Sorry for such a long delay. The midterms have been hell, but worth it. Glad to know more people are getting interested in my story. I wish I could say the same for my other fanfic, though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Guardians or the book series
I have a coal in my beak! I have a coal in my beak! The words pounded through Soren's head as he flew upward in ascending circles. He was not singed. He was not burning, and there was this little glowing thing in his beak that, indeed, seemed to flood his entire being with an extraordinary feeling. It was as if every one of his hollow bones, every feather shaft, brimmed with a transcendent power. Joy filled him, a joy that he had not felt since the first time he flew. But he got this coal was still a mystery to him. Banking to the right, he glided on the hot air toward the rocks where the buckets were kept. Martin was now beside him.
"That was awesome, Soren! I've never heard of any bird escaping from a crown fire draft. For a minute I thought you were dead by now."
"But what happened?" Soren asked. They were to stay on the ridge until the rest of the chaw returned.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Not exactly."
"You did a reverse loop to escape the pull with that fresh coal casting cinders. Bubo said he'd never seen anyone do that before. It was better flying than anything Ruby has ever done. It was spectacular."
"Well I, uh, wish I'd seen it," Soren said bashfully.
Otulissa flew in next with Poot and Shard. They both had full beaks and promptly dumped the live coals in the buckets. "I got one! I got one!" The Spotted Owl stopped to look at Soren's impressive coal, genuinely modest. "But, it's nothing compared to what you did, Soren."
"Thank you, Otulissa."
Ezylryb suddenly alighted on the rock next to them with a full bucket. Soren was secretly hoping that the old ryb had noticed and would congratulate him on the supposedly amazing stunt he had pulled off not too long ago. However the old Whiskered Screech busied himself with the new coals, sifting the coals around with his talons.
Will I ever understand this owl? Soren thought.
Ezylryb inspected the various coals before stopping at the bucket where Soren had put his own. The coal he held in his beak cast an eeire glow on his whiskered face. His amber eyes appeared red. "I hear you did a fair night's work," he mumbled through his beakfull. "Magnificent, perhaps; well done, boy." He dropped the coal in the bucket and flew off to confer with Poot.
They began their homeward journey with just an hour to spare before First Light. "Dont' worry about crows now," Elvan said. "They never come near when we're carryig live coals."
It was abeautiful time to fly. The air grew fresher and a light wind now ruffled the water into lacy crests. Even now, with the coals and cinders tame in the buckets, their power seemed to almost reach out to them. Fire, of course, was perhaps the most important element that made the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole different that anything else in the natural world. It made is residents more than a community or a gathering of owls. It made them a fellowship. And if they were to rise each night into the blackness and perform noble deeds, it was perhaps the fire that helped them do this: fire punched up the fierce heats with Bubo's bellows for forging metal into weapons; fire tamed into candle flames for reading and learning. And here these young owls of the chaw, just barely finished with being owlets themselves, were flying back across the Sea of Hoolemere with this precious element. No wonder they felt so powerful.
They arrived shortly after daybreak, their faces smudged and their beaks sooty black. But they were welcomed as heroes. The coals were delivered to Bubo's forge and the chaw was honored with a wonderful banquet. For the first time since he had arrived, Soren felt confident in himself.
Sorry for the short chapter: I'm still trying to figure out how to wedge all of this between the storyline of the movie. In the meantime, I shall be revising my second fanfic (sigh) again. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review.