Grace
Chapter Twelve
Worries And Feelings
Nyra was getting worried. Wait worried? Since when does she, Lady Nyra the soon-to-be Queen of the Pure and wife of Metalbeak, get worried?!
However, there was a reason. It had been at least a week since Kludd has gone and she was sure that by this time he should have been back with those traitors. Then again, Nyra thought, those owls are sly. It would not surprise me if they tricked Kludd into going the wrong way. I hope he's fine. He has to be fine.
For the next couple of hours, the white owl paced around the room. The best soldiers have gone with Kludd, but they might not help at all. What if there were fennec foxes in the desert? Yes, they were somewhat small, but they were still big enough to tear up an owl in a matter of minutes if they got their minds to it. Or snakes... those cold-blooded killing machines would usually silently slither up to their unknowing prey... Nyra tried not to think about them, but they had left their mark in her memories. The memories that made her what she is now.
Suddenly an owl guard came running up to her, with a fearful look in her eyes. "Has Metalbeak come back yet?" Nyra asked her. The owl quickly shook her head.
"No... but...but there's a Guardian owl that wants to see you. Actually, the leader himself," the guard replied. "Soren wants to see his brother."
"Send him here. I'll take care of him," Nyra commanded, smiling slyly.
Two minutes later, she heard the footsteps of two owls. That must be Soren, Nyra thought. She'd been right. He walked alongside the guard who tried to stay low and did not want to get involved.
"Where is Kludd?" Soren asked Nyra straight away.
"He's got business, but I'll fight you instead," Nyra replied.
"I haven't come for a fight, Nyra," he said, practically spiting out the word Nyra. He hated her.
"Then state your business, Soren," Nyra retorted, saying his name as if it were poison.
"I want a deal. A deal with Kludd and only Kludd, not you," Soren answered, looking impatient.
"He's gone to find some traitors. If you want to find him, then he's either gone to the desert or meadow," Nyra said.
" Then I'll go and find. By the looks of it, you would have gone too, if it weren't for the fact that he wanted to go on his own," Soren exclaimed. "I am starting to wonder why that may be," he added slyly.
Nyra lunged at him. "You're not going anywhere apart from the dungeon that is!"
"And how come?" he asked, chuckling. "Are my thoughts getting to you, Nyra. It was about time that happened. At least I and the other owls will get a back on you."
Nyra slapped him with her wings. "You!"
Soren pushed her away and flew off. "Well I guess I might be seeing you on the wedding, bye for now Nyra," he said before flying off.
Nyra glared at him, before walking off. Who does he think he is?! He just comes here after so many fights and being a traitor, confidently and with cheek tells me what he thinks is going to happen, just to annoy me and then fly off like this place belonged to him! At first she thought of going after Kludd, before receiving a letter from one of the owls she sent after him in secret.
It said:
Your Majesty,
I've seen Kludd battle those three traitors. I think he lost a few good soldiers, but otherwise he has got them. Right now he is trying to restore his and his mens' energy by staying there for a while. From what I've heard they'll only be four days and then they'll be heading back. However, they said that when they first sighted those owls and I heard someowl dying, but I can't be sure.
From what I've flown, it'll take only a matter of two days, for the owls of course, but I was met half way by a faster owl who carried this letter for me. Besides, there might be a hold up with the traitors wanting to escape.
They are settled in the desert and from what I've seen it's not filled with food, but there aren't much predatory animals either. They should be safe but hungry. And there is nothing suspicious about any of the other soldiers so there should be very little trouble.
That's all for now. Your loyal falcon messenger,
Perry Green.
Nyra looked up to the sky. It had been a day of fighting already. They'll be here in the next four days, hopefully. Make that a week with all the problems and Kludd being an owl, not a falcon... since he has to come back." Nyra thought. "Lyra," she called upon one of her more loyal friends. A red and brown owl with amber eyes walked up to her.
"Yes, Lady Nyra?" Lyra asked.
"I will be flying to the desert in two days. For the time I'm gone, you will over look training and all that is needed to be done," Nyra explained.
"That would be an honour, Lady Nyra. It is sure to be a hard task, but I am up for it," Lyra replied.
Now that that was arranged Nyra walked off, leaving Lyra to mutter something about the task up ahead.
"What the-," a guard of the Guardian Owls gasped as they saw a light brown owl incoming. "Oh, Soren, I never thought you'd come in this early."
Soren smiled and landed on a branch of the tree that the guard stood on. "Kludd was not where I hoped to find him. But from what I think, he's gone to the desert. He's looking for some 'traitors'," Soren explained. "I'll leave now. Please inform the Guardians of this and I would also wish to ask you of not coming with me. You must stay here as must all the other owls."
"But King Soren, it is my duty to protect the owls and especially the king," the guard said.
"I don't think that's necessary. You protect this land and the owls that live here. It's worse to loose a whole kingdom, than one ruler," Soren concluded and flew off.
He headed to the desert. He knew exactly what he was searching for and he knew that he could use it to his advantage.
After flying for two days, he came to the place. He saw Kludd and his warriors, or what was left of them and four trapped owls. One of them was separately guarded, by three soldiers.
"I think I know why," Soren muttered to himself, smiling. "And I got to admit, Kludd chose right, this time."
He saw a soldier looking at him, so Soren decided to fly higher, to look like some owl just passing by.
"Now, I'd better go and find Nyra," he whispered to himself and flew off, this time faster. At his speed, it should only take him a day.
Demon squirmed in her ropes, screeching loudly as she protested against being trapped. "Get me out of here!" she yelled, screaming into the ear holes of the soldier on guard at the time. The soldier flinched a little, but otherwise stood next to the three tied up owls firmly.
"Don't you get scared by that owl, she's feisty, but she ain't that strong," another owl assured the owl on guard. "Just show her your bravery and she'll be as silent as a mouse and as cute as an owlet. Don't let her think your a coward and a weakling or she'll be tempted to creep you out till you let her go."
Demon growled, slightly offended. Wait... a lot offended. And owlet?! They'd never see that part of her. Weaklings! she thought, laughing in her mind.
Dust picked up on her anger and tried to peck at the rope. But as one of the guards looked in his direction, the owl stopped pecking at the rope and froze. "You look like you'd have been a good addition to the pure. If you hadn't been so gullible to go with those owls," the guard said. "I wonder why you'd waste your time with them. Maybe for that golden owl. She looks pretty. Or that brown one with the amber eyes, Blaze I think she's called. But I doubt you'd fall for them and most certainly not that devil in an owl's body, that black she-devil."
What do they know about Demon?! Dust thought. He looked at demon who carried an offended look in her eyes, but she stood firm and barely gave away her emotions. Only he, Blaze and Grace recognised the pain she felt after those words have left the guard's beak. Dust would have killed that owl on the spot if it weren't for that stupid rope.
"Don't you dare offend my friends," Blaze screamed in a fiery temper. She looked like she was going to explode. The three guards laughed, even the one who had just awaken from his sleep. "You have no right to offend Demon, even if she may be feisty at times. You're all just cold-hearted, selfish brutes, that joined the Pure for nothing but the pleasure of killing, revenge and blood."
Another on of the guards, a grey owl rose a talon at Blaze's neck. "You better hold your tongue lady. If you want to live through this, you should be on our side," he whispered into her ear, before smirking. He then walked off for some sleep.
Kludd didn't listen to any of this. He had more important things on his mind. First he needed to find food. Then he had to have a rest. Then find a way to get all owls back without any escaping traitors. And he had to make sure no-one was going to attack his group.
He looked once or twice at the argument at wing, letting an amused smile on his creepy face. He then went to check if the guards that were meant to keep an eye on Grace were doing their job. One was asleep, which was perfectly fine, since he had been awake for twelve hours straight without anything to eat. The other was guarding, but in between he always searched the sand to get some food. Even insects weren't to be missed.
The guard did not seem to notice that Grace was holding a rock in between her talons. Kludd new what she was going to use it for, so he went to try and stop the owl himself and meanwhile he could also embarrass his guard. So, two in one.
"And what do you think you're doing?!" he asked the golden-feathered owl as he landed right in front of her. She looked up and dropped the rock.
The guard looked in Grace's direction and dropped his head. "I... sorry, Metalbeak, I should have guarded properly," he apologised.
"I'll let you off... if... you find food for all the guards and me, before you find yourself a meal," Kludd said," does that sound fair?"
"Y...yes... that sounds fair, Metalbeak," the owl replied, bowing his head down. Then he walked off. "But who's going to guard her?"
"Me," Kludd answered, glaring at Grace. "And I'll make sure that she won't attempt anything. And don't even think about giving the four traitors any food. The weaker they are, the easier it will be to get them back."
Kludd knew that if they had the strength, all four of them would go as far as killing for their freedom, they done it once, they'll do it again.
"You know that as soon as you try and get us back there, we'll just attack you and then flee!" Grace muttered, interrupting Kludd from his thoughts.
"And how would that come to be?" Kludd asked. There was no way that after four days of no food and barely any sleep they would still have enough energy to fight.
"Not sure, for now, but I know I'd die for the freedom of my friends," Grace replied, looking at her friends. Ooh, she so loyal, she almost scared me there... whatever,Kludd thought. Wait... she would do that?
"And we'd do the same for you," Blaze suddenly called out.
"Then we might as well die and get over it. Death is freedom!" Demon called out.
"You really think I would let you die without any pain?" Kludd asked, smirking. "Nah, that wouldn't be much fun, now would it?"
"It would be.. for us to watch the smirk on your ugly face disappear, once you know you can't do no more harm or pain us any more," Dust suddenly called out. Kludd froze. He looked around to see Dust laughing at him, in a far more evil way that Kludd thought Dust would ever. That owl would never offend anyone, much less someone in charge and in authority and now he just remarked on how ugly his face was. Kludd backed off.
"You guards better watch that kid he's ego's getting too big for his heart!" Kludd commanded the soldiers. "And you Dust should watch your tongue, all you are is a worm and you know it and worms don't offend owls."
The guards laughed.
"You know nothing about an owl's heart Kludd. You barely even know about loyalty, kindness, friendship, honesty or sincere laughter, where you laugh with someone and not at someone. Dust may be just a traitor, but as a traitor he knows more about loyalty than you," Blaze retorted back. Demon nodded, glaring at Kludd.
"Dust is more of an owl than any of the Pure will ever be!" Demon agreed. "Especially you. You're a monster, the same monster as I thought Nyra to be. All you are is a soldier, in her command, under her dark spell, you're a zombie, brainless, heartless, without any free will, and are full of lust and you only wish to destroy."
"Says the owl that would fight for the mere fun of destroying her opponent. One who never fought fair!" Kludd said.
"Well I'm not the owl who would steal his own sister and drag her into a life of slavery. I'm not the one who would attack his brother because of jealousy. And I doubt anyone stooped so low, to even liking Nyra," Demon retorted. "Bravo King Jerk, you just stooped to the lowest level possible, a level lower than an earth worm's level."
Kludd would have lunged at her and tear her up into pieces, but he was wiser than this. That would only free her and make everyowl that was in her team want to kill him.
He'd wait two more days and then he'd go. All he wanted to do was to get rid of these pathetic nuisances, but not in a nice way, in a way that would be painful was preferable.
Nyra was standing in her dorm. The time passed slower with each day and now that she had only two days left of waiting, before they would return. Maybe not even that.
However, now she finally got to go and fly there herself. She flapped her wings and rose into the sky.
After twelve hours of flight, she suddenly saw a single owl in the sky. It dropped down a bit, until she could make out the owl's looks. It was Soren. "What the heck is he doing here?" she muttered to herself.
"Long time, no see, Nyra," he greeted teasingly.
"Urgh... what are you doing her?" she asked him.
"The same as what you're about to do. I think you'll finally see what I mean," Soren replied, smiling. "But you better go fast. Feelings are something an owl cannot control, Nyra, I am sure you are aware of that."
And with that Soren flew off, back in the direction of his kingdom.
Nyra decided to fly faster. With luck she get there in one day instead of two.
And she did. By the time the sun set for the second time, she was there. Precisely 24 hours it had taken her.
She saw three owls tied up together, guarded by three guards. Demon, Dust and Blaze. However, the last one, Grace, was tied up separately and guarded by Kludd.
For a moment she mistook the image, but then she saw the ropes. Luckily it meant nothing yet, but it could soon. She could not leave Kludd with her. She would have to step in.
She landed on the sand and looked at Kludd. It was now or never. She had to get him to return before he grew to like that owl. If he did, everything would be ruined.
I know this chapter may have been confusing, but my aim was for Perry Green to fly with the Pure owls and return as soon as the battle ended when Kludd had decided to stay in the desert for four days. He managed to get to Nyra in one day and as he was spying the group, so was Soren, who then decided to get to Nyra and met her in three-quarters of the way. Then Nyra would receive his teasing message, speeding up her flight to get there as fast as possible. Not trusting Kludd she should now try and tell Kludd to go today instead of tomorrow. But will she tell him he should go straight away, or will she fly back?
And I could not find a name for a peregrine falcon so I decided to sort of use the name of the species as it's name.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, although it was confusing - it was for me. Also when I say that the owls flew for a day, or two, or unlimited number days, I mean that they would stop for water and food, but I did not want to add it now when I didn't add it in before.
...To Be Continue...
