Legend - a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated

I leaned out of the hollow, waiting for Thora to come back. It was an important day, and Thora was taking forever to hunt. I wondered if she was okay, or if she was lost, when she landed swiftly on a branch outside the hollow.

"Thora!"

Thora was a snowy owl, and she was kind of my adopted mother. My mother had disappeared without a trace one day, right after I was born. Thora came into the hollow, two mice in her beak, "Hello, Bravery!" she dropped the mice, "You're up early!"

The moon had just risen, but I was excited. I was going to fly for the first time. I had been branching for nights now, but it was time to really fly. I was so excited. I could already imagine the wind through my feathers, the cool bite of the air, but the warmth that was coming from all my happiness.

"Thora," I exclaimed, about ready to jump out of the hollow, "Let's go!"

"Bravery," she laughed, "You haven't eaten yet! You have to get your strength up!"

"Alright," I grudgingly started to eat the mouse. It was very good, and soon I was finished. Then, Thora agreed to take me outside to try flying. She brought me outside, helped me onto the branch I used to use for Branching, and she gently talked me through it.

"Alright, Bravery," she sat on the branch beside me, "Flying is very hard, okay? I don't want you to get your hopes up that you'll be perfect on the first try. Rarely anyone gets through their first night of flying without running straight into a tree. I remember my first night, I barreled into a snowdrift!" Thora had been raised in the Northern Kingdoms, so this wasn't unusual. For my first night, however, the sky was clear, the temperature was perfect, and there was almost no wind at all, "So try  not to get too excited, okay?" Thora looked at me with sympathetic eyes. I wondered how long it had been since Thora tried flying for the first time. Maybe not too long ago, because she wasn't that old. Maybe a year or two, but not longer.

"Alright, Thora," I agreed, although I had the feeling that there weren't going to be any collisions tonight.

"So all you do," Thora explained, "Is spread your wings, flap," she demonstrated as she spoke, "And you're off!" she rose into the air, flying around the tree trunk once, landing, then saying, "Now it's your turn."

I felt excitement burst through my feathers, and I felt as if I was going to explode if I didn't get into the air immediately. I spread my wings, moving each to test that they were fine, then I gave one huge push down, and I lifted into the air. I spun around once, but then I shot off like a shooting star across the sky. I flew higher and higher until I was above the treetops. I had never felt more alive. Electricity ran through my veins, and I cried out, "Woo hoo!" as I did a small backflip. Flying was nothing like I expected however.

It was twenty times better.

"Bravery!" I heard Thora's voice call out, "You're doing so well!"

I laughed and saw Thora fly up to meet me. We flew around for a bit, but then Thora made me get down. We went back in the hollow, and I noticed we had been flying all night. The moon was about to set. I settled down in my nest, and looked up to Thora, "Will you tell me a story?" I asked.

"What?" she asked, "Aren't you a little old for stories now?"

"Not really," I replied, "Stories are great, and you haven't told me one in forever."

"Alright," Thora agreed, "What do you want to hear about?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "But don't tell me one I've already heard."

Thora's eyes got big, and she smiled, "Have I ever told you about the Guardians of Ga'Hoole?"

I gasped, "No! Tell me!"

"Alright," Thora started. Thora was the best storyteller ever, "There's  a group of noble owls who live in the Great Tree, and they call themselves the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. They dedicate their lives to the protection of owlkind, and they do not swerve in their duty. They support their brother and sister Guardians in times of battle as well as in times of peace. They are the eyes in the night, the silence in the wind. They are the talons through the fire, the shield that guards the innocent. They seek to wear no crown, nor win any glory. They swear this on their honor as a Guardian of Ga'Hoole, until the day that they die. That us their vow, that is their life. They swear by Glaux."

Wow. My eyes widened, "Why, Thora? Why do they do that?"

"Because they're the Guardians. Nothing makes them happier than protecting owls who can't protect themselves," she answered as if it were the most simple thing in the world, "But someone wanted to stop them," she continued, "A group of evil owls called the Pure Ones, who were all barn owls, thought that because they were barn owls, they were better than everyone else. They were ruled by Nyra and Kludd," I recognized that name, Kludd. Something my mother had told me when I was very small. I was whisked into a vague memory of when I was still just a hatchling, before my mother disappeared.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yes. I have two brothers. They're your uncles. Their names are Kludd and Soren."

"Why don't they visit us?"

"Soren is a very busy owl."

"What about Kludd?"

"Honey, Kludd died a very long time ago, when I was little more than a hatchling myself."

"What happened?"

"There was a huge battle between the Guardians and the Pure Ones. Soren was a Guardian, and Kludd was a Pure One. Soren survived, but Kludd didn't make it."

"But they were brothers, why did they fight?"

"They were very different, and they didn't get along well."

"Did you get along well with Kludd and Soren?"

There was a pause. A very long pause.

"Yes, I guess I did. I like to think they both liked me."

"What is Soren doing now, Mom?"

"He's still with the Guardians."

"Were you ever a Guardian?"

"Yes, some time ago."

"Why did you leave?"

"I wanted you to live in Tyto, just like I did before I was a Guardian."

"Okay. Will you ever go back? And would you take me?"

"Maybe one day, and if you wanted to go, I would take you."

"Mom-"

"Enough questions, dear, it's time to go to sleep."

"Is Soren a good Guardian?"

"The best. He's their king now, and he's a wonderful king and Guardian. Now go to sleep."

"Okay."

I gasped. I knew where my mother was.

"Thank you, Thora!" I exclaimed. I was so overjoyed.

"What are you talking about, Bravery?" Thora was confused, "I haven't even gotten to the good part."

"I know where my mother is!" I exclaimed, "She's with my uncle Soren, and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole!"

"How do you know?" Thora asked.

"I remembered something," I exclaimed, "Mom was telling me about her brothers, Kludd and Soren! I know where my mother is!" I ran to the edge of the hollow, about to fly off, when Thora stopped me, "Bravery, where are you going?"

"To find my mother," I answered, "I'm going to go to the Great Tree!"

"Bravery," Thora gently took me under her wing, "The trip to the Great Tree is hard. You would never make it alone. And I can't go with you."

"Why not?" I asked, suddenly sad.

Thora moved her wing, exposing the underneath. There was a huge gash from the tip to where it connected to her body. I was an old injury, but it still looked ugly.

"This is why I never went back," she said.

"Back where?" I asked.

"I was a Guardian once," Thora explained, "I came to get your mother, that's why she's not here, with you. Soren sent me to go get her, there was a huge battle at the Great Tree. One of the attackers gave me this as I passed into Tyto, I hadn't noticed he was following me. I only just got here. I can fly enough to hunt, but I can't make a trip as big as to the Great Tree."

I was shocked, to say the least. Thora knew where my mother was, and she hadn't told me? I snapped at her, "You never told me?" I asked, "You knew where my mother had gone, and you didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Bravery," she said, but I cut her off.

"Don't be," I said, "I'm leaving."

"What?" Thora was upset, I could tell, "No! You can't go! I promised your mother-"

"Well I'm going to find  my mother, so I guess you can take a permanent break," I snapped.

"Wait just a second, Bravery," Thora turned to go back in the hollow, then came out carrying something, "Here. I know I can't stop you, and I can't go with you, but maybe I can give you something that can protect you in my place," She took something out of the bundle, "These are battle claws. You put them on, and they make your claws sharper. Take them."

I let her put them on my talons, and then without another word, I shot out of the hollow into the dim light from the rising sun, leaving my childhood behind.