The Gift of the Lethe

Hunting in the Twilight

The hills rising in the distance are lightening as the sun creeps upwards towards the horizon, the sky having shifted from the deep black of true night to the lighter gray-blue of pre-dawn. Pallas' owl guide flaps down to a branch on a nearby tree, twisting its head around to hoot at her.

"Rest now. I must hunt."

Pallas smiles at the owl. "Take your time." She pauses for a moment, chewing on her lip. "Actually, would you like me to aid you?"

"More food? Yes yes."

The owl swoops down from the tree to land on Pallas' shoulder, where it reaches up to nibble at her ear. She smiles and reaches up to run a finger down the owl's feathers.

"How would you like to do this?"

The owl ruffles its feathers, poofing them up before they settle back down. "Scare prey?"

"You want me to flush out game?"

The owl's beak clicks. "Yes yes."

Pallas frowns. "Is there anything you wish for me to look for specifically?"

"No. Just walk. Be loud as humans are."

She raises her eyebrow at that. A bit rude, she thinks. Surely people aren't that loud? She stays silent though, and the owl flaps off of her shoulder to circle her head, encouraging her towards the trees. Despite the darkness wrapping around the trunks, inky black against the gray filling the rest of the world, Pallas can't help but find the forest to be welcoming.

Instead of being unnerving, the stillness of the trees is peaceful, so quiet that she can hear every crunch of the leaves beneath her feet. The sound softens after a moment, the crunching leaves little more than a whisper compared to the crackling and popping they were making previously.

Soft scurrying sounds echo around her, growing fainter as the creatures causing them flee from her approach. The owl continues to circle her as she walks, dipping towards the ground every so often to peer into the gloom for prey. It never dives, just continues circling over and over again. It swoops down in front of her for a moment before winging up to her shoulder to chatter in her ear.

"Too quiet. Why are you being quiet? Humans are supposed to be loud. Make a ruckus!"

Pallas raises her eyebrow at the owl. "Really? I'm too quiet?"

"Yes yes."

"I'm not trying to be quiet."

"You were loud and then went quiet. Be loud again."

Pallas sighs, frowning. "I'll try, but I already feel like I'm stomping around."

The owl makes a chittering sound. "Most humans are several times louder. Even hunters are louder. You're weird."

She blinks at the owl for a long moment. "Thanks, I guess?"

The owl doesn't respond to that and instead it flaps its wings, forcing wind to buffet her face, feathers brushing against her skin hard enough that she squints against them, trying to protect her eyes. The owl hoots, eager and demanding.

"Go, go! I'm hungry!"

Pallas raises a hand to block the wings from hitting her face. "Patience." She grumbles under her breath. "And perhaps be a little less rude."

An angry squawk pierces her ear. "You think I'm rude? I'm just hungry. You're rude!"

Pallas winces as talons squeeze, cutting into the flesh of her shoulder. "Okay, okay, I suppose I was a bit rude as well. But you are ordering me around and hitting me right now."

The owl stills, and after a moment it hoots again. "Sorry." A moment of silence lingers before the owl hoots again. "Can we hunt now? I really am hungry."

"Of course."

The owl lifts off of her shoulder as she moves to head deeper through the trees. She's moving slower now, with more care. She does somehow manage to make the sounds of her passing through the trees echo, even where they should not.

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Um. . . I can't think of any questions to ask you guys today, so just tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out