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 Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 2:13 pm
Free egg to good home!
Awww, just look at that darling little Deep Woods egg. Don't you just want to take it home and cuddle it and pet it and almost burst with excitement at seeing it hatch? Of course you do. But wait! Taking care of an egg is an awfully huge committment. It's not just a cute little ball that you can ignore when you feel like it and paint in bright colors just because it looks cuter that way. An egg needs careful and constant attention. You have to keep it warm and... okay, that's pretty much it, but there'll be a heck of a lot more to be done once it hatches. So, in order to prove yourself worthy of parenting an egg (and, eventually, a constantly peeping ball of fluff with a bottomless stomach hatchling), as well as to keep yourself amused while you sit there on your egg, making sure that it's just the right temperature, you must tell it a bedtime story. But make sure that it's a sentinel bedtime story: You don't want to confuse the poor thing with talk of weird creatures like "princesses" and "dragons", do you?  Freebie rules:- If you win this egg, it's completely free of charge. - Anyone can enter, even those who have more than two sentinels. - While we are not an RP-required shop, this is a RP based freebie and we would love it if you stayed to play! We'll have some more giveaways and a flatsale later for folks who want sig-pretties. <3 - Your bedtime story must be told as if it was told by one sentinel to another. If you wish, you can act it out as an adult/old timer telling it to a hatchling/an egg, if it helps you keep to the context of Noctua. This contest will be judged the day after tomorrow, on September 2nd, so you have approx. 48 hours to come up with your story! We have extended this contest until we get some more entries. Get writing!
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:22 am
(The story of how the clouds were made~ :3 As told by Kesan. XD I couldn't resist.)
Kesan grumbled as he sat atop the egg, wondering precisely why he had to do this. He was a male Sentinel, after all! But no, all the other new parents had insisted that he do it. It would help them bond, they said. "Bonding, psh. I don't even know where this egg came from!" he grumbled disconsolately.
Peering down at the egg, the ranger narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what was going on inside. Kesan lowered his head gently down to the swirled shell and strained to hear....
....SMACK!
"Ow! What was that for?!" Kesan yelped, staring up into the face of the Matron. Her answering glare told him that he was supposed to tell a story to the little dastardly thing, like all the other parents. "Alright, alright, I'm going!"
Grumbling as the Matron strutted away, Kesan thought up his story.
"A very long time ago, in a distant part of the Deep Woods, there was a young Mist sentinel that always asked questions. His name was Frostfeather, and he was soon well-known for his quick wit and unbending questions that would never stop until he got an answer.
One day, young Frostfeather took a look at the sky, and wondered why it was always blue. 'Why? Why is there nothing up there besides that blue?' he asked an elder sentinel, only to be responded to by a light buffet on the shoulder with an old, creaky wing. 'One must not question the way the world around us was made.' Ruffling up in annoyance, he went to the next elder, only to get the same answer. Finally, Frostfeather decided to take matters into his own hands. Well, talons. Wings. Whatever."
"Erm. What next, what next..." Kesan fumbled for the rest of the story, thinkingm thinking, thinking..."Ah! There we go..."
"Frostfeather flew up past the skyscraping treetops, and remember now, this was before predators filled the Beyond. He flew as high as he could possibly go, aiming to reach the creator of this place's domain. He flew and he flew, never giving up. Finally, exhausted from his journey and wondering why he had chosen to do this, a sore and panting Frostfeather landed on the floating platform that the creator inhabited.
It was a massive, majestic place, formed of rain and snow solidified into a shining prism. This was the sun, or at least something that helped the golden rays of it reach Noctua."
"You'll see the sun sometime, little egg." Kesan said wistfully. "Oh. Well, where was I...ah, yes, there."
"When Frostfeather arrived at the rain platform, he was amazed to see all kinds of sentinels made of light flying around. He was so astonished by their beauty, he nearly forgot what it was that he had come for. Gathering his thoughts again, Frostfeather shook off the momentary setback and proceeded on, unheeded by the sentinels of light.
When he reached the highest point of the platform, Frostfeather was surrounded by a blast of white light so bright, he couldn't see. Shutting his eyes, he strained to hear something in the sparkling whiteness. all of the sudden, a deep, booming, majestic voice rang out.
'Frostfeather of Noctua, I have been watching you. A very smart one, you are. You have come to ask why there is nothing in the sky besides things that fly, hmmm?' Kesan did his best imitation of the creator's voice, drawing odd stares from the parents around him.
"Eh, sorry." he said sheepishly as the parents turned back to their stories. Proceeding on again, this time in a much quieter tone, he continued the tale.
"Frostfeather was startled by the voice. Stammering, he managed to stutter out a quiet response. 'Y-yes, great one, I have come for that purpose.' Attempting to gather his courage, Frostfeather straightened himself to try and look more worthy of this great being's attentions.
'What is it that you wish of me? To put something in the sky?' the creator replied, still unseen in the light.
'Yes, that is what I wish of you, if you would.' Frostfeather said firmly, this time confident in himself. 'The sun burns bright in the sky, and we have very little to shield ourselves from it if we fly above the trees.'
'I have just the thing for this.' the being said knowingly. Frostfeather squawked with indignation as he felt some of his pristine white feathers being plucked.
'Your feathers shall become clouds when I have finished spreading them across the sky. They will provide shade in the day, but predators will come to the air above the treetops in return. Is that a fair trade?'
'Why, great one, it is! It is more than I could have asked for!' Frostfeather responded, shocked. In his sudden joy, the part about the predators was lost to his keen ears.
'Now, go back to Noctua and watch as the clouds form. You should be Cloudfeather now, now that I think of it.'
'I accept that name, if you would have me take it.'
'I would.'
And so, the newly-named Cloudfeather soared around the Sentinels of light, off of the rain platform, and back down to Noctua, singing his praise for the one above. The clouds began to spread across the sky as he arrived, and he trumpeted what had happened to the elders that had tried to discourage him.
But, all was not right. Just as Cloudfeather was soaring back up above the treetops to see the clouds spread, out of nowhere, a massive black hawk came, snatching him out of the air."
"Well, that just goes to show you, it's always better to take a look at what you've done from a distance."
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:14 am
Muahaha! I just had to tell a gruesome Mudbeak tale twisted (for those of you who haven't read the offerings from the bards in the library forum: Mudbeak is a name for a naughty fledgling in fledgling stories)
"Quiet down you lot," the tired and grumpy minder said, "It's nearly dawn already and all good little fledglings should be sleeping."
Apparently the nest of rowdy fledglings was not 'good', because it didn't take long before they started to stir again. Whispering, fidgeting and nipping the smallest fledgling for getting in the way.
"Go to sleep," the Minder boomed irritably, "Don't you know what happened to Mudbeak?"
This seemed to have some effect at first, but it only took a few moments for one of the young ones to pipe up again.
"What happened to Mudbeak?" she asked, and the others jumped at the opportunity for a distraction.
"Tell us about Mudbeak! We want to hear about Mudbeak!" they begged.
The minder sighed as she realised she wasn't getting out of this without telling a story. She started, reluctantly at first, with the traditional beginning to every Mudbeak-story.
"Mudbeak was a VERY naughty fledgling..."
When Mudbeak watched the sunrise
Mudbeak was a very naughty fledgling, and she was always getting into trouble. She didn't listen to her minders or teachers and was rude to her elders. One morning before dawn Mudbeak decided she did not want to go to sleep. She woke her friend Dirtfeather and the two rascals sneaked out of their nest and into the forest.
Mudbeak decided that it would be fun to try to fly to the canopy and see the sunrise, and after some persuasion her partner in crime agreed to join her. They flew until they couldn’t fly anymore, and then they climbed, and when they finally reached the canopy Helios had already started patrolling the sky.
"Do you know what happens to naughty little fledglings who decide to go Helios-watching?" the Minder said with a stony face, "Well, here's what happened to Mudbeak..."
As soon as Helios saw the small Sentinel that dared enter his realm, he blinded her with his bright beak. Peck! Peck! And little Mudbeak could no longer see... And after that, she was an easy prey for the day-beasts as you can imagine. All they found was a few feathers and her frightened little friend. He was blind too, of course, but he somehow managed to get down in one piece to tell everyone about Mudbeaks horrific fate.
"Now go to sleep!" the minder said, "And if you can't, at least keep your beaks and eyes shut, that way Helios can't blind you and the day-beast can't find you."
It might not be the best bedtime story, but it served its purpose. The nest was quiet and the Minder could rest...
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:40 pm
The Legend of Goldenfire
'Long ago long ago there was a great war between the Sentinels. The war was so old that no one remembered why it had started. Nobody even knew when it had started. All they remembered was that many many Sentinels had died for their cause. They had to win for their ancestors. In this time of great destruction and sorrow a young Sentinel was born. His father was a fearsome warrior named Widger, his mother a beautiful healer named Star. They named their son Goldenfire.
Goldenfire left home very young and traveled great distances learning from the wisest Sentintels in the land. He talked with most of the oldest, and with a few of the youngest whom most dismissed. He worked hard to help ease the sufferings of others in whatever way he could. He became known for his compassion and wisdom, as well as his humility; for he would never put himself above anyone. Not even the smallest, saddest, poorest, and youngest. Goldenfire was loved by all and eventually he was invited to the annual War Council. He knew it was a great honor to be asked so he dutifully headed toward it.
As Goldenfire was traveling to the Council, he heard a small sad small cry. He flew toward it, to find a newly hatched Sentinel. “What is wrong little one?” he asked hoping he could help. “My father died fighting and my mother went to hunt many days ago and has not returned” the tiny hatchling replied trembling “I am so hungry and I miss them very much.” the little hatchling began to cry. Goldenfire was so saddened to see this baby so alone and scared that he said “I have just eaten and I can feed you, I am alone and I will care for you,” surprising even himself. So he fed the little hatchling and then carried it with him to the great council. When he arrived a little late and carrying a hatchling the other members were aghast. What was the great owl, Goldenfire doing with a hatchling!
Seeing their stares Goldenfire said solemnly “Would you have me leave this little one whose parents have died, because of a war no one remembers why or when began, to starve? Would you have me leave this baby to die because no one would care for her?” Goldenfire looked at the circle of Sentintels surrounding him. “You are all here to try to win this war. Is it worth hundreds of thousands of lives of fathers and their wives and their sons and their daughters, to win a war with no remembered cause?” Goldenfire said quietly but with great solemnity. “Would you sacrifice your family to win this war?” The council looked at him and one by one shook their heads. “Then how can you ask others to do so? This war will never truly be won. We may be victorious but we will not win. Too many have already died to win.” Goldenfire looked at each Sentinel on the council in turn. “We need to end this war, not keep fighting till there is no one left on either side! Untill every Sentintel is gone. Now I ask you this, How will we end this war?” the others shook their heads dumbly. Then Goldenfire turned to the hatchling and asked softly “How will we end this war?” he expected no answer from her and was surprised to hear the quiet “We start talking instead of fighting. Mother always said that any dispute could be solved by conversation.” Goldenfire nodded to the young Sentintel “Indeed. And let it be know that the solution to our problems was not given by a wise old Sentential but by a young hatchling.”
'Goldenfire is usually known for his diplomacy, and statesmanship, and his part in ending the war. But I think that his true wisdom was in asking that young hatchling, how to end the war. I do not doubt he knew the answer. Yet he gave all the credit to Linam, for that was the hatchling's name.' the large grey Sentintel said to her own small hatchling 'for youth holds more wisdom then age ever can, in it's simplicity.' the hatchling would remember the story forever as her mother had told it, rather than as most told it, with their emphasis on the ending of the war through Goldenfire's diplomacy, instead of the question he asked the Linam. She would always remember that there is a simple wisdom in youth.
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:19 am
This is my entry in this contest, my little bedtime story^^
”Settle down, children, settle down! ... Look, if I tell you a story, will you be good? ... All right then, let's get started...”
Our tale begins with a small Shadow male named Splinter, because he was so small he was a 'splinter' in the eyes of his parents.
Now, Splinter was a good and proper Sentinel, but because of his small size, he was not able to carry as much as his friends could and he was therefore shunned by them. One nasty bully in particular, a certain Mudbeak, a big and strong Sentinel, pushed the much smaller Shadow around. In the end Splinter came to work the solitary task of a Ranger.
What's that? What type was Mudbeak? It was hard to tell, he was very obnoxiously painted. Now, where was I... Oh yes, Splinter.
Out there, in the outskirts of the forest, he learned a great many things about the uninhabited wilds, and about all the ancient and revered trees. In his lonesome he would explore and poke at every nook and cranny in that patch of the forest, sometimes even going so far as to explore far into the day before he fell asleep in one of his many hollows.
However, loneliness came to tear at the young Sentinel, and one night he flew back in towards the Deep Woods.
And he found the heart of the forest in a terrible uproar! He managed to find a Watcher who was organizing Messenger Chirops and approached him.
“What happens here?” He asked, and the Watcher turned to face him.
“We have had a kidnapping, a promising young Artisan has vanished.” The Watcher was distracted by the arrival of another Chirop, who landed and spoke excitedly:
“It's Mudbeak! Mudbeak took her!”
Splinter could feel his thoughts darken at the mention of the name. The Watcher turned to him again. “Mudbeak is a big, strong Sentinel and we will need to gather a few people to go.”
“I'd like to volunteer!” Splinter said. But the Watcher looked him over and laughed.
“You? You're so small, what could you possibly do?” And with that, the Watcher began barking out orders to the small companions, ordering them around to various combatants with Mudbeak's name and description, and Splinter, dejected, headed back to his lonely territory.
However, some while along the way he saw something that caught his attention: a flash of colored feathers between the trees. He saw it and recognized it as Mudbeaks feathers: He had found the kidnapper! But what now... Splinter stopped and cowered at a tree, suddenly feeling scared. The Watcher had a point, he was small and weak, what could he do?
Saddened, he simply sat there and did not know what to do, but finally he caught the echo of a cry for help from deeper into the forest, and he got up. That Artisan was still in trouble and he would help in any way he could.
Suddenly he was struck by a thought: They were flying to his territory, and he knew a quicker route...
Through branches and tightly growing trees, Splinter flew through areas only a small, seasoned Ranger could even find, and he soon arrived at his home.
When he arrived, Splinter concealed himself in a patch of darkness to the side, where no beams of moonlight touched, and waited like the hunters do... Soon, the garishly painted Sentinel appeared with what looked like a large basket held in his talons, and Splinter could hear whimpers of terror from within.
In a dark flash, Splinter flew out of his hiding place and lashed out at the much larger Sentinel's talons with a push of Will and a strike from his claws.
Mudbeak was so surprised that he dropped the basket, and Splinter grabbed it, steering it down on a slightly lower branch. Then he dived back into the shadows again.
Mudbeak looked around but could not find his assailant. He then looked down and saw the basket down there and its terrified inhabitant staring out at him. He grinned sadistically and began to fly down... Only to be attacked by the Shadow again, who raked across his back and flew off with a few feathers.
Now Mudbeak was angry. “Come out, you coward!” He shouted. “I'll rip off your feathers and toss you to the ground! Just like I'm going to do to this lowly female!”
Mudbeak tried to land, but was attacked again and was forced to circle. While Mudbeak was thus distracted, Splinter landed next to the basket.
“Are you okay?” He asked, “What's your name?”
“Honeyleaf,” She answered, still very frightened. “He's going to kill me... He said he was going to feed me to the Great Open...”
“No he won't. I won't let him,” he reassured her, and she did something no one else had done before: She believed him.
“Oh, thank you!” She cried out, a little louder then she should have. Mudbeak was coming back from his circling and finally noticed the much smaller Shadow by the basket.
“Splinter!?” He called out. But Splinter flew off and melded into a dark patch of woodwork, where he disappeared from sight once more.
“Hey, Splinter! You idiot! You think you can stop me?” Mudbeak swooped down, aiming for the basket. Splinter flew out from his cover and attacked Mudbeak's feet again, causing him to stumble and miss the basket.
“You little runt! Do you think you can stop me?” Mudbeak was not a very bright Sentinel, you see, and did not know how to deal with any situation he could not muscle his way out of, so he resorted to simple threats. “I'll throw you to the ground, you eight-toes!”
Mudbeak then saw a branch that looked promising: His wings were tired and he had been ambushed just as he was going to take a breather, so he made to perch on it. Little did he know that Splinter was watching and luring in the shadows. When Mudbeak went to sit, Splinter flew out, blocked his passage and pushed at the larger Sentinels talons with his Will. Mudbeak fell forwards but managed to scratch the smaller sentinel with a talon before he hit his head and fell to the ground, never to be seen or heard from again.
Splinter flew back to Honeyleaf and set her free, and she responded by preening him thoroughly as he stood there, panting, exhausted... But proud.
Three Watchers and two Elites arrived shortly after and, satisfied that his work was done, Splinter felt the pale moonlight fade from around him and he passed out, both from stress and injury.
When he woke up he was resting in something comfortable, and he realized that it was very warm and fluffy... He opened his eyes and found himself nestled into the feathers of the girl he had saved, Honeyleaf, and furthermore, that he was in a medic's hut.
“Honeyleaf?” He whispered, but she did not answer. He realized that she was asleep and backed away from her fluff, only to fall back in when a voice behind him startled him.
“You did good, Ranger.”
The small Shadow turned around to see an Elite standing behind him.
”Wh-what?” He said, startled by this large and official Sentinel.
The Elite grinned. “We heard what you did, she told us.” He indicated the still sleeping Honeyleaf with his head and Splinter looked back at her. She was beautiful, he realized.
“You are a brave, capable Sentinel, and we are proud to have you as a clan member.“
Splinter could feel his chest swelling in pride.
“I shall put in a good word for you with the others, but right now I need to go do my routes. I will see you around.” And with that, the Sentinel flew off. Leaving Splinter alone with his swelling pride and the sleeping female, settling back into Honeyleaf's thick plumage, he breathed a sigh of relief, when it came to courage and doing the right thing, he realized, it did not matter if you were big or small... And it was so easy to bury all of himself in the warm and fluffy plumage of the beautiful girl beside him...
“So that's it, kids... Kids? ... Aw, they're asleep, adorable little ones... Well, I should get some sleep as well now.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:52 am
Come here, little one…ah, you’re tired, aren’t you?
No?
You’re not? Oh, little dear one. Come here and sit close to me. Yes, yes, there we are, little one. Yes, I can see how tired you are, little fluff. No need to pretend you’re not, little silly. Oh, so stubborn, little one. Peep peep peep, aye? Yes, yes. Come on now. Snuggle in close here, under my wing. Listen to me and I’ll tell you a little story. Yes, that’s right! But only if you’re quiet, and you promise to go right to sleep afterward. Promise, little fluffy one, little fluffling? Promise?
All right. Then I guess I’ll tell you something. But listen close, I don’t want my story to be lost just because a little fluff’s mind went flutterflit like a bat. So listen up, little fluff.
And here is where we begin, so many, many seasons ago, before even the Brigadier…
Long, long ago, back before mother Sky took back her sons from the earth—yes, that’s right, even before Day and Night—there was a Sentinel named Cleverwind. Cleverwind was the wisest of all the Sentinels, sharper and faster in her mind than any Sentinel today could ever hope to be. Cleverwind listened to the Earth and the Sky and she understood the answers to all the questions of all living things. All the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth came to her with their problems, and Cleverwind answered them all. But Cleverwind knew that she was the wisest of all beasts, and she soon grew so arrogant that even Noctus and Helios, lords over the world, took notice of her. You see, Cleverwind was beginning to boast. She began to say wild things, that she could outthink the wind, that she could answer any question, and that she was cleverer than any other living being—even the great Lords of the Sky.
And the great brothers Helios and Noctus looked at each other. They did not like these boasts, for if the living things believed them, the brothers’ power would be lost, and the living things would turn from the truth and fall into arrogance where no great wisdom could save them. It was Noctus that spoke first.
“I do not like this, Brother,” he said in a voice ringing with the rich sounds of fox and owl and bat, and all the other things that came to live in the night—for this was long before the brothers had stopped speaking. “If Cleverwind keeps up like she does, no living thing will listen to us, and they will be lost.” Helios gave a great clap of his wings in agreement.
“Brother, you speak the truth,” he answered, and in his voice was the shriek of the falcon and the song of daybirds and the chatter of the nosy red squirrel. “This Cleverwind must be stopped, favourite of our creations that she is. We cannot allow this to continue.” And Noctus preened his brother’s eartufts to signify his understanding. And so the brothers put their beaks together, and in hushed voices that brought heat lightning crackling on the horizon and made the fur of the great sleek wolf stand on end, they hatched a plan.
One day, long before the brothers lost the ability to speak, Helios and Noctus came in byways and weirdways to Cleverwind’s tree, a great oak she never had to defend, for all animals deferred to her wisdom. But the brothers had great power and disguised themselves. Helios went first, clothed in the pelt of a great white cougar.
“Cleverwind!” he yowled at the base of her tree. “Cleverwind, I need your advice!” And Cleverwind came out of her great hollow and perched on the edge, looking down at Helios. She was an impressive Sentinel, a Wildtype whose back was the red of clay and in whose golden eyes sparkled the wisdom of ages. And she looked down at the great white cat who had come to see her.
“Speak, Cougar,” she commanded gravely. Helios looked slyly up at her through cat’s eyes.
“Are you truly the great Cleverwind, whose wisdom surpasses even that of the Great Sky Brothers?” he asked, twitching his long white whiskers. Cleverwind fluffed in pleasure and preened a wing. Helios waited impatiently for her reply.
“I am she, whose wisdom is greater than any living thing,” the Sentinel answered eventually. “What do you need, great cat?” Helios, who had gone to great effort to keep his fur from standing on end and rending Cleverwind into a bloody streak, smoothed his great hackles and reared up, putting his paws on the trunk of the tree and looking up into Cleverwind’s eyes.
“Tell me the name of the strongest living thing,” he commanded. And Cleverwind flicked her eartufts and laughed.
“The strongest living thing is the great Bear,” she said. And Helios did not disagree, for of all the animals, the Bear had the most power. He nodded and asked another question.
“Tell me which is the swiftest of the living things,” he said. And Cleverwind thought a moment before answering.
“The swiftest living thing is the diving Falcon,” she answered. And Helios thought about this and nodded.
“And tell me of the most agile,” he said. And Cleverwind thought only the barest of seconds.
“The tiny Hummingbird,” she answered. And again, she spoke correctly.
“Now tell me the wisest of living things,” he said, and though perhaps Cleverwind could understand her own folly. But Cleverwind merely laughed and fluffed her feathers.
“Why, me, of course!” she cried out. Helios tilted his head.
“But what of the great Brothers?” he asked, and Cleverwind giggled.
“Mother Sky gave them power, but the brains when she created them, she gave to me!” she answered in a loud whisper.
Offended, Helios merely nodded and left. Outside of Cleverwind’s territory, he shed the cat’s pelt and took to the skies. There he met Noctus. “We shall go back and watch tomorrow,” he said joyously, and Noctus gave a great peal of laughter, and the pair of them flew far and fast to their roost, the highest branch in the tallest tree on the very edge of the world.
After they slept, the brothers returned to the Forest in which Cleverwind roosted. This time, Noctus went to her in disguise, wearing the plumage of a great old Crow, for he knew that Cleverwind, being a Sentinel, would look down on him, and in her folly, he would find her downfall. And he landed on a branch of Cleverwind’s great roost.
“Cleverwind!” he cawed, and the Sentinel appeared.
“What do you need, Crow?” she asked, and Noctus spread his great shadowy wings and twisted his head to the side.
“I beg wisdom.”
“Then ask, Crow.”
“Why do you say you are cleverer than the great Brothers?” Noctus asked. Cleverwind preened her chest demurely before she answered.
“Because I am the wisest of them all, and I know, for the sky has told me so.”
“Why would Mother Sky give you more wisdom than even her own sons?” Helios asked, and Cleverwind slicked back her eartufts.
“Look at me, Crow, and know that I will not tolerate such insolence,” she said. “I would not tolerate mockery even from Helios and Noctus themselves, if they were to stand before me.”
“How would you know, though,” Noctus began, “if they stood before you? I have heard the Brothers can sometimes change their shapes.” And at this, Cleverwind laughed.
“I, the wisest of all beings, not recognize the great Brothers? In my infinite wisdom, I would see through all their disguises in an instant.” And suddenly, there came a rush of wind and the forest seemed to grow shadowy, and the trees themselves seemed to echo with the speech of all living things, everything rustling and shaking and somehow forming words.
“Is that so, Cleverwind?”
And then Noctus shed his Crow’s plumage and stood before the Sentinel in all his glory, and Helios appeared at his side, uncostumed but with something of the cat about him, and Cleverwind realized that she had been tested and failed. And at this, she spread her wings wide and wailed piteously.
“Have mercy on me, oh great Brothers, for I have made a horrible mistake!” she cried. At this, Helios and Noctus exchanged only the merest glance.
“Indeed you have,” Noctus answered, and Helios gave a screech of laughing agreement. Noctus looked at the Sentinel, so tiny in strength and power and wisdom compared to himself and his brother, and laughed out loud. “Foolish thing, thinking you are greater than the sons of the Sky Mother!” He paused, and looked at Helios, who nodded.
“For this presumption you have made, you will be punished,” the great Sun god said. Noctus clapped his wings in agreement, and then the pair spoke in perfect unison.
“You sought to make yourself the cleverest of all living things, Sentinel. And now, you will see what this presumption has earned you. We relieve you of your wisdom. Forevermore, you will know only the barest of things, and lower than the other Animals shall you be. You shall keep your form, but we brand you, now, so that all can know that Helios and Noctus have been angry with you. Keep your form, aye, but in exchange for that which we take, we will give. Talons in exchange for your wit and wisdom. Aye, we take two things, and we give two more. No longer are you Sentinel; now you will be called Owl.”
And with a screech, it was done. Wisdom stolen from her and extra talons on her feet, Cleverwind was driven out of her roost and into the Forest. And even now when the Sentinels see Owls, they know the dangers of presuming themselves above others, and remember the mistakes of the past.
And that, my dear little one, was your story for the night. Yes, that’s right, close your eyes, now…yes…and sleep.
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