The monster, who looked just like the ice monsters in the pictures Madame Longley had shown them in their lesson earlier in the week, hauled itself out of the water. As it did so, the ice Alice was sprawled on cracked. She screamed as she plunged into the freezing water below.
Amanda shrieked in horror.
Emily didn’t hesitate. ‘Get help!’ she yelled. Amanda didn’t move. ‘Go on!’
Amanda turned and started skating back to the school as fast as she could. Emily raced frantically towards the gaping hole of water where Alice was splashing, unable to get out.
Emily’s heart pounded. Her one thought was to pull Alice out. Hearing the ice creak worryingly beneath her, she threw herself down on her tummy. It would be no good if she fell in herself! She pushed herself towards the edge of the ice, trying to ignore the great white bear-like monster who was clambering out of the water on to the nearby bank, his coat dripping. If she could just get Alice out then maybe they could skate off before he got them. ‘Alice! I’m here!’ She reached out as far as she could. Alice flailed about in the water, trying to grab her hands.
‘Help me, Emily!’
The monster roared and then gathered himself as if he was about to spring from the bank into the water.
‘No!’ yelled Emily.
‘Don’t worry!’ Alice gasped. ‘He’s –’
Her voice was drowned out by the sound of voices and shouts behind them and sticks came flying through the air towards the ice monster.
‘Leave them alone!’
‘Get away from them!’
Emily glanced round and saw Molly, Hannah and Tilda skating down the river towards them. They threw sticks at the bear, who drew back with a growl.
‘Careful! The ice is too weak to skate on!’ Emily shouted.
‘Don’t worry!’
‘We’ll help you!’
‘Hang on!’
Molly flung herself down on the ice, wriggled over to Emily and grabbed her feet. Emily realized Hannah was doing the same to Molly. They hung on to her in a big chain so she could lie down full length and reach Alice.
‘Alice! Here!’ Emily shouted, edging closer on her tummy to the gap in the ice; Tilda grabbed more sticks from the bank and threw them at the bear to keep him away.
‘Don’t hurt him!’ Alice gasped through chattering teeth. Her face was very pale. She tried to grab Emily’s hands, but fell back into the water. Emily tried to edge out further, but the ice cracked around her and she had to pull back.
Just then, the monster reared up on his hind legs. All the girls apart from Alice screamed as he dived into the water.
Hannah and Molly threw themselves alongside Emily and frantically tried to grab Alice’s hands.
He’s going to get Alice! Emily thought.
And the bear did! He dived down and came up again from underneath Alice, pushing her upwards on his back. She clung to his fur.
‘He’s… he’s rescuing her!’ Hannah gasped as the bear swam to the bank and clambered out. He stopped and Alice scrambled down from his back on to the safety of the riverbank. She was wet through and shivering hard. ‘Thank you!’ she gasped to him.
The other girls watched open-mouthed as the monster sat down beside her and licked her face with a large pink tongue.
Alice looked up and saw their astonished faces. ‘He’s friendly,’ she said. ‘Ice monsters always are. Don’t you remember Madame Longley saying it in class?’ She stroked the giant bear as if he was a big dog. He nuzzled her.
‘We thought you were in real danger!’ said Molly as they carefully skated over to the bank.
‘I was, but not from him,’ said Alice. ‘I could have drowned in the icy water. Thank you for coming to save me.’
‘We heard the screams,’ said Tilda. She went closer and cautiously stroked the monster, who looked at her with black eyes and made a rumbling noise deep in his throat, almost like a cat purring.
‘Why did you come down this river?’ Hannah asked.
‘I thought Prince might be here,’ said Alice. ‘I was so busy looking, I forgot about the crack in the ice.’
Emily hugged her. ‘I’m so glad you’re OK.’
‘It was really brave of you to try and reach me,’ said Alice, shivering.
‘You’d have done the same for one of us,’ Tilda told her.
Emily looked round at them all, remembering what she had been thinking before it all happened. ‘We’ve been really stupid, arguing and stuff. I know the competition’s important, but being friends is more important. We shouldn’t be falling out because of it.’
Hannah nodded. ‘You’re right. It was so horrible seeing you in the water, Alice. I’m sorry for getting cross with you about not practising.’
‘I’m sorry for not taking the practising more seriously and upsetting you,’ Alice said.
Molly looked at Tilda. ‘I’m sorry too.’
‘And me,’ said Tilda.
Hannah looked at Emily. ‘You’re the only one of us who really had reason to be cross with your partner and you’ve been really good about not arguing with her.’
‘Where is Amanda anyway?’ said Alice. ‘I saw her with you when I fell into the water.’
‘She didn’t just skate off, did she?’ Molly said indignantly.
‘No, she went to get help,’ said Emily quickly, defending Amanda. ‘She’s not all bad,’ she added, remembering how Amanda had apologized to her. ‘Not all of the time anyway. I bet she’ll be back any minute.’ She looked at the others. ‘So, we’re friends again?’
They grinned at each other. ‘Friends,’ they chorused.
‘I think we should celebrate tonight by having some fun,’ declared Molly. ‘How about a pillow fight before bed?’
‘Sounds cool to me,’ agreed Tilda.
Molly grinned and rubbed her arms. ‘Actually, I’m pretty cool out here right now. Let’s go in and get warm!’
But just then, they heard someone calling them. Amanda was skating towards them with Madame Letsworth and Madame Li. They were carrying blankets.
‘Whatever’s been going on?’ Madame Letsworth demanded, looking at the ice monster sitting behind Alice.
They quickly explained.
Madame Letsworth smiled at the great bear. ‘Thank you.’
He gave a soft growl, nuzzled Alice’s hair and then dived into the water and disappeared under the ice.
Madame Li wrapped a blanket round Alice’s shoulders. ‘Come on, let’s get you back inside and dry you off.’
As Alice stood up, there was the sound of rustling in the bushes and a white face with pricked ears popped out. ‘It’s Prince!’ gasped Alice.
Emily hurried to pick him up. The puppy wriggled in her arms and licked her nose. Everyone crowded round.
Madame Letsworth smiled. ‘It looks like everything’s turned out well after all.’
‘Got you!’
‘No, got you!’
Emily ducked as Molly sent a pillow flying at her head, but, as she turned, Tilda walloped her.
It was great fun. Eventually they collapsed on the beds, panting and laughing.
Emily felt very happy. No one was cross with anyone else any more. Tilda and Molly had promised to try and work better together and Alice, who was delighted that Prince had been found, had promised to practise more with Hannah. Even Amanda had changed. After tea, she had been really nice to Emily and asked her if she would like to add some more jumps to the routine.
Emily thought about the competition. It was only two days away. Who was going to win it? One thing was for sure, she couldn’t wait to find out!