Amber's First Clue by Gillian Shields Page A

mine is the heart,” said Megan, blushing.
    â€œThat must be because you’re so kind.”Amber smiled. Megan was very caring to all the sea creatures, especially the tiny ones. She even had a pet shrimp called Sammy.
    â€œWell, I’ve got the star,” interrupted Poppy, with a bold grin. “So that must mean it’s the best!”
    â€œDon’t be a show-off, Poppy,” said Amber. “All the stardust lockets are beautiful, and they’re all equally important. Remember, this isn’t a game. Everyone in Ice Kingdom is relying on us.”

    The stardust lockets had been given to the young friends by Princess Arctica herself that very day—when disaster had struck Ice Kingdom!
    The evil mermaid Mantora had sneaked into the kingdom and stolen the precious snow diamonds from the underwater Ice Cavern, which was hidden away below the Ice Palace. Clutching the diamonds in her greedy hands, Mantora had swooped into the palace itself. Then she had trapped Princess Arctica and her loyal Merfolk in an enchanted cage of gleaming black icicles.
    Amber would never forget hearing Mantora’s taunting words, echoing through the clear water.
    â€œNow the snow diamonds are mine!” Mantora had laughed scornfully. “If you want them back in time to stop Ice Kingdom from melting away, you will have to be very clever. I have left you a message, my dear Arctica, in your precious Ice Cavern. But first you must get out of this prison of icicles. That is the first puzzle that you must solve! Ha, ha, ha!”

    With a swirl of her dark tail and cloak, Mantora had disappeared, her cruel laughter fading slowly as she swam away with the stolen treasure. The Merfolk didn’t know what to do, but, luckily, Amber and her young friends had been small enough to slip out of the enchanted cage with a wriggle of their bright tails.

    â€œWe’ll go after her, Princess Arctica,” Amber had promised, eagerly pushing her golden hair away from her face. “And we’ll get the snow diamonds back somehow!”
    â€œWait, my brave young mermaids. Take my stardust lockets,” Princess Arctica had urged them, unfastening her glittering jewels and passing them through the jagged bars of ice. “If you find the diamonds, keep them safe in these lockets until you can return them to the Ice Cavern. But you must work quickly, before Ice Kingdom begins to melt.”
    â€œWhere should we look for the diamonds?” Jess had asked in a determined voice.

    â€œSwim first to the Ice Cavern underneath the palace,” the princess swiftly replied. “Mantora said she has left a message there. Perhaps it will be some kind of clue about how to get the diamonds back.”
    The good Merfolk who were trapped with Princess Arctica looked up with new hope at the courageous young Sisters of the Sea.
    â€œBut do you think we could really rescue the diamonds, Your Highness?” gulped gentle Megan. “We’re only little mermaids. How can we fight Mantora?”
    â€œBrave young hearts and minds like yours are what she fears the most,” the princess had reassured her. “Also, the magical lockets I have given you are dusted with the light of the great North Star. They can guide and heal and help, in more ways than you can imagine.”

    The mermaids looked at their sparkling lockets in amazement.
    â€œAnd even though I am now trapped by Mantora’s spell,” continued Princess Arctica, “I will somehow get news of our danger to my cousin, Queen Neptuna, in Coral Kingdom. She will do her best to send you help of some kind. Now go, and take the blessing of the Merfolk with you in this great task!”
    Then the Merfolk had waved through the spiky icicle bars of their enchanted prison and called, “Good luck! Take care!” Blowing one last kiss to their families and summoning up all their courage, the mermaids had set off.
    And so they had reached the secret