world. You proved to me that I could depend on you no matter what, and that life is always worth living… especially when you find that special someone who completes you and brings you joy in word and deed…"
She let her speech fade into the silence of the coming dawn, placing her wings upon my shoulders and drawing me closer.
"You are my whole world, Soren. Without you, there would never be me again. You are my mate, the father of my children, my king. I thank you for filling all of those roles with a determined gizzard, but most of all…"
She pressed her beak against mine in a sensual kiss, the rarest variety of passion known to owlkind coursing through me from head to tail and igniting my bones.
When she pulled away, she professed, "I thank you for pulling me from the darkness of my past and guiding me onward into a bright future… and I love you more than you shall ever understand…"
"I love you so deeply that you would drown while trying to dive to the bottom, Pellimore…"
She kissed me once more, dousing my senses in blissful pleasure. And when our beak-to-beak contact ended, we stared into each other's eyes endlessly, as if time no longer mattered. We said all that needed to be said through our gazes alone, a form of communication that was in some ways superior to the spoken word.
Our reverie was cut short when the limb of the sun peeked above the horizon, the scarlet light emanating from that intense sliver of color reflecting off of Pelli's eyes. We dared to observe it for all of two seconds, and then darted our eyes away so as not to damage our ultra-sharp vision.
"Isn't it absolutely wonderful to be outside at this time of day, dear? The display the Great Tree puts on due to the change in seasons… it truly is a sight to behold. And to think that we owls were designed to avoid it."
I smirked.
"You do have a point, love, I'll give you that. But Glaux has created us this way for a reason we need not try to understand. His wisdom is ancient and infinite, and he has not gone wrong in choosing how to design us mortals."
She blinked with her third eyelids and dipped her head.
"You are quite right, dear. I am merely saying that sleeping the day away and only thriving in the seductive night leaves something to be desired."
"Yes, I understand. That is but another boon from Glaux, the ability to think whatever you wish to think. You are in his image, but you are also an individual."
"Perhaps I should ask Glaux to transform me into a raven for a while, so that I may experience what it is like to be a crusader of the light," she quipped, chuckling melodiously.
"If it does happen, Otulissa would be all over you, a quill in one talon and a sheet of parchment in the other."
Her chortling intensified into laughter, and I found myself laughing along with her. My gizzard tingled as we quieted down, and I spun my head to the west.
"What's the matter, dear?" she asked.
My sensitive organ detected the menacing vibes of a thunderstorm brewing near Cape Glaux, a mass of dark clouds bloated with rain and lightning. Even though I could not see it due to the trunk obscuring my view, I could picture it in my mind.
"There is a particularly evil pile of clouds hanging around Cape Glaux, and my gizzard is telling me it is heading this way, albeit slowly. Can you feel it?"
She narrowed her eyes in concentration.
"Oh my, I do feel it."
She reopened her eyes and said amusingly, "It should provide a fantastic learning experience for the Weather Interpretation chaw. It seems like it has the potential to be stuffed with scuppers and baggywrinkles."
"Indeed it does, Pelli. If we happen to end up with some free time tonight, I wouldn't mind tagging along with Ruby and plowing headlong into the storm. How fun it is to battle the rain that sprays your eyes and drenches every inch of your feathers, not the mention riding the various types of air currents. There is no end to the excitement!"
"I shall accompany you in that case, Soren. I was once afraid of tempests such as those, but now that I have learned so much about how they are structured and how they operate, I won't pass up the opportunity to fling myself into one and exercise my flight skills. And on top of that, Ruby's students will most likely be motivated to push themselves when they see their monarchs partaking in the somewhat-risky thrill alongside them."
"Hm, that is a very good idea, and Ruby will approve without a doubt. It is settled then."
I moved closer and embraced my queen, massaging her spine with my wing in an up-and-down motion, deeming three repetitions satisfactory. I then retreated a few paces and turned away, spinning my head around to an odd degree as all owls can.
I beckoned with a sweep of my wing and said, "Come, Pelli, let us return to our sheltered hollow and envelop ourselves in the folds of sleep. We need to conserve our energy for tonight."
She nodded in agreement and said, "I shall be right behind you."
I lofted into a gentle skyward flight, navigating up and around the unbreakable trunk of the Great Tree to where our mutually-owned abode lay. She raced me to our home, and being my muscle mass to body mass ratio was larger, I was able to outpace her and arrive at our hollow first.
"Good try, good try," I said quietly, as she alighted, her breast pulsing in and out.
"I shall beat you next time, Soren. I stake my gizzard on that."
"Don't get too confident, love. You'll only be setting yourself up for more irritation when I triumph a second time," I retorted playfully.
She gave me a nudge with her wing.
"Well, you do have exemplary flying prowess, I'll admit. That is part of the reason why I saw you as a worthy mate. But regardless, I am always up for a challenge."
I said coolly, "And I shall give you the exact challenge you seek, my love."
"Fair enough, dear."
She strode over to the nest, gently easing herself down into it.
She asked softly, "Care to join me, Soren?"
I smiled and replied, "Where else would I ever dream of sleeping other than by your side, my beautiful mate?"
A rosy blush accompanied her smile, and I tucked myself into the nest, the width of one primary feather separating us. Her faint, delectable odor wafted past me as I drank in the glory of the lustrous plumage that she wore and the graceful curves of her supple form.
The golden plumes that bordered her heart-shaped face glowed with an inner light. Her tan and gray wings sat folded neatly against her sides, their edges blending seamlessly with the black-speckled, off-white plumage draped over her breast and back.
She truly was an exquisite female, and I thanked the invisible stars high above that she had allowed me to capture her heart. I helped her unwind by preening a few unsightly patches of feathers here and there. She limbered up and sighed when I was finished, laying her head on my left shoulder.
"Good Light, Soren. I love you."
"Good Light, Pelli. I love you too."
She sealed her eyes shut, and I did the same, hanging my head so that my beak immersed itself in my breast feathers. My breathing rate decelerated as my body prepared itself for unconsciousness, and I let my mind wander randomly as I welcomed the onset of my fantasies.
However, not twenty seconds later, my mate called to me and stalled my descent.
"Soren?"
"Yes, love?" I answered, lifting my head and opening my eyes to gaze at her.
"Forgive me for bothering you, but… there is something you need to know."
Her tone betrayed no worry or hesitance, and I assumed that it was positive news she was referring to.
"Oh? What is it?"
There was a dramatic pause, and then she spoke again.
"We will be having more owlets this year…"
My heart leapt into my throat, and I gave a clipped gasp of joy and astonishment.
"Pellimore… I… I can't believe it!" I exclaimed in a hot whisper.
"Can you tell how many? Or is it too soon?"
"If my gizzard is correct, there are four eggs developing inside me."
My eyes shimmered with delight. I was going to be a father again and witness the hatching of my third brood with Pellimore. I was definitely going to run into major trouble when I attempted to sleep now; I was so charged with adoration for her and my, no, our owlets, it would prove near impossible.
Tenderly I unfurled my right wing and glued it to her belly, barely picking up four small areas of firmness beneath her otherwise spongy belly. She stared at me with her round, mesmerizing eyes, and my heart seized control of my muscles.
I drew her in for a sensuous kiss, feeling a rush of her breath slip down my throat as she moaned in pleasure. I eventually ended our full-on contact to refill my oxygen-starved lungs, but then I wrapped my free wing around her and meshed our bodies together in a romantic hug.
I nuzzled my chin against the top of her skull and cooed, "I am so happy for us, Pellimore, I can hardly stand it. Just wait until our family, friends, and all the inhabitants of this mighty Tree hear about or splendid development…"
"Even then, their cheerfulness could never surpass ours, my handsome Soren. But for now, let us savor the thought of our coming owlets in private, just you and I. For you are my healer, you are my giver, and I shall never let you go."
I nodded, and both of us fell silent as the ebullient moment rolled on and on.
My heart pounding in my chest and mirth radiating from every single feather I owned, I lapsed into a wakeful delirium. I rubbed my wing over her belly in reserved, tight circles, ever aware of her fragrant perfume as it enveloped me.
All I would ever love and cherish lie right here, in this warm, enclosed hollow of ours, and the realm beyond these walls suddenly seemed less important and not as resplendent.
And so it was that I became lost in the magic of her presence, a bird in a maze that I had no desire to escape from. I chose to remain in the very center of the labyrinth, where she and her love had taken root, and where I had taken root as well.
It was no surprise I was heedless of the outside world just a few wingspans away, where auburn and golden fans spun and danced as they descended through the utterly still air, the venerable dawn breaking around them.
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