Soren was airborne, chasing someone through a heavy rain. He could see their tail feathers, twisting and turning in an attempt to disturb his current through the wind. At the same time, he was calling something out to the other owl, but could not even comprehend the words, himself. Soren seemed, in a way, paralyzed, without control of his own movements. Everything in his vision was a blur. By now, Soren realized that it was a dream. But, who, in the name of Glaux, was he after?
As he trailed the other owl, he noticed his emotion, that had automatically applied to the dream, was not anger, nor will power, nor strength. He felt desperate, as if he wanted to stop the other to speak with them.
Suddenly, he could hear words, but they were not his. The voice was coming from every direction. He knew someone was trying to wake him from his state, and that they were probably worried, but he just wanted to stay... long enough to know who he was trying to get to.
He tried increasing his pace to catch the other owl. He strained until he was just a few owl-lengths behind the other owl. He could now see that it was another Barn Owl, flying before him. The wind and rain was beating against Soren, slowing him down.
The voice began to break through his daymare, into words he understood.
"Soren!... Soren!... SOREN!" It was Gylfie, his best friend, the elf owl, that was screaming his name out, in a struggle to wake him.
The daymare had come to an end and he was in the hollow in which he, Gylfie, Digger, and Twilight rested in. His feathers were well-ruffled and his eyes wide. The Band was staring at him, their faces expressing fear.
"Soren you had us worried sick!", Gylfie said to him. "My Glaux, what were dreaming of?"
"I was..." He did not remember. It was just seconds ago! How can I not remember? "I can't recall it."
"Well, Soren, you were hollering it all out. You kept on saying 'stop' and 'wait'. You were trembling in your sleep."
Soren did not have any explanation to it. He closed his eyes to run some thoughts through his mind in the next few seconds. "Guys,... sometimes dreams mean things and sometimes they... don't. But, it really isn't something to be concerned about right now."
"But, Soren, if it did mean something,... that's usually when they foreshadow things that eventually happen in our future."
"Little owl, big mouth...", Twilight mumbled to himself. Apparently, Gylfie found it audible and she was displeased more than usual. She puffed up in anger, but simply turned to him and stuck her tongue out, a very uncommon action from an owl. Her mood quickly returned as she turned back to Soren, who was just smiling grimly at her comical tantrum.
"I know, but... I don't remember any of it. I'll come to when... or if that moment happens." After that brief, yet serious conversation, they paused awkwardly for some time.
"So...", Twilight began, startling the others, "how's about tweener, everyone?"
Soren exited his silent state. "Of course!", he said. "I'm flying on an empty gizzard. C'mon!" With that, Soren took air under his wings, a relieving feeling after having been in shuteye for the main eight hours of the day. The band, not followed by Mrs. P yet, went along.
Soren looked to the skies as he left the hollow. I just never get used to the beauty of the tree, the sky, the water, Otulissa's hollow... He suddenly stopped thinking about home, and had his mind focused on Otulissa and her flower-filled hollow, which was only a fair distance below from his. She was obviously eating tweener already, for she was not in her hollow. He really wanted to ask her if he could be invited in for observation of her wonderful home, but he lacked the nerve and the courage in his gizzard to ask. He feared she would not approve of visitors, even him.
Ever since he and the band had arrived at the tree, Otulissa had seen him as a close friend. Her elegance amazed him, regardless if she did often come off as pushy and demanding. Not only was she a wonder of beauty, her sense of it was also miraculous. In his friendship, he knew the beauty would fade as he grew used to seeing it. But, Soren told himself that he would not let it become the base of their relationship. If so, the relationship, itself, would eventually be destroyed. All it would take is time. Yet, the time that they kill keeps them alive, and time, whether wasted or well-spent, is still time. The possible bliss in ignorance, from deciding not to let his desires get the best of him, might not even be worth it. Though, there is the chance that he truly admired her beyond lust...
The eyes of Soren suddenly took vision, even though they were already opened, as he landed. His thoughts caused him to black out. Gylfie, Digger, and Twilight followed behind him, as they walked over to the table Mrs. P, also known as 'Mrs. Plithiver', had formed for them. She held their meal, a few mice and some small pottery cups of tea, over her scales.
"Soren,", Mrs. P spoke, as the owls relaxed. "Otulissa told me as she headed off for tweener that when she woke up she heard you having daymares. And, she wasn't the only one who is worried..."
"Yes, ma'am.", he sighed. "It happens, but I can't recall it at the time. I obviously shouldn't let it get in the way of things."
"You are right, my dear but... if this becomes reoccurring, I recommend you advise your father or Ezylryb. It'd definitely have meaning, then."
"Yes, Mrs. P." Soren drifted off into thought, once again, as the others just spoke in conversation without him. He had fear in the marrow of his gizzard, now. As much as he did not want to let these dreams get to him, he could not deny that they had to have meaning. Things had been calm ever since the power of the Pure Ones was brought to an end,... until now.
tweener - the evening meal; the first food owls consume after waking
