Felicity~ A Sparrow's Tale Read online

  “Let’s go!” Felicity cried. She snatched the queen’s sleeve in her beak and they darted out through the slowly opening doorway. The sky beyond the end of the tunnel glowed crimson.

  “Get on my back!” Felicity shouted. “And hold on tight!”

  Queen Lilia scrambled on the sparrow’s back as a screech of rage followed them.

  The scrape and scree of talons scrabbling against stone assaulted Felicity’s ears, and shivered through her blood.

  The door behind them was not fully open yet, and Grak, his bulk still unable to fit through, pushed against it, trying to force it to move faster. His talons gouged furious scars into the stone floor beneath him.

  Felicity turned forward again, focusing on the end of the tunnel. Spreading her wings, she hopped several steps, leapt into the air, and shot out into the sky.

  Beating her wings, she dashed southward. To her right, the sun sat on on a long bank of clouds like a lazy red frog on a wide lily pad.

  “Foolish little bird!” Grak screeched, his voice echoing off the face of the tall cliff. “Do you think a mere sparrow can outfly me?”

  An angry scream followed as Grak dove off the ledge.

  “He’s coming,” Queen Lilia cried.

  “I see him!” Felicity gasped.

  She banked hard to the left and felt a whoosh of air as Grak zoomed past.

  The hawk turned in the air in front of her and wheeled back, his claws stretching out.

  “Hold on!” Felicity cried. Queen Lilia grabbed handfuls of feathers just before Felicity dropped sharply. Once again, Grak barely missed them.

  “We won’t be able to dodge him forever!” the queen cried.

  “We’ve got to try!” Felicity insisted, breathless. “And— I have an idea!”

  She beat her wings fiercely as the tree tops dropped away and the clearing where she’d met the snake opened beneath her.

  There, running down the middle of the open grassy space, she saw the chain link fence.

  “Now, this is important, ma’am!” she cried into the wind as she sped across the wide clearing. “You need to duck down as much as you can! Hold on tight! And no matter what, keep your head down!”

  The queen obeyed.

  Felicity couldn’t see him, so Grak was probably straight behind her, right in the one spot where she couldn’t see. But she imagined his cruel, curving claws stretching out to snatch both her and the queen out of the air.

  Felicity swerved to the side and dropped heavily before catching herself again.

  A scream of frustration tore through the air behind them.

  She beat her wings, skimming over the tops of the grass.

  Queen Lilia’s fists held tightly to her feathers, the fairy folded down against her back.

  “You think you can escape, sparrow?” Grak screeched. “You think you can dodge me forever?”

  Felicity did not let herself falter or look back as she sped forward, flapping with all her strength, her eyes fixed unmoving on her target straight ahead.

  The chain link fence flew to meet her with astonishing speed. If she timed this just right—

  At the very last moment, Felicity tucked her wings tight against her body—

  The wind screamed in her ears as she and the fairy queen blasted through the center of the diamond-shaped link, followed a second later by a jangling crash and a squawk of surprised wrath.

  Felicity spread her wings and shot up into the air then circled, looking back.

  Grak lay sprawled on his back, his wings outspread. The chain link fence still vibrated from the high speed collision.

  Beside him, something long and black writhed on the ground.

  “You clumsssy sssorcccerer! You sssquished me!” complained the snake that had tried to eat Felicity earlier in the day.

  “Oh, shut up, you idiotic serpent!” Grak groaned.

  “Idiotic, you sssay? I’m not the sssimpleton who crassshed into the fenccce!”

  The hawk shook his head to clear it, and his red eyes glared upward, fixing on Felicity and the queen. “You!”

  Felicity whirled away, beating her wings southward.

  “You!” he squawked after them, his voice fading. “You— sparrooooow!”

  But neither Felicity nor Queen Lilia looked back.

  Chapter 14

  Felicity allowed herself to slow down a little as she soared over the tops of the trees. Even though the fairy queen weighed less than Colin had, the race away from Grak had been exhausting. Her muscles ached but she didn’t dare land to rest until they crossed the border.

  But what would happen then? Would the trees try to keep Queen Lilia in like they kept the other fairies out? Felicity hoped not.

  The last sliver of the sun sank below the horizon, glimmered one last time, and then disappeared. Just then, Felicity heard a familiar sound.

  Woosha!

  She looked toward the sound to see angry eyes set above a frowning mouth fluttering up out of the trees.

  “Ha ha!” she laughed, unafraid. “It’s one of those moths!”

  The queen turned to look. “Oh, dear,” she said. “Thank the goodnesses there’s only one.”

  “Oh, it’s not dangerous,” Felicity replied. “I know it looks like a monster face but it’s just the wings of a moth.”

  “Yes, a ghost-face moth,” the queen agreed. “That’s what we fairies call them. They’re Grak’s servants, and they do whatever he tells them. They can’t leave his realm. That’s the only good thing about them.”

  Queen Lilia glanced over her shoulder. “When the sun is up or if there is only one, they’re not so dangerous. But once the sun sets, if there are many of them—”

  She trailed off.

  “Oooh—What happens if there are lots?” Felicity asked.

  “Well,” the queen said. “We only saw the one, so—”

  Shawoosha woosha!

  Several more moths flew up out of the canopy.

  Felicity’s heart climbed up into her throat. The moths were following them.

  “What happens, ma’am?” she chirped, picking up speed.

  To her dismay, the moths sped up as well.

  “They’ll latch onto us!” Queen Lilia leaned lower as wind began to whip past them. “They’re small, but many together can lift both of us and carry us back to Grak.”

  “Oooh, dear!” Felicity moaned. She didn’t like the idea of a hundred moths latching onto her with their icky, pricky feet, let alone being carried back to the sorcerer hawk, especially after she had made him crash into that fence. Now he’d be really mad!

  “But I think they can’t follow us as easily down in the forest itself,” the fairy queen said. “Try to find an opening in the trees!”

  “But I’ll lose my way when I’m down there!”

  Shawoosha, woosha! Woosha woosha!

  Behind them dozens of moths filled the darkening air. A wall of flapping wings followed them.

  And the moths were gaining!

  “I’ll guide you,” the fairy queen promised.

  “Ooo— okay—” The next dark opening Felicity saw in the canopy, she dove down into the dark.

  Shadows closed around her, and for a moment she couldn’t see at all. The forest had been dim during the day, but now it was nearly pitch black!

  “Watch out for that tree!” the queen cried. Felicity dipped to the right, avoiding the gnarled silhouette of a tree that loomed out of the darkness in front of her.

  “Bear toward the right!” The queen pointed forward and to the right. Felicity obeyed.

  The forest was a tangle of shadows against darker shadows. Felicity could not have found her way without the queen’s guidance.

  Shawoosha, woosha! Woosha, woosha, woosha!

  Behind her, several of the moths followed but not as many as she’d seen above the canopy. They careened from side to side like they were confused, or blind. But they were still coming.

  “Left, around this tree! Now straight on, ahead!”


  Felicity obeyed the queen’s order.

  Shawoosha, woosha! Woosha, woosha!

  Behind them, the pack of moths drew steadily closer.

  “Ooooh, deeear!” Felicity wailed. This was just like her nightmare! It was coming true!

  “Don’t panic!” the queen cried. “Look up there!”

  Ahead of them, amongst the shadows against darker shadows, pricks of white light began to wink on. A little group of stars in the darkness. Except they were down inside the forest! Fairy lanterns!

  “They’re waiting for us!” Lilia cheered.

  Felicity felt a leap of joy swell up in her heart but in the next moment a cry of fright escaped the queen.

  Wood creaked and leaves rustled like sinister, wordless whispering as a shadow swooped down.

  Felicity chirped in fright and ducked to the side. The branch barely missed snatching the fairy off of her back. Its forked twigs, shaped like a bony hand, closed in an empty fist and faded away behind them.

  But it wasn’t the last! From left and right, the enchanted trees at the edge of Grak’s domain were beginning to stir. Skinny wooden twigs, shaped like grasping fingers snatched at the queen. Felicity found herself rising and falling, swerving left and right to stay ahead of the skeletal branches as well as the moths that were gaining ground behind them.

  The lights of the fairy lanterns drew closer but with all the dodging and ducking, fear swelled in her that they wouldn’t make it before a branch grabbed the queen or the moths reached them and plucked her off.

  Shawoosha!

  The moth at the front of the swarm veered closer, reaching in to grab at the queen with its prickly feet.

  But as the moth reached out for her, the queen balled a fist. “Take that!” Lilia cried and swung, punching the moth right in its puffy mouth.

  The moth reeled back. But it recovered quickly, and flapped near again.

  Its face remained expressionless, but furious sparks glimmered in its multi-faceted eyes.

  “No! No, no!” Felicity chirped, dipping and swerving to escape the angry creature. These moths couldn’t be shaken! But she would not let them take the queen!

  Just as its prickly foreleg reached out for the queen again, something whistled out of the middle of the cluster of little white lamps and smacked the moth right between its bulging eyes.

  The moth tumbled away, head over wings from the force of the blow. Felicity caught a glimpse of a green mess splattered across its face before it floundered away and was lost in darkness.

  Other moths were still coming. But now the air filled with a whirr as little green peas came flying out of the cluster of little lights. They splattered into moths and into the grasping fingers of branches with damp squishing sounds.

  The skinny branches flinched and withdrew and the moths fell back amidst the onslaught of peas as Felicity and the queen shot out of the reach of the grasping branches and into a cluster of hovering fairies. Some held little white lanterns shaped like flower buds in their hands; many others clutched rose thorn spears. Several, including Colin and his father, held sling shots loaded with fat peas. King Taron’s arm looked good as new, and Colin’s wings had regrown, gleaming in the lamp light. Golly, fairies healed fast!

  “Taron!” Lilia cried. “Colin!”

  “Lilia!” the king shouted as Colin cried, “Mother!”

  Colin turned and flapped toward Felicity as Taron drew back the stretchy band of his slingshot and fired one last pea into the group of moths that reeled and recoiled, retreating into the darkness.

  Felicity lighted in the crook of a tree behind the fairies.

  The queen slid from her back and rushed down the branch into the arms of Colin and her husband amidst the cheers of the other fairies.

  Felicity shifted her weight so that she could hop down the branch to see Colin. But changing her mind, she settled back, surprised that she felt so tired all of a sudden.

  Then again, she’d been flying for her life for the last several hours and now that the danger was finally gone—

  She’d stay here for a minute, she told herself. Just a minute. Then she’d get up.

  She folded her wings across her back and settled down in the comfortable little crook that cradled her like a nest. Her eyelids felt heavy. A huge yawn escaped her beak.

  “Felicity!” Colin cried.

  Her eyelids fluttered open briefly as the young fairy darted up the branch. “Hey Colin,” she muttered flatly.

  “You did it! You brought my mother back!” He threw his arms around her neck.

  “Um—” Her mind had a hard time thinking. Her thoughts felt so fuzzy and comfortable. Her eyelids drooped again. “Oh. Yeah. It was— it was great. Grak was— Grak was a great big— a big— big—”

  Felicity didn’t finish her sentence. Her eyes fell shut instead, and she began to snore.

  Chapter 15

  Music echoed through the palace as Felicity hopped at Colin’s side along a brightly lit corridor.

  She didn’t remember being carried back to the palace or to the nest of cattail down where she’d woken up after a lovely sleep. But she was here now.

  Everything seemed brighter than before. And everyone she passed had something nice to say to her!

  Little lamps hung on the walls or from the ceiling, swaying gently in the air, their light dancing off the white walls and floors.

  The music came from somewhere up ahead.

  The sound, singing and flutes mixed with the merry patter of drums, grew louder and louder as the pair neared the throne room.

  But when the archway passed over their heads and the big room came into view, everyone turned to look at her, and fell silent. But it was only for just a moment before everybody started clapping.

  King Taron and Queen Lilia stood up from their thrones at the front of the room. Colin hurried forward to stand beside his mother whose lovely rainbow-colored wings were already starting to grow back again.

  Felicity though, hung back in the doorway, feeling uncertain and shy.

  “Felicity Augustina Sparrow.”

  Around the room, the applause faded at the king’s voice. Every face was fixed on her.

  “Yes?” Her timid voice echoed in the room.

  The king smiled. “Come forward, please.”

  The little sparrow gulped and hopped forward. Standing beside his mother, Colin offered Felicity a small wave as she came near and stopped at the base of the steps. She offered her friend a hasty grin.

  The king spoke again. “Because of you Mistress Sparrow, our queen is returned to us.”

  Taron lifted his hand, which held the queen’s, for everybody to see. Cheers and applause again filled the room.

  “We can never repay what you did for her and for our folk.” The king’s smile grew warm. “And for our family.”

  The king and queen traded a smile before Lilia turned to the room and spoke. “Felicity Sparrow braved the lair of Grak the wicked sorcerer to save me at great peril to herself. She solved three difficult riddles that stood between us and freedom. She outsmarted the Night Hawk himself and outflew his minions.”

  More clapping filled the room.

  Felicity ducked her head at the praise.

  “Thank you Felicity,” the queen said, more softly now. “I owe you my life.”

  Felicity looked up to see both the queen and king with tears shining in their eyes.

  “And we all owe you our thanks,” Taron added.

  Colin asked, “Is there anything we can do to for you, Felicity?”

  Felicity tipped her head to the side. “Well, um, hmm.”

  She didn’t need anything she didn’t already have. So long as her home was still there when she got back.

  And especially her beloved books.

  Some beetles would be nice. But it might be a bad idea to ask for them. Fairies didn’t seem to like eating bugs and she could find those on her own anyway.

  Then she caught on an idea.

  “We
ll, um, maybe you could keep an eye out for Augustus? I don’t know if he’s even still, well, you know, around. But—”

  Felicity’s voice trailed away.

  Lilia smiled and the king bowed in agreement.

  “Of course,” Taron said. “And if you see him, tell him to come visit us when he is able. He was a good friend to our folk.”

  “Is there anything else we can do?” Lilia asked.

  “Well,” Felicity shrugged. “Not really. I guess I just— I’m ready to go home.”

  The queen’s eyes softened. With a smile Lilia said, “If you want nothing else from us, dear Felicity, I hope you’ll take this.”

  Felicity’s eyes opened in surprise as the queen reached up and drew the crystal necklace over her head.

  “This is yours now,” the queen said. She held out the necklace, the glittering crystal resting in her palm. “For you are one of us. If you want to be.”

  The little sparrow’s beak opened. “Oh my gosh! Yeah!”

  Lilia smiled, and Felicity bowed as the fairy queen descended the steps.

  A moment later, the necklace slipped over her head and around Felicity’s neck.

  “Take this as a symbol of our friendship,” the queen said. “You will always be a friend of the fairy folk, welcome here and in the Wildwood where our power extends.”

  The little sparrow looked up, warmed by the queen’s smile. Lilia touched a hand gently to Felicity’s head before returning up the steps to take the king’s hand again.

  As Felicity straightened and turned to face the crowd of fairies, applause filled the chamber, mingled with voices cheering her name.

  Felicity bobbed her head and grinned, her new necklace glimmering in the light of the many lamps.

  Chapter 16

  The flight back home through the forest was pretty uneventful. A nice change after the last few perilous days. Colin had offered to fly her home, since Felicity was still unfamiliar with the Wildwood, and she was grateful for his company.

  Now that his wings were grown back to full size, Colin didn’t need to ride, and flew beside her instead.

  They had no need to hurry, and Felicity liked seeing different sights along the way that she’d missed before.

  Colin showed her the oldest tree in the Wildwood, a short, fat, gnarled thing that grew in a rare patch of sunlight, surrounded by taller trees. Felicity could have guessed it was pretty old, even without Colin telling her. Still, it bore leaves, and families of squirrels, and while Felicity couldn’t tell trees’ emotions, it seemed to be happy enough.