CHAPTER 5
Raphaela led them carefully in single file, scanning the clouds and making sure they rode a safe path. They kept their distance from any thinning clouds and when they heard Misty neigh again, it was a little closer.
“Hooray!” said Juno, “we’re on the right track.”
“I hope Storm has managed to stay on,” said Evie.
“She doesn’t seem to get on very well with her unicorn,” said Wanda.
“Storm has never been happy with Misty,” said Juno. “She always thinks other sprites’ rides are better than hers.” Juno turned and looked apologetically at Wanda. “She wanted Zephyr and thought that, if she made your unicorn look wild, you might want to get rid of her.”
Everyone looked shocked. They all knew that a unicorn was for life.
“Get rid of Zephyr!” gasped Wanda.
“Was it Storm that broke Zephyr’s door?” asked Raphaela.
“Yes,” said Juno in a small voice.
“I knew Zephyr couldn’t have done it.” Wanda placed her hand on her unicorn’s neck and pressed gently. “I never doubted you, Zephyr. I knew it wasn’t you.”
“You were with Storm when she turned this unicorn out of her stable and made that mess,” said Raphaela. “Why would you stand by when she was being so cruel?”
“She’s my friend,” she said. “I know she was doing the wrong thing, but I feel sorry for her. She’s been having a tough time.”
“Being sorry for a friend who doesn’t know any better isn’t enough,” said Raphaela. “You need to be strong and help Storm to do the right thing, even if that means risking losing her as a friend.”
The procession fell silent. The clouds were darkening and a mist was beginning to form on the clouds.
“Will the unicorns know their way back?” asked Juno.
“Only when the mist and the storm have cleared,” said Raphaela.
“That might take longer than an hour,” said Wanda, remembering Professor Nimbus’s was going to call the Rainbow Rescue Team.
Everyone knew that if they weren’t back within an hour, Raphaela would be in a lot of trouble.
“We don’t want to get caught in the storm,” said Juno.
“Let me see if I’ve got anything that might help,” said Evie. “I’m sure there’s a compass in here.”
She opened her rucksack of useful things and, while she was looking, pulled out a pencil and a ball of red string. The instant Sparkles saw the string he started to unravel it with his paws.
“You’re brilliant, Sparkles!” said Evie. “We’ll leave a trail of string and follow it on our way back.”
Everyone felt better knowing they would be able to get back safely. They had travelled a long way from the Unicorn Riding School and no one wanted to get caught in a cloud storm.
“What’s that?” whispered Raphaela.
Everyone stopped and listened.
“Help!”
It was Storm shouting.
The search party hurried through the mist, following her calls. And there they were, Storm and Misty, stranded on an island of cloud. Evie could see the gap between them their cloud and Storm’s was widening. Storm was looking pale and Evie could see that Misty was trembling, they were both petrified.
“Help!” shouted Storm. “Help me!”
“The only one who can help you is your unicorn,” called over Raphaela. “Stay calm and try to remember what you learnt this morning.”
The only way Storm was going to be able to get off the cloud was if her unicorn could jump over the gap.
“Misty is a good jumper, Storm,” called Juno. “Remember when she won the rainbow jumping at the Unicorn Games? She can jump that gap easily.”
Storm and Misty’s cloud was floating further away. If Misty was going to jump, she would have to do it quickly.
“Calm your unicorn with your breathing and soothe her with your words,” Raphaela shouted across to Storm. “She has to trust you and feel safe.”
Storm walked steadily to her unicorn’s midpoint.
“Good girl, we’ll be all right, just you see,” Storm was breathing slowly.
The unicorns, Evie, Sparkles and all the sprites watched as Storm tried to calm her unicorn. Their little cloud island drifted away a bit more and Evie could see the huge drop below. It made her feel dizzy. Evie knew she’d be terrified if she had to take this jump.
Storm mounted Misty and Evie was amazed to see, for the first time, they looked like a riding pair.
“Well done, Storm,” called Raphaela. “Now take your time and try to visualise Misty soaring through the air and landing safely, just like we did in the arena.”
The pair stood still, and Storm closed her eyes. When she opened them, Misty began to paw at the ground as if she couldn’t wait, her eyes sparkling and her golden horn gleaming. The little unicorn reared up proudly and then began a fierce gallop towards the edge of the cloud.
They only had a short run up before jumping. No one dared to breathe as the little unicorn flew into the air. She sailed over the gap and landed silently not far from Evie, Sparkles and Diamond.
Everyone cheered and whooped and neighed, the sound echoed through the clouds for miles around. “Thank you for saving us,” said Storm, as she leant over to Raphaela and hugged her.
“It was you and your brave unicorn that did all the hard work,” said Raphaela. “I’m very proud of you.”
“I’m very proud of Misty,” said Storm, giving her unicorn a gentle hug. “I’ve been so hard on her. No wonder she wanted to run away from me!”
“I think she’s seen another side to you,” said Evie. “We all have.”
Storm’s face changed and her smile disappeared.
“There’s something that I need to tell you, Wanda,” she said, “about what happened in the yard after lunch.”
“You can talk while we make our way back,” said Raphaela. “We have to follow the red string and find our way to the stables quickly.”
“Before the storm starts,” said Evie, looking at the dark clouds that had begun to hiss and spit.
Poor Sparkles hid under Evie’s jacket! He hated thunder and could feel in his whiskers that the storm was about to start.
