An Adventure

[xxskyfalconxx]

Naraky heard cleefs warning right before the vial hit the ground, but in that time he took that breath and raced towards the exit with the other owls following. The speckled owl flew towards naraky “you don't have long, escape now; i'll finish them off, along with this cave.”
“No, we're not leaving without you!” Naraky Refused
“you won't understand naraky, but the gas reacts with fire and causes it to explode. This cave is going to erupt like a volcano if I can cause a spark; leave now!”

[Cleef]

Cleef flew frantically with the group of owls towards the exit of the cave. He heard what the speckled owl said, and understood her plan, but Cleef had something else in mind.

The Athene Cunicularia may have been on the side of the smallest owls, but in a situation like this, he could be fairly strong. Especially with the breath of qui. The air of the breath had been what filled his longs when the vile had dropped. He stretched out his talons, grabbing the speckled owl and holding her wings to her side, he shot out of the exit, hopping that he would nip his target just right.

Although most of the viles had been dropped after the first one had shattered, Cleef had managed to hold on to the last one. It was in his starboard talon, sticking out to the side. Although it was probably uncomfortable to the speckled owl, who was squirming and shouting, Cleef hoped she didn't inhale, the vile had a piece of metal around its rim.

Cleef closed his eyes as he and the speckled owl slipped through the exit. He felt a slight bump on his talon, and a fiery ball shot out of the hole as Cleef dived down, dodging it.

Cleef, Naraky, Malick, and the Speckled owl went in for a landing on the nearest outcropping of rock. Cleef put the owl on her feet and landed beside her. She simply stared back at him in awe. "Sorry," Cleef said, "But I saw another plan that differed from yours and went for it."

"Th-thanks," said the Speckled owl, not exactly sure of how to respond.

[xxskyfalconxx]

Naraky landed on the outcropping with the rest of the group, wait, almost the whole group; Niamh was Missing! A Cry of pain called out from the entrance of the cave, naraky was quick to respond and disparately flew towards it. There, niamh and the Wiskered screech both were trapped by the rubble that had collapsed on them. Niamh was mostly free with her right wing only devoured by the rocks, but the screech had all his tail feathers lodged under. The two of them were both trying hard to get loose by flapping the wings in a desperate struggle. Naraky flew straight up to her and tried removing some of the rocks that covered her right wing. Malick and cleef were both helping now and managed to free both the birds. The whiskered screech instantly flew off, but Malick went straight after him; he would be back soon enough with the screech in his talons. Naraky’s attention however, was not on the screech, but on niamh; her wing was broken with some of the honeycombed structured bones extruding from the feathers and skin along with the blood that was still bleeding. Niamh was lying limp on the floor, overwhelmed with pain. “you’re going to be ok Niamh.” He calmed her with deep sorrow in his voice; if owls could cry, he would’ve been. “Cleef, what do we do?” he asked his companion who was experienced in healing.

[Cleef]

Cleef's brain clicked to action, quickly examining the damage to Niamh's wing.

"Naraky, stay here and keep her company. Keep her conscious," said the Burrowing Owl, "I need to find some supplies." He turned to the Speckled Owl. "Come with me. I'm going to need an extra pair of talons." With that, both Cleef and the Speckled owl flew off into the nearby forest in search of materials to heal the injured she-owl.

Cleef found moss, for bandaging, in a nearby pound. He was extremely fortunate and grateful that it was rabbit ear moss, the softest moss around. He handed the moss to the Speckled Owl and continued his search. The next thing he found was material for disinfectant and sedation.

The Burrowing and Speckled owls were soon back on the rock outcropping with Naraky, Niamh, and Malick who was suppressing the Screech Owl, who had tried to escape, with his talon. Cleef went straight to work with Niahm.

"Drink this," said Cleef as he gave Niahm a liquid that would sedate her; killing the pain she felt and allowing her to fall into a safe sleep as Cleef operated. The next thing Cleef did was tenderly and gently push her bones back into place, disinfect the wound, and then bandage it up. The work was tedious and bloody. Cleef prayed that Niahm hadn't lost too much blood. He finished and wiped the blood from his talons onto his wings, which he would wash later.

"We should get her to the Great Tree," said Cleef. He looked to the Screech Owl in Malick's talons, "But I don't know what to do with him."

[xxskyfalconxx]

Naraky leaned in closed to niamh “You’re gonna be ok.” She looked up towards him, and within those beautiful, yellow eyes, Naraky saw something; hope, love and a strong young owl. “I know Naraky.” Her voice small and faint. Naraky moved his talons in with hers, “why did you follow us Niamh, you should’ve stayed at the tree.” Niamh gave a cringe of pain “something in my gizzard, and….” She paused, “I feared you wouldn’t come back to the tree, I feared never seeing you again.” Naraky gave an owlish smile and put a wing over niamh to keep her warm. Soon enough malick was back with the screech in his talons, “alright, now what.” Malick asked with the screech staying perfectly still in his talons, if he tried to move he knew that those sharp talons would easily penetrate him. “cleef should be back soon.” Naraky said with an edge of fear in his voice, Niamh was running out of time. Cleef landed and immediately started working on Niamh. When he was done, his talons were drenched in blood and so he wiped some onto his wing and looked up at Naraky, “We should get her to the Great Tree, But I don't know what to do with him." He said gesturing to the screech. Naraky gave a sigh. “he deserves to die,” The Speckled owl spat, “agreed.” Malick seconded. Naraky shook his head, “no. He may deserve it, but we can’t. we’ll get him to the tree and then we send someone to escort him to the glauxian brothers to see if they can help his fleck-shattered mind.” This was the only proper solution he could think of at this time, “But more importantly, let’s get niamh to the tree.”

[Cleef]

Cleef admired that there was another owl in the world who agreed in, when dealing with an owl who's done a great wrong or wrongs, finding a peaceful solution when possible instead of killing him or her. "I admire your decision," said Cleef, "that would be best for this poor Screech." The Burrowing Owl looked to the Screech. At first, his stare was hard from under Malick's talons, like an angered dragon peering from the dark recesses of his cave as bandits tried to ransack his home, but the owl realized that these owls only wanted to help him. He supposed that he had been doing wrongs, and that these "rights" weren't. His gaze softened and a very weak, "Thank you," uttered from his beak. He would be safe from the corrupt band of owls that he had been following with the Glauxian Brothers.

Cleef looked to Malick, "Are you up for a long flight?" he asked. The Goshawk looked to Cleef, "I'm always up for an adventure."

And with that said, the group was soon off. The Screech Owl carried in Malick's talons, and Niamh, gently, in Naraky's. Cleef even convinced the Speckled Owl to come to the tree. She decided that her duty in the mountains was done. She was ready to learn and make friends.