Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Guardians or the book series

"We're lost!" Gylfie yelled over the wind. And indeed they were. By the time the band had flown out into the sea, they were met with a huge blizzard, through which they could barely see ahead. Behind was thick with swirling snow, below was a dense fog that not even a treetop could poke through, and off to windward, sheets of frigid air seemed to tumble from somewhere.

"We have to find the island!" Twilight yelled, his normally booming voice humbled by the roar of the wind.

They had been flying hard and fast for a while now. But with each stroke of his wings, Soren felt surer of their course, and his gizzard began to tremble with excitement. And he knew that somehow, the closer they got to the Great Tree, the further he was From St. Aegolius. Far away from the evil Metalbeak, and his malicious queen, Nyra. Far away from the descpicable Long-Eared Owl brothers, Jatt and Jutt, and especially far away from those vicious bats. He never wanted to go back there, but if it meant rescuing Kludd, if nobody else could, so be it.

"We're in the Mists of Ga'Hoole," Soren reassured his friends. "The tree must be on the other side; I can feel it in my gizzard!"

"Your gizzard?" Digger scoffed loudly. "Does anyone else have any more solid information about where we're going?" The Burrowing Owl was probably having the most trouble flying through the storm, possibly more so than Gylfie.

"Digger! Why are you flying like that?" Twilight called from up above.

"Like what? You know how I fly!" Digger flipped his head around to look at the Great Gray.

"It's not that!"

"Digger! Your wings!" Gylfie gasped.

"What about 'em?" Digger looked behind to see that his wings and feathers were being rapidly covered with frost and ice crystals. He gasped. This was the abosolute worst thing that could happen to any bird in cold weather. One couldn't fly with frozen wings, let alone survive the sea below. the Burrowing Owl gulped. "Well uh, I think...goodbye," he said, before suddenly plummeting downward.

"Digger!" the Band yelled. Soren folded his wings inward and proceeded to dive after his friend towards the water's surface. Gylfie, about to be blow away by a sudden gust of wind, was quickly rescued by Twilight and stuffed into his lute with Mrs. Plithiver.

Soren managed to catch the air with his wings just as he reached the surface of the Sea of Hoolemere. The water was such a deep blue that it was almost black. A briney foam had formed as the choppy waves crashed together, as if they were trying to reach out and grab the young Barn Owl. Worst of all, there was absolutely no sign of Digger. Both Soren's gizzard and heart sank. The Band had just lost one member. He had failed to save his new friend. And what would he tell Twilight?

It's all my fault. I wasn't fast enough. Soren thought to himself. But just as he was about to give up and fly back to the others, two giant Snowy Owls suddenly appeared from behind a wave. Soren was immediatley shocked back to his senses, his beak hanging open in amazement. Both the Snowies were so white that by comparison the mist seemed gray. They had ornate, golden helmets covering their faces, and their talons were sheathed in the most brilliant set of battle claws he had ever seen, and in the cluthces of one of them, was Digger, completely intact.

The larger owl stopped to hover in front of Soren, a calm smile on her face.

"Can you fly with me?" she asked in a sweet, motherly voice.

"Yeah, there are five of us," was all Soren could say.

"Yes, we know," the Snowy churred, and wheeled around in flight with Soren following suit.

Before long, Soren had regrouped with Twilight, who was now following the two Snowy Owls out of the storm. The sudden shift in light made their eyes squint as the fog opened up to reveal the late afternoon sky. The owls flew past what looked like a small Ga'Hoole tree, growing out of a small pile of rocks that jutted out from the sea. Within the branches, two owls banged on a large gong, the noise from which reverbirated off everyone's bodies. Soren looked in amazement as they headed for what looked like a hugh metal arch, apparently the entrance to huge, natural stone wall. Upon passing through, Soren was greeted with a sight that he wold forever remember: A large, barren island, and taking up its space, was a tree that had to be several miles tall; the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole.

As well as countless hollows, its immense trunk was lined with hollows as well as artificial walkways and platforms, woven from sticks and reeds. As they landed on one of them, near one of its huge roots, Soren took in the sight around him. There were hundreds, mabye thousands of owls of all kinds. From Tyto owls to Burrowing Owls, from Pygmy Owls to Elf Owls, from Screech Owls to Great Horned Owls, and from Snowy Owls to Great Gray Owls, the list went on. They were all either in flight, or walking around on the wood bridges.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" the male Snowy Owl from before said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Boron, and this my mate, Barran."

"The king and queen of Ga'Hoole," Twilight whispered.

"Yes, my dears," Barran said softly. "But we prefer teachers, or rybs. Anyway, welcome to the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole."

"Thank both, very much," Soren said, bowing his head lightly. "But before we get settled in or anything, there's something we need to talk about."

So there, finally, the Band has reached the Great Tree. Next chapter, the parliment scene. Please review.