Off the Deep End

Adventure

When he finally got to the station he checked the time, five in the afternoon. His stuff was still there, untouched, and the tunnel opening he'd found seemed to have automatically closed up.

Good.

When he could he'd come back and destroy the entire place.

For now he grabbed his stuff. He contemplated holing up in the station, but the idea of being so close to the entrance to that bird-themed rabbit hole made him shiver.

The last time he'd been in the news he'd been clean faced and way less ragged. Now, no one would probably recognise him.

he found a phone booth outside the tourist entrance, thanking every deity that it was there. He stuck some change in, called a cab and waited.

He didn't want to stray, he couldn't afford missing the cab. But owls were nocturnal, and his guide was looking distressed being awake in the sun.

It could fly up and sleep in the rafters, but it seemed hesitant to leave his side. Dick wondered if the court bred them to take interest in humans quickly, creating bonds fast. But any training would've been evolved out.

Although, it seemed the battle that destroyed the court happened not long before his parents death. That was only eight years ago. He didn't know a lot about owls, especially not specifically this breed, but if he remembered correctly they had a lifespan of about eight to twelve years.

This one was small, which could suggest it was young, but it may just be a small breed. There was a chance it was only a second or third generation, depending on how frequently owls nested and the percentage that survived.

So maybe it was full of generations worth of training to be practically linked to a human. This owl seemed to want to stay by him, at least.

So Dick grabbed his duffel bag, opened it up and moved things around. He left it open and leaned it against the wall he was sitting against. After some curious investigating the owl sat down inside and cozied up, seeming to be going to sleep.

It must suck to come out into the world for probably the first time and be met with an environment you were taught was dangerous.

"some owl you are, huh?" Dick smiled, "flying around in the day."

But what should he name him? well, he didn't have to. He could just set him free and forget. But he figured the owl was probably going to follow him around for a while, and he didn't want to keep referring to it as 'the owl'.

He was thinking maybe some kind of pun or a cool word, but he was drawing a blank. Largely because he was tired.

Cobb had called his owl Matilda, so the bar was low. Although if he thought about it...

Cobb's name was William, like the William the Conqueror. Wasn't the name Matilda connected to that guy?

Well it gave him an idea, what historical features could Dick think of that were called Richard. Other than English kings, because that was tacky, there were like six of them and Cobb had already done that.

He had an idea.

He turned to the owl, snuggled in his bag, "I'm gonna call you Isa, short for Isabel."

the owl, now christened Isa, couldn't protest. And Dick leaned back against the wall with his hood drawn over his face, the collar tucked against his neck. He didn't want to sleep, he knew what would await him in his dreams. But he found himself dozing till the taxi came. Dick zipped his bag slowly to not startle Isa and was careful as he walked to the cab.