The healing fairy looked pleased. “Well, I don’t see anything unusual. Your wings appear to be fine.”
Tinker Bell’s friends sighed in relief.
“But what about the sparkling?” Tink asked.
“Hmm,” the healing fairy said, gathering her things to see the next patient. “Well, it must have been the light reflecting off the snow.”
“But…” Tinker Bell protested.
The healing fairy gave her a stern look. “You should have never crossed the border,” she scolded her. “Winter is too cold for our warm fairy wings. Now, to be safe, I want you to take two sunflower seeds and come back if there is any problem.”
Together, Tink’s friends led her out of the fairy hospital. They were all relieved that Tinker Bell was okay.
“We were worried,” Silvermist said.
“You are so lucky nothing happened to your wings,” Fawn added.
“Can you imagine?” Rosetta shook her head.
Tinker Bell looked around at her friends. “But something did happen,” she tried to explain. “They sparkled!”
Iridessa patted her on the shoulder. “You heard the healing fairy. It was just the light reflecting off the snow.”
“No, it wasn’t!” Tinker Bell insisted. “They actually lit up! It was brighter than a thousand fireflies.” She turned to Fawn. “You saw it, didn’t you?” she asked.
Fawn looked down at her feet. “No…” she said finally.
Tink’s shoulders slumped. “You don’t believe me?” She sighed when her friends shook their heads. “Look, you guys. It happened. It felt like…like…”
“Like what?” Silvermist asked.
Tinker Bell gazed off into the distance. “Like the Winter Woods was calling me,” she whispered.
Her friends all looked at one another anxiously. Now Tinker Bell was really acting crazy!
“Uh-huh,” Rosetta said slowly. Then she whispered to the others, “Get the doctor!”
Tink sighed. It didn’t matter what the healing fairy had said. She knew her wings had sparkled. She wished her friends believed her. And more than anything, she wanted to know what the sparkling had meant.
Later that day, Tink flew off to the Book Nook. She had a feeling that she might be able to find the answer to her question there.
The library was a cozy little building tucked inside a hollow tree. As she entered, Tink passed by four fuzzy bookworms carrying stacks of books to reshelve.
Soon she found herself flittering down a long row of shelves crammed with dusty books. Under her breath, she read the titles aloud. “101 Uses for Pixie Dust. Beauty and the Bees.” She shook her head. “There’s got to be a wing book here somewhere,” she mumbled. “How to Avoid Hawks. Rules for Rainbow Riding. No…not that.” Her finger trailed along the row of spines as she scanned each title, looking for the right one.
Suddenly, a tattered-looking book caught her eye. She opened it and found that the pages had been chewed through. “Hey!” she exclaimed, poking her finger through the hole in the page. “Someone’s been eating the books!”
Nearby, a chubby bookworm looked up guiltily. A half-eaten page was sticking out of his mouth. He quickly gulped down the paper and inched away.
“Ugh,” Tinker Bell said, rolling her eyes.
She kept searching until, finally, she struck gold.
“Wingology!” she exclaimed. Tink reached for the book. It was shaped like fairy wings. But before she could grab it, the book magically took flight! Tinker Bell chased after it, causing a commotion throughout the library. The book slammed into stacks and shelves, knocking other books all over the floor. Finally, Tink pinned it down on one of the sturdy mushroom-cap tables. “Gotcha!” she cried.
A fairy wearing thick glasses at the next table cleared his throat. He seemed annoyed.
“Oh, sorry,” Tink apologized. Quietly, she began to flip through the pages. After a moment, she found just what she was looking for. “Sparkling! I knew it!” she cried.
She raised her hands triumphantly. The book took advantage of her distraction and tried to fly off once more. Tink slammed it back down.
Again, the fairy with glasses shot Tink a warning look.
“Sorry!” she whispered. Then she turned back to the book’s explanation of sparkling wings. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. The page that had the answer to Tinker Bell’s question was chewed up. The bookworm must have gotten to it first. Tinker Bell glared at the chubby worm.
“Thanks a lot,” she grumbled.
The bookworm gave her another guilty look. He had just started munching on a tasty paper snack. He slid away, taking the snack with him.
Tinker Bell sighed and tried to make sense of the words that were left on the page. “‘Sparkling wings,’” she read, “‘when a…most incredible…that the sparkle…there were two.’” Tinker Bell blew her bangs out of her face as she tried to figure out what the words meant. Two of what? she thought. Two wings? Two feet?
Frustrated, she moved over to where the fairy with glasses was reading. “Pssst,” she whispered. “Do you know anything about sparkling wings?”
The fairy looked up from his book. “No,” he replied. “The bookworm ate that page.”
“Yeah, I know.” Tinker Bell sighed.
“But the Keeper does,” the fairy said.
“The Keeper?” Tinker Bell asked. “Who’s the Keeper?”
The fairy pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and pointed to the author’s name on the front cover of the book. In small letters, it read, BY THE KEEPER.
“He writes the books,” the fairy told her. “He is the keeper of all fairy knowledge.”
“That’s perfect!” Tinker Bell exclaimed. “Is he here? I have to talk to him.”
The fairy chuckled. “I would give anything to talk to him. But you can’t. He’s a winter fairy. In order to talk to him, you have to go to the Winter Woods.”
When Tinker Bell looked at him expectantly, the fairy continued. “And that’s impossible. Your wings will freeze and…” He snapped a pencil he was holding in half. “Chapter sixteen,” he said, nodding to the book.
“The Winter Woods,” Tinker Bell whispered. She quickly thanked the fairy and started to fly home.
I have to see the Keeper! she thought eagerly. Somehow, there has to be a way to cross the border safely. He’s the only one who can tell me why my wings sparkled!
A short while later, Tinker Bell was hard at work in her teapot home. Using thorn scissors, she snipped a thick green leaf into pieces. Nearby, two bugs turned a spinning wheel to make thread. Tink carefully stitched the pieces of the leaf together to make a warm winter coat. Then she started to make snow boots. She hammered and cobbled until they were just right. She even added her signature pom-poms to the toes. When she was done, she tucked fuzzy earmuffs and woolly gloves into her satchel, along with the Wingology book. She looked at herself in the mirror.
Not bad! she thought. She was ready for winter!
Smiling, she turned to fly off on her adventure…and fell flat on her face!
“Agh!” Tinker Bell grunted. She’d forgotten that with her warm coat on, she couldn’t flap her wings.
Luckily, with the plan she had in mind to get to the Winter Woods, something else would be doing the flying for her!
Outside Tinkers’ Nook, Tinker Bell cautiously peeked out from behind a bunch of leaves. She saw Fairy Mary and the other fairies hard at work in the basket depot. Slipping her hood over her head, Tinker Bell quietly tiptoed into the workshop.
“Stand by with the pulley,” Fairy Mary was instructing the tinkers in a loud voice. “It’s this season’s final pickup, so let’s make it our best.”
Tink hid behind a large bin and spied on her friends Clank and Bobble. They were testing out the basket they had just made.
“Okay, Clanky!” Bobble shouted from inside the basket.
Clank pulled down on a large lever, and the bottom of the basket opened up. Bobble fell through it and
onto the ground with a loud thump!
“Snowflake release system working!” Clank declared. He smiled proudly
Bobble rubbed his head. “Maybe you should be the test snowflake for a while,” he mumbled.
Without a sound, Tink pulled a small thorn grappling hook attached to a rope out of her satchel. Quickly, she tossed the hook toward the top of the basket. It caught hold. Pleased with herself, Tink began to climb up and into the basket. She was so close to getting a ride to the Winter Woods!
“Tink?” Clank suddenly called.
Uh-oh, Tinker Bell thought. She’d been caught!
“We already checked that basket,” Bobble called up, confused. He thought Tinker Bell was helping them prepare for the final pickup.
“R-right, uh…” Tinker Bell stammered as she slowly lowered herself back to the ground. She had to think fast.
Clank looked Tink up and down curiously. “Why are you dressed all cozy?”
Tinker Bell sighed. It was no use trying to lie to her friends. “I’m going to the Winter Woods,” she said.
Clank and Bobble gasped.
“The Winter Woods!” Bobble cried.
“Shhh!” Tinker Bell looked around for Fairy Mary. Thankfully, the head tinker fairy was busy on the other side of the factory, counting the last batch of baskets.
“The Winter Woods?” Bobble whispered.
Tinker Bell was about to explain when suddenly a loud horn sounded.
“Places, everyone!” Fairy Mary called.
“The snowy owls!” Tinker Bell gasped, her heart beating fast. “They’re here!”
“Start the pulley!” Fairy Mary ordered.
The baskets that the tinker fairies had been making all day started to move along the rope up to the delivery tower. Tinker Bell didn’t have time to think. It was now or never.
“Bye,” she whispered to Clank and Bobble. Before they could stop her, Tink hoisted herself into a moving basket and began rising into the air.
“Tink, wait!” Clank cried, sounding worried. He looked over at Bobble, and the two friends flew after her.
The pulley was carrying baskets up to meet the snowy owls as they swooped down. Tinker Bell’s basket was nearing the top.
“You can’t cross the border, Miss Bell,” Bobble whispered urgently over the rim. “Your wings—”
“Don’t worry,” Tinker Bell said. “They’re in my coat.”
“Does this have to do with the sparkling?” Clank asked.
“Yes,” Tink answered. “And there’s somebody in winter who can tell me what it means.”
“Clank? Bobble?” Fairy Mary’s voice echoed from down below. “Is there something wrong with that basket?”
“Wh-what? Oh, um…” Bobble stammered. He shot Tink a nervous glance. She looked at him pleadingly. They couldn’t give her away now!
“Tink,” Bobble begged one last time.
“I just have to do this,” Tinker Bell whispered.
Bobble turned back to Fairy Mary. “Uh, no. Everything is, uh, fine,” he said.
“We’re just sad to see it go,” Clank added. He patted the side of the basket. “Pretty basket.”
Fairy Mary rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, honestly!” she said. “Let it go!”
Clank and Bobble released their hold on the basket, and one by one the snowy owls swooped down to collect the deliveries. Tinker Bell peeked over the edge. Her basket was next for pickup!
Just then, the young owl from the previous day came into view. He was assigned to collect Tinker Bell’s basket.
“Oh, that’s the new one,” Fairy Mary said to Clank and Bobble.
Tink’s friends gulped. A new owl wouldn’t be as steady when picking up a heavy basket as the other, more experienced owls. They hoped the bird wouldn’t drop Tinker Bell!
A moment later, the young owl flew past and grabbed the handles of Tinker Bell’s basket. He wobbled a little. Then he flapped his wings hard, trying to keep up with his brothers.
Tinker Bell smiled. They were on their way…
…and heading straight for a wall! Panicking, Tinker Bell crouched against the side of the basket and braced for impact. But at the last second, the determined little owl gained enough momentum to lift the basket up and over the wall. They just missed it.
Back on the ground, Clank and Bobble let out a sigh of relief. That was close!
Tinker Bell sneaked a look back at her friends one last time, then she quickly ducked down.
“Excellent work, everyone,” Fairy Mary praised the tinkers in the depot. “They’re off to the cold of winter.” She looked around. “Well, that’s that until next year.”
As Fairy Mary left, Clank and Bobble continued watching Tinker Bell’s basket disappear over the horizon.
“Stay warm, Miss Bell,” Bobble whispered softly.
Inside the basket, Tinker Bell was nervous and excited. There was no turning back now. She was going to the Winter Woods!
Peering over the edge, she saw the border between autumn and winter rapidly approaching. It grew closer, and closer, and then…
Fwoom!
The moment they crossed over, a burst of cold air hit Tinker Bell hard. She shivered and opened her eyes. She was in winter!
The snowy owl flew on at top speed. Tinker Bell held tight and watched as a world of white whizzed past her. Winter was incredible! They dipped under a sparkling ice bridge and then pulled up high over a magnificent snowy valley. Tinker Bell’s breath came in short puffs of frosty air. It was like nothing she had ever seen or felt before. No stories about the Winter Woods could have prepared her for this.
“I made it,” she whispered to herself.
Up ahead, a handsome winter fairy flew over to greet her owl. Tinker Bell ducked down inside the basket, hiding.
“Welcome back,” the winter fairy said to the owl. “You ready for the drop-off?”
The owl gave a nervous hoot.
“Come on,” the winter fairy teased. “You did it yesterday. You’ll be fine.”
As Tinker Bell watched, the winter fairy flew ahead and spiraled down to a hilltop covered in snow. She realized that the owls were going to drop the baskets onto a long icy slide that would take them to a factory similar to the basket depot back in Tinkers’ Nook. Tink gulped. This was going to be a bumpy ride!
On the winter fairy’s signal, the owls swooped forward one by one and let go of their baskets. Tinker Bell’s basket lurched to one side as her owl got ready to release it. Tink was thrown against the edge, and she accidentally hit the snowflake release lever!
Instantly, the trapdoor at the bottom of her basket sprang open. Her satchel started to slide toward it. Quickly, Tinker Bell snatched it up. But the basket rocked to and fro. She started to roll toward the open trapdoor herself!
Tink grabbed the edge of the opening just before she would have fallen through, and with all her strength, pulled herself back up and closed the trapdoor. Whew!
But Tink wasn’t out of trouble yet. Her owl had been thrown off balance by her tumbling. Startled, he accidentally released the basket too soon. It careened out of control.
A winter fairy below spotted the renegade basket. “Look out!” he cried.
Tinker Bell’s basket slid down the chute and smashed into a pile of bins already loaded with snowflakes. Frosty crystals flew everywhere! As her basket rolled to a stop, Tinker Bell remained perfectly still. The winter fairies were scampering to clean up the mess. Thankfully, no one had spotted her. Tink quickly started to gather all the things that had fallen out of her satchel. But wait—something was missing.
Tinker Bell peeked around the rim of her basket. The wing book was lying out in the open!
Just then, a large shadow passed overhead. A massive snowy owl whooshed by, and a powerful-looking fairy wearing a cape leapt down to the ground.
“Lord Milori,” she heard the winter fairy in charge of the owls say. Tinker Bell gasped. That must be the Lord of Winter Fawn had told her abou
t. The one who had made the rule that fairies couldn’t cross the border. Now Tink really needed to stay hidden!
“And what happened here?” the lord asked in a deep but quiet voice.
“Bit of a bumpy landing,” the winter fairy said, nodding to the young snowy owl. “It’s only his second drop-off.”
The owl gave the lord a sheepish grin.
“As long as the basket made it,” Lord Milori said, his voice kind, “I’d say he did just fine.” He looked around at the work the fairies were doing. “The snowflakes are looking quite beautiful.”
As the fairies were talking, Tinker Bell tried to reach the wing book with her foot. But it was too far away. She stretched just a little bit more…and accidentally knocked the book with her toe. It slid out of reach, and right into Lord Milori’s boot!
“Hmm,” Lord Milori said, picking up the book. “Now, that is odd.”
Tinker Bell smacked her hand against her head. This was a disaster!
Lord Milori studied the book carefully. After a long moment, he finally said, “It must have been left in the basket by accident.” He handed the book to the winter fairy in charge. “Return this to the Keeper.”
Tinker Bell breathed in sharply. The Keeper!
Lord Milori remained several minutes longer, admiring the work of the snowflake fairies. Then he mounted his owl and took off into the sky. Once he had left, the winter fairy picked up the book and headed out of the snowflake depot.
Tinker Bell watched him go. If he was off to see the Keeper, then there was only one thing to do. She was going to follow him!
In the Hall of Winter, just outside the Keeper’s chamber doors, Tinker Bell listened carefully. She had followed the winter fairy all the way there, and he was speaking with the Keeper now.
“It came from the warm side, in one of the baskets,” she heard him say. Then he turned to fly off. “Have a good day!” he called back to the Keeper.
Once the fairy was out of sight, Tinker Bell quietly stepped inside the chamber. But the floor was slippery. It was made entirely of ice. Tinker Bell could barely stand up.
Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings Junior Novel Page 2