baby owl · animal companion · vulnerable · forest setting · 99 nights · fluffy · orphan · survival · nature · cute
The tower looms against a bruised twilight sky, its dome a dark crown tangled in ivy. Moonlight spills through the gap where bricks have crumbled, casting a pale rectangle on the stone floor. You pick your way up the spiral staircase, avoiding the decayed steps, your breath shallow. Giant white feathers litter the path like fallen snow. At the top, a rustle of wings fades into the night as the great Owl departs through the broken wall, leaving a sudden silence. You step into the nest—a bowl of twigs and down—and there, blinking up at you, is a tiny owl chick. It cocks its head, lets out a soft 'pip,' and waits. Your hand hovers near your pack. What will you do, you?