Owl and Dragon— Chapter 2
Chapter 2: The Hollow
The familiar path home and cool night air comforted Owl as she flew through the clear night sky. She enjoyed the feeling of her wing tips gently bending to-and-fro with each stroke, as she pondered what to do with a growing dragon.
She had no intention of finding the dragon caves. Tales of the Dragon Lands were stories for children, tales from the fairy-folk, thought Owl; but now she wondered, could they be close by?
When they arrived at Owl’s hollow, in the middle of a dense oak grove, she swiftly tucked into the opening. Dragon landed on a nearby branch, jostling the leaves. With a shuffle and hop he deftly stepped inside. His nostrils flared as he took in the warm, woodsy scent of Owl’s home. They sat a few inches apart and stared at each other once again. Just as Owl opened her mouth to speak, Dragon closed his eyes. He lowered himself to the floor, curled into a ball and promptly fell asleep. Owl watched him for a few moments, then having nothing left to do, turned her head, wiggled her beak between her shoulders and joined him in slumber.
As the sun rose, the ravens called to one another across the treetops. Owl awoke to find Dragon gone. “Well, that’s that.” she said. Unable to sleep, she decided to take an uncharacteristic morning flight to the lake. On the edge of a precipice dotted with wild hydrangea and poison ivy, Owl stood silently peering into the lake below. Several large catfish moved in the shallows, making fishy s-shapes over the muddy bottom. Just as Owl contemplated sneaking up on one, a shadow rippled across the ground in front of her. Overhead, Dragon was gliding in a wobbly arc as he doubled back, focused on landing. His bat-like wings flapped forward, as he lifted his taloned-feet to land. Dust and pebbles pelted Owl as Dragon skidded to a stop beside her. They silently regarded each other, as before, then Owl returned her focus to the catfish. Peaceful minutes passed by as they watched the shadows beneath the water. Owl had nearly forgotten about Dragon’s company when she heard his feet scrape the ground. With a step and a hop Dragon swan-dove off cliff toward the lake, his great wings stretched back along his body. A quick, heavy splash sounded as Dragon’s feet slapped the water. He hovered over the surface for a moment then heaved his wings in steady, measured flaps, the tips dipping beneath the water’s surface as he lifted the catfish from the lake. Its cylindrical body was flopping in the clutches of Dragon’s shiny, black talons as he flew back to Owl and proudly dropped the fish on the ground between them. Not missing a beat, Dragon bit off the head and swallowed. “I’ll take tails”, stated Owl, unnecessarily. They finished their meal, bones, scales and all, and then Dragon, looking restless, took flight. He sailed over the lake as Owl watched his shadow leap over the water and then jump onto the opposite shore. Owl watched until Dragon was out of sight, then she blinked twice with fatigue and headed back to her hollow, feeling strangely chummy and satisfied.
Owl awoke that evening to beams of orange and pink dancing along the horizon as the sun set. Staring at the soft colors, Owl whispered to the sun, “Goodbye for now.” For the first time, she wondered where Dragon was and what he was doing. As she headed out for her evening hunt, Owl remembered their shared catfish that morning and a happy warmth spread across her chest. A few more hours of hunting went by with such a glut of abundance, she headed back to the hollow earlier than usual, planning to steal an empty bird’s nest for Dragon. Finding one atop a conifer, she got to work unmooring it from the branches. Once she got it home, only having lost a third of the twigs inflight, she pushed it into the farthest corner of the hollow, then stepped back to admire her handy work. “It’ll do”, she said.
She smelled Dragon before she heard his wings slicing the air. His smell was like the air after a lightning strike…crisp, sharp and electric. A dragon needs only flap their wings once to soar hundreds of feet, and twice to double their speed. Dragons chasing prey are the fastest creatures in all the lands; and the sound of a dragon’s wings cutting the air is like the wind rushing through a canyon…strong, melodic and forceful. Owl turned just as Dragon’s feet landed on the hollow’s opening, and their eyes met. In a smooth, steady voice as warm and vibrant as a crackling fire Dragon said, “Follow me.” Owl felt a current of excitement hearing his voice for the first time; a sense of adventure coursed through her. Without waiting for a response, Dragon looked over his shoulder, raised his wings and hoisted himself into the sky in one fluid movement. Owl hesitated, imagining where they might be going before hurrying to follow. As the last tendrils of light left the sky, Owl and Dragon headed East, toward the Dragon Lands.
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Resources for this chapter are:
https://explorenaturalcommunities.org/natural-communities/cegl006479/hafe/plants-and-animals
