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.
“Oops – sorry!” Sophy laughed, scooping up a baby turtle that had got caught in her skirt. She released him in the water next to his friends.
“There you go!”
“They’re adorable!” cried Maya as another turtle nibbled at her finger.
Grace stroked the rainbow pony. “Thank you for the ride,” she said softly. “I loved it!”
The pony nudged Grace with her nose, before swimming away to play with her friends. Grace sighed. She wished she could speak to the pony properly!
“Grace!” Sophy called from further up the beach. “We’ve found something to eat.”
Grace ran to join the other girls. Together they pulled large orange fruit down from the trees. The fruit were deliciously sweet, especially when they were washed down with water from the sparkling waterfall.
After they’d had enough to eat, the girls played at jumping in and out of the waterfall. Then they went back to the sea to swim with the baby turtles and the sea ponies, and to dive for shells that lay on the sandy seabed.
Grace watched a starfish wriggle along the sand. “This island is amazing and we’re the first people ever to see it!”
“I suppose once Windrunner and the sea dragons arrive we’ll have to go back to the mainland,” said Maya with a sigh. “I like it so much here. I don’t want to go!”
“Me neither!” said Sophy. “But I have to go back to my maid duties at the castle and you have to go back to your travelling troupe. Anyway, we both need to be ready in case more magical animals need our help.”
Grace dug her toe into the sand and frowned. “Do you think I could… I mean, would it be all right if I helped you to rescue magical creatures too?”
Sophy and Maya exchanged looks.
“We’d love you to help, but it would be quite tricky,” said Sophy awkwardly. “You see, we get messages from the golden songbirds and sometimes Windrunner gives us important news. Not being able to talk to the magical animals would make it hard for you.”
“We’re really sorry,” said Maya.
“But we’ll fly over to visit you as often as we can!” added Sophy.
“It’s OK!” Grace turned away so they couldn’t see how sad she was. “I’m too busy fishing with my cousins to have time anyway.”
“Look, the dragons are coming!” Sophy pointed at a cluster of dark specks in the sky. The specks grew larger with every second.
Windrunner and the sea dragons circled over the island. The sea dragons folded back their wings, plummeted through the air and landed, leaving huge claw marks in the sand. Windrunner plunged into the sea with a gigantic splash.
“Windrunner! You love landing in the water,” laughed Sophy, running into the sea to hug him.
Windrunner growled a reply and swished water drops over his scaly back as if he wanted to cool down.
Grace noticed something purple floating on the surface of the water and realised it was Sophy’s little velvet bag – the one that held the magical stones. She dashed into the sea, but it sank before she could reach it.
“You dropped your bag, Sophy!” Grace waded to the place where it had sunk. The bag popped to the surface right in front of her, but when she picked it up it was empty.
Sophy took the bag. “Oh no! Where are all the stones?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find them!” Grace dived under the turquoise water.
The stones were scattered across the sea bed. Their dark-grey colour made them easy to spot against the golden sand. Grace picked up a handful and returned to the surface to take a breath.
“Oh, thank you!” cried Sophy as Grace gave her the handful of wet stones.
“There are a few more. I’ll fetch them for you.” Grace dived down again, careful of the baby turtles swimming round her. She found three more stones and swam back to the surface.
“Well done, Grace!” Sophy beamed, adding the stones to the bag.
Grace plunged underwater for a third time. She couldn’t see any more stones so she felt along the seabed with her fingers. “I can’t find any more,” she gasped as she bobbed up again.
“Oh dear!” Sophy’s forehead creased. “I’ve counted them and I’m sure there’s one missing.”
Grace and Maya both dived under the water to search for the missing stone. Grace checked far and wide, looking under shells and pebbles. A little turtle swam up to her face before paddling into a cluster of swaying seaweed. The baby sea creature looked back at Grace with tiny black eyes.
It’s almost as if he’s trying to show me something, thought Grace.
Gently, she pushed aside the fronds of seaweed and felt something rough hidden there. She smiled as she picked up the little rock. She’d found the last one!
Her fingers tingled. The stone suddenly felt hot.
Surprised, Grace bobbed to the surface and stared at the little grey rock.
Maya came up for a breath too. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, it’s the stone! It’s … changing.” Grace let the stone rest on the palm of her hand. An orange glow spread across its rough grey surface.
Sophy and Maya came closer and Windrunner bent his head to watch.
Just as Grace thought the rock was getting too hot to hold, it cracked open in her hand. The stone was hollow and the tiny cave inside was covered with beautiful deep-blue crystals.
“Wow!” breathed Grace. “Does that mean…?”
“Yes!” Sophy jumped up and down in the water, splashing them all. “It means you’re one of us! This is your Speaking Stone and it truly belongs to you!”
Grace’s cheeks went red. “I can’t believe it! I didn’t think the magic worked for me.”
“Maybe you just needed to take your magical stone into the ocean,” suggested Maya. “After all, you know all about the sea and your first rescue was an ocean creature.”
“That’s true!” Grace beamed a wide smile. “I’ve always loved sea ponies more than anything.” She shaded her eyes, looking all around for her rainbow pony friend. She couldn’t wait to talk to her!
Holding her magical stone carefully, Grace swam out to where the sea ponies were playing.
“Hello! I’ve got something amazing to tell you!”
The sea ponies understood her at once and came leaping through the water to meet her.
“Sea girl!” said the rainbow pony. “You can speak to us!”
“I know! It’s because of this magical stone that my friends gave to me.” Grace showed them the stone. “My name is Grace and I’ve wanted to talk to you all for so long!”
“Grace! What a lovely name,” said the rainbow pony, and the others whinnied in agreement.
“What are you called?” Grace asked her.
“Coralli!” she neighed, and swished her tail.
Grace smiled at Coralli. “Thank you for bringing me here. I’ve always wanted to visit this island. It’s like a dream come true!”
Coralli bobbed her head. “We wished to thank you for stopping that horrible lady with the dangerous net.”
“Lady Cavendish is horrible,” agreed Grace. “But you still saved her and her crew.”
“We believe in peace!” said Coralli. “We do not believe in harming other creatures.”
Windrunner waded through the shallow water with Sophy and Maya riding on his back. “I have some good news about Lady Cavendish,” he rumbled. “When I set her down on the beach at Cala Sands, she ran away as if there was a monster after her. I don’t think she’ll be bothering any magical animals again.”
The girls clapped at this news and the sea ponies beat their hooves against the water.
As the sun began to set, Grace, Maya and Sophy said goodbye to the sea ponies.
Grace hugged Coralli. “I’ll come to the beach to see you tomorrow. Maybe we can
swim together again?”
“I’d love that!” replied Coralli. “I can show you all my favourite things: the pools where the pink anemones grow and the sea caves with the glittering rocks. There are so many places we can explore together!”
“That sounds brilliant!” Grace grinned. “I’ve had a wonderful time on the island. Thank you!”
Coralli whinnied and flicked water drops over Grace with her nose.
Windrunner, who’d been snoozing on the warm beach, woke up and stretched. “If you’re ready, I’ll fly you back home, Sophy. Would your friends like a ride too?”
“Yes, please, Windrunner,” said Maya. “I know Marella, my sky unicorn, can’t fly over to meet me this time. She must be busy with the unicorn herd.”
A sea dragon with a jagged blue crest on his back stopped beside them. “Excuse me, do you need a dragon ride of your own?” he asked Grace. “My name is Saltwing and it would be my honour to take you wherever you need to go. I will give you a ride any time you need one.”
“That’s a good idea!” cried Sophy. “That way, when we need your help you’ll be able to fly over to find us, Grace.”
“You’re really kind,” Grace told Saltwing. “Yes, please. I would like a ride.”
Saltwing let her scramble on to his scaly back. “Are you ready, Grace the sea girl?”
Grace sat down and held tight to the crest sticking up from his back. “Yes, I’m ready!”
“Then let us fly!” Saltwing stretched his deep-blue wings and took off.
Grace waved madly to Coralli as the dragon soared into the air. The breeze tickled her face and a funny swooping feeling in her stomach made her giggle. As they climbed higher, the ocean became a rumpled blue blanket dotted with tiny white waves. “This is awesome!” she called to Saltwing.
“Before we return to Cala Sands, let me show you our island from the air,” said Saltwing. “We are so proud of our wonderful Island of Ixus.” He zoomed downwards, flying low over the island so that she could see the jungle, the sparkling waterfalls and the rocky hills. Then, last of all, he glided over the sea. Baby turtles paddled in the shallows while sea ponies leapt through the deep waves.
“It’s so beautiful,” cried Grace. “I’ll try to visit as often as I can!”
“We’d be very happy to see you,” said Saltwing.
Windrunner glided over to join them, and Sophy and Maya waved from his back. “Do you like flying, Grace?” called Sophy. “Isn’t it the best thing ever?”
“I love it!” called Grace.
At last they flew back over the calm ocean and landed on Cala Sands beach.
“Thank you, Saltwing,” said Grace.
The blue sea dragon bowed. “It is my pleasure! Whenever you need me, tie a blue cloth to the window near the top of the lighthouse. I will see it and come to find you.” He stretched his wings and flew away across the sea.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Maya quietly. “Sir Fitzroy, the knight who hates magical creatures, sent letters all around the kingdom telling people to hunt the poor animals. So we should make sure that no more creatures are in immediate danger.”
“That could take weeks!” exclaimed Sophy, frowning. “Unless … maybe we could all check different places.”
“Good idea!” said Grace. “I know Mr Wetherstone has a map of the whole kingdom. Let’s ask him if we can look at it. Will you be all right here, Windrunner?”
“Of course!” The dragon lay down and dug his claws into the sand. “I shall have another snooze!”
The girls hurried past the swaying palm trees and climbed to the top of the cliff, where they knocked on the lighthouse door. Mr Wetherstone opened it and smiled when he saw them. “Back for another chocolate milkshake?”
“Well, actually we’d like to look at your map of the kingdom,” Grace told him. “Would that be all right?”
“Of course! But you must have a milkshake too.” The old man peered in the direction of the beach. “And maybe something nice for your dragon?”
Mr Wetherstone spread the large map out on his table and then began making drinks for everyone. Sophy took a bowlful of chocolaty drink down to the beach and Windrunner lapped it up with his big green tongue. It seemed that storm dragons liked chocolate milkshake very much!
Grace leaned over the old crinkled map. Apart from the fishing trips with her cousins, she’d never left Cala Sands. The sight of all the rivers and forests and mountains on the map made her insides turn a somersault.
“Why don’t we each start with places close to where we live,” said Maya sensibly. “My troupe travels across these lakes that are joined together by the River Arram, so I can check here.” She pointed to three blue patches on the map. “Misty Lake, Gadfly Lake and Eagle Lake.”
“I can search the forests and hills near the castle,” said Sophy.
“I can check the cliffs and beaches all the way up to Dragon Point and Fire Rocks.” Grace pointed to the rocks near the top of the map. “If I find any magical animals in trouble, I’ll send you both a message.” She smiled at her new friends. She couldn’t wait to explore the Kingdom of Arramia. With her special new stone, she could help magical animals wherever she found them!
Sophy hurried out of the castle door carrying a heavy wooden chair. She stopped at the bottom of the steps to get her breath back. Her arms ached from lifting things all morning!
A gentle breeze blew across the castle battlements, ruffling her wavy golden hair.
“Hurry up, Sophy! There’s no time to dawdle.” Mrs Ricker marched down the steps, her eyes bulging behind her spectacles. “And tie your hair back at once. I don’t want the queen to see you looking so messy.”
Mrs Ricker was the Royal Housekeeper. She was the kind of person who could spot untidy hair or a dirty apron from miles away!
“Yes, Mrs Ricker.” Sophy searched her apron pocket for a hair bobble and quickly plaited her hair. Her parents had died when she was little and she’d worked as a maid at Greytowers Castle ever since. She was used to the housekeeper’s strict ways.
Mrs Ricker went back inside. Sophy picked up the chair again and walked across the wooden drawbridge. The castle was circled by a moat filled with water and the drawbridge was the only way to get across.
When she reached the other side, Sophy set down the chair and gazed around. Greytowers Castle stood on a hill and the view from the top was amazing.
The Kingdom of Arramia stretched out in every direction, with its thick forests, bright rivers and majestic, snowy mountains.
Two planets hung together in the sky, a green one and a smaller purple one. Sophy loved the story of how the planets grew by magic in the air.
Copyright
First published in the UK in 2017 by Nosy Crow Ltd
The Crow’s Nest, 10a Lant St
London, SE1 1QR, UK
Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd
Text copyright © Paula Harrison, 2017
Illustrations © Sophy Williams, 2017
The right of Paula Harrison and Sophy Williams to be identified as the author and illustrator respectively of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book will be available from the British Library
All rights reserved
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd.
Printed and bound in the UK by Clays Ltd, St Ives Plc
Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests.
IS
BN: 978 0 85763 769 7
www.nosycrow.com
The Sea Pony Page 4
