‘Let’s go!’
Thoughts racing, Erin followed her into the sky.
C H A P T E R
Ten
When Erin got home, she placed Marianne’s hagstone on the window ledge, but it made her feel odd seeing the hair wound round it, so she covered it up with a book.
She lay in bed, feeling far from sleep. She was really pleased they had got the hagstone, and relieved that Xanthe was going to be there the next night when she had to do the spell to break the rope. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the magic she would have to do.
What if I get it all wrong? she thought worriedly. Tor had said the spell was going to be difficult. What if I can’t do it? I can’t even make it rain or hail properly yet. How can I possibly do difficult weather-weaving magic?
Sitting up, she took a hagstone from the box beside her bed. She turned it round in her hands a few times and then looked at the sky through the hole.
The horses looked darker at night, but she could still see them. They were all moving in different directions – heads tossing and half rearing as they wheeled around and occasionally lashed out at each other with hooves and teeth. They looked more restless and agitated than she had ever seen before.
A strange cloud shape near some trees caught Erin’s eye. It was an almost circular cloud with a hole in the middle; she was suddenly reminded of the round stone at World’s End. It looked just the same!
A foal was standing by it, staring at the hole. Something about this colt reminded Erin of Tor – the proud curve of his neck, the dark eyes rimmed by grey shadows, the prick of his intelligent ears. He was staring into the hole, almost as if he could see something.
Whatever he was seeing he didn’t seem to like. He tossed his short mane and swung round in a circle before looking at the hole again. This time, he half reared in agitation.
A mare came trotting over to him; she was snow white and very beautiful. Erin recognized her as the mare who was usually bossing about the groups of young horses and leading the other mares and foals. Her dark eyes were bright and her mane and tail were long and silken. The colt nudged her anxiously with his nose and then half reared again.
Something was clearly troubling him. Erin wondered what it was, but there was no way of telling. Maybe he was Tor’s son, Mistral. He must be missing his father. Determination flooded through her.
I’ll help Tor get back to you , she vowed, cradling the hagstone in her cupped hands. However difficult it is, I’ll do the unbinding spell. I will!
By the next morning a fierce wind had built up. It was much too windy and wet to ride, but Erin and Chloe still hung around at the stables helping tidy the rug room and clean tack. Nicky and Jo had agreed to the sleepover and Nicky collected them at tea time.
As Nicky drove them back from the stables, Erin watched the rain pouring down. Water was spilling on to the roads from the surrounding fields. If the rain didn’t stop soon, then there would be massive floods. The radio was on and she could hear the weatherman on it talking about the dreadful weather they were having, issuing a flood warning and telling people to take care.
They had just gone back to the house when Xanthe arrived. Her long blonde hair was tied back with a scarf and she had a wide smile on her face. She hurried through the wind and rain to the doorway and kissed Nicky. Then she turned to the girls. ‘Hi, Chloe!’ She swept her goddaughter into a hug and then smiled at Erin. ‘And you must be Erin.’
Erin nodded shyly. It was strange actually meeting Xanthe properly after hearing about her so much.
Xanthe leant down to kiss her cheek in greeting. ‘We’ll talk later,’ she murmured in a voice only Erin could hear.
It seemed ages before she and Chloe got Xanthe on her own. First of all, Xanthe had a coffee and chat with Chloe’s mum and dad, and produced a present for them – tickets to the theatre that evening and a night
Thoughts racing, Erin followed her into the sky.
C H A P T E R
Ten
When Erin got home, she placed Marianne’s hagstone on the window ledge, but it made her feel odd seeing the hair wound round it, so she covered it up with a book.
She lay in bed, feeling far from sleep. She was really pleased they had got the hagstone, and relieved that Xanthe was going to be there the next night when she had to do the spell to break the rope. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the magic she would have to do.
What if I get it all wrong? she thought worriedly. Tor had said the spell was going to be difficult. What if I can’t do it? I can’t even make it rain or hail properly yet. How can I possibly do difficult weather-weaving magic?
Sitting up, she took a hagstone from the box beside her bed. She turned it round in her hands a few times and then looked at the sky through the hole.
The horses looked darker at night, but she could still see them. They were all moving in different directions – heads tossing and half rearing as they wheeled around and occasionally lashed out at each other with hooves and teeth. They looked more restless and agitated than she had ever seen before.
A strange cloud shape near some trees caught Erin’s eye. It was an almost circular cloud with a hole in the middle; she was suddenly reminded of the round stone at World’s End. It looked just the same!
A foal was standing by it, staring at the hole. Something about this colt reminded Erin of Tor – the proud curve of his neck, the dark eyes rimmed by grey shadows, the prick of his intelligent ears. He was staring into the hole, almost as if he could see something.
Whatever he was seeing he didn’t seem to like. He tossed his short mane and swung round in a circle before looking at the hole again. This time, he half reared in agitation.
A mare came trotting over to him; she was snow white and very beautiful. Erin recognized her as the mare who was usually bossing about the groups of young horses and leading the other mares and foals. Her dark eyes were bright and her mane and tail were long and silken. The colt nudged her anxiously with his nose and then half reared again.
Something was clearly troubling him. Erin wondered what it was, but there was no way of telling. Maybe he was Tor’s son, Mistral. He must be missing his father. Determination flooded through her.
I’ll help Tor get back to you , she vowed, cradling the hagstone in her cupped hands. However difficult it is, I’ll do the unbinding spell. I will!
By the next morning a fierce wind had built up. It was much too windy and wet to ride, but Erin and Chloe still hung around at the stables helping tidy the rug room and clean tack. Nicky and Jo had agreed to the sleepover and Nicky collected them at tea time.
As Nicky drove them back from the stables, Erin watched the rain pouring down. Water was spilling on to the roads from the surrounding fields. If the rain didn’t stop soon, then there would be massive floods. The radio was on and she could hear the weatherman on it talking about the dreadful weather they were having, issuing a flood warning and telling people to take care.
They had just gone back to the house when Xanthe arrived. Her long blonde hair was tied back with a scarf and she had a wide smile on her face. She hurried through the wind and rain to the doorway and kissed Nicky. Then she turned to the girls. ‘Hi, Chloe!’ She swept her goddaughter into a hug and then smiled at Erin. ‘And you must be Erin.’
Erin nodded shyly. It was strange actually meeting Xanthe properly after hearing about her so much.
Xanthe leant down to kiss her cheek in greeting. ‘We’ll talk later,’ she murmured in a voice only Erin could hear.
It seemed ages before she and Chloe got Xanthe on her own. First of all, Xanthe had a coffee and chat with Chloe’s mum and dad, and produced a present for them – tickets to the theatre that evening and a night
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