Clara and the Magical Charms(10)
Clara stayed where she was. She could see that Rowan was panting hard in the water. He was swimming over to rest on a shoal. He didn’t look hurt or injured, but she couldn’t be sure. And he seemed to be dragging something with him. “Shall I fly out to help him, little fellow?” asked Clara as a chipmunk scampered up a chestnut tree. “Do you think he needs me?”
The chipmunk ran halfway up the tree and pointed his nose to precisely where Rowan was in the water.
That was good enough for Clara. She gave a few strong flaps of her wings and took flight to the spot where Rowan had stopped swimming. It was cold out on the bay, but Clara bravely faced the wind. As she got closer to Rowan he waved to her, but without his familiar smile.
“What’s wrong, Rowan? Are you hurt?”
Then Clara realized why Rowan had stopped. There, in front of them, was a baby dolphin, caught on the shoals of Heart Island. “Oh no! It’s Speedy!” cried Clara. “She got off course. Let’s take her back to her pod.” Clara landed carefully on the slippery rock where Rowan held the dolphin in his arms.
“It’s not as easy as that, Clara,” Rowan said. “This wee dolphin is hurt. Take a look at her flank.”
There was a deep gash on the baby dolphin’s side. “She must have cut herself on these sharp rocks. I don’t think she’ll last much longer,” Clara said. “Can you call the mother dolphin? The way you called the doe?”
“I already have,” said Rowan. “But creatures of the sea don’t always understand gnomes. I don’t think she could hear me.”
“Shall I fly off to get Queen Mab? Her magic could help us.”
Speedy’s body shivered.
“There’s no time,” said Rowan.
“Then I’ll have to do it,” said Clara. “I’ll have to try the healing charm.” She didn’t want to repeat what Queen Mab had said: It takes life to heal life.
“Will it not take too much out of you?” asked Rowan. “You told me it’s not an easy charm.”
Speedy made a tiny sighing sound. Her eyes fluttered. Clara could not just stand by and do nothing. Not when there was a chance she might save the baby dolphin.
“I’ve got to do it, Rowan,” she said. “I’ve got to try the healing charm.”
She could not bring herself to say, Even if it costs me dearly, very dearly indeed.
twelve
Rowan closed his eyes. Clara did too. They both put their hands on the baby dolphin. “Now, imagine her all well and safe,” said Clara. She thought hard about Speedy swimming away to safety, healthy and free. Then she whispered the charm:
Harm and hurt
And pain no more.
Feel this power,
From my core.
May you be
Sound as a bell.
May my magic
Make you well!
Before Clara could even open her eyes, she heard the raspy breath of the baby dolphin again. She looked down at Speedy’s side—the gash was still there. Her charm had failed!
“Why won’t it work when it worked before? It’s so much more important now,” Clara said.
“It’s okay, Clara,” said Rowan. “You can’t do everything. The mother dolphin will be here soon, I’m sure.” But he did not sound so sure.
They both looked at the baby dolphin. Her eyes were closing. “We’re losing her!” cried Clara. “I’ve got to try it again.”
Clara held out her hand and Rowan took hold of it. “Now,” she said, “think of Speedy, safe and healed, and swimming back to her pod. Think hard, Rowan!” He squeezed her hand, and then let her go.
Clara raised her arms and felt her magic surge through her. Loud and clear she said:
Harm and hurt
And pain no more.
Feel this power,
From my core.
May you be
Sound as a bell.
May my magic
Make you well!
Suddenly, magical sparks flew all around them.
“She’s breathing, Clara! She’s alive!”
Clara looked down at Speedy’s side. The gash had healed without a trace, and her tail flicked. She took a deep breath. “She’s full of life!” Clara said in a hoarse whisper. “We did it, Rowan. We saved her.”
“You saved her,” said Rowan.
And as if she could understand their language, the baby dolphin did a flip off the shallow shoals and made a dive into the deep water. Then she came up again with a big dolphin grin on her face. Her mother and her aunties in the dolphin pod had found her and come to claim her. All at once, the pod of dolphins skittered on their tails out of the water as a way of saying thank you to Rowan, and especially to Clara.
“We’re so happy we could help you,” Rowan called to them. “Aren’t we, Clara?”