Note: This was a small interlude way back during the "Blooded Snow" plotline. As far as I can tell, this was a stand-alone bit that wasn't continued]

Oberon had gotten bored with staying in that small room where his
companions lived. He wanted to fly free, instead of babysitting the
two small ones. But exploring the "grey world" could be just as much
fun until his human returned. Neither of them knew yet that he could
get to the grey world (and back) WITHOUT their help.

Joy and delight filled his mind as he swooped through the grey lands.
Part of him wondered why he never saw anyone but humans (and
occassionally one of the pale ones who looked like humans but called
them selves something different).

It was fun to see what humans did here. Mostly they did stuff in
groups and weren't too interesting. Lone people were usually more
interesting. His contact with both sister-Kay and brother-Ceroill had
expanded his mind to the point where he could understand humans much
better. But many of them ignored him or couldn't speak
understandably.

Sensing a human earby, Oberon decided to get a closer look. There was
something _wrong_ about THIS person, and not just the fact that it
seemed to have more than one of the stones that made blue-fire. The
he-human seemed to be doing something deliberate with the blue glow,
but its efforts were awkwrad and its life-thread looked badly frayed.
Not good. Not good at all.

Hearing it cry out about something being wrong, Oberon moved himself
closer and tried to catch its attention. <*Query*><*Wrongness?*>
he asked, trying to understand.

He was even more confused when the lone human faded back into the
ordinary world, leaving only a soft cry of distress. Sharp owl eyes
clouded over with confusion, Oberon wondered what to do next. He had
seen where in the ordinary world the human had gone, but he couldn't
follow.

So should he wait to see if the person would return ? Or was this
likely to be such a big problem that it needed more than just the
amplified intelligence of just one small gene-mod owl ?

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