Clara and the Magical Charms(7)

“Yes,” said Sylva. “I’m the youngest Bell sister, except for baby Squeak.”

“You sisters really get along well together, don’t you?”

“Of course we do!” Sylva laughed. “Except when Goldie teases me too much. Then we’re glad to have Clara there—she takes care of us all.”





nine


Later that afternoon, as the other gnomes and fairies enjoyed an enchanted snack (fairy doughnut holes!), Clara flew away from the sunny meadow. The competitions were over for the day, and there’d be just enough time for her to try out some more magic.

Clara set her wings eastward and made the long flight up to Sunrise Hill. It was very cold out, but she loved the sting of the wind on her cheeks. It made her feel so alive—as if there was nothing she couldn’t do.

An elegant mother deer crossed Clara’s path and looked at her curiously with its big brown eyes. Clara walked over to her and gently touched the tip of her nose. Deer are very friendly on Sheepskerry, and Clara knew this doe from last year’s harsh winter, when she had helped the finicky mother deer find delicious beechnuts to eat. “Do you need some more food to eat, Doe-deer?” asked Clara. “I wish I could magic some up for you.”



The sound of trampling startled them both, and the mother deer bounded away. Clara turned quickly. Maybe it was a bear!

But it wasn’t a bear at all.

“Rowan!” Clara said.

Rowan Gnome stood in front of Clara. Gnomes cannot fly, of course, so Rowan had clamped on his ice shoes and taken the slippery path to the top of the hill. Fairies don’t mind if the paths are slippery and slick, because they don’t need to use them much. (You wouldn’t walk on ice, either, if you had wings.)

“What are you doing up here?” asked Clara. She always thought of Sunrise Hill as her own special place, especially when fluffy snowflakes were falling, as they were that afternoon.

“The other gnomes told me about Sunrise Hill. They say it’s the highest place on Sheepskerry. That’s why I brought my toboggan.”

“Ooh, that’s a beautiful one,” said Clara, “and we hardly ever do any sledding on Sheepskerry. Most fairies prefer to fly.”

“This hill is perfect for a toboggan ride,” said Rowan. “And this snow is perfect . . . for snowballs.”

“Don’t you dare,” said Clara.

“Oh, I wouldn’t think of it,” said Rowan. He whistled innocently. “But I may pile up a little snow here, just in case.”



Clara beat him to it. She scooped up a handful of snow, smushed it into a ball, took aim—and threw! Ploop! Clara’s snowball landed on Rowan’s shoulder.

“Why, you . . . ,” said Rowan. He grinned. “I knew I couldn’t trust you.” He made an armful of white powder into a big ball. “Watch out, Miss Fairy.”

“Can’t catch me!” said Clara. “I can fly!”

“No fair!” said Rowan.

Clara had speed and grace, but Rowan could boast an excellent throwing arm. After Clara dodged several well-aimed tosses and Rowan’s cap got knocked off a third time (amid a lot of laughing), they called a truce.

“Want to build a snow gnome?” asked Rowan.

“No thanks!” said Clara, her eyes merry. “I’ll build a snow fairy.”

The two of them got to work rolling snow and sculpting faces. Rowan went off looking for a pinecone for a pipe. “You have lots of interesting stones on Sheepskerry,” he said, picking one up and putting it in his pocket.

“And sea glass, too,” said Clara. “Just ask Goldie about her collection. Have you found the right pinecone yet? I’m using twigs for fairy wings.”

They worked for a while longer as the snow fell. Soon there was a sturdy snow gnome and a beautiful snow fairy on the top of Sunrise Hill.

“She needs a scarf to keep her warm,” said Clara, looking at her fairy. “I’ll give her mine.” She unwound her purple scarf from her neck and wrapped it around her snow fairy. “Much better,” she said.



“My gnome needs a cap, but he’s not getting mine, not after I had to rescue it from your snowballs so many times.” Rowan looked around him. “Plus, the snow is coming down harder now.”

All at once, Clara realized she’d been having so much fun that she hadn’t even thought about Rosy and Goldie, Sylva and Squeak. “I’d better get home,” said Clara. “What if my sisters need me? They won’t even know where I am!”

“We’ll send them word, to let them know you’re all right,” said Rowan. He whistled a low whistle, and the doe Clara had seen earlier came bounding through the snow.