What are you doing here!? (Complete)

[Cleef]

Cleef was somewhere in the library of the Great Tree of Ga'hoole. He had been running errands for the Guardians and entertaining owlets with stories of his adventures. Now that all the the owlets had been taken to other activities by their parents and the Guardians seemed to have nothing else at the moment for him to do, Cleef found a place in the library and opened a book that recalled some history of the great tree and provided some information along the way. It started off with how the tree was, according to legend, grown by a single tear dropped by Hoole, and then worked it's way through some past all the way up to how the tree is now.

It was quite interesting and provided Cleef with some information of rarely used herbs that worked on trees. A plant actually saved the tree from a great disaster. I wonder if the owlets in Ga'hoolology enjoy this information as much as me............. Cleef let the thought wonder. For all he new the owlets just sat there, bored out of their minds learning about the tree, plants and techniques that keep it healthy, and where they should bury their pellets.

Cleef looked up from the book. Had he heard something? He thought he had heard a panicked sound. Cleef looked around the library, no one else seemed to have noticed it. Probably just the wind. thought Cleef. He returned his gaze to the lettering of the book. It had looked like their were darker clouds on the horizon.

[Sompom]

Tinker had been ordered to the fringes of the Sea of Hoolemere to gather intelligence about the movements of the owls of the great tree. Why he had been sent was a mystery, because the other owls were always making snide remarks about the intelligence he must have lost. Perhaps it was some cruel joke, he was supposed to gather "intelligence" and, as a bonus, he would be out of the feathers of the other owls for a few weeks.
"Oh well. I'm sure I like being away from them as much as they like sending me away." Tinker thought, gloomily.
He had been on his mission for just over a week and was flying from the beaks to the far side of the ice narrows. He was instructed to continue flying lines past the Great Tree until he discovered something useful, at which point he was supposed to head back. Of course, the ambiguity in those instructions meant that he would probably have to wait for several weeks and then sneak back without issuing a report, because any information he brought back would not meet with approval. He was in the part of the flight closest to the tree. Though he knew it was pointless, he squinted an looked towards the tree with all his might. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't see anything. Even at the closest point, he was still hopelessly far away. As he returned his gaze to his path; the endless sea stretching far into the distance, he saw a grey mass off in the direction of the shore. It was moving fast. Hopefully he would be able to fly through it to land.

[Cleef]

Cleef flipped the cover of the book back onto the pages and walked over to slip the book back into it's place. That was rather interesting. He thought as a rumble of thunder sounded through the air and into the library hollow. Sounds like that storm is getting close. Cleef stepped to the edge of the library hollow to gaze outside.

The wind was picking up and the clouds seemed to be flying across the sky, as if they were slow moving colliers who, instead of coals, dropped their load of water off onto all objects that were caught below them.

Cleef looked around and thought he caught a glance of an owl off to his right side. He looked twice, even squinted, but didn't catch the glint again. Well, if that was an owl he better find some shelter. Judging by the wind, this storm might be a little tossy to one's flight. Cleef hopped of the library hollow's entrance and was nearly slammed into the tree by a sudden gust of wind. "Woah," Cleef said to himself, "better get to some shelter."

Cleef flew around the tree and found his guest hollow. He flew into it and turned around to gaze outside. Probably would have been less painful if I had used the inside corridors of the tree. Cleef thought as some pain started to form on the wing that had bashed against the tree. Cleef kept his gaze outside the tree as the pain grew to the intensity of that of a bruise. That's probably as bad as it will get. Nothing big.

[Sompom]

Tinker's wings felt like they were ready to separate from his body. The storm was getting really bad. He had been pondering his options for survival, but there was really only one choice. The storm ringed him from around where he had come and where he was going. There were really only two clear patches of sky. That directly above him, and that on the horizon to his left. The problem with heading left is that the Great Tree was in that direction. He really didn't want to go there.
"Oh well." Tinker thought to himself glumly. "There really is not other choice. Hopefully I can just lie low on the island until the storm passes."
He banked gently to port and allowed the storm to carry him towards the island. He rode the winds of the storm and made good progress.

[Cleef]

Cleef stared at the sky and watched as the gray mass had flickers and flashes of light zip threw it here and there. Cleef thought that it was rather beautiful how the white streaks shot through the clouds. He looked off to the horizon and thought, again, that he caught a glimmer of something out of the corner of his eye. He looked directly where he had caught it and caught nothing. Well, either my eyes are getting bad or I'm going crazy. thought Cleef. He decided to keep an eye out, just in case he caught this glimmer thing again.

The storm clouds simply kept up their assault and beauty as the night went on.

[Sompom]

Closer to the island the storm was weaker, though still dangerous. Tinker glared through the darkness, trying to find somewhere safe to land. The darkness and chaos of the storm made it difficult to see anything. Tinker dropped closer to the ground to get a better look. Tinker had never visited the island before, but he had heard that the island was mostly bare except for the Tree. He had heard correctly. The tree's roots covered most of the island, not leaving enough space for any other large plants to grow.
Tinker decided that the best course would be to fly around to the other side of the tree where the storm might be partly blocked and he could search more effectively.

[Cleef]

Cleef hopped out onto the branch adjacent to his hollow and tested the wind. It seemed that maybe if he stayed within the branches he might be able to fly around the tree whichever way, but for what? Cleef thought a moment, it just seemed that their was something.......pulling him to fly to a certain spot of the tree......something telling him that he might be needed.

Cleef shook his head, maybe he was tired. What would need him around the tree? Everyone was probably holed up in a hollow.......or were they? Cleef remembered that glimmer he had caught with his eye. If that had been an owl, one of the safest places would have been to fly to the tree.

Cleef dropped from the branch and was guided by the wind around the tree. He was quite alert for anything caught out in the storm.

[Sompom]

The other side of the island was much like the first; a cozy covering of small plants. The storm was intensifying but was less on this side. Now that Tinker could examine more closely, he could see many niches and crannies in the rolling roots of the tree. Tinker decided he would look for somewhere as far away from the trunk of the tree as possible.
Tinker flew out along one of the roots. There was a perfect hole, small enough to be inconspicuous while large enough to not be cramped. He maneuvered for a landing just in front of the entrance so he would be walking as little as possible. Just before he landed, a huge gust came up, blowing him headfirst into the wood!

OOC: Decided we needed an interesting surprise

[Cleef]

Cleef could have sworn he had seen an owl. A Tyto of some sort, he thought. Had that been a heart shaped face? Cleef landed around the area he thought he had seen the owl, looking for a tell tale sign of some sort. A feather, a pellet, even.......possibly........blood.

Cleef disliked the thought, but this wind was getting powerful. An owl could easily be blown hard against a surface. A thought occurred to Cleef. Maybe the owl had been blown into the water. He walked over to the water's edge.

Cleef let out a breath of relieve, "No, the owl, if that's even what I saw, didn't get blown into the water." Cleef caught that he had been talking to himself. He didn't mind. Sometimes it helped him sleep.

Cleef turned around and, getting there quickly by the help of the wind's push, began to walk back to where he had stood. He only got a few steps until..........."Tinker, is that you?" The wind gusted and blew Cleef forward a bit. He caught his balance and reopened his eyes. The owl was nearly unmistakable. He could only see the back of his head but the sooty plumage and the battle mask. Who else might be out in this storm and, what was he doing here? Did St. Aggies send him to spy? If the monarchs of the tree found this out, what would happen? And could Cleef help him from the punishment? Would he have too? The Guardians only used flint mops on the owlets of the tree. What would they do with a spy?

Cleef shook his head, if something bad would be issued he would try his best to help his friend. "Tinker, what are you doing here?!" Cleef couldn't tell if his friend could even here him. He was upright but, what if he had been blown into something sharp and been impaled? Cleef walked up to his friend "Tinker, are you okay?"

[Sompom]

Tinker's head rang painfully. There was no blood, but that didn't make him feel any better. The storm sounded much further away now, as if he were hearing it from the inside of a large hollow with a small hole. Some of the winds seemed to sound like a voice, but it was to indistinct to determine. All at once, reality came roaring back.
"...r are you okay?" He heard the voice again. Familiar, but the wind as so strong as to block all possibility of recognition. Tinker turned towards the source of the voice. He nearly collapsed with surprise. There was the owl he had known and flown with many times before, Cleef!
Tinker, still rattled, said "Are you doing, Cleef?.. How are you doing? I'm glad to see you here."

[Cleef]

"And I'm quite surprised to see you here, Tinker. What are you doing here anyway!?" another strong gust of wind blew around the tree, drowning out sound. "Don't answer that......yet! We need to find shelter. Conversation will be a lot easier and possibly less dangerous." Cleef thought a moment. Was there really much of a choice?

"Tinker, take off your mask and leave it here. Follow me, we will head to my hollow. Try to make yourself as unsuspicious as possible." Cleef waited to take off till the Sooty was ready.

[Sompom]

Tinker took off his mask and jammed it under the roots. It was a piece of garbage anyway, only given to him because nobody else could find a better use for it (It had already served as a plate, it had only lost that job when places had become too disgusting for safe eating)

[Cleef]

Cleef fought threw the wind and landed inside his hollow. He landed in the hollow and the sooty owl landed right after him. Cleef looked outside his hollow into the storm, no one there. He then walked across the hollow and stuck his head out into the one of many corridors winding through the Great Tree, no one there either. Good,no one to hear us. Cleef turned around and looked at his friend,"Tinker, what are you doing here?"

[Sompom]

Tinker followed Cleef to a hollow. Luckily, nearly everyone was hunkered down in their hollow. Tinker spotted a group of owls hopping excitedly looking out into the storm on one of the higher branches. Some very strange owls lived here.
When they landed, Cleef looked around furtively, then turned to Tinker, "Tinker, what are you doing here?"
It would be embarrassing to tell his friend that he had been sent to gather information. Tinker's mind reeled wildly, trying to think of a good story.
"I-- was heading north. I was asked to parle with two groups of bandits there to try to come to some arrangement so they could stop fighting."

[Cleef]

Cleef looked at his friend in awe, since when did the Pure Ones take business with stopping fights? "Tinker, don't lie to me. Since when do the Pure Ones decide to stop fights between bands of bandits?" Cleef looked around tentatively again. He was pretty sure he knew why his friend was here. Whom else would the Pure Ones send to the Great Tree? They wouldn't risk one of their high ranks in gathering intel or spying on the tree. No, they would send a low rank so that they could get him out of their feathers. Cleef felt another pang of sympathy for his friend. Oh, if only there was a way to free him from the Pure Ones hold.

Cleef looked back at the Sooty, "The Pure Ones sent you here to spy on the Tree didn't they." Cleef kept his voice even and quite.