Daisy's Quest Read online

  Vu chittered impatiently.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Daisy. ‘I haven’t forgotten lunch.’

  Moving away from the water, Daisy opened her locket and took out the sack of hackberry leaves. She touched it with her wand and whispered, ‘Undo,’ before placing the sack on its side and opening it up for Vu.

  Daisy sat down on a rock beside Vu, but almost fell backwards as the rock sank beneath her. She jumped to her feet. Inspecting her seat, Daisy realised that it wasn’t a rock at all, but a beautifully ripe apple-berry fruit. Daisy’s mouth watered at the thought of its sweet, juicy taste.

  Using a sharp rock, Daisy pounded against the furry outer skin of the apple berry until it split. Then, reaching her hand inside, she scooped out a handful of the soft, seedy flesh – it tasted so good!

  After a few more scoops, Daisy left Vu happily munching on his leaves and headed for the waterfall, feeling much more energetic than she had before.

  At the bottom of the waterfall, Daisy looked around her. Great looming trees blocked out the afternoon sun from the forest floor.

  I can’t make a rainbow without sunshine, thought Daisy. She looked up and saw a thin beam of sunlight sparkle across the top of the waterfall. She sighed as she realised this task was going to involve yet more climbing.

  The rocky wall was slippery and wet with spray from the waterfall, so she bent down to take off her shoes, figuring it would be easier to grip the rocks with her bare feet. But even then, Daisy’s feet slipped on the mossy stones; her knees and toes were covered in tiny scratches. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the fronds of overhanging ferns and kept on climbing. But with every step of progress she made, the sun sank lower and the part of the waterfall touched by its rays got smaller.

  By the time Daisy reached the top, the sunlight was barely touching the water at all. There was only one thing for it. She grasped a fern at the edge of the rocky precipice with one hand, and held out her wand with the other. Then, she braced her feet against the rock wall and reached out towards the sunshine, but the shards of light flickered just out of reach.

  The water churned and foamed over the rocks next to her, tumbling down to the pool below. It was risky, but there was no other way . . .

  Daisy slid her hand to the very tip of the fern frond and leaned out into the waterfall as far as she could go. Cold water splashed across her body, threatening to push her downwards. Daisy tightened her grip on the fern, stretched just a little bit more and yelled above the water’s roar, ‘Sun that lights the earth and sky, send my rainbow soaring high!’

  The tip of her wand touched a ray of sunlight and began to glow. Sparks of magic shot from its tip and a tiny rainbow appeared. With a flick of her wrist, the rainbow took off, shooting up through the forest canopy above the waterfall, and flowing across the sky in a perfect arc.

  ‘Yes!’ Daisy thrust her wand into the air with delight, but the slippery fern frond slid from her grip. Squealing in surprise and terror, Daisy plunged down to the swirling water below.

  9

  In Deep Water

  Icy water swirled and foamed around her. Daisy opened her eyes, searching for a sliver of light to show her where to go, but the surface was covered in waterlily pads.

  It was completely dark. Tumbling deeper, out of control, Daisy kept holding her breath until her chest felt ready to burst.

  But then, a strong hand gripped her arm, dragging her upwards through the water.

  She drifted in the water current as the hand let go, then felt a shove against her back, pushing her to the surface through a gap in the waterlilies and up into the light where an anxious Vu hovered overhead.

  Daisy pedalled her feet, breathing in deep gulps of air as an emerald-haired girl popped up through the water beside her. She had an impish face and a broad grin.

  ‘You did it!’ she squealed, reaching out a hand to guide Daisy to dry land. ‘Look up!’

  Overhead, a perfect rainbow hung in the sky. Woven through its coloured bands was a sparkling silver message:

  Grace comes from nature,

  Unbound beauty growing high.

  Magic dust that brings new life

  Shall also help the fairies fly.

  ‘That was just about the most exciting thing I ever saw!’ said Daisy’s rescuer. ‘I wondered why you were climbing those rocks. Then you pulled out that magic stick of yours and swish, flick, a rainbow appeared. Amazing!’

  Reaching the creek’s shallows, Daisy crawled onto the pebbly shore and tried to catch her breath. The strange girl dived back under the water. When she didn’t resurface, Daisy thought she must have gone.

  Too exhausted even to move, Daisy lay motionless on the bank, her feet still trailing in the water. But a few moments later, the girl was back. ‘I thought you might want this,’ she said, waving Daisy’s wand.

  Daisy took it eagerly, hugging it to her as the girl swam lazy circles in the shallows and prattled on.

  ‘What type of creature are you? You can’t be a water nymph. We don’t have stick magic and you’re a hopeless swimmer. I would’ve thought you were a fairy but you don’t have any wings.’

  ‘N-not yet!’ Daisy couldn’t stop shivering. ‘B-but if I can w-work out that message, m-maybe I soon w-will.’

  ‘Oh! I’d love to see what they look like. You must come back and show me. Put your face in the water and call my name. No matter where I am, I’ll hear you and come. Good luck!’

  Her webbed feet kicked into the air as she disappeared under the water.

  ‘Hey,’ called Daisy, sitting up. ‘You d-didn’t tell me your n-name.’

  ‘It’s Ripple,’ the water nymph called back, emerging for just a moment from the centre of the pool.

  ‘Th-thank you, R-ripple,’ Daisy called before collapsing on her back. Staring at the sky, she read and reread the message as the sun sank further and the rainbow began to fade.

  ‘W-what does it m-mean?’ she asked through chattering teeth. There was no answer. ‘Vu?’ The little beetle was nowhere to be seen. A sharp pain pierced Daisy’s heart. It wasn’t like Vu to disappear.

  She stood up and searched the shoreline. The bag of hackberry leaves was where she had left it but there was no sign of Vu. With her heart thumping hard in her chest, she turned back to face the water.

  There! Vu was flying from the opposite side of the creek, chittering in triumph as he came closer. A long chain hung from his claws, the silver bauble beneath it trailing in the water as he struggled to stay in the air with its weight.

  ‘My locket!’ squealed Daisy, her hand flying instinctively to her chest. ‘It must have come off when I fell.’ She reached out with trembling fingers as, with a last great effort, Vu swooped up to drop it in her hand.

  ‘Vu! I’m so pleased to see you!’ Daisy placed the locket on the ground, tapped it with her wand and whispered, ‘Undo.’

  There was a soft whooshing sound as the locket became her bandana bag once more.

  Daisy undid the knot with shaky hands, sighing with relief when she realised that her spare clothes were dry. Half afraid that Ripple might pop up again and surprise her, Daisy ducked behind a fern to change.

  When she came out, Vu was holding up her spiderweb quilt and had dug out the beeswax candle ready for lighting. Daisy hugged the soft quilt around her shoulders and the warmth made her shivering subside. Hovering over the bulrush pollen cake, Vu chittered for Daisy to eat up.

  Feeling toasty in her quilt, Daisy bit into the cake. With each bite she could feel her strength returning and her mind focused back on the Quest. She had to decipher the message. There was no more time to waste – the sun had almost dipped below the horizon. As Daisy looked up, the rainbow shimmered before disappearing with the sun.

  10

  The Riddle

  Staring into the candle’s flickering flame, Daisy mused over the message in the rainbow, her thoughts clambering over each other in her head.

  ‘Grace comes from nature, unbound beauty growing
high. Magic dust that brings new life shall also help the fairies fly.’ Daisy repeated the words in her mind.

  If it’s growing, she thought, then it must be alive, like an insect or . . . a bird! Birds are graceful and part of nature. They’re certainly beautiful, and flying gives them freedom that makes them ‘unbound’ to earth. Baby birds are new life and grow in a nest up high. The only thing that doesn’t fit is the magic dust . . . And Daisy had a feeling that that might be the most important thing of all.

  Turning to ask Vu what he thought, Daisy found him asleep in one of her travelling shoes. It had been a very long day for the little beetle and he’d already been so much help. It would be cruel to wake him if she didn’t really need to. Daisy decided to work it out for herself.

  If not a bird, she thought, then what else could it be?

  Daisy considered everything that she’d seen on her Quest. The golden blossoms of Mother Wattle, the field of waving paper daisies, the pure white blooms of the water lilies. Of course! That must be it. The magic is in a wildflower, in the golden dust of its pollen.

  But which wildflower?

  The message said it was growing high, so maybe not the lilies or the paper daisies. It must be up in a tree. Could it be the pollen from Mother Wattle’s blossoms? Would the Quest end where it had begun?

  She couldn’t be sure. There must be another clue.

  Picking up a stick, Daisy scratched the message into the dirt next to the candle.

  Grace comes from nature,

  Unbound beauty growing high.

  Magic dust that brings new life

  Shall also help the fairies fly.

  Staring at the words, she willed them to give up their secret . . . And they did. It was right there, spelled out for her in the first letter of every line.

  ‘I found it!’ whooped Daisy, accidentally waking Vu. ‘It’s gums! The pollen of gum blossoms! That’s the magic that makes wings fly!’

  By the light of her candle, Daisy pulled on her magic shoes, then scooped up the rest of her Questing Things and tied them up in her bandana. Touching her wand to it, she said the magic words that changed it back into a silver locket. She slipped the chain over her head and put her hand out for Vu. The sleepy beetle climbed up her arm and settled himself on her shoulder.

  Ready to move, she picked up the candle. The light flickered across something familiar on the ground. Daisy reached across to pick it up. It was the flask of lemon myrtle cordial. She must have missed it while packing away.

  Pulling out the stopper, she brought the bottle to her nose and breathed in deeply. The strong lemony smell made her nostrils fizz. Tipping back her head, Daisy gulped the cordial down. It was cool and refreshing. Her tastebuds tingled and a burst of energy zinged through her body, readying her for whatever challenges lay ahead.

  11

  Burning Bright

  The black outlines of the ancient gum trees stood shadowed against the sky. Daisy held up her candle, but the light reached no further than their roots. A burning candle did not belong in a tree, but she couldn’t search for blossoms in the dark, either. Hoping that she still had some magic left, Daisy pulled out her wand.

  ‘Little flame burning bright, shower this tree with magic light.’

  The candle’s flame flickered wildly and spat a new flame into the air. This flame also split into two – over and over, the magic flames flickered and split, shooting into the air like embers in a bushfire until the entire tree was illuminated with twinkling flames.

  If they had been real flames, Daisy would never have done it. Every fairy knew that you didn’t take chances when it came to bushfires. But these flames were perfectly safe. Made from pure magic, they burned nothing but the air.

  Daisy blew out the real flame before taking the rope from her locket. ‘Undo,’ she said as she tapped it with her wand. Wondering what she could collect the pollen in, she noticed a soft new gum leaf that had fallen before its time. Perfect! She stooped to pick it up and tucked it into her belt.

  With the rope back to its normal size, Daisy pointed her wand at it and chanted, ‘Stretch, rise, tie to a tree. Create safe passage to the canopy.’

  The rope shot upwards, growing and stretching as it went. Reaching a high point in the nearest gum tree, it knotted itself tightly around a branch and hung still, ready to be climbed.

  ‘Are you holding on, Vu?’ When the little beetle huffed a sleepy yes, Daisy gripped the dangling end of the rope and slowly began to climb.

  Hand over hand she pulled herself up, not daring to look back down. The gum tree was enormous and by the time Daisy had reached the top of the rope, she was breathing heavily with exhaustion. Her arms ached and her hands were red and sore.

  Mustering all the strength left in her, Daisy heaved herself onto a branch. In all her life, Daisy had never been this high. Her heart pounded, not just from exertion, but from exhilaration as well.

  Daisy was in the canopy, the highest part of the forest. Standing up, she stretched her arms wide, imagining how her wings would ruffle as the cool summer breeze blew past.

  A pure white blossom swayed with her, on a small offshoot of her branch. The last piece of the puzzle! All Daisy had to do was collect its pollen and her imaginary wings would be imaginary no more.

  Easing herself onto the smaller branch, Daisy drew the leaf from her belt and gently shook the blossom over it. Golden flecks of pollen floated down to collect in the centre of the leaf. When no more pollen fell, Daisy gently curled the sides of the leaf upwards, twisting them tightly together so that the pollen was trapped inside.

  A firefly flew past, startling Daisy, swooping and twisting to write a shimmering message in the air next to the branch.

  The Fairy Queen’s Tea-Tree House

  is where you’ll end this night.

  Deliver the pollen by moonrise

  to gain your heart’s delight.

  The message seems simple enough, thought Daisy. Take the pollen to the Fairy Queen’s Tea-Tree House before moonrise and she would earn her wings. There was only one problem. Daisy had no idea where the Tea-Tree House was.

  12

  Difficult Decisions

  Daisy looked at the firefly who was still hovering beside the message she had created.

  ‘Do you know the way to the Fairy Queen’s Tea-Tree House?’ Daisy asked.

  The firefly nodded, and hope blossomed in Daisy’s chest. ‘Could you lead us there?’

  With a wink of light, the firefly shot off through the trees.

  ‘Wait!’ called Daisy. ‘I have to get down from here first.’ But the firefly was already too far away to hear. Soon she was just a speck in the distance. Then, she was gone.

  Daisy sat on the branch, gaping after her. Tears of frustration pricked the back of her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. The firefly was gone.

  Knowing she didn’t have time to sit there moping, Daisy made a decision.

  ‘We’ll head in the direction the firefly flew and hope for the best,’ she said with a determination that she didn’t completely feel. A soft snoring answered her. Vu was asleep under her hair again.

  As Daisy swung onto the rope to begin the long climb down, the magic flames began to fade. By the time she reached the ground, darkness was all around her. Crouching down and fumbling nervously at the ground at her feet, Daisy located her candle. Drawing her wand, she chanted, ‘Light of moon and light of sun, help me see which way to run.’

  Nothing happened. Her magic was spent.

  Daisy felt as though she’d been kicked in the stomach. How could she find the Fairy Queen’s Tea-Tree House with no directions, no light and no magic? What moments before had been a difficult task had suddenly become impossible.

  Daisy exhaled a long, slow breath and tried to think calmly about what to do. One thing was certain – she had come too far to give up now. Magic or no magic, she would see the Quest through to the end.

  Careful not to disturb the leaf that held the pollen, she tucked the c
andle into her belt and, with a flick of her wrist, untied the rope from the treetop. The rope shrank as it fell, returning to its normal size. Daisy looped it over her shoulder then felt on the ground for her boots. She would have to carry them, too. Travelling in the dark wasn’t going to be easy but Daisy was determined that she could do it. With a stubborn boldness, she stumbled forward in what she hoped was the same direction as the firefly.

  The night grew colder and lonelier as Daisy trudged through the shadows, not sure where she was nor where she was going. She gently tickled Vu, who was nestled in the nape of her neck, but he wouldn’t wake up. A faint light winked in the distance. Daisy moved towards it.

  It was a fairy, with spiky red hair and green cicada wings, walking through the forest with a candle. Daisy had never felt so relieved and happy to see another fairy.

  ‘Hello,’ she called. ‘Please, can you help me?’

  The fairy turned and walked towards Daisy. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when Daisy stepped into the ring of candlelight.

  ‘You’re very young to be out at this time on your own. Where are your parents?’

  Daisy found herself telling the fairy everything that had happened that day. ‘And now I need to find the Fairy Queen’s Tea-Tree House,’ she said, feeling exhausted at the thought of walking any more. ‘And I’ve no idea where it is.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said the fairy. ‘I don’t know where it is either. I’ve only been there once and it was a long time ago.’