How to win a war. Izet - The Bird of Power

I was already exhausted, didn't know where I was anymore, so I sat down beside a tree deep into the woods, all alone and drained. This is how it will be I guess, will I have to spend the rest of my life like this running behind the enemy lines? The war was long over, at least that is what the world might be thinking but I knew it was nowhere near an end. I was the product of never-ending war after all. People like me Patriots - are trained and turned into war machines and sent behind enemy lines to die. I was very disappointed with my self as I was not able to gather the intel and was returning empty-handed, a coward and a loser thinking of my self like a warrior, a soldier that could do anything for the greater good, and yet here I was running and hiding, regretting. maybe I should just have stayed back at home and not be a soldier. I always wondered and imagined being a warrior, hell! it's not easy. But I wish to die now, just want to die and breath away this life out of existence, I want this all to be over.

And as I was deep in my thoughts I suddenly heard a sound, it was faint, did they catch up with me already? I clutched my pistol close, I only had 3 bullets left, I looked and listened carefully couldn't see anyone, and then all of a sudden a huge white Owl came out of nowhere and sat on a tree branch in front of me.

I was terrified I looked at that Owl and the Owl looked at me. we kept looking at each other for a while. I had heard stories in Europe about bad omens of the owl before, was I about to die? does this Owl come as a messenger of death? after I came to my senses and was less terrified I saw a leather sort of string attached to the feet of that Owl. "Must be someone's pet" I said to myself, but who would have a pet Owl in the middle of the woods? I gathered all of my energy and stood up to get closer to the Owl, but It flew and sat on another branch, so I followed and it flew again, I tried a couple of times to catch it until it brought me to an old Barn and there the Owl flew and sat on top of the Barn Roof.

I started doing a perimeter check and made sure no one is around and inside the Barn. Looked like no one was living there for a while. Inside there was a couch with some pictures of an old guy with this white owl. I got a place to stay for the night, putting together my gear and gun I started igniting fire so I could keep warm for the night and sat on the couch. The Owl came again and this time sat on the top of the couch, very close to me; it did not fly. it felt like it was trying to comfort me. Seem the owner of this Owl may have passed away. and the owl just needed a friend just like me. after this long unending war, a friend is what I really needed.

People left their homes, their belongings, and everything and ran like there was no tomorrow, it was a devastating scene. No one could bear it. Those bodies, blood, and gore. it was a sight no one wanted to see and I was a part of this. I could not believe what I had become. I was terrified of myself.

I could not sleep thinking all of this so I started talking to this Owl. "What's your name ?" I said, and the Owl lifted his right foot with the leather string attached, it said Izet. I was surprised he understood what I said. 'Izet' I know means Power and respect in Arabic. I had heard stories when I was posted in the Balkans about power granting owls. guess I was looking at one now, so I started talking to the owl again. " so you are Izet , I heard you give tremendous power to the people that own you, so where is your owner huh ?" and I passed out after saying that. I saw a dream where I saw a bright light all white and felt at ease. It was a very soothing feeling something I never felt before. I saw my family, my mom, dad, brother, everyone, even the person I loved, someone I had been longing for, someone I knew that is still waiting for me. What would she think of me? would she think I am dead? and then I saw this huge white owl talking to me saying " I can grant you what you seek, I can carry you across oceans, to the land you belong, to your loved ones." Looking at the intimidating size of the Owl in my dream I woke up, scared, and sweating.

It was morning already and the Izet the Owl was sitting there still and unmoving. I stood up quickly. "what witchcraft is this? " Why are you messing up with me?" and it just looked at me peacefully and calmly. looking into its eye all my fear and pain were gone. I gathered together my gear and gun and started doing a perimeter check. I saw tire marks that looked like Russian Stryker T311C. I knew I had to get out of there I started walking when I noticed the Owl started Following me. I wanted it gone so I ignored it. After walking for a while, the owl started coming in front of me, and flapping its feathers vigorously made it difficult for me to walk. Frustrated, I said "what do you need from me? " so the Owl Izet sat on a branch, very alert, so I went closer, there I saw a few Russian military personnel and the stryker truck. I was astonished. I immediately took a detour and started walking from another path very carefully, I did not want to attract my enemies attention. I thanked Izet after walking a while.

It was almost evening again, I had been walking all day with nothing to eat properly I was very tired again. I decided to climb up a wide tree I saw and make my self a place to sleep at night. The Owl was still with me. It was almost sunset, I closed my eyes and the Owl was sitting over beside my shoulder. dreams again very strange and powerful. This time I saw Bomber brigades and troops marching towards the border and my self fighting and running my way out of the enemy lines finally reaching the allied region, and allied forces fighting the enemy and cutting through them slashing, thrusting, hacking, pushing above and beyond the lines, pushing the enemy destroying them, then I saw a bright light, a sudden peace and tranquillity taking me in its grasp, engulfing me in the ever-present and everlasting peace, I finally saw my loved ones still waiting for me right there as I had left them, I was there, I was here, I was home.

And BOOM! I hear shellings starting so, I wake up and start running behind bushes, and find my self between a small group of Russian fighters, they try to catch me alive for they thought I had the intel, I finally use my last three bullets and knifing my way through all 5 of the fighters, I had never felt so powerful, so excited. such a surge of Adrenaline I had never experienced.

After an intense Blood bath, I find myself just a few meters away from the border where the allied forces were fighting the enemy, I make a run for it and finally reach my fellow brothers- The Allied forces. I see Izet again sitting on top of the tent of my commanding officer, Izet the bird that saved me Izet The bird that revied and gave me power, Izet The bird of peace.

I finally lay on my bed in the camp away from the fight. "Its time to go home," said my Commanding Officer "you did your part we have the intel we found it in your bag," he said "good job son" To this day I am astonished as to how that intel got there because I am pretty sure I lost it when I was running away from the Russians. It was Izet. I never saw that Owl again.

A little poetry that I remember by Wendell Berry, 'The peace of wild things, perfectly describes the feelings in my heart, "When Despair for the World Grows in Me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be. I go far and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free."