Feathers

Prologue

The wind was harsh, and the rain as sharp as stones.  And so, of course, this had to be the night the owlets began to to cry. "Hush!  Be quiet!  I know you're hungry, but you need to shut your beaks!!  Night waved her wings frantically, but that only made them wail more.  "Okay!  Stay here, I'll get you something to eat!  Night jumped out of the hollow before she could change her mind.  "OOMPH!" She let out a shocked yell as the wind shoved her into the tree.  Fighting against the storm, Night moved on.  Only when she heard a screech did she stop.  This turned out  to be a bad idea because the rain flung her down to the forest floor.  She spotted a rat giving her a VERY smug look.  Night scowled at it.  Then, she scrambled to her feet, and darted toward the rat.  It rushed into the undergrowth, much faster on land then she was.  Night sighed, then spread her wings.  But before she could take off, she heard a squeal.  Night glanced around, then spotted the source of the noise.  A small bundle of twigs, what must have been a nest a some point. Below the mess, though, was a small fledgling.  Night crept closer, or, more or less, loudly clomped over.   The bird, a sparrow, Night guessed, had fluffy gray feathers, but they were clearly changing into reds and browns and oranges.  He looked like a stormy sunset.  Night gently picked him up in her beak, then remembered, guilty her own owlets, crying for food.  She re-buried the the sparrow, then hopped away, hoping he'd still be there when she came back.  Night spread her wings, then took of, in search of food for her owlets,and for the little sparrow.