Cloud Magic

which pony he is, can’t you, Erin?’
    Erin felt a rush of relief. She nodded.
    ‘Thanks for the offer though,’ Chloe said to Fran.
    Fran looked very put out. ‘Fine! Be like that then!’ she snapped. ‘Come on, Katie.’ They marched off together.
    Chloe grinned. ‘Whoops, I think I might have offended her!’ She didn’t look at all bothered. Erin envied her. ‘So, are they the so-called friends you’ve told me about?’
    ‘Yes,’ Erin replied.
    ‘Well, you know what? Now I’ve met them I think you’re better off without them,’ said Chloe. ‘Now, come on, I want to see all the ponies!’
    By the end of the day it was hard to believe Chloe had only just started at the stables. She’d helped with all the jobs no one liked much, like sweeping around the muckheap, and she’d started a water fight when they’d been cleaning tack. She was a good rider too and had got Solomon going really well in the lesson.
    ‘I’ve had a brilliant day!’ she said happily as she and Erin sat on the fence and waited for Chloe’s mum to collect them. ‘It’s such a cool yard! The ponies are gorgeous, Jackie’s a really good teacher and everyone seems really nice. Well, apart from Fran and Katie. I don’t know why you were ever friends with them.’

    ‘They didn’t use to be as mean,’ Erin said, feeling she should defend them a bit. ‘They’ve just changed this year.’
    Chloe grinned. ‘Well, I’m glad they have because it means we can be friends.’
    Just then a shiny silver Land Rover pulled into the car park.
    ‘It’s Marianne!’ Erin said in surprise as the blonde woman stepped out of the car.
    ‘I wonder what she’s doing here…’ said Chloe.
    ‘I don’t know. I’ve never seen her here before,’ said Erin. Marianne walked across the car park and saw the two girls sitting on the fence. A look of recognition crossed her face. ‘Hey, didn’t I meet you yesterday? You came and told me that Gemini’s rug was coming off?’
    ‘Yep, that was us,’ answered Chloe.
    ‘Well, thanks for that.’ Marianne smiled. ‘Most people would have just walked on by. It was really nice of you. Now, do you know where I can find Jackie? I want to talk to her about having some dressage lessons.’
    ‘She’s in the office,’ Erin said, suddenly feeling silly. After finding Tor so close to Marianne’s house, she had felt a little wary of her arrival at the stables, but hearing Marianne speaking about Jackie and her horses, Erin was sure she couldn’t possibly be behind Tor’s capture. ‘Shall I show you where the office is?’ she offered.
    ‘That’s OK. I’ve been here a few times before. But thanks for the offer, Erin.’
    Marianne walked away.
    ‘OK. She is so not the dark spirit,’ Chloe whispered.
    Erin nodded. ‘I know. It has to be someone else. But who?’
    Chloe shrugged. ‘I don’t know many people who live around here.’
    ‘There’s the horrible farmer who always shouts at me if I stroke his horse,’ Erin said, wracking her brain. ‘Maybe it’s him. He lives quite close to Lookout Point. I bet he could get to the woods where Tor is being kept really easily.’
    Chloe’s eyes widened. ‘Maybe it is him then! I know! Let’s go back to Lookout Point tonight. If the dark spirit comes, we can spy on them to see who they are and where they keep the keys for the barn.’
    A shiver ran through Erin as she thought about the hooded figure they had seen the night before. It was a good idea, but she didn’t like the idea of spying on a dark spirit at all!
    Erin tried to use the hagstone to talk to Tor after she had got home from the stables, but there was no answer from him. As soon as she could, she raced through the dark to meet Chloe.
    ‘I emailed Allegra and Xanthe, and told them about last night and the shadowy figure and asked what we should do but I haven’t heard from them yet,’ said Chloe. ‘So I guess we should just follow our plan and try to spy on the dark spirit.’
    Erin gulped. ‘OK.’
    They camouflaged themselves and flew to the woods. As they swooped down through the trees, Erin felt Chloe grab her hand and only just stopped herself from gasping out loud.
    A magnificent snow-white stallion was standing in the clearing. And facing him was the hooded figure!

C H A P T E R
    Eight
    The dark spirit and the stallion stared at each other tensely. Tor was about seventeen hands high with an arched neck and dark eyes ringed by grey shadows. Erin had never seen a more