Tylisia fluffed her feathers as she sat on a large oak tree branch. A soft breeze blew around her and stirred the dry leaves on the trees, causing them to flutter away and dance on the wind. She watched them curiously, relaxing after recently eating a large rat for lunch.
Suddenly, a loud hissing screech came from somewhere nearby. Tylisia recognized it as a male Barn Owl whom was flying through the trees somewhere in front of her, and was quickly flying closer. Then she saw a small speck, disappearing and reappearing in between the trees. It got larger and more visible, until she could see that it was indeed another Barn Owl. He flew towards her, and it looked like he was going to smash into her. She was unsure whether she should move or stay put. Before she could decide, he pulled up and swerved to the side, barely missing her. She ducked and looked up, watching as he screeched and flew straight up into the tree tops and out of sight. What was that about? She wondered in bewilderment. Suddenly, the reckless Barn Owl reappeared from the trees and dived straight down to her. She screeched and leaped into the air, out of the way. She flapped her wings and looked about her, and saw that the crazed Barn Owl was following her. She flew faster, and so did he. In fact, him being a male Barn Owl, he could fly slightly faster. He sped up to her and beside her, flapping his wings to keep up with her. "Hello!" He cooed.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Tylisia said. The strange owl was the same color as her, though slightly darker, and his eyes were dark black with a slightly blue tint in them. She found his eye colors quite odd and different...Normal Barn Owls had black eyes with a gold tint in them.
The owl smiled and said, "My name is Jay. I'm a Barn Owl. What's your name?"
"My name is Tylisia. I'm also a Barn Owl. But why were you trying to attack me back there while I was sitting on that branch? And why are you still following me now?"
"Well, you see...I thought you were another owl, one of my brothers, Alvaro, but he lives at a different kingdom. You do look just like him though. And we used to play a game where we dived at each other and chased each other. Well, after you screeched and took off, I realized I had mistaken you for the wrong owl! So I caught up to you to apologize if I disturbed you." Jay explained.
"Oh. Well, that's OK then. Thank you for letting me know." Tylisia cooed, then started to turn around to go back to where she was perching, now that everything made sense again.
"Wait, where are you going?" Jay said, following her when she curved to go the other way.
"I'm going back to the branch I was perching on." Tylisia replied.
"Do you want to race there?" Jay grinned excitedly.
"Race?" Tylisia said, confused.
"Yeah. As in see who can fly back to the perch first." Jay said, and before she could reply, he took off as fast as he could, straight ahead. Tylisia chased after him; she was always up for a challenge when it came to flying.
She quickly caught up to him and was beside him, flying.
"Is that as fast as you can go?" He said in a friendly mocking way. Tylisia grinned and flew faster ahead of him, the wind whistling in her ears. Jay caught up to her and they were neck-and-neck, when suddenly Tylisia folded in her wings and dived straight down. Startled, Jay stopped to see where she had gone. He looked around, hovering in mid air. Without warning, she suddenly reappeared and sped straight up, nearly slamming into him and causing him to spiral off course, and flew ahead of him. She laughed and flipped with joy in the air, glad to see that her plan had worked as she made it back to the branch first. Jay followed right behind her and landed beside her on the branch.
"Wow, what happened?" Jay asked in bewilderment.
Tylisia grinned and replied, "It's a trick that my father showed me. Works every time." Jay hooted with laughter, amazed that he had been outsmarted by this owl. He was known to all his friends to always win races. He made a mental note to use that trick the next time he raced one of his owl friends. Then he said, with curiosity twinkling in his eyes, "Can you show me how you did that?" Tylisia smiled and nodded, then flew off the branch. Jay followed close behind. After they were in midair and away from the trees, hovering high above the ground, Tylisia turned to him and said, "Now, all you do is while you're flying really fast, fold in your wings, like so, and lean forward" she folded in her wings and leaned forward, and immediately it caused her to drop face-first down. She spread her wings back out and flew back up. "Then, after you fly straight down a short ways, you spread your wings back out and aim straight up while flapping them as hard as you can. The wind will catch under your wings and propel you straight up. Go as fast as you can, and when you are at the same height as your competitor again, curve flat again in the flying position and speed up ahead of them, right to where the finish line is. Here, I'll demonstrate," Tylisia explained; She folded in her wings, leaned forward, and nosedived down a ways. Then she spread her wings and the wind caught under them, so as she flapped them it pushed her upwards with great speed and power. As soon as she was level with Jay again, she curved back into flying position and surged forward. Then, she circled back around to where Jay was. "OK? Now you try!" She cooed.
"Alright..." Jay said, set on perfecting the method so he could use it again sometime. He copied everything that Tylisia did, and Tylisia had to admit he did it nearly perfectly.
"With some more practice, you'll be able to get faster and better at it." Tylisia assured him.
"OK, thanks for showing me!" Jay grinned happily. "But I have to go, my friends are waiting to meet me at the center tree for a quick night hunting trip."
"Oh, I love hunting trips at night! I always go with that group to hunt at night. How come I've never seen you go?"
"Really? Well, this is my first time trying it in this kingdom because I'm new here. But I heard it's a lot of fun! Maybe I will see you there?" Jay cooed.
"yes, it is one of my favorite things to do! If you go tonight, I will definitely be there." Tylisia said.
"OK. See you there tonight!" Jay said as he turned to fly back to the center tree. Tylisia watched him fly away out of sight, then turned and flew back to her tree hollow to grab a quick snack. All that flying had made her hungry.
Suddenly, a loud hissing screech came from somewhere nearby. Tylisia recognized it as a male Barn Owl whom was flying through the trees somewhere in front of her, and was quickly flying closer. Then she saw a small speck, disappearing and reappearing in between the trees. It got larger and more visible, until she could see that it was indeed another Barn Owl. He flew towards her, and it looked like he was going to smash into her. She was unsure whether she should move or stay put. Before she could decide, he pulled up and swerved to the side, barely missing her. She ducked and looked up, watching as he screeched and flew straight up into the tree tops and out of sight. What was that about? She wondered in bewilderment. Suddenly, the reckless Barn Owl reappeared from the trees and dived straight down to her. She screeched and leaped into the air, out of the way. She flapped her wings and looked about her, and saw that the crazed Barn Owl was following her. She flew faster, and so did he. In fact, him being a male Barn Owl, he could fly slightly faster. He sped up to her and beside her, flapping his wings to keep up with her. "Hello!" He cooed.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Tylisia said. The strange owl was the same color as her, though slightly darker, and his eyes were dark black with a slightly blue tint in them. She found his eye colors quite odd and different...Normal Barn Owls had black eyes with a gold tint in them.
The owl smiled and said, "My name is Jay. I'm a Barn Owl. What's your name?"
"My name is Tylisia. I'm also a Barn Owl. But why were you trying to attack me back there while I was sitting on that branch? And why are you still following me now?"
"Well, you see...I thought you were another owl, one of my brothers, Alvaro, but he lives at a different kingdom. You do look just like him though. And we used to play a game where we dived at each other and chased each other. Well, after you screeched and took off, I realized I had mistaken you for the wrong owl! So I caught up to you to apologize if I disturbed you." Jay explained.
"Oh. Well, that's OK then. Thank you for letting me know." Tylisia cooed, then started to turn around to go back to where she was perching, now that everything made sense again.
"Wait, where are you going?" Jay said, following her when she curved to go the other way.
"I'm going back to the branch I was perching on." Tylisia replied.
"Do you want to race there?" Jay grinned excitedly.
"Race?" Tylisia said, confused.
"Yeah. As in see who can fly back to the perch first." Jay said, and before she could reply, he took off as fast as he could, straight ahead. Tylisia chased after him; she was always up for a challenge when it came to flying.
She quickly caught up to him and was beside him, flying.
"Is that as fast as you can go?" He said in a friendly mocking way. Tylisia grinned and flew faster ahead of him, the wind whistling in her ears. Jay caught up to her and they were neck-and-neck, when suddenly Tylisia folded in her wings and dived straight down. Startled, Jay stopped to see where she had gone. He looked around, hovering in mid air. Without warning, she suddenly reappeared and sped straight up, nearly slamming into him and causing him to spiral off course, and flew ahead of him. She laughed and flipped with joy in the air, glad to see that her plan had worked as she made it back to the branch first. Jay followed right behind her and landed beside her on the branch.
"Wow, what happened?" Jay asked in bewilderment.
Tylisia grinned and replied, "It's a trick that my father showed me. Works every time." Jay hooted with laughter, amazed that he had been outsmarted by this owl. He was known to all his friends to always win races. He made a mental note to use that trick the next time he raced one of his owl friends. Then he said, with curiosity twinkling in his eyes, "Can you show me how you did that?" Tylisia smiled and nodded, then flew off the branch. Jay followed close behind. After they were in midair and away from the trees, hovering high above the ground, Tylisia turned to him and said, "Now, all you do is while you're flying really fast, fold in your wings, like so, and lean forward" she folded in her wings and leaned forward, and immediately it caused her to drop face-first down. She spread her wings back out and flew back up. "Then, after you fly straight down a short ways, you spread your wings back out and aim straight up while flapping them as hard as you can. The wind will catch under your wings and propel you straight up. Go as fast as you can, and when you are at the same height as your competitor again, curve flat again in the flying position and speed up ahead of them, right to where the finish line is. Here, I'll demonstrate," Tylisia explained; She folded in her wings, leaned forward, and nosedived down a ways. Then she spread her wings and the wind caught under them, so as she flapped them it pushed her upwards with great speed and power. As soon as she was level with Jay again, she curved back into flying position and surged forward. Then, she circled back around to where Jay was. "OK? Now you try!" She cooed.
"Alright..." Jay said, set on perfecting the method so he could use it again sometime. He copied everything that Tylisia did, and Tylisia had to admit he did it nearly perfectly.
"With some more practice, you'll be able to get faster and better at it." Tylisia assured him.
"OK, thanks for showing me!" Jay grinned happily. "But I have to go, my friends are waiting to meet me at the center tree for a quick night hunting trip."
"Oh, I love hunting trips at night! I always go with that group to hunt at night. How come I've never seen you go?"
"Really? Well, this is my first time trying it in this kingdom because I'm new here. But I heard it's a lot of fun! Maybe I will see you there?" Jay cooed.
"yes, it is one of my favorite things to do! If you go tonight, I will definitely be there." Tylisia said.
"OK. See you there tonight!" Jay said as he turned to fly back to the center tree. Tylisia watched him fly away out of sight, then turned and flew back to her tree hollow to grab a quick snack. All that flying had made her hungry.
