ritual had even been invented that involved the dusting of ashes on the wing tips of those owls about to be Elevated to the position of High Owls of the Ember. It was al just too ridiculous to even imagine owls doing. But the problem was someone had imagined it. And not just one owl, but several. Were they so bored in these times of peace and prosperity that their minds had turned to this senseless veneration, this worship of a coal? Of course Otulissa knew that it was no mere coal. Indeed, it was an ember that possessed great powers that could be used for good or for evil. That was the lesson of the legends. And it was true that one must be vigilant not to let a graymalkin get close, an owl like Nyra, to be precise. But nowhere did legends suggest anything more than vigilance. How had al this veneration come about? And so quickly? The Band and Coryn had barely been gone a moon cycle. How she wished they would come back soon. Then perhaps al this would end. But would it? Otulissa felt her gizzard tremble.
would it? Otulissa felt her gizzard tremble.
67 CHAPTER NINE
Coryn Sneaks Out
Luckily for Coryn, the hol ow where he artel the Band had settled was not. that far from the. Shadow Forest, And the winds had eased up. So he hoped he could make quick work of this. He would go back to the region near the pond where be had spent the better part of a winter after escaping from. Nyra and the Pure Ones. It was there that he had first encountered the rabbit. As he flew in the broad light, of clay, he kept a sharp lookout for crows but so tar had seen none. And as he approached the old fal en tree trunk where he had lived., he felt a flutter in his gizzard. Would the rabbit stil , he there? It seemed almost, impossible that, a rabbit in these woods thick with owls could have survived so long - .....even a mystic one. The scene was stil so vivid in Coryn s mind. He had seen the plump, succulent rabbit, sitting perfectly stil , as if transfixed, in front of a beautiful spiderweb, The rabbit was studying the
designs in the web, "reading" them, lie said. Their
conversation came back to Coryn now.
80 "I'm a mystic of sorts," the rabbit had begun to explain when Coryn asked him what he was doing. "I see certain things where others don't." "In a spiderweb?"
"Precisely. I'm a web reader." But right now as Coryn flew across the pond, the rabbit was nowhere in sight. Coryn spent several hours scouring the surrounding region. He knew time was running out. To fly back to the hol ow in the fir tree in Silverveil he would now have to fly against the rising wind. The Band would be worried, possibly furious. The sun was sinking fast, tie knew he could not spend any more time. He made one more circle around the pond. Stil no sign of the rabbit. So he climbed high above the forest, turned toward Silverveil, and flew on.
He had not been flying long when he picked up a raucous din on the edges of the wind. "By Glaux, that sounds like a grog tree. Soren had told him that
grog trees had begun to reappear in the Southern
Kingdoms shortly after the Battle of the Burning in. the canycnlands. He had never been, to one and he thought this might just be the time. What better place to pick up gossip? But would he be recognized? Most assuredly so. The scar that slashed across his face was a mirror image of Nyra's. They knew that he was not Nyra, but. they also knew that he was a king and the inheritor of 81 the ember. Gadfeathers! The word exploded in his brain and sent his gizzard into a tizzy. Hadn't Soren also said that gad-feathers were returning? Maybe he could disguise himself!
Gadfeathers, known for their singing as wel as their garish ways, festooned themselves with al manner of discarded feathers from other birds, twigs, strands of ivy - whatever was available. But what if they ask me to sing? Coryn blinked. He had no idea if he could sing. He wasn't a Snowy or a Boreal Owl, who were known for their fine voices. He supposed he could try. The whole idea
would it? Otulissa felt her gizzard tremble.
67 CHAPTER NINE
Coryn Sneaks Out
Luckily for Coryn, the hol ow where he artel the Band had settled was not. that far from the. Shadow Forest, And the winds had eased up. So he hoped he could make quick work of this. He would go back to the region near the pond where be had spent the better part of a winter after escaping from. Nyra and the Pure Ones. It was there that he had first encountered the rabbit. As he flew in the broad light, of clay, he kept a sharp lookout for crows but so tar had seen none. And as he approached the old fal en tree trunk where he had lived., he felt a flutter in his gizzard. Would the rabbit stil , he there? It seemed almost, impossible that, a rabbit in these woods thick with owls could have survived so long - .....even a mystic one. The scene was stil so vivid in Coryn s mind. He had seen the plump, succulent rabbit, sitting perfectly stil , as if transfixed, in front of a beautiful spiderweb, The rabbit was studying the
designs in the web, "reading" them, lie said. Their
conversation came back to Coryn now.
80 "I'm a mystic of sorts," the rabbit had begun to explain when Coryn asked him what he was doing. "I see certain things where others don't." "In a spiderweb?"
"Precisely. I'm a web reader." But right now as Coryn flew across the pond, the rabbit was nowhere in sight. Coryn spent several hours scouring the surrounding region. He knew time was running out. To fly back to the hol ow in the fir tree in Silverveil he would now have to fly against the rising wind. The Band would be worried, possibly furious. The sun was sinking fast, tie knew he could not spend any more time. He made one more circle around the pond. Stil no sign of the rabbit. So he climbed high above the forest, turned toward Silverveil, and flew on.
He had not been flying long when he picked up a raucous din on the edges of the wind. "By Glaux, that sounds like a grog tree. Soren had told him that
grog trees had begun to reappear in the Southern
Kingdoms shortly after the Battle of the Burning in. the canycnlands. He had never been, to one and he thought this might just be the time. What better place to pick up gossip? But would he be recognized? Most assuredly so. The scar that slashed across his face was a mirror image of Nyra's. They knew that he was not Nyra, but. they also knew that he was a king and the inheritor of 81 the ember. Gadfeathers! The word exploded in his brain and sent his gizzard into a tizzy. Hadn't Soren also said that gad-feathers were returning? Maybe he could disguise himself!
Gadfeathers, known for their singing as wel as their garish ways, festooned themselves with al manner of discarded feathers from other birds, twigs, strands of ivy - whatever was available. But what if they ask me to sing? Coryn blinked. He had no idea if he could sing. He wasn't a Snowy or a Boreal Owl, who were known for their fine voices. He supposed he could try. The whole idea
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