Owl Watch

[Renji]

The sun was setting behind the mountain and the Shichiyou owls that rested in the nesting sights close by began to rustle, awaken and get ready for the night that was to come. This was a busy time for some members of the Shichiyou Family. Feed was to be layed out, water, prey-watchers set... Renji dreaded his task, waking the monster of an owl Courtney's mother, Kui.

"Come, she is mums Owl old man!" Renji whined towards his dad.
"Oi! What did i tell you about calling me that! Just get it done i have to go set the food" Desig, Renji's father said, with the annoyance of repeating this every evening lingering in his voice.
"Come on let me do the fee--", Desig cut him short with his own words, knowing the question before Renji could finish it.
"When your old and worn out like me, you can do the feed, for now, go wake up or you know what!"

Renji stromed off, grumbling and kicking dirt up as he made his way out the back of the house, towards a bunch of tree's that clumped together.
Why do i have to do this job. Shes a stupid old Owl. Its mums fault she needs to be kept in a cage not mine!
these thoughts filled his head and further angered him, he was just having a bad day, through nothing was different to any other, he was letting it get to him.
Kui was in a large wooden hut with a locked gate so she couldn't get free on her own easily, because she used to stay up all day and all night watching over the other owls, not resting herself, so locking her up during the day was the only way. Kui was a huge owl, smaller than her partner Jezter, but still very big, able to carry a person on her back for short distances.

Renji put his head against the gate door, grinding his teeth together as he peered through the cracks, looking at the large bird sound asleep , head curled back, face down into the feathers on her back. Her bronze brown plumage was stained across her belly with red, from the many battles she encountered in her life.
"You dont even do anything anymore, theres no preditor's or anyt'ing..." He whispered to himself, keeping his voice low not to wake the bird.
He placed his hand on the door seal to unlock it, closing his eyes and pumping his chakra into it, to unlock the door. Only the Shichiyou bloodline Chakra would open this seal, a safety measure they said was needed, Renji always wondered why, or even how, an enemy village would want to steal Kui.
I should just leave her... why wake her she just bites and screams anyway.. let her wake up on her own damn time.

He backed away from the Owl hut and turned to the Mountain, thinking for a moment where most of his family would be, out feeding, training, in town. He decided to head to a wasted part of the village side and work his way up the mountain, to take the day off. The Sun was already hidden behind the back of the mountain, leaving it with the edges almost glowing, and the front being dark, shrouded by the huge shadow. The mountain path wound around the mountain like a cork screw. The mountain itself wasn't that large, sitting at the back of the Iwa Village, but it was the home to a great deal of owls, people and other species. At the base of the mountain not only is the village, but the Shichiyou family, and its buildings. The family's propaty was small, mostly spread through the mountain itself, and the members more often than not lived within the village.

Renji ended up having to walk through part of the Family estate, but wasn't worried, both his parents would be out and anyone that might ask him to do anything would be out working themselves.
I work the hardest for this family, cleaning that stupid 'owl queen'... wait till Cort is that big... she will show them how to be a real Shichiyou Owl!
Like something struck him, he stopped in his path and groaned, smacking his forehead with the heal of his hand. He had forgot to get Cort and now had to risk going back home.
Shit shit... Theres not enough time before all the work is over... when they see Kui they will be mad, but...
His bird was worth the risk and without thinking about it any further he turned and began dashing down the mountain side again.

After a few minutes of running around the mountain he grew frustrated with how long it was taking.
'Wind skating'... could work... has to work...
The thought of the Ninjutsu he had been practicing brought hope to his heart, but scared him slightly, he hadn't mastered it quite yet, but it was worth a try. Closing his eyes he concentrated his Chakra towards his feet, before performing the needed hand signs. His body picked up off the ground a few inches, like the ground lifted up, through it remained. His arms shot out to the side trying to catch his balance, then shaking and swirling as he did the awkward dance to keep himself standing. Eventually he did find his standing and turned, slowly, to face down hill, instead of the path.

Fast like an owl, fly fly low to the ground, cant fly slow, so FAST!
These thoughts were to rev himself up, but it still took a few more, and a few unmoving moments before he convinced his legs to move. When they did they kicked against the ground, without touching it, propelling himself forward, like he was skating on air. Leaning forward as he approached the edge he had to gulp, and clench his teeth to keep from screaming. The slope was steep, but fairly flat, boulders and other things had been moved by douten users and it was now used as a kind of meditation area, on a slope, lucky for him, the slopes on the other parts of the mountain were not as flat, as they were not used for meditation and the same type of training. Running down the hill was passable, but hard, because the ground was soft, Renji had learnt this before while he was younger, but now, with the jutsu, he was speeding down, gaining speed as well
Shit shit shit, to fast, to fast! He thought, but kept his mouth shut closed, despite the strong urge to scream and yell.
His mind raced as he scanned the bottem of the hill, only what seemed like a short distance away, and growing shorter, and he found it. His dad, standing next to Jezter his own Owl was talking to Merry, his mother. Instinctively, without thinking he called out for help.

"OI! JEZTER!!!! HELP!!!" he screamed, each word coming out between deep rushed breaths, panic in his voice. It had all happened too quickly that he didn't have a chance to think about who he was hiding from.
At the sound of his voice Jezter, and his father swiftly turned there heads to looks at Renji, and without any motion from his master, Jezter stepped forward and took to flight. Jezter was massive, able to carry 2-3 people on his back at once, and moved very quickly when needed, which he was right now.
Approaching Renji the birds legs came out of the down they hid behind, and kicked forward, towards Renji. Jezters Huge wing span, almost 10 meters across scared Renji a bit, leading him to stumble backwards and loose concentration on the Jutsu, it failing and him dropping feet first into the ground, something at this speed would be life threatening. The earth was flat, but could easily rip him to shreds, as it was not perfectly flat... and even so at this speed, was extremely dangerous. Luckely before Renji colided witht he ground, the large feet of the owl planted down on each of his shoulders and lifted him up the slop.
Jezter had saved Renji, who had calmed down a bit once they pulled away from the mountain face. He had been carried like this on occasion, mostly because of Jezter's playful nature, but it was now that he also relised he had walked into the people he was avoiding. It wasn't a big loss, but he groaned to himself, stuck in that shoulder slouched position as he was carried around by the massive owl. When Jezter came to land, he had to flap his wings hard coming down to the ground to slow his decent enough to put Renji down and then get back up to move to the side. Renji turned to Jezter and bowed politely, not wanting to get in trouble with his parents for being rude.
"Thank you Uncle J... i was eh... trying to get down the mountain" Renji defended. Even know no one had questioned him yet. His mother had gasped and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his head and holding him against her chest. She was a slim lady, with grey overalls and a dirty yellow long sleeve shirt, with scruffy red hair held under a beany, her looks made her look almost child like.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!" she shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders after the motherly hug, holding him firmly at arms lenght.
"Thats some recklace crap u pulled kid, tch didn't your parents teach you nothen?" Renji's dad joke, with a wide grin on his face. The possably life threatening crash that was most likely to occure if not for Jezter, didnt faze him one bit.
Merry swung around and threw a punch right for Desig's cheek, landing it to, sending the male into a spinning crouching position with a groan.
"Don't encorage him! argh your both the same!" Merry yelled at him, he hand in fists shot down at her sides.
Renji couldn't but laugh silently, a wide grin on his face at his dads misfortune, and his dad winked him in the eye, while still bent over, where his face was out of view of Merry
"Get over here and pin them both Jezter!" Merry ordered in some kind of attempt to punish them. She could drive orders into any owl of the family she wanted, well most, Jezter, and Courtney for that matter, were a few of the exceptions, but she tried anyway.
Jezter backed up and blasted his wings back and forth, kicking up dust and dirt, mixed in with his chakra that blurred there visions further.

"Love ya, bye!" Renji's voice called out threw the dust as he backed off behind Jezter and dashed to the hiding of some housing.

[Renji]

srry for the double post
edited, all the the story in the first post now =/