Soara and the Owls of Ga'Hoole

Chapter 1: A Story re-told

In a corner of the Owl Kingdom, lay the woodland realm known as Tyto Forest, where a Tyto Alba flew through the sky's atmosphere. He was Noctus who had mostly white front with a pink beak. His eyes were a light hazel color. He had golden brown feathers on his wings, his back up to his forehead that had the top of a heart. Coming down around his head was a stripe of gold on his chin, forming his head in the shape of a heart. He had been hunting all night with a mouse in his talons. When he returned, he heard the voices of his daughters. Noctus didn't help but laugh at his daughters ' antics.  His wife Marella greeted him.  

Marella was a beautiful  owl.   She loved her husband, children, and their nest maid, Mrs.  P.   She had a white, heart shaped face. Her eyes were amber and she had a motherly gaze, whether  She was happy or angry. Marella wasn't  usually easy to anger, she was normally very happy

"My talons are upon you!" Cried the voice of an owlet.

She was very small with very ruffled up feathers. Her name was Eglantine and was reenacting a scene from their father's favorite book, The Battle of the Ice Claws.

"Your days of terrorizing the owl kingdoms are over!" shouted Eglantine's older sister, Soara. She looked like her father, but had several traits from her mother, having a mixture of orange and golden brown feathers. You could say that Soara was a perfect mixture of her parents.    

"Not so fast! You're no match for my army of Evil Ones," Eglantine said. "Ha, ha!"

"Well, perhaps. But I am Lyze of Kiel. And I have assembled my own army, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole! We've sworn an oath to make strong the weak, mend the broken, and vanquish evil!"

"Soara!" Eglantine shouted for the fifteenth time.

"Eglantine, what is it?

"Soara, this time you said I would be Lyze of Kiel." She pointed out.

"Oh, come on. Look, next go, all right?"

"Well, I hope you're not lying," Eglantine said, "to Metal Beak!"

The two sisters began wrestling with each other.

"Got you!" Soara said and accidentally broke Eglantine's grass beak.

"My beak," said Eglantine. "Da."

"Okay." their father said laughing, taking off Eglantine's mask. "Enough, young owlets. Time for bed."

"Yes, please," complained Eglantine's and Soara's older brother, Kludd. He looked exactly like Marella, except notably had his father's beak. "Enough stories about the Guardians."

"Now, Kludd, stories are part of our culture and our history," said Noctus. "We learn from them.

"Even after the 700th time we hear them?" Kludd asked.

"Yes, even then. Unless, son, you already know all there is of our history."

"Da! I know the Guardians win!" Soara said excitedly.

"Soara, it's just a story," Kludd said.

"It is not!" Soara shouted.

"Here we go again." Mrs. Plithiver chuckled lightly.

"I mean, Da, have you ever seen a Guardian?" Kludd asked.

"Kludd, just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't real," said Noctus. It's like feeling something with your gizzard. You know, through our gizzards... ...the voices of the ages whisper to us and tell us what's right."

"Now, that's enough for one night, dear," Marella said. "Tomorrow's a big day. Its first branching. - Now, off to bed.

"Now, come along, children.

"I've made the moss and down extra soft for you, Eglantine.

"Soara you remember the story. Is Metal Beak real?"

"You remember too," said Soara smiling. "It was the Battle of the Ice claws. The Guardians were outnumbered. Things looked dark. But then Lyze of Kiel struck down the leader of the evil owls.

"The Guardians were victorious. The owl kingdoms were free once more. And then they returned home, to the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole."

"But some say the evil king still lives..."Soara said.

"And wears a metal mask to hide his missing beak," Eglantine finished.

"Stop! You're gonna give each other daymares," Kludd said to his younger sisters.

"But this is our favorite part!" Soara and Eglantine said.

"I know. We've heard it a thousand times." Kludd said. "You have a soft head, Soara. I think Da has filled it with stories and dreams."

"There's nothing wrong with dreams," Soara pointed out.

"That's the difference between us, sister," he said. "I have mine when I'm asleep. Now would you just go to sleep?"

"Soara, Da says our dreams are who we are," Eglantine said as she fell asleep inside her sister's left wing on their nest. Soara couldn't help but wonder if Kludd was right or not. She just hoped he was wrong.

The next evening, Noctus was outside giving Kludd and Soara branching lessons. However, only the males were out while Soara was

"So as I was... "Noctus continued. However, Kludd flew to the next branch "Kludd, wait!"

"Look, Da!" Kludd shouted. "I'm gonna be the best flier. That's because Tytos are best at everything. Right, Da?"

"You have strength, Kludd. But owls make the best hunters for one reason alone.

"Yeah, I know. Their silent fliers," Kludd began. "By the time I have my claws out...

"The mice will have run away," Noctus interrupted. "And you and your hatchlings will go hungry."

Soara came out, wearing her helmet on fire safety.

"Da! I'm ready." Soara said. Noctus laughed.

"Well, Young Guardian... ...I don't think your first branching lesson will be that dangerous," Noctus laughed. He pulled it off her head. "Now, don't worry how much noise you make in the beginning. You just need to stretch your..."

Soara flew faster than her father finishing his sentence.

"...wings." Noctus finished.

He saw Soara had landed safely on the next branch.

"Well done." Noctus said happily.

"Beginner's luck," Kludd said. He flew none to easily as Soara. Kludd didn't land as gracefully as his sister.

"You know, Kludd, it helps when I picture where I'm gonna land. Come on, I'll race you!" Soara said.

"Okay. Go!" Said Kludd. He flew off before Soara continued to fly. Fact, she landed onto the branch before him and began laughing at her elder brother.

"Yeah, you had a head start, little sister," Kludd said.

" No, I didn't!" Soara shouted.

"Yeah, you did," Kludd snapped. "Da, she cheated."

"Children," their mother said. "No more fighting." She looked at her husband. "Noctus, let's get the children inside. It's time to go."

"Ma, can we come with you on the hunt?" Soara asked.

"Not tonight, dear," Marella said.

"But when the time comes, at least you'll have the helmet for it," said Noctus. He placed it on his eldest daughter's head.

"Daddy," Soara said. Noctus and Marella watched as Kludd and Soara made their way into the house.

"Noctus, I know Soara's a bit of a dreamer. Do you worry for her?"

"Oh, I worry for both of them. Seems like yesterday they were hatchlings... ...and now, well, you know, they'll soon be grown and leaving the hollow. I just want them to be prepared"

"They'll be fine," said Marella. "Come on."

The duo flew off into the night sky and to enjoy the hunt that was yet to come.