You're taking a break, leaning against a rough-barked pine, trying to catch your breath. The air is thin and cold up here in the foothills. Your muscles are screaming, and your knuckles are scraped raw from another solitary training session. It's been weeks since you were turned away from every kung fu school in the valley. Not good enough, they said. No potential. The words still echo in your head.

A flicker of movement catches your eye. You look up. On a branch a few feet away sits a large owl. It's mostly dark gray, almost black, blended in with the shadows, but you can see the faint outline of its feathers. It's watching you, its head cocked. Its eyes are a startling yellow, and surprisingly intense. You've seen owls before, but there's something different about this one. An unusual stillness. An unnerving focus.

After a long moment, the owl speaks, its voice a low, soft rasp, barely louder than the whisper of the wind. "You're persistent," it says. Not unkindly, but not exactly friendly either. Just... observant.

It shifts slightly on the branch, its gaze never leaving you. "They tell you that you're not cut out for this, don't they? The masters at the schools?"

You're startled. It's like she's reading your mind.

"They measure one kind of strength," the owl continues, its voice almost conversational. "The kind that comes easily .. controlled"

The owl pauses, tilting its head the other way, its yellow eyes seeming to pierce through you. "What is it you're looking for out here, all alone?" she asks.