11 Not Alone

CHAPTER 11 NOT ALONE The green-and-brown cloud looked like thousands of leaves floating on the wind. The buzzing grew louder. "Is that more of Thorn's spies?" Skyla asked. "No..." Tag's eyes widened. "It's the grumblebees!" "Hooray!" Skyla cheered.

Tag looked around. In the trees, squirrels attacked prickle ants. Badgers, beavers, and rabbits fought a mega beetle below. And the Owls of Valor battled tiger bats in the sky while Thorn and Grey fought with magic on the forest floor. The grumblebees swarmed around the tiger bats. They attacked with their sharp stingers until the tiger bats fled. The Owls of Valor joined the creatures fighting the mega beetle. "The grumblebees didn't come alone," Skyla said. "Look!"

Two large bears came crashing through the trees. "Hank and Herbert are here!" Tag said. THUMP! THUMP! The bears stomped at the ground. The prickle ants scurried away before getting squished. Thorn continued to battle Grey. And now Maximus joined their fight. Blaze still stood alone in the center of Valor Wood. She seemed frozen in place. "Quick!" Tag told Skyla. "The path to Blaze is clear." They hurried down the tree, near Blaze. "Be careful," Skyla whispered. "We don't want Blaze to turn us into toast!"

"Try not to startle her," Tag replied. They crept closer. "Going somewhere?" the gray wolf snarled, stepping in between the friends and Blaze. Tag held out his dagger. "Let us pass!" he shouted. The white wolf appeared. "Why would we do that?" Suddenly, the ground beneath the wolves shifted. The wolves' paws sank into the dirt. "What's happening?" the white wolfcried.

Dirt started to sink and rise all around them until they were surrounded by earth mounds. A head popped up. "Hello!" a voice said. "Monty!" Skyla cried. "You're here!" "Looks like we got here just in time," Monty replied. Tag stepped back as more heads popped up. Moles and the seals from the Crystal Caverns climbed out. "Coralie!" Skyla called. The young seal waved as the seals and moles cornered the wolves. "Come on," Tag said. "Let's save Blaze!"