COPYRIGHT
HarperCollins Childrenâs Books An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
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First published in the USA by Scholastic Inc 2004
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Childrenâs Books 2007
Text copyright © Kathryn Lasky 2004
Illustrations copyright © Richard Cowdrey 2004
The Kathryn Lasky and Richard Cowdrey assert the moral right to be identified as the author
and illustrator of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780007215218
Ebook Edition © NOVEMBER 2016 ISBN: 9780008226831
Version: 2016-12-01
PROLOGUE
It was the same. That was her first thought.
It looks just like the old fir tree, the one where Soren and I were hatched. And even the shape of the hollowâs opening where Mum and Da made their nest, a lopsided O â wasnât that the exact shape?
Eglantine knew she was dreaming, but it seemed so real. Like no dream sheâd ever had. It was so lovely she didnât want it to end. She wondered if she flew a little closer and just took a peek, would the hollow look the same inside? Would her mum and da be there? Oh, it had been forever since sheâd seen them. Soren said they were dead. He had seen their scrooms, the spirits of dead owls. She hated it when Soren said that. Eglantine squirmed now in her sleep as the words from the awful conversation wove through her dream.
âYou saw their scrooms? That means they are dead, doesnât it, Soren?â
âIt does, Eglantine, and there is nothing we can do about that.â
And then Twilight had added his horrible conclusion. âDead is dead.â
âDead is dead.â The words swirled around her like black crows getting ready to mob. âDead IS NOT dead!â She shouted back in her dream. âDead IS NOT dead.â
CHAPTER ONE
A friend in Need?
âWake up, Eglantine! Wake up!â Primrose, Eglantineâs hollowmate, was vigorously shaking her. âYouâre just having a bad dream.â
âOh, for Glauxâs sake, let her sleep,â said Ginger, the newest hollowmate. Ginger was a Barn Owl who had actually been part of the attacking forces during the terrible siege of the previous winter. She had been wounded, but during her recovery she had decided that sheâd had enough of the Pure Ones and much preferred life in the Great GaâHoole Tree. She had not yet, of course, been approved for training as a Guardian. That would require some time. Nonetheless, Eglantine had taken her under her wing, so to speak, and become a kind of big sister to Ginger during her recovery. They had grown quite close in the process. But Primrose was still Eglantineâs best friend in the tree.
âLet her sleep?â Primrose swivelled her head towards the reddish Barn Owl. âLet her continue to have this awful dream?â
Ginger merely sighed and said, âSheâs tired. She needs her sleep, bad dream or not.â
Suddenly Eglantineâs eyes flicked open. âWhy in the name of Glaux are you shaking me? I was having the loveliest dream.â
âLoveliest dream?â Has she lost her mind? thought Primrose. âYou were screaming your head off about being dead or not dead, Eglantine.â
Eglantine blinked. âNo I wasnât,â she replied defiantly. âI was having a wonderful dream about the old hollow in the fir tree back in Tyto where Soren and I lived with our mum and da. And I was just about to go into the hollow. Something wonderful was about to happen, and then you came along and shook me.â She looked accusingly at Primrose. Ginger pretended she wasnât paying any attention and commenced humming a little owl ditty that Eglantine had taught her.