A Friend in Need

by Olivia Tuffin

  “Yes, it’s great.” Alice tried to look casual, but blushed as she noticed Samantha smiling.

  “I’m actually going over to his house after this,” Samantha continued. “Want to come?”

  Alice longed to see the new Spanish mare, as well as Finn.

  “Yes please!” she answered quickly.

  “Perfect!” Samantha winked. “I’ll just let your mum know we’re heading over there and then we’ll go as soon as you have Secret turned out in his field.”

  “Great!” Alice said happily, knowing that her mum would be OK with her going to Finn’s yard if Samantha was there too! She wondered if there was any way she could sneak up to her bedroom to sort out her hat-flattened hair and nose reddened by the wind. Then she sighed. Finn never seemed to notice what she looked like, so what was the point? Her jods and old fleece would have to do.

  Alice chatted to Samantha as they travelled over to Rookham Manor, Finn’s family home. It was a beautiful old building surrounded by parkland but all in need of renovation. Finn had explained to Alice last year that the house was held in some sort of trust, but the yard belonged to Sasha. Alice knew that Sasha was constantly worrying about the upkeep of both the yard and the horses and that money was tight. At least the stables damaged in the fire last summer were starting to be repaired. The fire had been started deliberately by Sasha’s ex-boyfriend, Marcus, and it had taken a long time to get the money for repairs from the insurance company.

  Finn, Angus and Sasha were in the yard and waved as Samantha’s car pulled up. When Samantha got out, Alice noticed Angus gave her a friendly hug. Alice remembered how he’d been at the party, so dismissive of the showing world, but Samantha was kind-hearted and loved horses, and had probably charmed him as she did everyone.

  If Finn was surprised to see Alice with Samantha, he didn’t show it.

  “Do you want to meet the new pony?” he asked, and Alice nodded.

  “You did say you wanted me to…” she stumbled, wondering if it was OK to turn up, but Finn just smiled at her and all her worries melted away.

  Finn led the way to the part of the yard that had remained untouched by the fire. The horses were temporarily in internal stables in a rather decrepit old barn. Angus and Samantha followed a few steps behind.

  “She’s very wary of strangers,” Finn said quietly to Alice.

  There was a rustle from the stable and Alice saw a white flash, like catching a glimpse of a ghost. Finn turned on the lights and there at the back was the most beautiful mare, silvery grey with a long white mane and a delicate face. She was taller than Secret, perhaps nearer to fifteen hands, but much finer in build. Quietly letting himself into the stable, Finn spent a few minutes just talking to the little mare. Her ears were pinned back, her eyes rolling.

  “This is Ella,” Finn said softly.

  “Remember what I said,” Angus said in a gentle voice, edging into the stable. “Slowly, slowly. Let her know what you’re doing. Neck first. Breathe in, breathe out, relax.”

  “What do you mean?” Alice whispered.

  “If Finn is relaxed, it relaxes Ella,” Angus replied. “We start with where Ella is happy to be touched, and then we work out from there.”

  Alice held her breath, watching as Finn stroked Ella on her neck using the flat of his hand, long strokes from the top of her mane downwards. Gradually her ears relaxed.

  Then, as Finn gently pulled back her rug, Alice gave a cry of horror as she noticed the wound on Ella’s shoulder. There were deep gouges, like a wild animal had clawed her. Although the flesh was clean and healed, the shoulder was almost concave, scooped out.

  At the sound of Alice’s voice, Ella flattened her ears again, backing into the corner, wildly snaking her head, and narrowly missing Finn as she lunged at him with bared teeth.

  “Sorry,” Alice whispered, mortified that she’d scared the pony, and Finn gave her a sympathetic look.

  “It’s OK,” he said in the same low voice as his dad. “It’s hard not to be shocked.”

  “What happened?”

  Finn’s eyes flashed. “We think her brand was carved out, to stop her being traced back to her owners,” he said. “I’d guess she’s a purebred Spanish horse. She’s certainly got the looks. Removing the brand is probably not the worse thing that happened to her, which is why her behaviour is like this.”

  “When I came across her the wound was becoming infected,” Angus explained. “She was found wandering around at the back of a tapas bar; she must have been dumped nearby. Alejandro, the bar owner, and his daughter tried to care for her – but they needed help. So I stepped in. I wanted to stay but when I heard about the fire I came home. So as soon as Finn and I could go back to get her, we did.”

  “Why would someone abandon her?” Alice asked quietly.

  Finn sighed. “Who knows.”

  “She was lucky she’d been left where she was,” Angus said. “She recovered quickly … physically at least.”

  “We also think she’s been hit, so she has learnt to protect herself.” Finn rolled up his sleeves and he showed Alice a display of bruises on his arms. You could see the teeth marks clearly.

  At that moment Robin, Sasha’s kindly grey horse, stuck his head over his stable door, and gave a friendly whicker. Ella gave a furious squeal and spun round, snapping the air with her teeth. Robin retreated with a startled look, as Sasha crossed over and gave him a cuddle.

  “That’s why the stable next to hers is empty,” she explained. “She hasn’t bonded with any of our horses.”

  “And how long will it take to train her?” Alice asked.

  Finn looked at her. “Train her to do what?” he replied.

  “OK, well, get her … so she’s not like this.” Alice didn’t know how to put her thoughts into words.

  “I’m hoping by spring she’ll be easier to handle,” Angus said. “She’s already come so far. She’d flinch every time we handled her at first, probably used to getting hit, or whipped. Her fear came out as aggression, and although it’s better now she’s still in defence mode.”

  “Why don’t you put her out in the field so she can be free?” Alice asked.

  Finn frowned. “She’s terrified of being outside. We did try, but she just galloped around in a panic until we managed to get her back in. And, as you know, the fields here aren’t exactly little pony paddocks.”

  Finn and Sasha’s ponies roamed as a herd around the parkland surrounding Rookham Manor. The set-up was very different to Alice’s home, where the land was neatly fenced off into small paddocks.

  Alice felt a pang in her stomach. Poor Ella, unable to enjoy the freedom of the land outside, to feel a breeze in her mane and the grass beneath her hooves.

  “Why is she called Ella?” she asked as the mare turned her back to them.

  Finn glanced at Alice. “Shortened from Rafaella. Alejandro’s daughter. She looked after Ella while we waited to come back out. She couldn’t do much, but she gave her water and hay every day. She was nice.”

  Alice felt a bubble of jealousy rise up and she quickly tried to suppress it, but she felt like all the air had been taken out of her, imagining Finn in the Spanish sunshine, bonding with Rafaella and rescuing her namesake.

  “It’s a lovely name,” she said instead and Finn gave her a half-smile. Why did he always look like he knew what she was thinking?

  Chapter 6

  Angus invited them into the house for a hot drink. Samantha walked ahead with Finn, chatting about her plans for Archie, and Alice fell into step with Angus.

  “Finn said you were competing tomorrow at the equestrian centre,” Angus said, smiling. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting the famous Secret!”

  Alice nodded, and started to tell Angus a bit more about her recent jumping sessions at home. He was very easy to talk to.

  “It’ll be fine, if he doesn’t take off,” she said. “He just locks on to the jumps, and I can’t stop him. The actual jumping is no problem.”

&nbs
p; “I’ll watch him tomorrow,” Angus said in a kind voice, “and I’ll be in a better position to advise. I hope you can come to our jumping lessons.”

  “We’ll be there,” Alice replied. Even though her mum was against it, she knew she had to do what was right for her and Secret.

  Inside the house, Alice sat on the kitchen sofa with Lima, Finn’s lurcher, snuggled into her. Finn perched on the sofa armrest next to her, and Alice could almost feel her leg burning from him being so close. They were just starting to discuss the show the next day when there was a shout from the yard. It was Sasha.

  “Dad, Finn! It’s Ella!” Her voice was shrill, urgent.

  Jumping up, Angus raced to the door, as did Finn. Samantha gave Alice a worried look and they both got up to follow.

  They were met with the sight of Sasha desperately hanging on to Robin, while Ella wheeled around and around. Her stable door lay on the floor, smashed to pieces.

  “I was just leading Robin through,” Sasha said tearfully. “Something must have spooked Ella and she went for him, breaking right through the door.”

  “OK, OK,” Angus said, his voice calm and low. “She won’t leave the barn.”

  Ella’s head was aloft, her coat sweaty and her nostrils flared.

  “Finn, you approach, I’ll move the ponies,” Angus continued, and Alice realised that two ponies would now have to share a stable if Ella were to have an empty stable next to her.

  Putting a head collar on Jill, one of the friendly Dales ponies, Angus put her in the same stable as Jack, her brother.

  Finn walked up to Ella, quietly approaching her from the side. She rolled her eyes but didn’t move as Finn laid a hand on her neck.

  “Well done,” Angus said, his voice soft. “Now, walk her into the stable.”

  Ella didn’t even have a head collar on, but as Finn stayed by her side she started to move forward.

  “She’s so scared of being out of her stable that, even though she distrusts us, Finn is her safety net,” Angus explained, as Ella shot into the waiting stable.

  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  Finn and Angus surveyed the stable door. It was no more than firewood now.

  Angus sighed deeply and turned to his son. “I don’t think we’ve got a choice, Finn, I’m sorry. For her safety, and everyone else’s, I think we’d better move her. It will only be for a few weeks.”

  Finn frowned. “It’s not right for her,” he said anxiously. “It’s so … busy and commercial.”

  “What do you mean?” Alice blurted out. “Where’s Ella going?”

  Finn glanced at her. “You met Hannah?” he said, and Alice nodded. “Her dad offered us temporary livery at Hilltops equestrian centre, since Dad’s going to be there a lot.”

  I bet Hannah had something to do with that! Alice thought, her mind whirring.

  “It’s not the best place,” Finn continued. “But Dad’s right. I don’t think we have a choice now. This is the second stable door Ella has destroyed. She could really hurt herself.”

  Suddenly Alice had a brainwave.

  “What about our place?” she blurted out. “We’ve got the two stables that Mum uses as an isolation unit. They’ve each got a small turnout paddock. Ella would be safe there…”

  Angus gave her an incredulous look. “I’m not sure that would work, Alice, are you?”

  But Finn looked as though he was seriously considering it. “Josephine’s yard is lovely. And quiet.”

  “It’s just our ponies, and a couple of client ponies until March,” Alice continued. She hadn’t a clue how she was going to ask her mum about this … but she couldn’t bear the thought of Ella at the equestrian centre! Not only did she want to see more of the mare, but she also hated the thought of Finn going over to Hannah’s all the time.

  Angus shook his head. “Thanks, Alice. But it’s not a good idea,” he said. “We’ll take Ella to Hilltops, as discussed.”

  Alice’s face fell. She really felt that Park Farm was the right place for Ella. She had to think of something!

  Samantha dropped Alice home a little later. Alice went straight to the stables to help Fergus and Shelley with the evening routine, filling hay nets, skipping out beds and changing rugs. Then she decided to give Secret a good groom, ready for the showjumping. She’d already washed his mane and tail in the hot wash.

  Fergus frowned as he saw her approach. “Alice!” he said in a cross voice, and Alice groaned. Fergus only ever used that voice when Secret had done something exceptionally naughty.

  “Oh no, what’s he done now?”

  “I’ve just managed to get him back in; it took me twenty minutes to catch the little so-and-so. He’s had the time of his life in the summer paddocks. Go and see!”

  Secret, always an escape artist, must have got out of his field somehow. Why did he always have to head for the muddiest fields?! The summer paddocks became boggy in winter, so Josephine let them rest, turning the ponies out in the paddocks next to the yard, which is exactly where Secret had been when she had left to go to Finn’s.

  Rounding the corner to Secret’s stable, Alice felt her stomach drop. Someone had surely replaced her roan with a dark brown pony. Secret was plastered from head to toe in thick black mud, his mane hanging in solid clumps. Only his muzzle was visible.

  “Secret!” Alice cried, and Secret, looking enormously pleased with himself, nodded his head up and down before kicking his rubber feed bucket out of the stable as if complaining his dinner was late.

  “Oh, Fergus, please help me! I’ve got the showjumping tomorrow!”

  Fergus tried to hide a smile. “I’ve turned the hot wash on ready for him.” He sighed. “I swear he’s half hippo!”

  An hour later, after a lot of scrubbing and nearly a whole bottle of shampoo, Secret was once again red, drying off under the heat of the lamps, clad in two thick fleece rugs and still looking very pleased with himself. Alice looked down at her coat and jods, now plastered with mud, thinking it was probably a good thing she hadn’t smartened up before going over to Finn’s.

  “You are a very naughty pony,” she said affectionately, giving his fluffy coat a pat.

  Fergus came back, looking exasperated.

  “I’ve just checked the gates. The good news is he hasn’t worked out how to undo the special latches,” he said. “The bad news, or good, depending on how you look at it, is he jumped to get to the good grass in the resting fields. At least you know he won’t have any problems clearing the fences tomorrow!”

  Chapter 7

  The next day Secret was in good spirits. Tacking him up after they arrived at Hilltops, Alice huddled inside her thick fleece. As well as being cold, she felt really embarrassed about what had happened between her mum and Angus after the Flying Fillies display. She spotted Hannah sashaying across the lorry park. She was with Amy, one of the girls from the pony club party.

  “Hey, Alice!” Amy smiled warmly, and Hannah gave a sort of half-smile that didn’t quite reach her green eyes.

  “Hi, Amy, hi Hannah,” Alice said a little nervously, but then relaxed as Amy put a friendly hand on her arm.

  “Are you OK?” she said in a kind voice. “Don’t worry about what happened at the party. There’s always some kind of drama; you should see what happens during camp week!”

  Alice smiled gratefully. “Thanks.”

  “Yeah, but you have to admit, Amy, that was one of the more intriguing dramas we’ve seen!” Hannah said cattily.

  Alice’s face fell. She hated the thought of everyone talking about it.

  “What class are you doing?” Hannah pressed. “Presumably the open, with me and the rest of the gang?”

  “Um, no, the novice, the first one,” Alice explained. “This is Secret’s first proper jumping competition, although he’s done a bit of showing.”

  “Oh, you’ll be fine!” Hannah said breezily. “It’s tiny. You’ll be the oldest one in the class by miles; it’s for the minis, really. I think some will be on
the leading rein!”

  Ouch. “Secret’s young… He’s only six,” Alice started to say, but Hannah had turned away to check her phone.

  “Good plan,” Amy said, smiling at Alice. “A jumping competition has a different atmosphere to a show ring, doesn’t it?”

  Hannah turned back to Amy and Alice. “Finn’s here!” She smiled. “Have you seen him?”

  “No, we just got here.”

  Hannah tilted her head. “Never mind, I’m sure you’ll see him later. He’s been hanging out in our kitchen. It’s soooo cold today!”

  Alice gave a small smile, determined not to let Hannah get to her. Then she turned back to Secret. Alice desperately wanted to show Finn that she and Secret had improved, that they’d found the thing they both loved. And she needed to get their friendship back on track too. She was worried it would slip away again, like sand through her fingers.

  The warm-up was busy. Secret jogged as Alice rode him round, his ears pricked and his breath a white plume in the icy air. Alice managed a trot and canter on both reins before taking a deep breath and waiting for a clear moment to jump. Aiming Secret towards the small cross pole, he broke into a sideways canter, pulling Alice towards the fence.

  Secret overjumped by miles, leaving Alice clinging on as she struggled to right herself, feet searching for her lost stirrups.

  “Well sat,” a boy said, grinning and trotting calmly past. It was Jordan, and close behind him were a few more girls Alice recognised from New Year’s Day. It seemed like the whole branch was here, and Alice wanted to make a good impression. Then, remembering the pressure she had put on herself over summer, Alice told herself not to be silly. She had stopped showing Secret as neither of them had enjoyed it … so she would just try to have fun.

  Aiming Secret towards the jump again, Alice tried to keep her nerves steady. Ponies pick up on your emotions, so she had to think positive. After a few more jumps in the warm-up arena, Alice felt slightly calmer. They could do this!