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A Shock to the System
Posted November 5, 2008
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Junco: May I come in, Elfride?
Elfride: Oh – yes… please, Junco –
Elfride: I – I’m sorry for being so dramatic, running inside… but I’d never seen
anything like that before – that bird-woman!
*shiver*
Junco: You have seen more than one strange sight this morning so far -- it is
understandable. They only added to your uncertainty about your situation.
Elfride: Yes, I think so… Junco, who IS that woman, anyway?
Junco: Her name is Hibou… the mistress of this house,
who brought her here some time ago, says it was a rescue. Indeed it was; from
what I have been able to find out, she was being hunted on behalf of a
duplicitous person, whose identity I shall not go into at this time –
Elfride: “Hunted”? How terrible! I mean – although she DID scare me – why should
someone hunt her?
Junco: Sadly, this person wanted to obliterate evidence of her very existence,
lest she somehow be called upon to identify him. Though from what I can tell,
her ability to do so might be wishful thinking.
Elfride: Do you know anything about how she came to be like – some bird of prey?
Junco: *soft laugh* She -- was raised by owls!
Elfride: Ah!... That does explain her appearance… and
behavior. But, how did that happen? I didn’t think any such thing COULD happen,
a human behaving so much like a bird, let alone being raised by them…
Junco: You have touched upon the “how” with one of your words – “human”. Hibou is not human; she is an Elf.
Junco: Like you, Elfride, from what I can tell, she
was also abandoned in a wood. Since Elves are more closely tied to nature than
humans, somehow, she and an owl family bonded. Perhaps a female owl was touched
to see a helpless creature, whatever the species, and took her to her nest. Zimta, who you met, comes from a deep wood where Hibou last lived before coming here; they became friends –
Elfride: Does Zimta know how Hibou
was raised by owls?
Junco: Alas, no – Hibou was well-established in her
habituation when they became acquainted. There were rumors and stories among Zimta’s folk, but nothing of substance. When Hibou suddenly disappeared from the woods, Zimta determined to find her, and so took up residence
here. The mistress of this house is a liberal sort *chuckle*.
Elfride: That she IS, haha!
Oona: **enters** Hello, Junco, Elfride
– I heard you had a shock this morning. Are you all right?
Elfride: Oona, yes – it was nothing, really – I’m all
right now. Junco has been explaining things for me.
Junco: To use a modern phrase, she had “sensory overload”. Meeting Hibou tipped
the balance.
Oona: Oh, well, yes -- that’d do it, I think! Um, Junco, could I ask you
something -- **makes away motion**
Junco: And what would you ask?
Oona: Have you told her – what I think you may have told her?
Junco: And just what would that be, Oona?
Oona: You know -- who her sister is!
Junco: Who do you think her sister
is?
Oona: Don’t be so cagy – it’s obvious!
Junco: Is it, then…
Oona: Arrrgh! Have you, or haven’t you?
Junco: Not yet. She has had enough for today. There is always tomorrow –
Oona: Well, yes… you may be right. Let her get used to Hibou
as Hibou.
Junco: Precisely.
Junco: *to self* She may well come to her own conclusions by then…
What
to make of Junco and Oona’s variation on the old
“Who’s on first?” routine, eh?
