Author's Note: Let me give a slight more insight on what's happening with this project of mine. I previously hoped to write a short but fast-paced sci-fi/action story when a human comes to Earth and causes chaos among the animal kingdoms. However, I quickly realized I simply was not as skilled of a writer as I would need to be to write what I had in mind; plus, the idea of an action story was surprisingly limiting. So, I went with a simpler, not so dramatic story, which I have since found to be much more realistic in terms of being able to get it done.

I have also taken down Meanwhile, Elsewhere since that is no longer going to be of importance when writing this story, as it was before.

Thanks!

Far off the coast of the Shadow Forest, a snowy owl was headed westward into the sea. He had been flying for hours now, and the trees and mountains of the Southern Kingdoms had long since vanished from view. Having travelled against a strong headwind the entire time, his muscles ached, and he was gasping for air. The sun was setting in the most brilliant manner possible, with broad streaks of white and gold passing over an orange backdrop. The weather was clear, cool, and not at all humid, which he was grateful for. He kept on the path he memorized; he had flown it so many times he need not a guide, since he could read his bearing from merely the choppy ocean waves and the warm gusts of wind running through his feathers.

After some time, he thought perhaps his target had not arrived, or even he had been headed the wrong direction. But just when he thought he could fly no further, he spotted, at long last, a glimmer sitting on the horizon. It was stretch, but he collected the last of his energy and flew as quickly as he could. He hoped he would reach it by nightfall, when he could finally rest.

To his luck, the half-moon had begun peeking over the horizon when he finally dived for the object in the water. He circled around for a bit, admiring its exotic shape and design, then slowed to land.

He knew the object, which was gently bobbing up and down over the calm waters of the ocean, was unlike anything the owls or wolves could make. It was a large metallic contraption – at least fifty times his wingspan and about twenty wide. In a way it resembled him, with its wide steel wings, pointed nose and splayed tail. It was even the same color: a slightly grayish white with some black along its wings and underbelly. Indeed, it could fly as well as any owl; with his own eyes he had seen the thing soar faster and farther than any living creature could, and after countless encounters with it, he knew his eyes were not playing tricks on him. But he knew this thing, a metallic bird of sorts, was far from alive.

There was a familiar click-click sound of his talons tapping on the shiny steel surface when he touched down on the object's nose. He could hear it resonate inside a hollow interior. Taking a moment to breathe after his journey, he noticed a peaceful silence accompanied by the soothing slaps of the water against the hull. The deck rocked beneath him, and the stars were starting to show.

He detected movement inside of the object, evidenced first by a sharp click of a nearby mechanism coming unhinged, then followed by a muffled voice giving orders of some sort. A panel ahead of him opened wide, and light streamed from it. Out emerged a dark, tall and skinny figure with two arms and legs. The owl raised his left wing to salute, but as it approached him he immediately recognized its face. They both smiled. His salute dropped.

"Great Glaux, Roman, it's been forever!" the owl said, rushing up to him. "Where in Glaumora were you?"

The man laughed. He extended a leather-clad arm and the owl perched himself upon it. "Twidy! How I missed you these last several months, old friend." He said. "I was over at New Hope again, helping the Eagle House with one of their war crime cases again."

"Another one?" the owl asked. "Why would you ever take another one of their offers? You know they're a lost cause."

"Oh, please," the man said, "the House hasn't given up yet. If anything, the war is in their favor! While I was there they were able to round up the resistance's second head leader. The rebels are in a frenzy now. Who knows, maybe in their confusion the government can finally give those punks the punishment they deserve."

"Now that's a surprise," he said. "Just don't leave again any time soon, please? And for Glaux's sake, if you absolutely must don't go to that hole of a system."

The man sighed. "Twidy, you know I can't promise these things." He said, "And New Hope isn't all that bad. But if I don't put myself to work somewhere, the Cooperative definitely will. In fact, they're not pleased with me at all for rejoining the Watch."

"You mean they can do something about it?"

"Of course. What they say goes." The man said, "But frankly I'm not in the mood to discuss this anymore. How was your flight over here?"

"Pitiful," he said, "just pitiful. The new wind currents are totally unnatural, and they're impossible to predict. I haven't had this much trouble flying since I was a young'un."

"That bad, eh? You need to lie down, or?"

"No, no, that's fine." He said, "I just need to catch my breath. Simply being here makes everything all the better. You can get started if you want."

The owl jumped down and peered out at the water. Meanwhile the man reached behind him and pulled out a chair to seat himself in. The owl sat a wingspan away from him.

"Where would you like to start?" the owl asked.

"So, the Beyond is a mess. Tell me more." The man reached into one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a tablet and stylus.

"Well," he started, "not much has changed since you left. Ga'Hoole is leading the relief efforts, but it's not enough. There's hardly any civilized wolves left, and there's not enough food in the area to sustain them and those helping out. Plus the new weather pattern has made movement to and from near impossible."

The owl paused for a moment to give the man, who, as he spoke, was writing frantically on the tablet screen.

He continued. "Leadership-wise, no one is eager to take over. The outclanners are still more powerful and numerous than the good ones. Every now and then there's bloodbath. There was an attack just a few nights before today, in fact. Four wolves and an owl dead."

"If only we could help," the man looked up from the screen for a moment. "We've got the best diplomats out there. Surely we could get something done." He shook his head. "Shame."

"Say, any word on lifting the Earth ban?" the owl asked.

"Nope. Earth's still in the Cooperative's alien world category."

"What a joke," the owl scoffed.

"Your feelings are mine, Twidy." He said, "Now, that should be enough information on that for the moment. Maybe I'll ask more later. But tell me about Ga'Hoole. How's it been since your last contact?"

"Nothing out the ordinary." The owl said, "I'd say the last major happening was the death of King Blythe, but I got that cleared with Carmen."

"So who's leading the Tree now?"

"King Willon, I believe. Though I'll admit no one is particularly fond of him, quite weak-willed and uninspiring to say the least."

"Dare I call him the Liam MacDuncan of Ga'Hoole?"

The owl chuckled. "I suppose that wouldn't be very far from the truth. Though let's hope we don't end up like the wolves did."

The exchange of information continued for many hours. In fact, when they were finished, it was well past midnight. The man was now slouching in his seat, his eyes only half open.

"Sorry Twidy, I don't think I'll be able to get any stories in this time." He said as he slipped the tablet back into his coat.

"But Roman," the owl said, "can you tell just one? None of the other Watch members tell me anything."

The man rolled his eyes. "Well, if it's been that long, so be it. Just one," he said between yawns. As they always did, the owl jumped onto his lap and rested his head on one of the armrests. One of his wings dangled off the side of the seat. Together they looked out at the dark ocean waves. He shut off the light to see the stars.

"How about the Orion uprisings?"

"No more war," he said, "something interesting. Something any other creature would never believe."

"Well, I think the idea that we're even still around would be hard for them to grasp." He said, "But no matter. Let me tell you about Europa."

"Jupiter's moon?"

"You're a clever owl. Yes, that's the one." He smiled. "Europa is Jupiter's second moon, first discovered by Galileo in the early-1600s. You know who that is, right?"

"Yup."

"Very good." He said. "At the time, Galileo simply called it "II," since not even he knew what it was. Of course, he suspected it to be a moon of some sort, but evidence of such phenomena hadn't come along until two centuries later with Kepler."

"How'd you guys starting living on it?"

"The colonization?" He said. "We started exploring it in the late twentieth century. Though the first orbiter never came along until over fifty years later. But by then plans for manned missions to Europa were already being made, with the excitement of the Mars landings and all. So, it was in 2052 or something like that the first crew landed. Well, it wasn't long until we started drilling through the crust, after which we finally found an ocean and a teeming biosphere of unicellular and multicellular creatures."

The idea sent a shiver through the owl.

"Alien life," he said, "if I ever slipped and told someone what I knew, that'd be the first to come out of my beak."

"But you won't, right?"

"Of course not."

The man was the first to awaken the next morning from their rest. Quickly he detected the makings of a storm; the winds though his hair were stronger than the night before, and he thought he could make out the distant shape of a dark raincloud forming on the horizon. There was a newfound sense of humidity lingering around him, causing his uniform and shorts to cling to his skin.

"Hey, Twidy," he whispered, albeit somewhat loudly. But when his only response was a snore, "Twidwell!"

The owl's eyes fluttered open slightly.

"Twidy, c'mon, we really have to get going." He urged.

The owl stretched his wings and groaned. "Can't we stay longer?"

"I'm afraid not. There's a big storm coming our way." He said.

"Great Glaux, Roman." The owl jumped down the chair and trotted towards the deck of the craft. Sure enough, a shadowy figure loomed ahead and was growing larger at an alarming rate.

"You weren't kidding, Roman," he said. "Actually, I might have to leave now. I'm not liking its speed."

"Alright then." The man was seen inside performing his morning routine. He put down the coffee mug in his hands and came outside.

"If all goes according to plan," he said, "I should be your next contact. We can meet again in exactly two weeks."

"Very well." the owl said. They saluted one another.

"Don't worry about me, Twidy. I'll be perfectly safe." Roman reassured just as the owl raised his wings. "In fact, when I'm done with my contact on Mars tonight I'll be returning to the Earth Watch outposts. So if you miss me, just look up, and I'll be there."

Twidwell smiled and nodded, then took off for the Shadow Forest.