09 The Last Honeycomb

CHAPTER 9 THE LAST HONEYCOMB Tag frowned. "Bears?" "Yes, the bears tricked us!" the small grumblebee said. "We had hidden our piece of the Ember Stone inside a honeycomb—in case Thorn came back for it. The bears said they would protect it, so we passed it to them for safekeeping."

"But they really just wanted to eat the honeycomb. They love honey!" added another grumblebee. "Now they won't give the stone back unless we give them more honeycomb." The bees flew to the Whispering Oak, where a round beehive sat in the tallest branches. "Thanks to Thorn, this hive is all we have left. It holds our very last honeycomb," the small grumblebee said. "We're sorry, but we cannot help you."

The bees disappeared inside their hive. "We need to find the bears," Tag told his friends. "We have to make them give us the stone." Skyla looked up at the beehive. "Where are the bears?" she called. A small grumblebee flew out and pointed in the direction of the mossy hills that the friends had escaped from. The sun had already set and the moon was high in the sky. "They live in a cave at the very top of that hill," the bee said.

Blaze yawned. "We should rest here for the night," Tag said. "We'll talk to the bears in the morning." "What about Thorn's spies?" Skyla asked. "We will keep watch," the grumblebee said. "We'll warn you of any danger," Then he went back into his hive, leaving the three friends alone in the darkness.