Elgobad's Ally was an unnamed male Great Horned Owl, or Bubo virginianus, who lived during the time of H'rath as a knight of Lord Arrin. Despite being sworn into the oaths of knighthood, Elgobad's Ally was more than willing to break the code of H'rath.
History[]
The First Collier[]
As a knight in Lord Arrin's service, the Great Horned was surely among the force of hagsfiends, vassals, troops, knights and hireclaws that amassed on Lord Arrin's command on the Firth of Fangs northmost point under the leadership of Lord Pleek's fiercest officers to invade the Hrath'ghar ridge and seize power.
Over the neutral air space of the Bitter Sea, the Great Horned, armed with an ice scimitar, came across his master's cousin, Lord Elgobad and the young Horned Theo circling each other and inquired who Theo was, directing the question to Elgobad, who answered that his opponent refused to give a name to the face, nor reveal his intended destination. In answer to Theo's declaring himself a gizzard resister who never fought, Elgobad's Ally hooted that such a belief did not extend to when such an owl was attacked and, in unison with Elgobad, swooped on his fellow Horned Owl, breaking the H'rathian Code in the process by attacking a defenceless owl in neutral air space. Holding his scimitar ready for battle, the Great Horned was quick to wheel back when the first blacksmith dodged their unprovoked attack, pursuing Grank's student through the labyrinth of ice floes, unafraid of the salt water the way his hagsfiend allies would have been. As they gained ground however, Theo, after ducking an ice splinter missile thrown by Elgobad, answered with a miraculous show of flying skill that sent him racing towards his enemy kin. Startled beyond believe, the Horned was left defenseless when Theo's battle claws tore into his chest, ripping the knight's breast open and sending his bloodied body plunging towards the sea. This skirmish was beheld by Theo's teacher, Grank, who could only watch helpless as his student performed the act he had never wished to commit: killing.
Despite being a foe, the Great Horned's death had a traumatic effect on Theo and was the first owl ever to perish from battle claws. Grank, while comforting his apprentice, expressed his suspicion that the Horned was a press scout sent by his liege to find and force young owls into service as troops of Arrin's Army.
Trivia[]
- Since Grank was able to instantly identify the Great Horned as a knight in Lord Arrin's service, it is probable that he knew or at least had seen him during a parley or meeting with Arrin.