The morning sun slowly lit the mist over the sea. The darkness had faded leaving the orange tones mixed with the grey clouds. The light was not as warm as it should have been, winter had come early. Rays of light finally passed through and reached the entrance of the nest hidden by leafs. The mix of shadows and gold on his face woke him up. Falki spread his wings and puffed his feathers while yawning. He had almost been asleep a whole day. A thing has now to be done. Yawning again, he jumped out of his nest and stretched a little bit more.

*Oh, what a rest...* thought the tiny owl, *At least, no one is going to annoy me about this,*
Slowly heading to the hollow entrance, he stepped outside and observed the horizon.

This messy sky was amazingly impressive but something differed from the other days. Far away, beyond the sea were some darker clouds. They seemed heavier and threatening.

*Surely not a storm since it's rising from the ground.*

Doubt grew in Falkis’ mind. His eagerness to know about everything pushed him to check it out. He went back into the hollow and grabbed his writing bag. Back on the branches in a wing flap, he hesitated in going on his own. This time, Falki will not be alone, It will be even better with someone he likes a lot. Jumping on the cat (owl) walk, he followed the bark path to the next hollow to meet a famous large bird. The Hawk Owl waited a little bit for the sun to raise high above the clouds volutes. Knocking on the trunk next to the hollow, the sound of it reverberated through the wood to the inside of the dug nest.
Shyly, he raised his voice and called Kaatje:

"Hello there? Are you still sleeping?" A sweet voice rose from the dark nest. She was still a bit asleep but managed to answer clearly:

"Falki? I just woke up my dear."

In an instant, the great eagle jumped out, rushed towards Falki and surprised him by her sudden apparition. She hugged him with her large wings and asked what they were going to do that day.

"I'm happy to see you too!" said Falki, almost choking by her embrace, "Do you see this smoke on the horizon? I fear the Pure Ones are preparing something again..."

"I hope not" answered the female and continued in a smile, "I'll escort you then."

Taking off simultaneously, the two mates reached some higher altitudes and headed to the blurred coast. Close to the western side of the Hoolian world, the air was heavier and smelled of burned wood. It was not that surprising judging by the colour of the smoke. They also noticed the smoke was bringing some flakes with it. They were dry and dull and turning into dust when their wings were in contact with it. They had to pass through this thick cloud of particles and smoke.

Soon, the horrific vision surrounded them; Ashes and ambers were covering the scorched soil as far as the eye could see. Some decimated silhouettes of burned trees were still standing from the desolated ground. Choking on the remaining smoke and soot, Kaatje and Falki were speechless. A warm wind was blowing across the former Shadow Forest. No more shadows, silence and darkness took it over. Some of these areas were spotted white by the ashes and weak flames could also be seen through the dark fog.  
"We...we should alert the others" hesitated Kaatje, "This...no...This isn't real Falki. Tell me it isn't..."

Sadly looking in her eyes, he shook his head in disapproval. “It is gone, love..."

Looking around, Kaatje noticed several silhouettes in the distance. But the atmosphere was masking them.

"Please, be careful, I don't want you to be hurt again Falki" cried Kaatje, overwhelmed by sadness due to the vision she had, and the memory of Falki after the last battle.

"I promise you I won't be this time. If you want, you can follow me but if they're enemies, you've to surprise them; just come a little bit after me, okay?"

The great eagle nodded, making some soot falling from her head. She snuggled her head on him before he left the dark branch to reach the indistinct shadows. She was now waiting for the right moment to follow Falki.
As he landed behind a cover, the Hawk Owl recognized the renowned helmet of one of them.

*Eve? Her again? I thought she changed...At least a little. How could it be possible...*

“Captain, what bird is it from?” worryingly asked Eves’ Grass Owl subordinate, Valerian, after Eve picked up the long, dew soaked feather from its torched surroundings at the base of what was left of a tree.

Quickly glancing at the side of Eves’ helmet covered head, Valerian caught a glimpse of her shaded resolute expression that bored deeply into the oily black feather she held gently between two of her talons of her right foot, before he peered over her shoulder to look down in wonder at the feather for himself.

Hagsfiends. What could they possibly be doing here? More importantly, it is imperative that the others must know of their presence within this region, Thought Eve, to her disbelief.

“It is from the wing of a Hagsfiend,” Simply answered Eve, while she thoughtfully twirled the charred and broken feather between her left front and back talons, watching the dew droplets roll off. “It and the many others on the ground belong to no other then a Hag, I suspect a Hag who was clearly engaged in combat with another bird and died. We also have no indication of how many Hagsfeinds there where are still are in this area, or as to what caused this situation to arise,” gravely explained Eve, before she looked up and on into the pale clouded distance before her to pounder.

With her eyes slightly tapering and in deep silence with nothing but her own deterministic thoughts mulling around in her head, she gazed on, staring almost wistfully into the now barren land covered in mist that hung low around the singed stumps of what use to be the evergreen forest of the shadows. The black shadowed shapes that seemingly faded out from the rolling mist itself captivated Eve with their sinister abstract forms; reaching out from the colourless depths they brought with them a sense of sorrow which Eve had sensed before.

Breaking away from her still silence, Eve peeled away from the bewitching mist and turned her battles claws deep into the frozen ash beneath her feet to face her unit, “Valerian, stay with me,” she ordered without glancing at her subordinate. “For the rest of you. I want two of you to carefully scout the area and lookout for any signs of Hagsfiend activity in the area, remember to stay low and report back to me with any found news, the last thing we need is being spotted first. And for the other two with Aetius leading, head back to base to tell my superiors of the latest news, explain to them that I request reinforcements to monitor this area for Hagsfiends as soon as possible.“

“Yes ma’am!” saluted the four Tytos with a slight bow of their heads, “We shall not fail you Captain,” reassured Aetius before the four silently took off into the murky sky, back into the mist that quickly engulfed them.

Eve then heard the faint whisperings of a heartbeat tickle her right ear slit, mechanically turning her head, her eyes as cold as the winters' bitter air landed on the singular burnt tree trunk from where the heartbeat originated from. A Hagsfiend? Already? Did they hear of my plan? No, they do it dose not sound like the heartbeat of a Hag.

Valerian then caught on a read Eves’ mind, “Just say the word Captain,” confidently said Valerian, proud to be at Eves’ side.

“Drag it to me at once; I demand to see their presence in front of me, not behind my back,” commanded Eve, waiting arrogantly. What am I doing? I have no clear certainty of what lays behind that stump. I have sent my wing-soldiers away, it is just I and Valerian left to face the uncertainty. What has become of those who I posted within this forest? How could one slip into this region without going unnoticed by my forces? Thought Eve, in doubt.

Valerian then took to the air, with the smoke lingering in the air curling behind his flight path he landed stridently on top of the charcoal stump before the eavesdroppers and glared down at them, they seemed unaware of his presence while Eve waited for the moment of truth.

Falki couldn't perceive the words said by the owls but he saw them split in tiny groups. He was hiding in the ashes with his head barely out of it. It was easier for him not to be seen in this dark landscape thank to his grey and white plumage. Crawling a little bit, he waited for Eve to be on her own.
The last owl left her and vanished in the smoke.
*Now or never* thought Falki, hesitating a little. *What if they weren't that far from her?* He looked around him and slowly shook his body to get rid of the dust. He walked a little bit, then opened his wings carefully.
"Got you!"
Suddently, a shock on his back made him fall on his side a wingspan further. Dazzled by the hit, the hawk owl tried to stand up on his tiny claws but another kick pushed him back in the ashes.
"There's someone there for you Captain -stop moving!-" shouted Valerian, holding Falki by the neck.
"He's surely not a Hag judging by his size. Should I kill him or not?" asked the Pure One. Waiting for her answer, he began to drag him carelessly to Eve.
"Ahh, get off...get off me!" hissed the tiny guardian in vain.
Hearing some sounds behind him, Valerian suddently stopped and turned his head to focus on it. When he looked around, he saw a shadow rushing toward him as a scrome surrounded by swirling dust. In a blink of an eye, Kaatje rammed the Pure One and landed next to him.
"Pluck a single feather from him and I pluck your head from your body!" harshly said Kaatje. Half-opening her wings in a defensive stance, the great eagle walked back slowly, still facing the other owl wearing a helmet.
"Are you fine Falki?"
"Yeah, I guess..." he replied, standing up again.

Dazed from the initial shock of witnessing the impressive Golden Eagle suddenly materialised out from the clouded depths before her very eyes and effortlessly shove Valerian aside as if he was a piece of meat she no longer desired to eat. Eve took a quivering, yet cautious step back regardless of the presence of Falki and began to carefully assess her dire situation. Struggling to think straight she dug her stainless, bladed talons into the inch-thick ash beneath her out of sheet fear-filled frustration.

What do I do? To flee, I will die, to fight, I may also die, anxiously thought Eve, painfully questioning her own will before dreading the desperate decision that she had to suddenly stick with in her fear-stricken mind.

Within seconds and with her mind agonisingly made up, her arbitrating, and eerie-black eyes briefly glassed over as she locked her steely gaze onto the great bird before silently taking off into the thawing mist-filled air to confront the imposing eagle unaided. With her heart racing ahead of her, her angular claws gruffly unearthed from the coarse pieces of ash and left the ground causing the fine dust to swirl up into the dense smog and curl in under her wings. I must stay clear of its talons, beak and wings; I must go for the throat or eyes, lectured Eve to herself, breathing heavier as she closed in on the towering eagle below her that seemed greater then she had expected. Hastily swinging out her mouse-leather covered legs in front of herself; she fiercely extended out her freshly sharpened claws with a terrorizing ‘shhting’, the blades sung through the air as she swooped in for the left side of the eagles’ neck, leaving enough room to bank away if needed to reposition another attack or defend herself.

Valerian, with a limp wing hid himself amongst the dampened remains terrified while he helplessly watched Eve throw herself at the eagle.

Falki stepped aside next to Kaatje at the moment Eve rose into the air. Filled with rage and fear, the Tyto headed for the eagle. Falki hadn't the time to move but Kaatje was ready for this. She jumped into the air and already reached Eve's height. In a sudden reflex, she unfolded her left wing and kicked Eve's chest violently. The large brown wing made the barn owl bend at the impact. In a screech of pain, Eve lost her helmet which rolled and stopped at Falki's talons. The captain fell on the ground in a cloud of ashes. In a shriek, Kaatje opened her other wing and dived to the almost standing up pure one, claws heading for the bare white chest. The sharp oversized claws cut in Eve's chest feathers, making her fall again.

"Kaatje no! Wait!" hooted Falki, shocked by the golden eagle's attack. "Don't kill her!"

At that moment, Kaatje landed next to Eve and stepped on her, laying enough of her weight to hold the Pure One without hurting her too much.

"We don't know what was her orders..."
"She tried to kill you, and her guard aswell. No one will ever attempt to your life as long as I'll be alive" harshly said Kaatje, looking at Eve.

Valerian looked like a statue, laying without any expression but fear engraved on his face. Everything went quiet again, only the sounds of some ambers still crackling and the wind blowing the smoke around them.

Falki walked to them, briging with him the dirty helmet.
"Eve? Do you hear me? I...sorry but she felt quite threatened and thought I also was."
After a short silence and Kaatje loosening her grip, he continued peacefully.
"We have to talk about all of this, okay?"