Chapter 10: Recovery

(Tyler's P.O.V.)

Now that I Simon was resting, Shana was relaxing next to him, and I was taking a breather from all my flying; I was recollecting all my thoughts. Simon's back was clean again, Shana wasn't harmed in anyway, and I am hungry. I chuckled at the last thought, and this caused Shana to stir and look away from Simon briefly. I should go hunting so we can eat… but I need answers also… I'm going to need to carry that boy up into one of these tree's… or just high enough so he won't be attacked.

I stood up and stretched my wings as they popped in key areas, and I folded them back and started to walk closer to the two love birds. "I'm going to take Simon up into that tree, and we will be going hunting."

"Can't I ju-" Shana began, but I quickly cut her off, "No, because while we are hunting, you have some questions to answer…"

Her mood instantly dropped, but I didn't let it bug me too much as I walked over to Simon and gently nudged him until his eyes fluttered open, "This is going to hurt, but bear with me." With a few downward strokes, I was up and over Simon, and I gripped his wings with my talons tightly. I heard him moan in pain, but I was quickly rising upwards and towards a branch high in a tree with strong beats from my wings.

Setting Simon down onto the branch, I heard him lightly whimper as Shana landed next to him and wrapped a wing over his shoulders. I cleared my beak, and as they both looked at me, I said, "I will be going hunting, but Shana will be accompanying me… try not to attract attention Simon, we will be back soon." I turned around and flapped my wings and was soon flying upwards on a warm draft that was swirling around the tree's outer branches. I looked behind me and saw Shana flying upwards to join me, and when she was next to me, I set off at a decent pace around the trees closer to the ground, and I asked, "Now then… why was Simon chasing you when I arrived?"

I looked over at her just as she turned away, and she replied, "I was… upset at him?"

"And why was that?"

"I would pre-"

Before she was even looking at me, I interrupted, "Simon likes you."

Her head spun towards me so fast, I'm pretty sure it would've hurt if we weren't owls, and she asked, "And how do you know that?"

I chuckled heartily and looked at her and said, "I was like him once before Shana. Both before and after he turned into an owl like yourself… I know how he thinks, how he will most likely react, and most importantly, how to read his emotions."

She just needs a push in the right direction, along with Simon, but I shouldn't have to do anything with him… now, since that is in her mind, she should be more willing to answer my other questions. "What happened in the fog after you two separated from our group?"

Her face instantly turned to confusion at the change of subject, but I was looking forward, only watching out of my peripheral vision. I watched her expression suddenly morph into shame as she answered, "I got scared… and when I dwelt on it… I went yeep. I don't remember anything else after that except waking up on the shore next to Simon…"

I turned my head towards her but stopped when I heard a faint beating sound. I looked down and saw a plump vole scratching at the dirt as it was sniffing around. I focused on its movements as I angled my wings, and shot down towards it like a silent, speeding missile. It looked up just as I out-stretched my talons, and I broke its spine when it let out a frightened squeak, and it died instantly, suffering only moments of pain.

I rose back up until I was next to Shana again, and I said, "We will talk more later with Simon around… go ahead and take this back with you, I will be there shortly."

Now… I have been craving something else as of late… maybe a squirrel will fill me up enough… or a baby rabbit…

(Simon's P.O.V.)

At least the pain is gone, so I think I will be able to fly tonight, if not tomorrow night… I had been leaning my back against a tree and was watching various birds flit by, not noticing me. My gaze drifted towards the end of the branch I was on, and I could see a leaf barely holding on, and it was lazily twirling around on its stem in the breeze. Amazing how something as small and delicate as a leaf can distract one from the world, yet at other times it can also go unnoticed unless directly pointed out…

I had fully awakened a few minutes after Shana and Tyler had left, and I had been waiting patiently. Suddenly, I felt a strange moving in my chest, a little bit above my stomach, and I saw Shana out of the corner of my eye. I turned towards her, but I felt my face contorting as the weird feeling kept going on. She smiled as she was carrying a large vole in her talons towards me, and I tried my best to smile back.

When she landed, she asked, "Why are you making that face Simon?"

"I ju-" I was cut off as I violently started choking, and I coughed roughly a few times as Shana stood there with a shocked expression stenciled across her face. With another mighty cough, I felt something leave my beak and plummet over the branch, and I started wheezing in breaths of air while I stood recovering. I looked over the side of the branch and asked, "What was that!"

Shana giggled next to me, and as I looked back at her, she smiled and said, "I'm guessing that was your first pellet… for a second I thought something was wrong with you."

I smiled at how she was apparently worried for me, and I asked, "So, how did you catch your vole?"

Shana looked away from me and lightly smiled as she said, "I didn't catch it, Tyler gave it to me," she looked back towards me and walked closer to me, "and it isn't my vole," I gave her a questioning look as she smiled more, "It is our vole."

Chuckling, I looked her square in her eyes and said, "I'll be fine Shana, you will need it more than I will, I don't want to take away from your meal."

"This is too much for me Simon, just come share it with me, please?" Shana instantly tilted her head sideways, and as she was smiling, I couldn't turn and look away from the absolutely adorable sight before me. For how she looks, and how I feel, I'm positive this will be alright, and more so for her since how much she likes me already…

I nodded and when she smiled, I asked, "But first, can you come here?"

She started walking towards me as she said, "yes, but why?"

When she was standing in front of me, I smiled as I felt my face warming up, and I felt my facial feathers rising up as I said, "This is why."

I leaned forward, and wrapped my wings around her, and pulled her closer and planted my beak on hers and savored the feeling of pleasure during the kiss. Before I pulled away, I felt her wings wrap around my body and pull me closer to her. OOOhhh… I like this, but she just gripped my back a little too hard… I felt a tingling in my back, while a buzzing filled my head.

Shana removed her wings from my back, but she just slid them down until they were over mine. I didn't want the kiss to end yet, but I heard a pair of flapping wings, and Shana pulled away and sighed contentedly as I opened my eyes. Not a second later, she opened her eyes also, and I saw her facial feathers rising as she gazed into my eyes, and the sound of wings kept drawing closer. I coughed lightly and said, "I love you, Shana… but, we really should move before Tyler gets here."

She pecked me on the beak for a few seconds more before finally moving away, and when she had reached the Vole, I looked over towards where I heard the flapping but realized it was coming from behind the tree. I tried to calm myself down before Tyler reached us, since I felt like my face was on fire.

Tyler came flying around the trunk with two squirrels just as I felt my feathers lowering, and I took a quick glance at Shana, who was currently looking at me as her feathers were also going down. Chuckling, I leaned back against the tree trunk as Tyler landed, and he asked, "So how did you sleep Simon? You feel good enough to fly tomorrow night?"

I turned towards him, though my eyes lingered on Shana's for a while longer, which caused her to smile and look away shyly, and I said, "I slept great, no thanks to your flying though," Both Tyler and I laughed at this, "And I think I can fly tomorrow night, I don't have too much lingering pain."

"Well that is good news, now, would you like a squirrel?"

I looked down at the squirrels near his talons, and then I looked over at Shana who had a sort of disappointed look in her eyes, but I quickly faced Tyler and said, "Thanks, but no thanks… I was going to share with Shana again." When I finished, I saw a smile grace her face, and Tyler said, "Well, suit yourself. I will be perched near the top of the tree, we will leave at night fall… make sure you get some rest."

"Ok, we will." I replied.

I watched as he picked his two squirrels up in his beak, and when he lofted towards the crown of the tree, I looked at Shana, and saw a flash of some light streak through her eyes as she gazed at me thoughtfully. I chuckled when she sighed, and she picked up the vole and walked over towards me…

(Wolf's P.O.V.)

I was standing in front of the Council, with Spot standing near the entrance as they were all settling down. I looked towards King Boron as he slammed his gavel down and said, "Now that everyone is here, I believe Wolf's report is in order."

When he was finished, I chuckled nervously and glanced at Spot, and she nodded sternly. I gulped as I looked back at the parliament, and I with as much strength as I could muster, I said, "When we were looking for survivors from the plane, we stumbled across clues that showed that a human survivor had indeed survived, but we couldn't find them when we were there. Then closer to midnight, we heard gunshots that could only have been from a survivor. We raced over to the area we heard them from, and we saw a gruesome sight. Crows had been shot, and it seemed they were chasing the human, and we followed the tracks until we came across the lone survivor. We made contact, and we had eventually gotten them to the sea of Hoole, but when we crossed it and entered the fog," I looked over at Spot as she nodded sternly again, "We lost the survivor and a friend he had made…"

What happened next was unexpected, and relieving. I didn't hear any gasps. And when I looked up, I saw some faces looking down at me with disappointed, yet unsurprised looks in their eyes. "We had expected this to happen… now then, where is Tyler?" Queen Baran asked.

I chuckled nervously, and said, "He told me to go and deliver the report, while he went back and recovered the survivor and his friend."

"Do we have a name for him or will we keep referring to him as survivor?" I looked over and saw a weathered owl that was missing a talon and had a squinty eye; Ezlryb.

Bowing my head respectfully, I said, "Sorry Ezlryb… his name is Simon, and he seems to be approximately seventeen to twenty years old."

"Well… I guess we will have to wait for Simon to get here safely this time… you are dismissed Wolf." I nodded as the king finished, and I walked towards the exit.

I passed Spot and she walked with me as she asked, "Doesn't it feel good to tell the truth?" I chuckled, and I said, "Yes, but not when your crush is glaring you down…"

A.N.: finished with this chapter, and I'm glad it is out of the way… I feel like it is taking effort to write these now, when they usually would just pop out like nothing. XD…

Anyways, reviews are appreciated, and I would gladly read any of your stories if you would like, just let me know, and if you would like some advice, help, or suggestions, I'm here. ;]