Chapter 10: Showdown

While the sun steadily crawled its way toward the horizon, more and more owls in the Great Ga'Hoole Tree rose from their peaceful slumber. Many of them didn't get the required rest they needed, because of the fallacious crow that kept them up far too long the night before, making them believe a large battle was abound. Despite the lack of sleep, they still had to rouse themselves as early as possible, for after each celebration came a less pleasant yet mandatory activity: cleaning everything up.

Teams were created and each was assigned a specific chore. This was also the perfect moment for misbehaved owls in need of a flint mop to deliver. They had the least enjoyable of tasks, but accepted them nonetheless, for they had managed to put themselves in that position.

Soren was overseeing the cleaning in the Tree's roomiest chamber as it progressed. Many owls were still sluggish from their deprivation – himself included – so he promised everyone a bonus portion of nooties during tweener, as a way of thanking them for serving the Tree despite their fatigue.

"Bubo, have you created a team yet for the recovery of the ice weapons?"

As the other owls ran into the ice weapons while handling their assigned tasks, they carefully placed them in plain sight on the floor of the Great Hollow, allowing for easier recovery by the responsible team.

"I have, Soren. They're gathering them as we speak, and are being kept in the Great Hollow until all of them have been accounted for. Then they will be returned to the armory."

"Excellent. I hope they don't show any signs of melting, or else they may have to be discarded." "No worries, they're just as pristine as they've ever been. But I wouldn't keep them out for another day, or they won't be anymore."

"They'll be back in their place in no time, as long as you're in charge. By your leave, Bubo, I'll go check how Kerk is performing."

"Farewell, Soren. See you at tweener."

As Soren lofted from the hollow, he looked out over the sea. It was an unusually clear evening. He could swear he saw a pitch-black cloud looming in the distance, but shrugged it off as one of nature's many quirks, and continue his search for the Barn Owl with the special gift. Given his speed, it was all but certain he would be a tremendous addition to the Joss Corps, despite the lack of work they were receiving these days. Soren also believed the training under Jette's guidance would take his mind off of his departed father.

Soren found Jette in the middle of a small clearing, equally distant from the shore and the Tree. He was staring deep into the sky and shifting his head vigorously.

"Greetings, Jette. Everything in order?" Soren said, touching down.

"All is fine, Your Majesty," he said, without shifting his gaze. "Beg your forgiveness I don't face you, for I fear that if I take my sight off of Kerk for just a second, I'm going to lose him."

"First of all, Jette, you know I don't care for protocol," Soren reminded Jette for the umpteenth time. Then he faced the sky, following Jette's stare and trying to spot the Barn Owl for himself. "Second, how is Kerk doing?"

"Right now, he's flying with a botkin strapped to his back. And might I say, he's a natural. Give him a few more weeks, and he'll be integrated into the Joss Corps without effort."

"Well, you know he still has to complete his Guardian training first, as do all owls residing here."

"Of course, Your Ma- erm, Soren. I'm just saying."

"Naturally." As he watched Kerk ripping through the air, he turned to his left to peer in the distance after catching the black mass from before in the corner of his eye. It seemed to have increased in size. Hmm... Peculiar. I wonder if I should have that cloud investigated?

A hoot sounded from one of the guards at the edges of the island, catching Soren's attention.

A guest? At this hour? Oh well, guess that cloud will have to wait...

Excusing himself to Jette, Soren lifted into flight to find the guard that gave the hoot. Given his almost supernatural ability to pin-point the exact origin of specific sound waves, he quickly located the issuer of the signal. Apparently, the sentry in question was the closest to the dark bubble that seemed to be moving in their general direction.

"What's the matter, Guardian?" Soren asked the guard. "Is it about that cloud over there?"

"No, Your Highness, it's about that eagle there heading this way."

Adjusting his sight from the distant cloud to any targets closer by, he found the eagle the guard was referencing. And truthfully, it was heading straight for Soren. Anticipating a potential assault, Soren spread his wings, ready to take off just before the eagle would reach him, hopefully causing it to smack against the earth. Such defensive measures quickly proved unnecessary, for the closer the eagle came, the more Soren identified it as Arend.

Skidding to a halt near Soren, Arend keeled over, leaning on his wings to recover his breath. It was clear he exhausted himself, most likely due to flying all this way as fast as he could.

"Arend? What's the matter? Why are you in such distress?"

Arend just coughed, and signaled to give him another moment. He tried pointing at the black cloud in the distance, which just seemed to keep growing larger by the second.

"That cloud? What about it? It's starting to get a little unsettling, to say the least."

"And for good reason, Soren," Arend managed to say. "That's not a cloud, it's… it's..."

"It's what?"

Arend inhaled sharply. "Soren, Kraai was right. He got the time wrong somehow, but everything else he said was true. That's not a cloud, it's an army of crows bound for the island, coming to attack the Tree!"

Soren was utterly shocked when he heard those words. The guard next to him even more so, as he went yeep on the spot and fell backwards. Soren quickly recovered his wits.

"Arend, forgive me if I interpret your announcement as somewhat skeptical. We've heard that story before."

"I realize that, Soren, but it's true! Have Kerk check it out if you must, and he'll verify it. But quickly, every second wasted is one too many! The Tree needs to prepare!"

Kerk had returned to Jette, who was giving him new instructions. Soren headed over to the pair, Arend in his wake. When Kerk noticed the eagle, he joyfully wanted to greet him, but Soren stepped in.

"I'm sorry, Kerk, there's no time for pleasantries. I need you to do something, right now."

"Of course, Soren. Whatever I can help you with?"

"See that cloud over there? That black smudge in the sky?" Soren turned and pointed with his wing at the ever-expanding 'cloud.'

"Yeah, I could see it before while I was in the sky. What about it? I figured it was smoke from a forest fire."

"I need you to go over there and see what exactly what constitutes it. If Arend's suspicions are correct, we're in for a heap of trouble."

"It's not a suspicion, it's the truth, for Glaux's sake!" Arend blurted, annoyed by the fact that time was being wasted on this trivial matter.

"Whatever it is, Kerk, go check it out and... be careful. Now go!"

Without saying another thing, Kerk lifted off and zoomed off towards the cloud, which appeared to be halfway across the sea by now.

There's no more time to provide Kraai with a weapon unnoticed, Arend thought. Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way...

A few tedious moments passed before Kerk returned to the point of his departure. A look of dread clouded his face, and he appeared far thinner than before. Soren knew Kerk had wilfed during mid-flight, and by adding the look on the latter's face, he realized Arend – not to mention, Kraai – was telling the truth all along. The crows were attacking – right here, right now.

"Soren... that cloud... it's..." Kerk began, barely able to speak.

"Say no more. Jette, sound the alarm. The crows are here! Let's hope Bubo hasn't returned the ice weapons yet..."

Shard lazily awoke in his hollow, right next to the love of his life, Bryony, who was still fast asleep. On the other side of him was Bix, neatly coiled up. And last but not least, his pair of newly-born, yet-to-be-named children were sleeping at his feet. Today would be the day he and Bryony would think of names for them, and see which would fit them best.

Shard let out a big yawn. Unwillingly, this caused Bryony to stir from her slumber.

"Mmm... Good night, Shard."

"Good night, love. Sleep well?"

"Like an owlet. Speaking of which, how are ours doing?"

"They're still sleeping, so let's try not to wake them for now. Our lives are about to get a whole lot busier, so the longer they stay asleep, the better," he said with a wink.

Sadly, they awoke anyway as a series of alarms sounded across the whole Tree, causing them to cry from the sudden burst of sound. This woke up Bix in the process as well.

"Oh great, now what? Bix, would you mind keeping an eye on these two while we figure out what's going on?"

"Not at all, sir. Stay safe out there."

"Heh, no offense, but we're at the Great Tree. What could possibly go wrong?"

"More than you might think," Bryony said dryly. Shard turned to see she was looking out the hollow, spotting a much-darker sky than usual. "I think that's what they're sounding the alarm for."

"Wha... what is it?"

"I don't know, but we won't find out by just sitting here. Let's go!"

Lifting into flight, Shard and Bryony headed to the Great Hollow out of instinct. Along the way, they passed several owls holding an ice weapon, corresponding to their size.

"What's going on here? Is it because of that thing in the sky?"

"Shard, I don't know any more than you do right now. But whatever it is, it can't be good."

Acknowledging her argument, Shard continued to make his way to the Great Hollow. When he landed inside, he saw Twilight and Bubo handing out the weapons to passers-by.

"Captain, what's going on? What's with the weapons?"

"Ah, Shard, glad you could make it," Twilight said sarcastically, pointing out Shard's tardiness. "Grab a sword, and fly outside. Turns out that supposed crow attack was true, only they're coming at us right now!"

Without thinking further, Shard grabbed a sword and diligently flung it towards Bryony, who expertly caught it. After securing one for himself, he joined the other Guardians, who were gathering both on the land and in the branches of the Tree, anticipating the arrival of the crows.

Some owls were still visibly drained, and Soren worried greatly about them. He knew the lack of rest would play a big factor in the outcome of this battle, for better or for worse.

He glanced behind, and saw that the crows were almost upon them. Arend, who secured himself a scimitar, as well a short sword for Kraai to use, had informed Soren the crow he had cast out would be among them, with a plan to attempt the assassination of the leader of the murder and throw the hostile crows into disarray. That attempt was thwarted by Arend's earlier interference.

Soren felt like he needed to address the Guardians, to give their morale some sort of uplifting boost. He looked at his mate and offspring sitting next to him, and then to the throng of owls nestled around the exposed roots of the Great Tree. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his daughters trembling, their scimitars clacking against the dense wood frequently. This was the very first large scale battle they had been inducted into, and their gizzards were shaking just as profusely as their feathers. They feared for their lives, as well as their parents', and their dread granted them a feeling of cowardice they were hesitant to show.

"Pelli, while the Guardians gather, I think we should have a word with our own warriors." She met his gaze and traced it to the owls perched behind her, her face twisting with sadness.

Soren hopped across the roots and sat by Pelli's side, blocking most of the shore and Sea from their sight.

"Mum, Da, I'm so scared," whistled Blythe. "What if I… don't make it?"

"I don't want to go to Glaumora… not yet," added Bell. Bash remained silent, nodding her head in agreement.

Soren felt their anguish increase his own, yet the feeling was tempered by his massive stores of courage and skill. They were fresh out of Guardian training, and he knew that they were being forced into a deadly affair very prematurely. Nonetheless, to guard the Tree and its inhabitants with one's life was the most important creed of the Guardians, and there were few who were excluded from its binding decree.

"My daughters," Soren began, "it is alright to be afraid, but do not let it consume you, for that is when you will fall in battle." He inhaled and added, "Trust in your gizzards, and they will guide your weapons. Let your blows ring strong and true in defense of our home, and no enemy will ever defeat you."

He flashed his mate a solid glare, and she nodded once, heeding his silent order.

"Stay together and fight as one, and only flee to regroup. If any of your fellow Guardians need help, go to them, and beat back the enemy at all costs. Be smart, and do not attempt to overwork yourself or show off. Glaux has a destiny for all of us, and yes, many of your compatriots will not see another sunrise. But Glaux is not a ruthless being, and if you prove yourselves in battle, he will be compelled to spare your lives for another day."

The three sisters huddled together and mumbled, "We understand, Mum. We'll do our best…" "And that is all anyone could ever ask of you three, your mother and I included."

"Will you fight with us, Da?" queried Bash.

"What about you, Mum?" whispered Blythe. The monarchs scooted closer and laid tender wings across their children's backs.

Smiling down at them, Pelli said with conviction, "We will fight as a family, as Guardians, my dears."

"We will see this terrible night through, my beautiful daughters,' Soren added with pride.

Their tremors stilled, Soren kissed each of them on the tops of their skulls and turned back around. While Pelli mumbled a few last words to them, he cleared his throat in preparation for his short speech. As the oxygen flooded his system in the wake of a deep breath, the words quickly came to him.

"Guardians!" he cried sharply, attracting the attention of the mass of owls all around. "Listen, and listen well. The crow attack we've been informed about is here. The timing is most certainly off, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is that they're targeting this island, and we need to vanquish them. They outnumber us by far, but we have several advantages they don't. We have experience. We have weapons. We have strength. And most of all, we have the will and ability to see this fight through, and prevail!"

The owls hooted in agreement and willingness to do battle, their fire ignited by Soren's words.

"The enemy doesn't know we are aware of their approach, so use the foliage of our splendid Tree to hide yourself. They think they are going to surprise us, but once they get close enough, we will jump out and turn the tables on them. Wait for my signal for when the time comes. Fight valiantly, Guardians, and Glaux protect us all."

As the owls quickly scattered and hid among the millions of leaves the Tree harbored, Soren and his family flew up to Arend, who was trying his best to hide as well.

"Are you sure Kraai is going to be in that mob?" asked the king.

"Very. I told him to lay low in case I didn't get this weapon to him on time. So that's the first thing I'll do once I find him."

"Okay, be careful," Soren replied before flying back to his previous spot, his family in tow. Facing the sea and laying eyes once more on the approaching crows, who were now but a minute away from the shore, he deduced it wouldn't be long now. After a few excruciating moments, one crow flew up above the rest.

Is that Kraai? He was told to lay low! He just made himself a prime target. Blasted!

Everything seemed to go smoothly for Zwart as he was leading his army towards the Great Tree. Even though he wanted to attack it a day sooner, he had to alter those plans because they got leaked to the Guardians. He had already taken care of Molod, the one who brought him the news of the leak. If he hadn't babbled about the plans before Zwart made them official, the Guardians would have been history by now. That particular crow was most likely dead by now on faraway Cape Glaux. Zwart had sliced his belly open and left him hanging, impaled through the ribs, on a bare fir branch.

Instead, he had to postpone the attack to the same time the following day. If the Guardians were expecting the attack, they would be awake, fully conscious, and armed to the beak. In short, the crows surely would've been defeated. Now, though, thinking they've been had by a turnfeather that was untrustworthy from the start, this time the Guardians would surely be exhausted and ineffective in battle.

It would seem his plans were foiled again, as he spotted a bald eagle flying at a much faster pace, barely above sea level.

That eagle must be friends with the Guardians. Ah, frink it. Even if he does alert some of them, there's no way he could wake them all before we get there, let alone get them prepared. We will see this day through!

The closer he came to the Tree, the more he was sure of himself. Not a single owl was to be seen. Rissel, one of his many lieutenants flying by his side, was unnerved by this.

"Zwart, I don't like this. No matter how tired they might be, there should be some early birds around there somewhere."

"Perhaps, Rissel, but I sure don't see any. And that eagle we saw a few minutes earlier didn't seem to have done them any good. Frankly, I had hoped there would be some active ones. Better sport that way."

Just then, a few glints of reflected moonlight caught in Rissel's eye. His nervousness increased.

"I can see something glinting in the leaves, Zwart. I don't know what it is, but I've got a bad feeling about it!"

"Oh shut your beak, would you? That blasted Tree is full of metallic geegaws for measuring the weather and what not. Quit being such a coward and focus on the battle!"

We're going to attack the Guardians in their sleep, and I'm the coward? Takes one to know one, you lousy little... Rissel didn't finish his thoughts as Zwart moved up above the army and addressed them.

"This is it, everyone! The redemption of your family, your friends, is at talon. The home of the scoundrels known as the Guardians of Ga'Hoole is right in front of us, and we shall make them all pay. Honor your fallen by slaughtering as many as you can, and afterward, we shall set this abomination of nature aflame with their own tools. For all crowkind... ATTACK!"

The first line of crows started to charge towards the Tree, ready to lay waste on every breathing creature inside, but faltered immediately by what they saw the very next instant.

Using his pristine hearing skills, Soren was able to pick up every word the crow leader was saying to his troops. It wasn't Kraai after all, then. Where he would be exactly was impossible to tell for now, since there was hardly anything that separated one crow from the next.

"Who's that? What's going on, Soren?" Arend asked as he lighted down on the roots behind the king, shifting around nervously.

"The crow above them is the leader addressing his soldiers. I think it'll be but a moment before they charge..."

Hearing Zwart shout out the command to lay siege upon the owls, Soren waited for three excruciating seconds before giving the same command himself.

"Guardians, attack! For Ga'Hoole!"

Hundreds of owls, of all shapes and sizes, with their preferred weapon firmly in their talons, shot up from the Tree's maze of branches and into the air, ready and eager to defend their home from the invaders.

The first line of crows that had started their charge were not expecting this in the least, and were quickly dealt with as the Guardians collided with them. However, the crows they defeated were but a fraction of their total numbers, as the sky quickly turned into a sea of black.

The battle now in full swing, cries of attacking owls and crows alike could be heard from everywhere, along with the shrieks of wounds being inflicted upon their victims. Many crows fumbled from the sky, their corpses falling both in the sea and on the island. Crows that hadn't perished yet were finished off as they contacted the land or water – their skeletons shattering or their lungs flooding with seawater.

Occasionally, an owl would befall the same fate. They were much better equipped than the crows were, and some owls could take out three hostiles at once with just one swing of their ice weapon or battle claws, but the crows managed to use their only advantage very well: their numbers. Four or five of them would be targeting the same owl at once. The larger owls would be besieged by no less than seven crows at the same time.

Fortunately, besides weapons and training, the Guardians also had teamwork on their side. If one owl was threatened to get overwhelmed, a few others would come to the rescue, even if the rescuers had adversaries to deal with themselves.

Yet it seemed that for every crow that was defeated, three more took its place. Every owl had his or her work cut out for them, to safeguard themselves and the others around them.

Zwart observed the battle from a higher altitude, contemplating on how the fight was progressing. If the Guardians were asleep, or at least most of them, this fight would have been over before the sun and its shining rays were completely out of sight.

His crows were fighting diligently, but despite the occasional owl falling to its doom, he had to come to terms with the fact he was losing the battle. However, he wasn't planning to back out. If he at least could terminate the owl in charge, then his destiny would be fulfilled, his ultimate goal achieved. Since the ruler in the time of the War of the Ember had already succumbed during the same fight, he decided to go for the next best option: the king.

Soren, however, was among one of the best fighters the Tree had to offer. Zwart wanted to deal with him personally, but he wouldn't do so if the king was at the top of his game. No, he needed to be worn out. So he devised another plan, and called over a dozen crows that weren't actively fighting at the moment.

Meanwhile, a specific crow that had been flying in the back of the army, looked around while the battle raged on ferociously around him. He searched madly for Arend, who was supposed to have a weapon waiting for him. The eagle stood out from all the other birds, so he wasn't hard to spot.

Kraai quickly flew over to him, the eagle double wielding a scimitar and a short sword, which he used to decapitate two crows simultaneously, one with each weapon. Seeing another crow coming up to him, Arend directed his next attack that way, but the crow barely avoided the blades by dropping a few inches.

"Arend, wait! It's me, Kraai!"

Realizing he almost killed the only crow ally owlkind has ever known, Arend said, "Oh, sorry Kraai, I didn't recognize you. Here, take this, and help out where you can!" after which he handed the short sword over to Kraai.

"Thanks. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, I was worried someone would recognize me, and -"

"No time for talking, Kraai. Have at them!"

Shooting off in different directions, the crow and eagle helped out others where they could. Kraai's job was made easier by the fact that his opponents flinched when they saw him, not expecting to have to deal with a turnfeather. Their croaks of disbelief and pleading were silenced moments after they begun. His death toll increased steadily as he severed one of his former brethren's wings or hacked deep wounds into their skin. His murder was not without remorse, for he knew of no other crow who could commit the sins he was committing.

I have to do this not for myself… but for the Guardians… and Soren. Oh Corva… please forgive me…

He noticed a Saw-Whet Owl sparring with a large female crow three times his size, unable to mount any sort of attack against her. He parried her dagger strike and somehow knocked it out of her claws, but then she proceeded to rip his own blade away.

I have to rescue him! He doesn't have a chance. She's too strong!

Kraai redoubled his flight speed as the Saw-Whet panicked and attempted to get away. The distance between him and the crow seemed to lengthen at the same rate he was approaching, as if he was going nowhere. When he was twenty wingspans away, Kraai's heart sunk. The powerful female grabbed the owl's wing and held him in front of her, like a fish ripe for the devouring.

A high-pitched cry of, "No! Let me go! Someone, anyone, help!" Kraai halved the distance and raised his short sword in attack position.

I'm not going to make it… he realized, and his stomach twisted.

The crow laughed as he slapped her benignly with his free wing, then plastered the stolen dagger against his skinny neck. The owl went yeep in fear, and then the female jerked her foot. An ivory ball of feathers tumbled away from the body, and the owl went still. The crow tossed his corpse away, only to face in Kraai's direction with a dark smile on her face.

"What the…" she exclaimed, her smile warping into a shocked frown.

"You will DIE!" He arced his sword, feeling it slow down and then stop. It had cut down to her neck bone and become entrenched in the tissue.

"Turnfeather! Corva will judge you soon enough!" she squawked, bashing him in the skull with the dagger's hilt. The impact pushed him away, and the sword came with him. After recovering from his lingering daze, the crow was gone, a few short feathers glued to his weapon by her blood.

His death was avenged. May Glaux rest his soul… Kraai thought, and then moved on to the next enemy.

Zwart and a large band of crows were circling the monarch and his posse, a ring of feathered evil that prevented their escape. He had not expected to see the king alone, and now that his target was being backed up by four additional owls, they had to be drawn off. Their ferocity was unmatched, and they cut down nearly half of his squad in under a minute. They needed to break away and regroup, and the large gap in the ring urged them to enter it.

"Come on, Pelli! You too, children!" Soren screeched, slicing the wings off of a crow who rushed in to try and stall them.

He burst through the gap and emerged into a roomy pocket of space, spying four brilliant white shapes just behind him. No sooner had he slowed his flight and spun around did his confidence and relief wither and die.

"I'm coming, Soren! We'll show these blasted birds what happens when they turn against us!" Behind Bell, Blythe, and Bash, a fresh armada of unarmed crows overtook them, cutting them off and hiding them behind a black wall of feathers. Moments later, a black streak came down at his mate from above, claws extended, beady eyes flashing.

"Pelli, look out!" he cried, but it was too late.

The crow cawed, "Surprise, filthy Tyto!" She looked up to locate the threat, but could not move fast enough to counter it. Its talons cut across her face like whips, instantly drawing blood and causing her to lurch in flight.

"Ahhh! Soren, my eye! I'm half-blind!" Soren watched in absolute horror as blood stained her face crimson, her left eye already trapped underneath her pale third eyelid. She, too, was soon forced to retreat as more crows hounded her. Her haphazard sword swipes were easily dodged, and so the attackers easily pushed her farther and farther away.

The male responsible for her wounds swung around and hovered in front of Soren, his talons dripping drops of Pelli's blood.

"Now, I can finally deal with you in the way I had always planned!" At this, a perfect circle of black birds surrounded him.

"I'll carve you into pieces for attacking my mate!"

"You're as much a fool as you are a warrior. We shall see who does the carving. Lieutenants, now is the time. Wear him down, as we have rehearsed!" Confused as to his intentions, Soren raised his scimitar and brutally murdered the crow in front of him. It was then that he was barreled into from behind, a sore spot forming between his wings.

He caught onto the main crow's method, but he realized there would be no hope of escape. He flung a crow away, only to suffer a blow to the could only direct his attention at one of them at a time, giving the other crow room to deal the Tyto a bruise. They weren't trying to fatally wound Soren, as was Zwart's plan, just wear him out, plain and simple.

And it was working.

The king knocked away a crow that charged at him from the front. Knowing what was coming, he spun around and raised his scimitar. He wasn't fast enough, and he took a hit to his left side.

I'm outnumbered, and they're just pounding me into submission. I need help! Pelli, where are you? I wish you were able to help me! Glaux guard you, dear!

Thinking he could lose himself in the seething mass of dueling bodies above, he pointed his scimitar straight out in front of him and flew at the ring. He sheared off the wings of two of Zwart's minions, creating a gap as the crows lost their ability to fly. He traveled but a few wingspans when two crows seized his tail feathers in their claws. They threw him painfully backwards as the boundary reformed, and a third flew up from below and rammed his head into Soren's chest. The Tyto staggered and coughed, dropping a few feet before he forced his wings to resume flapping.

"Now you feel what it's like to suffer, as I have these past years," Zwart cawed, his beady eyes flashing in delight. "You're done for, pitiful Tyto! Eventually, you'll be too weak to even swing that weapon. Then, I will have all the pleasure of clawing your throat out!"

"You just… wait, coward. My mate will come… and send you to Hagsmire."

"I doubt it," he retorted. "Rissel, Styx! Again!"

On cue, a pair of crows streaked towards him. He cut down the crow on his left, but the other's skull connected with the back of his neck.

Oh Glaux, send someone to help me! Please… don't take me… not today…

With each blow, Soren could feel his stamina depleting, bit by bit...

Florentina, the Pygmy Owl, was double wielding two ice daggers, and despite her size and cheery personality, she proved to be an able fighter. Ducking underneath an attacking crow, she flipped up behind it and slashed one of the daggers across its back, exposing the spine and causing the crow to plummet into the sea. Another crow that made his move immediately after was quickly dealt with, as Florentina twirled around, the other dagger extended, slicing the crows' neck. Being a Pygmy, she wasn't much of a target at first, but seeing as how she was taking out single foes with little effort, she reeled in more attention than she wanted. Now four crows were coming at her at once.

She tried her best at holding them off, but it was too much of a struggle for her to keep up. She needed help, and fast.

Blocking off another attack, she fumbled one of her daggers. With the other one, she coincidentally managed to amputate a talon from one of the crows. The distraction from the battle of this small dismemberment allowed the Pygmy Owl to finish off the unfortunate crow. The other three didn't relent, and moved in for the kill...

"Florentina!"

As soon as the voice called her name, one of the three remaining crows started to fall from the sky, the back of its neck ruptured.

"Ekster! Thank Glaux you're here, they almost got the best of me!"

Ekster had flown all the way from the Shadow Forest, trailing the army of crows to the Great Tree, and watched at how the battle had begun. She couldn't do much without a weapon of her own, though. Florentina's predicament remedied her situation. When she dropped one of her daggers, Ekster dove after it right away, caught it on the fly and took it back up, removing one of Florentina's threats in the process.

"Don't mention it. Let's take care of business!" she shouted.

The remaining two crows, now suddenly facing two birds with a weapon each instead of one bird with two weapons, knew their number was up. They quickly joined their fallen brethren in the void.

Nodding to each other, they sped off in different directions to help where needed, like Kraai and Arend did before.

Flying back to back, Shard and his other half, Bryony, played each other off like clockwork in their own dealings with the crow invaders. Given their rich experience of doing battle, they had little to no problem holding off their assaulters, provided no more than four of them came at once.

Cutting down three crows in one precise swing, Shard looked up to see a dozen of hostiles speeding towards them. One of the many sublieutenants on the enemy force had noticed the prowess of the couple, and rallied his subordinates against them.

"Heads up, Bryony! Large number of hostiles incoming, starboard high!"

Dealing with her own adversaries, Bryony looked in the direction Shard pointed out.

"I see them. Brace yourself, Shard, this might hurt... them!"

Just as the crows were about to collide with the pair of Spotted Owls, Shard and Bryony arched their weapons towards them. Their timing was impeccable: the whole front line of attackers was cut down, and six of them joined their fallen kin. However, the remaining crows realized that unless their numbers were reinforced, they couldn't beat both of these owls at the same time.

So before either of the owls could bring their weapons up again, they ganged up on Shard, beating and pecking him wherever they could strike him.

"Argh! Bryony, help! They're killing me! They're-"

A loud cracking noise resonated from the heap of fighting feathers, followed by an antagonizing scream.

"AAH! My wing! They broke my wing!"

The crows releasing him, Shard started to fall towards the sea, all but certain of his doom. Bryony went into a frenzy at this sight, and seized a crow by the neck. She swung her weapon toward two others, gutting one and severing the wing of the other. Dealing with two more crows in a similar manner, she twirled around and launched the crow lodged in her claw towards the last remaining one, knocking them both unconscious.

Turning her attention to her mate, still falling towards the Sea below, she threw her sword away and sped after him. Shard flapped his good wing as fast as he could, to try and slow his descent.

Head first and wings folded, Bryony caught up with Shard and grabbed him by the nape. He was still quite some distance away from the water, and Bryony carefully brought him down towards the shore.

His head swimming from the pain indulged by the broken wing, Shard twisted his head around to get a focus on anything. A glint of shining white caught his gaze. Through the myriad of movement that was the crow army, his eyes were fixed on the moon above, nearly hypnotizing him.

"Luna..." he muttered.

Bryony, trying her best to hold on to Shard firmly without digging her talons into his flesh, looked down at him.

"What was that, Shard? What did you say?"

"I think that's what we should call our daughter. Luna."

"That's... a good name. I like it, Shard," Bryony said, as she carefully placed her other half on the shore. He collapsed on the sand, trying not to land on his broken wing, and Bryony sat besides him, panting.

"Are you... alright, Shard? Apart from... you know..." she asked.

"I'll be fine, dearest," Shard said, biting through the pain. "Guess this means the fight is over for me."

"Not for me, it isn't. I'm getting right back up there, and make those spawns from hagsmire pay for what they've done to you!"

"Bryony, wait! You can't! You're a parent now, remember? We did well with the two of us, but what if they try something like that again? What if they... succeed? I don't want our little ones to grow up without their mother..."

Bryony was slightly appalled that Shard thought this way. She used to be the leader of the Resistance after all, and had lived through many a battle. Furthermore, as long as the battle was raging, other owls were still in danger, and so wouldn't be living up to her oath if she didn't help them in their time of need.

But on the other talon, his words held some merit. Even though so many crows had already been vanquished, there were still hundreds more where those came from. Together, they were a fierce duo, but the crows did manage to overtake one of them. If she went out on her own, the possibility of her getting wounded – or maybe even killed – was increased considerably. Plus, she couldn't just leave him here while she went to fight off the invaders.

"I understand, Shard. However, I can't just leave the Guardians to fend for themselves. Every owl we lose is one too many. So how about this: I get both of us a weapon, I'll circle overhead dealing with crows where needed while keeping an eye on you. If any of them come for you, you can deal with them for yourself. Sound good?"

Shard gave it a quick thought, weighing his options. He really didn't want his mate to go out there again, but the Guardian oath was most sacred. So he gave her another reason to stay safe.

"Alright, but on one condition. Since I named our daughter, you're the one who should name our son. Promise me, for their sake, that you'll come back in one piece..."

"I will, Shard. Our creed is important, but you and our children are right up there with it. I won't do anything rash."

Bryony lifted off, in search for a weapon for both her and her mate, and to resume the battle afterward.

Soren was aching all over, his muscles protesting with each forced flap of his wings. He had managed to take out several of his attackers, but the remaining ones kept laying the hurt on him. Everywhere he looked, he saw crows flying in all directions, attacking anyone that wasn't on their side.

He knew he couldn't keep up with this much longer. He'd call out for help, but the nearest owls around him were struggling with targets of their own. Pelli and their children were fully lost in the swarm, and he had little chance of summoning them. To make matters worse, Zwart and his lieutenant Rissel each had managed to secure an ice dagger from previously felled Guardians.

Then it happened. Soren took another strike to the ribs, losing his grip on his specially-crafted scimitar. It gleamed as it hurtled towards the ground, a tiny sliver of gray above the island's green surface.

"Ha!" Zwart shouted. "Now's the time, Rissel. Even if we lose this battle, we can still draw pride from taking the enemy leader down with us. You graze his wing, while I cut his heart out!"

To Zwart's utter dismay, Rissel hesitated. Maybe Kraai was right all along? These owls... they don't deserve to die. They only want to protect what they stand for, and that's a world full of peace. Why are we doing this?

"Well? I gave you an order, Rissel! Get to it!" Zwart commanded.

"Zwart, I'm having second thoughts about all this. Do we- HURK!"

Rissel would never finish his sentence, for protruding from his throat was the tip of an ice blade, dripping with his blood.

"You're not getting our king, not if I can help it!" Jette yelled at the crow, tearing his blade out and half-severing the crow's neck. Rissel dropped like a stone, but Soren's attention was diverted.

"Jette, look out!" he called. Jette turned, but it was too late.

Enraged by both Rissel's doubt and subsequent death, Zwart lunged his dagger towards the Milky Eagle Owl. Just as Jette faced him, the dagger made contact right between Jette's eyes, splitting through his skull and fatally skewering his brain.

Letting gravity do its job, Zwart pulled the dagger back and faced his foe.

"And now it's your turn. For years you have caused me immense pain and suffering. Your stupid war cost me my whole family and every one of my friends! Everyone I held dear! All gone… because of you."

Soren was frozen, on the verge of going yeep and falling to his death. His gizzard was numb with shock after witnessing Jette's demise playing out right in front of him in such an undeserving manner. His bruised and exhausted body refused to obey the orders of his brain.

Zwart, fuming with all the rage he had bottled up from years of grieving, closed his eyes. Dagger first, he lunged for the frozen king at the fastest speed he could muster.

"SOREN!"

Zwart felt his dagger collide with something. Cawing out in glee, he was certain to have stabbed the owl monarch right through the heart. He opened his eyes... and found himself staring at the nape of another crow.

"Kraai! NO!" Soren yelled, his upper body splattered with blood. It was not his own.

The dagger punctured Kraai's back as the pacifist crow had launched himself between Soren and his former leader. It didn't kill him right away, for gruesomely enough, his still-beating heart was ripped out from his chest, mere inches away from Soren's face. It remained connected to Kraai by way of a few stubborn blood vessels. Kraai spied his externalized heart, then cast an agonized glare at Soren. "Have I… redeemed myself, my… king?" he asked softly.

"No, Kraai! NO!" another, female voice yelled out.

"You blasted fool!" Zwart said as he retracted the dagger. Kraai fluttered his wings, then plummeted. What was left of him ended up on the shore of Hoole.

"Look at what your compassion for these louts has cost you!" Zwart yelled after Kraai, before turning back to Soren. "You must enjoy seeing others bear the bite of a blade in your defense. Though a turnfeather, he was still a crow. You caused me to kill one of my own, and that gives me a second reason to execute you!"

"Yaaaah!" the same female voice from before screamed. And just before Zwart was able to turn his words into deeds, Soren roughly dodged the attack. Zwart cut only the cool air, cursing his adversary and preparing for another slash.

A fraction of a second later, Zwart felt a strange sensation. Starting from lower right edge of his beak to the base of his tail, he felt... cold. He continued flapping his wings to stay aloft, but the effort of doing so strained his skin and bones, causing them to grow further and further apart. "Tyto… this isn't… over…" he taunted as his allies deserted him. He watched as the king wobbled off as well.

A magpie with a bloody dagger hovered in front of him, her expression flat.

Zwart tried to give chase, but the more he pumped his wings, the more his back split in two. The rip started between his wings and spread in both directions, a curtain of blood pouring from his underside. His two near-perfect halves spun towards the sea.

Ekster watched as the sliced-in-twain body of Zwart was sucked underwater, which had turned a shade of rust from all the blood spilled therein, from both owls and crows alike. The beach, where some of the wounded and lifeless creatures landed, was also colored crimson in many spots. Those unfortunate enough to fall atop the numerous rocks scattered across the beach ended up scattered themselves.

Ignoring the ongoing battle around her, she dove down towards the beach to find Kraai. He wheezed and coughed, as the sand around him rapidly turned crimson. His half-detached heart lay exposed on his chest, leaking liquid life force at an alarming rate.

Noticing Ekster looming above him, he strained to lift his wing, resting it on her back.

"I can see... the Forever. An angel has come… to welcome me into..." he stuttered, a tiny stream of scarlet fluid trickling from his beak.

"No," Ekster moaned, her eyes swelling up with tears. "It's just plain old me..."

"Then, it's an angel... coming to say... goodbye."

Ekster closed her eyes, tears running freely from them, and contacted her beak with his. When she pulled her head back, she saw Kraai smiling at her. The doomed crow inhaled desperately, a sickening gurgling noise rising from his throat.

"See this?" he asked, using a trembling talon to point at the languidly pulsing organ that was supposed to be inside of him, rather than outside. "This... belongs t-to you. I'll be w-waiting for you… up there… in t-the…" and his heart gave out.

"I love you..." Ekster stated, a few brave tears plopping onto his fully-open eyes. She felt his wing slide off her back, coming to a silent rest on the congealed sand. She collapsed on top of him, soaking her chest in his warm blood, and let all her sorrow and despair shower his corpse.

As the battle raged on for another hour, the crows found themselves to be growing fewer in numbers over time. Some of them realized this and began to retreat, though a few unlucky ones failed to flee the island before being slaughtered.

Just as a snowball rolling down a hill would expand in size, so did more and more crows fly for their lives, until the fighting ceased.

As many of the Guardians started to cheer over their victory, others concerned themselves with tending to the victims and injured. Wounded owls who fell into the sea – and were spotted quickly enough – were pulled out before they drowned and carefully placed on the beach. The owls that were cheering before quickly joined in their plight, and recovered a bunch of cloth sheets from the Tree. Each wounded owl would be rolled into one, which made it easier for the unscathed owls – not to mention more comfortable for the victim – to carry them back to the infirmary hollow of the Great Tree. Other pieces of cloth were draped over those where help could no longer be offered.

A few volunteers collected the remains of the fallen crows, which were piled up on a heap some distance away from the remains of fallen Guardians.

Tomorrow would be a gloomy day...