Cycle Anew

Shadows on the hills had fallen. Thin wisps of starlight permeated the night air. Small songs of crickets were a lone melody on the wind. But this predator laid in darkness, sought in silence.

His razor talons scarred the wood along the tree branch. A perpetual reminder of what children nature has lost to these bloodied claws. He looked to the night sky and… listened. Whatever had the universe brought him? To his self-declared province of the Earth. What foul beasts shall slate his hunger and who, wished to play?

The moonlight glistened off the bright orange feathers that covered his head and down his back to his tail. His feet pierced and crunched bark with each side step. As he gazed into the moon, the yellow ring around his white feathered face shined with ethereal light, along with the streaks that stretched down from his eyes to his beak, like golden tears. Those who intentionally searched for this great barn owl knew the price of his favor. Defeat him in a challenge of the mind, so you may be worthy of his boon. The caliber of some rewards depended entirely upon the actions of the challenger. But the grand reward? The ability to sense the world through his eyes. To achieve eternal enlightenment and become one with the natural world around them.

One day, three sisters came to challenge the owl. The eldest was named Erin, a slender woman of about 40 who carried an old oak shillelagh as a walking stick and was adorned in a bright green silk dress and cloak, which only enhanced her crimson red hair with an even more fiery glow. The middle was named Morrigan, a fair woman of about 25 with midnight black hair and carried a thin willow stave with the power to heal any injury done to man, beast, or greenery. And finally, there was their youngest sister Baeva, a young lady of about 19 years old with mousey blonde hair tied in a braid, and dressed for battle with leather armor and furs carrying a 7-foot-long spear engraved with Celtic runes along the bark. They all approached the owl as he sat on his arbor throne.

“We seek the gift you offer O’ Wise One!” Erin said, “Tell us how we may be worthy for you to grant our greatest wishes!”

The Owl pondered for a moment and decided each was to be issued a different challenge. For Baeve, she was given the task to gather 3 salmon from the nearby sea and to put them live in a bucket with water on her return. At this, Baeve took her spear with a confidant grin and marched down towards the beach.

For Morrigan, she was tasked with finding a crystal-clear lake, but only one with 6 stones already placed around its border. The island was vast and Morrigan knew there were lakes all over, so with a similar smirk Morrigan transformed into a raven and took to the sky.

And to Erin, she was told to find 9 healthy hazelnut trees and to return with them to the lake when she finished. She was a stranger on these shores, but was not deterred as she proceeded to enter the dark woods.

…

The sisters each went on their quests, Baeva had to trick the salmon using riddles to get them in the bucket. Morrigan having trouble finding any clear lake, but found one with the six stones, used magic to clear away any pollution, leaving only a pristine surface. Erin walked through the forest lost for a good amount of time, with voices that whispered deceit on the wind, but eventually found the trees and brought them to the lake.

As the sisters reunited at the lake, the Owl awaited them to give final instruction. " Place the salmon in the lake and the trees around its edge. Let the salmon eat from the trees leaves and then place the salmon in your hands. Then you shall have your reward." The sisters did as they were bade and as they held the salmons they could feel the universe unfold before them From the smallest insect, to the largest star they could understand all the great mysteries of the world and how little their impact left in their steps. The purpose of life was not to disrupt the flow of the universe but to sail as part of it.