Lost Tales of Ga'Hoole

branching, I discovered, by accident, an old back entrance to the armory. I had stumbled on a branch, and almost smacked right into the trunk of the tree. I didn’t hit solid trunk as I thought I would, but instead I fell through a patch of lichen into a small hollow. At least I thought it was a small hollow…”
    We kept walking and as Clay spoke, the passage sloped downward. It was getting so narrow that we had to duck our heads to get through.
    Clay continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “I became curious and started to venture into my newfound hollow. I walked and walked, but it seemed never ending. Finally, I squeezed through a tiny hole, and I was in the back of the armory. I had found a hidden back entrance! Or perhaps it was just forgotten because it was so narrow.”
    Clay stopped. He turned to me and his voice grew serious. “The winds are fierce. I have a feeling that Jak has not been able to get away with the Mountain Claws yet. I think he’s still here.”
    “You think Jak knew about this back entrance, then?” I asked.
    “Jak spends more time in the armory than any owl, even more than Master Benard. He has nothing to do but polish one pair of battle claws. Don’t you think he would have wandered back here one day and discovered the entrance?”
    “You have a point there,” I answered. “But why wouldn’t he have already taken off with the battle claws?”
    “Think, WPB! We were in the armory at tween time, and they were still on the display hooks, I’m sure of it. Since then, the only opportunity he had to replace the Mountain Claws with the dummy claws was while we were out doing drills. The winds were already so fierce that it was tossing us about like owlets. There is no way an owl who is unaccustomed to flying with battle claws could have flown far in this weather. And what better hiding place than this passage, where he could snatch them from the back entrance and leave without anyone noticing?”
    Clay made perfect sense. But I wouldn’t be convinced that the Mountain Claws would be found there until I saw them with my own eyes. Sure enough, I did.
    “Jak! Halt!” Clay called out as we got to the end of the narrow passage. I was stuck directly behind my brother and could barely see into the entryway. I craned my head around Clay’s just in time to see Jak standing at the edge of hollow. He turned toward us, the Mountain Claws strapped to his talons.
    “Master Claymore! Master Cleve!” Jak called out in a panic. “Please…please don’t come any closer!”
    That owl was a wreck. I saw now that the blizzard was upon us with all its power. The winds howled just outside the hollow, and the snow made it impossible to see beyond more than your wingspan. Jak must have tried to fly away, but was blown back. His feathers were bedraggled, and he looked like he was scared for his life.
    “Give us back the battle claws, Jak. We don’t want to hurt you,” Clay said calmly.
    I, on the other wing, could not contain my anger. “How dare you, you worthless thief! Do you realize whom you’re stealing from?”
    “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry, Master Cleve. But…but I have no choice,” Jak said.
    “What do you mean, Jak?” When Jak didn’t answer, Clay continued, “Of course you have a choice, you can choose not to take that which is not yours.”
    I wanted to lunge at that simpleton, but Clay barred my way.
    “Master Claymore, I have no choice. Those other owls, they said they would hurt my sister if I didn’t bring them these battle claws.”
    “What other owls?” Clay asked, more patiently than I had the gizzard for.
    “The owls from the Hollow of Kyran,” Jak answered. “They said these claws belonged with them other ones.”
    “The Hollow of Kyran? Our cousins?” I asked, baffled.
    Clay was surprised as well, but he understood. “You mean our cousins on the other side of Firthmore? The ones who own Unguis Oceania?”
    “Yes, sir,” Jak replied, “them other ones.” He lifted a foot to indicate that he was talking about the other pair of ancient battle claws from the Clan of Krakor. Jak went on, “They said that these battle claws belong to them. That the two pairs should never have been separated. And that I had to bring these back to their rightful owners.”
    “This is absurd!” I said. “We are the rightful owners of the Mountain Claws! They have been in the Hollow of Snarth for generations! This is thievery, plain and simple. Now give them