Free Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic #1) by Rachel Roberts Page A

Adriane yelled.
    “Get out of our way!”
    The huge creature rolled to a stop in the gully, sitting upright. Keeping her head down, Emily quickly crawled back to peer across the field. She saw the man with the rifle start to shove past Adriane.
    Suddenly he stopped. “Hey, where did it go?”
    Watching Adriane point to the trees in the direction opposite the gully, Emily noticed an opalescent glow at her friend’s wrist. The section of woods that Adriane was pointing to rustled and shook, as if disturbed by something passing through.
    “Look over there!” a hunter cried. “It’s in those trees!”
    The hunter with the rifle moved off in the direction of the sounds. “Come on!”
    For a moment, Adriane looked stunned. Then she seemed to collect herself and yelled after them. “And stay off this property!”

T HE ENORMOUS CREATURE sat like a giant Buddha, unaffected by anything that had happened.
    Adriane came sliding into the gully. “That was so weird!” she exclaimed breathlessly.
    “How did you do that?” Emily asked, wide eyed.
    “I don’t know,” Adriane said slowly. “I was so focused on doing something to distract the hunters. Then I saw the trees and reached for them …it was intense, it felt like I was pushing through water.”
    “I saw your stone glow,” Emily said.
    Adriane glanced at her bracelet. The paw shaped stone looked perfectly normal. “I pushed harder, in my head, and my stone flashed and then the trees across the field started to shake and move!”
    Emily peered at her own gemstone. “Do you think these are really magic stones?”
    “Memerrmeemee!”
    Adriane looked around. “Where’s Alice?”
    “Ozzie!” Emily stood up quickly. “Where are you?”
    “MmurrRRMMppphh!”
    Emily circled the purple creature. “Ozzie?”
    “Mm hmm…!”
    She put her hands on the giant. His fur felt warm and soft. “Help me move him.”
    Adriane got up and pushed alongside Emily. Two gigantic eyes opened and blinked. They were deep reservoirs of calm and gentleness. He blinked again.
    “Please, could you move just a little?” Emily tried. “Our friend seems to be caught under you.”
    The purple giant seemed to search Emily’s face. She felt overwhelmed by a sadness so deep that tears welled in her eyes. But the feeling passed in a flash and her hands fell away from the creature’s side as he lumbered to his feet.
    “Gah!” Ozzie sputtered.
    Emily reached down to peel Ozzie off the ground. “Are you all right?”
    “No! I’m all flattened out!” The ferret shook dust off himself and kicked the big creature. “What are you trying to do, squish me?”
    The huge beast just blinked down at Ozzie. Then silently, he turned and started to walk away.
    “Hey, come back here!” Ozzie yelled. He ran and grabbed hold of the creature’s leg, then scampered all the way up to his shoulder.
    “We’d better follow him until we’re sure those hunters are really gone,” Emily said.
    The girls ran to catch up as the purple giant entered the woods. He moved silently forward as if gliding on air, trailing a colorful wake of rainbow flowers behind him.
    “So that’s where the flowers are coming from!” Emily exclaimed.
    “Phelonious, am I glad to see you! I thought I was sent to the wrong place!” Ozzie gestured wildly with his arms as he chattered into the great beast’s ear. “I ended up in this strange body— what were those Fairimentals thinking? Look, I’m a weasel!!!” he wailed.
    A flash of color moved through the trees behind them. Emily grabbed Adriane’s arm. “Did you see that?”
    “See what?” Adriane stopped to look. In the stillness, they heard rustling and the patter of hoofbeats. Suddenly a herd of jeeran burst through the brush, bounding through the trees.
    Adriane whirled around. “Look, there’s more!”
    Behind the jeeran, a group of strange duck-like birds appeared. They were goofy-looking, with silver bills and webbed feet too big for their bodies. One of