A Magical Friend (6 page)

 

‘The Volcano!' she exclaimed. ‘Maybe that would explain the black hoof marks I saw in the courtyard yesterday. I wondered where they'd come from. Everywhere in Chevalia seems so clean, especially around the Castle, but volcanoes are covered in ash.'

‘Are you sure?' Stardust asked uncertainly. ‘Wouldn't you rather search the beaches? We might find some clues there.'

‘But the black hoof marks are a clue!' Pippa said, her voice rising with excitement. ‘We
have
to search the Volcano.'

‘I'm not sure,' Stardust said reluctantly. ‘Storm – he's my youngest brother – told me never to go there. It's too dangerous.'

‘Then I'll go on my own,' Pippa said stubbornly.

Stardust's eyes widened.

‘You'd really do that?'

Pippa nodded. She'd promised to save Chevalia and she meant to keep her word, no matter how dangerous it was.

 

 

‘Then I'm coming with you,' said Stardust.

Pippa hugged Stardust round the neck, pleased that she didn't have to go to the Volcano alone.

Even though she was nervous, Pippa was impatient to get started. After a hurried breakfast of cereal and apples, she and Stardust left the Castle by a back entrance. It was very early and the door was still locked. Stardust drew back the bolts with her teeth.

‘Maybe the Night Mares stole our horseshoes,' wondered Stardust. ‘Storm thinks that they live on the Volcano, but Comet, my bookworm brother, says that's just a myth. But if it was the Night Mares then how did they get inside the Castle? All the doors are locked from the inside at night.'

‘Perhaps someone helped them,' suggested Pippa.

‘No!' Stardust exclaimed, sounding shocked. ‘Why would anyone do that?'

Pippa shrugged. She didn't know either. Chevalia was so special, she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to harm it.

Pippa could hardly believe how much her riding had improved in such a short time. She felt as comfortable riding Stardust bareback as if she'd been riding with a saddle. How impressed her pony-mad friends back home would be if they could see her now!

At last, they entered the Foothills, keeping to the path so that they didn't get lost. The higher they went, the steeper the path grew. Sometimes it ran alongside the cliff face. Pippa didn't like that – it made her dizzy to look down and see the jagged rocks falling away beneath her. Stardust seemed to sense her fear and kept away from the edge.

It was very peaceful. The only sounds were the clopping of Stardust's hooves, the cry of the birds soaring overhead, and a soft rushing noise that Pippa couldn't work out until they reached a small stream that crossed the path.

‘So that's what I could hear,' Pippa said, as Stardust jumped the stream then stopped for a drink.

‘Try some,' she said. ‘It's fresh and it's clean.'

Pippa slid from Stardust's back and, kneeling down, scooped up the water in cupped hands. It was freezing cold and made her fingers tingle.

‘Mmm, that's delicious,' she said, enjoying a long drink.

Stardust nudged her playfully, her long, white mane falling over Pippa's arm.

‘That tickles!' Pippa giggled, nudging Stardust back.

Stardust dipped a hoof in the stream, splashing water at Pippa.

‘Water fight!' she neighed.

‘Water fight!' Pippa agreed enthusiastically, splashing Stardust back.

 

 

Stardust splashed with her hooves and Pippa with her feet. They disappeared in a shower of water, which sparkled like diamonds in the sunshine, until Pippa and Stardust were soaking wet.

‘Stop!' Pippa begged, pushing her soggy curls away from her face.

‘That was such fun,' Stardust whinnied, shaking herself dry and soaking Pippa all over again.

‘Eeww!' squealed Pippa. ‘I didn't think I could get any wetter!'

It was already very hot, and as the friends climbed higher the sun soon dried Pippa's clothes. After a while, they followed another stream that snaked alongside the path before tumbling over a cliff in a fast-flowing waterfall.

‘It's beautiful!' gasped Pippa.

‘Chevalia is beautiful,' Stardust said, her face clouding with worry. ‘I can't understand why the Night Mares would want to harm it.'

‘It might not have been them,' said Pippa.

‘Who else could it have been?' asked Stardust. ‘No one knows about Chevalia. Only true pony lovers can see it and a true pony lover would never harm us.'

Pippa twisted a curl of her hair around her finger. ‘But the island's not going to disappear. We're going to find the golden horseshoes.'

‘Promise?' asked Stardust.

‘Yes,' said Pippa.

Knowing it was a sign of friendship in ponies, she leaned forward, softly blowing air at Stardust's nostrils.

Stardust blew air back.

‘Thank you, Pippa,' she whispered. ‘You're a true friend.'

Pippa fought back her worries as she smiled at Stardust. Promises were easy to make, but could she really keep hers?

Yes
, she told herself firmly. She would not break her word. She
would
find the golden horseshoes in time to save Chevalia.

 

Chapter 6

 

As Pippa and Stardust neared the base of the Volcano, the path grew steeper and it was strewn with black rocks.

‘They're hot!' exclaimed Pippa. She picked one up and quickly put it down again, brushing the black dirt from her hands.

‘Yes, and this is as far as we can go,' Stardust said nervously. ‘I think the Night Mares live near here.'

‘So now we look for clues?' Pippa asked.

Stardust nodded.

‘But only on this side of the Volcano. We mustn't stray into the Cloud Forest on the other side. No one's allowed to go there. Not even Mum and Dad.'

‘Why not?' asked Pippa.

‘It's haunted,' she whispered.

‘Oh,' Pippa said, feeling both scared and relieved.

The Volcano was so big it would have taken for ever if they'd had to search it all. On the other hand, she hoped she wouldn't have to look for the horseshoes in a haunted forest.

Side by side, Pippa and Stardust started to hunt for clues. At first Pippa was very excited, thinking that they might find all eight of the horseshoes. The rocky landscape had lots of nooks and crannies, perfect for hiding things in. Each time she saw something glinting in the sun Pippa rushed forward, and each time she was disappointed.

‘I'm thirsty,' Stardust said at last. Her white coat was smudged with dirt and her long tail was full of tangles. ‘Let's go back to the stream for a drink.'

She was trotting towards the path when something soared overhead.

‘What's that?' Pippa cried, pointing upwards.

Stardust swung round.

‘What?' she asked. ‘I can't see anything.'

‘It's gone.' Pippa was dismayed.

‘Maybe it was an eagle?' said Stardust.

Pippa fell silent. The thing she'd seen had been far too big to be an eagle but, as she followed Stardust to the stream, the creature flew over again. Pippa's eyes widened.

‘Look!' she shouted. ‘It's a flying horse!'

Stardust spun round again.

‘Peggy!' she exclaimed.

Peggy had a silvery coat, a long mane and tail, and an enormous pair of feathery wings. She circled overhead, tilting slightly as she drifted through the air.

‘She's amazing,' Pippa breathed, her heart thudding. ‘Stardust, I think she's trying to tell us something!'

 

 

‘I don't think so,' said Stardust. ‘Peggy hardly ever shows herself – you're honoured to have seen her. I think she's curious about you.'

Pippa shielded her eyes with her hands as she squinted at the flying horse.

‘But look how she keeps dipping her wing. It's at the same place every time. And then she turns her head to see if we're watching her.'

Stardust watched in silence.

‘It might be just a coincidence, but perhaps we should check it out,' she said at last.

Forgetting their thirst, Pippa and Stardust hurried back the way they'd come. Peggy remained overhead, still flying in the same circle, until the friends were directly underneath her. Suddenly she swooped much lower, hovering right above a rocky ledge. Whinnying loudly, she reared up. Then, with a flick of her silvery tail, she flew away.

‘Look!' Pippa said, breaking into a run. ‘There's something sparkly up there on the ledge.'

Pippa and Stardust raced across the rocks until they reached the ledge that Peggy had showed them.

Stardust neighed with excitement.

‘I can see something shining in the grass.'

Pippa stood on tiptoes. In the middle of a scrubby clump of grass, something was shining with a soft, yellow glow.

‘It must be one of our golden horseshoes!' she exclaimed.