Gathering Storm

by Louise Cooper

  ‘What about Moonlight?’ In dismay Tamzin looked for him among the milling animals. But it was so gloomy in the barn that she couldn’t see him.

  ‘Don’t worry, they’re all here, safe and sound,’ the farmer told her. ‘Now come on!’

  She had no choice but to go. They sprinted the few metres to where the Land Rover was parked, and huddled inside as the farmer drove slowly and cautiously away. The tarmac road was awash with streams that ran faster than the car, and when they reached the Richardses’, Tamzin saw that the yard was already covered by a sheet of water.

  Mr Richards came splashing to meet them, holding a huge umbrella over his head.

  ‘Not that it’s much use to you lot,’ he said when he saw them. ‘You’re all soaked through anyway!’

  Nan, too, was waiting, and she and Tamzin went home straight away. Everything in the house that could be moved was now upstairs, and all the horses’ tack had been stowed in the stable loft.

  ‘I’ll ring you later!’ Joel called over the noise of the downpour as Tamzin scrambled into Nan’s car. ‘And don’t worry about Moonlight. He’ll be fine!’

  She waved a hand to him. ‘Good luck!’

  Tamzin and Nan reached the rough lane that led to Chapel Cottage to find it turned to a racing brown river several centimetres deep. The car’s engine had spluttered and coughed most of the way back, and as Nan turned it on to the level ground outside the house it gave a final wet stutter and died into silence. They ran for shelter, splashing through puddles that bubbled like cauldrons with the rain bouncing from their surfaces, and hurled themselves in at the kitchen door.

  ‘Whew!’ said Nan as they took off their sodden coats and hung them to drip in the porch. ‘I’ve never seen rain like it!’

  Tamzin pulled off her boots, which were so wet that she felt as if she was paddling. ‘Are you sure we’ll be all right here, Nan?’ she asked worriedly.

  ‘Oh, yes. You could see when we came in; all the water’s running past the house. We might get a bit coming in under the tiles and running down the walls, but nothing worse than that.’ Nan flicked the light switch, and the kitchen filled with brightness. ‘And we’ve still got electricity; that’s a relief! Go on, love; go upstairs and change out of those wet things. I’d have a nice hot bath, if I were you.’

  ‘All right, Nan.’ Tamzin smiled at her, and tried not to listen to the clamour of the rain as she squelched towards the stairs.

  The rainstorm lasted nearly all night, and for most of the time Tamzin lay awake. She couldn’t stop worrying about Moonlight. How was he now, two miles away in the farmer’s barn? Was he still upset, or had he calmed down? And what had made him behave in the way he had?

  She kept remembering her earlier fear: that a new danger was brewing, and Moonlight knew it and did not want to be separated from her. If so, then maybe he had a good reason – for Tamzin believed that this incredible rain was not natural. She felt sure that the Grey Horse was behind it, and that it was concentrating its efforts on this area because she was here. Without Moonlight nearby to protect her, she was dangerously vulnerable.

  She turned over in bed and gazed at Nan’s painting. She couldn’t see any detail of it in the darkness, but the shape of the blue-tinted horse was dimly visible. Not for the first time, Tamzin could almost believe that it was moving; the mane and tail blowing like mist, the head tossing, the slender legs galloping in the surf…

  Tamzin’s fingers closed round the glass talisman on her bracelet, and she whispered softly, ‘Blue Horse… Blue Horse, tell Moonlight that I’m all right. Help him… and keep us safe, if you can!’

  Just for a moment the vague image of the horse in the painting seemed to become brighter and clearer. Then it faded back into the gloom, and she could no longer imagine that it was moving.

  But outside, the sound of the rain began to ease. It was falling less heavily, not hammering now but just a gentle, swishing patter. The storm was passing. It was nearly over.

  For now…

  Tamzin went back to sleep for an hour or two. When she woke, daylight had come and the rain had stopped.

  ‘Look,’ Nan said when they went downstairs for breakfast, ‘there’s a little break in the clouds. We might even get some sunshine later on!’ She filled the kettle. ‘I wonder if the Richardses are all right? We’d better call them, and find out.’

  Tamzin dialled the Richardses’ house phone but it was out of order, so she rang Joel’s mobile, and was relieved to hear his voice.

  ‘We’re OK,’ he said. ‘The water’s nearly half a metre deep around the house and the stables, and the electricity’s off. But we’re camping upstairs, and we’ve got enough food to last us for a few days. Dad reckons it won’t be long before the flood goes down.’

  ‘What about the horses?’ Tamzin asked anxiously.

  ‘We were just going to phone and check when you rang,’ said Joel. ‘But don’t worry; they’ll be fine where they are.’

  ‘All the same, when you do know –’

  ‘Sure, I’ll tell you.’ Joel laughed. ‘They’re probably enjoying the rest!’

  Tamzin was reassured by his cheerful mood. But half an hour later, when her mobile rang, she had a shock.

  ‘Tam…’ Joel’s voice was strained, and Tamzin knew instantly that something was wrong.

  ‘What is it?’ Her voice rose as an awful feeling of dread clutched at her stomach.

  ‘Mum just talked to the farmer,’ said Joel tensely. ‘One of the horses is missing.’ There was a long pause, and Tamzin knew what was coming. ‘It’s Moonlight.’

  There could be no possible doubt, Joel told her. The farmer knew how many horses should have been in the barn, but when he counted them this morning, the number was one short. He remembered Moonlight in particular, because of the way he had behaved yesterday and because he was the only white or dapple grey the Richardses owned. Now, he was gone.

  ‘He must have broken out somehow!’ Tamzin said in distress.

  ‘He didn’t,’ Joel told her. ‘That’s the weirdest thing. The barn door was barred on the outside till the farmer went in, and Moonlight didn’t kick any planks out and escape that way. He’s just vanished.’ There was a long pause, then he added, ‘Everyone else thinks he’s been stolen. But I think we know different. Don’t we?’

  Tamzin’s skin had turned ice cold, and her heart was beating very hard. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I think we do.’

  Something was beginning. First the extraordinary rain; now Moonlight… the power of the Grey Horse was rising. And the thought of what might have become of her beloved pony made Tamzin feel sick with fear.

  ‘We’ve got to search for him!’ she said urgently.

  ‘I agree,’ said Joel. ‘But right now I’d need a boat to even get out of the house. Until the water goes down, I can’t do anything!’

  ‘I can! We’re not flooded here.’

  ‘Right – but where to start? There are no clues, nothing at all.’ He hesitated. ‘He might be trying to get home, of course; in which case he could turn up here, or as near as he can get, at any moment. But if he’s got lost, or…’ Joel dropped his voice to a whisper, so that his parents wouldn’t overhear. ‘Or if the Grey Horse is behind this, he could be anywhere.’

  ‘I’ll try the cliffs first,’ said Tamzin. ‘From up there I can see for miles.’

  ‘That makes sense. Oh, if only I could get out, too – I hate just sitting here doing nothing! Phone me straight away if you see any sign of him, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course! And you do the same.’

  ‘Sure. Good luck!’

  Tamzin bolted her breakfast, explaining to Nan between bites of toast and gulps of coffee. Nan was unhappy about the idea of her going off alone.

  ‘Moonlight could be anywhere,’ she said. ‘I’m not saying you definitely won’t find him, but honestly, I think the chances are very small.’

  ‘Do you think the Grey Horse has taken him, Nan?’ Tamzin asked.

&nb
sp; ‘I don’t know, pet,’ Nan replied seriously. ‘That’s why I’m so worried. If it is involved in some way, then searching for Moonlight could lead you into all kinds of danger. I really don’t think you should go.’

  ‘Please, Nan, don’t say I can’t!’ Tamzin begged. ‘Moonlight might be trapped somewhere, maybe hurt! I’ve got to look for him!’

  Nan argued, but nothing would sway Tamzin, and at last she gave in. ‘But you’re to take your mobile, and ring me every half hour,’ she said. ‘If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be coming out myself to search for you.’

  ‘I will, Nan.’ Tamzin stood on tiptoe to kiss her cheek. ‘Thank you!’

  Within a few minutes she was slipping and slithering down to the path, from where she turned along the valley. The sun was trying to break through the clouds as she reached the cliff track and started to climb. The going was easier here than in the valley, for the path was stony and the torrential rain had simply streamed away. All the same, she was out of breath by the time she reached the clifftop and stopped to gaze around at the landscape.

  Where was Moonlight? He had not wanted to leave the stables and go to the barn yesterday; he had tried to stop her from taking him away. Tamzin scanned the great empty vista, and an awful feeling of doubt crept into her mind. If Moonlight was free and safe he would have come to her, she felt sure of that. Something was very, very wrong – and she believed that Moonlight was in danger.

  She continued to gaze around, searching for the slightest sign, the smallest clue, anything that might help. But all she saw was the grey-green sweep of the clifftop, patched here and there with the bright yellow of flowering gorse.

  ‘Moonlight!’ Her voice rang out across the emptiness. The only answer was the mournful cry of a gull sailing on the wind beyond the cliff edge. Could she reach him another way? Tamzin tried to focus her mind, thinking about the pony with all her willpower, trying to make contact. But, as she had feared, there was nothing.

  She walked the cliffs for three hours. Every half hour she rang Nan as she had promised, but each time she had only failure to report. At last, weary and dispirited, she gave up and returned to Chapel Cottage.

  ‘I’m so sorry, love,’ Nan said sadly. ‘But don’t give up hope. As soon as the flood water goes down, everyone will start looking for Moonlight. We will find him, however long it takes.’

  Tamzin only wished she could believe that. But she didn’t voice her doubts to Nan. She just nodded miserably and went up to her room.

  For two more days there was no news. Mr and Mrs Richards had contacted the police, but though they were sympathetic they were too busy dealing with the results of the flooding to worry much about a missing pony. The farmer was so upset that he stayed in the barn himself each night, in case the thieves should come back. They didn’t, of course, and Tamzin and Joel knew why. There were no thieves – at least, not the kind that anyone else would believe in.

  Tamzin continued to search. But she knew in her heart it would do no good, and she was right. On the second night, she went to bed feeling more miserable than she could ever remember. It didn’t matter to her that the sun had shone brilliantly all day and the wind was warm and gentle – if anything, it made matters even worse. If was as if the Grey Horse had got what it wanted, and the lovely weather was its way of mocking her.

  Though she was desperately tired, she knew she would not be able to sleep, so she sat by her window in the darkness, gazing out at the moonlit garden. Near midnight she heard Nan tiptoe past on her way to bed, then the landing light went off and the house was silent.

  Moonlight, oh, Moonlight, where are you? Tamzin sent the thought out into the night. Tears were trickling down her face. She wiped them away, blinking – then her hand froze in mid-air.

  Far away, so far that it was hardly audible, a horse was whinnying.

  Tamzin scrambled to her feet, flung the window open and leaned out. Had she imagined it? She listened hard, but the only sound was the gentle rustling of bushes in the garden.

  ‘Moonlight?’ She whispered the pony’s name, afraid of waking Nan. For a moment there was nothing. Then, faintly, she heard the whinny a second time.

  Tamzin’s heart gave a huge lurch and hope surged dizzyingly. She was out of the room in seconds and scurrying along the landing. Quietly, quietly, don’t wake Nan! She nearly fell down the stairs in her haste, and raced through to the kitchen. Baggins looked up in surprise from his favourite chair and mewed a question, but she ignored him, unbolted the back door and ran outside.

  ‘Moonlight!’ Her voice was still a whisper, but she mentally projected it with all her strength. ‘Moonlight, I’m here!’

  The moon was behind a small cloud, but as Tamzin waited breathlessly for an answer, light appeared at the cloud’s edge and it sailed into view again. The darkness was suddenly shot through with silver – and there, looking over the garden gate, was the dapple-grey pony.

  ‘Moonlight!’ Tamzin ran towards him, arms held out to hug him. Moonlight tossed his head in the way she knew so well –

  Then suddenly he wasn’t there any more.

  Tamzin skidded to a stop, and stared in dismay at the gate. Moonlight had been there! She hadn’t dreamed it or imagined it; she had seen him!

  ‘M-Moonlight…?’ Her voice quavered. Where had he gone?

  Behind her she heard a soft whicker. She spun round. Moonlight had appeared again. He was standing between her and the house, and his head was lowered as though he was very tired. Swallowing back a lurch of fear, Tamzin started towards him, more slowly this time. He didn’t move, only gazed at her, and she really thought she would reach him and touch him. She stretched out a hand…

  Moonlight vanished.

  Tamzin put a clenched fist to her mouth as the fear started to turn into terror. What was happening? Was she dreaming? Or was this another vision, like the one she had had on the beach?

  Then something pale flickered at the edge of her vision, and quickly she turned again. A shape was moving beyond the garden, heading down towards the valley. A horse, cantering… the night seemed to brighten, and she saw Moonlight clearly. He turned his head and looked back at her. Then he swung away, and his shape faded to nothing as the dark came back.

  Tamzin stood motionless, alone in the garden. An awful intuition had taken hold of her, and she began to tremble as she stared into the empty night. No, she told herself. No, not that… But she couldn’t escape from the feeling that she knew the terrible truth.

  Suddenly she couldn’t bear it any more, and she turned and ran back into the kitchen. Baggins mewed again but again she took no notice. She stumbled up to her room and flung herself down on the bed, burying her face in the pillows. She was so frightened and unhappy that she couldn’t even cry. All she could do was lie shaking and shivering, and trying to fight the huge, suffocating pain in her mind.

  Eventually she was able to crawl under the duvet again. But she did not sleep. She lay staring at her alarm clock, willing time to move faster and morning to come so that she could talk to Joel. At long last the clock’s hands crept round to seven, and with the early daylight shining in at her window, she picked up her mobile and called Joel’s number.

  ‘Hi, Tam – you’re up early!’ Joel sounded cheerful ‘Good news – the flood water’s gone down enough for us to get out. So I thought –’

  Tamzin said in a small, tight voice, ‘Joel…’

  ‘Tam? What’s the matter?’

  ‘Moonlight…’ she whispered. ‘He – came back last night.’

  ‘What? That’s brilliant! Where is he? Did you catch him? Is he at your place?’

  ‘No,’ said Tamzin. ‘That’s not what I mean. I saw him, in the garden, but… he wasn’t really there. He looked like a…’ Tamzin choked on the word but forced herself to say it. ‘Like a ghost, Joel. And I had this feeling, this terrible feeling that… that Moonlight’s dead.’

  ‘Listen to me, Tam.’ Joel gripped Tamzin’s hands hard. ‘You can’t possibly kn
ow for sure about Moonlight! It could have been a kind of waking dream – or a vision, like the one you had on the beach. You’ve got to make yourself believe that!’

  Joel had arrived at Chapel Cottage a few minutes earlier, and he and Tamzin were sitting together at the kitchen table. Nan was in her studio; tactfully, she had left them alone to talk. There was a tremendous amount of mess to be cleared at the Richardses’, but Joel had been given permission to come straight away to see Tamzin. He had told his parents that it was urgent, but he had not told them any details. He only wished he could have done; for they too were anxious and upset about Moonlight. But this was too strange. They wouldn’t have understood.

  Tamzin nodded, biting her lip. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I keep telling myself I’m being stupid, and there’s no reason for me to think anything’s happened to Moonlight. But I’ve got this terrible feeling, and I can’t make it go away!’

  ‘Look,’ said Joel, ‘maybe the Blue Horse was trying to reach you, and it – I don’t know; it put an image of Moonlight into your mind, because you trust him. Isn’t that just as likely as – well, what you’re thinking?’

  ‘I suppose so… But what was it trying to tell me? Something’s going on, I know it is.’

  ‘Well, we’d better start trying to work it out, then, hadn’t we?’ said Joel. ‘Now that the rain’s stopped and we can start getting around again, we can –’

  He was interrupted by the sound of a car horn beeping outside. Tamzin got up and went to the window.

  ‘Oh!’ she said. ‘It’s Alec – it’s been days since we heard from him.’ Her face lit up eagerly. ‘He might have some news about Moonlight!’

  Alec Brewer saw her at the window and waved. Tamzin ran to the door to meet him.

  ‘Alec! Is it Moonlight? Have you heard something?’

  ‘Moonlight?’ Alec was nonplussed. ‘No. Why, what’s happened to him?’

  Tamzin’s eagerness collapsed into disappointment, and Joel said, ‘Tam, there’s no reason why Alec should know.’ He told Alec about Moonlight’s disappearance.