PRINCESS EVIE YOUNG FICTION 3

by Sarah KilBride

  “Let’s go in and have a good look,” said Evie. “She can’t have gone far. Perhaps she’s in her shelter or behind those trees.”

  Sparkles hopped through the gate, his whiskers twitching. Violet opened the gate and Evie followed her into the field. They walked to the shelter, calling Corolla’s name. They looked behind the trees, but there was no winged pony.

  “Could she have flown off to another field?” asked Evie.

  “She has never done that before,” said Violet. “Although, this morning she was very unsettled. She kept lying down, then getting up and walking around as if she was uncomfortable.”

  “Perhaps she was feeling nervous,” suggested Evie.

  “Perhaps,” said Violet. “I’ll get some food to rattle in a bucket. Hopefully she’ll hear it and fly back here.”

  “Good idea,” said Evie, smiling. “That usually works!”

  While Evie waited for her friend, she called the pony’s name again. Violet returned with the bucket of food and shook it loudly.

  They waited for a few minutes, hoping to hear the sound of Corolla’s wings or perhaps a neigh, but there was nothing.

  “We’ll find her, Violet,” said Evie quietly.

  “I hope she’s all right,” said Violet.

  The girls looked around the paddock, even though it was obvious that Corolla was not there.

  “I’m sure she’s OK,” said Evie reassuringly, holding Violet’s hand. “Ponies sometimes do strange things when they know something special is about to happen. She won’t have gone far.”

  Violet tried to smile.

  “Should we let the other girls know?” asked Evie.

  “Let’s go to the top of the field,” said Violet. “We’ll get a good view of the Rainbow Valley from there. If we can’t see her then we’ll have to send out search parties.”

  The girls, Indigo and Sparkles raced to the top of the fields. Violet was right, they could see for miles and it was breathtaking. Rainbows arched over the rolling green hills and small rainclouds hovered over parts of the valley. While the girls searched for Corolla, Sparkles played with the string of Evie’s rucksack as if he was trying to untie it.

  “Of course, Sparkles!” said Evie. “There must be something in here that will help us.” She opened up her rucksack of useful things and the very first thing that she pulled out was an old brass telescope.

  “Perfect!” said Evie. “Now we can see even further.”

  She held the telescope up to her eye. Where could Corolla be?

  CHAPTER 4

  Corolla’s Special Day

  Evie passed the telescope to Violet.

  “Do you want to have a look? After all, you know what your pony looks like.”

  Violet took the telescope and moved it slowly along the horizon. Suddenly, she stopped and turned the lens slightly to focus.

  “There she is!” she cried.

  Evie and Violet cheered and Sparkles purred, while Indigo let out a happy whinny. Evie could see how relieved Violet was. “She’s at the edge of Kaleidoscope Wood!”

  “Is she all right?” asked Evie.

  “I can’t see. She’s too far away.”

  “Indigo, we need you to take us to Corolla as fast as you can!” said Evie.

  She jumped up into the saddle, followed by Violet and Sparkles.

  “I’ll tell you the way,” said Violet, as Indigo broke into a gallop over the field.

  Soon they were racing towards a gate. Indigo seemed to sense there was no time for the girls to dismount and open it so she leaped over it.

  “That’s it, Indigo,” called Evie as the wind whistled past them. “We’re almost there.”

  They raced along the slopes and were soon in the field that lay next to Kaleidoscope Wood. There, standing by the trees, was a dappled pony. As they got closer, Evie noticed her coat was similar to a blue roan pony’s except, instead of it being a blue-grey colour, it was violet. Her wings were folded tightly against her body but Evie could see they sparkled with delicate markings, like a butterfly’s wings. The most striking thing about this pony was how much she was sweating. Her mane was wet and her coat was dripping.

  “Corolla,” said Violet softly, getting down from Indigo.

  Corolla took a step back. She was breathing fast and looked agitated. Her eyes were full of fear and she was letting out short, sharp neighs...

  “We need to get help,” said Violet. “I’ve never seen her like this before.”

  “I’ll go,” said Evie. “You stay with your pony, she needs you. Shall I go to Rosa’s summer house?”

  “No,” said Violet. “This is serious. We need the vet, Ginny Martingale, she’ll know what’s wrong.”

  “Where will she be?” asked Evie.

  “Just follow the stream to the bottom of the valley. Her cottage will be the first one you come to, it’s next to the bridge.”

  “Be brave, Violet,” said Evie, giving her friend a hug. “We’ll bring Ginny back as quickly as we can and she’ll help Corolla get better. Try not to worry, Corolla is a strong pony.”

  As Evie made her way on Indigo, she thought about what could be wrong with Corolla. Perhaps she had colic – she was showing all the symptoms. Or worse still, maybe she had eaten something poisonous. Whatever it was, the poor pony was in pain and a lot of distress.

  It only took a few minutes for Evie, Indigo and Sparkles to arrive at the vet’s cottage.

  “Please, come quickly,” said Evie, as Ginny opened her front door.

  “Whatever is the matter?” asked the vet.

  “The Rainbow Girls’ pony, Corolla, is sick,” said Evie, trying to catch her breath. “She’s sweating and I think she’s in a lot of pain.”

  “Where is the poor thing?” asked Ginny as she grabbed her vet’s bag.

  “Violet is with her at the edge of the wood,” Evie replied. “She’s never seen Corolla like this before.”

  “Violet was right to send for me,” said Ginny. “We need to get there quickly.”

  But they were too late. When Ginny and Princess Evie arrived at Kaleidoscope Wood they found Violet standing by Corolla, looking pale and shaken. Corolla looked brighter than the last time Evie had seen her. Her eyes shone and she stood calmly, whickering quietly. There was something else – Evie could see an extra set of very long, spindly legs.

  Corolla moved slightly and Evie saw the most beautiful rainbow-coloured foal standing beside her. Its coat swirled and shimmered, and its fluffy mane and tail were the colour of sunsets. Although it had only been born a few minutes ago, it was already standing unsteadily and shaking its small wings. It looked up at its mother with bright eyes and, when it blinked, Evie noticed how long and sparkly its eyelashes were.

  “Are you all right, Violet?” asked Ginny.

  “I think so,” said Violet, not sounding very sure.

  “Perhaps Evie could look after you for a minute,” said Ginny. “While I check mum and foal. They both look well but you can never be too sure.”

  Evie took Violet by the hand and led her to sit down on the soft grass.

  “It all happened so quickly,” said Violet. “One minute a pair of tiny hooves appeared and the next, there was this beautiful foal.”

  “It’s a miracle!” said Evie.

  “It explains why Corolla has been looking so well,” smiled Violet. “And why she put on all that weight!”

  “And it explains why she was behaving so strangely this morning,” added Evie. “Well, you did say that today was her big day.”

  Ginny came over and sat next to the girls.

  “Corolla and her foal are fine,” said the vet. “Well done, Violet. Your pony knew you were there for her, in case something went wrong, but you helped her to give birth safely by standing back and not disturbing her. It’s tough, and can be traumatic, but ponies instinctively know what to do.”

  Ginny had given Corolla and her foal a check up, making certain that they were both healthy.

  “The first
twenty-four hours of the foal’s life are the most important,” she said. “They need to be able to stand in the first hour and feed in the second, that’s when their bodies are able to absorb the most antibodies from their mother’s milk.”

  They all watched as Corolla’s foal began to suckle. Corolla was gently whickering and sniffing her baby’s coat.

  “It looks like Corolla is going to be a great first-time mum,” smiled Ginny. “She’s bonding with her baby and connecting with her through all the senses. Her foal’s senses will develop fully over the next couple of weeks.”

  “Do some ponies not bond with their foals?” asked Evie.

  “You have to watch new mums carefully. Sometimes their maternal instinct isn’t very strong, or they may still be suffering after giving birth,” said the vet. “But it’s important not to interfere with the first contact unless you have to. All these two need now is to be alone, to bond and recover.”

  The friends looked at each other, sharing the same thought.

  “Corolla won’t be able to draw the Rainbow Blossom Chariot this year, will she?” asked Violet.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s completely out of the question,” smiled Ginny. “She needs time to rest.”

  “Of course, she’s exhausted after delivering her foal,” said Evie. “But what are we going to do for the Rainbow Blossom Festival?”

  “I think I have an idea who could pull the rainbow chariot for us,” said Violet, gazing at Indigo. “What do you think, Evie?”

  Evie guessed what her friend was thinking and smiled. Indigo stopped munching the grass and looked up at the girls. She blinked at them as if she knew what Evie was going to say next.

  “Indigo,” said Evie. “How would you like to pull the Rainbow Blossom Chariot this year?”

  CHAPTER 5

  Petals Away!

  “Has Indigo ever drawn a carriage or a cart before?” asked Violet.

  “We had a go once and she enjoyed it,” said Evie. “Haflingers are known to be good driving ponies but they certainly aren’t known for flying through the air!”

  “Don’t worry,” smiled Violet. “With a little help from the Rainbow Girls and the rainbow butterflies, Indigo will be perfect.”

  Evie looked up and saw that the sun was high in the sky.

  “We haven’t got much time,” she said. “It’s midday already.”

  “She’s right, Violet,” said Ginny. “You must go – after all, you can’t delay the Rainbow Blossom Festival. I’ll keep an eye on Corolla and her foal. They should be fine now.”

  Indigo took Evie, Violet and Sparkles back to the yard where all the Rainbow Girls were waiting for them with their baskets of delicate blossoms. They had had no idea why Corolla wasn’t harnessed and ready to take them through the sky.

  The girls were amazed and overjoyed to hear the news that Corolla had safely delivered a rainbow foal.

  “It’s so exciting!” said Rosa. “A new foal, born on the day of the Rainbow Blossom Festival.”

  The Rainbow Girls couldn’t wait to meet the new addition but first they had a very important task – to prepare Indigo for the sprinkling of the blossoms. Evie and Violet carefully harnessed Indigo and adjusted the straps so that it fitted her perfectly.

  “Now all you need is a pair of wings!” smiled Violet, stroking Indigo’s mane. “It won’t hurt at all, but it will take some magic.”

  Sparkles’ whiskers trembled and Evie let out a gasp when they heard this. The Rainbow Girls stood around Indigo and without a word they reached into their pockets and took out their precious stones. The stones glittered and glowed in the spring sunshine. Violet whispered into the pony’s ear and then placed her sparkling amethyst in Indigo’s brow-band. Next, Rosa whispered something to Indigo and placed a dazzling ruby into her band. Evie wasn’t sure what the Rainbow Girls were saying to her pony, but Indigo listened intently.

  When the final jewel had been placed into Indigo’s bridle, the Rainbow Girls held hands in their circle and looked up to the sky. A swirl of rainbow butterflies fluttered and spiralled around Indigo until they almost hid her from view. All that Evie and Sparkles could see was Indigo’s calm face.

  When the butterflies stopped spiralling and flew away, Evie and Sparkles were astounded by what they saw. Indigo stood proudly with the most magnificent pair of butterfly wings, with shimmering pink swirls and pale yellow whorls. Indigo shook herself and stretched her wings out in the sun. Evie saw that around the edge of each wing were tiny amethysts, rubies and other twinkling gemstones.

  “Hooray!” said Violet. “We did it! What a gorgeous rainbow pony you are, Indigo.”

  Evie ran over and gave her beautiful pony a big hug and a stroke.

  “Come on, girls,” said Rosa. “We’ve no time to lose!”

  Violet and Evie attached the chariot to Indigo’s harness. They gave Indigo a few minutes to get used to it and then carefully loaded up the chariot with the baskets of delicate blossoms. Finally, they were ready to go.

  “All aboard!” said Rosa, smiling.

  Everyone climbed into the chariot and took their positions. Violet held the reins at the front of the chariot and made sure there was enough room for Evie beside her. Sparkles was feeling a bit nervous, so he snuggled up into Evie’s arms.

  “All right, Indigo,” called Violet. “You know what you to do. Just take your time and you’ll be fine.”

  Indigo walked out of the stable yard into the field where all the butterflies were waiting. She broke into a fast trot and, when she moved to a smooth canter, Evie realised that her hooves were no longer touching the ground. Indigo was flying!

  The butterflies fluttered around the Rainbow Garden and the chariot followed silently, pulled along by the magnificent Indigo. Evie and Sparkles looked out and saw they weren’t too high in the sky.

  “Here’s the first tree coming up!” called Rosa. “It’s an apple!”

  Magenta passed around the basket of creamy blossoms with a touch of yellow around their frilly edges, and everyone took a handful.

  “On the count of three,” called Rosa. “One, two, three!”

  Everyone opened their hands and let the blossoms flutter down. When the blossoms landed on the apple tree, they magically attached themselves to the branches, making the tree come to life with the promise of spring. The next tree was a cherry tree. Everyone sprinkled it with blossoms that were painted with different shades of pink.

  “I can’t wait to come back at the end of the summer and see all the cherries,” said Rosa as they flew on to the next tree.

  Violet turned to Evie. “Would you like to have a go at driving Indigo?”

  “Do you think I could?” asked Evie.

  “Of course,” said Violet, smiling. “You and Indigo are a great team.”

  Evie took the reins and immediately felt Indigo’s power. Her wings were beating rhythmically and with every beat, Evie could feel the chariot being pulled further through the air. The butterflies were guiding Indigo, so all Evie had to do was let her pony know that she was there for her.

  CHAPTER 6

  What’s in a Name?

  They flew around the Rainbow Garden, decorating each of the trees with their beautiful, handmade blossoms, and soon the garden was complete.

  Evie and Sparkles loved flying through the air with the Rainbow Girls. The fresh spring air made Sparkles’ fur tingle and Evie’s cheeks turn rosy.

  “This is amazing!” laughed Evie.

  “Indigo is a fantastic at pulling this chariot,” said Violet. “And she looks as if she is enjoying herself too.”

  Violet was right. Indigo’s ears were forward and she held her head up high as her rainbow mane flew out behind her. Princess Evie felt very proud of her.

  “It’s time for us to land now, Indigo,” called Violet. “But don’t worry, the butterflies will guide you.”

  Evie felt her pony descend as the butterflies led them to a clearing in the garden. Indigo’s wings slowed down and soon she
was trotting through the grass. Everyone cheered as she came to a halt.

  “That was a perfect landing,” said Rosa, opening the chariot’s door and helping everyone out.

  Saffron and Fern took a large picnic basket out of the chariot and together the Rainbow Girls laid out the special feast.

  “I should think you’re hungry after all that flying, Indigo,” said Violet as Indigo tucked into the grass. “You’re probably thirsty too. We’ll get you some fresh water.”

  Violet and Evie went over to the garden’s magic well and pulled out a bucket of fresh, clear water. The friends released the chariot from Indigo’s harness and loosened some of the straps so the pony could relax. They walked over to the picnic rug, which was spread out beneath a fluttering cherry tree, and joined Sparkles. He was sitting with the Rainbow Girls and already enjoying some special kitten biscuits.

  “What a feast!” said Evie when she saw all the plates of delicious food that Saffron and Fern had prepared.

  “Help yourself!” said Saffron. “There’s plenty for everyone.”

  Evie took a plate and filled it with an assortment of scrumptious sandwiches and delicious dips, as well as passion-fruit parcels and tasty tarts filled with tiny apricots and almonds. Saffron and Fern poured everyone a glass of rose-petal lemonade. Then Rosa and Violet stood up.

  “We would like to propose a toast to Princess Evie, Sparkles and Indigo,” said Rosa.

  “We’d like to thank you for coming back to the Rainbow Garden, Evie,” added Violet. “And especially for helping to save our special day!”

  All the Rainbow Girls raised their glasses and toasted Evie, Sparkles and Indigo.

  “It’s certainly been an adventure!” laughed Evie. “Perhaps we should toast the health of Corolla and her foal too.”