Jayhaven Chronicles

Rapid was met with terrible noise. Panther and Sunbeam were in the great hall and seemed about ready to die, they looked so upset. Sunbeam was absolutely screeching while Panther flexed his claws and snarled.

“Oh, don’t you start!” Sunbeam yowled. “You think this is some joke? You think you can just charm or fake your way out this time? These are owls we’re dealing with!”

Panther flattened his ears. “Yes, Sunbeam, I know! But we can’t get our tails in a twist over-”

“A STUDENT HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!” Sunbeam screamed so loud Rapid thought his eardrums might pop.

“Whoa, hey!” Rapid called. “I haven’t been kidnapped! I’m right here, I was just… visiting a friend.” He lied.

Panther sighed with what looked like tremendous relief mixed with tremendous exasperation. “I won’t even ask. But I’m afraid we weren’t talking about you.”

Rapid frowned in puzzlement. “But, Peak’s back home, and Hawk’s in the Healer facility! Aren’t I the only student you have right now?”

Panther shook his head. Rapid could almost see the wheels turning in his eyes. “No, no. Rapid, while you were gone, something terrible happened. Something absolutely awful, something-”

“Get on with it!” Sunbeam interrupted him again, not even trying to seem calm.

Panther glared at her and continued. “We were both asleep. It was perfectly quiet, until we heard talons scratching at the drawbridge.”

So that’s what those were. Rapid thought in a brief moment of realization.

“Me and Sunbeam both woke up immediately, only to find that a massive party of owls were raiding the castle. We tried to defend ourselves, but,” Panther squeezed his eyes shut. “There were just too many.

“We fled to a deep part of the castle, a secret place. We felt safe, until we realized he hadn’t come with us.”

Rapid felt shivers run down his spine. “Who? Who’s he?”

Panther’s eyes softened with sadness and sympathy. “Oh. I forgot, you don’t know.”

“Know what?” Rapid was growing more and more panicked by the second.

“Peak, right after you left I guess, decided he wanted to tough it out and continue training, despite his brother not being with him.” Panther heaved a shuddering breath. “He was here when the owls attacked. He was brave, and fought with what little strength he had, but he had no chance.”

The room went dark. Rapid suddenly felt like fainting and crying at the same time. Peak, his best friend in the whole world... No. This can’t be happening. “D-did… did he d-die?” Rapid croaked pathetically, tears forming in his eyes. “I-is he gone?”

Sunbeam finally spoke up. “No, worse.” She mewed, barely above a whisper. “The owls took him. They said they planned on torturing any information they could out of him. As revenge for the owl we took.” Her pale golden eyes, for the first time since Rapid knew her, showed the slightest shred of empathy.

“A hostage for a hostage.”