Outside, the western sky was awash with orange and purple, tingeing the forest with a magical glow. From out of nowhere, Stormbringer appeared by Adriane’s side and joined the girls as they made their way along the road. The wolf was silent and Emily had to remind herself that Storm wasn’t just Adriane’s pet dog, jogging along beside them. When they reached the edge of the park grounds, the girls stopped.
“Okay, tomorrow we’ll search the woods and see if we can find the animals,” Adriane said.
“We’re going to have to be really careful.”
“I’m not afraid,” Adriane boasted. “Are you?”
“I grew up hiking in the Colorado Mountains, where plenty of wild animals roam—I’m not afraid.” Emily tried to sound as brave as she could.
“You know,” Adriane said, “there’s an Iroquois story that says if two people wear the same bracelet, it means they’re linked, joined.”
“Like…friends?” Emily smiled and raised her bracelet.
Adriane grimaced. Then a small smile escaped her lips. She held her braceleted arm next to Emily’s. The two gems sparkled in the fading sun.
THE NEXT MORNING, Emily was up early. She dressed quickly, pulling on shorts and an aqua T-shirt. Sliding on her hiking boots, she ran downstairs to check on the cat. Her remaining bandages looked clean and dry—no more seepage through the white gauze, no unnatural glow evident at all—and she actually ate all the canned food Emily gave her.
Emily went to the Pet Palace and fed the dogs, then returned to the house, where she fetched Ozzie from her room. He was still sleeping on the big fluffy pillow she’d given him for a bed.
As she slipped him into her backpack, he opened his eyes. “Hey, what’re you doing?”
“Rise and shine, we’re off to see the wizard.”
“Really? That’s great news!”
Emily shook her head as she bounced down the stairs. “You are one wacky ferret.”
“Thank you.”
Carolyn was sitting in the kitchen eating a grapefruit and making notes in her scheduling book.
“Hey, Mom.” Emily opened the refrigerator and grabbed the orange juice. “I’m going over to Adriane’s, okay?”
“Chores done?”
Emily smiled. “Yup. And the cat’s doing much better, too.”
Carolyn smiled. “That’s great, Doc. But wouldn’t it be better if Adriane came here?”
“Why?” Emily gulped down her juice while she waited for an English muffin to toast.
“I’m not happy about you going into those woods.”
“Mom! Adriane lives in a house, not in the woods!” She left out the fact that once she was at Adriane’s house, she was, technically, already in the woods. She lathered her breakfast with jam and handed a piece to Ozzie.
“Strawberry! Yumm!”
Carolyn looked over. Emily and Ozzie both smiled back.
EMILY MADE HER way across the park and up the road to the preserve. The morning air held a faint crispness that reminded her summer was fading. She sighed, thinking of what September would bring: more changes.
Ozzie was rummaging around in her backpack.
“Stop fidgeting,” she told him.
“Where’s the oatmeal ones?”
“They’re in there.”
Ozzie stuck his head out. “Can this wizard help us find the portal?”
“I was kidding about the wizard.”
“Oh.” Ozzie leaned out of the pack, clearly depressed. “I’ll never get home, will I?”
“Maybe we can help you.”
He perked up. “You’d help me?”
“Of course I would, and Adriane would, too”
“You know, if I have to be stuck here, I’m glad it’s with you.”
Emily smiled.
They found Adriane outside the cottage, brushing the mistwolf’s coat to a shiny luster. Stormbringer’s eyes were closed in pleasure, but she opened them when Emily and Ozzie arrived.
“Morning,” Adriane said with a smile as she glided the brush over the wolf’s back. She had on hiking boots, black T-shirt and jeans, and a baseball cap with the words NO FEAR embroidered on it.
“Hey!” Emily returned. She looked at the wolf. “Hi, Stormbringer!”
“Hello, healer. Hello, traveler,” the wolf replied, nodding to Ozzie.
“Why do you call me ‘healer?’” Emily asked.
“That is what you do,” the wolf replied.
“Just don’t call me breakfast!” Ozzie scrambled down Emily’s side to the ground.
“I have already eaten,” the wolf assured him. She looked as if she were grinning. “It was a—”
“Gah! Don’t tell me—I don’t want to know!” Ozzie put his paws over his ears.
Adriane knelt and unrolled a large scroll. “Check this out. It’s a map of the preserve. I took it off the wall in the foyer.”
The girls spread the map on the ground and crouched over it. Ozzie joined them.
“It’s old, but the basic layout of the preserve is still the same,” Adriane said. “So…I say we start here up at the north quadrant and follow this trail. It winds down here to the Rocking Stone.”
“I don’t see the glade near the stone,” Emily observed.
“It’s not on the map.”
“I fell out in a big, open area,” Ozzie offered, walking out onto the map to study it.
“Looking for the rabbit hole, Alice?” Adriane asked the ferret.
“I am not a rabbit.” Ozzie looked himself over just to make sure.
“Do you have any idea how we can find it?” Emily asked him.
“I don’t know, but it’s magic. Magic attracts magic—I know that much,” he replied.
“We don’t have any magic,” Emily reminded him.
“Gran said these stones hold magic.” Adriane held up her wrist. Sunlight reflected off the gold and amber jewel.
Adriane rolled up the map, stood, and slung her olive-green backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s move out!”
Emily followed Adriane across the wide lawn in back of the manor. A garden of hedges and flowers lay just beyond the green; the hedges were planted in geometric patterns with pathways in between, like a maze. Near the entrance stood a large stone fountain in the shape of a mermaid. She held a beautiful carved urn over her head and water poured from it to splash off her up-curved tail into the round basin below.
“This place is just so amazing,” Emily breathed.
“C’mon, slowpokes!” Adriane had ducked through an opening in the trees at the edge of the lawn. Emily quickened her steps to catch up. They found themselves on a trail winding through a section of open woodlands. Narrow swaths of meadow separated clusters of trees and bushes. Stormbringer trotted on ahead, fading from view among the tall feathery grasses and wildflowers.
“I feel like I’m on a safari!” Emily exclaimed. The girls crossed a small stream and entered a section of forest thick with tall junipers and furs.
Suddenly Adriane stopped and looked around. “Hold up,” she said.
Emily heard a rustling of leaves and the patter of approaching hoofbeats. “Over there!” She pointed through the trees.
The most amazing creatures came bounding through the woods. They looked like deer, but with long ears and green stripes.
“What are those?” Adriane whispered.
“They’re like the animals I saw in the glade. Maybe some kind of zebra?” Emily guessed.
“Jeeran,” Ozzie simply stated.
The girls looked at him.
“What?” Emily asked incredulously.
“Jeeran, herdbeasts found in the hills of the Moorgroves. I’ve seen lots of them. They’re fast and jump really high.”
“Don’t tell me they come from your world, too?” Adriane asked.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?” Emily asked.
“Okay, I won’t tell you,” Ozzie replied.
“Wherever they came from, they’re here now,” Adriane laughed. “Come on,
this is wild!”
The girls ran through the woods and came to a wide-open field, but the strange animals were too swift, and the field was empty. Adriane kicked the dirt.
“Look, there’s the Rocking Stone!” Emily pointed to where the jagged peak rose above the trees in the distance.
Adriane pulled the map from her backpack and studied it. “We can pick up the trail on the other side.”
They started across the open field. The tall grass brushed against their legs. The air smelled sweet as soft particles blew around them.
“Hey! Look at you—you’re sparkling!” Adriane said.
Emily looked down at her arms and saw that they were, indeed, sparkling. Her legs looked like they were covered in tiny glittering lights. Then she saw them. “It’s the rainbow flowers!” she exclaimed. All through the grassy expanse, they were sending tiny bursts of color into the air.
“That is so cool!” Adriane exclaimed, spinning around like a dancer.
“Your hair is all sparkly,” Emily laughed. Rainbow twinkles were catching on Adriane’s long, dark hair.
Ozzie hopped out of Emily’s pack and started nosing around in the flowers. “Magic seeds. This is good, very good.”
“What are you talking about, Jack?” Adriane asked him, grinning. “They’re going to grow into beanstalks?”
“Jack?” Ozzie looked around. Then he nosed a flower again. “Can’t you feel it? It’s fairy magic!”
“These flowers were all over that glade,” Emily said. “Right before…” Her voice trailed off. “Where’s Storm?”
“Off somewhere. She has a mind of her own.” Adriane was crouched low, studying something in the dirt. “There are animals around here somewhere,” she announced.
“What did you find?” Ozzie nosed his way over to look. “BLAH! That’s disgusting!”
“Quiet, Alice, it’s just animal droppings.”
There was a rustling in the grass. The three turned together. A jeeran was standing there watching them, not fifteen yards away. Soft green-striped fur rustled as it breathed. Big purple eyes blinked at the girls.
“Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that,” Emily whispered.
“It’s so amazing. What do we do? Like, hello we come in peace?” asked Adriane.
“Might work,” Emily replied.
Emily started walking slowly towards the animal. The jeeran tensed but stood still as Emily approached. It stood as high as Emily’s nose. She stepped closer, hand reaching out. Ever so slowly, her finger made contact with the animal’s forehead and it blinked its eyes, pulling its head back to sniff her fingers. Emily smiled and ran her hand over the animal’s mane. The fur felt so soft and silky. Emily broke out in a grin. She turned to face the others.
“It likes me.”
Bang!
The sound of gunfire split the air. Ozzie screamed. The jeeran bolted.
“Guns!” Emily exclaimed. “Someone’s shooting!”
“Over that hill!” Adriane pointed.
Ozzie dived into Emily’s backpack. “They don’t hunt ferrets in this world, do they?” he squeaked.
“They shouldn’t be hunting here at all!” Adriane exclaimed angrily. She ran up the hill. Emily and Ozzie followed.
On the other side of the hill, three hunters were creeping across the grass. One of the men had his rifle raised. The other two were holding a huge net between them. They were moving slowly toward the most bizarre creature Emily had ever seen.
“What the—!” Ozzie scampered to Emily’s shoulder to get a better look.
“Is that the monster?” Adriane asked.
“That’s no monster!” Ozzie exclaimed. “I’d recognize that purple furball anywhere!”
As they watched, the hunters crept slowly toward the huge creature, but unlike other animals, this one didn’t seem to have a sense of danger. It didn’t move. It just sat.
Ozzie was getting more agitated. “That’s Phelonius!” He dug his claws into Emily’s scalp.
“Ouch! Calm down, Ozzie!” Emily pulled him off her head.
“We’ve got to help him!” Ozzie wriggled out of her arms and leaped to the ground.
The men were shaking their heads and gesturing toward each other. Then the man with the rifle pointed it at the sky. Bang! The creature still didn’t move. The man lowered his gun and moved forward slowly.
“We can’t let them capture Phel!” Ozzie insisted.
Emily looked at Adriane.
“I don’t know, it’s a talking ferret, maybe they’re all crazy,” Adriane offered.
“It’s a creature of magic!” Ozzie yelled
“And it’s not dangerous?” Adriane asked.
“Nooo!” Ozzie was very frazzled. “You've got to do something!” he urged the girls.
Emily nodded her head at Adriane. “All right.”
Adriane straightened her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll distract those hunters, while you and Alice see if you can move that…thing…out of here.”
“Be careful,” Emily said, crouching low in the tall grass.
“You, too.” Adriane took a deep breath and confidently walked down the hill. “Hey!”
Startled, all three hunters whirled to face her.
“It’s a kid!” one of them said. “Go on home, it’s not safe around here.”
Undaunted, Adriane continued until she was right next to them. “This is a wildlife preserve,” she said. “Didn’t you see the signs? They say ‘No hunting.’”
“Who are you?” the rifle-holder asked.
“I’m Adriane Charday. I live at Ravenswood Manor.”
“We don’t have to listen to a kid,” one of the net-holding men said.
Their backs were to the creature—and to Emily. She seized the moment. “Let’s go,” she said to Ozzie. She dashed into the field and skidded to a stop right in front of the purple giant. Ozzie was running so fast he hit the creature’s belly and bounced back off. The thing was enormous, easily eight feet tall. It sat motionless in the grass, surrounded by a ring of rainbow puff flowers. Deep purple fur shimmered in the sunlight. Emily stared in wonder. It looked sort of like a cross between a great bear and Humpty Dumpty. Its giant eyes were shut. A think line for a mouth ran across its face and it had no neck. Ozzie scrambled up the huge beast and looked into its face. “Phelonius! It’s me! Ozymandius!”
The creature just sat, eyes closed, still as a statue.
“Maybe he’s been tranquilized,” Emily whispered.
“No, no,” the ferret said quickly. “He can’t be tranquilized. That’s absurd!”
“You have no right bringing rifles onto private property!” Adriane yelled in the distance.
“This preserve has no right harboring killer grizzlies,” one of the men countered.
“That’s no grizzly! It’s a rare… um, panda from China… and it’s worth a million dollars! If anything happens to it, you’d be responsible!”
“I don’t care what it is, we’re bringing it in!” the hunter threatened.
Emily studied the creature. She felt oddly drawn to him. She realized she should probably be scared—but she wasn’t. She ran her hand over his smooth fur and felt a wave of calm wash over her. Light caught her eye, and she looked down to see her gem pulse a soft aqua blue. She took a deep breath.
“What are you?” she asked.
“He’s a fairy creature.” Ozzie had resorted to kicking the giant. “Wake up, you big thing!”
Looking past the creature, Emily saw that the field fell away into a shallow gully. “Maybe we can roll him down into that gully.” She placed her hands on the creature and pushed. “Come on, Ozzie, help me!”
The creature put up no resistance as he started to tilt over. Despite his girth, he felt as light as air.
“What?” Ozzie cried. “That’s ridiculous, you can’t roll—aaaahhhhh!”
In a cloud of rainbow dust, the giant furball starting rolling down the hill, the shrieking ferret hanging on.
“What was
that?” asked one of the hunters.
“If you harm that panda, you’re all going to be in big trouble!” Adriane yelled.
“Get out of our way!”
The huge creature rolled to a stop in the gully, sitting upright. Keeping her head down, Emily quickly crawled back to peer across the field. She saw the man with the rifle start to shove past Adriane.
Suddenly he stopped. “Hey, where did it go?”
Watching Adriane point to the trees in the direction opposite the gully, Emily noticed an opalescent glow at her friend’s wrist. The section of woods that Adriane was pointing to rustled and shook, as if disturbed by something passing through.
“Look over there!” a hunter cried. “It’s in those trees!”
The hunter with the rifle moved off in the direction of the sounds. “Come on!”
For a moment, Adriane looked stunned. Then she seemed to collect herself and yelled after them. “And stay off this property!”
THE ENORMOUS CREATURE sat like a giant Buddha, unaffected by anything that had happened.
Adriane came sliding into the gully. “That was so weird!” she exclaimed breathlessly.
“How did you do that?” Emily asked, wide eyed.
“I don’t know,” Adriane said slowly. “I was so focused on doing something to distract the hunters. Then I saw the trees and reached for them …it was intense, it felt like I was pushing through water.”
“I saw your stone glow,” Emily said.
Adriane glanced at her bracelet. The paw shaped stone looked perfectly normal. “I pushed harder, in my head, and my stone flashed and then the trees across the field started to shake and move!”
Emily peered at her own gemstone. “Do you think these are really magic stones?”
“Memerrmeemee!”
Adriane looked around. “Where’s Alice?”
“Ozzie!” Emily stood up quickly. “Where are you?”
“MmurrRRMMppphh!”
Emily circled the purple creature. “Ozzie?”
“Mm hmm…!”
She put her hands on the giant. His fur felt warm and soft. “Help me move him.”
Adriane got up and pushed alongside Emily. Two gigantic eyes opened and blinked. They were deep reservoirs of calm and gentleness. He blinked again.
Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic #1) Page 6
