Bravery

Legend

Legend - a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated

I leaned out of the hollow, waiting for Thora to come back. It was an important day, and Thora was taking forever to hunt. I wondered if she was okay, or if she was lost, when she landed swiftly on a branch outside the hollow.

"Thora!"

Thora was a snowy owl, and she was kind of my adopted mother. My mother had disappeared without a trace one day, right after I was born. Thora came into the hollow, two mice in her beak, "Hello, Bravery!" she dropped the mice, "You're up early!"

The moon had just risen, but I was excited. I was going to fly for the first time. I had been branching for nights now, but it was time to really fly. I was so excited. I could already imagine the wind through my feathers, the cool bite of the air, but the warmth that was coming from all my happiness.

"Thora," I exclaimed, about ready to jump out of the hollow, "Let's go!"

"Bravery," she laughed, "You haven't eaten yet! You have to get your strength up!"

"Alright," I grudgingly started to eat the mouse. It was very good, and soon I was finished. Then, Thora agreed to take me outside to try flying. She brought me outside, helped me onto the branch I used to use for Branching, and she gently talked me through it.

"Alright, Bravery," she sat on the branch beside me, "Flying is very hard, okay? I don't want you to get your hopes up that you'll be perfect on the first try. Rarely anyone gets through their first night of flying without running straight into a tree. I remember my first night, I barreled into a snowdrift!" Thora had been raised in the Northern Kingdoms, so this wasn't unusual. For my first night, however, the sky was clear, the temperature was perfect, and there was almost no wind at all, "So try  not to get too excited, okay?" Thora looked at me with sympathetic eyes. I wondered how long it had been since Thora tried flying for the first time. Maybe not too long ago, because she wasn't that old. Maybe a year or two, but not longer.

"Alright, Thora," I agreed, although I had the feeling that there weren't going to be any collisions tonight.

"So all you do," Thora explained, "Is spread your wings, flap," she demonstrated as she spoke, "And you're off!" she rose into the air, flying around the tree trunk once, landing, then saying, "Now it's your turn."

I felt excitement burst through my feathers, and I felt as if I was going to explode if I didn't get into the air immediately. I spread my wings, moving each to test that they were fine, then I gave one huge push down, and I lifted into the air. I spun around once, but then I shot off like a shooting star across the sky. I flew higher and higher until I was above the treetops. I had never felt more alive. Electricity ran through my veins, and I cried out, "Woo hoo!" as I did a small backflip. Flying was nothing like I expected however.

It was twenty times better.

"Bravery!" I heard Thora's voice call out, "You're doing so well!"

I laughed and saw Thora fly up to meet me. We flew around for a bit, but then Thora made me get down. We went back in the hollow, and I noticed we had been flying all night. The moon was about to set. I settled down in my nest, and looked up to Thora, "Will you tell me a story?" I asked.

"What?" she asked, "Aren't you a little old for stories now?"

"Not really," I replied, "Stories are great, and you haven't told me one in forever."

"Alright," Thora agreed, "What do you want to hear about?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "But don't tell me one I've already heard."