11 Over the Waves

CHAPTER 11 OVER THE WAVES Skyla looked out across the waves. "Fire Island seems very far away," she said. "How do we get to it?" Tag frowned. He was too tired to fly such a long way. Skyla and Blaze couldn't fly at all. "I'm not sure... But we've come so far!" he said. "There must be a way across the water."

"PEEP!" Blaze called, peering over a rock at the water's edge. "What is it?" Tag asked as he and Skyla hurried over. A large, wrinkled turtle smiled up at them. "Hullo. I'm Thaddeus." The turtle spoke very s-l-o-w-l-y.

Then Thaddeus saw Blaze. "A firehawk! I haven't seen a firehawk for a very long time." He sighed. "There used to be lots of them. But not anymore." "Where did they go?" Skyla asked. "I do not know," said Thaddeus. "Many years ago, there was a big storm. The biggest I have ever seen. The sky grew so dark that even the firehawks' bright feathers were hidden. There was a great battle between the firehawks and an old and powerful vulture."

"Thorn!" Tag said. Thaddeus nodded. "After the storm, the firehawks were never seen again." He turned to Blaze. "Until now." Tag pointed to Fire Island. "We need to get over there. Can you help us?" Thaddeus smiled. "I'd be happy to help a firehawk and her friends." The three friends climbed onto Thaddeus's shell. They held tightly on to one another as Thaddeus sailed over the waves.