08 Blaze

CHAPTER 8 BLAZE Skyla scurried down from her tree. "Where did Thorn's army go?" Tag blinked. "The firehawk scared them away!" The baby bird gave a happy little peep. Her gold and red feathers ruffled in the breeze.

"That was amazing!" Tag said to the firehawk. "Hey, we should name you... How about Blaze?" "I like it!" Skyla grinned. Blaze gave another peep. "Now let's find Grey," Tag said. Tag, Skyla, and Blaze hurried through the wood. They hid as best they could in case Thorn's spies were still close by. Tag was glad to see there was not much damage in camp. A few nests had been destroyed, and the armor hut had been knocked over. But that was it. Tag led his friends to Grey's tree.

SCREE-EEE! Grey landed beside them. "I've been looking for you," Grey said, opening the door. "Quickly, bring your new friend inside." "Her name is Blaze," Tag said. Grey smiled. "It suits you," he told Blaze. Tag had never been inside Grey's nest before. Wooden steps led to the very top of the tree, opening into a room filled with books.

"What happened?" Grey asked. "Thorn's army found us," Tag said. "We tried to fight, but they surrounded us, then Blaze screeched." "She saved us," Skyla added. "Thorn's army disappeared!" "The cry of the firehawk," Grey said. "It must have scared them away." "They were looking for her. Weren't they?" Tag asked. "Yes, I was afraid of this," Grey said. "Thorn won't give up now that he knows Blaze has hatched. We must find the Ember Stone before Thorn does. We will need it in order to defeat him. It may be our only weapon against his dark magic."

"You should call the Owls of Valor right away," Tag said. "We need that stone!" Grey put a wing on Tag's shoulder. "This is not a job for the Owls of Valor," he said. "Only this firehawk—along with you and Skyla—can find the stone."