The Sea Pony Read online

  The sea ponies swam up to the shallows and the girls climbed off their backs. The water was warm and beautifully clear. Little baby turtles swam by the shore and seahorses darted among patches of blue and purple seaweed…

  For Felicity Trew,

  who loves sea ponies

  Grace ran down the golden beach, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement. Sea ponies were leaping and galloping in the waves. Water drops glittered on their smooth white coats. Their brightly coloured tails and manes gleamed in the sunshine.

  Grace stopped at the water’s edge, feeling the warm sand under her feet and the waves lapping at her toes. A lighthouse with white and orange stripes towered on the clifftop behind her. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze. Further along the bay was a cluster of colourful houses. This was Cala Sands, the village where Grace lived.

  Every day Grace’s cousins sailed out of the harbour on their fishing boat. Grace went with them to catch fish to sell at the market. She loved sailing, but she loved coming to the beach to see the ponies even more!

  The ponies jumped high, splashing each other with their hooves. They were beautiful creatures with bright patterns across their manes and tails. Grace’s favourite sea pony had a rainbow pattern that gleamed every time she sprang into the air. She looked a little younger than the other ponies and she was full of energy. All the sea ponies could jump, but this pony sprang higher than all the others!

  Kicking off her sandals, Grace ran into the shallows and waded out to where the water got deeper. The sea ponies neighed happily when they saw her. The one with the rainbow tail flicked water into the air with her nose, as if she wanted Grace to come and play.

  Grace grinned and splashed water back with her hands. Being friends with the sea ponies was the best thing about living in Cala Sands.

  There were lots of magical creatures in the Kingdom of Arramia – sky unicorns, dragons and firebirds – but she was sure none of them were as wonderful as the sea ponies! They had the power to bring peace to the waves by using special movements that looked almost like a dance. Grace had seen them calm the stormy sea many times to help the fishing boats.

  She dived under the surface without worrying about her wet shorts and top. The water was warm and everything would dry quickly in the sun afterwards. Little silver fish darted through the turquoise water. Pink shells gleamed among the pebbles on the ocean floor.

  The waves rocked Grace gently as she bobbed back to the surface.

  The rainbow sea pony flicked her tail and dived under the water before popping up a little further away. Grace laughed and tried to catch up with her. Grace was a strong swimmer but she knew she could never be as good as the sea ponies! They moved so gracefully through the water. The rainbow pony jumped high and soon all the sea ponies were leaping and splashing too.

  Suddenly a shadow fell across the water and blocked out the sunshine. The sea ponies neighed as if they were talking to each other. Then they dived under the waves and swam out to sea.

  “Don’t go!” called Grace, but the sea ponies were already far away.

  Swimming back to the beach, she climbed on to the sand and squeezed the water out of her curly black hair. She glanced at the sky, expecting to see a raincloud blocking out the sun. Instead she saw a creature zooming towards the beach.

  As it got closer, Grace saw that it was actually two creatures. From a distance, the smaller one looked like a white horse. Its hooves left a sparkling trail in the air. The bigger one was a dragon with huge leathery wings.

  Grace’s heart raced. She was used to seeing sea dragons – they were small blue creatures that lived on the Island of Ixus out in the bay. The island was said to be an amazing place where no humans lived at all. Grace desperately wanted to go there someday. But this dragon in the sky wasn’t a little sea dragon. This was a full-size storm dragon and it was flying right next to a sky unicorn!

  The dragon and the unicorn swooped low over the water and landed on the sand not far from Grace.

  A girl with blonde hair jumped down from the dragon’s back, rushed into the waves and joyfully flicked water into the air. “Maya! Windrunner!” she called back. “I’m standing in the Great Ocean. I can’t believe it! I’ve never even seen the ocean before!”

  “Sophy, come back!” A girl with smooth dark hair climbed down from the sky unicorn’s back, laughing at her friend. “There’s someone else here – look!” She came towards Grace, smiling. “Hello, I’m Maya. I hope we didn’t startle you. We needed somewhere to land for a rest. We’ve been flying for ages.”

  Grace stared at her, a thousand questions whizzing around her head. “Hello, I’m Grace. Where are you from? I’ve never seen anyone flying on a dragon or a sky unicorn before.”

  “We’ve come from the Emerald Plain,” said Maya, smiling. “We started off in a town called Blyford next to Misty Lake. My family and I had sailed there on our boats because we’re travelling performers. That’s where I met Sophy.”

  “That’s me! I’m Sophy from Greytowers Castle.” The blonde-haired girl bounced up to them. “Is this Cala Sands Bay? And have you seen any sea ponies lately?”

  “Yes, this is Cala Sands Bay.” Grace frowned. Why was this girl asking about the ponies? “There were some sea ponies here a minute ago but they swam away. Did you come here to meet them?”

  Sophy leaned over to whisper something in Maya’s ear. The other girl shook her head and murmured something back.

  Grace folded her arms. She didn’t like people keeping secrets from her. It happened to her all the time with her cousins, who thought she was still a baby even though she could hoist a sail and cast a fishing net just as well as them!

  She was about to turn away when she felt a nudge at her elbow. The sky unicorn was standing by her side, the golden horn on its forehead gleaming in the sun. Its coat and mane were snowy white, and its tail was a beautiful pale green.

  “Hello, girl!” said Grace, softly stroking her nose. “What’s your name?”

  “She’s called Marella,” Maya told her. “And the storm dragon’s name is Windrunner.”

  The dragon bowed his head in greeting. A little gust of wind swirled across the beach.

  “Do you like magical animals, Grace?” asked Sophy, her brow creasing. “Do you think people should be kind to them?”

  “Of course I do!” said Grace. “They’re so special! Although I think we should be kind to all animals.”

  “I told you!” Maya said to Sophy. “We should tell her. She might be able to help us.”

  “Help you with what?” Grace felt that if they didn’t tell her their secret soon, she’d burst!

  “We’ve come here to help magical animals in danger,” Sophy told her. “You see, I’m a maid at Greytowers Castle where the queen lives. There’s a wicked knight called Sir Fitzroy living there too and he’s persuaded the queen that all magical creatures should be captured. He’s sent letters to his supporters all over the kingdom ordering them to catch every magical animal they can find.”

  “That’s horrible!” cried Grace. “How could he do that?”

  Sophy shook her head. “He’s a bad man. He hates the magical animals and he’s telling everyone they’re too dangerous to be free.”

  “We rescued a unicorn foal together at Misty Lake,” added Maya. “Sir Fitzroy was really cross about that!”

  “After that we went on different adventures and helped to rescue other magical creatures like firebirds and star wolves,” said Sophy. “But when I heard that the sea ponies could be in danger I knew I had to fetch Maya and come right away!”

  The unicorn brushed against Maya’s shoulder and made a long whinnying sound.

  “That’s right, Marella. I’d forgotten!” said Maya. “There’s meant to be a large b
oat that’s hunting for the sea ponies—”

  “Wait a minute!” interrupted Grace. “Did you just talk to the unicorn?”

  Maya blushed. “Yes I did!”

  “We can both talk to magical animals,” said Sophy proudly.

  “But how?” gasped Grace.

  Sophy pulled a thread from around her neck. Hanging on the end of the necklace was a rough grey stone. “I can show you if you like, but you have to promise not to tell anyone!”

  She unwound the thread from the stone and pulled it gently, so that it opened into two pieces. Inside each part was a hollow filled with gleaming purple crystals. “This is how I speak to magical creatures. There’s magic in this stone that lets me talk to them whenever I like!”

  Grace gazed at Sophy’s magic stone. “That’s amazing! Where did you get it from? And how did you know it was magical?”

  “It all happened by accident,” Sophy told her. “The queen was throwing out some old belongings and there it was among the things she cast away.”

  “I have one too!” Maya pulled out her own stone, which was filled with emerald-green crystals. “The magic inside each Speaking Stone only works for one person. So we can’t use each other’s.”

  “I’ve met new friends – Talia, Lucas and Emma – and they all found a stone that worked,” added Sophy. “And maybe, if we’re lucky, there will be one for you too!” She reached into her pocket and took out a little bag made from purple velvet.

  “Really? Then I’d be able to talk to magical animals as well?” Grace longed to speak to the sea pony with the rainbow tail. They’d played together so many times. Talking to her would be the best thing ever!

  “Yes, you would! Now, let’s see…” Sophy knelt down on the beach and emptied a handful of rocks on to the sand. “Touch this one. See if that works.” She handed Grace one of the stones.

  Grace turned it over, running her fingers over its rough grey edges. But it didn’t open into two pieces with a tiny hidden cave inside like the other girls’ stones. It sat in her hand – nothing more than a dull grey rock. “Am I supposed to do something? I don’t know if I’m doing this right.”

  “Try touching a different stone!” said Maya eagerly. “We don’t know which one is supposed to be yours.”

  Grace picked up the stones one by one, excitement fizzing inside her. She held each one for a moment before putting it down and trying another. “Is this right? Is something meant to happen?”

  “First the stone will get hot and then it’ll break open all by itself,” Sophy told her. “Try another one!”

  Grace picked up another and another. Finally she touched the last one. None of the stones had changed at all.

  Grace swallowed, trying not to show her disappointment. “Maybe there isn’t a magical stone for me after all.”

  “I’m really sorry, Grace.” Maya bit her lip. “You like animals so much that I was sure there’d be one for you.”

  “You will still help us, won’t you?” said Sophy as she gathered the stones into the little bag again. “We’ve never been here before and you must know where to find everything.”

  “Of course I’ll help!” A determined look grew in Grace’s eyes. “I love the sea ponies and I wouldn’t let anyone hurt them!”

  Sophy and Maya said goodbye to their dragon and unicorn friends, who wanted to fly home to their families. Windrunner, the storm dragon, promised to return when the girls needed him again.

  Grace led the girls up the cliff path, past the lighthouse and across the field towards Cala Sands. “I sometimes spot the sea ponies when I’m out fishing with my cousins,” she told them. “Maybe you could come with us tomorrow.”

  “Do you know anyone who might want to harm the ponies?” asked Maya.

  Grace frowned. “Lady Cavendish doesn’t like animals much but she never goes out on her boat. Here we are!” She pointed to the cluster of houses at the bottom of the hill.

  Cala Sands had a pretty harbour full of fishing boats. Little cottages in blue, yellow and pink crowded round the waterfront. A nearby bakery had opened its doors and the delicious smell of bread and cakes drifted down the street.

  “Which is your boat, Grace?” asked Maya.

  “That one!” Grace pointed to a neat purple boat with a brightly polished nameplate. “It’s called The Leaping Sea Pony. It’s not really mine. It belongs to my cousins.”

  “What a lovely boat! It’s much nicer than that big ship over there.” Sophy glanced at a larger boat with several men on the deck. “The Royal Stickleback – what an awful name!”

  “I know!” agreed Grace. “Sticklebacks don’t even live in the sea. They’re fish that live in rivers, so it’s a silly name for an ocean boat.”

  As she spoke, a woman dressed in rich clothes came out on to the deck of The Royal Stickleback and began giving orders to the men. Her dark hair was combed back from her face and she wore a long elegant dress that looked strange next to the men’s muddy boots and overalls.

  “That’s Lady Cavendish,” hissed Grace. “She owns the harbour, so we’re all supposed to be nice to her. Her ship is the biggest in Cala Sands but I’ve never seen her go on board before.”

  “Maybe we should find out what’s she up to,” said Sophy.

  The three girls crept along by the harbour wall until they were close enough to hear. Lady Cavendish was telling the men to prepare to set sail. The sailors rolled up a huge net and stowed it next to the cabin. Then one man climbed the rigging and pulled out a long telescope.

  “Find me the sea ponies,” Lady Cavendish called up to him. “I have received a message from Sir Fitzroy – the queen’s chief knight. All magical sea creatures must be captured. They are a danger to us all!”

  “There’s no sign of any sea ponies, My Lady,” the sailor called down. “No, wait! There’s a herd of them just there, across the bay.”

  “Set sail!” screeched Lady Cavendish. “We must catch the little beasts!”

  Sophy turned to the others, her face pale. “She’s after the sea ponies! What shall we do?”

  Grace’s brown eyes turned fierce. “I know! We can block her ship.” She pelted back to The Leaping Sea Pony and untied the mooring rope. “Sophy! Maya! Come and help me with the oars.”

  Sophy and Maya scrambled on to the boat. Grace threw the mooring rope on to the deck and leapt after it. Then she and Maya each took a pair of oars and rowed across the harbour while Sophy acted as lookout.

  “The Royal Stickleback’s heading for the harbour entrance,” said Sophy.

  “We can still beat them,” panted Grace. “Their ship is much bigger and heavier. It will move slower than ours.”

  Lady Cavendish’s voice could be heard across the water, shrieking at the men to make the ship go faster.

  Rowing hard, the girls brought The Leaping Sea Pony to the mouth of the harbour where the gap in the wall led out to the open sea.

  “Quick, Sophy!” hissed Grace. “Drop the anchor.”

  Sophy dropped the heavy anchor overboard and the boat came to a stop. The Royal Stickleback had to turn sideways to avoid bumping into them.

  “What are you doing, girl?” shouted Lady Cavendish. “You’re blocking the way. Move aside at once!”

  “Just a second, My Lady. The sail won’t work until I do this knot. I must tie it right away.” Grace knelt down and began tying a knot in the sail rope really slowly.

  Lady Cavendish tapped her foot against the deck, her face turning red. “Girl! I said move immediately!”

  Grace finished her knot and stood up. “Are you in a hurry, Lady Cavendish? I hope nothing’s wrong.”

  The crew of The Royal Stickleback exchanged surprised looks. No one usually questioned Lady Cavendish.

  “Of course I’m in a hurry, stupid girl!” said her ladyship. “Yesterday I received a message from the most important knight in the land, Sir Fitzroy, giving instructions to capture the beasts ruining our ocean. Then, just as we spy the creatures coming across the bay,
you get in the way and spoil it all!”

  “But, Lady Cavendish!” Grace burst out. “If you’re talking about the sea ponies, they never ruin anything. Sometimes their special movements calm the waves and that makes it easier for us all to catch our fish. It’s magic!”

  “No animal should be allowed to have magic,” snapped Lady Cavendish. “They’re nothing but sly little beasts and they won’t be so magical once they’re trapped in the extra-large net I’ve brought.”

  “The sea ponies have gone now, My Lady,” called the man in the rigging. “We’d do better to follow them tomorrow when the tide is in our favour.”

  “Very well!” Lady Cavendish clicked her fingers. “Take us back to the jetty for now. Tomorrow we’ll hunt them all down. One by one.”

  Grace, Maya and Sophy rowed their boat back to its mooring place and climbed ashore. Lady Cavendish was still shouting orders at her crew as the girls left the harbour.

  “The trouble is, we’ve only stopped her for now,” said Sophy gloomily. “Tomorrow she’ll set sail and hunt for the sea ponies again.”

  “That gives us the rest of the day to make a plan.” Grace led them into the bakery. “Come on, we won’t get any good ideas on an empty stomach.”

  The girls bought bread rolls, some purple moonfruit and a delicious-looking cherry cake. Then Grace took them out of the village towards the clifftop. “I want to show you the lighthouse. You can see the whole of Cala Sands Bay from the top. Mr Wetherstone is the lighthouse keeper and he likes to have visitors. Sometimes he makes me a chocolate milkshake.”

  “Oh, I hope he’ll make us some too!” said Sophy. “I’m really thirsty.”

  The stripy lighthouse stood on the cliff behind the beach. The tall tower had a circular window all the way round the top for the light to shine through at night.

  Grace knocked on the door. It was opened by a man with grey hair and twinkly brown eyes.