Tinker Bell and the War of Talents (2015 edition--OLD)

Chapter 10: A Little Game of Talents

"FAAAAAAAWWWWNNNN!"

The morning had started off brilliantly. It was just before sunrise and it was cold. It was Neverland. It wasn't supposed to be cold. Only the Winter Woods was cold. So, it was less than a pleasant surprise for Tink when she woke up shivering. Blearily, she reached for her blankets and pulled them over her shoulders before settling to go back to sleep. It was far too early for anyone to be up and moving, and after the time they'd had getting there (Vidia had ultimately won the race, Rosetta had arrived last, huffing and indignant, about twenty minutes after), she wasn't planning on getting an early start.

Of course, someone had different ideas.

"FAWN! HELP ME!"

She yawned and stretched, rolling over to face what was left of the fire. She smiled slightly, still able to feel a few of the warmer cinders. Now this, this was a camping trip. Nothing, but blue skies, green forests, and absolute peace and quiet as far as the ear could hear.

"FAWN! FOR ALL OF NEVERLAND, WOULD YE PLEASE DO SOMETHIN'?"

Ugh. Never mind. Tink groaned and sat up slowly, hearing the others do the same around her. The closest was Vidia, who promptly shot up like a rocket and irritably blew half of her hair out of her face. She scowled and narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, obviously not a morning fairy.

"Fawn! Would you please get up and go help the sparrowman before he wakes up the entire island?" she groaned as she started to stand. "Oh, for the love of--wake up!" she added, kicking Rosetta in the side, ignoring the garden-talent's protestant groans. "There's no way you're sleeping through all that!"

"Hey!" Rosetta protested, raising her sleeping mask to glare at her friend. "Excuse me, but I am trying to get my beauty sleep here!"

Vidia hissed something inaudible. Across the way, Fawn was already on her feet and moving swiftly away from the campsite, tying her hair into her typical braid as she went. Tink jumped up and hurried to run after her, wisely deciding to snatch a spare satchel of Pixie dust as she ran by.

"Well, that's one way to wake a fairy up in the morning," she heard Iridessa groan as she passed.

Bobble's screams were getting more sporadic, almost as if he was running out of breath. Fawn darted through the weeds, half-running, half-flying, faster than Tink had ever seen her move. She yanked something off of a nearby bush as she went and Tink wished she'd had the chance to see what it was.

"Bobble!" Fawn yelled as she suddenly turned sharply to the left. Tink followed, finding the red-head standing, petrified, in the middle of a small patch of gravel. His wings were shaking and his eyes were wide as he stared at something towering, fangs poised furiously before him.

"Fawn...that's..." Tink began, only to feel a rush of wind pass her. But she didn't really need to finish. It was obvious what had found them. A snake. "Not good," she decided. She ducked down behind a larger rock to observe. There was nothing she could do. Fawn was the animal-talent. This was far out of Tink's capabilities.

"Fawn!" Bobble hissed as the brunette appeared at his side. "What do I do?"

"Stay. Perfectly. Still," Fawn answered out the corner of her mouth. The snake, realizing it had more unwanted company, rose into the air, hissing, fangs bared. Fawn slowly took Bobble's good arm and began dragging him behind her. The snake's golden eyes tracked their every movement. "When I tell you," the animal talent went on. "Run."

She took out the needle-like plant she'd collected on the way and twirled it with the expertise of a scout talent, ending her show by pointing it warningly at the serpent.