Guardians of Ga'Hoole 14 - Exile

command of fire, which began during the time of the legends; Grank was the first collier, and Theo was the first blacksmith. On this night, owls came together and built large bonfires making the night as bright as the day. There were contests of all sorts. Colliering contests, smithing competitions, flight games during which owls would compete to ride the intense thermal updrafts to new record heights. It was a joyous and boisterous holiday. Now with these rumors, who knew what Coryn, clearly under the influence of the Striga, was planning? But the Band must not rush back. Itwas truly a blessing that Tengshu had flown the River of Wind across the Sea of Vastness and found them. Hortense watched now as the one the Band called “the sage” instructed the owls in this strange method of warfare called Danyar. She had never seen anything like it. No battle claws, no fire branches, none of the traditional weapons; it was all about breathing. Breath was their major weapon. The Breath of Qui, as they called it, expanded the lungs of an owl and, when released, charged the owl’s movement with great power. She was amazed at the progress made by these studious owls who had so recently devoted their lives to books. Their powers of concentration were great and undoubtedly this had helped them learn Danyar very quickly. There was a young Barred Owl, Austen, who was smashing the moss target to bits every time she hit it.
    “Good, good. Excellent form, Austen!” Tengshu, with the slight Jouzhen lilt to his speech, exclaimed. “Watch Austen. Her preparation is excellent. Note how she lifts her wings ever so slightly at the beginning of the inhale.”
    A few minutes later, during a break in the training, Hortense flew down to the training level and hovered quietly until someone noticed her.
    “Hortense!” Soren said, and swooped toward her. Immediately, he sensed something wrong. “What is it? Something about the three B’s, Pelli?”
    “Nothing worse, really, than what we already know.” She sighed. The beads of moisture shimmered greenly in the dim light of the dell. “Pelli saw the signs of your ‘faithless acts.’”
    “What was she doing on the mainland?” Soren asked. “W-w-what could have brought her here now?”
    “I’m getting to that,” Hortense said patiently. An absolute hush had fallen on the Band and the other few owls who had gathered nearby. “She was on a mission to deliver the ember to an undisclosed location,” she said gingerly. The Band immediately knew where it must be.
    “So Coryn asked for it,” Gylfie said somberly.
    “Yes, and another was substituted,” Mist replied.
    “Bubo juiced one, didn’t he?” Twilight said. “And that fool owl Coryn can’t even tell the difference.”
    Soren wilfed as these words were spoken about his only nephew. But it was true. How had Coryn become such a fool? How had all this happened?
    “And are there still rumors about Balefire Night?” Gylfie asked.
    “Yes. They say it’s going to be the biggest celebration ever.”
    “Yes, so much to burn,” Soren said bitterly. None of the Band even dared think about the horrible charred skeleton they had found in that smoldering fire nearwhere the notice had been posted. Suddenly, Soren thought of something. “If Pelli returns to the tree and tells the other owls, the parliament, about these things, surely…”
    Hortense cut him off. “We discussed this, Soren. She is going to tell only a few owls. Otulissa, Bubo, Eglantine. She has to play it very cool right now. The Blue Brigade has infiltrated the tree. The Guardians are not outnumbered—yet. When was the last time there was a battle on the Island of Hoole?”
    “The Siege,” the four owls quickly replied.
    “Exactly. It was bad. Strix Struma died and there were not nearly as many young’uns in the tree back then. This information of the Band being exiled is enough to trigger an uprising by the tree guardians. But they would lose—or suffer unthinkable losses. There can be no confrontation until their numbers are strengthened. You have to return, ready with these new owls of the Brad properly trained.” Hortense paused. She looked at the Band. “You have to remember, the four of you are seasoned warriors. You have spent almost a lifetime in training. But here in Ambala we have seen little war. We have always lived, as I have said, on the edge of things.”
    “Madam,” Tengshu interrupted, “I want to assure you these owls will be