Storytime with K'os

Posted on 28 Feb 2015 @ 5:06am by Ensign K'os Beaumont

753 words; about a 4 minute read

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"You're parents will be home soon, are you going to stick around and say hi this time?" Olga, his brother's current babysitter was a neighbour of theirs. She had watched K'os from time to time when he was little as well.

"I should have time for one more story I think. Right Arthur? Do you want Uncle K'os to tell you another one?" K'os smiled at his 18 month old brother when all he did was stare at him. He smiled when K'os made a funny face, so at least he knew he still had his attention. he probably wouldn't get anything out of the story except for the bright images K'os showed him.

K'os watched Olga plop Arthur down on the floor with his toy and she angled the monitor so they could see each other.

"Alright." K'os held up his digital sketchbook and began flipping through images that he'd drawn for Arthur. They were big and colourful and very detailed but a little abstract at times as if drawn from a child's dream. "This is the story of Owl and Wolf. It is a very old Earth tale, but I've heard many interpretations of it from cultures all over the quadrant. Once upon a time there was a Wolf, who lived in a great forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. Every night he would go out and hunt for his food. On one night his hunt was interrupted by the most beautiful and mysterious of songs. Wolf had never heard a song like this before and he searched for the source."

K'os flicked the page to an elaborately drawn owl. "Finally he came upon Owl who sat high up in a tree singing his beautiful song to Moon. Wolf called up to Owl and said, 'Your song is so beautiful and you sing it so well. I would very much like to sing with you.' Owl looked down and was surprised that Wolf was speaking to him." K'os cleared his throat and in his best Owl voice said, "'Thank you. I have seen you around before Wolf. You are a very skilled hunter and you also sing beautifully, but you are a four-legged creature of the Land and I am a winged creature of the Sky. Our kind have never sung together.' Wolf barked and yipped, 'What harm will one song do? I have never sung to Moon and I want to sing to her together.'"

So Owl flew down lower to Wolf. He was a little afraid as he had never been this close to a creature of the Land before. But in Owl's wisdom he saw in the Wolf's eyes a dangerous passion but also trust and honesty. He knew Wolf would not harm him. So Owl began to hoot; a soft and beautiful melody. And Wolf began to howl; a low and quiet tune. They each sung different stories, but the music began to string together as if it were one song. It created a magic so powerful that it drew all the other animals together to listen to them sing as one soul. For in that moment all animals were entranced by the mutual understanding and respect that Owl and Wolf shared for each other; each forgetting who was prey and who was predator."

K'os could hear voices in the background and knew his father and step-mother had returned, but Arthur seemed fascinated by his pictures so he went on, "But as the magic dwindled, and their beautiful song was coming to an end, tears from Wolf and Owl fell to the earth. For they knew that in their hearts together created powerful magic but their eyes saw the truth. Owl was of the Sky, and Wolf was of the Land and they could never be together. When their song finished, Owl flew off into the night and Wolf dashed off into the trees, both of them were heart broken. And that is why Wolf sings to the moon at night, to sing a song he once shared with Owl so long ago. And why sometimes, late at night, you can still hear Owl singing, 'who, who has seen my love?'"

K'os watched his baby brother being plucked from view. A tiny smile was on his face before it disappeared. Anna tilted the monitor, "K'os is that you? That was beautiful. It's good to see you, where have you--"

Anna blinked as she stared at a blank screen.

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