Guardians of Ga'Hoole 15 - The War of the Ember

“Otulissa will go to the Northern Kingdoms with Cleve.” He explained the reconnaissance mission that was planned for them. They were to talk to as many animals as they could, including gadfeathers and even kraals, if it was safe, and polar bears as well, to find out if there had been any sightings of a blue owl and a haggish-looking Barn Owl. “And,” he added in a low voice, “if there are any signs of strange-looking eggs.
    “In addition to that, we have discussed the corps of messengers. It is to be headed by Martin, along with Nut Beam, Silver, Primrose, and Clover.” Clover was aBarn Owl. It was always wise to have one Barn Owl in any unit because of their auditory skills. They were all good owls, fast fliers, and fearless.
    “Let us call this crack messenger unit the Joss Corps.” Coryn spoke as he peered into the grate of the fire without turning around. Soren looked at the broad back of his nephew. Joss was the famous messenger from the time of the legends, the time of Hoole and Theo. What exactly is Coryn thinking about? Yes, we are confronting a horrendous possibility, but there is more to it for him than what he is letting on, Soren thought. We all know what is at stake, but there is something even beyond that for Coryn.
    Coryn continued to peer into the grate and study the flames. Coryn was a flame reader and it was just a year ago that he had detected the ice-bright cave with the two shadowy figures in the flames. He had suspected that the huddled shapes were his mother and the Striga. But such flame readings were rarely precise, and never yielded complete information. Like encounters with scrooms, they often raised more questions than they answered. But now as he looked into the flames, he saw the figures of seven owls. One was far to starboard and another was lower in the plane, but five in the center flew close.
    Coryn turned and said quietly, “The Chaw of Chaws. They will be the gizzard of this Operation HALO.”
    Soren returned to his own hollow. A milky light, the first streaks of dawn, washed into the cozy space. Pelli and the three B’s were already sound asleep. He gazed down at them. If the Striga and Nyra prevailed… He tried to cut off the thought, the unthinkable image of those two. So much to lose. “Too many,” Digger had replied when Soren had asked rhetorically how many times they had fought the Pure Ones. Most of his life, even his childhood, had been involved with fighting them. Soren’s mind ranged back. The first fight had been the rescue of dear Ezylryb from the Devil’s Triangle. But there had been so many after that.
    He looked over at the newest-model battle claws that Quentin the quartermaster had just delivered—double-hinged retractables, or DHRs. Absolutely lethal. Would these improve his chances in battle? He tried them on. They were light, he would give them that. Maneuvering would be easy. But were they too light? The younger owls could adapt to these things. He was used to weight. He looked up on the wall of the hollow where the old battle claws hung that Ezylryb had given him. Now those were battle claws with heft! And they’d gotten him through…how many battles? Toomany! But there is another to come, Soren thought, then whispered, “Another to come.” He took off the new battle claws and reached for those of his old mentor. Real antiques, he thought. But they’re battle tested. They worked for Ezylryb and they’ll work for me, Glaux willing.

CHAPTER TEN
A Dreadful Mis-hatch!
    D umpy had guided Otulissa and Cleve to the back entrance of the cave in the Ice Narrows. They perched on the ice cliff high above the cave’s entrance, to say good-bye to the puffin.
    “You have been more help than you’ll ever know,” Otulissa told him. “You were brave and smart. Now on your way,” she said. “We’ll send one of the Jossian messengers if we need to get in touch with you.”
    Otulissa and Cleve found the niche that opened into the cave. She slipped into the crack first and peered around. It appeared to be vacant. She had expected as much. A full moon cycle had passed since Dumpy had seen the Striga and Nyra there. “Nothing.” She swiveled her head and whispered over her shoulder to Cleve, “But we should still look around. We might find clues of some sort.” So they squeezed through the crack into the larger space of the cave. It hadn’t been half a minutebefore Cleve exclaimed, “Yes, clues like this!” He held up a sapphire-blue