Guardians of Ga'Hoole 04 - The Siege

Whiskered Screech nodded.
    Boron continued, “I think that just about does it, then. You are dismissed for now, but please expect to report to Ezylryb directly at tween time for your first history lesson on the Northern Kingdoms.”
    The seven owls started to leave the parliament hollow. “Just one moment, young’uns,” Ezylryb called out. “I have something here for Otulissa.” She blinked and turned toward her chaw leader. “I believe you were looking for this?” In his three-taloned foot that had been mangled inan ancient battle, Ezylryb held out the book Fleckasia and Other Disorders of the Gizzard.
    Otulissa gasped. “Really?!” She blinked in disbelief as he extended his talons with the forbidden book.
    “Yes…really, Otulissa. And I quite agree with you—sprink on spronk.”
    Barran gasped and Boron winced. But they said nothing as the sound of the vulgar word pealed through the hollow.

CHAPTER SIX
Learning by Heart and by Gizzard
    T here is the Hollow of Lyze, on Stormfast Island, that is Ezylryb’s clan. Then there is the Hollow of Snarth on the Tridents, a cluster of three small islands. Then there is…”
    Ruby made a deep and mournful noise halfway between a sigh and a sob. “I’ll never learn all this history. There are so many clans and so many islands that I can’t keep straight what’s in the Kielian League and what’s in the league of the Ice Talons. It’s just too much.”
    Otulissa had, of course, learned all the dynasties of the Northern Kingdoms, the great battles, the heroes, and the villains. She had memorized passages from the long narrative poem the Yigdaldish Ga’far that related the heroic adventures of the Great Snowy Owl Proudfoot and an Eagle Owl named Hot Beak. The others felt positively dim in comparison, especially Ruby, who was not much of ascholar and had trouble sounding out some of the words in the books Ezylryb provided. She claimed that certain words got stuck in her throat. “These words are like rocks. They sound like gagging.”
    Soren felt that Ruby had a point. The words were hard to say, and many did have harsh, gagging sounds. But he suddenly had another thought.
    “I’m not sure if we should know all of this stuff so well. It’s not as if we were hatched and raised in the Northern Kingdoms. Remember, we just arrived accidentally, thanks to a williwaw. It might seem weird if we know all this history like we were…were…”
    “Grot-ghots?” Otulissa said. “That’s the Northern Kingdom term for native.”
    Soren and Gylfie blinked at each other. Unbelievable, this Spotted Owl, thought Soren. Does she ever let up?
    “I think Soren is absolutely right,” Digger spoke up. “How are we supposed to have learned all this stuff if we were just blown off course? As a matter of fact, Otulissa, you’re going to have to watch yourself.”
    “Watch myself?” She blinked rapidly. “How do you mean?”
    Twilight stepped up close to her and bobbed his head forward. “He means put a mouse in it!”
    Otulissa looked crestfallen. “Oh…oh,” she said softly.“I see what you mean. Yes, they might think we were grot-ghots and not merely blown off course,” she paused. “I’ve learned so much, though.”
    “Well, you’ll be able to use it sometime, I’m sure, Otulissa,” Soren said. He actually felt a bit sorry for her. “And I think we can tell them a lot about the military stuff that Ezylryb mentioned. I mean, Ezylryb did say that we were supposed to pretend that we found some sort of weakness. How did he say it, Gylfie?”
    “He said that we must say something to the effect that we find the clans an inefficient and cumbersome method of social and military organization. Remember, St. Aggie’s owls have never been to the Northern Kingdoms, so they’re going to believe what we tell them.” Gylfie paused. “But you know what is even more important for all of you to learn? The most important lesson of all.”
    “What’s that?” asked Martin.
    Gylfie looked across to Soren and blinked. Soren knew what was coming. “How not to be moon blinked.”
    When Soren and Gylfie had been snatched by the owls of St. Aggie’s, they were shocked to find owls who no longer slept during the day. In a complete reversal of the normal cycle, these young owls were forced to sleep at night. Furthermore, during the nighttime, they were periodicallyawakened and made to perform the sleep march under the glare of a rising moon. It did not take Soren and