The Story of Tiberius

Chapter 42

All noise inside the hollow died down. One could hear a feather falling because it was so quiet. A calmness in her eyes, Sleet continued, "Four years ago, almost five now, my friend Marlin and I were devastated when we learned about the disappearance of Austin and Ellie, along with their children Thunder and Rain. Today, I bring to you Tiberius and Rosa, the missing descendants of Horus the Wise, the founder of our Code and the first leader of the Tribe of the Fire Talons. Only they know what had happened back then." Lowering her gaze towards Tiberius and Rosa, Sleet motioned for one of them to talk.

Looking down at his sister to find Rosa practically shaking like a little leaf, Tiberius knew that she wasn't going to be saying a single word with her like this. Taking a step forward, the red tailed hawk cleared his throat and addressed all of the birds of prey in the hollow. He recalled the story of what had happened the day he and Rosa had lost their parents and were taken to Manhattan to a pet store. By the time he concluded the tale, many of the spectators were crying. The female osprey standing to Pierre's right was shedding tears of her own.

"Humans, think they can take everything," Striker muttered to the red tailed hawk. Eddie and the hawk motioned for the great horned owl to keep his beak shut.

"If I may ask, how did you get out of the... pet store?" the elderly osprey, a female much older than the other osprey standing behind the stones, asked quietly. She coughed slightly after asking her question. The other osprey rested her wing gently on her shoulder while Dodger went over to check on her. Shuffling his foot a little, Tiberius answered her question truthfully, "Rosa and I were bought out of the pet store by-"

"They're domesticated!" Flash screeched, his feathers bristling. His talons scraped against his stone as his yellow eyes blazed with hatred. The spectators watching above began to whisper quietly, causing a dull roar to echo in the oak tree's large hollow. Many were casting the hawk siblings glares while others hissed in anger. Tiberius and Rosa glanced at each other nervously, wondering what was going to happen next. Sleet, meanwhile, was struggling to get everyone to settle down and shut up. At last, with the peace restored, she opened her mouth to say something but Flash cried, "They have no right to be here! Domestics and wild animals have no place together!"

"Flash, this hawk beat you in a fight not too long ago. And you've had plenty of experience in the wild. He was taken away from the forest when they were only a week old," Eddie pointed out. One of the great horned owls, an old female, added, "Plus, they weren't always domestics. They were born in the wild."

"And taken out of it Juno!" Flash retorted. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Sleet looked over at the young female osprey for help. Taking a deep breath, the osprey let out a loud screech. That finally got the peregrine to shut his beak while the others went quiet. Smiling softly at the osprey, Sleet spoke quietly, "Thank you Panama." Flying over to the small island in the center of the pool where Tiberius and Rosa stood, she raised her voice so everyone could hear her, "I know this is a last second request but if the Council and these two approves, I would like them to join the Council." A few whispers went around before everyone quieted down. Gazing down at the two hawks before her, Sleet waited quietly for an answer. Rosa shook her head. Thinking it over in his head, Tiberius returned Sleet's gaze and replied, "Yes please."

Smiling softly, Sleet turned around to find all but Striker and Flash raising a wing in the air, agreeing to the eagle's request.