New Friend (9780698143852)

by Bentley, Sue; Swan, Angela (ILT)

  A New Friend

  To Silver, so exciting and an early inspiration—SB

  GROSSET & DUNLAP

  Published by the Penguin Group

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  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property.

  It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Text copyright © 2009 Sue Bentley. Illustrations copyright © 2009 Angela Swan. Cover illustration

  © 2009 Andrew Farley. First printed in Great Britain in 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd. First published in the United States in 2013 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN: 978-0-698-14385-2

  A New Friend

  SUE BENTLEY

  illustrated by Angela Swan

  Grosset & Dunlap

  An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  “Wait for me!” Comet cried, launching himself into the night sky.

  Moonlight gleamed on the pony’s golden wings, cream coat, and flowing golden mane and tail. His deep-violet eyes flashed as happiness flowed through him. He loved playing chase with his twin sister.

  “Hurry up, lazybones! You’ll never catch me!” called Destiny. She swooped teasingly close and then shot upward to hide in a fluffy cloud.

  Comet noticed the rainbow dazzle of a jewel on a chain around her neck. He gasped. Destiny was wearing the Stone of Power! The stone protected the Lightning Herd they belonged to and kept them all hidden from the dark horses who would like to steal their magic. It was forbidden to take it from Rainbow Mist Island where they lived.

  “Destiny! Wait! Come back!” Comet ordered.

  But his twin’s laughter floated toward him on the still, cold air. Comet flexed his golden wings and zoomed upward in a spurt of speed. Soaring higher and higher, he burst through the cloud and emerged into star-studded blackness.

  Destiny was just ahead of him. She turned, and her ears twitched with mischief as she folded her wings and prepared to dive.

  Comet called to her. “No, don’t! The Stone…”

  Ching! There was a tiny sound in the silence as the chain around Destiny’s neck snapped.

  “Oh no!” A chill ran through Comet as the magic stone plunged into the lake below with barely a ripple.

  Destiny’s eyes widened in panic.

  “What have I done?” she gasped.

  “We must find the stone. Follow me!” Comet urged, flying down to the water and plunging in. Destiny followed him.

  It was freezing cold and pitch black in the depths of the lake. The two ponies searched for a long time, but the stone was nowhere to be seen. Comet was ready to give up, when he saw a faint glimmer on the lake’s bottom. With one final effort, he dived and managed to pick up the stone.

  “I have it!” But Comet broke the surface to find himself alone. Where was Destiny?

  The young pony quickly flew home to Rainbow Mist Island to find his mischievous twin and tell her that all was well.

  As Comet landed on the island’s lush grass, an older horse with a wise expression stepped out from behind some trees.

  “Blaze!” Comet dipped his head in a bow before dropping the magic stone at the leader of the Lightning Herd’s feet. It lay there glowing with shifting rainbow light.

  “Well done, Comet,” Blaze said in a deep voice. “Your sister acted rashly, but you have saved our herd from disaster.”

  Comet defended his twin. “Destiny meant no harm. I’m sure she means to say sorry right away. Where is she?”

  “Destiny has run away,” Blaze said gravely. “It seems she thought the stone was lost forever and was afraid that she would be in terrible trouble.”

  “But where could she have gone?” Comet asked, puzzled.

  “We do not know. You must ask for the stone’s help to find her.”

  As Comet looked down at the stone, it began to grow larger. Rays of dazzling rainbow light spread outward, and an image formed in the center of it. Comet saw Destiny’s hooves touch down in an unfamiliar forest in a world far away.

  The magic pony felt a pang as he thought of his twin sister: lost, alone, and in danger. He had to find her! There was a bright flash of dazzling violet light, and a whirlwind of rainbow mist swirled around Comet. Where the magnificent winged-pony had been now stood a sturdy chestnut pony with a sandy mane and tail and glowing violet eyes.

  “Go now, young friend,” Blaze urged. “Use this disguise to find Destiny before she is discovered by the dark horses.”

  Comet’s chestnut coat bloomed with violet sparks. He snorted softly as he felt his magical power building. The cloud of rainbow mist began to spin faster and faster and drew Comet in…

  “It’s so gorgeous here!” Eleanor Gale exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet Aunt Pippa’s new ponies!”

  She looked at Oak Cottage, which stood on the edge of a forest. Roses rambled around the front door and colorful flowers filled the front garden.

  Eleanor’s mom smiled. “Somehow I don’t think you’re going to mind spending your school vacation here while your dad and I are away.”

  Both Eleanor’s parents were musicians in an orchestra. She’d had the chance of going on tour with them, but had instead chosen to accept the invitation to stay with her aunt.

  “Spending all day riding or hanging about in boring hotel rooms? It’s no contest!” Eleanor said.

  Her dad smiled indulgently as he began unloading her luggage. He wasn’t at all into horses and was amused by Eleanor’s obsession with ponies. “Here you go.” He tossed her the bag containing her riding equipment.

  “Thanks!” Eleanor caught it deftly and walked through the front gate just as the cottage door opened and her aun
t came out.

  “Eleanor! It’s great to see you!” Pippa Treacy gave her niece a hug. She was a tall, slim woman with curly brown hair. Her eyes looked very blue in her tanned face.

  “Hi, Aunt Pippa!” Eleanor returned the hug. “I love your new cottage!”

  “Me too. I can’t believe that I’ve been here for six months already. You’re my first overnight guest.” Pippa was Eleanor’s mom’s older sister. She was a photographer and made her living taking pictures of wildlife.

  “How’s the work going for your exhibit?” Mrs. Gale asked.

  “Don’t ask!” Pippa sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. “I’ve got so much to do. I can’t believe I’m ever going to be ready.”

  “Well, maybe Eleanor will be able to give you a hand with something,” Mrs. Gale suggested. “She’s pretty good with a computer.”

  “Um…yeah,” Eleanor said, distracted. All she could think about was being allowed to ride her aunt’s ponies soon. She was desperately going to miss her favorite pony, Patch, who she rode at riding school on the weekends, but being able to ride here every day definitely made up for it! She wondered if she would have a favorite at the end of her vacation—it would be like having her very own pony!

  “I’m really sorry that we don’t have time to come inside, but we’re already running late,” her mom said, hugging her sister. “I promise that we’ll stay with you for the whole day when we come to pick up Eleanor.”

  “That would be great!” Pippa said, smiling. “Well—you’d better get going or you’ll miss your plane. Have a good trip. And don’t worry about Eleanor. We’ll be fine, won’t we, honey?”

  Eleanor nodded at her aunt, kissed her mom and dad good-bye, and then stood beside Pippa to wave to them as they drove off. She suddenly felt really sad at the thought of not seeing them for six weeks.

  As soon as her parents’ car was out of sight, Aunt Pippa took Eleanor into the cottage and showed her to her bedroom. It was a pretty, sunny room at the back of the house. From the window was a view of the neat back garden, which had a gate that opened directly onto the forest.

  Eleanor noticed that there didn’t seem to be a paddock or any barns. She wondered where her aunt kept her ponies.

  Wow! This place is pony paradise, she thought, looking at the pathways that wound through the enormous trees and clearings of purple heather and scrubby grass. Sun shone through the trees and glinted on a little stream off to one side. She imagined all the wonderful rides she’d have.

  “Can we go and see your ponies now?” Eleanor burst out, unable to control her excitement any longer. “Are they at a farm or stables? How many do you have? What are their names?”

  Her aunt laughed. “Slow down, Eleanor! One question at a time! I have three: Mary, Jed, and Blue. But going to see them is easier said than done. Free-ranging ponies can wander for long distances. It can take ages to track them down.”

  Eleanor frowned. What did her aunt mean about her ponies being free-ranging? “But I thought you owned them.”

  “I do, but it’s not quite that straightforward,” Pippa explained. “I’m what’s called a commoner. That’s someone who lives in a house in the forest and who has certain rights—like the right to graze ponies in the forest. My ponies are wild and pretty much take care of themselves in the summer. They have a job to do: looking after the forest.”

  Eleanor was fascinated. She had never heard of a commoner before. “Are there lots of wild ponies living in the forest and looking after it?”

  “About four thousand. They’re all owned by other commoners. We give them hay in the winter, pay for health checks, make sure they wear fluorescent collars to keep them safe at night, and so on. There are regular roundups, too, when the herds are thinned out and some of the ponies are sold.”

  “But how do you find them when you want to ride them?” Eleanor asked eagerly.

  Aunt Pippa looked surprised. “I don’t ride them. None of my ponies are broken in. I’m thinking of buying one to ride eventually, but it’s just another thing I haven’t gotten around to.”

  “Oh, okay.” Eleanor didn’t know what to say. She wouldn’t be able to do any riding this vacation at all! Eleanor began to miss her mom and dad even more and wondered whether she should have gone with them on tour after all.

  She tried hard not to let her aunt see how disappointed she felt. “Well, I guess it could be fun going out on a pony hunt to find Mary, Jed, and Blue,” Eleanor said with forced brightness.

  “They are really quite special,” Aunt Pippa said, smiling. “That’s why I love to photograph them. I go out looking for the ponies whenever I get the chance. Even if I can’t find them there are usually others around.”

  Eleanor cheered up a bit at the prospect of meeting her first-ever wild pony. “I’ll go and change my shoes before we go into the forest! I’ll be right back!” she said eagerly.

  Pippa laughed. “Whoa there, young lady! I didn’t mean we could go right this minute. I’m afraid I have to head into town now to collect some prints I’ve had framed and organize the invitations. We can go out searching for ponies tomorrow or the day after. Why don’t you come along with me for the ride? You could explore the local stores while I’m at the framer.”

  Eleanor didn’t really feel like shopping. “I think I’ll stay here and unpack, if that’s okay.”

  “Fine by me. But are you sure you’ll be all right by yourself?”

  “Positive. I’m nearly ten now, Aunt Pippa. I’ll sit and read in the garden when I’m finished.”

  Pippa beamed at her. “Goodness me! How grown up you are. Okay then, I won’t be long. I’ll bring us something nice back for dinner. How about pizza?”

  Eleanor nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Her aunt went downstairs. Eleanor heard a car start up and drive off. She sank glumly onto the pretty patchwork quilt that covered her bed and allowed the disappointment to wash over her.

  With no ponies to ride, it looked like this was going to be a very lonely summer. Aunt Pippa was lovely, but it was obvious she was going to be really busy getting ready for her exhibit over the next few days. Eleanor tried hard not to wish that she hadn’t come. There wasn’t even anyone her own age to hang out with.

  She got up and put her riding boots and hat in the closet since it didn’t look as if she’d have much use for them. After piling the rest of her clothes into the chest of drawers, she picked up her book and went back downstairs.

  Eleanor wandered slowly outside into the garden. She went and sat on the lawn for a while, enjoying the warm smell of newly cut grass. Midafternoon sun tipped the tops of the trees with dusty gold light. A robin hopped on to a fence post, looking at Eleanor with its head to one side. It flew off as she put down her book, got up, and walked to the edge of the garden.

  Resting her arms on the low garden gate, Eleanor stood staring across the forest clearing. Beyond the patches of heather and dusty-looking grass, she could see a rough path leading into a grove of birch, ash, and oak. She wondered if her aunt’s ponies might be somewhere in those trees, watching her with shy, wary eyes.

  Suddenly, a sparkling rainbow mist filled the entire clearing, and Eleanor saw rainbow droplets forming and twinkling on her skin.

  “Oh!” Eleanor squinted to try to see through the strange mist.

  As it slowly cleared, Eleanor noticed that a pony had stepped out of the forest and was walking slowly toward her. It had a glossy chestnut coat, a sandy mane and tail, and large, deep-violet eyes.

  “Can you help me, please?” it asked in a velvety whinny.

  Eleanor’s jaw dropped as she stared at the pony in utter amazement. She hadn’t ever seen a real wild pony before, but she was certain that ponies couldn’t talk. She shook her head. She must be imagining things.

  She clicked her teeth encouragingly. “Hello there. Aren’t you gorgeous? I bet you’ve come to see if Aunt Pippa has an apple for you. I wonder which one you are: Mary, Jed, or Blue.”

  The
pony’s ears flickered, and it lifted its head proudly. “I am neither of those. I am Comet of the Lightning Herd. I have just arrived here from Rainbow Mist Island.”

  “Y-you really c-can talk?” Eleanor stuttered. “How come?”

  “All the magical Lightning Horses in my herd can talk. What is your name?” Comet asked.

  “I-I’m Eleanor. Eleanor Gale,” she found herself saying. “I’m staying here with my aunt for my summer break.” She felt like pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. But Comet still stood there, looking at her calmly. She noticed again his large bright violet eyes.

  Comet dipped his head in a formal bow, and his sandy mane swung forward. “I am honored to meet you, Eleanor.”

  “Um…me too.” Eleanor still couldn’t quite believe that this was happening, but her curiosity was starting to overtake her shock. Despite being wild, this magical pony didn’t seem to be at all nervous around her. “But why are you here in the forest?” she asked.

  “I am looking for my twin sister, who is lost and in hiding,” Comet told her. “She is called Destiny.”

  “That’s a lovely name. But who is she hiding from?” Eleanor asked, puzzled.

  Comet’s large eyes glistened with sadness. “We were playing our favorite game of cloud-racing in the night sky when Destiny accidentally lost the Lightning Herd’s Stone of Power. I found the stone, but Destiny thought it was gone forever and imagined she was in a lot of trouble, so she ran away. The stone showed me that she is here, in your world. I must find her before she is discovered by the powerful dark horses who want to steal our magic.”

  Eleanor frowned as she tried to take this in. It all sounded so strange and unreal—like a fairy tale. “You say you and Destiny were cloud-racing? But how…”

  “Please, stand back,” Comet ordered, backing away.

  Eleanor felt a strange warm prickling sensation flow to the tips of her fingers as violet-colored sparkles blossomed in Comet’s chestnut coat, and a light rainbow mist swirled around him. The sturdy forest pony disappeared and in its place stood a handsome cream-colored pony, with a flowing golden mane and tail. Magnificent golden wings covered with gleaming feathers sprung from his shoulders.