“Maybe the patterns mean something,” said Adara.
“I’m sure they do, but I’ve never seen them before,” Eadric replied
“I haven’t, either,” I told him. “I guess we should make copies of the patterns and show them around.”
“I’ll do it!” said Eadric. “I’m good at drawing. Anyone have parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink handy?”
Two bright lights fluttered down from the sky, landing at the edge of the trees. “I’m so mad, I could spit!” one of the fairies said as she became full-sized. It was Maple and she was talking to Aspen, a fairy I’d seen before. “Why would she do that to my trees? What have I ever done to her?”
“She said she didn’t do it,” said Aspen. “I’ve never known her to lie.”
“Of course she did it!” Maple exclaimed. “Who else would make that mark? You said yourself that it’s the symbol of her campaign!”
“Excuse me,” I said, crunching dead leaves as I walked toward the fairies. “Did you find out who did this to your trees?”
“You came!” said Maple. “Good! Maybe you can do something about her. It was Sumac, I’m sure of it. That’s the symbol of her campaign right there for all to see.” She pointed at the sad-looking trees and shivered when another leaf fell. “I didn’t see the whole thing until I looked at it from the air. Aspen pointed out that it was Sumac’s campaign symbol.”
“What campaign?” I asked, confused.
“For the new Fairy Queen,” Aspen explained. “Sumac is running against Chervil and Poppy.”
“Does one of them have a symbol that’s a triangle with little leaves in the middle?” asked Eadric.
“Or three circles with a flower in the center?” I said.
“Why, yes,” said Maple. “Poppy’s is the one with the flower, and Chervil’s is the triangle with the little leaves. Why do you ask?”
“Because we’ve found those symbols written in other plants,” I told them. “Water Lily and a farmer came to see me after you did, Maple. Their plants were damaged, too.”
“Why is anyone running for Fairy Queen? What happened to the one you have?” asked Eadric.
“She’s gone,” said Aspen. “We think she faded away.”
“You mean she died?” asked Adara.
“Fairies don’t really die,” Maple told her. “I thought everyone knew that. When we’ve lived so long that nothing seems exciting or interesting anymore, we just fade away. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.”
“We all miss Queen Willow,” said Aspen. “She was a lovely person, a good and just queen, and a very powerful fairy, but lately she’s kept to herself. No one has seen her in oh so long. The real problem is that she never chose anyone to succeed her.”
“Willow was the queen? Isn’t she the fairy who gave the ring and title to the first Green Witch?” asked Eadric. “Remember, Emma? That old fairy was wearing willow leaves.”
I nodded. Eadric and I had met her at the first Green Witch’s birthday party when we went back in time. “I remember her. My whole family is indebted to your queen for giving us such a wonderful gift. I’m so sorry to hear that she’s faded away.”
“Me too,” said Maple. “Now the fairies are trying to decide who will be queen next.”
“Or king,” said Aspen. “Although we haven’t had one of those in a very long time.”
“Chervil, Poppy, and Sumac are the only ones who came forward,” said Maple. “Now we have to decide which one we want to rule us fairies. The problem is, I don’t like any of them. I never have and I never will.”
“You’re just mad that someone hurt your trees,” said Aspen.
“I’m not the only one who doesn’t like them,” Maple told her. “I heard that fairies were fighting over who would be the least awful candidate. Besides, the one who hurt my trees had to be Sumac. Who else would use her symbol?”
“But I told you, she said she didn’t and I believe her,” replied Aspen.
“This is where we came in on this conversation,” said Eadric.
“Where can I find Sumac now?” I asked.
“Last I heard, she was campaigning at the edge of the enchanted forest,” said Aspen. “You know, over by the swamp near your castle.”
“Then that’s where we’ll head next,” I told Eadric. “Get back on the carpet, Adara. We’re going to go meet the possible future Fairy Queen.”
I knew the swamp well, having spent much of my time there when I was younger. It was where I had gone to get away from my mother. It was also where Eadric and I had met and fallen in love. When I was young, the part of the swamp that bordered the enchanted forest had been my least favorite and I usually avoided going there. My aunt Grassina had warned me that bears, wolves, and the occasional dragon visited the pond at the very edge, so I knew just how unsafe it could be. I hadn’t been there in ages, so I was interested in seeing if it had changed.
Taking the most direct route out of the forest, we followed the border until we reached the swamp. It looked much the same, with meandering streams crisscrossing the soggy ground and small hillocks offering the only real footing. I was showing them some pretty purple flowers when Adara said, “That’s odd!” and pointed at the ground. “Someone has been walking around in bare feet.”
Eadric peered over the edge and shook his head. “An ordinary person didn’t make those tracks. Follow the footprints back a few yards and you’ll see that they started out as paw prints. That was a werewolf.”
“A werewolf!” Adara cried with a shudder. “Are we safe here? Maybe we should go higher so it can’t jump onto the carpet and bite us!”
“We’re safe,” Eadric said, patting his sword. “No werewolf can stand up to Ferdy. Say, is that a blackberry patch? Even from up here those berries look really good!”
Eadric leaned so far toward the edge that he would have fallen off if not for the strap holding him on. His weight made the carpet sag on that side and we were in danger of tipping over. “Be careful,” I said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back.
“Do you mind if we stop here for a few minutes?” he asked. “I’m hungry again.”
“After we do what we came here for,” I said. I had just caught a glimpse of movement and bright colors and had a feeling I’d found the fairies.
“I would let you if it were up to me, Eadric,” said Adara.
“Business first,” I said, turning the carpet. “Do you see that group of people over there?”
Eadric nodded. “Fairies, if I’m not mistaken. The colorful hair always gives them away. It sounds as if they’re arguing.”
“Maple and Aspen did say that fairies were fighting over the candidates,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but it looks like they’re fighting with the candidates, too,” he replied. “That’s probably Sumac on the stump.”
“Stop carrying on and listen to me!” shouted the fairy girl with dark red hair who was standing on an old tree stump. “I know what I’m talking about. I’m smart and talented and can solve all our problems. The first thing we’re going to do is cut all ties with humans!”
A chorus of protest broke out. Finally one voice shouted above the rest, “Why would we want to do that?”
“Don’t you understand? Humans should all be banned from the forest!” Sumac shouted as we drew closer. “Humans cut down trees and hunt our friends the forest creatures. They pillage our plants, stealing the berries, flowers, and herbs we work so hard to grow.”
“How do you suggest we keep them out, exactly?” shouted a fairy with long pink hair.
“I know just what to do!” Sumac cried. “No one is better at planning ahead than me. We’ll put up a magical wall around the forest to keep humans out. Keep the forest for the fairies!”
“Your magic isn’t strong enough to put up a wall like that,” hollered a fairy from the rear of the crowd.
“It will be after I get Willow’s magic wand!” Sumac shouted back. “Then I’ll be as strong as she ever was!”
Some of the fairies grumbled and others laughed. Only a few seemed to take Sumac seriously. The ones who disagreed with her were the loudest, however. “Not all humans are bad!” called out a stocky fairy in a coat of bark. “Some of my best friends are human!”
“Mine, too!” another fairy added.
A few members of the audience stomped off, angry. I set the carpet on the ground only yards from Sumac and got to my feet. When it looked as if her meeting might be breaking up, I waved to get her attention.
“What do you want, human?” Sumac asked in a rude voice.
A number of fairies heard her and came back to listen.
“I’m here on behalf of the fairy Maple. She asks why you put your design on her trees and wants you to stop it. Needless to say, she’s very upset.”
Sumac spluttered and glanced at the fairies who had gathered closer. “What are you talking about?” she asked me. “I didn’t do anything to her trees!”
“Maple is sure you did it. Someone defaced her trees with the design that you use as your symbol. Why would anyone but you do that?”
Sumac turned to face the other fairies. “Do you see why we need to ban them from our forest? Interfering busybodies! What makes you think you have a right to get involved in fairy business, anyway?” she said, turning back to me.
I noticed that the looks some of the fairies were giving me weren’t very friendly.
“I’m the Green Witch,” I told them. “Years ago your queen gave members of my family the title and the responsibility of watching out for the humans and fairies in Greater Greensward. Maple came to me about her trees and I promised to look into it.”
The fairies nodded when I mentioned the old queen and began whispering to one another, turning their unfriendly looks on Sumac.
“It wasn’t me!” said Sumac. “I already told Aspen that.”
“Do I know you?” asked a fairy. I glanced her way and saw that it was the Swamp Fairy and she was studying me closely. “You look awfully familiar.”
The last time Eadric and I had encountered the Swamp Fairy, he had insulted her. She had been about to cast a spell on him when Olefat interrupted. I was still grateful for the help he’d given us.
Turning aside, I whispered to Eadric, “Why don’t you take Adara back to that berry patch. We might be a while.” The patch was far enough away that the Swamp Fairy wouldn’t be able to see him. We would have a real problem if she remembered how rude he had been to her.
“Sounds like a good idea,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “Holler if you need me.”
“Maybe a human made that pattern,” said Sumac. “They’re always hurting our plants!”
I shook my head. “It couldn’t have been a human. You can’t see the pattern unless you’re flying overhead.”
“No human could hurt those trees if we put up that wall!” Sumac said, looking at the other fairies again.
“I know I’ve seen you somewhere recently,” said the Swamp Fairy. “If only I can remember where.”
“How are you going to keep some people out and let others in?” I asked Sumac. “Will you allow wolves into your forest?”
“Of course!” said Sumac. “All forest creatures will still be welcome there.”
“What about werewolves?” I asked. “They’re human part of the time. And there are other creatures that can turn into humans when they want to. Are you going to ban all of them, too?”
“It’s right on the tip of my brain,” said the Swamp Fairy.
Sumac gave me a scornful look. “Fairies can tell when someone isn’t fully human.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “Then what am I, exactly?”
“You’re a human, of course,” said Sumac. “Anyone can tell that.”
“I’m human right now, but I’m not always,” I told her.
I had already begun to change when the Swamp Fairy gave a triumphant shout. “I remember now! You were with that boy who insulted me just the other day! I was about to turn you both into mushrooms, but you ran away too fast.”
I had been practicing the change and was getting quite good at the transformation, although the sheer excitement still took my breath away. Time seemed to stand still, at least for me, as I turned into a dragon. Everyone watching froze, although I didn’t know if it was from fear or surprise. The Swamp Fairy stopped moving, with her hand raised to point at me. Sumac paused in a mid-shake of denial. Then there I was, a pale green dragon with fire already burning in my belly.
I stretched my neck so that my face was only inches from Sumac’s and said, “It seems to me that you’re not that good at telling who is human and who might be something else.”
In an instant, most of the fairies turned tiny and fled. Only Sumac, frozen under my gaze, remained behind. “I didn’t know!” she said. “Please don’t eat me or burn me to a crisp!”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I told her, and sat back on my haunches. “Now that we’re alone, are you sure you weren’t the one to damage Maple’s trees?”
“It wasn’t me, I swear!” cried Sumac. “It was probably one of my rivals. Go talk to Chervil and Poppy. I bet one of them did it.”
“And where would I find them?” I asked.
“The last I heard, Poppy was visiting the fairies who live near the Old Witches’ Retirement Community. The witches are letting her use their commons for a rally.”
“And what about Chervil?” I asked.
Whoomp! Whoomp! The sound of enormous wings drowned out whatever Sumac might have been about to say. In a flash, she turned tiny and fled into the forest, leaving me to face the two dragons landing near me. Although I recognized them, it was obvious from the look on Grumble Belly’s face that he didn’t recognize me. The huge, blue-black dragon was intimidating even when he was being friendly. Suspicious and wary, the adult male dragon was terrifying. Huddled beside him, his little son, Ralf, just looked puzzled.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Grumble Belly demanded, his hot breath washing over me.
“It’s me, Emma!” I exclaimed. I had turned into a dragon the first time in order to stop a magical fight between my aunt and my grandmother, both of whom were under the influence of the family curse. I hadn’t seen my dragon friends since then, so neither one would know that I could turn into a dragon, something most witches would find impossible.
“Emma who?” asked Grumble Belly.
“I’m the one who became a Dragon Friend when I helped Ralf at the Dragon Olympics!” I told them. “Hi, Ralf! It’s good to see you again.”
“Papa, is that really Emma?” whispered Ralf. “She’s green! I’ve never seen a dragon her color before.”
“Look, I’ll prove it!” I cried. A moment later, I stood before them as the human they remembered.
“It is you!” Ralf shouted. “You can turn into a dragon now! I thought you could only turn into a frog! Wow! This is great! Now we can do all sorts of things together. Can Eadric turn into a dragon, too?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, just me. I think I can do it only because I’m a Dragon Friend. As far as I know, I’m the only human who can turn into a dragon.”
“Hey, Ralf! Hi, Grumble Belly!” Eadric shouted, hurrying to join us. “What are you doing here?”
“We were flying home when we saw Emma,” said Ralf.
“And now that we’ve spoken with her, we need to go,” said his father. “I promised I would catch tonight’s supper.”
Ralf smiled. “Mama is helping me learn flaming. Papa is giving me flying lessons. Someday I’ll be as good at flaming as Mama and fly as fast as Papa. Right?” he said, looking up at his father.
“That’s right, son,” the huge dragon said, gazing fondly at Ralf before turning back to me. “I know his mother and I said he was too young to start flaming, but he really wanted to and he’s been very well-behaved lately. He’s been practicing a lot over the last few weeks.”
Ralf nodded. “I started eating gunga beans and flami-peppers after the Dragon Olympics last month. You should see how long I can make my flame! My flying is getting better, too. Papa says that someday I’ll be faster than he is!”
“I bet you will,” I said with a smile. The Dragon Olympics were a yearly event. Ralf had taken Eadric and me to the games the year before. Ralf was too young to compete, but his mother had won the contest for the longest flame.
“Come along, son. We really have to go,” said his father.
“We’ll see you soon, Emma and Eadric!” Ralf shouted as he took to the air.
I watched until they disappeared above the trees of the enchanted forest. When I turned to say something to Eadric, Adara started talking first. “I can’t believe you had a conversation with two dragons! You have a sword with you, Eadric. Why didn’t you slay them both? The little one would have been easy to kill!”
Horrified, Eadric and I turned to glare at her. “Those dragons are friends of ours,” said Eadric. “I would never hurt either of them!”
“You can’t make friends with dragons!” Adara declared. “They aren’t people, they’re lizards. No animal is the equal of a human! Trying to be friends with them isn’t natural!” Turning on her heel, she flounced toward the carpet.
“They may be lizards, but they’re nicer than a lot of people we know!” I said. When Eadric and I took our seats on the carpet, I might have made it start flying again a little faster than necessary, and I might have made Adara flop backward on purpose, but there was only so much that I could put up with from anyone!