Prologue
There was a moon in the sky, a sliver like a silver feather hung in the sky among the pale wisps of clouds. It was looked so faint, so weak, so light as if the cold winds would have blown it away from the sky. The forest was unusually dark, only thin silver light shone in through the leaves as a beautiful barn owl with a perfect heart-shaped face flew low over the treetops and landed beside a small pool. The wind stirred, and ripples appeared on its serene surface. The barn owl hopped forward, hesitating every step until she reached a small, silvery rock with an unusual white, spotted spiral pattern. Leaning forward, she peered cautiously into the small pool of water, her amber brown eyes widened and she focused.
"Greetings, Coryna," the beautiful barn owl jumped at her name and turned around to face her visitor. A broad-shouldered Snowy flew in a tight spiral from he sky and alighted on a branch of a nearby bramble. "It's my pleasure to see you, Snowyane," Coryna turned around to look directly into the clear, blue eyes of the Guardian of all Snowy owls. "What brought you here to the pool?"
The thickly-feathered Guardian fluffed up his down feathers to generate more heat and dipped his icy-white head into his breast feathers in a thoughtful manner, then raised his head again to say, "I sense times of danger ahead, Coryna, and tonight," he looked up at the unusually thin moon, "is the night arranged for us to see the hints of this danger." Then he lifted his wings and puffed up his chest and shrieked in the curved call of a Snowy, "come, my friends! We come here tonight to listen and see the future so that we can guide our descendents!" As if on cue, owls flew on silent wings from behind trees, quiet, as Snowyane's ancient voice rang around the clearing, twining its high-pitched melody with the song of the forest itself. When the owls-mostly Snowys-had settled down in a comfortable spot, Snowyane looked back at Coryna, his head turned 180 degrees, beak tucked in the feathers of his right wing, "let's begin."
The sorrel brown owl turned once more to concentrate on the surface of the water. The atmosphere was tense, as if every owl held their breaths, waiting for the truth...
Coryna slipped into a dream-like vision unlike anything she had seen before. There were high-pitched shrieks and sharp, metallic clangs sounding in the air. As she looked around, she saw many fallen owls lying on the ground, weapons protruding from their bodies. The sky was bloody red, and Coryna felt her body go limp, her wings lock, and she was falling from the sky, falling... faling...
"I've got you, Flamingwings!" Coryna heard the melodious voice of a young Snowy and talons hooked tightly on her shoulders. "Thank you..." Coryna breathed, and felt everything fade into nothingness. The pinch of the talons was gone, the heat and blood was gone, the redness was gone...
Coryna woke up, beads of perspiration dripped down her face feathers. Two blue eyes were looking down at her, flooded with concern. She felt weak, and the only sound she could produce was a faint, hoarse croak. "Coryna! Coryna!" Coryna felt two strong wings carry her up and support her as she stood up wobbly. "Are you alright?" her brother Coryn asked her. Coryna nodded and saw the worried face of Snowyane looking at her. Coryna sighed, and he shook his head. "I've seen it, I have," Coryna's shoulders slumped when she was Snowyane hop down the rock, depressed.
The light og the silvery feather-slim moon suddenly grew brighter, and the owls looked up and stared as the shadow of Glaux was etched onto its silver-grey surface. A silent prophecy was cast. There is terrible danger ahead, but among the anger, blood and flame, peace will arrive on crystal wings, and a cooling breeze accompanied by rain. She will need the guidance of one from the silver river with a spiral paw...
The spiral of the rock I stood on! Coryna thought as she flew with the others. The owls were gone, vanished in the midst of the trees. The reflection of the moon in the pool flickered, once, twice, a signal of goodbye. In the wind, there was a whisper, she shall come...