The start of another day. (open)

[wick]

Tuft's yellow eyes looked around carefully as he walked along. Trapped within the large line of fellow owlets with a few adults mixed in. There had to be a way out right? Yes...there was. For a few moments his yellow gaze went up, up to the ceiling of the caverns.

Flight. Flight was the only way out of this place. Soaring high and going as fast as you can to get away from those cruel beings here. His gaze had quickly returned to looking down at the ground. He had yet to try branching, there was no place for him to try in which he wouldn't be caught.

Hopefully he'd get to learn someday, get to be free for once. There was no freedom here. The adult owls didn't have any freedom either. They served something, someone. The owls here weren't the masters no. The masters were elsewhere, doing who knows what.

But why? Why was this going on even? Even though he knew that no good was coming out of this, he didn't understand why it was going on. Nor did he fully understand what was happening to the other owlets here, he knew that it wasn't right. The way they acted, they moved. It wasn't right. Something was wrong with them and so far, he didn't see a way to reverse it.

[Gabjas]

The drone of talons shuffling, marching, and humming in a general clamor filled Claudius with a sense of swelling pride. This was his nation - young and old, obedient and loyal to him - travelling through the long cavernous halls of St. Aggies' canyons.

He kept his head turn up to the beautiful moon, feeling the sleep as it tugged at his eyelids. It begged for rest. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, drawing a breath of the cool, crisp night air.

All the owlets he had seen slink past him carried that familiar glazed expression in their lifeless eyes. One that perfectly reflected the full moon in all her glory. It guaranteed their undeniable, unbreakable vow to St. Aggies'. As he continued on in his march, a small owlet caught his attention.

His walk was not staggered and pre-programmed. No, it was flighty, and his eyes darted here and there as though he were scared.. confused...

He recognized it at once. Had this little owl not been moonblinked? Not yet, at least. This was the final march beneath the moon. A slight, smile crept upon his beak as the old fish owl trudged on, his eyes fixed on this peculiar little thing.

How very interesting.

(OOC: Claudius is the Lieutenant of St. Aggies', but he actually likes it when owls are not moonblinked.)

[wick]

What was he to do? He didn't want to march in this strange line for all time and lose himself like all these owlets around him. But it was inevitable the longer he stayed here. He had to find a way out and soon although with his size he couldn't do much to get away. He didn't even know how to fly yet.

The older owls wouldn't let him do any branching. Something that was going on with all of the owlets in this little march. Yellow eyes caught temporarily sight of Claudis. Did the owl see him looking around?

Tuft immediately turned his gaze to the ground, staring down at his talons as he marched. The marching sound was one he was familiar with hearing, a sound he had heard upon his hatching. A constant and always building sound. There were times it would lower and slow down, but it would quickly rise in sound to make a masterpiece of sound. If Tuft knew anything of poets that is how he saw one of them seeing this. They would see a masterpiece of their own work within the sound of the march and would work at it till their feathers fell out.

[Gabjas]

Claudius watched with evident amusement as the owlet -- one with the most bizarre-looking tuft of feathers splaying out from his head -- glanced wildly around, caught his eye, and quickly averted his gaze.

Smart move.

The fish owl cleared his throat loudly and quickened his pace, pushing through the crowd. Guards parted without a word of complaint, knowing all to well that it would greatly upset this touchy old lieutenant. He eventually drew near enough to see the full image of the owlet as he lumbered on, shaking slightly with nervousness.

"Ahem." he said quietly, hoping to discreetly draw the attention of the owlet without the unwanted looks of other owls surrounding.

[wick]

Tuft could barely hear the clearing of the older owl from where he was due to all the marching. The sound drowned out so much. However, when he felt something taller standing near him, he had a feeling on what it was. His yellow eyes widened as he heard a 'ahem' being directed to him.

Slowly turning his gaze to the large owl, the owlet shuddered even more. Oh no. He was caught wasn't he? What was he suppose to do?

"S..sir?" Tuft whispered lowly, knowing that the older owl would hear him over the drone marching.

Despite his low voice and the stutter at the beginning of it. There was no ill intent in the voice but there was actually a politeness to it as well as respect. Tuft knew he was nothing compared to what this owl was and if they were show respect things could take a bad turn very very quickly. The owl was most likely upset that Tuft wasn't moon blinked yet, he'd been here since birth for three months. Should've been moon blinked by now in so many of the other owls books or beliefs eh? But he wasn't.

[Gabjas]

Without a word ( and though Claudius would never admit to it, for dramatic effect), his wing extended and gently guided the owl out of the sea of marching owls, whom hardly batted an eyelash as they departed. He led him into one of the darker, obsolete halls. Very few guards even bothered to glance down this dusty cave, as it led to a cave-in that had occurred several moons ago.

"What is your name?" Claudius asked gruffly, not demanding or angry, but an odd sense of calm stirring in his voice.

[wick]

Tuft hadn't expected this. The wing stretching out and him being led away form the swarm. He didn't know what was going to happen to happen to him now. So many thoughts went through his mind so fast, he didn't have any time to process them. When they stopped in a empty hall, the young owlet's gaze went around and hearing the adult owls' voice, he turned his gaze to the owl.

His name? Did he mean number?

"Tuft....although if you meant number, number 16-5." Tuft answered as he stood there.

His voice still held the same tone as before. The respect and politeness to it.

[Gabjas]

Claudius shook his head with a chuckle. "Tuft will do just fine. he said with a faint smile, staring down with a cheery gleam in the one eye that had been glazed over so many moons ago.

I always found the number aspect rather... frivolous. Alas, it keeps tolerance and obedience levels high amongst our youngest recruits, so we were forced to stick to the ways of old. The Fish owl lifted his head, his neck craning up in a painfully slow swoop, which caused several loud cracks to pop through his old bones.

"Tell me, Tuft. How did you do it? How did you survive moonblinking all this time?

[wick]

So it was just a normal name that the owl wanted. Well, a name that the young Northern Saw-whet owl had made up for himself some time ago when he saw the strange bundle of feathers slightly sticking up on the top of his head.

The cracking of the old owls bones made Tuft feel a little more nervous. He wasn't used to the sound of cracking bones and frankly it was rather strange sounding to him. But he didn't say anything about it. That was when the next question came to him.

How did he resist being moon blinked all this time? He had no idea on that. Even though this was honest truth, what would this owl think if he told him that he didn't know? Well, it wouldn't be exactly good now would it?

"I...I really don't know Sir." Tuft finally answered as he stood there shivering more now.

[littlewing]

is it to llate to join?

[wick]

Nope. You can join in if you want.

[littlewing]

( Thank, ih and ive been gone a while so . . welcome to GD! )

Nebulous flew over the hordes of moon-blinked owlets marching " Where is Claudious? Ive got to give him my report " he grummbled. He respected Claudious but that owl sure could pull a disappearing act

[Gabjas]

"Well, you did somehow. Our methods are very... effective most of the time, Tuft." he gave a hoarse yet hearty chuckle, his wing resting and once again leading the owlet out of the cavern. He gave him a light push, gesturing for the lines of owls marching.

"Go on, best to catch up with the others." he whispered, hoping he had not risked the survival of this Saw-Whet's life. Claudius was merely curious. After all, he had resisted months of moonblinking and even intensive moonscalding, yielding partial results.

He craned his neck as a large shadow passed over. It was an owl he recognized to be Nebulous, swooping and surveying the rows in search of someone.

[wick]

"I know Sir...but...I truly don't know how I did..." Tuft answered as he stood there.

He was soon ushered along by the older owl back to the other owlets and followed his instructions. Going as fast as his little legs would allow him to go in order to get back into the marching line with the other owlets. Disappearing into the marching line, he glanced once at the older owl but quickly put his gaze down to the ground. Marching along as his thoughts rushed through his head.

Why did that owl talk to him? Usually didn't the adults owls talk to the owlets if they were in trouble? Something was going on in the youngster's mind. The question was.... was it a good or bad thing that was going on that required Tuft to be spoken to by the older owl.

[littlewing]

Claudious re-appeared. Nebulous wondered how he could have mised him. He swooped and dived toward the owl, owlets moved out the way as he landed
" Claudious, todays raid have yielded good results. The fith squad met with some guardian resistance but there were no casualties. Any orders sir? "