Chapter 4: Strength In The Scars

Pelli was confused by the way she had been feeling the past week. She would be completely at ease each day until Soren arrived, willing to help her polish her reading skills. She waited in the library tonight with Ezylryb, chatting about her life before she had been caught in that dreadful blaze, which erupted while she had been sleeping.

She heard a noise from behind her, and as she swiveled around, she locked eyes with Soren. An electric jolt sizzled in her gizzard, and she watched as he looked at the floor.

He asked if she was ready to move on to a harder book, to which she replied, "Yes, Soren. I think I can do it."

She had been feeling pretty confident in her abilities by this point, and she hoped tonight would be the last session she would need. She could not hold his gaze, and she stared at the ground for several seconds as Soren lifted an ancient book from the desk.

She coughed slightly from the dry dust, and she noticed Ezylryb was no longer in the hollow as she looked up.

She turned to him and asked, "Where did he go?"

He replied with a nervous, "I don't know. I guess he didn't want to disturb us with his munching. He likes to eat caterpillars while he works."

Pelli felt that wasn't the entire reason, but she decided not to push it. He laid the tome in front of her, randomly flipping it open to a chapter about pressure differentials.

He asked her to read it once silently, then read it aloud. She noticed he was very close to her as she began to move her eyes across the page.

However, she felt less nervous, and oddly comforted, by his presence. Pelli would often glance over at him while she read, and features she had not observed during previous lessons began to show.

She noticed the feathers on his legs had grown ragged and ashy. His talons were blackened, but still held their natural curve and sharpness. His tawny wings looked strong, and his primaries grew straight and long.

His breast feathers bore sooty streaks that stretched and contracted as he breathed. An earthly aroma filled her senses, reminding her of the scent of the hollow she shared with her Mum, Da, and brother.

But most of all, she noticed the many nicks, cuts, and scratches that painted his perfect form.

At first she had found them unpleasant, but now she realized they told a story. It was a story of all the good he had done, all the battles he had fought, and all of the fires he had bravely entered. She knew those scars were a tribute to himself, and others as well. She drew strength from them, and her gizzard seemed to quaver with a peaceful sensation.

Could I be in love? I knew my Mum and Da loved each other, and I loved my brother, but I have never felt it for another owl, until I met him. Wait, why has Soren simply become...him? Is that a sign, a confirmation of sorts, regarding the strange feeling that has plagued me?I don't know what else it could be. But what if he feels different? If he is, all I am experiencing is a lie. I pray to Glaux that he feels the same...

Pelli finished reading, and she looked up to see his face was one of fear. He began to preen the plummels on his port wing, and she could not concentrate.

"Could you stop, please? I can't focus with your head twitching like that."

He apologized and she repeated the page to him. He checked her accuracy, and he said she had only missed two words.

She felt a burst of joy as he exclaimed, "I can't believe how far you have come, Pelli!"

"I never could have done it without you, Soren. I owe you so much..."

She pleaded with him to allow her to finish the remainder of the chapter before the sun chased away the night.

She smiled at his response.

"Well, let's get started!"

Eventually, she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and by now she was struggling to finish the last few pages. Soren noticed shortly after, and laid a wing on her, speaking gently in her ear slit.

"Are you tired, Pelli? Do you want to rest now?"

She obliged drowsily, and persuaded him to escort her to her hollow. As she slid past him and shambled towards her nest, she saw Charlotte sleeping peacefully in the corner.

She noticed a look of confusion on his face.

"Thats Charlotte, my hollow mate. I guess she got tired out from her star flight with the Navigation Chaw."

"Well then, I will try not to wake her. Good light, Pelli."

She did not reply, since his last words were but a murmur echoing in her sleep.

I must explain to Charlotte my feelings about him. I can't keep it locked up inside any longer. I will tell her as soon as the night returns...