by Kate Gordon
Lily’s arms were loaded with two saddles, so Sasha unlatched the barn door.
C-r-e-a-k.
They froze, looking at each other in the dim moonlight.
“Well, the door’s open now,” Sasha whispered. “At least it’s not windy so we can leave it open as we put things away. What bucket can you give Sigvard with the feed that your mum won’t notice is missing?”
Lily stepped carefully into the gloom of the barn. “I think there’s an old one by the feed drums somewhere.”
Fumbling, she managed to get the saddles put away.
“I’ll take some brushes down and we’ll give Rainbow a quick groom too.” Sasha disappeared out the door.
Lily turned to the feed room. There better not be any mice! It couldn’t be much darker as she took one careful step after another, hands stretched out in front. Bump. That’s the wall. She felt along. There’s the door. Along the feed room wall, hands and shuffling feet feeling for feed drums. Thud. She’d kicked one.
“That’s the chaff bin,” she whispered to herself, feeling beside it for the old bucket that should be there. “Ah, there it is.”
Something scrabbled over her hand as she turned the bucket over to knock out any dust.
“Aarghh!” The heavy plastic bucket thudded to the floor. “Yuck, yuck, yuck!” Lily shook her hands, trying to get rid of that sensation of mouse feet running over her skin.
Suddenly she stopped, listening. Thankfully, all was silent. She’d been far too noisy. And the others were waiting!
Quickly, she felt for the bucket. Got it. Into the bins. Just the pony pellets. Three scoops. Hopefully Mum won’t notice.
Along the wall, out the door into the main barn. The doorway was bright with starlight compared to the gloom of the barn, then she was off down the yard walking as quietly and quickly as she could on its gravel surface.
“There you are,” Sasha hissed. “You’ve been ages.”
“Sorry, a mouse jumped out of the bucket when I picked it up.”
“Ooh, yuck!” Chloe whispered as she opened the gate for Lily.
“Here you are, Sigvard.” Lily stopped in front of the big warrior unicorn who had his head down for Sasha to rub behind his ears. “I remembered this old bucket has a rope handle to replace its broken one, so I thought it might be easier for you to carry.”
She put the bucket on the ground, holding the rope up so the unicorn could grab it in his mouth.
He lifted the bucket easily and rested it down again. “Perfect.”
“Let the five weakest foals have a few mouthfuls each,” Lily suggested, her voice low. “You don’t want them to have too much in case they get an upset tummy. If there’s any left, maybe some of the other foals could have a mouthful or two each. We’ll bring some more tonight in our backpacks.”
“Excellent. I must go. Thank you all. See you tonight.” Snatching the bucket up, the unicorn trotted back across the paddock then jumped over the gate into the gloom of the forest.
“He’s not shining his light,” Sasha said as they slipped the bridles off their ponies with one last pat and turned them loose.
“Doesn’t want to be seen, does he?” Lily latched the gate. “It was only us who needed the light to see, not the ponies or unicorns.”
They walked back to the barn. Sasha asked, “Are we putting them at risk, asking him to light our way through the forest?”
“Well,” Chloe whispered, “they are all grazing in the open with their lights showing so they must feel quite safe on the farm.”
“I guess so.” Lily still felt worried.
They hung their bridles up and closed the barn carefully.
“And now to get back into the house without waking anyone,” Lily murmured.
“I’m so tired, despite the dust stuff,” Chloe said.
“I know.” Sasha yawned.
“Let’s try and wash off as much as we can in the laundry before we go inside,” Chloe whispered.
“Good idea. There should be some paper towels so we can throw them away.”
One by one, they crept up the back steps into the laundry room beside the back doors. Quietly, they dampened paper towels and wiped the glittery dust off as best they could in the near dark.
“Darn,” Lily hissed. “We forgot to clean our helmets.”
“I’ll run down before breakfast and do it,” Sasha replied.
Lily yawned. “Okay. Let’s go to bed.” They’d done everything they needed to with the unicorns tonight, so that was the main thing.
“And we’ll do it all again tomorrow night,” Sasha whispered as they undressed and slipped into bed.
Lily could hear the smile in Sasha’s voice and smiled back even though she couldn’t see. “I can’t wait to see Ambrosius and the others again either.”
“Me too,” Chloe replied. “Good night.”
Lily looked at her clock. “Good morning you mean. It’s one o’clock.”
There was no reply. She shut her eyes and slept.
The ponies clip-clopped tiredly down the Masterton’s long drive.
“What a waste of time,” Sasha grumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time.
The search for a hiding place had not gone well. Every park they’d visited during the hot, dusty morning around the streets of Whale Bay had something that made it impossible to consider trying to hide a hundred or so unicorns there. Too small, way too close to houses or shops, no grazing, no trees to hide amongst.
“It wasn’t,” Chloe repeated patiently. “Marking options off the list is still productive.”
Feeling as frustrated as Sasha, Lily decided they had only one option. “We’ve got to check that big park over the highway.”
“But how are we going to get there? You know we’re not allowed to ride anywhere near the highway.” Sasha’s voice was grumpy. “And Chlo and I can’t keep looking this afternoon.”
“I know that. Maybe we can bike over there.”
“But when? Mum said I could stay here again tonight, but I have to go with her to Susie’s stupid dance thing all day tomorrow.”
Chloe’s disappointment was clear on her face. “I’d come if I could, Lil, you know that, right?”
Lily sighed. And I need to train Rainbow, but one of us needs to keep trying to help the unicorns. “It’s okay. I’ll bike over there. This afternoon if I can.”
Chloe looked worried. “Are you sure, Lil? By yourself? Over the highway?”
“Haven’t we agreed that it’s possible the witch could get here by Sunday night? Ambrosius wants to move then, right? They’ve got to move somewhere, and what if this reserve is perfect and we didn’t know until like Monday or something? It might be too late.” Lily saw Chloe’s face. “I’ll be careful, honest. But one of us has got to do it, and I can, so I will.”
Sasha didn’t look any happier than Chloe. “If only I didn’t have to go home, Lil, or I’d come with you.”
“I know, Sash, it’s okay. Really.”
The driveway swung past the house where Lily’s mother was sweeping the patio. She called out, “I’m leaving in ten minutes if the girls want a lift home.”
Lily glanced from one friend to the other. They both nodded.
“Yes, please!” Lily called back, pressing her hot, sweaty pony into a trot. “Sorry, buddy, it’s only a little further.” She lowered her voice. “Just think of me biking all that way this afternoon.”
“Oh, don’t, Lily,” Chloe implored. “I feel bad as it is.”
They reached the tree-shaded cool of the horse yards with relief. “Just pop your guys in a yard and unsaddle.” Lily slipped off Rainbow and let him into a pen. “I’ll hose them down and put them out in the paddock.”
Sasha had her chestnut gelding’s halter on and saddle off in a flash, and headed for the barn with her gear. “Are you sure, Lil? I can run home along the road in a bit.”
“Then you’ll be late. Mum’s driving right past anyway.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Chloe rubbed Angel’s sweaty forehead, the palomino mare’s gold hair sticking to her dark jodhpurs. “Thanks, Lily. I really appreciate it.”
“I hope you’ll come with us tonight, Chlo.”
Chloe washed her hands under the hose Lily turned on to wash Rainbow. “I’ll try to, if Mum will let me stay the night. I don’t think I could sneak out of our house again. I was too frightened. I’ll message you later when I’ve talked to Mum.”
“Okay.” Lily was worried about sneaking out again too. But they’d all managed it last night, so they’d just have to do it again. And as many nights as the unicorns need us to help them.
The toot of a car horn sent the girls scrambling out of the horse yards.
“Thanks, Lil, see you later,” Sasha yelled as she raced after Chloe.
Running the hose over Rainbow’s bright bay coat, Lily rinsed away the sweaty marks left by the saddle and girth. The pony stood, relaxed and head down. She wet a towel to wash his face, and he leaned into her hand as she got the itchy sweat off his forehead. “That’s good, huh?” He snorted and nodded his head. She patted his soggy neck. “Tommy’s turn now. Then Angel. Then I better find some lunch. I’m hungry.”
Sweating, Lily slogged up the hill from town on her bike. Every push of the pedals was an effort as the afternoon got hotter and hotter.
“Thank goodness.” She saw the entrance to the big park.
Free-wheeling through the gates, she saw very few cars in the car park, but along each side of the front section of the park were houses, lots of them.
The houses tick off the ‘near humans’ bit, hopefully.
There were many trees, some standing alone, others in clusters among wide swathes of grass and gullies full of native bush.
Plenty of hiding places and grazing too.
From the car park, the park got much wider, swooping up a big hill on one side and down into a valley on the other. There was a sign for a walking track to the Puketea stream.
That’s water taken care of.
But, and she worried it was a big ‘but’, it was a long way from the unicorn’s deserted farm, and mostly along the highway.
Still, it’s the best option we’ve found so far, that’s for sure.
Lily took a big drink from the bottle in her backpack as she looked around.
I’ve got good news for everyone, and thankfully it’s downhill to town and flat most of the way home too.
Pleased she’d thought to say to her mum that she was cycling for her own fitness training – Mum was okay with that and it was partly true – Lily turned her bike and headed for home. Now I just need to get safely through the crazy summer traffic in town.
Chapter Nine
A message pinged on Lily’s phone as she pushed her bike into the garage.
“Does yr phone do video?” Sasha asked. “Can u set it up 2 video u jumping rainbow? In case u do something that causes him to buck.”
“Great idea!” she replied. “Will try 2day. Thx! Park is perfect. See u later.”
“Yay! Nice work!” came Sasha’s quick response.
The house was quiet as Lily opened the door. She would grab something to eat then get Rainbow. Maybe everyone’s gone down to the beach and left me some afternoon tea in the fridge.
She froze, fridge door open.
Not the beach! They’ll see the chasm!
Shoving the fridge door shut, Lily raced out the back door. She had no idea what she’d do if she found Mum, Liam and Kuia down on their private beach. But she had to check.
Did the unicorns fill the hole in enough? Did the high tide smooth out the sand?
Next thing there was a yelp and Lily thudded onto the path.
Sky scrabbled out from under her, licking her face, her arms, her legs, anywhere he could reach as she lay winded on the hot concrete.
“Geez, Sky, leave off.” Lily pushed the apologetic dog away and rolled over onto her back, arm across her eyes against the sun.
Ow. That hurt.
“Illy! Illy!”
Ooufhh! Liam flopped onto her tummy in the toddler’s version of a wrestling move.
“Ow, Liam, don’t!” Lily pushed her little brother off onto the grass beside the path where he rolled around giggling.
The garden gate clanked shut.
“What are you two doing?” Mum leaned over Lily, blocking the sun.
“I tripped over Sky.”
Mum chuckled. “And Liam took advantage of you being on the ground?”
“Yeah.” Lily sat up, rubbing her stomach. She scowled at Liam, who was giggling harder than ever as Sky darted in to lick his face. “He did.”
Getting to her feet, she brushed herself down. “Where have you been?” Please don’t say the beach!
“Supermarket, then over to visit Mrs Tamariki.” Mum headed inside, grocery bags in hand, the dog and toddler hard on her heels. “Kuia picked some herbs from her garden.”
Relief flooded through Lily as she saw her grandmother pushing through the gate, her arms laden with greenery. She ran towards Kuia. “Can I help, Kuia?”
“There’s more in the car, Lily, if you can bring it into the cool of the laundry.”
“Okay.”
“Careful of the bag of nettles.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Lily managed to get the nettles and other smelly green plant clippings inside for Kuia, who quickly put her to work stripping leaves from stems.
“Now run some clean water in the laundry tub and swish those deep green leaves around,” Kuia instructed. With gloved hands, Kuia was picking the nettle leaves.
Once the leaves were washed, Lily had to spin them dry in Mum’s salad spinner. “You better wash that well before I spin lettuce in it,” Mum commented as Lily fetched it from the kitchen.
Some leaves were bundled up in a clean tea towel to rest in the fridge overnight and some went straight into a big pot, Kuia talking all the time about the different plants and how they could be used as a poultice or rub. It was quite interesting, but also confusing as there were lots of plants and lots of ways to use them.
Lily’s thoughts drifted back to the unicorns. There wasn’t much of the tonic left.
“Kuia, I meant to ask you earlier. Do you think we could make some more of the tonic I gave my friend with the burnt pony please?” She hated lying, but what was the alternative? She swallowed against the sick feeling in her tummy. “She dropped the bottle and it smashed.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kuia’s brown gaze study her for a moment, and she tried not to squirm, focusing on swishing the leaves in a clean batch of water before she spun them dry.
“She wouldn’t want to give her pony too much at a time, you know. That would be very dangerous.”
Lily glanced up, but Kuia was now looking at the big pot she was stirring on a gas burner on the laundry bench.
“I’m sure she didn’t do that. She said she tripped over taking it back into their stable.”
“Okay then, as long as she doesn’t think a double or triple dose will make him heal faster. I can make some more from the herbal tinctures I have with me.”
“Thank you. She will really appreciate it.”
Kuia nodded as she stirred. “How did you get the herbs to her anyway? No one’s been to pick anything up since I made it yesterday.”
What’s with the questions, Kuia? Lily wanted to ask. What does it matter to you anyway? She felt queasy having to tell another lie. “We visited when we went riding this morning and dropped it off.”
“Okay.” Kuia put down the big spoon. “Come and watch me measure the tinctures. I’ll show you how to combine them safely.”
Lily stood beside Kuia, watching carefully. Thank goodness she agreed to make more tonic. I had no idea what I was going to say if she said no.
Finally, she’d tidied up the laundry to Mum’s expectation. “I don’t want nettle stings all through the washing.”
Eating a banana with one hand and holding a
bunch of carrots to share among the horses in the other, Lily managed to get out of the house with just enough sunlight left to have half an hour in the arena. The fresh bottle of burn-healing tonic was at the back door, ready to take tonight – or, as Kuia thought, deliver to her friend tomorrow. Her phone was fully charged, and she thought she could prop it in the cup of a jump stand, so it pointed in the right direction to video her and Rainbow jumping.
“I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before, Rainbow,” Lily said as she brushed her pony and tacked him up. “We won’t take long, considering we have another ride to see you know who tonight, but the video is a good idea from Sasha.”
They rode into the arena. “I don’t really want to get bucked off again, so maybe Kuia’s tonic has already helped, and you’ll jump properly now.” Rainbow snorted as she asked him to trot and they circled to warm up. “But if not, maybe the video will give me a clue what’s happening with the doubles if you still buck.”
She stopped Rainbow beside the jump stand and set the phone to record. “Okay, let’s try this.”
Pushing her heels down in the stirrups, she pressed Rainbow into a canter and circled him round a couple of times. Nerves swirled making her feel sick again. Don’t think about falling off, she told herself firmly. Just look ahead over the second jump like Mum tells you to do.
They headed for the combination of two jumps. Over the first, one stride and over the second, and...bang! Rainbow pig-jumped the instant he landed. Lily shot out of the saddle but managed to pull herself straight again. They cantered fast around the arena, Rainbow tugging at the reins and Lily’s shaking hands only just managing to hold the upset pony.
Okay, she told herself, breathing hard, I expected that. Now I’ve got to turn around and jump from the other direction so there’s a video from both sides.
“Steady, pony, steady.” She turned Rainbow in a tight circle to slow him to a walk. He let out a deep breath with a shudder that shook her in the saddle. Maybe she was just upsetting him. Should she go and talk to her mum?
But I want to solve this myself!
Letting the reins loose, she encouraged her pony to stretch his neck and relax. Lily lay forward over Rainbow’s withers, her head close to his. “We can figure this out, can’t we?” His ears flicked back and forward as he listened. “Okay.” Lily made a decision. “I’ll talk with Mum if I can’t see anything obvious from the video, so let’s jump back in the other direction so that’s on video too.”
