Sangeetha Kamath

                            CHAPTER 24                           URI CELESTE  They worked fast. Locket, Marble, Flintstone, Acorn, Cup. Five heartbeats. Five clicks that dropped but… Nothing happened ! Mist hung between the roots that held their breath. The Glade was listening. Somewhere past the treeline, a twig snapped. A pig scout, maybe. Too close.   The sixth slot yawned empty. Dapper’s paw shot for a low branch, claws itching to yank the nearest fruit.   “ Wait!”   Goldwynn’s voice wasn’t a shout. It was a plucked bowstring, thin and sharp. “Easy does it ! Let me see...”   The knoll wafted up old fear. The rising moon bled through the horizon in thin, cold ribbons, turning every leaf into a silver blade.  Blaire’s parting words gnawed at her. Your cup brimmeth over…  Was she talking about Tasha...

                         CHAPTER 23                  GATES TO THE VAULT  Three days of trudging, trekking and aching muscles later, the cozy, sunlit, honeyed woods of Bramble Shire were miles behind them.  At the edge of the deep, fog covered forest, a wispy figure appeared before them –The Guardian Maiden, Blaire barricading their way. "What do you seek in Mistwood Shadow Glade?" Her voice was the soft breeze that twirled around them. Ethereal!  Hopper stepped forward gingerly. "The Locke Jewel. The last shard to piece together the Starwood Crystal. Where’s it hidden?" Blaire pursed her lips. "I’ll trade, as you know. Tell me your deepest secret. One you’d kill to hide." Chipper tensed. Hopper hesitated. There was a lot at stake, when she prodded, “The Pigs are closing in. Time is of the essence here, Rabbit ! If you don’t choose, you lose." Papa Koala warned, " ...

                            CHAPTER 22           JOURNEY MOST TREACHEROUS  The plan was set. With a departure set before daybreak they would easily avoid the pig patrols, reaching Mistwood Shadow Glade before the Mighty Boar knew their agenda.  As they filed out to grab minimal winks of sleep that wouldn’t come, the crystal apple sat alone in the dark, throwing tiny red constellations across the ceiling in the library. Watching. Waiting. They packed ammo for the battle of the ages.  "Mistwood Shadow Glade is three days away. Day one: Cross the dell before twilight or the pig scouts sniff out your wake.  Day Two: Skirt around the Bone Fields. Better still, avoid it altogether! We take shortcuts through low lying rivers. Water hides our scent. Day three: Reach the fringes of the Mistwood Shadow Glade. Keep the shards from getting activated along the way. No fires after dusk. ...

                         CHAPTER 21  WHEN THE SHARDS SING, the BEAST                                   AWAKENS  Dawn was hours away, but nobody at Meadow Brook Cottage was sleeping.   The stew was gone. The bread was devoured. The porridge pot was polished clean. The berry tart for dessert existed only as stains on Dapper’s snout. Tasha slept by the hearth, her milk cup clutched to her like a shield. The Knights Army sat around the scarred oak table, full-bellied and hollow-eyed, because Papa Koala’s words were still heavy in the air. As they pored over the map, Tasha roused from her sleep and knocked over her milk cup. Her milk cup rolled across the floorboards, hit the table and stopped dead against the oaken leg directly under the crystal apple. Both the objects buzzed in sync. Tasha whimpered in her sleep and t...

                            CHAPTER 20        SECRETS OF THE LOCKE JEWEL   The path from Gloom Spout Trail emerged into honeyed light. Meadow Brook Cottage appeared in the distance looking like a paradise after the hellish scenario of the cave. The windows of the cottage were burnished gold against the bruising purple of encroaching twilight. The brook itself chuckled merrily past the doorstep, and for one heartbeat nobody spoke. They’d made it. With Tasha. Alive. They hurried inside, ravenous enough to devour food for an army. Coco, Goldwynn and Papa Koala set out to cook a scrumptious meal for everyone. The dining table was a wide, scarred oak. They fell on it like wolves. Goldwynn tore apart fresh biscuit rolls. Hopper, Dapper and Chipper inhaled the mushroom stew straight from the pot, passing on steaming bowls Tasha, swaddled in her downy quilt, dozed by the hearth — exhausted and co...

                            CHAPTER 19         KNIGHTS ARMY OF THE KOALAS  Mama Bear's eyes widened as Goldwynn, Chipper, Dapper, and Hopper gathered around her. “Coco," Goldwynn said gently. "We need to find Baby Tasha, pronto. It's a race against time.The pigs haven't solved the clues yet, and Tasha is leveraged to pry it out of us." Mama Bear's face crumbled. "Those pigs! I warned Papa Bear they were trouble.” Papa Bear stared into space. “What's the plan, Goldwynn?" Goldwynn's eyes sparkled. "We need to find Tasha. Chipper, can you sniff her out?" Chipper's nose twitched. "I can try. But I'll need something with Tasha's scent." Mama Bear handed Chipper Tasha's favorite milk cup. Chipper took a deep sniff and set off, the group following close behind. As they navigated the forest, the trees clumped closer, casting dark shadows. "Why!This is the Gloom Sprout Trail that leads to the treachero...