Poppy roused from her day's slumber and was greeted with a cool, Copper-Rose Rain breeze. The brown wood-owl opened her eyes and peered about her. A bandage made of cobwebs and milkberry vines was strapped around her broken wing and her body like a bandage. She stood and stretched out slightly, noticing the soft nest beneath her feathery feet. She pawed the nest and settled back into it, smoothly turning her head and glancing around the room.
A small wooden ledge served as a bed-side table, and more nests and ledges went along both walls of the large hollow she was in. The whiskered screech she bumped into was at rest in a nest diagonally across from her, but all others were empty. The brown wood-owl looked to her right and noticed the port entrance to and from the outside. Another breeze blew in and a mottled feather floated by and swirled mid-air, spiralling into her nest.
Poppy picked the feather up in her talons and examined it. It was rather ruddy and streaked with black and yellow - it was from a short-eared owl. The thought of Ruby lifting her along with a couple other owls sent her gizzard spinning and she felt a rise of excitement as the owl popped in through the inner entrance at the other side of the hollow.
"How are you doing?" the owl asked, walking over. "The way you looked at me worried me, so I came to see if you are alright" Ruby explained with a sigh.
Poppy blinked and churred shyly. "I'm doing fine," she said in a soft voice. "My name's Poppy. I think it's kind of you to come check on me and - who's that owl over there?" the young owl gestured over to Ezylryb
Ruby flipped her head around. "Oh, Ezylryb? He's our Weather Interpretation and Colliering Chaw Ryb" she explained, turning back to face Poppy. She looked at the owl she had rescued and sighed. She's actually quite a pretty owl... the ruddy Short-Eared Owl thought.
Poppy ruffled her feathers. "What's a ryb?" she asked, letting out a silent sigh as she met Ruby's bright gaze. She wondered what it would be like to be such a good flyer like her...
"Well," Ruby began, clearing her throat. "For starters, I'm not one for explaining..." the owl did a slight uncomfortable and impatient dance with her feet. She felt her heart begin to flutter when she met Poppy's dark eyes, and she smiled slightly. "Rybs are what we call Teachers, or Leaders. Its optional whether you want the name of Ryb, and I for one wouldn't want ryb on the end of my name" she churred playfully.
Poppy smiled. I wonder how long 'till my wing gets better... she thought with a sigh. "Ruby, what chaw are you in?" the brown wood-owl asked.
The Short-Eared Owl blinked. "Colliering and Weather. Hope you get the chaw you want" she said, making her way out.
"I'd be happy as long as it's with you..." Poppy hooted softly as she watched Ruby leave. Is she the owl - the owl that got my heart beat running away?
To be continued...
