The Owl Nest

Eeikko’s beak found the creamy alabaster eggshell in the dark and by instinct he rapped against it. His head then pushed vigorously against the hard eggshell pushing his head out into the air. The first thing that greeted him were two big dark orbs and a bald skinny head and beak probing at him. Eeikko wiggled his way out of the egg into the gloomy area. His small eyes starting to adjust to the dim light as he inhaled the scent of dust and musty wood. The beak was there again probing awkwardly under his gaunt wings. Eeikko annoyed turned and let out a small raspy screech. “Hey! Stop.”

The other little bird pulled his head back, his beak parting as he screeches. “You can’t tell me what to do! My name is Mundbane and I’m the first born! Like my mother and father, I’m going to be a powerful barn owl!”

Eeikko just blinked his inky black eyes and considered the being before him. A fluttering beat erupted from the corner and a large, speckled barn owl sat there and had been unnoticed by Eeikko. He stared in wonder at the large ebony eyes that gazed down at him. Her pale heart shape face moving closer as she examined him. A soft mellow hissing sound escaped her beak, “Come little one. My name is Gilwen, I am your mother. You have just met your bother Mundbane, and you are Eeikko. Now both of you, come rest closer under me, get warm.”

Eeikko compelled to listen wobbled over to her. He nuzzled under the warmth of her downy underbelly feathers with Mundbane and four round alabaster objects. He felt warm and happy, and everything felt perfect in the musty darkness.

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Eeikko’s eyes opened partially. He was enjoying the fluffy down feathers of his mother and the darkness that washed over him. Mundbane squirmed next to him and moved, poking his head out from under his mother. Eeikko poked his head out as well and was amazed by the glittering light that greeted his eyes. The old, splintered wood of the barn allowed sunlight to peek in in a shattered dappled pattern. To Eeikko’s eyes it looked like dazzling eggshells littering the ground. His eyes widened in amazement. He asked his mother “What is that?”

“That is sunlight Eeikko. It comes from a bright orb called the sun during a time called the day. It disappears over the land at a time called night.”

“Where does the sun go to?”

“Nobody knows.”

Eeikko considered this but his belly gave a small clench and he wiggled uncomfortably. Another large owl swooped in through a hole in the wall of the wood. This owl was paler than his mother, with less spots. Mundbane upon seeing the other owl began to screech his beak opening and closing, clearly familiar with this owl. His mother took a furry object from the owl’s mouth and began to tear into it. Eeikko fueled by instinct pushed his way forward taking the furry piece of meat from his mother’s beak. It was delicious and warm, and he felt very thankful for the other owl. His mother gave a mellow hiss “Say thank you to your father Haryk.” 

Mundbane squawks in-between bites. “Thank you!”

Eeikko lowers his head as his father’s dark orbs bore into him and screeches softly “Thank you.”

Haryk dipped his head to Gilwen and plunged his way out of the hole his wings ruffling and spreading wide. Eeikko was amazed. He wanted to be just like his parents. To be a big barn owl one day and to grow strong.

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The nights ahead flew by for Eeikko. He was growing and miniscule feathers began to appear on his naked body. His brother Mundbane was beginning to look feathery now and scraggly pale feathers covered his head and torso. A few of the round alabaster objects, which his mother had called eggs, had hatched into other owlets. A small screeching female owlet named Ayris has hatched out of her speckled egg. A few days after that a shy little male owlet named Skrael had pushed his way out of his ivory egg.

There were now many more mouths to feed now, and his father Haryk was doing what his mother called hunting, much more often. He liked when his father went hunting, it meant they would be fed. Mundbane during feeding time was very pushy and nudged his way to the front using his bigger body as leverage to get what he wanted. Oftentimes Eeikko would end up sharing the food he got with Ayris and Skrael in exchange for grooming. Everything felt good to him and life was well.

Until Loriezli hatched.

Loriezli hatched 7 nights after Skrael, and she was immediately a handful. She was noisy and very bold. It made Eeikko nervous how far she wandered from mother when she was resting, and he often would encourage her to go back. “Loriezli, stay away from the hole, you might fall!”

Her beak parted wide, and she hissed. “No, I won’t! If I do mother and father will just save me.”

Her bald thin little body shifts close to the edge peering down. “Woah, it is extremely far down! Very bright out here!”

Eeikko got nervous. Mundbane, Ayris, Skrael, and his mother were all asleep. He kept his inky eyes pinned on her. Then it happened. The little owlet tipped forward, trying to see something, and fell as Eeikko watched in horror. “Loriezli!”

He panicked and tried to wake his mother. Her dark eyes flickered open slowly as she hissed richly. “What is wrong Eeikko?”

“Loriezli fell out of the nest! I tried to warn her, but she still got close and fell!”

He followed his mother close to the edge of the nest and peeked slightly out the hole. Just in time to see a lanky red animal carrying away something in its jaws, and no Loriezli to be seen. 

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Eeikko was told that the creature that took away Loriezli was called a fox. His mother said that in every clutch of eggs one or more was likely to die. She said it prevented weak owlets and owlets that didn’t have good survival instincts from becoming adults. Eeikko couldn’t understand how this thing called death could be a good thing but figured it was a concept meant for adult barn owls. He still felt bad, wishing he could have done more to protect Loriezli. He forced his thoughts to be on the siblings he had currently.

A small sickly male owlet named Finwe had hatched recently. Eeikko was growing strong and eating well. His feathers now beginning to create the signature pale heart shaped face. The small new owlet though was struggling. Mundbane often kept Finwe from eating and pushed him out of the way by screeching, hissing and nipping at his sides. Eeikko tried to share all he could but his instincts told him to devour all he could eat. Then one night Ayris found the young owlet dead. “He’s dead.” She proclaimed.

Ayris nudged him with her beak. Finwe didn’t stir. Their mother came over and gave a small soft hiss “Poor Finwe my little one. Food was too short to sustain a sickly fifth owlet.”

Skrael gave a small shudder and nuzzled next to Eeikko, asking him. “Will that happen to me?”

Mundbane, who was beginning to look more and more like a barn owl every day, piped in “If you don’t eat enough, it will happen to you!”

Eeikko shot Mundbane a sharp look, his dark eyes narrowed then turned his fluffy head toward Skrael saying. “It won’t happen to you. We have enough food that you will be fine.”

Eeikko still felt bad, if only he could have prevented it, and from that moment on, he vowed to protect his siblings. He couldn’t let anything happen to the rest of them.

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Weeks passed and Eeikko, Mundbane, Ayris, and Skrael grew quickly. Their bodies began to fill out and the heart shaped pale feathers surrounding their faces began to be prominent. They now looked like fluffier versions of their parents. Eeikko practiced flying with Ayris around the rafters of the cracked wooden nest box. Their mother Gilwen now went out flying with their father and hunted with him, but today she didn’t go flying. Instead, she hissed “Today you will learn to fly out of the nest.”

Eeikko felt a jolt of panic. He had never gone near the hole since Loriezli’s death but Eeikko reluctantly heeded his mother and moved close to the edge of the hole in the splintered wood. He watched nervously. Mundbane was ready and launched himself out of the hole his wings spreading wide as he awkwardly flapped and made his way to a large oak tree nearby. He landed with some difficulty but perched on the gnarled branch looking smug. Ayris, not wanting to let Mundbane beat her, dived off the edge gracefully swooping onto a lower branch. Their mother followed Ayris and screeched at Eeikko and Skrael to follow. Skrael looked nervous, being the youngest he hadn’t had as much time to fly and his feathers hadn’t developed as much. Eeikko nudged him hissing softly. “I’ll be right behind you. Go on.”

Skrael took a big breath and jumped his wings outspread, and he flapped frantically as he glided to the branch where his mother perched. In that moment Eeikko felt immensely proud of his siblings, they were strong and beautiful and amazing barn owls. Now he just needed to be one. He could see their pale heart shaped faces and big ebony eyes gazing up at him expectantly. He stood on the edge of the hole. The sun was so bright he squinted his eyes. He had never seen such glittering dazzling light before. All the smells were new, fresh and earthy. Unlike the musty woody smell that he grew up with. Everything felt new, just like when he hatched. This was his home now. He stretched his wings wide basking in the bright brilliant light and Eeikko took the chance and leapt.