Torn Between Loyalties
This one is set after An Unbreakable Bond in the Story Continues Series. We have seen Aftermath, The Trap, An Unbreakable Bond and now we are up to this story.
Chapter 1: Very Different Circumstances
Six months ago, Kludd wrote a letter, but he didn't have the courage to send it. He was thinking of destroying it so no one, not even the one who it is meant for can read it. He finally got enough courage to get it to a messenger and then it was sent. It was early in the morning next evening that Kludd left to go to Tyto Forest, the southern areas, where their former home was, before they went to Ga'Hoole and Kludd… he went to St. Aegolius.
Kludd is standing in the remains in what was their hollow. It's pretty much completely bare and what was left behind was Soren's leaf helm. Kludd picks it up and the many memories of that role-play his brother, Soren would do resurface. It is still his favourite story, Battle of the Ice Claws, even if the unabridged tale sounds horrible and makes the war sound like hell. He then hears fluttering of feathers as he continues to hold the helm and he exerts a deep, saddening sigh.
"I remember when you and Eg played that game over a million times. That memory haunts me like hagsmire." Kludd sighs as his younger brother, Soren, sheepishly enters.
"Kludd… is that really you?" Soren asks, hesitantly as he enters, taking cautious steps.
"Besides the helmet and the burns… yeah, it is." Kludd sadly says, remaining distant from Soren
"I came… I read your scroll…" Soren says nervously as he feels like he is walking on glass; one blunder and he could shatter
"I didn't bring anyone with me. Nyra and the others were asleep when I left." Kludd replies to his brother's short and nervous sentence
"I left shortly after some I know and I read the scroll… She told me some advice." Soren informs his brother as he then pauses
"Was it the same owl I tried to kill? I would tell her sorry, but she is with whatever his name is." Kludd asks as he turns his head slightly to face Soren
"Princess Autumn of Ambala? She's going to be married to Ezylryb in April next year. Yeah, yeah. She told me to come and see you. She says that…" Soren says before he gulps "That you are my brother… no matter what. She is a wise woman, I guess."
"Yeah… I agree." Kludd sadly smiles "She must be wise to say something like that when her brother hated her. Well, he's dead now, so… yeah."
"How are things since… you know…?" Soren says, in hope his brother will talk to him
"A bit off I guess… What with all the constant daymares happening every bloody night, I call it karma kicking my hide. And… The preparations for my birthday are happening so…" Kludd replies "How about you?"
"Same here." Soren sadly replies "but, I have been sorta a bit distracted lately."
"You know, I am sorry… I just… Things have been off for me as of late. If you have come here to kill me and not forgive me for all that I have done and said, you can. I just wanted to see my brother and to set things right with at least you, or to try to." Kludd says, with some anxiety and sadness as to what his brother will do with the blade he holds in his claw
"I did sorta blurt out to da in an argument a few weeks after what happened back here with everything to do with what almost happened to Autumn or whatever that you are the High Tyto and ma started crying. I sorta blew it. I'm an idiot and I know it. Eg knows the truth too, but doesn't know the half of it. She knows you are just bad. I accept your apology, big brother. Like Autumn said to me "never lose faith in anyone"." Soren says
Kludd smiles to his brother and Soren smiles back. Kludd scuffles the feathers atop of his little brother's head. In this time they spend together, Kludd explains his daymares that he has been having every odd night, which scare the hagsmire out of him. It has been happening more than a few times a month for these six months in which have passed.
After this time together, they go their separate ways. Kludd is flying back to St. Aegolius and it is only nightfall now…
In St. Aegolius, Nyra is asleep before she slightly tosses and turns before awaking a little annoyed. It takes her a few moments to wake up before realising Kludd is gone. She starts to get worried. The attendants in the room are asleep themselves as Nyra gets up and checks around for Kludd. No sign of him in this room. She then places on a grey cape with white fluff around the hood and on the hem as she steps outside into the hallway quietly, without disturbing the guards. She immediately notices the change of temperature, as it is still winter and it is frightfully cold, even for an owl which is insulated by their feathers and down. Of course, there was a small fire in the fireplace in the room going, so maybe that is why.
Nyra walks down the long and winding corridor of the palace as she is looking for Kludd. She then enters the throne room and there still is no sign of him. She then walks around for a bit before heading out another set of doors and to the office in which he works. No sign of him either…
She immediately gets worried. Funny, she usually never gets worried, but she has changed a lot since Metalbeak died, she's a little more kind, a little fragile too, and she realised what love is… as she had forgotten what is was a fair while ago. She gets more worried by the moments, and as she heads up the corridor, she just has to let them all know…
"Kludd is missing! Kludd is missing!" Nyra shrieks with panic as she runs up the hallway, her cape trailing behind her and the clicks of her talons hitting the stone floor audible "Your King is missing!"
The guards at the entrance to the bedchamber wake up in surprise, the attendants in the room too. And in another room, Elanore awakes and then pokes her head from behind the door to see their queen running up and down the hallway panicking. She then exits the room wearing a burgundy red cape with white fluff around the hood and hem.
"Nyra, what the hagsmire is going on!" Elanore interrupts as she enters the corridor as she then stops Nyra "Calm down and tell me what is going on."
Nyra takes a deep breath as she looks to her 14 year old general "Kludd's missing, Elanore. He's missing and I am so worried and… What if he's been kidnapped? Oh my Glaux…"
Elanore turns her head to the guards as she commands "Get the soldiers to check the grounds, immediately."
Within moments, the whole base is in chaos as everyone is looking for their leader. Nyra remains still stressed out and worried as she too looks around. She and Elanore enter into the courtyard amongst all the chaos, and some even remember to bow as she passes with General Elanore by her side. Then suddenly, the gates make a loud bang noise before opening. Everything pauses as the gates open and an owl is at the gates… Kludd.
As Kludd enters, some of the soldiers bow, and Nyra runs up and hugs him tightly. He is a little confused of what is going on, as Nyra looks all worked up and the whole base was in chaos. He hugs back while Nyra is worriedly saying muffles words as she has her head slightly burrowed into him.
"What the hagsmire is going on here?" Kludd asks as he taps Nyra and she looks up while having tears in her eyes
"I was so worried… I woke up and you were gone and I checked around and I got worried and… then I thought that someone kidnapped you or… or… you were arrested by the UKO or… or… even assassinated." Nyra stutters while still a little shaken up
Behind him, Elanore, the fourteen year old who is like Nyra's daughter gives him a look and he gets what it means as he wraps his wings around her as an embrace.
"It's alright, Nyra. I'm fine. I just needed to clear my head since I couldn't really sleep last morning." Kludd consoles as he then looks to Elanore and the attendants "Make some tea, she really needs to calm down."
As Soren arrives home from his rendezvous with his brother, Kludd, in Tyto Forest, it is night, almost 1am in Ga'Hoole. Soren arrives into the hustle and bustle of City Centre. Students of the GTA changing classes, members of chaws going from place to place, mothers with owlets wandering around and excreta. Soren decides to see what is going on back at home, especially if Autumn has been covering for him, like she said she would when she left.
In the Canner family hollow, Soren's mother, Marella, is knitting a scarf while Eglantine is playing with her toys. Soren then arrives home as his mother calls Eglantine over so she can see if it fits.
"Where have you been, Soren?" Marella, his mother, asks, since she hasn't really seen him all night "Princess Autumn said you were doing chaw duties, but I want an answer from you."
"I had a few things to do." Soren shrugs
"I miss you when you're gone for ages." Eglantine says
Soren places a leaf helm on his little sister's head "Someday you'll be a Guardian too, Eg. Besides, you're going to learn to fly when you get bigger."
"Oh and Soren, Otulissa came by and she asks if you'll be taking her to this "Spring Fling" whatever that is." His mother then mentions
"It's an event that they hold for Middle Year Two students for when they're going to graduate into Senior Year next year. It's held when spring comes around." Soren clarifies before picking up one of Eglantine's dolls and handing it to her
"If you're going to another GTA party, you will be grounded." Noctus, his father, sternly says
"Da, I'm going to come straight home after the formal and after taking Otulissa home. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near those GTA after parties." Soren replies
"Noctus, don't be so hard on him. He is sixteen years old and he is not Kludd." His mother snaps in defence, as she does know that Soren doesn't attend parties with the immature GTA students
"Marella, he's a teenage boy and as far as I know, he's probably going to turn out like his idiot brother who just decided to become a Pure One." His father replies
"He became a Pure One because of you and how you always ignored him! And I would NEVER be a Pure One… Never!" Soren snaps with anger "And I went to that party to apologise to my girlfriend!"
"Stop it right now." Marella then yells to stop the almost fight "I am getting fed up with this. Sure, we may have a problem when it comes to Kludd and what has happened, but opening wounds and comparing our sons to each other isn't what I call a family conversation."
Soren and Noctus stare at Marella shocked, as she usually never is like this, but she has to be the one to mediate these fights since they started six months ago. Ever since they found out the truth, things have been very stressful within the Canner household. They're always in some sort of argument, especially between Noctus and Soren, who often disagree when it comes to the matter of why Kludd became a Pure One and also behaviour and excreta.
"Alright, if I hear this one more time, I am seriously thinking of making you both take an oath of silence around each other." Marella says before she calms down "Please, why can't you both just agree on something."
"Things have changed, especially hiding the secret of the identity of our son being the new Metalbeak." Noctus replies before a tug on his arm turns his attention to Eglantine
"Can you help me with my homework?" Eglantine asks her dad as she holds up her workbook
"Don't think this discussion is over." Noctus says as he turns to Eglantine and takes her little winglet "Alright, what are you stuck on?"
Soren then looks to his mother as his father is helping his younger sister with her homework. Yes, Eglantine attends the primary school here in Ga'Hoole. She is in kindergarten and since being a part of the school, she has made friends with owlets in the tree and is quite a natural when it comes to her reading, writing and sums.
"Sometimes I think you better understand this ordeal, ma." Soren utters
"Trying my best to understand that the Kludd we knew is gone now…" his mother sighs as she gives a worried look to her youngest of their two sons "It takes a while to understand that some things are… well… never going to be the same. Your father will come around, Soren. Give it time…"
"It's been six months, ma. He's just never going to let this go…" Soren says as he looks at a portrait his mother hung on the wall of the family months before Soren and Kludd were branching and fell out of the tree that night "Someday I hope Kludd will come back… If he did apologise to me… Maybe I can try and get him back to the good side of things…"
Back in St. Aegolius, things have settled down after the ordeal that played out earlier in the night. Nyra herself is still a fair bit stirred up over how she thought Kludd was kidnapped, killed or both. Kludd had ordered the attendants to make Nyra some tea. After that, Elanore has been asked to take over duties for a little while, meaning she is in charge for a little bit. Of course, she is also busy with other pressing matters to attend to, party planning.
An attendant of Nyra's pours tea for the High Tyto and the Queen as they take this time to calm down, well, Nyra really has to calm down.
"I don't want to lose you, Kludd…" Nyra says before sipping tea
"I do love your loving side, but… You worry too much." Kludd says as he takes one of her wings and she places down the teacup "Besides, how are preparations going for my birthday celebrations going?"
"It's going well." Nyra replies
Kludd is now turning 18 in a night from now and he is wanting to make it a grand celebration. Of course, he has been having to learn how celebrations in their version of a high society, The Pure One Inner Circle, go and how they behave. And, he has been fitted to wear a cape that does show off his authority and kingliness. He was a little hesitant when it came to dress code, as he always viewed that wearing capes is uncool, but as he has learned and seen, he looks quite good with a cape to go with his helm. Of course, he does want to impress Nyra by acting not like a child anymore, but as a full grown owl and… he has been planning something special for the night, especially as he has been learning ballroom dancing.
"So, what outfit will the illustrious and graceful Nyra of the Pure Ones wear tomorrow night to my party, hmm?" Kludd asks before he too has some tea
"I'm going to surprise you…" the widow queen and girlfriend cheekily replies before a slight laugh "I've gotten a little piece together anyway and it's a surprise."
"Well…" the helmed barn owl says as he gets a little closer to the still widow queen "I think that you look good in whites, blues, not azure, you hate that colour, reds and greys… lace too."
Kludd then kisses Nyra, she is caught a little off guard before kissing back, and her cheeks turn a light shade of red underneath ochre applied to her face lightly masking it from almost being as red as the marking on her brow. They part a moment later and Kludd notices her reddened cheeks, though it really is masked.
"Are you blushing?" Kludd asks as he holds her wing
"You're a good kisser." Nyra utters before a slight giggle
As they continue their kiss, Elanore enters the room and is slightly disturbed of what she sees and is unimpressed of how sappy this moment this is. With a roll of her eyes, she decides to intervene as she has important matters to deal with, more important than watching her surrogate mother and her boyfriend locking beaks.
"I did want to report, but, oh no, I come in and find you two pashing." Elanore grumbles
They then break as they notice the fourteen year old standing there, with a clipboard under her starboard wing, tapping her claw impatiently. Nyra signals with her head that he should get this. Like he understood, he protests with a look before Nyra gives a "really" look. He then sighs as he turns to face the general.
"What is it, Elanore?" Kludd asks with a disgruntled sigh "I really can't have five minutes peace now can i."
"I have a list of problems to address." Elanore says as Kludd groans in disapproval and she gets out her clipboard "Let's see… The replacement window to the one those recruits broke has still not been installed after I have told them countless times to do so. The ballroom hasn't been swept yet after I have ordered the maid to do so as there are remaining streamers everywhere. And then there's…"
"Enough!" Kludd interrupts suddenly as Elanore rummages through her list "Enough. Elanore, please just deal with it. I'll tell off the tradies for not putting in that window. Just, please have things under control and stop complaining to me about it. Dismissed."
Elanore then leaves with a disgruntled look on her face. Kludd then turns to face Nyra again.
"Would you want more tea?" He asks the white barn owl and she nods in reply
