On the Trail

by Kiki Thorpe

  They circled the bog three times. But Myka didn’t see anything that could tell her more.

  The girls and Myka landed together on a patch of dry ground. Everyone looked discouraged. “What should we do now?” Mia asked.

  Myka hovered, uncertain. The sea was just to the east. To the west, through the deep forest, lay Torth Mountain. Which way had Beck gone?

  As she looked around, her eyes fell on something in Gabby’s hand. “Gabby! Where did you get that?”

  Gabby held up the feather. It was mottled gray and white with just the faintest touch of green at the tip. “I found it on the ground over there,” she said, pointing. “I thought it was pretty.”

  Myka clapped her hands together. “It’s not just pretty,” she exclaimed. “It’s a clue!”

  “How is a feather a clue?” Mia asked. There didn’t seem to be anything very special about it to her.

  Myka took the feather from Gabby. It was twice as tall as she was. She had to hold it with both hands. “It’s a Never bird feather,” she said. “I’d bet my wings on it.”

  “So?” said Kate.

  “The Never bird is a seabird,” Myka explained. “It makes its nest offshore.”

  “What would a Never bird feather be doing here, then?” Lainey asked.

  Myka nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I think it’s important. It might tell us something about Beck. At least now we know which way to go—toward the sea.”

  “Wait a second,” Kate said. “We found Beck’s bag near those animal tracks in the mud. A bird wouldn’t have made tracks like that.”

  “That’s true.” Myka thought about it. “But my sixth sense is telling me to follow this clue.”

  Mia wished her sixth sense would tell her something. But the farther they went, the more uncertain she felt.

  Between the bog and the sea was a narrow patch of forest. “Should we fly over it?” Kate asked. “We’ll get there much faster.”

  But Myka shook her head. “Better stay close to the ground. We’re more likely to find her trail that way.” And off she went, zigzagging through the trees.

  Mia and her friends followed as best they could. Unlike the fairy, they had to duck under low-hanging branches and pick their way carefully over fallen limbs and rocks.

  Mia tried her best to think and act like a scout. She listened to their steps crunch the leaves and the sounds of twigs snapping. Once, Mia spied a fairy’s glow. Her heart gave a leap of hope when she thought it might be Beck. But no, it was only Myka scouting ahead.

  When they finally caught up to the fairy, she was kneeling on the ground, looking at something.

  “What is it?” asked Mia, going to her.

  Myka held up a strand of braided grass. One end was looped like a lasso.

  “That’s a herding rope!” Lainey said. “The animal-talent fairies use them to catch straggling mice.”

  “And it’s got mud on it,” said Kate. “It must be Beck’s.”

  Mia suddenly felt hopeful. “If Beck lassoed something, it means she was in control—not the other way around. Right?”

  “Mmm,” said Myka, only half listening. Her eyes were darting all around. Looking, looking…

  Suddenly, she flew over to a low bush. “It went this way. See? You can tell something’s been through here.” She showed them a tiny twig that had been snapped completely off.

  “Was it a big animal?” asked Gabby.

  As Myka opened her mouth to answer, they heard the rustle of leaves. Something was moving toward them through the trees.

  Everyone froze. Myka’s wings beat silently as she hovered in the air. Mia could tell the fairy was listening very carefully. Even her glow seemed dimmer than usual.

  What if it’s a bear? Mia thought. They’d met a bear once before in Never Land. Her muscles tensed, ready to run.

  Lainey must have been thinking the same thing. “Remember, if it’s a bear, don’t run,” she whispered.

  The crashing came closer. Gabby whimpered. Mia squeezed her hand.

  Suddenly, Myka’s glow flared again. “It’s all right,” she whispered, just as a large deer stepped out from the trees.

  The deer froze when it saw them. For a long moment, nothing moved. The girls and the deer stared at one another in silence.

  Then the deer flicked one ear and leaped away into the forest.

  “Phew!” Kate’s breath rushed out in relief. “Not scary.”

  Gabby giggled. “Not scary at all.”

  “It was a doe,” Myka noted. “Its fawn is probably somewhere nearby. Let’s keep going. The forest ends just there.”

  “How do you know?” Mia asked.

  “Look,” Myka said as she gestured ahead. “Don’t you see it?”

  Mia’s gaze followed where the fairy was pointing. Through a break in the trees, she could see blue sky.

  As they got closer, Mia began to hear a rhythmic whooshing sound. “Do I hear waves?”

  “I hear it, too!” Gabby said.

  “We’re coming to the sea that borders Never Land to the east,” Myka said.

  “Maybe we’ll find Beck sunning her wings on the beach,” Kate said.

  But when they emerged from the trees, Mia knew Kate was wrong. This was no place for sunbathing. The forest ended right at the sea—a short but straight drop down to the water. A strong wind blustered, blowing Mia’s long hair around her face.

  But what held Mia’s attention the most lay out in the water, just offshore. “What is that?”

  “It’s called Skull Rock,” Myka said.

  “No kidding,” said Kate.

  The giant rock rose straight up from the sea. Two holes, one on either side, looked like empty eye sockets. A dark cavern formed a gaping mouth.

  “I guess we hit a dead end. Ha-ha.” Mia laughed nervously.

  The wind was making it hard for Myka to hold steady in the air. But her gaze never wavered from Skull Rock. With a sinking feeling, Mia suddenly knew what Myka was going to say.

  “I think we need to go there,” Myka said.

  “Out to that creepy rock? Why?” Mia asked.

  Myka landed on Mia’s shoulder. “What does your sixth sense tell you?”

  “I don’t know,” Mia replied. “But my common sense says ‘Stay away from skeleton-shaped caves.’ ”

  “Wait,” Gabby said. “Listen! Do you hear that?”

  Hear what? Mia thought. She tried to tune out the wind and the waves. Then she heard it—a high-pitched wail, almost like a baby’s cry.

  Maybe it was just the wind.

  Then Mia heard it again. No. The sound was alive.

  Myka listened from her perch on Mia’s shoulder. She could tell the crying sound was coming from Skull Rock. Whatever was making it sounded scared.

  For the first time that day, Myka felt a twinge of doubt. She knew pirates often used Skull Rock to hide their ships. After what had happened in the bog, did she dare lead the girls into more danger?

  And yet…her instincts told her that they were close to finding out what had happened to Beck. They couldn’t turn back. Not now.

  She glanced at Mia. Her face was tense and pale. There was no doubt about it. Mia was afraid. “You got this far,” Myka whispered in her ear. “You can make it out there.”

  “It’s not flying that scares me,” Mia replied. “It’s what happens when we get there that I’m worried about.”

  “Whatever happens, we stick together,” Kate said. “Right?” She held out her hand to Lainey.

  Lainey clasped it, then reached for Gabby. “Right.”

  “Yeah,” Gabby said, taking Lainey’s hand.

  Kate held out her free hand to Mia. After a moment’s hesitation, Mia took it.

  “Okay, I can do this,” she said.

  They all took off.

  The wind blew hard over the sea. It was difficult to make headway. Holding hands, the girls seemed to be struggling even more than Myka.

  “Spread out!” Myka suggested. “Hopefully the
winds will die down soon.”

  The girls broke apart. Kate flew out in front. Lainey and Mia were just behind her. Gabby and Myka brought up the rear.

  As they came closer to Skull Rock, Myka heard the cry again. It was still faint, but clearer.

  “I can hear it!” Lainey called over the wind.

  Was the sound coming from inside the skull? Or somewhere nearby? Myka couldn’t tell.

  Just then, she noticed something bumping against the sharp rocks that jutted up from the water near the base of Skull Rock. It was a large nest with a wide edge like the brim of a hat. A single white egg was nestled inside.

  The Never bird’s nest! Myka’s instincts had been right! If the Never bird was here, maybe Beck was somewhere nearby, too.

  But that’s strange, Myka thought, staring down at the nest. Where is the bird? Why isn’t she sitting on her egg?

  The girls hadn’t noticed that Myka had stopped. “Wait!” she called after them. But her voice was lost in the wind.

  She heard the cry again. It seemed different now—shriller, more urgent. And closer.

  Wait a second. Myka recognized that sound. She turned in midair. Her glow almost winked out.

  A huge bird bore down on her, its sharp beak open wide. The Never bird was heading right for her!

  Mia heard a cry behind her. She turned and saw the enormous bird racing toward Myka. Its beak looked ready to snap the fairy up.

  Without thinking, Mia pushed hard against the air. She dove in front of Myka. Mia shouted and waved her arms at the bird. “Go away! Shoo!”

  The Never bird screeched. Mia could feel its wings beating around her. Through a blur of feathers, Mia glimpsed the sharp rocks below. For a terrible moment she thought she would fall.

  Suddenly, she felt hands close over her own. Lainey and Kate were on either side of her. “We’ve got you,” Kate said.

  Mia looked around. Where was Myka? Was she safe?

  Then she spotted the fairy a few feet away with Gabby.

  The bird’s shrill cries filled their ears. It was coming toward them again.

  “Quick! Head for the cave!” Myka cried. She and Gabby dove toward one of the big holes in the side of the rock. The rest of the girls followed.

  The bird chased after them. But its wings were too wide to fit through the opening. It flapped outside the rock for a moment, screaming in frustration. Then it flew away.

  Mia’s whole body was weak with relief. “That was close!” She turned to see Myka hovering in the air behind her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Myka said, though Mia could see she was shaking. “You saved me, Mia.”

  “That was super brave,” Kate agreed.

  “I’ve never seen you fly that fast,” Lainey said.

  I was brave, wasn’t I? Mia realized in amazement. She’d done it without even thinking. “I guess I’m finally getting the hang of flying.” She turned a wobbly flip in the air just for fun. “Whoa!”

  Kate grabbed her arm to steady her.

  “What kind of bird was that?” Lainey asked Myka.

  “A Never bird,” the scout answered.

  “Like the feather I found!” Gabby exclaimed.

  “So that means we’re on the right track,” Kate said. “But why did it attack us?”

  Myka frowned. “I don’t know. At first I thought the bird was just protecting its nest. But it kept coming after us. It’s almost as if she didn’t want us to come into the cave.”

  It suddenly dawned on Mia that they were inside Skull Rock. She turned to take a look around—and gasped.

  They were in an enormous cavern. The cave was so wide, an entire ship could have sailed around in it. Two shafts of sunlight came through the skull’s eye sockets, illuminating a deep pool of water below.

  For a moment Mia forgot to be afraid. “Wow! This is cool!”

  Her voice echoed through the cavern. Then they heard a rustling sound above them. Mia glanced up and saw dark shapes dotting the ceiling.

  “Bats,” Myka whispered. “Keep your voices down. We don’t want to disturb them.”

  Mia nodded and pressed her lips together. The last thing she wanted was a bunch of bats flying around with them.

  Another cry rang through the cave, making them all jump. It was the same sound they’d heard on shore.

  “It’s coming from there,” said Lainey, pointing to the back of the cavern. All the girls could see was darkness.

  “Remember,” said Myka as they flew forward. “Use all your—”

  “Senses,” the girls whispered in unison.

  Myka smiled. “You’re turning into real scouts!”

  As they moved away from the cave openings, Myka’s glow was the only light. “Stay close,” the fairy whispered.

  As if I would let her out of my sight, Mia thought. She fumbled and found Gabby’s hand in the dark. Lainey clutched Mia’s other hand, with Kate on Gabby’s other side.

  Myka’s glow reflected off the red minerals and green slime of the cavern walls. The air smelled salty. Water dripped from above. Each drop echoed when it hit the water below.

  Suddenly, Gabby screamed.

  She flew into Mia, who screamed too and knocked into Lainey. In a second the friends were all bumping into one another in a panic.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Myka exclaimed.

  “Something’s in here! I felt it!” Gabby said. “It’s cold and wet and slimy. Don’t let it get me!”

  In the dim light, Mia spied a hulking form next to Gabby. Myka saw it, too. Lightning quick, she drew an arrow from her quiver. She took aim with her bow—and then lowered it.

  “It’s okay, Gabby,” she said. “Look.”

  Myka flared her glow. Now they could all see the big rock covered in a tangle of sea kelp. Gabby’s arm had brushed against the kelp.

  Mia laughed in relief. “It’s just a rock. It’s slippery from the seaweed.”

  “Oh.” Gabby regarded the rock warily, as if she thought it still might come after them. “Well, then what’s that? Behind you?”

  They all turned. Ahead in the dark was a pinprick of light.

  The light grew bigger as it came toward them. A familiar voice said, “Who’s there?”

  “Beck!” the girls and Myka cried in unison as the pigtailed fairy came into full view.

  They rushed to meet her, all of them talking at once.

  “I can’t believe it!”

  “We’ve been looking for you!”

  “We thought something terrible might have happened!”

  Beck’s eyes were round with amazement. “How in the name of Never Land did you find me?” she asked. “Wait! Tell me later. On my wings, do I need your help!”

  At once, Myka took charge. She fluttered around Beck, asking, “Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “No,” said Beck, “but—”

  “Don’t be afraid,” Kate said quickly. “We won’t let anything happen to you now.”

  “You must be exhausted,” Mia chimed in. “Can you fly as far as Pixie Hollow?”

  “Yes,” said Beck, “but—”

  “Good.” Myka seized Beck’s hand. She began to pull her toward the cave entrance. “Don’t worry, Beck. We’ll have you back home in no time.”

  “Wait!” Beck yanked her hand from Myka’s grasp. “What are you doing?”

  Everyone stopped. They all stared at Beck. “We’re rescuing you, of course!” Myka said.

  “I’m not the one who needs rescuing. She is.” Beck pointed to the darkness at the back of the cave.

  “Who’s she?” asked Kate.

  “Come on.” Beck flew the way she’d come, with Myka and the girls close behind. Together, the two fairy glows lit the cave faintly. Now Myka could see a narrow shelf of rock at the back of the cavern.

  A baby deer was curled up at the water’s edge. It held perfectly still, watching them. Even with her sharp eyesight, Myka would have missed it if it weren’t for the white spots on its b
ack.

  “Oh! It’s so cute!” Gabby reached to pet the fawn’s head. It gave a loud, frightened bleat. Gabby drew back, startled.

  “That’s the sound we’ve been hearing!” Kate exclaimed.

  Of course! Myka thought. It was a fawn crying. The sound had been so out of place in Skull Rock, she hadn’t recognized it.

  “She’s exhausted, poor thing,” Beck said. “And scared out of her mind. No wonder, after all she’s been through.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Myka said. “How did she get here?”

  “I’ll explain everything later,” Beck said. “Right now I need your help. The tide is coming in. When it does, this shelf will be gone. The fawn is too worn out to swim, and I’m not big or strong enough to carry her out.”

  “I’ll do it,” said Kate, stepping forward.

  But when Kate tried to pick her up, the fawn cried pitifully. She wriggled so much that Kate couldn’t keep her grip. Mia tried next, but the fawn kicked her so hard with its sharp hooves that she had to let it go. Even Beck’s voice didn’t seem to calm the little creature.

  Myka started to worry. She could see the tide was coming in, just like Beck said. Had they come all this way only to be no help at all?

  “You try, Lainey,” Mia said. “You have a way with animals.”

  The water was lapping at their feet as Lainey carefully approached the fawn. She put a hand gently on its back. The deer started, but it didn’t bleat or kick.

  Mia heard Lainey murmuring quietly to the little fawn. Slowly, slowly, she reached her other hand around it. The fawn held still. Moments later, it was nestled comfortably in her arms.

  “Lainey, you’ve got the special touch,” Myka said.

  Lainey smiled down at the fawn’s head. “Maybe I do.”

  “Let’s hurry,” said Beck. “It’s time we got this baby back to her mama.”

  They flew back through the cavern. But at the mouth of the skull, Myka stopped them. “We’d better be careful,” she warned Beck. “A Never bird attacked us on the way in. It may still be out there.”