The Baby Firebird
Talia crept forwards. A small golden head poked out between the leaves. The creature had a dark beak and two bright eyes. A sparkle of flame flickered on its head. Talia gasped. It was a baby firebird!
Talia squashed a ball of red-brown clay between her hands. She was sitting on the wooden step at the front of her house. Her bright-green dress was smeared with clay and her bare feet were dusty. A row of freshly made cups and plates were drying in the sun beside her.
She squeezed the clay harder. She was going to make a beautiful bowl and later, when it was dry, she’d decorate it. Maybe she’d paint red Izzala flowers on the side. The prettiest bowls always sold well at the market.
She bent her head as she moulded the bowl into shape. Her long dark-brown hair fell over her shoulders. The sun beat down and the clay felt warm between her fingers.
In the distance, Talia could hear the sounds of the rainforest. She loved to listen to the calls of the parrots and the scratching of the grasshoppers. Many of the pictures she chose for her pottery came from the plants and animals she’d seen in the forest.
Kura, the village where Talia lived, was in the middle of the Hundred Valleys at the southernmost tip of the Kingdom of Arramia. The little valleys lay side by side, divided by tall mountains and filled with tropical rainforest. Among them was the most secret place of all – the valley of Jalmar, where the magical firebirds lived.
Many enchanted creatures lived in the Kingdom of Arramia. There were dragons, sky unicorns and star wolves, but many of them lived far away in the north of the country. The firebirds’ valley lay just across the river. Talia often ran down to the water to watch them glide from tree to tree on the opposite bank. Tiny golden flames sparkled on their wings.
Talia knew the flames must be magical, as they never scorched the flowers or leaves. She longed to get closer to the amazing birds but she knew she mustn’t cross the river. Entering the hidden valley was forbidden. That was the law of her village and Talia knew the rule had been made to keep the firebirds safe!
Smoothing the rim of the bowl, Talia held it up to check it looked good all the way round. She placed it next to the other things she’d made and brushed the clay off her hands. Her mind drifted as she gazed at the swaying treetops in the distance. Something so strange and so amazing had happened last week that she could hardly stop thinking about it!
She’d been walking in the rainforest, gathering berries that she could use to make different-coloured paints. A rising wind had rocked the trees and a dragon had swooped through the air, landing in a clearing up ahead. Talia had nearly dropped all her berries when she saw a girl with blonde plaits slip down from the dragon’s back.
Sophy, the dragon-riding girl, had said she’d flown all the way from the royal castle where she worked as a maid. Then she’d given Talia a very special gift – a stone that magically broke open and had sparkling orange crystals inside. It was so beautiful! Talia could hardly believe it was hers.
She put her hand to her neck. Yes, the stone was still safe. She’d tied it on to some thread so that she could wear it as a necklace. It hung beneath her dress where no one could see. The girl on the dragon had told her to keep it a secret. She’d told Talia something else too. Something amazing.
She’d said the stone would let her talk to magical animals.
Talia took out the tiny rock. Her mum had gone to water the vegetables so she was quite alone. Gently opening the stone, she gazed at the little hollow filled with orange crystals. They glittered so brightly they made Talia think of flames.
Could it be true? Could this stone really let her speak to magical creatures?
Sophy had called it a Speaking Stone. She’d also explained that magical animals were in danger from people who wanted to capture them. It had all begun with Sir Fitzroy, a horrible knight who hated the creatures. Talia had listened carefully. She really wanted to help.
Every day since then, Talia had wandered in the rainforest trying to find a magical animal to see if the girl’s promise about the stone was really true. She’d searched and searched, but she hadn’t found a single creature and her mum had told her off for not finishing her chores!
Talia hung the stone around her neck again and began putting on her sandals. The pottery would be dry in two hours. She had enough time for a walk in the forest. As she fastened her buckle, there was a faint rustling noise.
Talia looked up. Had she imagined it or was something hiding in that bush? The plant rustled again. This time Talia saw the branches move. She crept forwards, expecting to see an emerald lizard or a brown piper bird. A golden head poked out between the leaves. The creature had a dark beak and two bright eyes. A sparkle of flame flickered on its head.
Talia stifled a gasp. It was a firebird – probably a young one because it was quite small.
Firebirds never came into the village! They were shy creatures and hardly ever ventured out of their hidden valley. This one was a long way from home. Maybe it was lost?
Crouching down, Talia gently held out her hand. She knew the flames sparkling among a firebird’s feathers wouldn’t hurt her. Every tale she’d ever listened to told her that! “Hello, I’m Talia,” she said softly. “Are you lost?”
The firebird gave a startled squawk and drew its head back into the bush.
“Don’t worry! I won’t hurt you!” Talia tiptoed closer. Peering into the bush, she found the bird gazing back at her. A breathless excitement gripped her. If the Speaking Stone was working, then this firebird would understand what she was saying!
She tried again. “Hello, I’m Talia!”
“Riki!” cheeped the bird, sticking out its beak.
“Sorry?” Talia wasn’t sure she’d heard right.
“Riki!” The firebird crept out of the bush and peered up at her. “That’s my name!”
“Wow! You understood me!” Talia’s stomach flipped over. “Then it’s true. The stone really does work!”
“What stone?” Riki tilted his head to one side.
“I have a special stone that lets me talk to you – see!” Talia pulled out her Speaking Stone and opened it to show him the crystals inside.
Riki flapped his wings in excitement. Tiny flickers of flame glittered among his golden feathers. “I love it!” he squawked. “It’s so pretty!”
“You’re a long way from your valley,” Talia told him. “Are you lost?”
Riki shook his head. “I wanted to see everything! My family told me about your wooden houses with the funny see-through squares.”
“You mean windows,” said Talia, smiling.
“Yes, windows!” Riki flapped his wings again. “It sounded so amazing. I just had to see! They said I was too little and it wasn’t safe, but I came anyway!”
“You’re very brave,” Talia told him. “But are you sure your family won’t be worried about you?”
A faint cough came from nearby.
“What’s that noise?” Riki lifted his beak as if he was sniffing the air. “There’s another human over there. I think it’s a boy.”
“Where?” Talia twisted round in alarm. A boy was peeking round the corner of the next house. Talia recognised his cheeky face and untidy black hair. “Lucas! What are you doing?”
Lucas came out, looking sheepish. “There’s a game of Twist Ball starting. I came to see if you wanted to play. Then I saw you with that bird.” His eyes darted to Riki. “Why are you talking as if you know what it’s saying?”
Talia’s heart sank. She and Lucas were friends but she hadn’t planned to tell him about the Speaking Stone. It was supposed to be a secret! What was she going to do now?
Talia sprang up, facing Lucas. Her fingers closed around the magical stone. “You shouldn’t be spying on people!”
Riki darted behind Talia, pressing his warm feathers against her legs. “Is the boy dangerous, Talia?”
“No, he’s not dangerous,” replied Talia. “Don’t worry!” She saw a puzzled look on Lucas’s face and she quickly decided what to do. He was a friend. She would trust him.
“You’re talking to the bird again!” said Lucas. “It can’t understand you.”
“Actually it can!” Talia showed him the Speaking Stone. She told him how she’d met a girl called Sophy when she was walking in the rainforest one day. She explained that Sophy had given her this stone and that now she could speak to magical animals.
“It’s a special stone,” she finished. “Sophy had a whole bag of them and each one only works for one person.”
“Are you trying to trick me?” Lucas frowned. “You can’t really speak to this firebird at all, can you?”
“No, it’s true!” Talia didn’t want Riki to hear her and get scared, so she leaned closer to whisper in Lucas’s ear. “The girl who gave me the stone told me that magical animals are in danger. There are people who want to capture them. She asked me to help.”
“OK, that’s definitely not true!” Lucas folded his arms. “I’ve never met anyone who wanted to capture a magical animal.”
Just then a faint drumming began in the distance. It grew louder and louder. Riki leapt into Talia’s arms in fright as four riders broke through the edge of the rainforest. A pudgy man rode at the front wearing a velvet cloak and hat. The others wore grey soldiers’ uniforms. They galloped up the track to the village, the dust flying beneath the horses’ hooves.
Talia ducked down behind a bush, clutching Riki in her arms. His golden feathers felt soft as he nestled against her neck. The man in the cloak glanced their way before riding on into the middle of the village.
“That’s weird!” whispered Lucas. “We haven’t had visitors for months.”
Talia made sure the riders were gone before getting to her feet. “I wonder why they’ve come. I have a really bad feeling about this.”
“What’s wrong?” Riki’s eyes widened.
Talia wondered how much to tell him. “Maybe it’s nothing, but I just think we should go inside.” Carrying him gently, she climbed the porch steps.
“I’ll go and see who they are!” Lucas dashed down the path.
“Lucas!” Talia called after him. “Don’t tell anyone about the firebird or my stone.”
“I won’t!” Lucas disappeared around the corner.
Once inside, Riki flew down from Talia’s arms and began exploring. He pecked at the saucepans in the kitchen, hopped on to the kitchen table and flapped right up to the ceiling. Then he discovered the mirror in Talia’s room and preened in front of it for ages, admiring his feathers.
Talia stood nervously at the window. She’d never seen riders enter the village in such a hurry before.
Lucas came tearing back round the corner a few minutes later and bounded up the steps. “I believe you now!” he panted. “I don’t like those men at all. The leader’s called Lord Fortescue. They’re looking for magical creatures and they want to search the village. We have to get that firebird out of here!”
Talia knelt down next to Riki. “I’m taking you back to the forest. It’s not safe here any more.”
Riki was still admiring himself in the mirror. Each time he stretched his wings, flames glittered among his feathers.
Talia heard men’s voices. She peeked round the curtain and saw the soldiers approaching. Where could she hide Riki? She noticed an empty clay pot she’d made weeks ago. It was a large and had a neat round lid. It was perfect!
“Riki! I need you to hide in here.” She lifted the lid to the pot. “It won’t be for long, I promise!”
Riki stopped preening, surprised at her urgent tone. He peered into the pot and his beak wobbled. “But it’s dark!”
“I know but I’ll be holding it the whole time. Please, Riki!” said Talia. “Just get in and I’ll take you back to Jalmar Valley, where you’ll be safe.”
“All right, Talia!” Riki fluttered his wings and jumped in.
Talia’s heart ached to see him huddled inside, his wings all squashed. His little face looked up at her as she placed the lid back on, leaving a small gap so he could breathe. She lifted the heavy pot and followed Lucas down the steps.
Two men in grey uniforms were knocking at the house next door. Behind them was the pudgy man with the velvet cloak. Talia sped up. The edge of the village was not far down the track. If only they could get away without being noticed.
“Stop at once!” The plump man marched towards them. He glanced suspiciously from Lucas to Talia. “Where are you going?”
Talia’s mouth went dry. What should they say? She couldn’t think of a single thing.
“We’re fetching water from the river.” Lucas pointed to Talia’s pot. “It’ll take both of us to carry this home once it’s full.”
Talia nodded. “It gets really heavy.” She hoped desperately that Riki wouldn’t make a sound. She stared back at the man, noticing his flabby cheeks and the pimples on his chin with hairs sticking out of them.
The man turned away, mopping his sweaty face with a grey handkerchief. “Well, hurry up then!”
Talia and Lucas hurried down the track as fast as they dared. Talia could hear the man muttering about stupid villagers.
“That’s Lord Fortescue!” hissed Lucas.
“He’s the rudest and most horrid person I’ve ever met,” cried Talia. “I wish he’d never come here!”
As they dashed into the rainforest, Talia caught the honey-sweet scent of Izzala flowers. Parrots squawked in the treetops and a hummingbird darted by in search of nectar. The huge leaves over their heads glistened with water drops from the last shower of rain. Mist swirled around the treetops and rich brown earth crumbled under their feet.
Talia smiled in relief as the leaves closed around them, blocking their view of the village. She took the lid off the pot. “Are you all right, Riki? I’m so sorry you had to go in there!”
The little firebird popped his head out of the pot and shook it vigorously. “Can I come out now? I’m squished!”
“Yes, it’s all safe!” Talia set the pot down to let Riki fly out. “We’ll take you back to the river so you can find your way home.”
“It’s this way!” Riki soared into the treetops and fluttered from branch to branch. “Follow me!”
Talia tucked the pot under a bush where she could find it later. Then she dashed after Riki.
Lucas followed her, grumbling. “If he goes that fast we’ll lose him completely.”
They managed to keep track of the little firebird. Talia found it tricky dodging bushes and branches while checking where Riki was going. Lucas tripped over a vine and got very muddy.
At last they came to the edge of a wide river. The water gurgled and foamed as it poured over the slippery rocks. This was the Amarangi River and on the other side lay Jalmar Valley, where the firebirds lived.
“Here we are – nearly home!” Riki flew down to Talia’s shoulders. His wings felt warm against her cheek.
On the opposite bank, the twisted branches of the Izzala trees were covered with red flowers. The air smelled sweet and the glow of magic hung in the air.
Talia smiled. This was her favourite place. It was the closest she was allowed to get to the firebirds’ hidden valley. The old stories said that the place was full of Izzala trees and their branches were the only ones that a firebird would choose for building a nest.
Talia longed to visit the valley and see for herself. Sometimes she imagined she was there, walking among the trees while firebirds glided all around her. It would be like a dream come true!
As Talia gazed across the foamy river at the firebirds’ valley, she saw a bird with golden feathers hopping along the bank. The bird was much larger than Riki and the bright crest on its h
ead gleamed in the sunlight.
Riki flapped his wings excitedly. “Come with me, Talia! Come and see Jalmar Valley.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t,” sighed Talia. “Jalmar belongs to you. The law of my village says that we have to leave you in peace. You shouldn’t come back to our village either. It’s not safe there any more!”
Riki’s tail feathers drooped. “But you can come here to the river and visit me!”
“I’ll come as soon as I can,” promised Talia. Seeing Lucas’s puzzled face, she remembered that her friend couldn’t understand the firebird. “Riki says we should come and see him again.”
“Sure!” Lucas stared at a puff of smoke rising from the opposite valley. “What’s that? Have the other birds set fire to something?”
“Of course not! We firebirds do not burn things,” said Riki, shaking his beak. “That is the sleeping breath of the red-back dragon. Goodbye, Talia! Goodbye, boy!” He leapt into the air and soared across the river, flames sparkling on his wings.
“Riki just said the smoke is the breath of a sleeping dragon.” Talia felt excitement flutter inside her.
“Really?” Lucas’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know that Jalmar valley had a dragon!”
Talia found the pot and filled it with water just in case she met Lord Fortescue again on their return. When they got back to Kura, she and Lucas found everyone gathered in the middle of the village. Lord Fortescue was at the centre of the throng, surrounded by his men. He’d climbed on to a wooden box and was pointing his plump finger at the crowd.
“Don’t tell me that you don’t know. I think you do!” he yelled. “I will ask you one more time. WHERE do the firebirds live and where is this Cave of Wonders?”
The crowd was silent. Some people shook their heads. Others were staring at the ground. Talia’s heart sank. The Cave of Wonders was meant to be an amazing underground place somewhere in the hidden valley. No one knew if it was real but it was mentioned in lots of the old stories.