A Pony Called Secret

by Olivia Tuffin

  “Alice?” A familiar voice made her jump, and, turning, she gave a start as Cora, in her running gear, climbed over the fence, approaching them with a worried expression. “What’s going on?”

  Despite their argument mere hours earlier Alice had never been more grateful to see Cora.

  “Our dog, Poppy, she’s really old and she’s down there.” She pointed down the bank. Peering over, Cora gasped. “She’s only staying still because Secret is here, and I have to go and get help but –” she lowered her voice – “Mum is freaking out.” She gestured at her mum, who was clutching Secret’s reins.

  “Ah,” Cora nodded. Moving forward, she put a gentle hand on Josephine’s arm. “Mrs Smalley?” she said in a soft voice. “I’m Cora. Listen. Your daughter needs to get help, but I’m here. I know you – we’ve probably been to the same shows heaps of times! Now, listen to me.” Cora’s voice was still kind, but firmer now. “Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. In … out … in … out – that’s great! You’re doing really well.”

  To Alice’s amazement her mum seemed to be focusing on Cora and following her instructions.

  “That’s it,” Cora said in a soothing voice. “That’s it.” Then looking over to Alice she made a shooing gesture with her hands. “Go!” she mouthed.

  *

  Alice was a good runner, but she had never had to sprint such a long distance. Her lungs were burning, her heart crashing in her chest, sheer adrenalin keeping her going. She couldn’t dwell on her mum and her beloved pony standing at the edge of that bank, she had to keep going. As she reached the turn down to the bridleway, the one she had been trying to reach on Secret just a short while earlier, she checked her phone, finding one bar of signal to her huge relief. With trembling fingers she punched in 999, remembering a sea-rescue programme she had watched with her dad once. She had to ask for the coast guard.

  The operator couldn’t have been nicer as Alice explained the situation.

  “We’ll get some help to you,” the operator said in a soothing voice. “We’ve got a team on hand ready now. Can you go back to the site, so we can keep an eye out for you?”

  “OK,” Alice agreed. “And there’s a pony there too. But not in any danger,” she added hastily, “with my mum.”

  “OK,” the operator said calmly. “Help is on its way.”

  Her heart was crashing in her chest as Alice started the steep climb back up the path. Rounding the corner to where she could see the cliff edge, she let out a sob. Please, she thought in desperation, let me see Mum, Secret and Poppy there.

  Chapter 12

  To her enormous relief, there was Secret, silhouetted against the sky, her mum leaning against his strong neck as if he was the only thing holding her up. Cora had an arm round her and she was still talking. And there was something else too: a pick-up truck and a man standing beside it with a walkie-talkie in his hand.

  Alice felt hope surge in her chest. Help was here. They would get Poppy up, wouldn’t they?

  “Oh, Secret!” Running towards him, Alice hugged both him and her mum, before peering over the edge to see Poppy still lying in the same position. Briefly touching Cora’s arm, she nodded to her. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Cora squeezed her arm back. “Don’t worry about it.”

  The man pressed a button on his walkie-talkie and turned to Alice. “I’m not going to pretend that it was a clever idea, bringing your pony this side of the fence,” he said sternly, and Alice hung her head, “but,” the man said in a softer voice, “your pony has done a grand job of keeping the dog calm. We just need to bring her up now.”

  “Will she be ok?” Alice asked, her voice trembling. “She won’t go over?”

  The thought of dear, sweet Poppy falling to her death was unbearable.

  The man nodded, his face grim. “Yes, and no, I hope not,” he said, “but we need to act fast. That bank is very unstable.”

  Then he looked up at the sky, talking quickly into his walkie-talkie again. A whirr in the distance made everyone look up, including Secret. A helicopter was approaching, circling round.

  “You need to move the pony back to the other side of the fence,” the man instructed, and Alice nodded. Secret was good in traffic, but a helicopter hovering right next to him would totally freak him out!

  Nodding, she climbed back into the saddle. She just had to hope Poppy remained calm. Secret had done his job, but it was in the hands of the professionals now. Nudging Secret’s sides, Alice turned him back towards the fence. She only had a short run-up, but this time the landing was far safer. Obligingly, the little red pony broke into a rhythmical canter, popping back over the post and rail like it was a simple cross pole at pony club.

  Her mum and Cora joined her, scrambling over the fence. Her mum was calmer, but still white and shaky. Then it was as though she had just realised something and she gave a start.

  “You’ve got to go,” she said suddenly. “You don’t have much time!”

  It took Alice a few seconds to process what her mum was saying. Why did she have to go? Then she shook her head. The trials! She should be getting ready now, loading Secret on to the lorry. For just a second she thought about all the hard work she had put in with Secret over the years, everything leading to this one huge moment. She looked at Secret, who was rooted to the spot, his eyes never leaving the bank. Even though he couldn’t see Poppy, he was watching, waiting for her rescue. Alice gave his reins a gentle tug, but there was no way Secret was going to move, and she didn’t want to either.

  She closed her eyes. There was only one choice she could make.

  “I’m staying with you. I won’t go anywhere until Poppy is safe.”

  “Alice!”

  A shout made her look up, and she saw Devon coming up beside the path on her quad bike, her face tight with worry.

  “Oh my goodness!” she cried. “We heard there was some sort of incident on the cliff, and then we saw the helicopter and you hadn’t come back.” She paused. “Thank heavens you’re safe.”

  “I am,” Alice said. “It’s our dog…” Her voice breaking, she realised she couldn’t finish her sentence and could only point to the bank, where her faithful, loving pet lay waiting for rescue.

  Devon’s eyes widened. “Oh, Alice,” was all she could say.

  With Cora next to her mum, and Devon now with Alice and Secret, everyone watched the helicopter hover above the cliff. With expert precision, a woman from the rescue team was lowered down on a harness, reaching the bank where Poppy lay. Alice felt her stomach flip over, unable to see what was happening. It felt like forever. Then the helicopter started to pull up the rope and suddenly Poppy was airborne. She saw her mum lean into Cora as the rescuer and Poppy were pulled safely inside the helicopter.

  “She’s safe,” her mum said, sounding dazed. “She’s safe.”

  Arm in arm with Cora, she made her way over to Alice and Devon.

  Devon looked thoughtful as she looked at Alice. “The trials,” she said gently. “I could still get you there. But we would have to leave now.”

  Alice shook her head, her pale ponytail swinging from side to side. She knew where she needed to be. Now more than ever. “I want to stay with my mum. She needs me.”

  Devon smiled. “I don’t blame you. I’d be the same.”

  Alice turned to Cora. “But, Cora, you have to go. You can’t miss this.”

  Devon nodded. “Hayden can get Bluebell loaded if I ring him now,” she said. “It will just take a minute to get your stuff on board and you can change in the lorry on the way.”

  “I’m not going.”

  Cora spoke so quietly that Alice wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly at first, and Devon certainly hadn’t.

  “Hayden’s checked the route; it’s all looking clear,” she continued. “I’ll ask him to put that blue rug on her, is that right?” She gestured at the back seat on the quad, clearly keen to get going. “Come on, jump on!”

  Cora shook her
head. “I’m sorry, Devon,” she said, her cheeks flushing. “I am so grateful for everything this week, but –” she glanced at Alice – “I’m going to stay with Alice and her mum.”

  The enormity of what Cora was saying hit Alice hard. If Alice didn’t jump, Cora’s place on the team was guaranteed. Alice couldn’t let Cora give up her chance to make it into the team.

  “No, Cora,” she said, “you can’t do that. I know how much this means to you.”

  Cora shook her head. “It did. Some things are more important,” she said simply, and she headed back to Alice’s mum, placing an arm round her shoulders. Josephine still looked shocked, her hands anxiously playing with her bracelets, her eyes never leaving the helicopter.

  All the emotion that Alice had been holding in spilled over. Putting her hands over her mouth, she gave a few choked sobs as the helicopter hovered over the large expanse of turf for a moment before landing.

  “Great job.” The man in his truck smiled at the group. “We all love a happy ending.”

  “I’ll go back to the yard, make some calls,” said Devon. “You’ve all been so brave!” Then, giving them both a quick hug, Devon hopped on the bike, turning the key in the ignition and heading back down the hill at a more sedate pace.

  There was no time to talk to Cora, because then the man with the walkie-talkie was gesturing for them to come over now that the helicopter’s blades had stopped moving.

  “All clear,” he smiled. “Let’s go and see your dog.”

  Alice’s mum ran towards the helicopter as Secret gave a whicker and followed her, Alice having to jog to keep up with him. The doors opened and the woman from the search and rescue team stepped out, holding Poppy in her arms. Placing her gently down, she gave her a pat.

  Josephine was already on her knees, hugging the faithful dog to her, as Alice also crouched down, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. Secret then shoved his nose down, nuzzling Poppy’s soft fur, making everyone laugh as Poppy wagged her tail and licked his muzzle.

  Alice’s mum reached up to stroke Secret, her eyes bright with tears. “Thank you, boy,” she said simply. “Thank you.”

  Just a step away, Alice noticed Cora wipe her eyes.

  “I’m going to take the dog to the vets in town to be checked over,” the man said to Josephine. He looked at Secret. “Are you girls OK to get back down to the yard yourselves?”

  Alice and Cora exchanged a look. “Yes, we are.”

  *

  At first, Alice and Cora were silent as they headed back down the hill, Secret ambling between them. Alice couldn’t help but look at her watch. They should have arrived at the trials by now. Secret would have been tacked up, dancing around in anticipation. Now the sea mist had rolled back it was a beautifully clear day. Alice could almost imagine the dazzling white rails around the immaculate sand arena, the glossy showjumps she and Secret would have no doubt soared over. It was as though it all belonged in another world now. She was meant to ride up the hill that morning, she realised. It had been fate leading her and Secret to her mum and Poppy.

  Cora was the first to break the silence.

  “I’m sorry about last night,” she said. “I overreacted.”

  Alice shook her head. “You were right. I don’t know anything about what happened and it was wrong of me to think I did. I’m sorry too.”

  “You were right, though,” Cora said quietly. “Until this morning, getting that place on the team meant the absolute world. So much so I couldn’t see straight. I just had some bad news about my sister, you see…” Her voice trailed off.

  Alice halted Secret and looked at Cora, who seemed utterly exhausted. “What’s happened, Cora? Is everything OK?”

  “My sister Lauren, you know I told you about her injuries?” Cora said with a sniff, and Alice nodded. “Turns out her chances of walking again are even smaller than the doctors first thought. I thought … if I could just … if I could just get Bluebell on to the team, then it would give her a little bit of hope. She was about to do this too, until…” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It was all my fault, you see.”

  “What do you mean?” Alice asked gently. “She had a riding accident, didn’t she? How could that be your fault?”

  Cora shook her head. She looked away and paused, as though she was trying to find the right words. “It was a crash in a horsebox. They were on their way to junior team training, just before the trials, but I wanted to go to a pony show, so my dad took me in our horsebox instead. Lauren didn’t mind; she got a lift with another girl who showjumped. But then –” her voice grew even quieter – “they had an accident, and Bluebell and my sister came off the worst. Bluebell’s eye was severely damaged, and Lauren was badly injured. Everyone else was fine, even the other pony.” She choked back a sob.

  “Oh, Cora,” Alice said. “It wasn’t your fault! How could it be? You didn’t cause the crash.”

  Cora shook her head. “If Lauren hadn’t been in that horsebox, if my dad had just driven her instead, they would have been OK.” She stumbled over her words. “But I was jealous. She was this amazing rider and I wanted to do everything she was doing, so I insisted I went to a show on the same day. So, you see, it is my fault.” As she lifted her head Alice could see her face was streaked with tears.

  “Oh, Cora,” Alice repeated. It was all she could think of to say. Cora had been carrying around the weight of this guilt for so long.

  She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. “Does Lauren know about all … this?” she asked. She hoped Cora knew what she meant. The obsessive training, the sole focus on winning, the putting her life on hold.

  Cora shook her head. “No,” she said. “But she is SO happy when I do well. She loves the reports from the show days. She had such huge plans for Bluebell, so I feel like I need to fulfil them.” She hesitated, a tear rolling down her cheek. “She’s so good. Lauren never complains about anything. Even though it’s all my fault.”

  “Cora, you have to stop saying that,” Alice said gently. “If Lauren knew how much pressure you were putting yourself under, do you think she would be as happy about your results?”

  There was a long silence as if Cora was digesting Alice’s words, and her shoulders slumped.

  “That’s the thing,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “She’d be so upset if she knew. I just wish things could go back to how they were.”

  “I thought maybe your mum and dad were pushing you,” Alice said, remembering her thoughts earlier in the week, and Cora shook her head.

  “Not at all,” she said. “They’re so busy looking after Lauren and trying to keep the yard going at the same time, my brother too, and because my dad bred Bluebell I wanted to do it for him.”

  “If you talked to your family,” Alice said, choosing her words carefully, “would that help?”

  Cora nodded, wiping her eyes. “I think so. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. It’s what I need to do.”

  The two girls walked on in silence, Secret between them, Cora with a hand on his red neck, as if steadying herself. Alice thought about her mum, no doubt holding Poppy at the vets, stroking her soft fur as the old dog was checked over.

  “You were so good with my mum,” she said. “Thank you. How did you learn all that?”

  Cora gave a small smile. “From Lauren,” she said. “She’d have all these awful panic attacks after the accident. I was the only one who could calm her down.”

  “You were amazing,” Alice said gratefully. “Thank you.” She paused. “I still wish you’d jumped today.”

  Cora shook her head. “I’m glad I didn’t. Seeing you and your mum up there on the cliff, being able to help you, it put it all in perspective.”

  Alice nodded. So much had changed in such a short space of time. What had seemed more important that anything yesterday now didn’t seem to matter at all.

  Chapter 13

  Adam, Cora’s brother, who had left early that morning to come and watch the trials, was wa
iting in the yard when Alice and Cora walked back through the big double gates into Skyview.

  Halting Secret, Alice smiled at her friend. “I hope everything’s OK. Good luck.”

  Smiling back, Cora went over to her brother and gave him a hug, and they were soon deep in conversation. Moments later, to Alice’s delight, Devon’s truck drove slowly into the yard, Alice’s mum in the front seat. As she opened the door, Poppy clambered out, her tail wagging so fast it was almost a blur. As Alice ran to pick her up, she realised happily that family, both two- and four-legged, were all that mattered.

  Alice went to get packed up after she had given Poppy lots of hugs. And, a little while later, as Alice was buckling up her trunk, Cora came to find her.

  “Adam’s happy to stay a while, rather than head straight back,” she said. “I just wondered…” She hesitated. “Can we go for a ride? On the beach?”

  Alice grinned. “Let’s do it!”

  A short while later, as the girls reached the sand, both let their ponies go. A red and a black pony, side by side, thundering along the golden sand, the sea air whipping through their manes and tails. With the beach stretching before her between Secret’s ears, crouching low over his red neck as his long powerful strides flew over the sand, Alice didn’t think she had felt any more alive. She thought about her first summer riding Secret, about the happiness she had felt galloping bareback through the wildflower meadows with Finn on Horatio. Had she lost a little bit of that during the past few weeks? She knew the answer. As much as she loved the thrill of the competitions, just riding her pony was all she needed. All she loved.

  “That,” Cora exclaimed as they finally slowed to a bouncy trot, “was the most amazing thing in the world!”

  Alice had to agree. It really was. She was so glad she had shared the moment with Cora and Bluebell. It was a day she would never forget for so many reasons.

  *