Cleef and his family.(open)

[Cleef]

The owl had Cleef pressed against a tree. The Great horned swiped at Cleef with a downward slash. Cleef deflected the owls talons and tackled the owl out of the air. The fell toward the ground. The owl had his talons locked with Cleef's and flipped them both........putting Cleef in the bottom position and the one to hit the ground hardest. Cleef headbutted the owl and disoriented him long enough for Cleef to get a wing hold. Cleef flipped them again and began hovering in air. "I don't want to hurt you." said Cleef to the owl "I just want you to let the owls go." The great horned looked at Cleef and said "I've been wanting the same thing ever since they took my friend and told me that if I joined them they would keep him alive." Cleef let the owl go and they landed on the branch of the hollow he was guarding. "Finely it seems I have a ally." said the Great Horned "My friends in their. I told them I would join them but that I must guard my friend mysself to make sure they keep their promise. I won't be able to help you phisically but I can tell you a thing or to." Cleef looked in the hollow to get a sight of his friend while saying "If it helps in any way I'll listen." the owls friend was a Barn owl of average size who had a scar down the side of his wing, he was sleeping. Nothing else really to do. The Great horned began telling Cleef what he was up against and pointed out a map inside the hollow that was the layout of the camp. I sure hope Tinker is having the same amout of luck I am. thought Cleef.

[Sompom]

The dawn was beginning to show and Tinker was getting nervous. If they didn't find something soon they'd have to call off the rescue until tomorrow and who knew what might happen in a day. Still, Tinker reasoned, ten minutes wasn't that long and it was still nearly completely dark. He continued moving east, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement but aside from a slight breeze moving the trees and small animals on the ground he saw nothing. Despite that, he continued to search.

[Cleef]

Cleef was flying around in an western direction hoping to find out a little more before he went back to the center of the camp where he and Tinker where to meet. Cleef now held a map do to the kindly Great Horned owl giving him it. Cleef was rounding a tree when he came beak to beak with one of the nappers. Uh oh thought Cleef but the owl simply barked "Watch where your flying owl" and flew off into a storage hollow I blend in? thought Cleef questioningly. He shook his head and continued flying hoping that Tinker had discovered something about where they where holding the prisoners.

[Sompom]

Tinker looked at the sky again. It had been nearly five minutes. Time to head back. He scanned the sky, looking for any stars that might help him find his way beck. Seeing none, he peeked at the horizon. Seeing a slight sliver of light, he turned his back to it and flew west. "I hope Cleef hasn't fallen into trouble. We should have stuck together." Tinker worried.

[Cleef]

Cleef flew in the upper canopy of the trees trying to use the little cover they could give. Just because those owls had thought that he was one of them doesn't mean that others will. For all Cleef knew them not recognizing was just plain luck. He was at the center rendezvous point and landed on a tree branch higher up in the canopy. I hope Tinker will get here fast. It's only a matter of time before we are discovered or something happens to the prisoners......and my family. thought Cleef. He opened the map and started analyzing it.

It showed not only the area of the thugs camp above ground, but it also showed the burrows. There were just a few around the area, but they all connected into one big burrow. This was where, the Great Horned had said, the main prison area was, but he had also mentioned that there were a few more in trees around the camp.

[Sompom]

Tinker landed softly next to Cleef, who was lost in thought examining a sheet of paper. Tinker peered closer and saw it was a map. "Well that explains it," He said, pointing to the east end of the map. "That's why I didn't find anything in that direction, it's unoccupied."

[Cleef]

"Yes it seems they've focused their activity in the middle and western regions." said Cleef "I think that's because of the prisoners because here" Cleef pointed with a talon where the center burrow that they had found at the begining was "and all to the east are hollows and burrows used to house prisoners." Cleef looked at Tinker "This means that they have a few more imprisoned owls then we thought. This is gonna make things tough. It makes it harder to find where my parents are at and gives us more owls to think about." Cleef sighed "So where do we go first? The center burrow or surrounding trees?"

[Sompom]

Tinker thought, weighing options, then said "We should check the surrounding trees first. Likely, they'll have fewer guards, making them easier to overpower. With any luck, the owls we free will have friends or family in the center burrow meaning they will be willing to help us clear it out."

[Cleef]

"Alright" said Cleef as he looked over the map. "We'll start here" he gestured to the south western edge "End here" he pointed to the north western edge "And end back here where we stand." Cleef rolled up the map and looked to Tinker. "I think I know at least one owl that will work for an ally." Cleef took off in a south western direction, following the map's coordinates.

Cleef landed on a branch near the first tree. It was the one that the Great horned owl was guarding the Barn owl. Their was another owl talking to the Great Horned, it was a Boreal owl. Cleef listened in. "I will not leave this post unless someone whom I can trust guards it." Said the Great Horned owl "What? You don't trust me?" said the Boreal owl "I don't know you." stated the Great horned "Well we don't have time to find a trust worthy guard. The boss wants to see you now." argued the Boreal. Cleef began thinking This may be stupid but it may just work. Those owls I flew into earlier thought I was one of them, this one may think the same if I play it right. Not to mention I may get some information from the Barn owl. Cleef looked at the map in his talon Of course!

Cleef flew down to the two owls as casually as possible and landed near the entrance of the burrow he looked at the two owls as if he had heard nothing and said "Sorry, just returning your map." Cleef held up the map, then stuck it in it's place inside the hollow. "What's going on?" Cleef asked. The Boreal owl eyed him suspiciously and then asked "Is this owl trust worthy enough?" "Yes" muttered the Great Horned owl, who then said to Cleef in a whisper "What are you doing?!" "Helping" whispered Cleef back. "Come on" said the Boreal owl "The boss needs you now." The two owls flew off leaving Cleef with the barn owl and watching the skies for Tinker to join them.

[Sompom]

Tinker landed beside Cleef. "That was extremely dangerous! What happens when the two of them get back to their leader, and he asks who they left here?" Tinker growled. "They'll say they left some burrowing owl, and this is not an especially large group, so the leader will ask 'Which burrowing owl? The only burrowing owl in my command is my personal scribe!' or some such, then we'll be discovered. Come we have to move now!"

[Cleef]

The barn owl within the hollow looked at Cleef and Tinker and said "You know he's got a point. You two are in over your heads with only a force of two you don't stand a chance." Cleef looked at the barn owl and said "That is the reason why I stopped here. It's inevitable that we are going to be discovered sooner or later do to missing owls so I thought why not have a little acting and fun with it. I told the owls only have the reason why I was hear. The first was to return the map and the second was to free our first owl. My friend you are free to fly. Your Great horned friend will also be freed because he will have no reason to obey orders from these thugs."

The barn owl stared at him for a moment then walked over "Thank you" he said "Tell 'The Great horned owl', as you're calling him, that I will meet him at our pond. He'll know where it is." He then took flight and disappeared over the forest canopy.

Cleef grabbed the map back from it's spot and said "I don't think he'll mind if we borrow this again." he then tossed the map to Tinker "But you better lead us to the next tree."

[Sompom]

Tinker squinted at the map in the near total darkness. According to the map, there was another small, isolated prison hollow just to the west.
"How does here sound?" Tinker asked Cleef, indicating the area on the map. "It's another lonely post, so we should be able to overpower the guards with no trouble."

[Cleef]

Cleef looked at Tinker's indication "That sounds good. I wonder what type of owl we'll run into next?" Cleef looked at Tinker "Remember you get to lead us this time. I'm sure you don't want me doing something like that again so soon. Also keep alert for anything that might be important and stay alert specifically." Cleef then took to the air and began flying in circles, waiting for Tinker to lead them to the next tree.

[Sompom]

Why does he always fly off like that? Tinker thought. He then took off and started heading to their new destination.

[Cleef]

Cleef flew behind Tinker as they headed to their next destination. The night was turning to day and this "fun" was getting old. Cleef started having this nagging thought in the back of his mind saying find the leader, make him give Cleef tried his best to press this thought out but it just kept crawling back. He knew Sompom would never follow him if he decided to do that, but the higher the sun got the better the idea sounded.

Cleef pushed the thought away and focused on the mission. They landed on a branch not to far away from the tree and looked at what they were up against. The hollow was guarded by a mean looking Great Gray. "Great" Cleef said in a whisper "Hopefully my parents are still alive because this is getting old. I just don't get why these owls show up all of a sudden and start taking owls." Cleef took a breath to let off some frustration "I think I'm just getting tired.......what's the plan, I think it's your turn to call the shots." Cleef looked at Tinker awaiting the answer.