Guardians of Ga'Hoole 10 - The Coming of Hoole

have to come back to the hollow with me. You have to meet Uncle Grank and Theo and Phineas. Phineas is my best friend. Well, so is Theo but, you know, he’s older andPhineas is closer to my age.” Hoole was speaking rapidly now. “Please, please, come right away. Stay with us. Stay with us forever!”
    “But I can’t, dear,” Siv replied.
    “Why not?” He was stunned.
    “I just can’t.”
    “Give me one good reason.”
    “It’s just…it’s just…”
    “Just what?” Hoole demanded.
    “I have family. I have chicks to attend.”
    “No!” Hoole almost wailed. “You can’t have anyone else!”
    “But I do!” It broke Siv’s heart and shattered her gizzard to lie like this.
    Hoole began to wilf right in front of her eyes. Siv felt desperate. What could she do to help this poor young owl, her very own son? Was this not the cruelest thing that had ever happened to her? To have to deny one’s own son! And just at that moment two owls melted out of the night. Two Great Horned Owls, or so Siv thought. It suddenly felt as if a bolt of lightning had coursed through Siv’s gizzard. One of the owls, despite its tawny feathers and two ear tufts, had a…a haggish look.
    It’s Ygryk!!! Siv’s brain reeled at the recognition. “Fly, Hoole, fly!” she screamed.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Mother!”
    “ A stranger, you say, Phineas?” Grank asked. “What did he look like.”
    “It wasn’t a he. It was a she. A gadfeather, and beneath all those things they always wear, I think she was a Spotted Owl.”
    “A Spotted Owl!” Grank said and lofted himself off his perch in alarm.
    Phineas was now alarmed himself. “You told me that if I ever saw a strange owl in these parts I should come and tell you immediately.”
    “You did right, young’un. You did right!”
    Then at that very moment they heard a shrill cry coming from the cove.
    “Theo! Come quick,” Grank called. “You stay here, Phineas. It’s too dangerous for a small owl like you.”
    Hoole didn’t know what was happening. A large owl was flying directly toward him and the other, a GreatHorned—but not Theo—was flying toward the gadfeather.
    “What’s happening?” he cried out. He did not see that still another Great Horned was flying toward him.
    “Fly!” the gadfeather screamed again.
    But it was too late. Strange little flying creatures had darted out from under the wings of the Great Horned who was attacking him.
    “Meebla yeben yip,” said the Great Horned Owl.
    What was this strange language she was speaking? And now that he saw her up close she didn’t really look like a Great Horned. Her feathers were raggedy and almost black. One of the small creatures attending her flew up to him and pricked him in the wing. Instantly, he felt his wings lose their power. I am going yeep, Hoole thought. Uncle Grank told me about going yeep, but I never thought it would happen to me. He crumpled to the ground on his back. Opening his eyes wide, he saw the Great Horned bending over him. A strange yellow light was pouring like a liquid river of gold from her eyes. Then her dark beak was coming closer and closer. “Open wide, my darling, open wide.” Her talon was coming straight for his eye.
    Hoole saw the Spotted Owl flying straight down, her talons set to rake the back of the Great Horned who was leaning over him. Suddenly, another Great Horned, themate of this one, appeared from behind the Spotted. He heard a sound like the clank of Theo’s hammer and above him there was chaos. Complete chaos.
    “MOTHER!” Hoole screamed and that was the last he remembered. The world went blank, not dark, but blank.
    The brothers had suspected right from the start that the Spotted Owl who called herself Elka was not who she said she was. She wasn’t a gadfeather. Of this the Snow Rose was also fairly sure. When Elka had replied with that peculiar remark to Brother Fritzel about the pilgrim brother being so daring, she was absolutely certain. Nonetheless, the Snow Rose had grown fond of the Spotted Owl and admired how she had flown so boldly and without complaint despite her maimed port wing. Gadfeathers, however, never pried. It was not in their nature. At least the Snow Rose thought so until she found herself flying toward the southern tip of the island. Why am I doing this? she thought. Why? Gadfeathers are not supposed to have any attachments. But she had seen Elka fly off into that rolling cloud bank during her concert. Ever since that night she