Guardians of Ga'Hoole 05 - The Shattering

Great North Waters. Your journey was only to be one of mercy, of caring, as you gently escort this sick and broken Burrowing Owl to the Glauxian Sisters on the Isle of Elsemere.”
    Soren felt Otulissa stir beside him. She’s hoping to get out of this, but it’s not going to happen. Soren could tell something else was coming.
    “That is still your mission,” Ezylryb continued.
    Soren stole a look at Otulissa. Her beak was set in a most unbecoming fashion. He wasn’t sure if it was anger or disappointment.
    “But after you have completed the safe delivery of Dewlap, there is more we would like you to do…”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Passing of the Claws
    T here was more. A lot more! Soren remained awake long after the other members of the band fell asleep. His mind kept running over the tasks they had been given. The enormity of the undertaking was mind-boggling. Otulissa and Gylfie were to go to the Glauxian Brothers Retreat to find another copy of the fleckasia book in their library. Soren, Twilight, and Digger were to proceed to the Firth of Fangs in the most northwestern region of the Everwinter Sea and seek out an old warrior named Moss and then continue on to Stormfast Island, in the Bay of Kiel, to talk to a relative of Octavia’s, a Kielian snake called Hoke of Hock. And finally, they were to go to Dark Fowl Island, where the legendary blacksmith Orf crafted the finest battle claws ever known in the owl world.
    It was the chance of a lifetime, a trip to the Northern Kingdoms to recruit owls and arms to battle the Pure Ones who now held St. Aggie’s. But then again how long might their lives last in this new and dangerous world?Otulissa, of course, was almost triumphant. Finally, the elders had listened to her. This would be the first step in the invasion plan she had thought about for months, ever since the death of Strix Struma. Gylfie, although miffed at being sent to do research, was also excited. Eglantine was thrilled at being included at last. As Boron told her in a graceful and eloquent speech, she had more than proven herself. In an act of unsurpassable bravery she had collected and reassembled the fragments of her nearly shattered mind. Although she had failed to keep Nyra and Kludd’s egg as hostage, her courage had never wavered. It was only at the last minute when the crown fire threatened to engulf her that she had let the egg fall and flown from the tree. When Soren thought of the look in Eglantine’s eyes as Boron had described how courageous she’d been, well, he had never in his life been so proud.
    But something is wrong with me, Soren thought. Why am I not excited? He looked over at Digger and Gylfie and Twilight sleeping, each with their own wonderful dreams of the great adventures ahead in the Northern Kingdoms. And yet I am the one with starsight, the one who dreams about things that sometimes happen, but I cannot sleep and cannot dream.
    Finally, Soren gave up trying to sleep. He lofted up to the edge of the sky port of the hollow and perched for a few minutes. The sun rode high in the sky on this late summer day. Why not go to the library, he thought. He spread his wings and lifted off toward the higher branches of the great tree to where the library hollow was. The world seemed too bright at this hour of the day, especially as he rose higher to where the branches of the great tree were sparser. The dimness of the library was welcoming, and the change from the brightness to the shadows made him blink as his eyes adjusted. So it was several seconds before he realized that within the shadows there was a denser darkness in the corner, at the desk reserved for Ezylryb. This was so unexpected that Soren blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
    Ezylryb churred softly, “I might ask the same of you, young’un.”
    “I couldn’t sleep.”
    “Come to my hollow, Soren. I have something for you.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    The two owls left the library and flew to a sky port on the northwest side of the tree. Octavia was draped over a nearby branch. She swung her head toward Ezylryb. “Be wanting your tea now, sir?”
    “That would be lovely, Octavia. Yes, thank you.”
    As they entered the hollow, Soren blinked again rapidly to adjust his vision. This time it was not a shadow within the dimness that caught his eye but somethinggleaming with a bright intensity. His gizzard gave a quiver of excitement. In the middle of Ezylryb’s tea table were the battle claws made on Dark Fowl