An Amazing Rescue (4 page)

She took off, chasing after them. Pippa’s curly, dark hair streamed out behind her as Stardust hurtled through the forest. She could hardly believe it herself. Cinders never played with anyone. She was far too haughty for that, or so she’d thought. But here she was now, playing with Cloud in the Wild Forest.

‘Look,’ Stardust snorted, suddenly changing direction.

Pippa’s mouth fell open as a group of wild ponies ran past. They raced through the forest, leaping over fallen branches, jumping on top of tree stumps and running up tree trunks to hurl themselves out of trees.

‘That looks dangerous,’ gasped Pippa.

‘It’s called free-trotting,’ said Stardust. ‘I’ve always wanted to try it but Mrs Steeplechase won’t let me. Look at that! Oh my goodness, they’re never going to jump that ravine!’

The trees abruptly gave way to an enormous ravine with steep, craggy sides. Pippa’s stomach fell to her toes as Stardust trotted closer. It was a very long way down and a river roared fiercely at the bottom. Stardust stopped closer to the edge than Pippa would have liked but the free-trotting ponies were speeding up. Pippa covered her face with her hands, only managing to peer at the ponies through a gap in her fingers. There were loud snorts of laughter as, in groups of three, the wild ponies hurled themselves over the edge of the ravine. As the ponies jumped, their tails and manes streamed out like multicoloured flags in the wind.

Pippa couldn’t breathe when she realised that Cloud and Cinders were jumping with them. Time seemed to freeze as Cloud and Cinders launched themselves across the gaping chasm. There were two loud thuds and thick clods of mud flew through the air. Pippa blinked, and when she looked again Cloud and Cinders were safely on the other side, blowing through their noses and laughing with the wild ponies.

‘Awesome,’ she breathed.

Stardust danced on her hooves with excitement. ‘That was amazing. Did you see Cloud and Cinders jumping together? I’d love to try that,’ she added longingly.

‘I bet they had lots of practice first,’ Pippa said anxiously.

Stardust giggled. ‘Don’t worry. I’m not about to give it a go. That sort of jump must take ages to perfect. But how did Cloud and Cinders learn to do it?’ Stardust’s eyes twinkled. ‘Unless that’s what Cloud does when she goes off in a sulk. I bet she comes here to practise. No wonder she’s so good – she’s always going off in a huff!’

Stardust edged even closer to the ravine.

‘Hi, Cloud,’ she called. ‘That was amazing.’

Cloud wheeled round in surprise and her face darkened with anger.

‘Stardust!’ she exclaimed. ‘Go away. This is
my
special place. Anyway, you’re not allowed to play here.’

Chapter 5

Cinders turned back to her friend, her eyes full of suspicion.

‘Cloud,’ she groaned, ‘what did you invite them for?’

‘I didn’t,’ Cloud snorted, flushed with annoyance. ‘They must have followed me here.’

‘We didn’t follow you!’ said Stardust. ‘Well, only a little bit. We came to the Wild Forest to look for the missing horseshoes but we found you instead.’

Cloud stamped her hoof. ‘Great! And now you’re going to tell on me.’

‘No,’ exclaimed Stardust. ‘I’m not a sneak!’

‘We saw your free-trotting and it was incredible,’ Pippa said, changing the subject. ‘It must have taken you ages to learn how to do it.’

‘Not really,’ replied Cloud. ‘The main thing is confidence. If you’re not scared to try then it’s really quite easy. The wild ponies are brilliant teachers. They’re patient and kind, not like grumpy old Mrs Steeplechase.’

‘The wild ponies sound amazing,’ Pippa agreed.

Cloud’s eyes twinkled. ‘They’re very good friends of mine,’ she said. ‘Not everyone likes them but that’s because they don’t know them. You’ve got to look past the outside – just because a pony is scruffy that doesn’t make them bad. My wild pony friends are caring and generous. And they like me for who I am. They’re not interested in titles – no one cares if I’m a Princess here. This is the only place in Chevalia where I can be my real self. Free-trotting is part of that. It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like I can fly and I love that.’

‘I love flying too,’ said Pippa. She didn’t add that she’d flown with Peggy only that morning in case it sounded like she was boasting.

Cloud shyly dipped her head. ‘Would you like to come free-trotting with me?’

‘I’d love to,’ Pippa said, sorely tempted to accept Cloud’s invitation. ‘But we need to find the three missing horseshoes and time is running out.’

‘The missing horseshoes!’ Cloud sighed. ‘I’m still not sure I believe in all that.’

‘Neither do I,’ Cinders chipped in. ‘Mum says it’s all a load of rubbish.’

‘But what if it is true?’ Pippa asked quietly.

Cloud scuffed a hoof on the ground. ‘That old
Whispering Wall doesn’t look right without the horseshoes. I suppose we could help you to search for them, just to make it look normal again – not because I believe in all that “horseshoe magic”.’

‘It could be fun,’ Cinders agreed. ‘I bet the wild ponies would help us too.’

‘Would they?’ asked Pippa. ‘That would be brilliant. The more eyes the better.’

Only Stardust looked doubtful. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘We’re not really supposed to be here. Maybe we should go back now.’

‘But you’re here now,’ called out a cheeky young chestnut pony with a white blaze. ‘And I’ve seen you and that girl here once before.’

Stardust flushed bright red. ‘You’re right. Pippa and I took a short cut through the forest the day she arrived on Chevalia.’

‘We don’t mind,’ said the wild pony. ‘You’re welcome to come here any time you like. My name’s Clipper. I can teach you to free-trot if you like.’

Stardust’s eyes widened. ‘Really? I’d love that.’

‘Stand back then,’ said Clipper. ‘I’ll jump back over the ravine so we’re on the same side.’

Led by Clipper, the wild ponies, Cloud and Cinders jumped the ravine.

Cloud trotted over to Pippa. ‘Would you like to ride on me while Stardust learns how to free-trot?’

‘Yes, thank you,’ said Pippa.

She slid from Stardust’s back and vaulted on to Cloud’s. The older Princess Pony was taller and broader than Stardust and Pippa almost didn’t make it. Clinging on to Cloud’s grey mane, she pulled herself on in an undignified scramble.

‘Well done,’ Cinders said, helping Pippa up with a friendly nudge to her foot.

‘Missing horseshoes, here we come,’ Cloud whinnied.

Cloud set off at such a high speed it made Pippa’s teeth snap like a crocodile’s.

‘You’re so fast,’ she squealed.

‘This is the one place I can let my mane down,’ said Cloud. ‘If I didn’t have the Wild Forest to escape to I’d go absolutely mad with boredom. I hate living in the Royal Court with all its stuffy rules and traditions. Here in the Wild Forest everyone is equal. I don’t have to keep curtsying and I don’t have to wear that stupid tiara.’

Pippa ran her hand down Cloud’s neck, feeling the Princess Pony’s muscles rippling as she leapt from one obstacle to the next. There were plenty of low-hanging branches to land on and tree stumps to vault over, but Pippa liked it best when Cloud trotted up the trunks to hurl herself out of trees. It made her stomach bubble and fizz with exhilaration.

‘This is fantastic,’ she yelled in Cloud’s ear, making her buck for joy.

A long time later, they trotted into a clearing. Everyone slowed to catch their breath and cool down.

‘Well done – you’re a fast learner,’ Clipper told Stardust.

‘Watch out,’ Cloud said, suddenly swerving left. ‘Quick-stick mud.’

Stardust shied into Cinders, knocking her satchel. ‘Sorry,’ she apologised.

‘No problem,’ Cinders said, shrugging off her satchel. ‘You’ve just reminded me I was supposed to get rid of this old thing for Mum.’

The wild ponies trotted on, but Stardust and Cloud hung back to wait for Cinders.

‘Why does the Baroness want you to throw her satchel in the quick-stick mud?’ Pippa asked, curious. ‘It doesn’t look that old.’

‘Mum’s even stricter than Mrs Steeplechase,’ said Cinders. ‘You do what she says without questioning her.’

Pippa stared at the satchel. Something was bothering her but she wasn’t sure what. Images of her previous adventures with Stardust flashed through her mind – the Night Mares, the mysterious hooded pony and all the nasty comments Divine had made each time they were successful in their search.