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Bess, also known as The Knower or Bess of the Chimes, is a female Boreal Owl, or Aegolius funereus. She is one of Grimble's children and an ally to the Great Tree.

History[]

The Capture[]

When Grimble, Bess's father, was out hunting with his mate, a St. Aggie's patrol snatched his favorite owlet, Bess. The owl who had attempted to snatch Bess was Ork, a cousin of Jatt and Jutt. When he got back and saw this, Grimble pursued and killed him, saving his daughter. Skench and Spoorn saw his superb fighting skills and were very impressed, since Grimble killed Ork with no battle claws, and made a deal with him, promising that they would never touch his nest again if he chose to come and join them at St. Aegolius. Grimble was allowed three visits to his nest per year, but the longer he stayed at St. Aggie's, the less his own family recognized him. He had become semi-moon-blinked, which he considered worse than being fully moon blinked.

The Journey/The Rescue[]

Bess was discovered by the Band in the Palace of Mists. She was discovered tolling her father's bones to glaumora, since she found them and thought that he had abandoned her family forever. The Band told her otherwise. Though it is not clarified when exactly this happened, it presumably happened some time during The Journey or The Rescue, as it was one of the first times the Band snuck out of the Great Tree. Only Ezylryb, Strix Struma, and the Band's close friend, Otulissa, all who the Band had been able to convince Bess to trust would keep her secret, were told of her.

The Golden Tree[]

Bess is officially introduced when Coryn is told of the time the Band discovered the Palace of Mists.

The River of Wind[]

Bess had sent a message to Otulissa, telling her that she had discovered a sixth kingdom, and that she and the Chaw of Chaws should come to her immediately. Otulissa destroyed the letter, and later took the Chaw of Chaws, Coryn, and Mrs. Plithiver to Bess's palace. After, the Chaw of Chaws set off to search for the sixth kingdom.

Exile[]

Since the Band was banished from the Great Tree after the Striga hypnotized Coryn, Otulissa took books to Bess in the Palace of Mists to prevent them from being burned by the Striga. Also, Pellimore took the Ember to the Palace of Mists when it was in danger of being near the Striga's reach.

The War of the Ember[]

Bess was in the Palace of Mists, when a strange Boreal Owl came up to her, dying. He asked her to sing him to his death, and she did, later leaving him rest in peace. When she heard some strange noises, she went back out and discovered that the owl was still there, only pretending to die. He asked where the Ember was, and she refused to tell him. Instead, she led him away from the Ember and killed him. She went to the Great Tree and reported this. The Tree came up with a new plan to hide the Ember - they sent three owls each with a bucket of coals, none of the owls knowing which bucket the Ember was in. They would all set off in different directions, and all meet up in the same place.

Trivia[]

  • In her movie appearances, Bess and her mother appear to be Spotted Owls. This may be due to animators re-purposing footage intended for a different scene.
  • She is fluent in human English, translating the stories of many Others into Hoolian.
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