HOME | DD

Description
Vito perched with his Ma, sister and brother listening to Phoenix, Terra, Pike and his father who were going to be explaining to the new owlets about the Hibernation Journey to Rally Point then to the Land of Strange Beings, or aliens as the words in his head would continue to whirl in his mind. All the families were perched on the steps of a long, wide ladder covered with moss and vines inside the Announcement Hollow. The elders muttered and spoke amongst themselves on a stage like roost for meetings and stuff. Vito could only make out a few words here and there, but he wasn't interested in their talk, Vito, Sumitra and little Ugo, now fully fledged, had never been in the Announcement Hollow before, and neither had the other chicks. It was their first time and Vito, along with many other owlets, were frightened about being in this huge hall.
Ugo, being smaller but quite large also, snuggled closer to Tanith who tried her best to keep her owlets warm. Vito had grown used to the cold weather, detaching himself all the time to think. His feathers had grown thicker and even shinier over the days and weeks. But tonight was very cold, even with a thick, dense coat, and Vito even noticed white, glimmering ice on some of the naked parts of the maples and oaks on Island Luminous that last morning. Pa had told Vito winter was sneaking up on the colony, luckily it hadn't snowed, or the families would have to stay within the protection of Home base until it stopped and it was safe for the owlets to continue.
Aqua, who was right below Vito's family perch, didn't have that motherly warmth the other owlets had. She shivered below, alone on her perch. The Earth-eyes, that were below her, huddled together, keeping their body heat from escaping. They were the largest and warmest family there. Aqua seemed so lonely and chilled that Vito could no longer stand it. Without telling a soul, he hopped down from his proper perch to Aqua's. She wasn't startled; she was too cold to be surprised by his action. He drew wing around her body, releasing hot fumes warming her every nerve. And before he knew what her was doing, he began to Love Groom her feathers. Vito felt her melt under his soft movements and weaving motions of his beak. He could feel her wings droop, her feathers flatten and her muscles relax as his beak gracefully grooved around and deep within her dense, foggy blue, green streaked feathers.
His lovely Love Grooming dimmed and disappeared leaving Aqua tranquil and relaxed most heavenly. She looked at him as softly as she could without quivering from the cool, approaching winter wind. Vito puffed his grey and white, silver speckled feathers, shielding Aqua from the frostbitten air. Webbed within his coat, she smiled up at him, this kind Moon-eye she was pleased to call her friend.
A gruff cough ripped through the air, capturing the colony's attention. Flaring his wings, Alpha, Vito's father, stood among all the owl elders to be the strongest, bravest and fiercest leader, claiming the position of the alpha. Pulsing his silver flashed feathers, he lowered his wings, settling them neatly against his sides. Seeming to tie eyes with every owl in the hollow near the bottom of Home base, he spoke, "At sunset tomorrow, we will be starting our hibernation. At Rally Point when we go to the Mainland and return from the Mainland, we will be meeting other colonies to whom you will mate with your proper breed once you all turn your first year." Vito and Aqua looked at each other, disappointment filled their minds and hearts, "But until mating season comes around and Rally Point, Glow-eyes will be joining our family."
Soaring through the launching window like speedy clouds, a pure white male along with four other owls floated down onto the stage. One was very aged and female and the other three were a mother with a son and daughter. But as they stood tall and proud Vito noticed glimmering dots of magical blue light glowed like lichen on their ghostly white feathers. The twinkling, blue specks clustered at their chests, tail tips and glowed the brightest under their wings becoming silent blue streaks when they flapped.
The male Glow-eye was bulk and glowed brightly, almost as blinding as the sun. He stood among the elders nodding to all of them before turning to the rest of the colony. "Hello," he hooted brightly like his body. His glimmering blue eyes also glowed a radiant sky. "My name is Beam, and this is my family and as Alpha stated we are indeed Glow-eyes." He spread his wings like an ocean vast shape; his under wings glowed brightly revealing the glamorous light. "And yes, we will be flying with you on the Hibernation Journey." He let the other elders conclude the announcement.
Phoenix then stood, piercing Vito with a razor stare then spoke, "No one is to upset the Glow-eyes, they are our guests and should be treated as such, be good." She hissed. The colony's owlets tried not to stare but they were transfixed in the Glow-eyes eerie, blue light on misty white feathers. How did their wings and chests and tail feathers become so bright and beautiful like the morning's sun or the moon's radiance? "Now get back to your hollows and rest, morning is upon us, we have a long trek tomorrow." She ordered, waving the colony back to their roosts.

Description
Vito perched with his Ma, sister and brother listening to Phoenix, Terra, Pike and his father who were going to be explaining to the new owlets about the Hibernation Journey to Rally Point then to the Land of Strange Beings, or aliens as the words in his head would continue to whirl in his mind. All the families were perched on the steps of a long, wide ladder covered with moss and vines inside the Announcement Hollow. The elders muttered and spoke amongst themselves on a stage like roost for meetings and stuff. Vito could only make out a few words here and there, but he wasn't interested in their talk, Vito, Sumitra and little Ugo, now fully fledged, had never been in the Announcement Hollow before, and neither had the other chicks. It was their first time and Vito, along with many other owlets, were frightened about being in this huge hall.
Ugo, being smaller but quite large also, snuggled closer to Tanith who tried her best to keep her owlets warm. Vito had grown used to the cold weather, detaching himself all the time to think. His feathers had grown thicker and even shinier over the days and weeks. But tonight was very cold, even with a thick, dense coat, and Vito even noticed white, glimmering ice on some of the naked parts of the maples and oaks on Island Luminous that last morning. Pa had told Vito winter was sneaking up on the colony, luckily it hadn't snowed, or the families would have to stay within the protection of Home base until it stopped and it was safe for the owlets to continue.
Aqua, who was right below Vito's family perch, didn't have that motherly warmth the other owlets had. She shivered below, alone on her perch. The Earth-eyes, that were below her, huddled together, keeping their body heat from escaping. They were the largest and warmest family there. Aqua seemed so lonely and chilled that Vito could no longer stand it. Without telling a soul, he hopped down from his proper perch to Aqua's. She wasn't startled; she was too cold to be surprised by his action. He drew wing around her body, releasing hot fumes warming her every nerve. And before he knew what her was doing, he began to Love Groom her feathers. Vito felt her melt under his soft movements and weaving motions of his beak. He could feel her wings droop, her feathers flatten and her muscles relax as his beak gracefully grooved around and deep within her dense, foggy blue, green streaked feathers.
His lovely Love Grooming dimmed and disappeared leaving Aqua tranquil and relaxed most heavenly. She looked at him as softly as she could without quivering from the cool, approaching winter wind. Vito puffed his grey and white, silver speckled feathers, shielding Aqua from the frostbitten air. Webbed within his coat, she smiled up at him, this kind Moon-eye she was pleased to call her friend.
A gruff cough ripped through the air, capturing the colony's attention. Flaring his wings, Alpha, Vito's father, stood among all the owl elders to be the strongest, bravest and fiercest leader, claiming the position of the alpha. Pulsing his silver flashed feathers, he lowered his wings, settling them neatly against his sides. Seeming to tie eyes with every owl in the hollow near the bottom of Home base, he spoke, "At sunset tomorrow, we will be starting our hibernation. At Rally Point when we go to the Mainland and return from the Mainland, we will be meeting other colonies to whom you will mate with your proper breed once you all turn your first year." Vito and Aqua looked at each other, disappointment filled their minds and hearts, "But until mating season comes around and Rally Point, Glow-eyes will be joining our family."
Soaring through the launching window like speedy clouds, a pure white male along with four other owls floated down onto the stage. One was very aged and female and the other three were a mother with a son and daughter. But as they stood tall and proud Vito noticed glimmering dots of magical blue light glowed like lichen on their ghostly white feathers. The twinkling, blue specks clustered at their chests, tail tips and glowed the brightest under their wings becoming silent blue streaks when they flapped.
The male Glow-eye was bulk and glowed brightly, almost as blinding as the sun. He stood among the elders nodding to all of them before turning to the rest of the colony. "Hello," he hooted brightly like his body. His glimmering blue eyes also glowed a radiant sky. "My name is Beam, and this is my family and as Alpha stated we are indeed Glow-eyes." He spread his wings like an ocean vast shape; his under wings glowed brightly revealing the glamorous light. "And yes, we will be flying with you on the Hibernation Journey." He let the other elders conclude the announcement.
Phoenix then stood, piercing Vito with a razor stare then spoke, "No one is to upset the Glow-eyes, they are our guests and should be treated as such, be good." She hissed. The colony's owlets tried not to stare but they were transfixed in the Glow-eyes eerie, blue light on misty white feathers. How did their wings and chests and tail feathers become so bright and beautiful like the morning's sun or the moon's radiance? "Now get back to your hollows and rest, morning is upon us, we have a long trek tomorrow." She ordered, waving the colony back to their roosts.