Unicorn School (6 page)

At break time, Sapphire and Troy joined Willow. ‘What are we going
to do?' Sapphire said worriedly as they watched Atlas heading towards the cloud stables. ‘Storm will be in such trouble if he doesn't tell Atlas who gave him the horseshoe!'

‘I don't understand,' Troy frowned. ‘Who would have done something so mean?'

‘I'll give you one guess.' Willow glanced at Oriel who was walking across the heath towards the school, sniggering with his friends. Hot anger flashed through her. Oriel wasn't at all upset that he'd got Storm into trouble. Not caring that they were Year Threes and much bigger than she was, she trotted over to them and glared at Oriel.

‘You think you're so funny, don't you?' she said.

Oriel grinned. ‘Yes, actually, I do.'

Sapphire and Troy joined Willow as she stamped one of her front hooves furiously. ‘You've got Storm into real trouble!' she told Oriel.

The older unicorn shrugged. ‘It's his fault for being so stupid. He shouldn't have taken the horseshoe.'

‘He's not stupid!' Willow exclaimed. ‘You're mean. You shouldn't have done it!'

‘Ooh,' Oriel teased. ‘Is he your boyfriend?' His friends sniggered.

Willow was too angry to care. ‘Well, I think you should own up. Storm is getting into even more
trouble now because he won't say who gave him the horseshoe.'

Oriel looked at her as if she was mad. ‘I'm not owning up.
I'd
get into trouble then.'

Willow felt like hitting him with her horn. ‘But it's
your
fault.'

A sly gleam suddenly came into Oriel's eyes. ‘All right. I'll tell you what. I've got an idea.' He motioned with his head for Willow to walk away from the group with him.

She followed the older unicorn very warily. What was he up to?

‘I'll own up,' Oriel said, much to Willow's surprise. ‘But on one condition.'

‘What?' Willow said suspiciously.

‘That you come with me to High Winds Pass and stand in the middle of it all on your own.'

‘High Winds Pass?' Willow faltered.

‘Are you chicken?' Oriel smirked at her. ‘I heard you were so frightened when you went there on the first day that you couldn't even stand up.'

‘That's not true!' Willow said hotly. ‘I was knocked over by the wind!'

‘Well then, if you're not scared, you'll do it.' Oriel looked at her challengingly. ‘I dare you!'

Willow didn't know what to say. She didn't want to go there and she didn't trust Oriel. But if it would help Storm…

‘All right,' she said slowly. ‘But you've
got
to own up afterwards.'

Oriel nodded. ‘OK. Let's go after lunch. I'll meet you here. Don't tell anyone!' And with a laughing whinny he cantered back to his friends.

Troy and Sapphire questioned Willow all lunchtime about what Oriel had said to her, but she
refused to tell them. She didn't want them to come with her and maybe get into trouble too. After lunch, she pretended she was going up to the cloud stables, but instead of heading to the courtyard she cantered to the heath. She felt sick. She really didn't want to go up to High Winds Pass with Oriel.

Oriel was waiting. ‘Ready? Or have you changed your mind?'

Willow didn't want him to see that she was afraid. ‘Of course not,' she replied scornfully, hoping her voice wasn't trembling too much. ‘Let's go!'

They cantered into the forest. Oriel led the way through the trees
and up the twisting, turning path to the top of the mountain. As they got closer to the top Willow could hear the wind whistling through the trees. A shiver ran through her as she remembered almost being blown over the edge of the cliff. She wished they could go back.
I'm doing this for Storm
, she reminded herself.

She raised her voice over the wind. ‘Where do I have to go?' she whinnied to Oriel.

‘Just out on to the mountain top,' Oriel snorted. ‘Stand in the middle for the count of ten and then the dare's done.' He slowed down as they reached the top of the path.
‘Go on. I'll wait for you here!'

Willow cantered out on to the flat mountain top. The wind was swirling around. She was almost blown off her feet. But she forced herself to the centre of the pass and counted to ten. ‘Done it!' she cried, looking round for Oriel.

But there was no sign of him.

‘Oriel!' Willow whinnied.

There was no reply. Struggling against the wind, Willow made her way back to the path. Where had Oriel gone? There was no sign of him anywhere. ‘Oriel!' she whinnied again.

Oriel poked his head out from round a tree near a bend further
down the path. ‘Tricked you! Now let's see if you can find your way back to school on your own!' He turned and with a flick of his tail galloped away!

‘No!' Willow neighed. There was no way she could find her way back without Oriel. ‘Come back!'

A faint laughing whinny floated up the path but Oriel didn't come back. She was on her own. The wind blew even more strongly.

Fear gripped Willow. She stepped towards the path. A gust of wind buffeted against her, throwing her down to her knees. She staggered up and was almost knocked over again by an even stronger gust.

CREAK!

A nearby oak tree bent in the wind. An ear-splitting cracking noise came from its trunk.

Willow leapt back as the oak tree was ripped from the ground.

It crashed to one side with a splintering, cracking noise. Leaves and twigs flew into the air across the path. Willow's heart pounded. She could have been killed! Her mane whipped around her as she walked towards the oak tree. It had fallen straight across the narrow path and was blocking her way down the mountain. There was no way she could get past it! It was far too big for her to jump over and she'd
never be able to fly in this wind. She tried to push her way through the trees on either side of the path, but there were so many brambles and thorny bushes that she just got tangled up. She pulled backwards, tugging her mane free. She couldn't get over the tree trunk and she couldn't go round it. How would she ever get back to school?

The wind howled around her. Panic gripped her. She was trapped!

Willow's sharp eyes caught a flash of white on the other side of the tree.

‘Oriel!' she gasped as he cantered up to the tree trunk.

Oriel looked shocked. ‘What happened?'

‘The tree blew down,' Willow
whinnied above the howling of the wind. ‘Why did you gallop off like that?'

Oriel looked very guilty as he peered at her though the tree's branches. ‘I just meant to give you a fright. I thought it would be a good trick to play. I was going to come back. I wasn't going to leave you here.'

‘But now I'm trapped!' Willow exclaimed. ‘How can I get out from here?'

‘I don't know,' replied Oriel. He tried pushing the tree with his shoulders but it was much too big for him to move. ‘I'll have to get help!'

Willow felt panicky. What would the teachers do when they found her there? All of the Year One unicorns knew they weren't allowed up to High Winds Pass on their own. Maybe she'd be expelled.

As if he could read her thoughts, Oriel spoke quickly. ‘I won't tell the teachers. I'll ask my friends to help. Will you be all right while I go back to school?'

Willow nodded bravely. ‘But be as fast as you can!'

‘I will. See you soon!' And with that, Oriel galloped off.

It was horrible waiting for Oriel to come back. Willow paced up and

 

down beside the tree trunk. Oh, why had she come there? She just wanted to be safe at school with her friends. Tears pricked her eyes. What if the teachers
did
find out and she was sent home? What would her parents say? And what about Sapphire and Troy and Storm? She'd never see them again if she had to leave.

Be brave
, she told herself.

She took a deep breath and tried to gather her courage. She concentrated hard on Sapphire, Troy and Storm. Oh, if only they were with her!

It seemed like ages, but eventually she heard the sound of whinnies on the path. She raced to the tree trunk. Above the roaring of the wind she could hear the sound of hooves. Suddenly Oriel and three other unicorns came galloping up the path.

Willow stared. Oriel didn't have his friends with him. He had Sapphire, Troy and Storm instead!

They raced up to the tree.

‘Willow!' they all whinnied.

‘Oriel told us what happened,' Troy exclaimed as he screeched to a stop. ‘He told us about bringing you up here as a joke…'

‘And about the tree blocking the path,' Sapphire gasped.

‘None of
my
friends would believe me,' Oriel said unhappily. ‘They just thought I was trying to trick them.'

‘We hadn't seen you for ages,' Storm said. ‘We were sure what Oriel said must be true. Especially when he told us you'd come here to try and help me.' He nuzzled Willow through the tree's branches. ‘We're going to rescue you!'

‘Stand back!' Oriel told her. ‘And we'll try to move the tree trunk.' He, Storm, Sapphire and Troy began to push the tree with their chests. It moved a few centimetres and then stopped.

‘It's too heavy!' Oriel panted.

‘Give me more room!' Storm said.

They made a bigger space and Storm placed his strong shoulders

against the trunk. ‘All together!' he whinnied.

Willow watched anxiously.

‘Push!' Storm exclaimed.

Storm's muscles strained and he stepped forward step by slow step, pushing the tree out of the way until there was just enough space for Willow to squeeze through.

‘Hurray!' she exclaimed as she squeezed through the gap and plunged on to the path.

The other unicorns broke off pushing and whinnied in delight.

Willow nuzzled Storm. ‘Thank you, Storm!'

‘I didn't do anything much,' Storm said, with a shy grin.

‘We couldn't have done it without you,' Oriel told him. ‘It's lucky you're so big and strong.'