Chapter Fifteen

But the wolf wasn't all right. He was very badly hurt. When the children turned around they found him stretched out on the ground. The leg that had been hit by the dwarf 's hammer was twisted out of shape and was quite swollen as well. Although the wolf wasn't howling anymore he was certainly still in pain. He whimpered softly. Jennifer knelt beside his head and stroked him behind the ears.

"Be careful!" said Rachael. "He might bite!"

"He wouldn't," said Jennifer. "He got hurt trying to stop the dwarves, didn't he? He's on our side."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Rachael. She sat down too and started to stroke the fur along his back.

"Maybe the magic in my new-moon stone can help make him better," said Jamie and he rubbed his stone softly along the wolf's injured leg.

"Leave him alone Jamie," said Rachael. "There's nothing we can do to help him now...

"You're wrong!" whispered Jennifer. "Look!"

Rachael looked. She could hardly believe it. The wolf was getting better right before her eyes. As soon as the new-moon stone was placed on his injured leg it began to heal. The swelling went down, the bruises went away and the entire leg became straight and true.

"What are you doing?" whispered Rachael.

"I'm not doing anything," Jamie whispered back and he looked surprised too. "It's the new-moon stone that's doing it all. That's how it's magic, it can heal things!"

Soon the wolf's leg was as good as new. He blinked and sat up. His pain was all gone and he seemed quite relieved. He gave his leg a few experimental licks and looked up at Jamie gratefully. His eyes were black and extremely deep, and they expressed his thanks much more thoroughly than words could have. A few moments later he got to his feet, shook himself once and suddenly he was gone, slipping silently away into the tall grass that surrounded the new-moon clearing.

"The wolf's all better now," said Jennifer and she looked very pleased. "I'm glad."

"Me too!" said Jamie. "Boy, these new-moon stones can sure do magic all right. And their magic really works!"

'Yeah, well I've got the source stone," said Rachael. 'And the source stone's got the most magic of all."

"What kind of magic does it do?" asked Jamie.

"Whatever I want it to," Rachael told him. "You heard the sprite, it's the most powerful stone of them all!"

"Do some magic too," urged Jamie. "Magic is neat!"

"I will," said Rachael and she held out her stone. Everyone waited expectantly. Nothing happened.

"What are you asking for?" whispered Jamie.

"Money," Rachael whispered back.

"Maybe it doesn't like to do money," said Jennifer.

"Yeah," said Jamie. "Try for candy!"

Rachael tried for candy, but that didn't seem to work either. She looked down at her stone and frowned.

"How do you turn these things on, exactly?" she asked.

"I don't know," admitted Jamie. "When I used mine on the wolf it just kind of happened, I don't know how."

"Maybe if we asked somebody," suggested Jennifer.

"Good idea!" said Jamie. "The guys around here all look pretty magic. I bet they'll know what to do!"

Rachael agreed, but when she turned back to look at the clearing, she found it completely empty. All the elves and dryads and other strange creatures were gone.

"Hey!" demanded Rachael. "Where'd everybody go?"

"I don't know," said Jamie. "They were here a minute ago. They must've left while we were healing the wolf."

"I hope they're not gone for good," said Jennifer.

"They're not," said a voice. "You can see them again any time you want. But shhh! Don't tell, it's a secret!"

"Hey look, it's the sprite!" said Jamie. "He's back!"

"What did you do with the dwarves?" asked Rachael.

"I threw them into the river," the sprite explained.

"Way to go!" laughed Rachael. "That'll teach them."

"Probably not," said the sprite. "But they needed a bath so I threw them in anyway. But shhh, it's a secret!"

"Not to us!" said Jamie and he held his nose.

"Yeah!" said Rachael. "Those guys smelled rotten!"

"They certainly acted rotten," agreed Jennifer.

"So what's with those guys anyway?" asked Rachael.