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

reflection, with the scar that cut diagonally across his face. The mirror image of his mother’s face gazed back at him. He tried to imagine his face without the scar, but the scar no longer bothered him. “If I could choose to be any other creature I would choose to be a wolf, Hamish.”
    “You would give up wings?”
    Coryn shrugged. “I know. It doesn’t make sense. I would be earthbound. I can’t explain it. But yes, I would choose to be a wolf and give up wings.”
    And right now, the future of the owl kingdom depends, in fact, on two wolves, Hamish and Namara, Coryn thought. And Glaux willing, she is nearly to the Ice Talons.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The Lure of the Ember
    I n a glistening nest sparkling with frost and woven of ice shards, eight dark eggs shimmered.
    “Beautiful, aren’t they?” Nyra said with soft wonder. This particular fissure in the Ice Cliff Palace widened into a vast cave. Two dozen dragon owls from the Panqua Palace were sitting on more than a dozen similar nests. There were a few Pure Ones who had joined the broody forces. Everyone took turns nest-sitting. No one was excused, as Nyra had just explained to Tarn. It was now more important than ever, since four of the reinforcement broody owls had met an untimely death on their flight to the Ice Cliffs. But at least by that time all the eggs had been transported from the Gray Rocks. That they had not lost one egg during the skirmish with the kraals and gadfeathers was a miracle.
    Occasionally now, one of the eggs would jiggle or rock back and forth just a bit.
    “They’ll get even darker,” the Striga added. “By the time of the eclipse they will be completely black. The blackest black.”
    “How do you know?” Tarn asked.
    “They always destroyed the eggs immediately after they were laid, but one was found once that had been secretly brooded, sequestered away, oh, a half century or more ago in the Dragon Court. It was, of course, immediately destroyed, but I caught a glimpse of it.” A faraway look misted the Striga’s pale yellow eyes. “I think that in some way I knew even then that it was my mission to see that such destruction might never happen again. And then when I actually had that first glimpse of the book in the library I felt disturbed, but I didn’t know why. It was only when dear Nyra explained what she had seen in that book that it all came to me. Fit together so perfectly. And then she told me of her recovery in the Panqua Palace! Oh, and now we are so close. We are almost there! Four more nights of incubation and then a very short period after hatching, three nights at the most, and they shall be fit for battle.”
    “An honor, Striga,” said one of the broodies. Then another added, “Until now our lives had no meaning.”
    “This is our destiny,” another said as she moved back on the nest she had left temporarily so that Tarn could view the eggs.
    “But what news do you bring me?” Nyra asked, turning to the Burrowing Owl. She had hardly given him a moment to speak since he had arrived and then she had launched into the broody schedule and how all must serve.
    “Well, there is some good news,” Tarn said carefully.
    “And bad news as well?” Nyra’s eyes narrowed.
    “Not really bad news, Madame General. We may need to adjust our schedule.”
    “Now what do you mean by that?” Nyra asked.
    “We have received word from several sources, including Kylor, the slipgizzle who defected from serving the Guardians, that the ember is now headed for the Beyond.”
    “The Beyond, not near the coast?” Striga said excitedly.
    “They no longer seem headed toward the coast. It is as far from any water as one can imagine. You need not fear fighting any battles near salt water with the young hagsfiends,” Tarn said, looking at the Striga. Relief seemed to sweep through the ice cave.
    “That is good. The hatchling hagsfiends will mature quickly, but it’s best to avoid salt water.”
    “And what is the business about a different schedule?” Nyra asked.
    “Well, some say the ember will be there in a week.”
    “A week is fine. We’ll be ready,” Nyra replied.
    “But others say that the ember is there now,” Tarn replied.
    “Now?” Nyra screeched, and she and the Striga both wilfed in alarm.
    “Yes, but only temporarily. It will be taken to another secret location, most likely the Middle Kingdom.”
    “The Middle Kingdom?” the Striga exclaimed.
    “You mean that we must act now?” Nyra