“We hope,” Raina added.
Trying not to take Raina’s comment the wrong way, Melli raced out to find Taly. She felt sure that this plan was going to work and Taly would get home safely.
Licorice Loops
Back in Caramel Hills, Taly listened to Melli practice her licorice stick. Now that a plan was set to return to the caves later in the day, there was some time to rest and for Melli to practice for her performance.
“That was rocking sweet!” Taly exclaimed. “Melli, you are so good on the licorice stick. I wish I could see you play at Candy Castle.” Taly leaned back on a caramel oak tree. “I bet that castle is amazing.”
“Candy Castle is sugar-tastic,” Melli said. “And Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop are the sweetest, but I’ve just learned this song, so I’m a little nervous.”
Taly stood up. “You are very good,” she said.
Melli put her instrument back in the case. “Thank you,” she said, blushing. “The party is tomorrow. I wish I had a little more time to practice.”
“You’ll be great,” Taly said, smiling.
“Berry, Raina, Dash, and Cocoa will be here any minute,” Melli said. “They are getting the supplies. The plan is to get to the caves before Sun Dip.”
“Sun Dip?” Taly asked. “What is that?”
“When the sun dips down and night begins,” Melli told her. She pointed out the window and up to the Frosted Mountains. “When the sun dips below the mountaintops, the whole sky turns delicious colors. It is my favorite time of day.”
Taly gazed up at the iced mountaintop. “I’ve never seen a Sun Dip before,” she said. “Inside the caves we don’t get to the see the sky.”
Melli sat down next to Taly. “Why do gnomes stay in their caves and never come out?”
“I’m not sure,” Taly replied. “That is part of the reason I wanted to go outside the caves. But then I got lost–and scared.”
“Did you tell anyone you were leaving to explore?” Melli asked. She had not asked Taly before about her reasons for leaving. She wanted to be careful not to upset her or make her feel uncomfortable.
Taly looked down at the ground. “No,” she said. “And I bet Mama G will be angry. She says I do things without thinking sometimes.”
“We say that about Dash sometimes too,” Melli said. “I’ll bet Mama G is very worried.”
Taly’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t mean to worry her,” she said. “I was just so curious about what was outside the caves. Most gnomes don’t think about that sort of thing.”
“There is nothing wrong with being curious,” Melli said. “But maybe next time you should let someone know what you are up to.” She gave the little gnome a hug. It felt good to be the one calming someone else. For the first time, Melli wasn’t nervous or scared. She was feeling hopeful and knew that her friends would come through with their plan to get Taly back to her caves safely.
“Have ever seen a sugar crystal from Rock Candy Caves?” Taly asked.
Melli thought for a moment and shook her head. “What does it look like?”
“Sugar crystals grow in our caves,” Taly explained. “They hang from the ceilings and create sugar-tastic shapes and sometimes colors.”
“Will you show me some when we go to the caves later?” Melli asked.
“You bet!” Taly said. She smiled up at Melli. “And thank you for being so nice to me. You and your friends are the nicest fairies any gnome could hope to meet.”
Melli laughed and gave Taly a tight squeeze. “Sure as sugar! Anytime!” she said. “Now come on, it’s time to meet the others at Chocolate Falls.”
Taly jumped up onto Melli’s back and together they flew over to Chocolate Falls. Melli hoped they would be able to find the cave opening easily.
The other Candy Fairies were there—even Berry! Melli was touched that Berry was on time. The fashion-minded fairy was always fashionably late!
“Come try on your mining outfit,” Berry called when she saw Melli and Taly.
Slipping on the warm jacket and then the headlight, Melli felt like a real adventurer.
“You look like Lupa!” Cocoa cried.
“I hope I can be as brave as Lupa,” Melli whispered to her friend. “Especially since I’ll be on my own with Taly.”
Berry pulled out the long licorice rope. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We will be on the other end of this rope, ready to come get you.”
Melli was so thankful for her friends. “Taly, this plan is going to work,” she said. “You’ll see. We’ll have you back in no time.”
Raina and Berry uncoiled the licorice rope and stood back from the cave opening.
“We’ll be right here,” Raina said. She looped one end of the licorice around Melli’s belt.
“Be careful,” Cocoa told Melli.
“And bring back some treats!” Dash exclaimed. She blushed when her friends turned to look at her. “Taly and I were talking about some gnome sweet treats, and they sounded minty good!”
Taly laughed along with the other Candy Fairies. Melli was happy that Dash had cracked a joke. She gave her a hug. “I will be sure to bring you back a treat,” she said.
“You know the way once you are inside, right?” Raina asked Taly. “You will lead Melli. The rope is for Melli to find her way back out.”
“Got it,” Taly said. “I really liked meeting you all. I hope maybe we can see one another again.”
“Me too,” Berry said.
Melli was so proud of Berry.
“Off we go,” Melli said, taking Taly by the hand.
Melli looked back at her friends, gripping the rope. It was a safe feeling, seeing her friends standing there holding the anchor. Especially since she had no idea where she and Taly were going! Where was this gnome home entrance?
“I think it is this way,” Taly said to Melli. “It’s dark, but gnomes can see in the dark. Follow me.” She tightened her hand around Melli’s. “I’m glad you are here with me.”
“Me too,” Melli said. She walked behind Taly and noticed that the tunnels curved and twisted just like in the story she had read. She was glad that she had Berry’s warm coat. It was very cold in the caves.
“We are close, I think,” Taly said. She stopped. She turned. “Or maybe we should go this way?” Taly took her striped hat off and scratched her head.
The tunnels were dark and twisty. No wonder Taly had gotten lost!
Melli looked up, and her headlamp put a spotlight on a sugar crystal hanging down from the ceiling. “Whoa, what is that?” she asked.
“That is a sugar crystal,” Taly said proudly. “And now I know where we are! Come this way!” She pulled Melli away from the large crystal and around a bend.
Melli held her breath. “Oh, sweet sugars,” she said. “Taly, that is just amazing!” Hanging down were clusters of colorful crystals in a rainbow of colors. She moved closer to view the crystals.
“This all looks familiar now,” Taly said. “Come!”
There were a few more twists and turns. And then Melli realized something . . . The licorice loop around her belt was no longer there! She was not attached to her friends.
“Hot caramel!” Melli cried. “The licorice rope broke!”
Home Sweet Home
Melli’s heart began to beat a thousand times faster than normal. Her face felt a hot cinnamon color. Now that the rope had broken, she was sure she’d never find her way out! She looked behind her and didn’t see the licorice rope. “Oh no,” she wailed. “I have no idea where the rope fell off.”
“I’m sure Mama G will be able to help,” Taly said. “She is our leader and very smart. She might be upset with me, but I am sure she will be kind to you. Especially after all the help you and your friends have given me.”
Somehow Melli had not focused on meeting Mama G and the other gnomes until right at that minute. “How does Mama G feel about Candy Fairies?” Melli asked.
Taly shrugged innocently. “I don’t really know. She
never talks about Candy Fairies or anything outside the gnome world. I didn’t even know what a Candy Fairy was until I met you! I never really thought about what happened to the sugar after the carts left the caves.”
This news didn’t make Melli feel any better.
“What happens if she doesn’t trust or like Candy Fairies?” Melli asked. She thought of Berry’s reaction when she first met Taly. What would happen if this Mama G gnome felt the same way about Candy Fairies?
Melli’s wings were fluttering and her feet lifted off the ground.
“Hold on,” Taly said. “I know that’s my sugar rock!” She pulled Melli forward. The tiny gnome dragged Melli along a narrow tunnel and then around a few large sugar crystals. With each step Melli grew more concerned that she was getting farther away from her licorice rope—and the exit.
“Is this home?” Melli asked when they arrived in a clearing. Up ahead Melli could see a group of gnomes of all shapes and sizes. They wore colorful pointed hats and were standing around a map hanging on the cave wall. Melli could hardly believe her eyes, there were so many gnomes here!
“Crystal!” one of the larger gnomes cried. The larger gnome rushed toward Taly and swept her up in a tight, long squeeze.
Melli tried to think what brave Lupa the explorer would do in this situation. Melli was possibly the first Candy Fairy these gnomes had ever seen. She gathered her courage and smiled as wide as she could. “Hello,” she said, “I am Melli the Caramel Candy Fairy, and I have brought Crystal back home.”
A silence fell over the gnomes. None of them spoke. They all looked at Melli in disbelief. Melli heard the quiet drops of sugar water trickling through the caves. She tried not to panic, but this silent greeting was making her wings twitch.
Finally, the tallest gnome, with a green hat, stepped forward. Melli could hear the crunch of the pebbles on the ground as she walked toward her. She couldn’t tell if the gnome was happy or angry. As she got closer Melli saw that she was smiling.
“I am Mama G,” the gnome said. “Thank you for bringing Crystal home. We were very worried about her.”
Melli bowed her head. She curtsied as if she were in front of the king and queen. “It is an honor to meet you,” Melli said. “I have heard stories of a brave gnome named Gumbu. Is that you?”
“Gumbu was my grandmother,” Mama G said. “She was a brave explorer.”
Melli couldn’t wait to tell Raina and Berry that the Gumbu stories were real!
“I really enjoyed getting to know Taly,” Melli told Mama G. “She has told me so many interesting things about gnomes.”
“I see,” Mama G said. She looked over at Taly. “She is our little adventurer. But she needs to think before she acts.” Mama G turned to Taly. “We were so worried. We didn’t know what happened to you. You are so lucky to have met a nice Candy Fairy.”
Taly lowered her head. “I know I was wrong,” she said. “But you all were wrong about outside the caves. Sugar Valley is beautiful and full of delicious candy and very nice Candy Fairies.”
Melli smiled at Taly. Then she noticed the other gnomes were whispering and gesturing, and Melli wasn’t sure what was happening. Were they angry at Taly? Were they afraid of Melli?
Just at that moment a loud siren sounded. The noise echoed throughout the tunnel. The gnomes scattered and hid behind rocks and inside hidden passageways.
“What is happening?” Melli asked Taly. She was being pushed and shoved to the side as the gnomes took to their hiding places.
“It’s a warning alarm,” Taly told her quickly. “There are some passages that have signals to warn us of danger. Come, there is no time to waste. You must come hide with Mama G and me.”
Taly held out her hand, and Melli, taking it, followed her to a small opening off to the side of the clearing. Suddenly the area was clear of gnomes, and all she could hear was the wailing alarm. When the siren stopped, there was silence.
“We need to wait until we get the all-clear signal,” Taly said.
“Does this happen often?” Melli asked.
“No,” Taly said. “We’ve had practices, but I’ve never actually heard the siren go off for real.”
This made Melli feel even more afraid. Who knew what or who was in the caves with them!
Surprises
Taly stuck her head up over the rock and reported back to Mama G and Melli. “I don’t see a thing,” she said. “Mama G, could it be a false alarm?”
“I don’t believe so,” Mama G said. She stared at Melli and her fluttering wings.
Melli stood with her back against the wall. She was feeling very aware that she was the only one in the caves with wings.
“Wait!” Taly cried. “I do see something.” She scooted out of the opening.
“No!” Mama G scolded. She lunged for her little gnome, pulling her back into the dark. “Don’t put yourself in harm’s way, Crystal. Stand back.” She gave Taly a long, cold look. “Remember, you must think before you act,” she said.
Melli moved toward Taly. “Let me look,” she said as bravely as she could. She switched places with Taly. She knew that Taly was trying to be helpful, but Mama G was right. Taly hadn’t really thought before she wandered out into Caramel Hills. And now she really shouldn’t be the lookout.
Down the dark tunnel, Melli could make out some figures. The shadows on the wall made it hard to see. All at once Melli clapped her hands and burst into a happy shriek. “It’s my friends!” she called.
Raina, Berry, Cocoa, and Dash flew down the tunnel to Melli. There was lots of hugging. Dash was holding a large peppermint light that cast large shadows all around them.
“We were so worried when the licorice rope broke,” Cocoa said. “We pulled the rope, and when we saw the end of it, we had to come and find you.”
“We were careful to mark our way in with mint crème that glows in the dark,” Dash said proudly.
Melli spun around. “Please come out of hiding,” she called. “Come meet my friends. We are Candy Fairies, and we live outside these caves in Sugar Valley. We would all like to be your friends. I know you have the alarm to warn you against unwanted guests, but these fairies are friendly—fairy promise!”
“Mama G,” Taly said, looking up at her mother, “these are the fairies who were so nice to me and brought me back here.”
A smile spread across the large gnome’s face. “If these fairies showed you kindness,” she said, “we should show them every bit of kindness as well.”
Slowly, the many gnomes came out of hiding. They stepped slowly toward the five fairies.
“Welcome to Rock Candy Caves,” Mama G said.
“Thank you,” Melli said. “It is an honor to meet you all and to see your beautiful home.”
Mama G looked pleased. “You are the first fairies we’ve ever had here. Not many fairies would come into these caves like this. You must be brave and loyal friends. Please follow me. We will get you some warmer clothes. Our caves are too cold for fairies without proper hats and coats.”
Taly smiled. “She likes you! She likes you!” she chanted.
Everyone laughed. Taly’s happiness was so nice to see. Melli was pleased the reunion was going so well. And she was excited to have her friends with her. After the Candy Fairies got extra coats and gnome hats, Mama G showed them around. There were sugar crystals hanging from the ceiling and so many bright neon colors. Carved into the rock walls were doors that led to where the gnomes lived. Each door had different carvings and looked as if someone had spent a lot of time working to make the doors perfect. Never would Melli have imagined that the inside of a gnome cave would be so bright and beautiful. Melli would not have been able to describe all the sights and sounds of the caves to her friends. She was so glad they were able to see the colors of the rock candy crystals with her.
“Sweet strawberries!” Berry said. “This must have taken you forever to build.”
“Well, gnomes have lived here for many, many years,” Mama G said. “Gnomes
lived in the caves longer than fairy queens and kings in Sugar Valley.” She stopped in front of a wall covered with drawings of gnomes. “Here you can see the story of the first gnomes in the area.”
Raina flew up closer to the drawings. With a peppermint in her hand, she looked closely at the drawings from long ago. “Sweet sugars!” she said. “I don’t remember ever seeing any of these kinds of paintings in any books. I never knew that gnomes had such a long history in Sugar Valley. Candy Fairies should know about this.”
“It is good for us to learn about each other,” Mama G told them.
“Thank you for showing us these,” Melli said. “We are so honored. And we have really liked getting to know Taly. Running off like she did was wrong, but we are so glad that we had the chance to meet her and to learn about the gnomes.”
“Show them the special crystals,” Taly said, jumping up and down. “Wait till you see these,” she said to the Candy Fairies.
Mama G patted Taly on the head. “You can show your friends the treasures,” she said.
The Candy Fairies followed Taly down another long, twisting tunnel until the space opened up again to show hundreds of rock candy crystals. Some were growing from the ground up and some were hanging down from the ceiling. These colorful crystals were delicious and brighter than the others.
“Sugar-tastic!” Melli exclaimed. “Now I know why you call them treasures. I have never seen anything like these.”
The Candy Fairies were in awe at the sight of the colors, shapes, and sizes of the precious rock candy.
“These are so different from the candy on Rock Candy Isle,” Cocoa said.
Mama G’s large ears perked up. “I have only heard about that isle in the Vanilla Sea from books. Is it really beautiful?”
“Yes,” Melli said. “It is small, but the candy from there is very sweet.”
Rock Candy Treasure Page 2
