Quest for the Sun Gem by Belinda Murrell Page B

surreptitiously trying to mop his crotch dry. ‘I knew these forests were haunted.’
    ‘Let’s go and wake Lieutenant Foulash. There’s no point staying here with the prisoners gone.’
    ‘By the Emperor Raef, he’ll have our heads for batting practice,’ exclaimed the other.
    Lily, Ethan and Saxon chose this moment to gallop wildly out the stable door and through the yard, brandishing daggers in the air. They pulled up sharply at the entranceway, waving cheekily back to the guards.
    ‘Yoohoo, oh terrifying soldiers of Sedah!’ yelled Saxon. ‘Whatever will Lieutenant Foulash say when he finds out you’ve mislaid all his prisoners!’
    ‘Quick, on the horses – let’s get them,’ screamed the skinny guard. ‘We may be able to save our skins yet.’
    Both men ran to the two horses tethered in the yard. At a flying run, they leapt for their stirrups, only to spill ignominiously to the ground with the saddles falling heavily on top of them.
    Ethan, Lily and Saxon laughed uproariously.
    Ethan turned Toffee back and rode towards the two guards, who stared at him dumbfounded.
    ‘I think you forgot to check your girths,’ hechuckled. ‘A good rider always checks his girth.’ He grinned down at them cheekily, waving the missing leather girths at the guards as he rode back to the others.
    The three children rode off into the darkness, giggling to themselves at the memory of the looks on the guards’ faces.
    ‘Here, Lily,’ whispered Ethan. ‘Take Toffee’s reins. I’m going back to see if they’ll chase me. Saxon, you meet me round the back of the barn at the chute. Lily, if they follow me, padlock the barn door after us.’
    Ethan ran back out into the light of the courtyard. The two guards were just climbing onto their now barebacked mounts.
    ‘Yoohoo, you big fat cowards,’ Ethan yelled. ‘Bet you can’t catch me.’ Ethan poked out his tongue and pulled a dreadful face. Then he turned on his heels and raced across the courtyard and into the barn. The two guards bellowed with rage, and immediately gave chase.
    Ethan tore straight through the barn and slid down the chute into the manure in the pit below. The guards gave chase but hesitated momentarily at the top of the chute, reluctant to receive a repeat performance. Behind them, Lily clicked the padlockbolt into place, locking the barn door from the outside, while Saxon helped Ethan slam the chute trapdoor at the back.
    The two guards were helplessly trapped inside the barn and started making a terrible din, yelling and screaming.
    The horses in the stables started to snort in fear at the racket. Lily could not bear to leave them in the hands of the Sedah soldiers. One by one she opened their stable doors and whickered encouragingly to them.
    Ethan and Saxon came to see what she was doing.
    ‘I’m going to let the horses go,’ Lily said firmly. ‘I would rather they ran free in the forest than were taken by the Sedahs!’
    ‘Great idea,’ agreed Ethan approvingly. ‘Plus all their hoofprints will help to confuse that tracker, Sniffer.’
    When all the stalls were open, a herd of Tiregian’s best hunters, hacks, ponies and carriage horses trotted out into the moonlight, tossing their heads and shaking their manes. They paused, snuffling the night air, then as one they swerved towards the forest and galloped off into the darkness, splitting off to go in all directions through the trees.
    The sight filled Lily’s heart with elation. She vaulted onto Nutmeg’s chestnut back.
    ‘Come on, boys,’ Lily called quietly, with a grin of pure elation. ‘With all the racket you’ve been making, we’ll have the entire invading force of Sedah on our heels in moments. Let’s get out of here.’
    Ethan and Saxon grinned as they leapt on their borrowed horses and saluted smartly. The three of them galloped off into the forest, with Aisha at their heels, their hearts bursting with pride and joy. They had won a battle. The prisoners were free and the