“Aah!” Lily screamed. “Get it away! Get it away from me!”

My eyes snapped open. A rock the size of my head fell to the ground and water splashed across it as I stood up in concern. Sara looked up and chuffed before putting her head back down.

“What is it, Lily?” I asked.

“Help me, my Jase!” Lily shouted flying to me. She hid in my shirt pocket as a mockingbird passed overhead and landed on a branch to my right. It stared at me or more precisely my pocket.

“The mockingbird?”

“Yes!” Lily answered peeking out of my pocket and ducking back down after catching sight of the bird. I laughed. “Don’t laugh! It’s not funny!”

“Why is the mockingbird chasing you?” I inquired.

“It’s an evil creature and a vicious brute, that’s why!” Lily exclaimed.

“It’s just a silly bird,” I said. “Sara chuffed and dismissed it.”

“That’s because the bully wouldn’t even be a snack for her,” Lily huffed.

“That’s true,” I laughed. “Bully?”

“Yes! Mockingbirds attack anything near their own size,” Lily answered.

“I do remember them being territorial around Beau Ferry,” I said watching the mostly gray bird. “I don’t recall any being around our cottage though.”

“There hasn’t been,” Lily said peeking out of my shirt pocket again. She scowled as the mockingbird started to sing. “He must be claiming our yard as his territory.”

“Huh,” I shrugged. The bird started to sing. “That’s sort of nice.”

“You’re only saying that now while it’s a new thing. Just wait until he keeps you up or wakes you up early with his singing,” Lily said as I sat back down in the grass.

“Is that why you don’t want it around?” I asked. “Afraid of a little competition in the prank department?”

“No! Singing is not a prank,” Lily retorted as the mockingbird flew to another nearby tree. “I don’t want him around because he’s a brute and bully!”

“How do you know it is a male?”

“Because they establish territories before females and sing a lot more. Plus, they’re louder.”

“Makes sense,” I said. “So, want to run it off? I’m sure the network will have some ideas we can use if you do.”

“I…no. No, I don’t want to chase it away,” Lily answered after thinking about it. I held out my hand and she slipped into it. My familiar sat down on my palm and drew her knees up to her chest. “I just don’t want it attacking me every day!”

“Why not do whatever the other pixies did when they rode the birds as attack mounts that time?”

“Mockingbirds won’t work with others,” Lily said shaking her head. “I did say they were bullies.”

“Fair enough.”

“Eep!” Lily shouted as the mockingbird flew overhead and back towards the path to the village.

“I can’t believe you’re afraid of the mockingbird,” I said giving her a smile and fighting hard not to laugh.

“It’s not funny!” Lily protested standing up and stomping my palm. “We all have our irrational fears.”

“True,” I agreed. “But it is a little funny.”

“Is not!”

“Is too and you know it,” I replied grinning at the pixie.

“Ok. Maybe it is a little funny,” Lily admitted giving me one of her bright smiles.

“Aah! It’s chasing us!” Yam and Willow screamed flying to us. The mockingbird was chasing the two pixies. They landed in the grass between my legs as the bird flew over us and landed in the closest tree again.

“See! He’s a menace!” Lily said. I laughed as the other two pixies cowered in fear.

“Jase, don’t laugh!” Willow shouted.

“He knows it’s not funny,” Lily told them.

“You guys should just show the mockingbird who is boss,” I said.

“How do we do that?” Yam asked.

“You’re pixies, which means you’re smart, sneaky, and mischievous. I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” I replied. “If nothing else, maybe I could catch the mockingbird with telekinesis and hold it while you three zap it.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Yam said.

“I like it,” Willow replied.

“No. We need to do this on our own,” Lily said. She flew up and kissed my cheek. “Thanks for the offer my Jase, but this is something we need to do on our own.”

“But we like the idea of Jase helping,” Willow said.

“In fact, let’s get Sara to just eat the mockingbird,” Yam said. Willow nodded in agreement as my eyes widened in shock. I’ve never heard one of the pixies being so bloodthirsty before.

“Oh, come on!” Lily replied. She stared at the other two pixies and waved her arms around. “We can do it! It’s our jobs. Harrumph!”

“Ah, no,” Willow said.

“Yeah, no Jase and Sara means no from me,” Yam said.

“Hey! I didn’t get a harrumph from you two!” Lily objected.

“And you won’t,” the other two pixies chorused.

Lily’s mouth fell open in disbelief as she flew up above me. Yam and Willow nodded at each other and flew off in different directions.

“You’re on your own!” Yam yelled.

“Aah!” Lily shouted as the mockingbird tried to divebomb her. She tried to zap it but missed.

“I can’t believe they took off like that,” I said.

“Me either,” Lily said landing on my left shoulder. “But what’s worse is that they didn’t get my Blazing Saddles reference.”

“Really?” I laughed. We had watched the ancient movie a couple of nights before.

“Yes. Did you get it?”

“Yeah. The movie is still fresh in my mind,” I replied.

“Well, at least you appreciate me,” Lily said kissing my cheek.

“Always,” I replied gently patting her back with my right index finger. “So, going to still do something about our new neighbor?”

“Yep!”

“I’ll leave you to your plotting and get back to my magic practice then.”

“You’re doing well by the way,” Lily said. You had water formed and were levitating a rock at the same time.”

“Thanks. Now I just have to try to do it again.”

“Do or do not. There is no try,” Lily replied flying up and giving me a smile. “That mockingbird will rue the day he challenged me!”