Dedicatory: To all those who have fallen, but that still, they continue to fight.
“Yes, I can still remember that night. For Heaven’s sake, how could I not remember that night?” the brown male owl asked indignantly to the grey owl in front of him. The grey owl just shrunk his wings.
“Well, not that I’m implying anything, but let's not forget that your father”” the grey owl started but was cut off by the first one.
“My father did deliver twenty letters in one night, Fen!” said the brown owl, extending the end of his wing dangerously close to Fen’s face.
“Yes, he certainly did,” said wisely a very old owl from one of the highest spots in the Owlery, as though he remembered lost glorious days. Many other owls hooted in support.
“All right… so what happened then?” asked Fen reluctantly.
Glar hesitated a moment before continuing. “I can still remember the chilly wind that had blown that night. I remember it very clearly because I could feel my very feathers cold against my skin.
“I was on one of my usual utmost important missions,” Fen rolled his bird eyes, “when I saw it…” Glar trailed off, a lost expression on his face as if he was back to that fatidic night.
All the owls leaned forward in their perches, waiting for Glar to continue. The brown owl’s expression remained fixed on his face, so a petit female owl finally said impatiently, “What did you see?”
Glar came off his trance at her words. He shook his head twice, as if to clear it, before continuing.
“Yes, I was saying, I was in one of my important missions when I saw it… a green symbol floating above the castle.”
Several owls started to talk at the same time in excitement. Others flew from one perch to another to exchange hushed words.
“We all saw that… that thing, Glar,” countered Fen, trying to gain some attention back to him. “So, what?”
Glar’s voice then came back with a note of conceitedness. “Ah, but you didn’t see what happened in one of the towers, did you, Fen?”
Again, all the owls started to talk at the same time while others flew back and forth to their neighbour’s perches. Still, all the turmoil instantly died when Glar started talking again.
“As I was saying, the night was cold, and I had just spotted that horrible symbol just floating above the castle. I did not see who make it happen or when, but it had triggered a lot of action within and outside the castle. I wasn’t sure if there was battling inside the castle, so I left the snack I was having near the big man’s hut and flew towards the castle.”
“I thought you said you were on an important mission, Glar,” pointed out Fen. Several owls that were following Glar’s tale with religious intensity called to Fen to shut his beak up. Encouraged, Glar continued.
“So, as I was nearing the castle, I grew certain that there was battle inside the castle. You didn’t have to be an owl to hear the screams coming from behind the walls and see the glow of their wooden sticks through the windows.”
Even though the Owlery was always empty at night, this time all the perches were occupied as many pair of green, amber and grey eyes followed Glar.
“I have to admit that I feared for my master, with the screaming, battling, and all. So, I swooped low for the bottom windows for I thought there I would find the battle. And what do you think I found?”
Many owls looked scared to even imagine what could have Glar found. One particularly small owl sunk deeper into his perch. Glar enjoyed a bit longer of his theatrical pause before continuing.
“Nothing! I found nothing! You’d have thought that the fight would be in the breached wooden doors, but there was nothing! Not even one crooked painting or forced locks.”
The murmurs raised again in excitement before Glar continued.
“Obviously, I wasn’t about to stay there and do nothing, so I started to fly to one of the towers when my accurate eyes caught something planning above me!”
All the owls froze in anticipation as Glar introduced yet another of his dramatic pauses.
“I focused on it and found that it was not only one thing but two!” A high-pitched screech, coming from a place where many female owls had gathered, was heard throughout the Owlery. “I then realized they were flying towards one of the towers… and one of them was unmistakably the wizard of the white beard!”
At the mention of the wizard of the white beard, the owls, which so far had talked in hushed tones, started to speak aloud with one another. Still, Fen made his voice sound above the conversations.
“Ha! I knew you were making all this up, Glar. Just as your father…” he added with a wicked smile. “So, according to your fantastic tale, you saw to wizards flying above you.” Fen let out a mockingly laughter before continuing. “You forgot something, my friend. Wizards can’t fly!”
Fen stood triumphant, waiting for everyone to support his argument, but was brought out of it when one big and imposing female owl slapped him with her wing on the back of his head.
“Sometimes you are one outstanding idiot, Fen,” she said tiredly. “Please continue, Glar.”
Glar couldn’t help but smile before continuing with his tale. “Anyhow, as I was saying, two wizards were sweeping across the black sky towards one of the towers. One was the wizard of the white beard, and the other one… the other one was Eithna’s master,” he ended with seriousness.
All the pairs of eyes instantly turned towards the only snow-white owl. She met Glar’s eyes and lifted her head slightly.
“I wouldn’t find it hard to believe, Glar,” she said imperiously as she hovered to his perch. “Mi master is young, and yet, he has gone through so much. I, myself, have endured my fair share.” Eithna scanned the Owlery with her eyes only to find a increasing respect towards her. “My master is a good wizard. He has always taken care of me, and I will always take care of him,” she said with a tone of finality that admitted no further inquiring on her master’s businesses.
Glar watched as Eithna spread her powerful wings and returned to her perch with dignity before continuing.
“I knew they had been summoned by the symbol. I quickly picked up and flew towards them, at a safe distance of course,” he clarified. “They descended on one of the towers, the one where some of the youngsters go at night with thick metal tubes.
“I watched as they dismounted those strange large wooden sticks that they use to fly. Both of them seemed very serious, as though they were already alerted of the chaos within the castle. In fact, I believe that they had reached the castle through the sky for that very reason.”
“I perched in one of the corners of the tower, utterly curious of how they would proceed and wondering at the same time if they could use my help. But in front of my incredulous gaze, the youngster disappeared!”
This time, no owls interrupted Glar; they continued to hang onto each of his words.
“And almost at the same time, the door of the tower flew open. Another youngster came in, and I thought he had come to warn them, but I was surprised when he directed his wooden stick to the wizard of the white beard and disarmed him!”
Glar was interrupted by the sound of all the owls speaking at the same time, scandalized. Even Eithna let out an outraged hoot. Although owls didn’t know much about magic, they all knew that the wizard of the white beard was very powerful. The old owl that had spoken at the beginning addressed to Glar over the noise.
“Who was it, boy? Is he anyone’s master?” All the owls held their breath, dreading Glar’s answer.
The brown owl nodded sadly before answering, “He is Aedus’ master. I am certain.”
Exclamations erupted all over the Owlery at this affirmation. Many heads turned, looking for the mentioned but found nothing.
“Just as I feared,” confessed the old owl from his high perch. “I never liked Aedus’ master, always so secretive.”
“What happened next?” Fen asked, not being able to hide his recently acquired interest on the tale.
“Well, Eithna’s master was nowhere to be seen, and I couldn’t do much but watch how things unfolded.
“Aedus’ master kept aiming his wooden stick at the wizard of the white beard. However, it seemed as though he was having second thoughts of doing whatever he had planned to do. I could hear the wizard of the white beard talking to him; maybe trying to dissuade him. And he would have made it if it wasn’t for the men that entered through the same door… evil men.”
Glar flew to another perch where he could be viewed easier by all the owls in the Owlery.
“I recognized one of them as the greasy haired man.”
The owls gasped at this sudden revelation. Although not many liked that man because he was always sneering, they knew he was one with the longest stay in the castle.
“The youngster looked between relieved and afraid as many of the men were addressing him not so friendly stares. Without warning… the-the greasy haired man… he…”
Glar closed his eyes with a sorrowfulness he could not hide.
“He aimed his wooden stick at the wizard of the white beard. There was a green spell that hit the old wizard square in the chest.”
Many owls let out a cry upon his words.
“He died at the very moment the spell touched his chest…” Glar concluded with downcast eyes.
“Impossible!” roared Fen over the cries of the owls, his voice quavering with fear. “You are wrong, Glar. Nonsense!” Fen turned around before opening his mighty winds and sailing the wind out through one of the Owlery’s windows.
All the owls inside the tower were letting out shrieks of pain and grief. Not one of them wanted to believe Glar’s words, but they all knew without doubt that he was speaking with the truth. Glar looked out through the window as Fen’s figure disappeared in the horizon.
“I knew he was dead from the moment the spell hit his chest…” Eithna flew at Glar’s side and passed one of her wings over his body comfortingly. “And then… the phoenix fell over the edge, just that this time, it wouldn’t retake its flight.”
A/N: Ah, this is my first challenge. I'm so nervous! I just hope that, even if it wins no glory, you like it as much as I did.
I'm actually surprised. I didn't know I would enjoy so much writing this. Please read and review, so I can know how terribly I did :)
Oh, and by the way, for all those who are waiting the chaptered story, I have around 5 chapters written and some of the end (don't ask!), but I think the problem is that I'm scared :x The thing is that once I start posting, I know I won't be able to stop it, so maybe I'm just scared that I won't be good enough for the story :) Anyway, I'll try to gather the courage, and start posting this week.