Benard

**Benard** the Spotted Owl was the battlemaster of the Clan of Krakor, which Otulissa's mate Cleve originated from. He was an elderly owl and his species is never specified, but he might well have been a Spotted Owl, or Strix occidentalis.

## History

### *Lost Tales of Ga'Hoole*

To train his scholarly first-born, Claymore, in the capabilities that he believed would make a great warrior, Cleve's Father maintained a vast array of staff to train such skills, including Benard, who was the Hollow of Snarth's master-of-arms. Benard was, on occasion, the butt of pranks played by Claymore and Cleve, who would often either remove a weapon during one of the Battlemaster's chronicling of the weapons under his watch, then replace it just where it had been or where another item of combat had once been, the latter of which made Benard contemplate if he was suffering from hallucinations. Benard, though mildly annoyed, never showed any real anger towards such practical jokes. As master-of-arms, Benard was given authority over the servants of the Krakor Clan armoury, including Jak, and trained Cleve and Claymore in the arts of combat, which Cleve proved himself the superior of the two.

Master Benard, henceforth, was astonishment when Claymore suddenly and unexpectedly committed himself to his combat education and study of warcraft, spurred on by a quoted prophecy of Old Pan.

One night, a drill in battle claw combat overseen by Benard was cut short when a fearsome blizzard rolled suddenly in and Benard, Cleve and Claymore swept into the armory to return the claws wielded. As they hopped forwards to again hang the claws, Benard did a double take, then answered the realisation that the sacred family heirloom — the Unguis Montania — were nowhere to be seen. Instantly assuming it to be a joke of his students, Benard said as such, but realised from the princes' dumbfounded looks that they were just as incredulous as him. Realising the only other owl that could be a suspect was Jak, Benard called for the squire, searching the dining hollow before joining a mass hunt for the young owl.

It turned out that Jak had been blackmailed into stealing the Mountain Claws by owls claiming to have come from the Hollow of Kyran under the threat of his sister being harmed and in the ensuing confusion of poor Jak's attempt to flee, both he and Claymore met an untimely end. Despite Jak's crimes, Benard, Cleve and Cleve's Father chose to venture to the Hollow of Kyran to discuss Jak's claims with the Snarth Hollow's cousins. After discovering that Jak's sibling had been a hostage of owls acting under orders from a mad in-law who had acted without any support from the Hollow of Kyran, Benard and his masters subsequently released Jak's sister and took her to safety, then saw Jak's blackmailers cast out for their crimes.

## Personality

Cleve described Benard as stern, but also jovial, warm-hearted and capable of taking a joke. He apparently valued order and was often maddened by Cleve and Claymore's pranks. Benard also held the sacred Unguis Montania battle claws in great value, instantly erupting into anger when he thought the Krakor brothers had taken them for the sake of humour, yet was willing to rescue Jak's sister from her captors, despite her late brother's theft of the Mountain Claws.