The Capture

own."

    Soren studied the big owl. He seemed young despite his size. He didn't want to be rude but he was genuinely curious about this owl. "Are you from these parts?" Soren asked. "Here, there, everywhere,"
    the owl replied. "You name it, I've been there." He had a rough manner of speaking that was slightly intimidating.

    Gylfie hopped out toward the end of the branch. "I want to thank you for your kindness in advising me on my predicament." Soren blinked. He had never heard Gylfie speak this way. She sounded so much older than she was, and extremely courteous. "We don't mean to be rude but we have never seen an owl of your size. May we be so bold as to inquire as to your species?"

    Species! Soren thought. Where in the name of Glaux did Gylfie come up with these words?

    "Species? What the Glaux is that? Very fancy word for a Great Gray Owl like myself"

    "Oh, so you are a Great Gray. I've heard of them, though there were none in Kuneer," Gylfie said.

    'Ah, Kuneer! Been there. No, not a good place for Great Grays. As a matter of fact, I can't really tell you where I'm from. See, I was orphaned at a very young age. Plucked up by a St. Aggie's patrol but managed to drop right into an abandoned nest."

    "You escaped from a St. Aggie's patrol?"

    "You bet. There was no way those idiots were going to take me. Not alive. I bided my time, then bit my snatcher's second talon clean off He dropped me like a hot coal. They never messed with me again.
    Word went out, I s'pose." He swaggered a bit, then strutted toward the end of the branch.

    Now even Gylfie was speechless. Finally, Soren spoke. "We were snatched as well and only now escaped. I, myself, am from the Kingdom of Tyto, and both Gylfie and I want to find our families again.
    But we have no idea where we are right now. I mean, that is why I asked who you were. I've never seen your kind in Tyto, but here we are, perched in a Ga'Hoole tree, which are Tyto trees."

    "Not necessarily. Ga'Hoole trees follow the River Hoole and the River Hoole runs through many kingdoms."

    "Not Kuneer," Gylfie said.

    "No, there's not a drop of water in Kuneer, let alone a river."

    "Oh, there's water if you know where to look," Gylfie said.

    "Hmm." The owl blinked.

    Soren could tell right away that this owl was not pleased when someone knew something that he might not.

    "So are we in Tyto or not?" Soren asked.

    "You're on a border here between Tyto and the Kingdom of Ambala."

    'Ambala!" Soren and Gylfie both gasped. Hortense!

    "To my way of thinking, it's a second-rate kingdom."

    "Second rate!" Soren and Gylfie both said at once.

    "Not if you knew Hortense." Soren said.

    "Who in the name of Glaux is Hortense?"

    "Was," said Gylfie softly.

    "A very fine owl," Soren spoke in a tight voice. "A very fine owl indeed."

    The huge owl blinked in wonder at these young owls. They seemed to know nothing. And yet... He let the thought trail off Certainly their survival skills must be pretty good if they got out of St. Aggie's. Still, there was no education like the one he had received. The education of an orphan. The orphan school of tough learning. He had to learn it all himself How to fly, where to hunt, what creatures to stalk and which to avoid at all costs. No, nothing could compare to figuring out on one's own the hard rules and schemes of a forest world -- a world with uncountable riches and endless perils. It took a tough owl to figure it all out. And that was exactly how Twilight thought of himself. Tough.

    Gylfie seemed to have recovered. "Well, permit us to introduce ourselves. I am Gylfie, Elf Owl, more formally know as Micrathene whitneyi, common to desert regions, migratory, cavity nester."

    "I know, I know. Spent some time in a hollowed-out cactus with some of you fellows. Hunting skills ...
    uh, how should I put it? Well, if all you eat is snake, let's just say desert smarts are different from forest smarts."

    "We eat more than snake. My goodness. We eat voles and mice, but not rats -- they're a bit large for us."

    "Well, never mind." The big owl turned and blinked at Soren. "So what's your story, kid?" Soren had the feeling he should be briefer than Gylfie and not go into so much detail.

    "Soren of Tyto, Barn Owl." Soren sensed that going into the rareness of their breed, Tyto alba, would not interest this owl. As a matter of fact, not much impressed this owl. "Lived in an old fir tree with my parents until..." His voice dwindled off.

    "Until that horrible day."