02 The Bubbling Bog

CHAPTER 2 THE BUBBLING BOG As the friends flew closer to the Bubbling Bog, their eyes began to water. "What is that smell?" Skyla called to Tag and Blaze. "It's the bog!" Tag replied, covering his beak with his wing.

Thick, squelchy mud stretched out as far as he could see. Every so often, a huge bubble rose up from the mud. When it popped, it let out a small cloud of smelly green gas. "My eyes sting!" cried Blaze. "Mine, too," Tag said, blinking to stop his eyes going blurry. BELCH! BURP! The bog bubbled. "We can't fly over the bog!" Skyla yelled. "Those bubbles must be filled with some kind of poison." "Follow me!" Tag shouted. He flew north, and they landed at the edge of the Bubbling Bog.

Skyla pinched her nose. "What do we do now?" Tag pulled out the map. "We'll have to stay to the north. It will take longer than flying over the bog, but it's the only way." "Hurry," Blaze told her friends. Skyla didn't wait to be told twice. She hopped onto Blaze's back, and they set off, leaving the stinky bog far behind. They flew for hours. Just before sundown, they reached Lullaby Lake. The air was fresh, and the water clear. They found a group of willow trees at the edge of the lake. The trees had long branches that hung to the ground.

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"Look at this," Skyla said. She moved some branches aside and disappeared behind them. Tag and Blaze followed. "It's a secret hideout," Tag said. The branches hung low, keeping the friends hidden. "We should set up camp here," Skyla said. "Thorn's spies will never find us," Blaze agreed.

"Is our piece of the Ember Stone warm yet?" Skyla asked. Usually, when they were close to another piece, theirs glowed and got hotter. Tag checked his sack. "No, it is still cold," he said. Blaze peered out of the branches. She pointed at a small island in the middle of the lake. "Let's check out that island," Tag said. "Maybe the next piece is over there." "I'll stay here and make our nests for tonight," Skyla said. She picked up some thin branches and began weaving nests for them to sleep on.