One: Danger
Naccora slowly dipped the battle claws into the water, turning the water red from the blood. The moon reflected off the surface of the clear, blue water. She closed her eyes and pictured the place her da and mum always told her about. She dreamt of going to the great Ga'Hoole tree. Naccora right now collected battle claws from dead owls from wars. One between the Pure Ones and the owls from Beyond the Beyond had just happened. It was a fierce battle. The Pure Ones had killed half the owls from Beyond, and there were nearly 350 owls on their side. Naccora collected more then 15 battle claws. She had 3 sacks of them, when she saw something golden. She picked it up. This was not just a piece of gold, it was Metal Beak's mask.
She had heard something scream in pain. Then maybe 50 owls attacked 1 single great grey owl. But the owls from Beyond fought back an did not win.
She dropped the mask in horror and stepped back. She heard a gasp and a great grey owl she thought was dead moved and opened their eyes. They stared at Naccora in dismay, then looked at the mask. They got up slowly and slowly, step by step, limped over to the mask. They picked up the mask and opened their beak to say something. But they froze and looked at the mask longer. They squinted and said, "I ripped this off 'em... He screamed like a little girl." He laughed and sat down. The mask was cracked, starting from the middle to the right side of it. The owl tapped the crack and look up at Naccora, "I'm Corr by the way. I ain't hurt. I just got hit with those fire claws they call 'em. Great Glaux! That hurt more than a Keilian snake's fangs!" Corr rubbed his right wing. He extended it with a few gasps and flinches. His whole right wing was bloody and scratched. Corr's eyes went wide with amazement.
"It hurts less than it looks." He stepped closer to Naccora, "What's that?" Her looked over at Naccora's sacks.
"A few battle claws. Maybe... I don't know, about 18." Naccora shrugged and opened a bag. Corr picked up a battle claw and chuckled.
"You think you can fight with these?" He dropped them and stared at Naccora.
"No. I don't fight. Example." She pointed to Corr's right wing. Corr winced and walked away limping. Naccora flew away. A terrible screech ripped through the night. It almost made Naccora go yeep.
Yeep was when the owl's wings froze and they couldn't move. They were completely blank and scared.
She stumbled in the air and landed in a tree. Corr was on the ground in a terrible feathery mess. He got up and started flapping his wings. He was holding in a screech. He soon gave up and began to walk toward the tree Naccora was in. He looked up at her. He walked over to the tree trunk and began to climb. He was grumbling. He got to the branch Naccora was on and sat down. Naccora giggled and spread her wings and looked like she was ready for take off. Corr stared at her.
"What are you doing?" Corr cocked his head. Corr's wing began to hang by his side like it was yeep.
"Going." Naccora giggled and started flapping.
"Why? I just got up here. It wasn't that easy you know." He growled and stared at Naccora. Naccora stood blank she folded her wings and tilted her head and listened.
"What is it?" Corr whispered trying to be as quiet as he could.
"I hear something. It's like a... a..." Naccora leaned forward trying to get a better position to hear, "It's a rough voice. Its not an owl." Naccora tilted her head even more. Naccora was a barn owl so she could here very well if she tilted her head in an odd position. She could hear the heart-beat of a mouse from 60 feet away.
But this was not a mouse. It was not 60 feet away. This was a wolf. It was very close. It was just on the other side of the field.
"It sounds like a wolf. One from far out in Beyond. I don't know why it would be here though." Corr seemed to puff up. He spread his wings and flew away. Naccora was amazed because she thought his wing was too hurt to fly. She rose out of the pine tree and flew after Corr. They flew over the clear blue river running through the field and soon saw a wolf. Its fur was knotted and dirty. Naccora and Corr landed in a tree. Corr puffed up big and was about to attack, but Naccora stopped him.
"Are you yoicks?" She put her talons in front of him, "Don't mess with wolves dude." Naccora was about to fly away when a grey streak zoomed past her and the wolf below yelped and was bloody. It all happened in 2 seconds flat. Corr was in the tree across from her, his talons bloody.
"What in eninac's name is going on?" The grey wolf below slowly got up.
"Corr! I said don't mess with wolves!" Naccora flew over to Corr, "I'm going to smack you silly!" Naccora's talons rose and was about to hit Corr when the wolf barked at Naccora. She stopped and looked at the wolf.
"Okay... Why in Eninac did you attack me?" The wolf was pure white. Now the white was stained red on the side. This wolf was talking in a soft voice now.
"'Cause I felt like it. I don't like wolves." Corr was about to lift off the branch but Naccora stopped him.
"Are you a nice wolf? And what is Eninac?" The wolf nodded yes and started to giggle.
"Eninac is canine backwards. He's kinda like a god, but you wouldn't know..." The wolf shrugged.
"Oh we know all right! We got Glaux. You got Eninac." Corr said Eninac in a weird baby voice. The wolf growled and hopped up the tree. Corr flew up in the air, "Bring it on puppy dog!" Corr swooped down on the wolf. Naccora pushed Corr off, "I'm Naccora. This is my violent friend I just met, Corr." The wolf sneered at Corr which was now on a branch above them.
"I'm Bloom." The wolf said in a soft voice. The voice she used was soothing.
Cant trust it. Corr thought. Bloom got down out of the tree and Naccora followed. Naccora cocked her head. Corr flew down beside the little barn owl.
"What is it?" Corr whispered and stepped closer to her. The sound was a crackling sound. There was a fire near. It sounded like a war. A great screech ripped through the night.
"A war." Was all Naccora could say. Corr flew up. He spiraled upward and tried his best to hover. Then he started going in circles but kept his fix on something in the distance. Then he flew down.
"I saw something. Its no forest fire though." Bloom and Naccora looked at Corr. Bloom ran into the field and jumped up to get a better view of it. Corr flew high up above Bloom.
"I learned from the best!" She howled and jump up to Corr's height. Corr almost went yeep. Naccora could see it. Corr land beside Bloom.
"Who'd ya learn from pup?" Bloom growled at him.
"Foalan. He is my father. He was raised by a grizzly." She said proudly.
"By a grizzly! Where are you from?!" Corr was instantly fascinated in this wolf, "Tell me what ya know pup!" He hopped over to her.
"Foalan's mother was hiding from the pack because if you had a deformed pup you were kicked out of the pack and your pup was killed," Naccora gasped, "I know, sad. Anyways, she had her pups but the pack obea found her and took her pup. The pup had a twisted paw. She put him on the edge of a frozen river. Meanwhile, a grizzly mother had lost both her cubs. One taken from cougars the other died..." Bloom told the story of her father to the two young owls. There was adventure, love, heart-breaking, and happiness. The story was great.
"They excepted my father in as a knaw wolf and he always knawed a wonderful story. Then he met Solla. She loved my father. So they became mates and had me and my brothers. But one had a blue-grey eye and a black eye. Even then you have to kill them. So-" A loud screech cut Bloom off. Then sky suddenly filled with owls. All were in the tyto alba family.
"The Pure Ones!" Naccora screeched. Metal Beak took a sharp turn and was staring right at them. He spiraled toward them. But something started screaming. It was a great grey owl. He started chanting,
You call yourself pure,
Your nothing to me but a blur!
Your nothing but seagull splat!
You should eat nothing but knat!
You have a shiny hat!
I think you should be eaten by a big cat!
Your not scary! You sure are mean!
But none of your army is keen!
We are the ones who got the wits!
You don't have anything but spits!
Then the chanting owl shot through the air. It was a grey blur and there was an explosion of feathers. But they did not get Metal Beak. They got another owl next to Metal Beak. Metal beak swerved and headed right for Naccora. Naccora went yeep. Her wings hung useless by her sides. Then a barn owl that look some what like Metal Beak came and pushed Metal Beak right into the ground.
"Its over Kludd!" Said the barn owl that saved Naccora. He was grabbing Metal Beaks throat and pushing hard. Then Metal Beak Hit him and snapped one of his
tail-feathers off.
"Oh great Glaux not again!" Yelled a little burrowing owl. A little elf owl followed him.
"You ok Soren?" The great grey asked.
"Yeah Twilight. Gylfie can you help the barn owl over there?" The elf owl stepped up to the barn owl, Soren.
"Yes Soren." She flew over to Naccora.
"Ah!" 'Gylfie' screamed and flew as fast as she could away. She saw the wolf standing right behind her, and got scared and of her tail-feathers.
Naccora shook her head and stared at the barn owl."Who are you owls?" She asked politely.
"I'm Soren, this is Twilight, Digger, and Gylfie." He pointed to the other owls.
Then a spotted owl flew up.
"Ezylryb said there are more now! They keep coming in!" The spotted owl flew up to Soren.
"Are the Strix Struma Strikers there?" Soren asked worried. Metal Beak had flown off.
"Yes but they need help! And we are the Chaw of Chaws! Come on!" She flew off and a northern saw-whet and a short eared owl appeared. Then another barn owl started coming. She landed beside Soren, "Soren! Ezylryb needs you right now! It's, like 100 against 50 right now! We need the chaw of chaws!"
"Calm down Eglantine! We'll be there soon! Tell him that!" The barn owl flew off and Soren called to Gylfie and the rest. They all flew off. Something shimmered in the sky. It was blinding. Metal Beak spiraled out of the sky and extended his fire clawed talons toward Naccora.