by Karen Wood
‘Lexie!’ Grampy was hardly recognisable in a big puffy life jacket. Two other men sat beside him. They threw her an orange lifebuoy and another to Loretta.
Lexie wriggled into the ring and gasped with relief as it held her upright in the water. The men threw her a halter and a strong rope. She fastened it around Featherfoot’s head and then passed the rope back to Grampy. Loretta did the same with Coalfire.
‘Jump in the boat now,’ said Grampy, reaching out to Lexie. The boat rocked and rolled over the waves. Lexie could see Grampy holding on tight with his other hand.
‘I’m not leaving Featherfoot,’ she yelled back. ‘I want to make sure he’s alright. You’ll have to tow me in next to him.’
Grampy shook his head but he didn’t look surprised.
‘I’m staying with Coalfire, too,’ Loretta shouted above the roar of the waves.
Lexie and Loretta let themselves be towed behind the boat. The horses swam behind them until finally their feet touched the sea bed again.
On the beach, crowds of people raced into the waves to help Lexie and Loretta out of the water. Lexie passed Featherfoot’s rope to Grampy and then collapsed onto the sand. Above her, Featherfoot stood with his head low. He rested one leg. His belly heaved as he pulled for breath.
Mr Johns burst through the crowds of people. ‘That was amazing!’ he said. ‘We got it all on film.’ He paused for a moment when he noticed Grampy glaring at him. ‘I mean, I’m so glad you’re alright,’ he mumbled. ‘That’s the main thing, of course.’
Lexie flopped back onto the sand and closed her eyes. She held her special buckle to her chest and tried to get her breath back. Then she opened her eyes and turned her head to the side. ‘I thought I was going to drown,’ she said.
Loretta lay on the sand, grinning back at her. ‘Not on this sand princess’s watch,’ she said.
‘You saved me,’ said Lexie. ‘You really did save me! Coalfire was amazing. He overcame all his fears.’
‘I knew he could do it,’ smiled Loretta, as she looked up at her famous black horse. Even with seaweed in his mane, he looked magnificent. His slick wet coat, all sprinkled with sand, gleamed in the sunlight.
‘What do you think made Coalfire overcome his fear?’ Lexie asked.
‘I think I was just as frightened as Coalfire,’ said Loretta. ‘Maybe I was holding him back. He could sense my fear and he was trying to protect me. I saw you out there without your belt buckle and I knew you were frightened too.’ She smiled. ‘We all had to find some extra courage.’
Ruby burst through the wall of people. ‘Oh boy, Lexie, you know how to give a sister a fright. Don’t you ever do that again. I thought you were going to drown!’
‘I thought I was too,’ said Lexie. She pulled herself up out of the sand and pushed her hair out of her face. ‘I think I lost my wig in the surf.’
‘I think Coalfire was trying to warn you today,’ said Kit, joining Ruby at Lexie’s side. ‘That’s why he wouldn’t go in the water. He knew there was a dangerous rip.’ She gave him a pat. ‘What a good boy.’
‘I should have listened to him,’ said Loretta. Her face tightened. ‘Instead of listening to Mr Barnes.’
Coalfire shook himself all over like a wet dog. Then he put his ears back. He stood with his neck high and screwed up his nose. His hoof started pawing at the sand.
‘I think he’s itchy again,’ laughed Ruby.
‘I’ve got more herbal mud back at the truck,’ said Kit.
‘Let’s go and hose the horses down before the salt makes them itchy again,’ said Lexie.
As they walked off towards the car park, Mr Johns intercepted them. Mr Barnes stood next to him, scowling at Loretta.
‘Will you come with me please, Lexie?’ Mr Johns said. ‘I’d like to have a chat with you.’
‘Don’t tell me we have to film that scene again?’ Lexie asked.
‘No, of course not,’ he said. ‘It’s another matter. Come to the lunch tent and bring your parents. I’ll talk to you there.’
Lexie swallowed as she watched him walk away with Mr Barnes. ‘Can Loretta come too?’ she called out.
The director frowned for a moment, then nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Good idea.’
‘And my sisters?’
Mr Johns looked puzzled. Then he shrugged. ‘If they must.’
The tent was open-sided and had a view out over the beach. Inside, a table was set with bowls of fruit, baskets of muffins and platters of mixed sandwiches. There were ice buckets with cold drinks and urns full of coffee.
Lexie sat between Ruby and Kit. Someone had brought them all robes so they could take off their wet costumes, but Ruby still wore the remains of her zombie make-up. She and Kit reached for the muffins. ‘Yummo!’
But Lexie couldn’t eat. Grampy and Analita joined them and Mr Johns got straight down to business. ‘We think Lexie would make a terrific Princess of the Sands,’ he said. ‘We think it could be time for Princess Loretta to ... err ... step down.’
‘You’re going to kill her off?’ said Loretta in a tiny voice.
‘No,’ said Mr Johns quickly. ‘But, well ... yes. She could drown and then her younger sister could take over as the leader of the island. Perhaps Princess Loretta could become one of the sea ghosts.’ He gave Loretta a conciliatory smile, seemingly pleased with the idea. ‘We think it could pave the way for a whole new series. We would like to offer Lexie a full-time role on the show. What do you think?’
Lexie was dumbstruck. Was he serious?
‘But what about school?’ asked Analita.
‘Child actors do lessons on the set,’ he answered. ‘We have a tutor.’
‘What about Loretta?’ asked Lexie. ‘She was amazing today. She saved my life.’
There was no way Lexie would steal Loretta’s role like that. It was fun being the sand princess for a day, but she didn’t want to do it all the time. Doing anything solo was all wrong for her. She was a triplet: she did things in threes. Lexie could feel Ruby and Kit staring at her now. And she could see Loretta looking down. Her lower lip was trembling.
Mr Barnes stepped in. ‘Loretta has shown that she cannot take instruction,’ he said. ‘If she had let me train the horse properly, this never would have happened. I’m sorry, but the problem has been going on for too long. It is affecting the entire cast and today it put others at risk.’
‘But you wanted to be cruel,’ said Loretta.
Mr Barnes ignored her and kept talking to Grampy and Analita. ‘We would like Lexie to be the new princess, but you would need to sign over complete control of your horse to me. We can’t have this happen again.’
Lexie’s mouth fell open in shock. She would never give control of Featherfoot to a man who used whips and hobbles. Lexie could tell that Ruby and Kit were both horrified by the idea as well.
All three girls looked to Grampy. His face was calm, but he did not speak.
Loretta stood up. ‘I’m leaving and I’m taking Coalfire with me.’
‘Loretta, no,’ said Lexie. ‘Please don’t go.’ This was so unfair.
‘Excuse me, Mr Johns.’ It was the sea ghost rider with the brown horse. She stood at the opening of the lunch tent. About twenty other sea ghosts stood behind her. ‘We don’t want our horses trained by Mr Barnes anymore. He’s cruel.’
Behind the girl, all the other riders nodded their ghostly heads. One of them pointed to Grampy. ‘It was that man who helped Coalfire go back into the water. If he hadn’t helped, Lexie could have drowned.’
‘Mr Barnes was the one who made Coalfire spook at the water in the first place,’ said another. ‘The horses are scared of him.’
The stunt riders all began complaining loudly. They talked over the top of each other. ‘We want Loretta back,’ they were saying. ‘She showed she can do it. She saved Lexie. She’s a hero!’
Mr Barnes’s face glowed red and shiny, like a plump tomato about to burst. ‘I refuse to work with Loretta Lusk,’ he said. ‘Her hor
se is spoilt and disobedient.’
‘And I refuse to work with you,’ said Loretta. She folded her arms across her chest.
Lexie felt Ruby take one hand. Kit took the other. She felt hope, courage and compassion swim through her. She knew the right thing to do. Lexie stood and spoke loudly. ‘Please, everyone, stop arguing.’
The extras went quiet and looked at Lexie. The director and the animal trainer were also quiet. Before they could erupt into fighting again, Lexie continued.
‘I don’t want to be the sand princess,’ she said. ‘I could never be as great in the role as Loretta. I’m a trick rider, not an actress.’ She looked at her sisters and smiled. ‘And I’m part of a trio. Doing anything solo is just ... wrong.’
The crowd all cheered and clapped.
Loretta smiled at her gratefully. Lexie gave her a wink. ‘But if you ever need a stunt double, I’m your girl!’
Mr Barnes picked his hat up off the table and turned to Mr Johns, as if giving him one last chance to intervene. Mr Johns stared back and shrugged.
Mr Barnes shook his head scornfully. ‘I quit,’ he said, and stormed out of the tent.
A rumble of triumph moved through the stunt riders, and Lexie and Loretta exchanged a small smile.
Grampy, who had been listening silently and rubbing his chin, stepped forward. ‘Can I make a suggestion?’
Mr Johns held up his hand, gesturing for everyone to be quiet. ‘Yes, Mr Trickett?’
‘I have an idea,’ said Grampy. ‘One that might solve some of your problems.’
The next day, the sea ghost riders gathered in the lagoon. The director had assembled them on the sand at dawn to explain the new scene.
‘Riders, please listen up,’ he had said. ‘We have changed the script. The sea ghosts have been washed into the lagoon during a violent storm. After the tide went back out they became trapped. The three sea ghost princesses will lead them into battle against the Princess of the Sands, so they can escape into the ocean again. But the sand princess must stop them from getting back into the ocean or they will haunt her people forever.’
Now Lexie held Featherfoot steady in the shallows. The make-up and wardrobe people had draped him in kelp again, but they had also studded his bridle with shells. He wore a thick leather breastplate adorned with starfish. He looked like a warrior’s horse. He must have felt like one too, because he pounded his giant feathery legs at the water, eager to gallop into battle.
Lexie’s dark curly hair was wound into plaits and clipped back with a tiara of seashells. Her gold belt buckle pressed against her tummy, making her feel invincible. She ran a hand over Featherfoot’s neck. ‘Steady, you big sea monster,’ she murmured.
Beside her, Ruby and Kit were dressed as sea ghost princesses too. Tinker gnashed at the bridle and Kismet shifted about with anticipation.
‘This is more like it,’ said Kit. ‘I’m so happy to be rid of those tuna cans.’ She now wore a green cape and a tiara of coral and shells. Not a piece of rubbish to be seen. Her bracelet was clasped to her wrist.
‘I kinda liked my zombie costume,’ said Ruby, fingering her necklace. ‘But I think this will be one of the best episodes of Horses of the Sands ever made. The beach is totally sparkling right now.’
Grampy stood in the sand nearby shouting some final instructions to the others. He had agreed to act as head trainer for the scene.
Lexie waved to Loretta, who stood at the other end of the beach with a cavalry of riders behind her, ready to charge.
‘Action!’ the director yelled.
There was a splashing sound as the sea ghosts began to walk their horses forward. Their harnesses jingled and there was an angry rumble from the riders as they raised their weapons. Most of the ghosts wielded old broken planks of timber from the shipwreck that had killed them.
Across the beach, the sand princess raised a giant conch shell to her lips and trumpeted one long note across the beach.
Lexie rode forward, flanked by Ruby and Kit. On the count of three, they tickled the horses’ sides. Featherfoot, Tinker and Kismet reared, paddling their great hooves in the air.
To their left a cameraman peered through his lens and turned towards the princess. Loretta held her riders back. Coalfire pranced on the spot, lifting his knees and tossing his long black mane.
‘CHARGE!’ Loretta yelled. She lifted her sword and Coalfire exploded into a gallop. There was a low muted sound, like rolling thunder. It grew louder and louder, roaring across the beach as more than twenty horses galloped towards them. The sand princess’s army roared with fury and waved their fake weapons. Their swords and axes gleamed in the sun.
Featherfoot, Tinker and Kismet took the command position and charged fearlessly on towards the enemy, the sea ghost riders shrieking defiantly behind them.
Loretta’s riders were gathering pace. The two lines met at last, and they leaned from their horses, slashing left and right. Ruby asked Tinker to rear again. A sand warrior pretended to strike him and she pulled him onto his side, as if he had been killed. Tinker lay in the sand. Ruby settled by his head, keeping him calm and still while the battle raged around them.
From the corner of her eye, Lexie could see Loretta clash with Kit. Her sister looked in her element and, for a moment, Lexie thought she might even beat the sand princess, which was not meant to happen. Kit took a blow from Loretta’s fake sword just in time. Kismet, the blue dappled cob, reared up and over backwards, landing on her side in the soft sand. Kit threw herself over Kismet’s body and lay dead.
Featherfoot bounded fiercely towards Loretta. This was it: the final scene. Lexie’s friend grinned and shook her sword. They had been practising this piece all morning.
Lexie made Featherfoot baulk and stop. She spun him on his heels and galloped away. Loretta gave chase. She drew level, with her white cape streaming out behind her. The sand princess swung her sword but Lexie slipped over the side of Featherfoot’s body. She clung to the big horse while he galloped across the beach, hanging low, beyond the reach of Loretta’s sword.
Loretta gave up and charged back to the battle. This time Lexie was on her tail. As she approached Coalfire, she rose to a hippodrome stand and brought her sword down on Loretta. The sand princess struck at her legs, but Lexie sprang into a tuck jump, just avoiding the blade’s swipe.
‘Are you ready?’ asked Loretta out of the side of her mouth.
‘On the count of three,’ Lexie muttered back. ‘One, two, three!’
Both girls leapt off their horses, took hold of each other and rolled onto the sand, pretending to wrestle and fight.
Grampy stood to the side of the shot and gave Featherfoot the signal to rear. The big horse pawed at the air while Lexie fought. Coalfire stood by, waiting for his rider while Loretta finished Lexie off with a thrust of her sword.
Lexie pulled her best dying face, rolling her eyes about and hanging her tongue from the side of her mouth. When she finally put her head back and stared vacantly at the sky, arms lifelessly to the side, she clucked to Featherfoot. He put his head down and sniffed his slain mistress. He nudged at her a couple of times as if trying to rouse her, before sniffing out the carrot in her pocket.
Loretta raised her sword in the air with a cry of victory.
‘Cut!’ came Mr Johns’s voice through the megaphone.
All over the beach the action stopped. People pulled their horses to a halt and put away their weapons. They broke into smiles. Loretta held out a hand to Lexie to help her up. ‘That was one of the best scenes we’ve ever filmed,’ she said breathlessly.
‘Indeed,’ said the director, walking across the sand. ‘Well done!’ He looked Coalfire up and down, then raised his eyebrows. ‘No problems from your horse today.’
‘Of course not,’ said Loretta. ‘He’s a well-trained horse. He just doesn’t like being hit with whips.’ She gave Coalfire a pat on the neck. ‘Good boy!’
Mr Johns turned to Lexie. ‘Seems a shame to have killed you off. You could alw
ays come back, though, if you change your mind – you are a ghost, after all!’
‘One week off school is enough for now,’ said Analita, appearing next to Grampy.
‘And I need those horses to plough my fields,’ said Grampy.
Lexie, Ruby and Kit groaned in unison. Amid all this excitement Grampy still had to worry about the farm.
‘Plough fields?’ said Mr Johns. ‘These horses are much too talented to be ploughing fields. Who trained them?’
Lexie, Kit and Ruby all pointed to Grampy.
‘I would very much like to have a meeting with you before we begin filming the next episode,’ Mr Johns said to Grampy. ‘If you would agree?’
A slow smile spread across Grampy’s lips. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I would like that.’
Lexie felt something flow through her entire family. It was a mix of many things: hope, courage, compassion and love. It was the dream, she realised, bringing with it all sorts of possibilities. And it was alive inside them all.
Later that night, after the horses were washed off and tucked into their stables at Windara, the Trickstars sat around the television in the lounge room watching their favourite series, Horses of the Sands. It was almost bedtime; tomorrow they would have farm chores to do, and on Monday it was back to school. It seemed like make-believe that they’d ever been part of it all.
Lexie held a colour photo of Loretta. The actress was not in costume, but wore a pair of jeans and a shirt. She was sitting on Coalfire, her arms wrapped around his neck. It was a lovely photo. Loretta looked like an ordinary girl who loved her horse. On the back, she had written,
To my courageous friend, Lexie and her fearless horse, Featherfoot. Love and limelight,
Loretta Lusk
Lexie smiled as she tucked the photo into the back of Grandma Levinia’s diary. A year ago, the very thought of the limelight would have filled her with dread. But when she was in it with her sisters, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.
She looked at Ruby and Kit with a satisfied smile. They had done it. They had really done it. They had followed their dreams and become real trick riders.
