05 Surprise Visit!

CHAPTER 5 SURPRISE VISIT! Skyla dropped her slingshot. "Blaze!" she cried. The firehawk gave her friends a hug, pulling them into her orange-and-red wings.

Blaze's eyes filled with shiny tears. "I need your help!" she said. "My mom has gone missing. I think something terrible has happened to her." "Oh no!" Tag said, patting Blaze's wing. "What has happened to Talia?" Blaze sniffled. "My mom went through a portal to another land. She said she would only be gone for a few days. But she never came back, and then we got a fire message." "What's a fire message?" Skyla asked. "It's something that firehawks can do," Blaze said. "I have learned how to do it, too. You can send a message or an object to other firehawks through fire. I'll show you."

Blaze waved her wing in the air. Her feathers lit up with small flames. She drew a picture of Tag and Skyla in the air. It burned in front of them for a while, then turned into black wisps of smoke and disappeared.

"That's a fire message," Blaze said. "I've let the firehawks know that I have found you." "What was Talia's message?" Tag asked. Blaze pulled out a long silver feather. "She sent one of her magical tail feathers. I think she needs our help." "Did her message say anything?" Skyla asked. CRACK! There was a loud noise behind them. Tag drew his dagger. "Who's there?" he called. Bod crept out from the trees.

Skyla put her paws on her hips and glared at him. "You ran away!" she cried. "Owls of Valor are supposed to stick together." Bod stared at the ground. "When I saw the mole's orange eyes, I got scared. I thought The Shadow was back." Blaze's eyes flared. "The Shadow?" she said. "Just before you arrived, we saw a mole with orange eyes. And it was fast, too fast for a normal mole," Tag told Blaze. Skyla sighed. "I think we had better talk to the creature who knows the most about The Shadow. Let's go and find Claw."