Chapter 4

4 As the Dragon Girls flew high above the Magic Forest, Quinn hummed a song. She didn't usually sing in front of others, but she needed something to fill the silence. Even the wind made no noise as it whipped by. Quinn found herself humming her new song, just to break the unnatural quiet.

"You've got a great voice, Quinn," Mei commented, flying alongside her. "You really do," Aisha agreed, doing loops and twirls as she flew along. "Can you sing a song for us?" Quinn was glad that it was impossible to know when a Dragon Girl was blushing. "I only like singing with others. Solos freak me out! But actually, I shouldn't be singing anyway. We are supposed to be listening for that drumbeat." "Good point," Mei agreed. "Can you hear it?" Quinn strained her ears. For a moment, she thought the beat had disappeared. She wished she hadn't been distracted by humming her song! That was the problem with music. When Quinn got a tune into her head, she forgot everything else. But hang on… there it was! A distant, slow drumming. They had been flying high above the tree line. It was faster up there, without any obstacles in the way. But the beat was too faint up that high.

"We need to fly lower," Quinn decided. "Lead the way!" Aisha called back cheerfully. Quinn swooped lower. Soon, she and her friends were weaving through lush forest trees, which silently rustled their leaves. "That drumming sound is changing," Quinn said. "I can't hear anything," Mei said.

"Really?" said Quinn. To her, the drumbeat was building in volume. And now she could hear other sounds as well. It was like more musicians were joining in, adding to the original beat. "I can't hear anything, either," said Aisha. "You must have amazing ears!" "My ears are bright green and pointy," Quinn joked. "So I guess they are pretty amazing." She was a big fan of her dragon ears. She loved the way they swiveled around so she could pick up sounds coming from different directions. She wished her human ears could do that! Quinn spotted something up ahead through the trees. In a glow of colored light, some small shapes moved around. The drumming was definitely coming from there. A moment later, the trees opened up and the Dragon Girls found themselves in a small clearing. Before them was a most surprising sight! The surrounding trees were decorated with garlands of bright flowers. Dotted around the edge

were freshly dug holes. And in the center of the clearing, a group of small creatures danced in a circle. They had tiny eyes but very big paws, which they were stamping and clapping in complex rhythms as they hopped around. Quinn and her friends landed in a huddle. "Are those badgers?" Aisha whispered. "They look like it," said Mei. "But I thought badgers didn't really like coming aboveground." "That's true for much of the year," piped up a little voice from nearby. They looked down to see a tiny badger peering up at them. He was wearing an elegant waistcoat made of purple velvet. His claws sparkled like gold, and the white stripe that ran down his nose was threaded with silver. "But today is the annual Beat Fest," continued the badger. "All the Beat Badgers of the Magic Forest come aboveground for the day. We dance and sing together. We can't see very well, but our hearing is wonderful."

Quinn tilted her head. The drumming was coming from the circle of dancing badgers. She knew most instruments, but she could not tell what was making this rhythm. "What kind of drum are you playing?" she asked. The badger clapped his paws together excitedly. "It's not a drum at all," he said. "It's an old violin! We are drumming on its side to the rhythm of the forest beat."