Chapter 11: Training
*stuff written like this is either mental thoughts, or dreams*
(Tyler's P.O.V.)
The wind was blowing fast and hard, I was holding a modified version of my combat knife in my talons and flying over the ocean towards the bottom of the great tree. As I neared the tree, I prepared to throw my knife at a small wooden branch near the ground as a target. When I reached my target, a flash of memories bombarded me; Outillisa, the fight with the Pure Ones, my flight training in Florida… TRAINING! I don't have training in becoming a guardian… owww… my lapse into thought rendered my mind being disconnected while in flight, and I crashed into the ground.
I looked down and saw my knife going through a wing with the other bent at an odd angle. I used my cut up wing to pull out my knife, but didn't feel any pain… until I took a breath in, and I gasped and felt my eyes jerk open, I saw Outillisa stirring before me as I jerked and squeezed her some, I yelled for a few moments and went slack, I saw blackness engulfing my world like a blackish sludge. It slowly moved around and towards me, Outillisa was looking into my eyes and shook me, I could see her speaking to me, but I couldn't hear a single word, as the blackness started to slowly crawled over me, I had a single thought; I need training now. I slowly felt feeling returning to my body and I started to hear Outillisa talking to me, but I wasn't focusing on her voice…
(Outillisa's P.O.V.)
I was dreaming of me and Tyler flying over the ocean towards the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole, we were headed towards a branch near the top of the tree. As we neared the top, the night was starting to begin as a colorful sunset began over the horizon of the sea. We settled onto the branch and as I leaned onto his shoulder, he wrapped a wing around me. I was enjoying the sunset when I felt Tyler squeeze me tightly, but not painfully. I felt as if my world was starting to disappear.
When I opened my eyes, what I saw concerned me and had me worried more than when I first heard what chaw I was going to be in… But Tyler's gaze was distant and he was slightly trembling. His eyes were darting around our hollow and his breaths were shallow. His gaze focused on me, and I recognized the tell-tale of how a cornered vole stares before being killed.
…His breathing calmed down instantly, and I felt him loosen his hold on me and saw him slump backwards onto the nests ledge… and I heard him mumble, "… training…"
I started to shake him, "Tyler? TYLER! Are you ok…"
He started to groan, and I saw him shaking his head weakly. I grabbed a small leaf bowl/cup I always kept near the hollow entrance way and I raced out of the hollow to grab some water from the pond near the dining pavilion. It was before sunset still, so I didn't run into any owls, which let me move even faster. A leaf got in my way and I grabbed it with my other talon, and as I was about to throw it away from me, I got an idea…
When I landed, I quickly scooped up a large amount into the small cup and placed the leaf I had grabbed over the top of the cup. As I took off, I was flying faster than I had ever done before, and was back in my hollow a few minutes later. I was surprised to see Tyler walking towards me, looking like he was completely fine, but I wasn't about to let him just go fly without a quick check up.
"Get back in that nest Tyler."
He just stared at me and turned around hesitantly, but then started to try and walk around me, "I just need to go get something from my old camp." He told me.
I am starting to get frustrated with these games, but I had a few ideas to stop him from leaving the hollow. I guess I'm going to try what Gylfie does to Soren…
I tilted my head to the side and opened my eyes really wide and said, "but Tyler… don't you love me?"
I had to fight to keep a straight face, he looked shocked and guilty, but he had stopped walking… he is so gullible; I see why Gylfie does this a lot… I was mentally laughing, but it stopped when I heard him mumble, "That's why I need to go to my old camp…"
Okay, plan 'B'…
I used the best sad voice I could and said, "Can I get a hug then?"
He chuckled and replied, "Sure."
As he walked up to me, I dropped the look and quickly raised my wing to his chest, and rubbed that one spot so much, I saw him crumple. I rushed to his side to hear him making a sound like a purring feline cub, "T… Tyler?"
He didn't make a single response… uh-oh, what did I do…
(Tyler's P.O.V.)
When I started to walk towards Outillisa, her face changed emotions, and she reached out and rubbed my chest before I could respond…. And as I started to fall, warmth overtook me and I saw pink take over my vision, but with black quickly following…
The warmth was gone, but I felt something wet dripping down all my feathers and I felt someone shake me… I started to open my eyes, but could barely even twitch them… what happened to me…
I felt someone wing move down my face, and down my body, but before it the reached my talons, I heard someone take a deep breath…ok, what's going on here…
I felt the wing being removed, but it quickly returned… but on my tail feathers, I then felt something hard wrap around a feather; like a talon, and give a little tug. Then felt someone hold onto both sides of my body with their wings, securing me down… not like I was going anywhere, but when I felt another tug, I started to connect the dots… oh no, please don't do wha-…
"OWWWWW!"
I felt a sharp pain move throughout my body, and I felt the pressure be released from my wings. I was staring up at the top of the hollow with tears welling up in my eyes. I saw another's head appear above mine, and when I blinked, the tears slid down my face feathers. I recognized Outillisa, and she looked worried and guilty, "Can you move Tyler?"
I just looked at her, and when I tried to move my wings, I could do so well enough. As I sat up, I wrapped my wings around Outillisa and held her tightly with one wing, and moved my other down slowly until it was lying on top of HER tail feathers. "What were you thinking?" I asked her.
"I didn't know how else to wake you up, I threw water of your face, but you still didn't make even a peep. I started to get even more worried…" I loosened my wing and lowered it to join the other, and when I looked at Outillisa's face; her feathers were standing on end. I pulled her hips closer to me and I think I could see the skin under her feathers turning a bright red now.
"Why are you holding me their Tyler?"
I grinned at her and gave her a peck on the beak, and when I pulled away, I whispered sweetly, "Payback's a bitch…" and I yanked a feather out, which was extremely hard with wings.
I saw Outillisa clench her beak, and she fell forward and was now laying on me. She soon opened her beak and let out a whimper and started to breathe heavily into my feathers.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" I grinned, "Now, I'm sorry to leave you, but I need to go get something…"
I just felt Outillisa go limp a little bit and heard her mummer, "I'm going to teach you about mates when you get back… don't take too long, or I'll take another feather out."
Damn, her voice is cold…
"Ok, be back soon."
I tried to get up, except Outillisa was all over me. As I got up, I picked her up as best as I could, and dropped her into the nest gently, and started to walk towards the hollow, but stopped when I was midway, I saw a dark brown feather next to a lighter one. I chuckled and started to walk again.
I jumped out of the hollow and as I was gliding down, I almost lost control while turning towards an outcropping makeshift tent near the ground.
CAWWW
The unexpected noise caused me to swerve in mid-air. I turned to my left to see a crow looking at me with beady eyes…
CA-CAWW
I looked to my left and saw another crow but to my right, this one seemed to be moving closer with each flap, "hey, back off!"
It ceased its approach, but still glided next to me… then its eyes grew narrow and heard a swoop on my left and felt a pain shoot through my left wing.
"AHH, YOU LITTL-"
Another swoop and the other crow swooped in and pecked my right wing, this started to aggravate me, I saw my camp not too far, and I dived down; The two crows following me like missiles as I continued my dive towards my old encampment.
When I reached the bottom of dive, I saw my knife sticking up out of the ground, I am going to need to plan this perfectly, or I'm going to be feeling pain…
I angled myself sideways, and when I reached out, I barely held onto the knife as it was yanked out of the ground. I then turned and held it out, and I cut the bigger crow right across his wing, and he let out a pained caw... then he faced me and his face showed murder.
Before the crow could attack me, I angled myself towards the warning bell and flew as fast as I could. I was dodging around the various milk berry vines, but when I looked behind me to see the crows slowly gaining on me; I put on another burst of speed.
When I faced forward, I saw I had broken through the cover of the vines and saw the two Guardians standing watch over the bell, and behind them, I saw a sunset that caused me to lose my grip on reality, and I started to stare at the pinkish red hues on the setting sun… I was quickly brought back into reality when a sharp beck to my back made me to flap extremely hard, propelling me forward like a rocket. Only problem was, I also froze, and I quickly… and painfully… crashed into the bell.
Since I was only feathers, it only made a small ding, and the two guardians looked at me, and all I could mutter was, "…crows… ack me…" was all I could mutter as I was breathing hard, and recovering from the hit to the bell.
The Guardians looked out towards the tree, and saw them quickly flying towards to open sea back to the mainland.
Since I had regained my breath, I said, "Those crows had attacked me… I don't care what happens to them, I'm just going back to my hollow."
Without waiting for a reply, I stood up, and took off, if rather sloppily, and slowly flew up towards Outillisa's hollow. I was thinking of how bad that could have went… yup, I need training…
As I landed on the branch near Outillisa's hollow, I set my knife down in a hole that was in the branch. I slowly and quietly walked up to the entrance and peered in; Outillisa was facing her tail, and she had her rear end elevated. She was looking at her tail feathers, and would quickly, or slowly move them side to side, doing I don't know what.
I sidled my way up to her quietly and joined her in her gazing of her tail feathers. "Ugh… he pulled out a big feather… when he gets back, he will learn the proper ways of how mates are supposed to behave with each other…"
Ha-ha, if that's what she wants to do, and I guess she hasn't heard me yet, time to scare her…
I pulled myself onto the nest wall, and when I was there, I prepared myself to grab her…. As she shifted her tail a few more times, I wrapped my wings around her and quickly rolled her onto he back.
She went stiff and just stared at me; I leaned forward and said, "Boo!"
She jumped so hard, I fell off the side of the nest onto my back, and I just started laughing… I can't believe that just worked. I quickly stopped however, when an angry Outillisa appeared above me, with her wings holding my sprawled ones down, and of her talons holding mine, and her beak inches from mine. When she spoke, she seethed out, "how long… were you… standing their?"
"uuhhh-uhh-uhhhh… um, since you last talked to yourself and where looking at your… tail?" I replied, if somewhat scared. I couldn't hold it in and chuckled a little bit, but quickly stopped when she leaned closer to my body.
As she laid her body across mine, she said, "Now, why are you stuttering… Tyler?"
My feathers started to lift up as I felt her talons tighten around mine, and her beak moved closer… "HEY! TYLE-"
I looked back towards the entrance, and Soren was standing there with a shocked and bewildered look on his face… "Hm, I'll just be goi-"
"NOO!" I quickly yelled, "We… we weren't doing anything, please stay." I pleaded near the end, I had started to worry what Outillisa was going to do, and Soren was my ticket out of my mess.
"No, no… I'll be going, I just wanted to see if you were alright, I saw how those crows were mobbing you, but I couldn't catch up with y…"
He stopped, and when I looked at Outillisa, her face showed signs of shock, then astonishment, "How did he escape?" was all she could say.
Soren looked at me, and I gave him the best puppy dog eyes I could, and motioned with my wing tips the best I could at me and Outillisa… I'm glad he understood…
(Soren's P.O.V.)
I was surprised when I saw Tyler underneath Outillisa when I entered the hollow, but I was even more surprised at when I heard him ask me to stay… it was just confusing, but when he motioned at themselves, it clicked…
"I will tell you, but can you get off Tyler? It looks like you're ready to mate…"
She stared at me, then quickly got off and turned towards the wall and I saw Tyler get up, he beaked 'thank you' and pulled Outillisa next to him. He then spoke this time, while turning Outillisa, "Ok, now you can tell her."
I took a deep breath and started to tell her what I saw. "He was flying towards the rocks where he stayed when we first found him, and I had been watching these two crows circling above the tree for a while, but when they both swooped down, that's when I first took notice of Tyler. As he continued to glide down, he noticed the two crows, but soon after they started to mob him. After a few moments, Tyler took off into a steep dive and was soon at his camp, and he pulled his knife out of the ground and cut the larger of the two. I'm guessing this is what angered it, and it tried to chase him soon after. I was about to leap out of my hollow to go help him, but he entered the vines, and I knew I wouldn't be able to catch up to him then, but I still followed. After a while the crows caught up in the open and pecked Tyler in the back. He flew so fast after that, but when he neared the bell, he didn't slow down, and he crashed into the bell. A branch got in the way, so when I flew around, I saw you had disappeared. I flew down to the two guards and asked where you went, and after they told me, I kinda just took off towards Outillisa's hollow, guessing that was where you said you were going. I was gonna ask if you were fine, but it looked like you and Outillisa were going to mate…"
I took a deep breath in and saw Tyler look at Outillisa, then back at me, and he said, "Thank you Soren. Now if you would, I feel like a nap is in order…" and he finished with a yawn.
"You're welcome; I'll see you for breakfast or dinner then?" I asked
He nodded, and started to walk towards the nest, and I turned around and flew back to my hollow… I sure had a tale to tell Gylfie when she woke up.
(Tyler's P.O.V.)
When I was settled into the nest with Outillisa, I said, "Sorry for waking you up earlier, just had a dream… and Outillisa?" I saw her look at me, "Were you really going to try and mate with me?"
She just looked at me, then muttered, "…maybe…"
"Thank you for telling me, but I just have to say this about us being mates… you will have to wait a little bit longer that that…"
The sound of owls talking and a warm breeze rolling around my feathers woke me up. I opened my eyes, and upon surveying the hollow, I concluded I was surely alone. I picked myself up and started walking towards the noise of outside and when I heard two branches hit each other, my curiosity was peaked and I looked outside to see a few owls sparring with small wooden sticks. I took a stretch and flew down to where they were and watched them spar until one noticed me… said owl didn't pay attention and got a hit to the top of the wing.
The owl quickly recovered and excused itself from its sparring partner, and as it flew over to me, I saw its sparring buddy come over as well.
"Hello… your name is Tyler, right?" I just stared at the unknown owl; the owl was a female.
"Yes, and who are you?" I responded politely… (A.N.: it only looks rude written down)…
"Oh, sorry, my name is spot… and every owl knows who you are by now. So, what brings you here?"
"I heard some noise that woke me up, and I was wondering what it was… when I saw you owls sparring, I thought I could use that also. I was… 'mobbed'… by crows earlier, and I don't know how to fight. So can you help me?" I looked between the two owls.
The owl that I didn't have a name for answered first, "Yeah, sure, spot can teach you. I was getting tired of beating her anyways," he smirked at her, then took off and said, "see you later spot."
I heard spot huff, then I felt something hit my talon and when I looked at it, it looked like a wooden sword, but with no grip. "You will need to use that in most fights, unless you pick a different weapon like battle claws, clubs, or anything else, but for now we will use the sword. Go ahead and pick it up."
I looked at her talon and saw how she was holding hers, and when I picked it up, she took flight into an open area part of the air. Spot called out, "Well, you gonna stand over their or come spar?"
I grinned and flew towards her… when I was close she said, "Okay, the first step in sword fighting is to identify your target, or in tougher fights, targets. Since I am training you, I'll show you the basic moves and areas you will want to aim for and defend."
(One hour Later)
Tyler was lying on his back; his feathers were in such disarray it seemed like his white stripe was in a zigzag pattern. While he was breathing heavily, a glimpse of some matted feathers could be seen where the practice sword had been hit exceptionally hard, and left his sweat to hold his feathers down. While he had been practicing, his missing tail feather caused an air fluxaition, and he lost some air, and that had resulted in a nasty lump on his side. Spot had left him fifteen minutes after they had finished, but she made sure he was still able to move afterwards.
A cream colored Tyto flew over to him and poked him with his wingtip…
(Tyler's P.O.V.)
Really? Did someone just poke me? I know I can't be in the way… well maybe. Time to get up and go meet everyone at the dining pavilion…
I just pushed whoever's wing it was away and said, "I'm getting up, I'm getting up…"
When I laid my wing back down, I opened my eyes and saw Soren standing above me and say, "So… you want to go get dinner? Outillisa should be there by now."
I looked at him and said, "Um, sure."
When I stood up, Soren and I took flight towards the Dining pavilion, and I couldn't help but think how today a very busy… and painful day was. Every flap of my wings brings a new type of pain, and I can't really fix that…unless I go lay in the bathing area.
We had started nearing the dining area, and I could just make out a small amount of owls lounging around. Soren and I landed near where the area they eat at, and started to walk up to its top.
I would occasionally look around and see owls taking glances at me; ranging from owls smaller than Gylfie, and all the way to around the size of Twilight. As we reached the top, I sat down and saw a few snakes slithering towards us with milk berry tarts, and tea. I heard Soren cough, and as I looked at him, he spoke in a hushed voice, "How well can you hide Tyler? King Boron and Queen Baran have a mission for you to do… they don't want too many owls to know about this, so that's why I'm telling you, to avoid suspicion."
This took me by surprise, and I said, "When I was human, I could sneak up on someone without trying to, but now that I'm an owl, I'm still learning new ways of flying. I was sparring earlier tonight, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm fighting worthy unless I used my own knife or my talons…" I trailed off, and remembered Spot telling me about the other choices of weapons, with battle claws being one.
"You won't need to fight, just scout some things out for the king and queen. With your acts to protect us when the Pure Ones attacked us, I heard them mention they were having Bobo make you some of your own Guardian armor. So, will you do it?" Soren asked, with his voice sounding hopeful.
This could be a chance for me to get to know this world better, but I will need someone to be with me, if I get lost, I will have no possible way of finding my way back…
"I'll do it, but under one condition… ill need a guide so I don't get lost." I stated.
Soren brightened and said, "Don't worry, we have the perfect person. You should know her… no. It's not Outillisa."
I frowned, but quickly smiled, I now knew for sure that I could do this, "Ok, so when would I leave. I will be telling Outillisa though… that isn't a choice."
Soren grinned, and said in a regular voice, "Not that I disagree, and you will leave tomorrow during first black, so get your rest…" I heard his stomach rumble loudly, "and I guess we should eat." He finished after his feathers rose a little bit…
A.N.: OMG… I'M FINISHED WITH THIS CHAPTER! I hope you all liked it, it went on longer than I was planning, and not that it is a bad thing. I got a review that stumped me quite well at first, but I, have a plan… the review asked me if there would be adventure or Outillisa and Tyler's life together… I hadn't planned that far ahead, so I decided to make it both, but I will need ideas from now on. I knew I should have made a new story…this is surely going to pass 15 chapters later on. I would like to also state AGAIN… where can I buy the dang LOTG books from besides amazon, I don't want to make an account to but a book(s). I love reading, but borders has, and still is, going bankrupt, and I have no way to get to the one that is 50+ miles away from me…. So on other notes, time to respond to the reviews… if I hadn't forgotten what they were… short AN today (or night to owls), and I left it possible for those without accounts to review, I know more people read LOTG than there is stories…
P.S.: when he went boo, I've done that too, it works.