Guardians of Ga'Hoole 14 - Exile

ready.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Enemy Within
    Y ou see, Coryn. You have grown so much stronger. Now tell me truthfully, do you not feel better than ever in the presence of this ember?”
    “Yes, it is true,” Coryn agreed.
    “You have strengthened your gizzard,” the Striga said.
    Coryn thought the Striga might be right. He no longer felt the deep twinges in his gizzard that he had when in the presence of the ember. But even before he had brought the ember from Bubo’s forge, his gizzard had seemed to quiet in a way that gave him a new ease. Since he had been following the Striga’s regime of spiritual cleansing by ridding himself of the vanities that had cluttered not so much his hollow, for those had been few, but his mind, life seemed easier. He no longer had the haunting visions of his mother, Nyra, and he finally began to realize that although he had loved his uncle Soren, this love had been a feckless indulgence on his part. It wasn’t reciprocated inthe way he had expected. He was basically excluded from the Band. He had never really understood this until the Striga pointed it out to him. He might be accepted as king by the great tree but never as a member of the Band by Soren and the others. And now there were two letters that confirmed this exclusion as truth. The first letter had arrived shortly before Punkie Night with its ridiculous talk about the necessity of extending the weather experiments. This second letter had just arrived, in which the Band reported that they had felt that they were not needed at the tree, and how had they put it? “Striga,” Coryn said, “could you read that part of the letter to me again?”
    “Certainly. ‘As we do not feel that our presence at the tree is needed and that there are owls in the Northern Kingdoms who could benefit from our knowledge as rybs, we have decided to fly there for a short visit.’”
    Coryn looked at the blue owl. “It is just as you predicted, isn’t it? They are trying to make an alliance in the Northern Kingdoms without the consent of parliament.”
    “Negotiating independently. Why would any owl do such a thing? Treasonous, isn’t it?” The Striga paused. “And treason is simply another face of vanity.”
    Coryn blinked. He supposed the Striga was right. Half a dozen moon cycles ago he might have questioned this logic. But somehow Coryn felt that he no longer had toquestion such notions or statements. There was a beautiful simplicity to everything that the Striga said. It would be difficult, however, to tell Pelli that her mate would be gone even longer. Pelli was a sweet, dear owl. He turned now to the Striga. “It’s going to be hard to tell Pelli that Soren has extended his trip even longer and into the Northern Kingdoms.”
    “Yes, it will be. But you know, owls get over things. She has her children to keep her occupied. And let’s be honest. Soren’s first loyalty has never been to Pelli, but rather to the Band. At times, she must feel as excluded as you have felt.”
    “You know, you’re right!” Coryn paused. “But I hesitate to tell her about this…this possible treason. I hope she doesn’t suspect anything.”
    The Striga churred and shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry, Coryn. Pelli is not all that bright, you know.”
    Coryn thought he felt a dim twinge in his gizzard, a split second of uncertainty about this last statement, but he chose to ignore it.
    “I never knew about this place!” Bubo said with wonder. He glanced around at the thick, knotted roots. A scrim of threadlike taproots hung down, grazing their heads.
    “When I came to the tree to live here and be Soren’s mate, he and the Band and Otulissa took me here,” Pelli said.
    “We didn’t want to keep any secrets from Pelli,” Otulissa added. “They were mates. There should never be secrets between mates. There are a few others who know about it. The Chaw of Chaws. But it was brilliant of Pelli to think of having the parliament meeting here. There are too many strangers about to speak freely in the parliament hollow. I mean, since when have we allowed outsiders into the parliament meetings? These owls that have been hanging around since Punkie Night, what gives them the right?” Otulissa huffed indignantly.
    “So, let me get this straight,” Bubo said. “You can hear the parliament when you’re down here in the roots, but they can’t hear you?”
    “Yes, it’s strictly a one-way system,” Otulissa said.
    “It’s really the most