Chapter 6

6 "Where did they go?" Aisha asked, scanning the ground below. "I don't know," admitted Mei. "It all happened so fast." "I'm not sure, either," said Quinn. "What should we do?"

PlushyPup spoke up. "My family lives in this part of the forest. They might know which way the Shadow Sprites went." "Okay. Let's land here and ask your family," said Aisha. It sure felt like they could use some help. PlushyPup and the three Treasure Dragons swooped lower and landed beside a huge, beautiful lake. All around the lake were tall snowcovered trees and towering mountains. Icicles hung from the tree branches, shining like crystals. The frozen surface of the lake sparkled in the light like it was filled with diamonds. The cold air smelled faintly of peppermint. Even Aisha had to admit that winter could be beautiful!

"This is the Diamond Lake," PlushyPup said proudly. "My family lives really close." "How do we find them?" Aisha asked. PlushyPup didn't answer. Instead, he tipped back his head, closed his eyes, and let out a long howl. The howl bounced off the surrounding mountains in an echo. It sounded like there were a hundred howling puppies, not just one!

When PlushyPup stopped, the group stood still, waiting. Nothing happened. "That's strange," said PlushyPup. "Normally someone appears right away." Aisha was about to suggest that PlushyPup howl again when Mei gave a sudden shout. "Hey! Look over there!" In the center of Diamond Lake was a group of sparkly white bears. They all had silky scarves wrapped elegantly around their necks. And around their impressive waists the bears wore matching tutus. Even stranger, the bears were gliding across the frozen surface of the lake on their hind legs. Mei squinted. "Are those bears wearing skates?" "And tutus?" added Aisha. "Yes, of course," said PlushyPup. "They are the famous Gliding Bears. They put on the most amazing concerts." Aisha watched as the bears pirouetted and twirled, their scarves streaming out behind them.

Sometimes they held out their arms to the sides for balance; sometimes they held them up above their heads or tucked them in tight to twirl even faster. The bears were very big and strong, but they still seemed to float across the ice. "Let's go over and ask them if they've seen the Shadow Sprites," said Mei.

"It looks like they are rehearsing," said PlushyPup. "We must wait until they are finished." "But we don't have time to wait," Aisha pointed out. "The Shadow Sprites will be getting farther and farther away." "Hey, look!" Quinn pointed. "They've stopped skating. What are they doing?" The bears were standing in a circle, waving their paws around wildly and growling at one another. "Maybe it's part of the performance?" Mei suggested. But Aisha just knew something was up. The bears were obviously upset! Then Aisha noticed a shape sticking up out of the ice. The shape had a gilt frame. "The mirror! We need to get over there," Aisha said, getting ready to fly across. "You'll have to skate over," warned PlushyPup. "The Gliding Bears won't talk to you otherwise."