Read Guardians of Ga'Hoole 13 - The River of Wind for Free Online

had appeared to flourish, but the gizzards of some of its owls had hardened and withered.
    “Now,” Coryn continued, “there are other practical matters to think about. If we do successfully negotiate these windkins and find the current of streaming air, how long will it take us? And if not weapons, what should we take—food? Can we eat on the wing?”
    Otulissa had been looking hard at Bess, but now turned to address Coryn. “There are two sun symbols on the key and only two newing moon symbols, one slightly more shaded. I would think that means that the flight is aday, a night, another day, and part of another night, for the shading of the moon has barely increased on the second night.”
    “That’s so short!” Gylfie gasped in astonishment.
    “About the same time as flying from the great tree to the northernmost reaches of the Northern Kingdoms,” Otulissa said.
    “But still, there’s no place to stop in between. No islands. No Ice Narrows with cliffs,” Martin whispered.
    “Yes, but if this stream is what I think it is, we’ll barely burn any energy getting there.”
    “It seems amazing that no one has discovered this before now,” Ruby wondered aloud.
    “Well, as I said, it’s high-altitude flying, and you have to negotiate these wind ladders and the dangers of the tumblebones,” Otulissa replied.
    “So, are you saying we don’t need to take much?” Soren asked. “What about this key? Should we bring it? We will probably need it.”
    “I don’t think we need that much. Except perhaps time, right now. Time to study more. This key is not hard to memorize. I think we should all try to commit at least a piece of it to memory. I will try to memorize all of it.”
    “What about gifts?” Gylfie said. “If we brought something, you know, a present, it might show that we come in good faith and good gizzard.”
    “That’s a lovely idea, Gylfie,” Mrs. P. said. “But whatever could we bring?”
    “Maybe something simple,” Soren said. “There is a lot of rabbit’s ear moss that grows in the Shadow Forest. It’s the best moss in the whole world for lining a young’un’s bed. I always bring some back for Pelli and the chicks. Maybe it doesn’t grow in the sixth kingdom.”
    “Brilliant!” Bess exclaimed. “Yes, I think that would be just the thing. Much better than those geegaws you tell me Trader Mags is always dragging around.”
    “Absolutely!” Otulissa nodded firmly in approval. She then swiveled her head toward Bess. She blinked her eyes shut for several long seconds. “Bess, your revelations this evening…”
    “Oh, do not call them revelations, Otulissa,” Bess protested. “That sounds so…so emotional. I prefer to think of them as evidence. These are documents, dare I say primary source documents, that you can hold in your talons. You can see that these are the writings of owls.”
    “Yes, yes, of course.” Otulissa nodded in great deference. She had understood for a long time that Bess was ascholar equal to herself. “I just mean to say, if I may put it plainly…”
    “Oh, please do.”
    “Bess, this is simple. It would be helpful, since you understand this language, or at least many of the words beyond the one that we share in common—Glaux—that you would come with us.”
    They all looked at Bess expectantly. The slender Boreal Owl wilfed, suddenly growing much slimmer. “No…no. I don’t leave the Palace of Mists. Ever!”
    “Never?” Martin asked in wonder.
    “Never,” Bess repeated.
    It was decided that the Chaw of Chaws would stay on for several more days at the Palace of Mists. They would study the charts of the windkins, memorize the key, and Otulissa and Bess would embark on an intense study of the random fragments of the peculiar language they had found on the documents.
    Soren reminded them that he had charged Primrose and Eglantine with the duty of informing the Parliament of their mission.
    “And if we do not return? If Eglantine and Primrose go