Isabel and Cloud

by Julie Sykes

  “…very concerned. Unicorn Academy seems to be in the grip of a malevolent spell, but for the life of me I can’t work out which one. If this rain continues the school will flood and I will be forced to send everyone home.”

  “No!” whispered Isabel in dismay.

  “That would be very unfortunate,” said Ms Nettles.

  “Indeed,” said Ms Primrose gravely.

  The teachers talked for a little longer then Ms Primrose left and Ms Nettles came to tell Isabel she could go.

  “I’ll see you back here tomorrow, same time. Don’t be late!”

  “Yes, Miss,” said Isabel, then she ran full pelt back to the dorm.

  Isabel’s friends had just returned from the quiz and were chattering loudly as she burst through the shiny blue door.

  “Listen up!” Isabel jumped up and down on her bed to get everyone’s attention. As silence fell, Isabel glanced round the room. The girls each had identical blue and silver duvets, a small wardrobe and a chest of drawers with a sapphire-studded lamp. Everyone had personalised their area with posters, photographs and trinkets. Isabel’s heart beat frantically. What if she had to leave all this and her friends behind?

  “Guess what I just overheard!” she said.

  When Isabel finished, everyone spoke at once. Sapphire dorm was unanimous – not one of them wanted to be evacuated from the academy.

  “It can’t happen,” said Olivia firmly. “Ms P will work it out. The whole of Unicorn Island is in danger if the academy closes and there’s no one here to guard the lake.”

  There were murmurs of agreement.

  Sophia lifted her chin. “I wish I knew who it was. I’d try to stop them.”

  “I bet it’s the person in the black cloak,” said Ava. Earlier that term she and Sophia had been chased down the mountain by a cloaked figure riding a unicorn and firing spells at them.

  “Me too,” said Scarlett.

  They all nodded and started to get ready for bed.

  “So how was the quiz?” Isabel asked Scarlett, suddenly remembering that she’d missed it. “Did you win?”

  “It was great fun – we came third.” Scarlett disappeared as she pulled her pyjama top over her head.

  “Third?” said Isabel, thinking she’d misheard. How could Scarlett think it had been fun if they’d only come third?

  “It was my fault. If I hadn’t got my birds muddled we’d have come second.” Sophia dissolved into giggles.

  Ava took up the story. “Ms Rosemary wanted the name of the bird that feeds on raspberry clams. It’s a red bill, of course, but Sophia shouted out red bum. We laughed so much we missed the next two questions.”

  “Red bum?” said Isabel, raising her eyebrows. “I can’t believe you said that, Sophia, and lost marks for the team.”

  “No one minded,” said Sophia, shrugging.

  “We were having too much fun,” said Olivia.

  Isabel frowned, bewildered. She sometimes felt she just didn’t get her friends. How could losing a competition ever be fun?

  It rained through the night and all of the following day. Rumours started to fly that the school was going to be evacuated. All of Isabel’s free time was taken up sorting books for Ms Nettles.

  “It’s a horrid job,” she moaned to Scarlett as they parted company by the stairs. “The books are dusty and they stink.”

  Scarlett shuddered. “Ugh! Watch out for book beetles! My uncle had them and they nibbled everything.” Her eyes lit up. “If you find one, catch it and put it in Valentina’s bed!”

  Isabel reluctantly shook her head. “No way. I’m in too much trouble already. No more pranks for me.”

  Isabel didn’t waste time and worked quickly, putting the good books into one pile and the others into the bin. One dusty book, with a dark-green leather cover, caught Isabel’s eye. It was much thicker than the rest and she needed both hands to lift it. As Isabel blew the dust away, she felt a tickle. A large brown beetle with yellow and black spots scuttled from the book and on to her hand.

  “Ew! Get off!” Isabel tossed the book on to the floor but the beetle clung to her hand, its antennae waving frantically.

  “Eek!” Isabel accidentally kicked the book open as she danced about. The beetle scurried off and Isabel bent to pick up the book. The pages were covered with small holes. Remembering what Scarlett had said about book beetles, she stared at the holes suspiciously. A chapter title leapt out at her.

  Using Rain Seeds to Cause a Flood.

  A flood! Isabel glanced out of the window where the rain was pouring down and her heart raced. Could the terrible rainstorm at the academy be caused by rain seeds?

  She read on.

  Rain seeds can be used to make rain fall. They are tiny blue pearls that can only be found in the deep sea. They are mostly used to create rain in areas suffering a drought. However, they can also be infused with dark magic, which results in the rain becoming excessive.

  If a stone is taken from a lake or river and placed with enchanted rain seeds next to an ocean, then excessive rain will fall continuously on the original lake or stream. This spell will work most effectively if the rain seeds are placed next to the ocean on the…

  Here the page was covered with holes and crumpled from when Isabel had dropped and kicked the book. She skipped over it and carried on reading.

  To undo a dark spell, the rain seeds and the stone must be taken to the place of rain, put in a puddle and breathed on by a unicorn. The bad magic will drain away and the rain will immediately stop.

  Isabel read the passage again. The best ocean for the spell to work was where? She smoothed the paper, in the hope that she could read the rest of the sentence, when the page underneath rustled and another beetle jumped out. Isabel yelped in surprise and let go. There was a ripping sound and she was left holding the remains of the page on rain seeds in her hand.

  Isabel stared at the page in dismay. “Stupid beetle!” she cried. Now there’d be more trouble. Furious with the beetle for startling her and making her damage the book, Isabel swatted at it. “Go away, you horrible thing!”

  As she did so, the study door opened.

  “STOP!” Ms Nettles stormed over. “Do not move a muscle!” she cried. “Stay right where you are!”

  Ms Nettles dropped to her knees and began to frantically search the floor. “Whatever do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

  “I’m sorry,” Isabel stuttered, wondering why the teacher was crouching on the floor – and how much trouble she was going to be in. “I didn’t mean to damage the book. There were beetles in it when I picked it up. They’ve nibbled holes in the paper.”

  Ms Nettles’ glasses were rattling so hard that Isabel expected them to slide right off her nose. She pointed a bony finger at Isabel. “Stay exactly where you are,” she ordered as she continued to search the floor. “Hester, Horatio, where are you, my lovelies? Come to Mummy.”

  For a moment Isabel thought the teacher had gone mad. It was only when Ms Nettles found the two beetles and slipped them carefully inside a small box that Isabel realised what she was doing.

  “They’re your beetles?” she breathed.

  “Yes! I collect them but these two escaped when I was cleaning out their tank. If I ever catch you stamping on a beetle, then you will be out of this school faster than you can say unicorn,” said Ms Nettles. “Hester and Horatio are the only two book beetles in my extensive beetle collection. They are also my favourites.”

  Ms Nettles collected beetles. Weird! For a wild moment, Isabel wondered if Ms Nettles might be the person trying to harm the lake. She was certainly odd enough. But that was a crazy idea. Why would a teacher do that?

  “Your work here is done. I’ll finish off. Go and wash your hands ready for dinner.”

  Isabel was only too pleased to leave. “Thank you, Ms Nettles. Please could I have that book back though? I want to show it to Ms Primrose.”

  “No,” snapped Ms Nettles. “Ms Primrose is in a meeting and is fa
r too busy to see you. I will deal with the damaged book.”

  “But this is important. There’s a way of stopping the rain…”

  Ms Nettles wouldn’t listen. She tucked the book under her arm as she chivvied Isabel out of her study. “Go!” she said, glaring down her nose. “If I hear any more of this nonsense about rain, you’ll be in detention for the rest of the year. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Miss,” sighed Isabel.

  Ms Nettles pulled a key from her pocket and locked the door. There was nothing Isabel could do but to go.

  On her way to the dining room, Isabel stopped to gaze at the rain coming down faster and faster outside. How could everything have gone so badly wrong? Six short months ago she’d stood in the hall bursting with excitement at the thought of meeting her unicorn. Now the academy might close before the year was over. Isabel wondered if everyone would be made to start the year again or only the pupils and unicorns that still had to find their magic and bond. That would mean Scarlett and Sophia and Ava wouldn’t come back and she’d be left with people like Valentina. No, that couldn’t happen!

  Isabel walked over to the rainbow-coloured glass doors of the Great Hall and slipped inside. She wandered across to the magical map. It was a model of Unicorn Island surrounded by a magical force field that hummed softly. Isabel held out a finger and touched it curiously. “Ow!” she winced as it gave her a small electric shock.

  The map had the power to take people anywhere on the island but students were only allowed to use it with Ms Primrose’s permission. Staying clear of the force field, Isabel stared at the coastline. What if rain seeds were to blame for the rain? What if someone had hidden some on one of the island’s coasts? She groaned inwardly. If only she hadn’t torn the book then she would have known where to look.

  Isabel recalled the words in the book. “This spell will work most effectively if the rain seeds are placed next to the ocean on the…” she said. She looked at the map in frustration. “Which ocean? Where?”

  “Talking to yourself ?” said Scarlett, sneaking up behind her with the rest of the girls from Sapphire dorm. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you heard? Ms Primrose sent us to our dorms to pack. If it’s still raining tomorrow, we’re being sent home.”

  “What!” Isabel stared at her in horror. “But we can’t. There might be a way to save the school! I think I know what’s going on!” Isabel’s words tumbled out as she told everyone about rain seeds.

  Layla’s face lit up. “Rain seeds!” she said, banging her head with her hand. “Of course! I’ve read about them somewhere.”

  “Ava,” Sophia piped up. “You’re making your thinking face. What do you know about rain seeds?”

  Ava blushed. “I don’t actually know anything about rain seeds, but what if they behave in the same way as plants? Plants that need lots of water to flourish grow best in the west because it has the most rain. The incoming winds pick up water from the ocean and it falls on land. If I had to guess, I’d say the rain seeds work best if placed on the west coast, on or near cliffs to protect them from being accidentally kicked or trodden on.”

  “Really! I could go there!” said Isabel. Her face fell as she stared at the map. “But look how many cliffs are along the west coastline! I’ll take an age to search there.”

  “And you have to ask permission to use the map,” Olivia reminded her.

  “How can I, when Ms Nettles won’t let me speak to Ms Primrose?” Isabel’s eyes hardened. “You know what? I’ll go without asking.”

  “I’ll come too,” said Scarlett immediately.

  Layla twisted a strand of hair round her hand. “And me.”

  “Me too.” Ava, Sophia and Olivia spoke together.

  “Let’s ask our unicorns along,” said Scarlett. “We can cover more ground and go faster if we ride.”

  Isabel beamed at her brilliant friends. “You’re on!”

  Isabel’s heart hammered as she ran to the stables. Her friends were keen to help but what about Cloud? Would he think her plan reckless, especially after the clock tower incident, and stop her from going? She was breathless when she reached Cloud’s stable and stuttered as she poured out her plan.

  “Trust me, Cloud!” she begged. “Please say you’ll come. I don’t want to go without you.” She realised she meant it. Cloud could be a little cautious sometimes but she trusted him totally.

  But to her delight, Cloud was already nodding. “Of course I’ll come. We have to help the academy. You’re right, Isabel, this is an emergency. And Ms Primrose has just ridden away on Sage, so you can’t ask her permission anyway!”

  “Thank you.” Isabel gave Cloud a grateful hug before jumping on his back and racing back to the hall with her friends and their unicorns.

  This time, as Isabel approached the map, the force field shone out brightly. With a sudden flash it disappeared, allowing Cloud to pass through. It’s as if the map knows we’re trying to save the school, thought Isabel with an excited shiver. When everyone was lined up with her, Isabel said, “The west coast then?”

  “Yes,” said Ava. “Definitely.”

  Isabel stared at the map one more time. It was a miniature version of Unicorn Island with every single river, lake, mountain, stream and building. Unicorn Academy was there too, its tiny lake overflowing, just like the real one. There wasn’t a moment to lose.

  “Everyone, hold hands,” called Scarlett, who’d used the map before.

  The girls linked hands, Isabel keeping one hand free to touch the west coast. She selected a beach with caves and a cliff, providing plenty of places to hide the rain seeds. Excitement surged through her as her fingertips touched the gritty sand. There was a burst of coloured lights. A wind sprang up, whipping Isabel’s curly hair around her face. She was spinning, Cloud’s mane blowing up as they spiralled faster and faster. Isabel clung to Cloud as suddenly he plummeted down…

  Cloud landed with a whump, his hooves sinking into soft ground.

  Isabel opened her eyes and stared at her surroundings. The map had worked! She was in the middle of a sunny beach. The sea was a deep blue and a salty breeze sent frothy waves licking at the shore.

  “It’s not raining here,” said Scarlett, squinting up at the clear sky.

  “It’s lovely.” Isabel stretched out her arms, letting the sun warm her. Her hand snagged on something caught in Cloud’s mane.

  “What’s this?” she asked, holding up a tiny model of Unicorn Academy.

  Scarlett grinned. “That’s our way home. Don’t lose it or we’ll be galloping all the way back.”

  Isabel pushed the model deep down in her pocket. There wasn’t time to ride back. They had to find the rain seeds and get them to the academy before everyone was sent away. She eyed the coastline stretching away in both directions, and then the caves and steep cliffs behind her. Her mind started to form a plan.

  “It’s going to take ages to find the rain seeds,” she said, silently adding, if they’re even here. “We should split up. Ava and Sophia, you take the beach. Olivia and Layla, you…” She was about to say climb up and search the cliff paths but then she noticed that Layla was looking pale. Remembering how she’d felt when she’d been climbing the clock tower, Isabel gave Layla the choice. “Layla, would you prefer to search the cliff paths or the caves?”

  “The caves.” Layla smiled gratefully.

  “OK, you two check the caves and Scarlett and I will go up the cliffs,” said Isabel bravely. “Good luck, everyone.” She smiled encouragingly. “We can do this. We can find the seeds!”

  Isabel tried not to notice the height of the cliffs as they set off. The sand stretched out invitingly in front of them. “Let’s gallop there!” she said. She wanted to be the first to find the seeds.

  But Cloud slowed down to a walk. “I don’t think we should. The ground feels spongy – there might be sinking sand.”

  “But—” said Isabel.

  “We won’t find the seeds if we get stuck,” interrupted Cloud.
<
br />   Isabel fell silent. Cloud had a good point. She let him set the pace and concentrated on scanning the cliffs, hoping to see somewhere that rain seeds might be hidden.

  As Cloud and Blaze started up the steep cliff path, Isabel wound a lock of Cloud’s silvery-blue mane around her hands for courage. When Isabel saw a flash of blue from under a bush, Cloud left the path to investigate.

  The cliff face was steep with loose stones and Isabel clung on tightly as Cloud inched forward. Suddenly he lost his footing and slid several metres down before a scratchy bush broke his fall. Isabel’s heart banged wildly against her ribs. The island magic would stop her from falling off but would it protect Cloud from falling down the cliff?

  “I’m fine,” gasped Cloud, sensing Isabel’s worry. He edged up to where she had seen the flash of blue but she was disappointed to see it was just a blue stone hidden by some golden flowers.

  They went on a bit further and Scarlett spotted something blue in a hollow. Isabel held her breath as Blaze walked sideways across the cliff face to reach it. Scarlet slid from his back and stuck her arm in the hole.

  “She’s found them!” Isabel was so relieved the seeds had been found that she realised she didn’t care that it was Scarlett who had got to them first. But her relief was cruelly dashed when Scarlett held up a blue feather.

  “Not the seeds,” said Scarlett ruefully.

  Undeterred, they continued the search.

  At the top of the cliff, Cloud said they should turn back. “The rain seeds won’t be up here. I’ve got a really strong feeling that Ava’s right – they need to be closer to water.”

  Isabel looked back at the path they’d taken along the crumbly cliff face. She bit her lip, butterflies fluttering in her tummy at the thought of the journey down.

  “Don’t worry,” said Scarlett, mistaking her concern. “The others might have found the seeds.”

  When they reached the beach, Isabel saw that the tide had turned and big waves were rolling in towards the bottom of the cliffs. Ava and Sophia were tiny specks in the distance.