Chapter 13
Kira found herself back in the library of the great tree. How in Glaux's name do I continually end up here? Kira thought to herself, before a large bluish-black shape soared into the library and landed in front of her. Lutta! Kira felt a mixture of fear and relief as the changeling finally appeared. Was Lutta here to help Kira make more sense of the prophecy that enfolded her? Suddenly, Kira noticed Lutta's feathers begin to change from black to tan, and for her face to change into that of a Barn Owl's… And not just any Barn Owl, Kira realized, quivering with pure joy, Garth! Her half-brother had been murdered long before her hatching, which meant she never had a chance to meet him; as a result, there was always a part of her that felt overjoyed at the sight of him. And yet, she also felt a distinct sense of unease, as with the appearance of Garth came the memory of his scroom telling her the truth about their father.
"Follow me, Kira." Lutta said. Kira jumped back a bit; she wasn't used to hearing Lutta's voice from Garth's form. "There's something I want you to see." Lutta then flew out of the library towards the infirmary, with Kira close behind. The changeling and the Barn Owl then stopped just outside the spot where Ginger slept, able to peek into the infirmary via a small hole. Lutta then turned towards Kira, eyes shining warily. "Beware an owl with a sweet facade," Lutta whispered, "for these mask the most evil intent of all."
Kira suddenly felt a cold chill race through her veins, and turned her head to find herself in The Beaks-specifically, Mirror Lakes. No! Kira suddenly felt herself wilf. Before she had arrived at the Great Tree, Brutus had owl-napped her from Silverveil and kept her here. Fortunately, she used her wits to escape his clutches, but she had quickly detected a haggish enchantment over Mirror Lakes-and The Beaks in general. Kira then remembered what Digger and Twilight had told her about Mirror Lakes: "Any owl can be trapped there; all they have to do is look at the lake, and they're done for." She suddenly heard the loud roar of thunder and the crack of lightening, and saw bright orange flames devouring the land. Suddenly, Kira dived down toward the fire, a fresh bolt of fear striking her harder than any lightning. "Hang on, my friend!" Kira shreed desperately. "I'm coming!"
Kira suddenly awoke back in her own hollow to find Val and Leo looking at her, concern in their eyes, and Athena desperately fanning her with her tiny brown wings. "Now, now, Kira, it's alright." Athena murmured soothingly. "It's okay, it was just a dream."
Kira suddenly felt a jolt run through her. The last time she had a dream like this was before she left Ambala. And it had come true! Kira realized, another thought soon permeating her mind: And this one could come true as well. Lutta's warning echoed in her head: Beware an owl with a sweet facade. Kira shook her head impatiently. What did it mean? "Excuse me, I need some time to think." And with that, she flew out of the hollow she shared with her mate and friends and flew over to that of the smartest owl she knew: Hazel.
"And then she said, 'Beware an owl with a sweet facade, for these mask the most evil intent of all'." Kira whispered urgently as she described her dream to Hazel. The two of them sat with watered-down milkberry tea as Hazel listened to Kira's description, brown eyes wide with disbelief. "And then the next thing I know, I was in The Beaks, and then there was lightning and fire and I just flew down into it, as if I was looking for something." Kira's eyes then took on a haunted look. "But for what? What was in that fire?"
Hazel sighed and put down her nut cup. "I don't know what you were looking for. But I do know that you have a gift; a very rare one at that." Her brown eyes then bore deep into Kira's black ones as she shared what she knew. "There are four types of foresight: there's starsight, the ability to see the future through your dreams. There's firesight, the ability to read the future through fire. There's watersight, the ability to see the future through water, ice, and fog. And then there's greensight, the ability to tell the future in the shapes of different plants. However, my mum once told me and Starr tales of four owls known as the Hatchlings of Glaumora, who each had an advanced form of these abilities, which made them closer to Glaux than any other owls. She told us that every 500 years, Glaux would choose four to be these owls and to save the kingdoms from great evil."
A flash of both awe and fear filled Hazel's eyes before she went on. "I think you may be one of the owls Glaux has chosen." She told Kira. "You have an incredibly advanced form of starsight, which means you can speak to those in glaumora in your dreams, as well as seeing what is to come. That means Glaux must have chosen you as one of the four, which means there are three other owls-either in the tree or elsewhere-who have advanced forms of the other abilities. When they are found, we may have a better chance of defeating the Pure Ones." Suddenly, a frightened hoot grabbed Kira's attention, and the amber Barn Owl flew with Hazel down to the shores of Hoole, where they found Celeste standing near the water, eyes shining with fear.
"Kira!" Celeste squeaked. "I was burrowing some tunnels for a secret project Soren and the Band devised, and my assignment was to burrow to this side of the island. I completed the tunnel as Sylvana had instructed, and I looked into the fog and…" Here Celeste suddenly wilfed. "I saw a Barn Owl slice the wing off one Spotted Owl while another Spotted Owl brought a Boreal Owl to the water by his wing and drowned him. I thought perhaps there was a skirmish going on far from the tree, but the images looked so clear, and then I saw my Da's face and he told me, 'This battle shall take the life of someone dear'. Oh, I feel as though something bad is going to happen, but I'm worried Sylvana will think I'm crazy!" Kira suddenly felt a jolt of shock and turned toward Hazel, their minds sharing the same thought: She's one of the four!
Kira then stepped toward Celeste, extending a wing. "Celeste," she told her, "you are not crazy." She then told Celeste this while hoping she was saying the right thing. "There are four types of foresight: starsight, which shows you the future through dreams, firesight, in which you see the future through fire, watersight, which tells you the future through water, ice, and fog, and greensight, in which you see in the shapes of plants what the future holds. You, however, have a special form of watersight which allows you to communicate with the owls of glaumora; I have a form of starsight which allows me to do the same. It means that Glaux has a very special destiny for us, one which is tied to the fate of the owl kingdoms."
Celeste blinked. "Really?" she whispered, her eyes brightening a bit. "So, I'm not crazy?"
Kira nodded. "No, Celeste, you're not crazy; Glaux has chosen you, myself, and two other owls to help protect the kingdoms from owls like the Pure Ones." She then added, with grave seriousness, "Which is why you must be careful who you share this conversation with, and why you must pay careful attention to whatever visions you receive. Promise?" Celeste nodded, clearly understanding the importance of her gift. "I promise." She replied, and then went back into the tunnel from which she came. Kira then looked out towards the shore, where she knew her mother and the other Pure Ones lay waiting. Whatever my parents were, Kira realized, Glaux set me on this path, and now only he can take me away from it.