Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

be great horse trainers if we really wanted to.”
    “What do you mean?” asked Jack.
    “The … the magic,” Annie said. “We sniff the magic mist and then … then make a wish to become great horse trainers.”
    “But does this have anything to do with our mission?” Jack said. “If it doesn’t, it wouldn’t be practical to use our magic now.”
    “It might not be practical,” said Annie, “but I feel like it’s the right thing to do.”
    Jack looked at the stallion. The animal made a soft blowing sound. He stared intensely back at Jack, as if trying to tell him something. “Okay,” said Jack, surprising himself. “I guess we could give it a try. Why not?”
    “Great!” said Annie. “This is going to be so much fun!” She jumped to her feet.
    “Slow down,” said Jack, standing up. He reached into his bag and pulled out the tiny glass bottle. The silver mist from the Isle of Avalon swirled inside. “So here’s what we do—we make a wish to be two great horse trainers.”
    “Yes!” said Annie.
    “Okay,” said Jack. “I wonder what happens when you’re the greatest horse trainers ever.”
    “We’ll soon find out,” said Annie.
    Jack lifted the bottle into the air. “We wish to be two great horse trainers!” Then he uncorked the bottle, closed his eyes, and deeply inhaled the magic mist.
    A mix of wonderful smells overcame him: sweet honeysuckle with damp summer grass and leaves in sunshine.
    When Jack opened his eyes, he felt light-headed. He held the bottle out to Annie, and she inhaled the mist, too. “Ahhhh,” she breathed.
    Jack corked the tiny bottle and put it away. He and Annie grinned at each other. “All set?” Annie asked.
    “You bet,” said Jack. He wasn’t worried now. He felt as calm and relaxed as if he had tamed a thousand wild stallions.
    “Hello, Buddy,” Annie said to the stallion. “Do you mind if we just call you Buddy? It’s much easier than Bucephalus.”
    Jack laughed quietly. Buddy
was
a better name.
    Buddy pricked his ears as if he were listening to her. “Do you mind if we come closer, Buddy?” Annie asked.
    The horse didn’t move.
    Annie started walking very slowly toward him. Jack walked with her. When they were close enough to touch him, Buddy backed up nervously. He swished his tail and arched his neck.
    “It’s okay, Buddy,” Jack said in a soft voice. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” Jack concentrated on the stallion. He poured all his energy, all his compassion, and all his strength into the horse … until he felt that he and Buddy were one and the same creature.
    DO NOT COME CLOSE.
    “What?” Jack said, looking around. Was he hearing the horse’s thoughts?
    “You don’t want us to come close to you, Buddy?” Annie asked.
    Oh, man,
thought Jack.
Annie
heard
him, too. This must be what happens when you’re a reallygreat horse trainer: you understand what horses are thinking!
    Jack looked deeply into the stallion’s eyes. He tried to hear the horse’s thoughts again.
    DO NOT COME CLOSER.
    “Okay, we won’t,” Jack said, keeping his voice calm and soothing. “We won’t come closer until you are ready.”
    “That’s right,” said Annie. “But tell us, why can’t we come close?”
    NO RIDERS.
    “Why no riders?” Jack asked the horse. “You once had riders, didn’t you?”
    “We won’t hurt you, Buddy,” said Annie. “We promise.”
    Buddy lowered his head.
    LOST.
    “You’re lost?” said Annie.
    LOST.
    Jack remembered what Aristotle had told them. “He used to belong to the Royal Horse Master of Thessaly,” he said to Annie. He lookedinto the horse’s eyes again. “Is it your master?” he asked the stallion. “Is your master lost?”
    The horse threw back his head and sniffed the air.
    Jack and Annie were quiet for a moment. Then Annie said softly, “I’m afraid your master is not coming back. Not ever.”
    The horse was still.
    “Do you miss him?” Annie asked.
    The stallion tossed his head. Jack thought he heard a word.
    SAD.
    The stallion’s sadness washed over Jack, filling him with sorrow, too. “I’m sorry,” he said.
    “We’re really sorry,” said Annie. She sounded like she might cry.
    Jack took another step toward the horse. Annie stepped with him. This time, the stallion didn’t back away.
    Annie breathed on the horse’s muzzle so he could smell her breath. Jack did the same. Then Annie touched the stallion’s forehead, and Jacktouched him, too. Annie moved her hand down