Magic Ponies: A Special Wish (5 page)

‘Yeah, we’ve got Rufus and Fiddler too. Would you like to come and meet them?’

‘I’d love to –’ Marcie began, but then remembered that she was supposed to be hurrying home before her parents returned from shopping. ‘I can’t now, though. I have to get back home.’

‘OK, then,’ Ian said easily. ‘Why don’t you come over tomorrow? Sally and I plan to go riding – if she’s in a better mood, that is. You and Comet could come too and you can show us around.’

‘Sounds great,’ Marcie said, beaming. It would give her and Comet another chance to search for Destiny.

They arranged what time to meet up and then Marcie remounted Comet. ‘Bye!’ She waved to Ian before they rode up the lane.

‘Ian was really nice, wasn’t he?’ Marcie said, once they were out of earshot.

Comet nodded. ‘I like him too.’

‘I’m not so sure about Sally, though,’ Marcie commented. ‘She seemed a bit grumpy. I hope Ian’s right when he says she’s usually OK. I’m looking forward to going riding with them tomorrow.’

Comet’s deep violet eyes glowed under his long eyelashes. Marcie knew he was hoping he’d find Destiny.

Back home, she turned Comet out into the paddock. There was a small fountain of violet sparkles as the tack disappeared. Comet shook himself and then walked over to the trough for a long drink.

Marcie smiled at him. ‘I’ll come out and see you later and bring you some carrots,’ she promised.

Inside the house, she quickly checked that her mum and dad weren’t home and then dumped her riding boots and hat in the utility room. After fetching a cold drink, she went and sat at the family computer to write to Lara. She wished she could tell her all about the magical time she had been having with Comet!

Marcie was halfway through her email when she heard a car door slam. She looked out of the window to see her dad coming up the drive carrying bags of shopping.

The front door opened and then he stuck his head round the sitting-room door. ‘Are you
still
on that PC, young lady? You must have an awful lot to tell Lara!’ he teased.

Marcie beamed at him. ‘I have!’
If only you knew
, she thought. ‘Guess what? I’ve just met the two kids who’ve moved into Blackberry Farm: Sally and Ian Bale,’ she told him, her enthusiasm running away with her. ‘And they’ve got a horse and two ponies! I’ve got some new horsey friends and they live just down the road!’

Mr Locket looked puzzled. ‘Really? Well, that
is
a bit of good luck, especially now that Lara isn’t here. But how come you met Ian and Sally? I thought you said you’d be staying in the house. You know the rules about always letting us know where you are when you go out,’ he said sternly.

Marcie realized her mistake. She thought fast. She could hardly tell her dad that she’d been perfectly safe because she was with Comet.

‘Um… no, I didn’t exactly go anywhere,’ she fibbed. ‘They… er… came past on their ponies and I just went outside on to the drive to talk to them. In fact, they’ve asked me to go riding with them tomorrow!’

Chapter
SIX

Marcie woke early the following morning to find sunshine streaming through a gap in the curtains.

‘Yay! I’m going riding again on Comet!’ she said to herself as she leapt out of bed and quickly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

Her dad was already downstairs when Marcie appeared. The delicious smell of frying bacon met her as she opened the kitchen door.

‘Dad! You’re up early,’ Marcie said, surprised. He usually liked a lie-in on Sundays.

He smiled, looking a bit weary. ‘I didn’t sleep very well with so much on my mind. So I thought I’d make breakfast. Bacon and egg sandwiches are on the menu, if you’re interested.’

‘You bet! Shall I cut the bread?’ Marcie asked helpfully.

‘Thanks, love. I expect you’re looking forward to meeting up with your new friends. It’s nice of them to invite you riding with them,’ he commented.

‘Yes, it is.’ Marcie flipped her hair over her shoulder as she wielded the bread knife. The slices were a bit uneven, but her dad didn’t seem to notice.

As soon as she’d finished breakfast, Marcie put on her riding kit and then said goodbye to her parents. ‘See you later. I’ll take the short cut across the paddock.’

She felt a thrill of excitement as she saw Comet standing with his head over the fence waiting for her. As she approached him, Comet curled his dark grey lips and greeted her with a neigh of welcome. He was already tacked-up and eager to go.

Marcie swung herself into the saddle and leaned over to pat his silky neck as they set off.

Ian and Sally were waiting for them in the stable yard. Ian was on a handsome chestnut pony with two white socks. Marcie guessed that this was Rufus. He waved as she and Comet rode through the front gates.

‘Hi, Marcie!’ Sally waved too. She was just mounting a pretty palomino.

‘What a lovely pony!’ Marcie said, pleased to see that Sally seemed in a better mood today.

Sally smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. ‘Thanks. Fiddler’s really sweet.’

‘We usually take it in turns to exercise the ponies,’ Ian told her, controlling Rufus as the chestnut pony sidestepped. ‘Poor old Drift doesn’t look too happy at being left behind.’

Marcie glanced to where the big brown horse was standing with her head over the paddock fence, watching them with mournful dark eyes. As Ian and Sally rode out on to Willow Lane in single file, Marcie gave Drift a last sympathetic look before following behind the others.

‘I thought we could ride up to the old water tower on the hill. The view is great from up there,’ Marcie said. It was also in the opposite direction to where she and Comet had already searched, which meant they would be able to check out a different area.

‘I hope we’ll find Destiny this time or some sign that she came this way,’ she whispered to him as they reached the main road and waited at the crossing.

‘I hope so too!’ Comet replied.

Marcie froze, surprised that he had spoken aloud to her with Ian and Sally so close. But neither of them seemed to have noticed anything odd.

‘Do not worry, Marcie,’ Comet told her, as if he knew what she was thinking. ‘Only you can hear me speaking. Everyone else will just think I am neighing or snorting.’

‘Cool!’ Marcie whispered in reply, relaxing.

Once safely across the main road, Marcie took a side turn and led the way down a wide grassy track lined with hedgerow. The hawthorn was still covered with clusters of creamy flowers. Their sweet musty scent filled the air.

After a few kilometres the track opened out on to a sweep of hillside covered with sparse-looking grass. Marcie squeezed Comet into a gallop and Ian and Sally did the same. Rabbits dived for cover as the ponies sped past.

Ahead of them the ground rose steeply to where an old stone building topped the hill.

‘Race you to the top!’ Sally cried, crouching low on Fiddler.

‘You’re on! Whoo-hoo!’ Ian yelled, urging Rufus forward.

Comet couldn’t resist. He shot after the ponies in a lightning burst of speed. In a thunder of hooves, he streaked past them, his dark grey tail flying out behind him like a silken banner.

‘Yay! Eat our dust!’ Marcie yelled over her shoulder.

Rufus and Fiddler stretched out and gave chase, but they couldn’t match Comet’s powerful stride. Marcie thought she noticed the shadow of a large horse spreading across the hillside as Comet raced past, but then it was gone, so she must have imagined it. They reached the brow of the hill, twenty lengths ahead of the others. She reined Comet in beside the water tower and they stood waiting for Ian and Sally.

‘What kept you?’ Marcie joked, as they rode up.

Ian laughed. ‘I thought Rufus was fast, but Comet can
really
move!’ he said admiringly.

‘That was fun!’ Sally said, her face glowing.

They sat in a line looking out at the view over the green rolling hills. In the distance they could see a grey smudge, where the hills met the sky.

Marcie wondered where Destiny could be hiding in this wide-open space, broken only by isolated farms and the occasional sheep pen or shepherd’s hut.

They continued on, riding more slowly and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. In the fold of two hills, there was a fast-running stream and they stopped to let the ponies drink.

Marcie bent close to whisper to Comet. ‘I haven’t seen any signs that Destiny’s been this way? Have you?’

Comet shook his head, twitching one ear disappointedly. ‘Not yet.’

An hour later, Ian announced that he was hungry and suggested they go back to Blackberry Farm for lunch. And with rumbling tummies, everyone agreed.

Back at the farm, Ian and Sally untacked their ponies. Drift lifted her head and nickered a welcome from the paddock, seemingly very pleased not to be by herself any longer. As the ponies all seemed to be getting on well together, Ian suggested that Marcie turn out Comet with them.

Mrs Bale made an enormous and hearty lunch, which they ate at a big wooden table in the farmhouse kitchen. Baked potatoes with cheese and salad, followed by home-made scones with strawberries and cream, all washed down with lemonade.

After lunch, Sally took Marcie up to her bedroom and excitedly showed her all the cups and rosettes she’d won on Fiddler. Marcie found herself having the best time she’d had since Lara had lived in her village. She would have liked to stop longer, but thought she’d better check that Comet was still happy at being left in the Bales’ paddock with the other ponies.

Sally walked out to the stable yard with her. ‘I had a great time today,’ she said, a smile lighting up her pretty face.

‘Me too,’ Marcie said. ‘Thanks for showing me your trophies and stuff.’

‘That’s OK. I’ve just got a brilliant new book about braiding manes and tails. You can borrow it sometime, if you like.’

‘Sounds great. Thanks,’ Marcie said warmly, pleased that she and Sally were now getting on so well. Maybe she’d ask her to come over soon and they could watch her favourite
Black Beauty
DVD.

Ian was in the tack room, hanging up clean bridles and folding horse blankets. ‘I’ll do this all by myself, then, shall I?’ he teased, rolling his eyes at his sister.