Guardians of Ga'Hoole 03 - The Rescue

Ezylryb smack in the middle of the Devil’s Triangle.
    “We should be able to get home by morning, before first light, I think,” Soren finally said. He could barely speak, he was so filled with joy at the sight of his old ryb. Soren was just about to say that Digger could go on and bury this fire, that there was no need for coals, when suddenly the night ripped with the shrill screeches of owls.
    “It’s an attack!” Twilight cried and rose up huge, his talons extended. Soren saw there were ten owls, all withbattle claws. And one with a metal beak was flying directly for Twilight. Twilight dodged in the nick of time. All Soren could think was, We have no battle claws. We are only six, seven if you count Ezylryb. They’ll rip us to shreds! They would never survive.
    Then, amazingly, ducking and dodging every parry from the oncoming Metal Beak, Twilight began one of his battle taunts.

You think those metal claws scare me.
    I’ll clack my beak till you see three!

    The attacking owl almost stopped mid-flight. He was completely startled by this strange chant.

Your gizzard’s soft as a worm
    I’m going to make you
    squirm, squirm squirm…

    Twilight was filling the air with his hoarse, raucous rage. He was everywhere at once. He grabbed the mu shield they had been carrying and raised it just in time to catch a high blow from one of Metal Beak’s claws. The battle claw raked through the soft metal of the shield but Twilight was protected nonetheless. The Great Gray Owladvanced. Soren, in the meantime, was dodging the battle claws of an angry-looking Sooty. But he was not sure how long he could keep this up. He could only dodge and fight defensively. He had nothing to attack with. Suddenly, a fiery spitting sound zinged through the forest. Had the red come come sizzling down to earth? Soren opened his eyes wide in sheer amazement. It was not the comet. It was Ruby with a burning coal in her mouth. How did she find us? And, unbelievably, Martin, his chaw buddy was close behind with a beakful of burning twigs. The odds were getting better. The sides more even with nine owls including Ezylryb from Ga’Hoole and ten followers of Metal Beak.
    Ruby had ignited a branch of spruce and was flying with it in her talons, sweeping the air around her. There were still coals burning. Soren and Digger looked at each other and quickly grabbed whatever they could. They would attack. They could fight offensively and perhaps rout these owls. Otulissa joined in. In an instant, the air was whizzing with firebrands as the owls of the colliering chaw flew through the forest night. Gylfie and Eglantine kept the supply of firebrands coming as they dipped twigs and limbs into the coals. Soon, however, Gylfie and Eglantine discovered that they were not too small or too inexperienced to carry the slenderest of flaming striplings through the night to singe the underbellies of the enemy owls.
    Deft and precise, the counterattack had begun in earnest. And all the time, Twilight’s singsong gibes and jeers rang out through the forest, a jangling, blaring scornful taunt that distracted and struck fear into the Metal Beak’s troops.

We got the fire, we got the punch,
    we’re gonna make you yarp your lunch.
    One two three four five,
    you’re gonna wonder if you’re alive.
    Six seven eight nine ten,
    you’re as stupid as a big ole hen.
    I can count forever and a day,
    and maybe you better start to pray.
    You call yourself pure,
    the best owls in sight.
    Well, you stink to high heaven,
    and you ain’t so bright.
    You’re stuck up as can be
    and your gizzards can’t handle milkberry tea.
    You’re no better than gull splat,
    and even though you fly,
    you’re lower than a rat.

    At that last verse, one of the Sooties was driven to such distraction that he flew straight into a burning branch that Ruby was holding. “Great Glaux!” the Short-eared Owl muttered. “I didn’t have to even attack. He came right to me.” The smell of singed feathers swirled in the air. Another one, who had been poked with a branch that had been ignited by a glowworm, flew off screaming.
    But Metal Beak, undaunted, was advancing on Twilight in a rage that was deadly, his battle claws extended and glaring in the light of the flames. Ruby quickly slid in on Twilight’s exposed flank, with her burning branch, and joined the battle against this large, horrifying owl. Soren and Otulissa advanced with flaming branches, slashing them like fiery swords at the