by Holly Webb
“It’s like a film,” Mara said, with a shocked sort of whistle. “Are you OK?”
“Yeah … but I’ve had three showers and it still feels like there’s mud all over me.”
Mara snorted and Daisy started to laugh too. She hadn’t heard Mara make that noise in so long. Her proper laughing snort – the noise she made when something was really, really funny.
“Yeah, well, glad I cheered you up…”
“You’ve got to admit it is a bit funny!” Mara was silent for a moment. “Apart from what might have happened if Em hadn’t been so clever.”
“I know,” Daisy whispered. “But … someone would have walked past. After a while.” She shivered, remembering how it had felt, being all alone in the mire.
“Maybe. You were so lucky.”
Daisy gripped the phone a little tighter. “Yeah. I know.”
Mara was still in hospital when Daisy went back to school in September and Daisy didn’t know when she’d be coming out. Her mum was starting to look more quietly hopeful, though. The last time Daisy had been to visit Mara, she’d just come back from the hospital school. She was strong enough to go there most days now. She’d spent most of Daisy’s visit moaning about it but Daisy thought that secretly Mara was glad to have something to do.
Daisy had actually been looking forward to school for a change. Mum and Dad had gone into an enormous panic about her being caught in the mire, which she supposed was fair enough. It could have been a lot worse – she tried not to think about what might have happened. But it seemed that Mum couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Daisy wasn’t allowed out in the forest on her own any more. Not even to walk Betsy. She’d tried to argue about that and Mum had got so angry she really shouted, which she hardly ever did. Half the time it felt completely unfair and then she remembered that cold feeling inside, when she’d thought that no one was going to find her. Then she almost wished that Mum and Dad would never let her go out again.
Daisy was hoping that they’d change their minds eventually but for the last week of the holidays she’d had to take Betsy for walks with Mum or Dad, or Mum and Dad and Oscar and Chloe… It wasn’t the same. She’d seen Em and the two other ponies out on the heath but there was no way to get close to them with her brother and sister charging about. She hadn’t been able to get near enough to say what she wanted to say. Thank you for rescuing me. I love you. I always knew you were special. She had stood watching Em from a distance, thinking it as hard as she could and hoping Em knew.
It was good to get to school on the first day and find out that she’d been made one of the House Captains. All the others – Jack was one of them – were loud, confident sorts of people. Mara would have been a House Captain, of course. Daisy wanted to ask the head, Ms Davies, why they’d chosen her but she didn’t. What if Ms Davies suddenly realized what a silly mistake they’d made? Daisy just hoped that Ms Davies never heard about her falling in a bog and having to be rescued by a pony.
Jack had told his mates about it and everyone kept asking her what it had been like, being stuck. For once, Jack had managed to make Daisy sound interesting. He’d told them that Em – except he said Snowball – had done most of the rescuing. It was quite cool to be rescued by a pony.
The new House Captains had to stand up at the front in assembly, with all the Juniors looking at them, and Daisy was surprised to find she actually enjoyed it. Even Oscar seemed impressed with his big sister and didn’t pull faces for once. Daisy was looking forward to telling Mum at the end of the day – although if she wasn’t quick Oscar would break the news first, she realized as she went to fetch her new jacket from the cloakroom. She should have hurried. Oh well.
“Hey, Daisy!”
Daisy looked over the coat racks and found Jack grabbing his stuff too. “Oh, hi.” She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for telling everyone about me getting covered in mud…”
“I didn’t say it like that!” Jack looked indignant.
Daisy grinned. “I know. I was only joking.” Then she looked at him thoughtfully. “You would have done, before. You’d have been mean about it.”
Jack shrugged uncomfortably. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry. I was mean to you…”
Daisy waited for him to explain why but he didn’t. She wasn’t sure he even knew.
“I liked it that you said Em cared enough about me to want to get me out,” she said at last. She sighed. “I really miss her.”
“So where have you been?” Jack asked. “I looked for you out on the heath.”
“Guess.”
“You’re grounded?”
“Sort of. Not allowed out by myself ever, ever again. That’s what my mum says.” Daisy sighed. She’d forgotten, almost, in her excitement at being made House Captain.
“Good!” Jack smirked.
“Hey!”
Jack shrugged. “Maybe it is a bit unfair. You probably wouldn’t fall in a bog again.”
“Never.” Daisy shuddered. Then she picked up her backpack. “I’ve got to go. Mum’ll be waiting.”
“You’re not even allowed to walk home from school?”
“I wouldn’t be anyway – Oscar, remember? Mum wouldn’t let me walk Oscar back – he never listens to me.”
They walked out of the cloakroom and down the corridor. Just as they were getting to the main doors, Jack said thoughtfully, “What about if you were with me?”
Daisy stopped, blinking in surprise. She moved out of the way of the door so a couple of Year Fours could get past. “What, would they let me go out? I don’t know. Would you – I mean – would you want to?”
“Snowball likes you.” Jack shrugged. “I know she’s a free-roaming pony. She’s meant to be wild. But they do recognize some people. I reckon she’s been looking for you.”
“Really?” Daisy was so pleased her voice squeaked. Too pleased even to be annoyed about Jack using Em’s real name.
“Yeah. I could ask your mum, if you like.”
“You can try…” Daisy said doubtfully. “Hopefully she’ll be pleased about me being a House Captain. She might say yes.”
“Oh, yeah, well done.”
“You too.” Daisy was silent for a moment. “Do you think they only made me House Captain because Mara’s not here?”
Jack stared at her. “What would they do that for?”
“I don’t know.” Daisy shrugged. “I mean… I’m not one of those people.”
“You’re really clever, and you do the library club with Mr Williams, and last term you made everyone save their crisp packets so you could send them to that recycling thing. And everyone knows you’re still visiting Mara. You put those photos of her up on the class noticeboard and the letters from her. All the Year Ones want you to play with them. You’re the nice one.” He folded his arms. “Want me to keep telling you all this stuff?”
“Er … no,” Daisy muttered. She could feel her face getting red. “Mum’s going to be wondering where I am.”
“Your mum likes me,” Jack pointed out, looking smug. “She thinks I rescued you, even though it was mostly Snowball. Come on, I bet I can get her to change her mind.”
Mum was looking slightly worried by the time they got across the playground – although they weren’t even the last ones out. She was going to keep on being like that for ages, Daisy thought. It didn’t bode well for Jack’s plan.
“Oh, there you are, Daisy! Oscar told me your news. Well done! And you’re a House Captain as well, aren’t you?” She beamed at Jack.
“Yes. Um. Mrs Hamilton?”
“It’s fine to call me Laura,” Daisy’s mum said, still smiling at Jack. She really does think he rescued me all by himself, Daisy realized. Maybe she is going to say yes…
Jack nodded. “I was wondering … would it be OK for Daisy to come out to see Snowball with me sometime, please?”
Oscar started to make a whistling noise and Daisy elbowed him. Luckily Mum was still looking at Jack, as well as trying to keep an eye on Chloe clim
bing the playground fence.
“Snowball? The pony – the one that Daisy was with…?”
Daisy could see Mum starting to shake her head but Jack wasn’t giving up.
“Yes, my dad’s pony. She came and found me when Daisy was stuck. I think she misses Daisy.”
“Why would she miss Daisy?” Mum looked confused.
“I used to see her loads when I was walking Betsy,” Daisy explained. “I always looked out for her. I’d be careful, Mum, I promise. We’d stay together and I’d keep away from the stream – I’d just stay on the heath. Even if Em – I mean Snowball – went further off, I wouldn’t.”
“Perhaps after school tomorrow?” Jack suggested. “I could walk back with you.” He looked hopefully at Daisy’s mum. Daisy could tell she wanted to say no but she was torn. After all, Jack was the one who’d brought Daisy back. And she knew Mum had been worrying about her feeling lonely at school…
“Maybe for a little while,” she murmured doubtfully, and Jack nodded.
“OK. See you tomorrow, Daisy! Bye!”
Daisy watched him go. She wanted to jump up and down and punch the air but she didn’t want to make Mum think too hard about what she’d said yes to.
“Do you think it’s OK to tell Mara about being a House Captain?” she asked Mum, partly to distract her and partly because she actually wanted to know. “Because if she’d been at school I bet it would have been her. What if she’s upset?”
Mum reached out to give her a hug. “You mustn’t let thinking that spoil it for you, Daisy-petal. I don’t think that’s true anyway. You’d both have been captains.”
They wouldn’t, because they were in the same house and it was always one girl and one boy for each, but Daisy decided not to bother explaining.
“It’s tricky, though,” Mum went on. “I think Mara would be pleased for you. But it must be so hard for her, knowing she’s missing out… Maybe only tell her if she asks?”
“Yeah. You’re right.” Daisy sighed. “I can tell her about going to see Em with Jack instead,” she added cleverly, and Mum didn’t say no…
“She’s so beautiful,” Daisy said happily. They had Betsy with them, so she couldn’t get too close but she could see that Em was plump and her coat was shiny. The flaxen chestnut mare and her foal Acorn were close by too – the foal was definitely getting bigger.
Jack nodded. “I know.” He frowned thoughtfully at Em and then looked back at Daisy. “Do you think she’s in foal?”
“What, you mean she’s having a baby?” Daisy yelped.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Yes. She could be. There was a stallion running with the mares here back in May. Don’t you remember? There were signs up telling everyone to stay out of the way. The ponies get a bit wild and go dashing all over the place.”
“Oh … yes, I think so.” Daisy nodded. She did remember Dad saying to be careful, now she thought about it. “How can you tell she’s in foal? I can’t see any difference.”
“I don’t know either, not for sure, but she does look a bit fatter. Ponies don’t really show until about six months. That would be…” He was obviously counting in his head. “November. It could just be that she’s been feeding up over the summer. That would be fine too. We want them in good condition if they’re staying on the forest over the winter.”
Daisy nodded, trying to look knowledgeable, but she had a feeling that Jack liked showing off a bit.
“Do you want me to ask my dad if you can come and watch the drift at the end of October?” Jack called back as he went to look at Bracken.
Daisy nodded excitedly. “Yes! Yes, please. But I thought we weren’t allowed? Dad wanted to take us to see it last autumn but someone at work told him we shouldn’t go because it’s dangerous.”
Her dad had been quite disappointed, she remembered. He’d heard about the drift before they moved to the New Forest. Traditionally the ponies were rounded up every year to be checked over and registered, and to have their tails marked – this had been going on for hundreds of years, since the 1500s. But too many people had been getting in the way, and the verderers – the old name for the officials who looked after the forest – had said it wasn’t safe for people to go and watch any more.
“Yeah, my dad rides out to help round up the ponies but I’m not old enough. We can watch from our paddock, though. It’s not far from where they set up the pound for the ponies and you always get to see some of them being driven past. We can take sandwiches and sit on the fence.”
“That would be brilliant.” Daisy nodded happily. She might not mention sitting on the fence to Mum and Dad, she decided. Not the way they were currently feeling. She’d say they would absolutely definitely be behind the fence the whole time.
“There’s my dad!” Jack elbowed Daisy and pointed at one of the riders speeding towards them. Daisy couldn’t see much more than a tall man in a riding helmet on a black pony but she waved all the same, and Jack’s dad just about waved. He was concentrating on not letting the ponies he was herding double back and he only glanced their way for a moment.
“Was he wearing a thing like a life jacket?” Daisy asked, after the little gang of ponies had thundered past. “Your dad, I mean. He had a sort of padded vest on.”
“It’s a special one.” Jack nodded. “It inflates if you fall off. Before you even hit the ground. Lots of people have accidents riding for the drift – you’re twisting and turning so much, it’s easy to have a fall. Last year he got knocked off when he went under a tree and got hit by a low branch. Mum was cross and said he wasn’t being careful enough. The vest’s supposed to protect your back, so you don’t hurt your spine or break your ribs if you fall.”
“That’s clever,” Daisy said, and then she added, “I went to see Mara after school yesterday.” Broken ribs had made her think of hospitals. “She was really jealous that we were getting to see the drift. She said next year she’s definitely coming too.”
She and Jack exchanged a glance, and Jack nodded. “She will,” he said firmly.
Daisy glanced away. “Oh, look, there’s more coming! Hey, is that Em? Snowball, I mean?” She was still trying to remember to call Em by her right name around Jack. She hadn’t told him why she called the white pony Em. She hadn’t told anyone.
Jack leaned out to look. “Yes! And the other two. Good, they don’t look too stressed. It’s Acorn’s first time being rounded up but she’s just going with the others.”
The three ponies were with a group of about ten and there were four riders herding them along the path past the fence. Daisy felt herself shrinking back a little. The path wasn’t that close but the ponies were going so fast, she could almost feel the wind and dust as they galloped by. She fixed her eyes on Em, white mane flying, her tail flowing out behind her as she whirled past. Bracken and Acorn were just behind her – they were gone in seconds.
“Wow…” Daisy whispered.
Jack laughed. “Told you it was fun.”
“Yeah – but is Em OK, going that fast? If she’s having a foal?”
“She’ll be fine.”
“Is your dad going to bring her into the paddock to look after her?” Daisy asked, climbing down from the fence to get the biscuits Mum had given her.
“No. Not unless she starts to look as though there’s something wrong. She’ll most likely have her foal out here.”
Daisy pulled a face. “I suppose that’s OK. It just seems like she should be in hospital or something, you know? Don’t laugh at me!”
“We’ll look out for her, we always do! Me or Dad, we keep an eye on them. But she’s not going to have the foal until April at least.”
“April? That’s ages away.” Daisy sighed.
“Same time the new grass is growing,” Jack pointed out. “So they can eat loads and feed the foals properly.”
Daisy nodded. It still seemed such a long time – by April, everything could be different.
The loud banging on the side door startled Daisy and Chloe dropped
her spoon in her cereal, splashing milk everywhere. Then the door rattled and swung open, and Jack looked round it, scarlet-faced and panting.
“Go out to the heath!” he yelled. “Not far off the two trees. Go on, I’ve got to go and get my dad!” Then he shot out of the door, pulling it shut behind him with a slam. Betsy popped out from under the table and barked excitedly – clearly she could tell that something was happening.
“What was … what was that all about?” Mum said, staring at the space where Jack had been. “Daisy, do you know?”
“No… Oh! Maybe! Mum, can I go, please please please?”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on – and what did he mean, the two trees?”
“The two joined together, the oak tree and the beech tree, you know. Dad showed me! I told you about it! And I’m not sure but I think Em might have had her foal – that’s why Jack’s gone to get his dad.”
“Can we go and see?” Oscar jumped up hopefully and Chloe followed him.
Daisy bit her lip. She was desperate to see Em and the newborn foal but Em wasn’t going to want loads of people around.
“Maybe later,” Mum said firmly. “Daisy, you can go. But you have to be back in an hour. If there’s anything wrong, if you need me to call a vet for you, let me know.”
“I will! Thanks, Mum!” Daisy was already hopping about trying to get her wellies on, ignoring Oscar trying to argue and Chloe thumping the table. The foal – it had to be, she couldn’t think why else Jack would be so excited.
She sped down the side of the house and out to the pathway. The two trees that Jack had mentioned grew at the edge of the heath, a few hundred metres from the path they always took through the patch of woodland. It wasn’t on one of the main paths and it was a little quieter. It made sense that Em would want to have her baby there, out of everyone’s way.
