It was days and days since I started my journey. I had went to the end of the tundra that I was born in, and then through a forest where I found a bunch of interesting little creatures, some that I had seen and recognized from the knowledge that settled into my mind through my mind since I had been born. And some that I knew from my home as well, but those clearly weren't as interesting as the little white foxes that loved to chase me around! Or the big four legged things with trees coming from their head that I knew were called deer! I loved when they gave me a ride through the forest.

But most of the time, I flew over the trees ever closer to the horizon. I didn't know where I was going, but it felt right to me. But today, as I was flying over the treetops I saw a line of trees before the rows and rows of the brown and yellow leaved trees suddenly ended. I was flying low over the branches, so I couldn't see much at first.

Then at the spotting of this oddity, I pushed my wings and the air underneath them down, launching myself up like a needle. I pulled in my wings, closing my eyes for a second to build up the suspense and to allow me to enjoy the feeling of the air rush past my beak and under my wings as I barreled upwards. Then I had a moment where I had no weight, and I was frozen in the warm morning air of today.

Then I was falling and my little heart gave me a big thrum as I gave a hoot of joy as I spread my wings out and opened my eyes to look out at what I had found.

The trees ended, and another thing began to fill my sight as I peered down from the sky.

An eternity of blue and the white curls of waves rising and falling out of sight behind large cliff faces that I was a long ways above. The trees opened directly into the cliffs, where it stretched out just a little before falling away into sheer lines of grey rock unlike the bright orange and yellows of the small plants and the trees directly before that.

The ocean… I always wanted to see the ocean. I thought to myself with a satisfied hoot as I looked at the picturesque landscape from my distant position.

Then I dived, picking up speed as I fell with my wings propelling me down and forwards, always careful that the speed did not become too much as I extended my wings to slow my fall to a more gradual glide towards the cliffs. I had just eaten a few hours ago, a rather decently sized squirrel, so I was full of energy and I had a long time before my next meal time came around. Plenty of time to take a look around!

Plus! I thought giddily, I am fast enough I could get there in seconds! OH! I need to try now! That overhanging cliff! I looked towards a particular outcropping of rock that looked like the perfect perch to overlook the ocean from and with a cry of challenge, I raced towards it like a bullet.

Despite the distance between me and it, I was very fast when I wanted to be and so it only took a few seconds of my dive flying technique before I pulled into a glide and landed smoothly just a foot or so away from the edge of the rock and I took a few steps and hops towards the edge, where I rested my wings for a few seconds while I looked down over the edge.

There was a wealth of things that I could hear, smell, but most of all see! I could hear the crashing sound of waves smashing against the rocks below and I could see how strong those rocks withstood the battering. The smells were new to me however, and I could only place their names after a moment of thought. Sea salt, which was a really refreshing smell, and… fish of some kind? That kind of stank. But the smell of sea salt was interesting. Why is the water full of salt? What is salt? A… type of rock? And it can turn into tinier rocks in water that you can't see. Weird. And things live in the water, even though it's full of tiny tiny rocks? Weirdos. I wonder how they taste? I should try to find out.

I looked around and watched everything move around, even seeing a few fish and a few birds that left me well alone from their perches on the cliff. Then I looked out and something bobbing on the waves caught my eye. I readjusted on my perch, leaning forwards a bit as I squinted to try to make it out from the blue of the ocean.

It was dirty white with brown in places, and a big sheet of something white sticking up from it, with some blobs moving across its surface. I looked at the oddity for a good few seconds before I realized what it must be and I gave a shiver of excitement. A boat! It was a small boat! With person’s on it! Real live persons! Like me! I need to see!

I thought giddily, before stopping myself on the verge of jumping off at once. Wait, I don't want them to think I am desperate… That would be embarrassing. Oh! I know what to do!

Then I spread my wings and started gliding towards where the boat would be when I reached it. I came in slow, gliding to manage the great distance between me and it without putting in too much effort. Getting back would be a pain… Though, if there are more persons other than these guys, maybe I can just follow them and live around there for a little bit? It wouldn't hurt… I decided as I flew, the ship becoming bigger and bigger as the occasional draft tried unsuccessfully to throw me off course.

The ship was a magnificent thing in my eyes as I came closer, listening to the shouts and laughter from the humans on the deck and the thumps of others out of sight. It was painted white, but with black chips. A bit like my feathers, but I supposed because I was still young I was more black then white. And I took particular interest in the brown spots of sea animals living on the hull like stubborn freeloaders. The sail was massive, bigger than the ship even! I circled above the ship, and I noticed some of the humans below pointing up at me to the others before returning to their work. Or sitting and watching the sea and the coast in the distance.

I dove down and then glided over to the front of the ship where I perched on the railing at the very front of the boat, a few feet away from a guy that was sitting with his legs sticking off the boat. I looked out at the sea, feeling the boat rock and the rise and fall caused by the moving water below us, feeling a bit of calm as the wind pushed us forwards together. It's not as cool as flying… I pondered as I relaxed on the boat. But it's less tiring. I gave a hoot of amusement at the thought.

“Hey there little dude, what you doing out here?” I heard the guy to my right say a bit softly with an accent that I thought dully was Scottish, and I turned my head to look at him. He looked back with a little tilt of his head and a bit of a smile. I gave him a hoot. He gave a snort and reached over to rub my head. I didn't quite know what to do when he did that, so I just kind of let it happen while I looked at him weirdly. He gave a chuckle before he turned back to look at the direction we were headed in. I looked with him, So they do speak like the thoughts. Why can't I? I thought to myself, getting a bit sad before I realized what had just happened.

I raised my head up and looked at the guy in indignation, giving him a hoot of irritation and indignation. No! I thought in indignation, You do not pat me on the head like some cute animal! …I kind of liked it… But NO!

The human beside me on the boat looked over at me before he chuckled.

No! Bad human! I gave him another hoot of pure irritation before I spread my right wing and smacked his arm before flying away to the top of the ship, satisfied with my revenge. With my retreat, I looked imperviously out at the skyline while the persons on the deck started laughing at me and the guy at the front of the boat, having seen the whole thing.

“HA! Even the lady birds are giving you attitude Zane!” One of the bigger guys crowed out with laughter as he clutched his stomach, his face looking like it was splitting open with a grin that the rest of the crew joined in on. “Even birds have better standards than your girl!” Another joined in, causing another wave of laughter as the man's ears turned red. Except for the man standing at the wheel, an eyepatch on his left eye as he gave a slight grin, glancing up at me with curiosity before turning back to the crew.

“OI! Back to work, you sorry lot! Unless you want to find yourself up on the mast with the lady bird, MacKinnon? We’ll see you laughing when the lady bird gives you some attitude with her talons when she gets enough of you!” He yelled out in his deep booming voice and his heavy Scottish accent emphasizing every word and a hearty laugh that everyone felt themselves laughing along with after a round of “Yes captain’s” from the crew, some joking and giving the big guy, MacKinnon, some joking shoves as they laughed at him.

I joined in with a hooting laugh of my own too, which made them laugh even harder as the captain looked up at me with a grin. I looked back with my beak slightly open with my own version of a beaked grin. He shook his head as he turned back to the wheel with a grin and a soft chuckle.

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As I settled on the top of the pole that I remembered was called a mast, I gave a hoot of amusement yet again. I like these guys, they are smart and funny. And that eyepatch is cool. I thought to myself as I looked down at the humans below. I think… I will stay for a while. Just a little while. A few days.

I didn't spend very long idle on the boat though, as the captain started calling out for people to do things. The sail came down, and I noticed how smooth the water became in this part of the ocean and how close to the coast we had become. I looked around, and I saw that we had sailed quite a ways from where we started in the few minutes I was on board.

The ocean was calm and smooth, the waves breaking on rocks that I didn't see a ways away, and I looked back to the sea behind us and I noticed only a particular path clear of rocks into the calm waters by this part of the coast. I tilted my head as I looked around, then back at the captain, nodding appreciatively. He seemed to notice and he tilted his head curiously before smiling and shaking his head. If we had veered off a little on the path, we would have hit the rocks and hurt the boat. These guys are good! I wonder if I could do something like that while I was flying… That sounds awesome. I spread my wings and launched myself into the air, flying above the ship with restless energy as I watched the crew from above.

The crew seemed to be moving about in no particular hurry as they all grabbed a box and some kind of stick of different colors. I watched them curiously as they fiddled with them both, opening up the box and sticking things to a part of the rod. Then, as the human that I sat beside when I first landed on the ship, Zane I believe he was called, finished messing with his thing, he held it in his hand and flicked it out into the water, sending a fine string that seemed almost invisible to my eyes into the water a little ways away from the ship.

Strange, I thought to myself as I watched him sit down and seem to wait for something. Then in a flash, the sight of the stick with the string seemed to spark something and I had the knowledge about what it was and what it was for, making me tilt my head. Fishing Rod, made to trick fish into biting the metal thing on the end of the string and getting caught before getting dragged from the water and back to the human. That is genius! You don't have to go to the prey and risk it being scared off, and you can bring the prey to you instead! Could I do something like that? How would that even work without hands like the humans have? I pondered wonderingly as I watched the humans all start casting their hooks into the water as well.

Eventually I settled down on the mast again, watching to see what would happen when a fish was brought in. I saw and barely heard the splashes and swimming of fish in the water around us, but curiously I noticed that they all were a little ways away from the fishing persons. They are waiting in the wrong spot… I noted idly.

Time passed, and the humans seemed to be growing a bit restless as they started playing games instead of waiting with their rods like before. I was getting bored as well, and I wondered what I could do. I stretched out my wings and neck, gliding around to the dry tip of a larger rock that stuck up from the water around the barrier and I looked out at the small ship and the fish. Maybe I could… do it for them? I wondered as I looked out at the fish again, I am getting a little hungry, so maybe I can catch a fish? But how can I catch a fish anyways? I don't have a rod or a string like the humans. Or hands to use them like the humans. But maybe… I didn't have to use them like the humans after all?

Along that trail of thought I flew back to the ship and started inspecting the fishing rod of Z. If I can hold the handle with my talons… and the spinny thing with my beak… Maybe I could drop the string into the water from above, and then fly over to wait on a dry rock?

“Hey, look at the owl!” I heard a call from behind me, and I looked around to see the humans looking towards me curiously. “What do you think it-” One of the guys started asking as all the people stared at me, only for me to suddenly move and make him stop. I hopped up and onto the handle of the resting rod, gripping it with my talons and twisting the spinny thing just above the handle with my beak, being careful and quick to avoid damaging anything, to bring the string back in again.

“Hey, look at it!” One guy laughed out as everyone looked on either laughing or looking confused. I even saw a flash out of the corner of my eye that made me turn to it curiously, noticing it was coming from a big black thing and I wasn't sure what it was. I didn't get any knowledge on what it was either, so I decided to ignore it. What I did notice that I had to act on however, was Zane running with a look of panic in his face to the increased laughter of the crew.

I gave a hoot of panic and stretched my wings out before starting to flap, feeling the odd weight of the rod throwing me off and slowing me down. Zane was coming closer faster, shouting something over the laughter of the crew, but then I was out of reach and flying away up in the air. I took a look back to see Zane with his hands on his head, looking dejected as he looked back at me and still being laughed at by the crew. The captain even threw in a few laughs as he held the large black thing to his eye with a few more flashes as I flew up, pointing it towards me.

I looked back down at the rod, noticing that the string was now completely out of the water, so I shoved my head downwards while trying to still keep myself in the air and started winding it back up. The crew of the ship below to my left seemed to still be watching as I could hear their voices, but I focused on the rod until I looked up and noticed that the string was all the way up and I could see the tiny hook swaying on the end of the rope.

I hooted in satisfaction before I glided forwards, letting the string start to fall back into the water. I flew quickly so it would land in the right spot, and eventually it landed in the water with a barely audible plop and I started gliding downwards, keeping it trailing out behind me while keeping track of how much longer the string would go.

Then I landed on the rock and I looked out at my work. The string trailed up to me through the mirror-like coastal section of the ocean, from the direct center of where the fishes swarmed in the water. The cool breeze blew the occasional drop of water onto me and I could smell the strong scent of the salty water around me on the dry rock, with the crashing waves just a few meters behind me as they broke on the other rocks of the ring.

I gave another hoot in satisfaction and hopped on the rock, holding the rod in place with a claw as I looked down at it, wondering how I could better reel in the fish once it got caught. From this position, I think I could grab the spinny part with my talons and spin the string back faster than with my beak without losing my grip.

Then I felt a particular yank on the rod, and I looked up to see and hear the string moving as something struggled against it. I gave a hoot of panic as I leaped for the spinny thing and grabbed it with my right talon, and started to spin it around and around in circles quickly, pulling against the fish’s attempts to get away and pulling it closer. I felt a nudge in my mind just then, causing me to slow my pace down just a bit. I need to pull it in slower so it doesnt get away? How does that work? I wondered as the new knowledge clicked into place, but I didn't get any answers so I gave a mental shrug. I could figure it out after I caught this fish!

As I wrestled with the fish through the rod, I could hear the shouts and laughter from the boat. I looked up, to see all the humans pointing and talking on the side of the ship that was closest to me. They are looking at me! I realized and I puffed myself up as I saw another flash from the captain, then focused back on pulling the fish to me. I was hungry! Come to momma! I thought excitedly with another hoot to punctuate my thoughts, recalling the phrase that I learned when I was hunting as I gave a hoot of excitement.

It took a few seconds of pulling with my talons in this circular way for almost a whole minute as the fish came closer and closer. I could see it clearly now, just a little bit away in the water. It wasn't all that big for a fish, but I could see that it would clearly make for a good full meal! A good lunch.

It came closer, and closer… Then with a quick yank, I lifted it up out of the water and onto the rock beside me where it flopped around, trying to escape. I instantly let out a hoot of success and let go of the fishing rod to clamp my talons on the fish to prevent its escape, holding it tighter then I think I have ever done before except that one time I had to hold onto a branch upside down to prevent me from falling. It was slippery, but I managed to hold it long enough to bite down into the fish's head and tear it off, killing it instantly and then proceeding to stuff the rest of it down my throat.

Well… It's not bad. A bit too salty, but that's what you get with the weirdos that live in the salt water. I commented to myself, giving a hoot of appreciation.

My rod still firmly in place and waiting for me to get another, I looked back to the ship where I noticed a lot of talking and pointing to me. “The lady owl is better at fishing than you, Zane!” I heard the big guy call out, only to receive a laugh from Zane in return. “Hey! You can't talk, you big lump! I don't see you with a fish either! That lady owl is better at fishing than everyone on this damn boat!” He laughed out in response.

I could see the captain put down his flashing thing, and I could see a smirk on his face even from here. “ALRIGHT YOU LAZY DOGS!” I heard him shout out, and I tilted my head at the tone of excitement. “LET'S GET THE SHIP OVER TO YOUR OWL, ZERO! WE CAN TURN THIS DAY AROUND YET!” I heard him shout and I stood up straighter as I saw him heading back to the wheel, and the others start to raise the sails a bit as they started coming closer to where we both knew the fishes were now.

Hum… I kind of like helping out the humans. They are so helpless, and then I can show them where the fish is, eat one, and everyone is happy. It's a good feeling. I like it. I decided as they drifted over closer to my position. I grabbed the rod I was borrowing with my talons as I hopped over to it and lifted off the rock, flying over the water and circling the spot where all the fishes were swimming around, pointing it out to the joy of the ship of other persons.

This is a very good day. I think I am going to stick around… For a while. I like humans.