A Special Surprise (3 page)

‘I’d love to be in the gymkhana. Pippa and I are great together. Did she tell you how . . .’

‘Pippa’s my girl,’ interrupted Snowdrop. ‘We’ve been practising all week for the gymkhana. We’re the only pony and rider that can jump the wall without knocking it down.’

‘They still might let me enter,’ said Stardust quickly. ‘Pippa and I have been riding together for ages. Has she told you about our adventures in Chevalia?’

Petunia pricked up her ears. ‘Chevalia? Is that the stables down the road where the show ponies live?’

‘Chevalia is the best place in the whole world,’ said Stardust. Her eyes misted over. ‘It’s a magical island in the middle of the sea, filled with ponies.’

Snowdrop stamped a hoof. ‘Pippa’s my girl,’ she repeated. ‘She can’t change ponies now.’

Pippa had to fight the urge to put her hands over her ears so she didn’t have to listen to the squabbling. Taking a deep breath she spoke in a calm, clear voice.

‘Stardust can’t take part in the gymkhana tomorrow because she has to go home. But she really needs a bed for the night, and it’s her birthday. Please can she sleep in one of the spare stables? I promise I’ll come and get her first thing tomorrow morning before Mrs Woods arrives.’

Snowdrop thought about it.

‘Well, if it’s her birthday then of course she can stay for a night. We can’t let her sleep in the field. Why don’t you sleep here in the stable next to me?’

Stardust hesitated. ‘I’ve never been on a sleepover before. I haven’t slept in a stable either.’

‘Really? Well, it’ll be fine, I promise,’ said Snowdrop kindly. ‘Go on in and make yourself comfortable. When you’re settled you can tell us all about Chevalia.’

‘I’d love to.’ Stardust nuzzled her nose in Pippa’s curly brown hair. ‘You’ll come back for me early tomorrow?’

‘I promise,’ said Pippa. ‘Good night, Stardust. Don’t stay up all night talking.’

‘I won’t. Well, I might,’ she snorted.

As Pippa hurried down the drive she could hear Stardust’s voice.

‘. . . When I was a little foal I desperately wanted a pet girl. Every stone on my bedroom wall at Stableside Castle is covered with pictures of them . . .’

Pippa smiled as she ran home across the fields.

Chapter 3

The following morning Pippa wasn’t sure if she’d dreamt that Stardust had visited her. As she took her new turquoise polo shirt from its hanger and picked up her jodhpurs she noticed a long, white hair against the dark carpet. Pippa held it up. It was a strand of mane, much longer than Snowdrop’s, and it sparkled. Pippa’s heart flipped with excitement as she pulled on her jodhpurs. Stardust really was here in her world! In the other bed, Miranda was still asleep. Pippa left on tiptoes and was halfway down the stairs when she had a thought. She crept back to the bedroom for the tiara that Stardust had given her to say thank you for her help in rescuing the eight precious horseshoes of Chevalia. She pushed it into her curly hair and adjusted it so that it sat on top of her head.

After a quick breakfast of cereal and toast, Pippa pulled on her riding boots and let herself out of the cottage. She ran all the way to the stables and skipped through the unlocked gate. It was very quiet as Pippa approached the stable block. There was no rustle of hooves on straw or the swish of a tail. Pippa grinned to herself.

‘I bet they were up all night listening to Stardust’s stories. They’d better not be too tired to take part in the gymkhana.’

Pippa entered the yard and stopped dead. Her mouth opened but the words were stuck in her throat.

‘Stardust, Snowdrop, Sunflower, Rose . . .’ Pippa rushed from stable to stable – they were all empty. The ponies had gone.

‘Hello, Pippa dear. You’re early this morning. I haven’t mucked out yet but you can tie Snowdrop up in the yard to groom her if you like?’ said Mrs Woods as she walked into the yard.

Pippa swung round. Her riding teacher was dressed in her old clothes – a faded top, a torn pair of jeans and green wellingtons. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.

‘The p-p-ponies. They’ve gone,’ Pippa stuttered.

‘Gone?’ The colour drained from Mrs Woods’ face. She rushed around, looking into every stable. Then she pinched herself hard.

‘Ouch! It’s not a nightmare then. This is terrible. Someone’s stolen my ponies.’

Mrs Woods’ hands shook as she pulled a mobile phone from her pocket and called the police. Pippa was shaking too. It was bad enough that the riding school ponies were missing but worse still for Stardust, who didn’t even belong there.

‘Yes,’ said Mrs Woods, speaking into her mobile. ‘I was the last person to leave and I definitely locked the gate.’

Pippa froze. Shame flooded through her. Mrs Woods hadn’t been the last person at the stables last night. She had. Had she locked the gate as she left? To her horror, Pippa couldn’t remember.

Mrs Woods ended her call. She patted Pippa on the arm.

‘I’m so sorry but I’ll have to cancel the gymkhana. I’ll phone the parents of the other children and tell them in a moment, but first I want to look in the stable next to Snowdrop’s again.’

Pippa followed Mrs Woods into the stable where Stardust had spent the night. Her face burned when Mrs Woods said, ‘This stable was empty only it looks like a pony has slept here.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘How silly of me! I can’t have mucked the stable out properly after it was last used.’

Pippa stared at the straw scattered over the floor. Stardust must have had a restless night, or maybe there’d been a struggle when the horse thieves captured her. Pippa shivered. Poor Stardust! She must have been so frightened.

‘You might as well go home, Pippa,’ said Mrs Woods kindly. ‘I’ll call you if I hear anything. I’m very sorry. I hope it hasn’t spoilt your holiday.’

‘Could I have a look round before I go?’ asked Pippa. ‘In case there are any clues?’

Mrs Woods hesitated. ‘You can look but please don’t touch anything. If you find any clues then let me know. The police will need to see them too.’

‘OK,’ said Pippa.

Mrs Woods walked off to her office and Pippa began to look round the yard. Apart from Stardust’s rumpled stable, it was spotlessly tidy. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary at all. Except . . . Pippa crouched down to look at a series of black marks that crossed the yard and ended at the stable block. Her eyes widened in disbelief. ‘It can’t be.’ She stared at the black marks again. They were a series of tiny horseshoes. ‘That’s impossible!’ Pippa traced a finger around one of the hoof prints. It made a black mark on her finger – as black as the rock from the volcano on Chevalia, where the Night Mares had once lived under the rule of Baroness Divine. Pippa’s finger tingled unpleasantly.

‘Dark magic,’ said Pippa. She now had a very good idea who had stolen the ponies – wicked Divine. She also knew where to start looking for them – Chevalia. ‘Chevalia, here I come,’ said Pippa as she hurtled down the drive.

Pippa ran all the way down the winding path that led to Horseshoe Cove. She burst out on to the beach. Her riding boots sank into the powdery sand and she reached the surf line hot and panting. Pippa stood with her hands shielding her eyes from the sun-spangled water, while she got her breath back.

‘Triton, Rosella.’ Pippa shouted the names of the giant seahorses that had first carried her to Chevalia. ‘Triton, Rosella, I need your help.’

She touched her tiara and felt the magic of Chevalia fizz through her fingers. Seconds later there was a whooshing noise. The sea reared up in a huge wave, in the shape of the head and
forelegs of a galloping horse. Relief flooded through Pippa as two giant seahorses exploded through the motionless wave and stared expectantly at her.

Chapter 4

‘Triton, Rosella,’ Pippa reached out to stroke Rosella’s pale pink face and Triton’s freckled green one. ‘Something terrible has happened.’

Pippa quickly told her story. She was coming to the end when she heard the muffled thud of hooves on sand. She spun round to see a white pony galloping along the sand.

‘Stardust!’ The relief made her heart soar. ‘You’re safe.’