Queen Clarion was in a meeting with Scribble. He was telling the queen about his latest research. He had a lot of charts and reference materials to explain the mysterious comet. “That comet is an astronomical puzzle to be sure,” he was saying, “but careful observation and application of the scientific process will allow us, or rather, me, to determine exactly—”
Suddenly, scout warning sounds blared through the castle. Queen Clarion turned to the window to see the animal fairies flitting around in a panic. The large hawks were overhead, preparing to dive.…
“HAWWWWK!” a fairy screamed.
The first hawk swooped low and tried to grab a baby beaver. The beaver was fast, and the hawk missed. He swirled around, looking for another animal to snatch.
Hannah quickly abandoned the blueberry basket and took off into the air.
“HANNAH! Hannah, stop! Come back!” Fawn went after Hannah, while Iridessa and Silvermist worked on a game plan down below.
“Everyone, get inside!” Iridessa shouted as a large hawk chased the fairies in all directions.
“IRIDESSA!!” Silvermist shrieked as a hawk headed directly toward her friend.
Iridessa flew as fast as she could, but it wasn’t fast enough. The hawk opened its razor-sharp talons and…
“Oh no!” Silvermist gasped.
WHOOSH.
Iridessa thought she was safe until something grabbed her from behind. But it wasn’t the hawk!
“Nyx?” Iridessa asked quizzically.
Nyx was the leader of the elite scout fairies. She was cool, confident, and very fast. After taking Iridessa to a knothole, she faced the first hawk with a porcupine needle spear.
When the hawk backed away, Nyx gathered her four scout mates, Fury, Di, Shade, and Chase. They soared through the sky and fell into perfect formation behind Nyx.
The hawk moved on from Iridessa and chased baby animals through the Animal Den. He found another helpless fairy to attack, but suddenly Chase and Di flew past his beak, distracting him.
Fury came in, jumping to launch herself off Nyx’s spear toward a second hawk circling above. Midair, she lassoed her rope through his beak before landing on his back and riding him like a horse. She turned around just as Chase and Di led the first hawk directly into his path!
The two hawks collided and then flew away together.
Fawn looked around panicked. “HANNAH? HANNAH!”
As she was searching the trees, the third hawk came in fast and close and tried to grab her in his talons. Fawn barely escaped.
Below her, Tinker Bell was getting the animals into a space to hide. “Go! Get inside! Hurry, go!” A baby bear got stuck in the small hole, and Tink tried pushing his backside. “Come on!”
Suddenly, Tink felt a shadow fall over her. She turned to find the large hawk hovering above her. She was trapped. The hawk opened his beak wide—
WHACK!
Nyx swooped in at the last second and wedged her spear into his beak and propped it open. Then Chase dove in front of him and threw a weighted rope around his legs. Shade and Fury swooped in and helped drive the last adult hawk away.
With the three adult hawks gone, Chase trapped Hannah in a net.
“Wait!” Fawn rushed forward. “Everybody calm down! I promise, she doesn’t even like the taste of scout fairy.”
“Babies are such picky eaters,” Silvermist whispered to Rosetta.
Nyx stepped forward. “Get away from the hawk, Fawn. Let us handle this.”
“There’s nothing to handle, Nyx,” Fawn said.
“I said stand down, Fawn!” Nyx ordered.
Just then, Queen Clarion arrived. “Is everyone all right?”
“Yes, Queen Clarion—this time,” Nyx reported. “But how am I supposed to keep us safe if Fawn keeps bringing dangerous animals into Pixie Hollow? Last time it was rats and a snake!”
Fawn corrected her. “Actually last time it was a vampire bat—”
“Fawn’s just got a big heart, that’s all,” Tinker Bell cut in. “Hannah needed her help.”
Fawn squeezed Hannah’s face and said, “Does this look like the face of a dangerous predator to you?” No one agreed. “C’mon, back me up, guys,” Fawn begged.
The animal fairies said nothing. Queen Clarion moved in close to Fawn. “Fawn…” she began.
Fawn sighed. “I know, I know, Nyx is right—I’ve done this once or twice…or several times…before.”
“Yes…” the queen began again.
“Maybe harboring a baby hawk…wasn’t the best idea,” Fawn said.
“Fawn, I know you,” added Queen Clarion. “You’ve always let your heart guide you, which is admirable, but—”
Cutting her off, Fawn finished the thought. “But…I also need to listen with my head.”
The queen nodded.
“Next time, I promise I will,” Fawn said as she moved quietly toward the net. “Well, Hannah-Banana, I’d say come back and visit, but probably best to keep this a long-distance thing. Now let’s give that wing a try.” Fawn yanked away the net and Hannah flew free.