sat where they were, unable to speak.
Mia collected herself, and called over to Charlie. “We’re going to find a way over to you a bit further up.”
Charlie nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak just yet, as tears of shock were suddenlywelling in her eyes. She and Phantom were now standing on a lane outside the Abbey grounds, on one side of a stout hedge. There was an area further along where the hedge was a bit smaller, and the others popped their ponies over from an active trot. Even Dancer didn’t think twice – she was so pumped that she flew straight over.
Once they were all on the lane, they rode over to where Charlie and Phantom were waiting. Charlie leant forward and hugged her horse around his hot neck, feeling utterly grateful that he was alive. The other three ponies were dark with sweat, and still twitchy.
“Did anyone see Mr Pyke?” Charlie whispered. “I can’t believe he’d actually shoot at us like that – he must be mad! I feel like riding back in there and telling him as much, too!”
Mia could tell that, as brave as Charlie might sound, she wasn’t really in the mood for going back into the Abbey grounds. Especially not to confront Mr Pyke.
“Well, it’s not the first time he’s taken a pot shot, is it?” Alice reminded them, shakily.
The others nodded, wondering how anyone could be so reckless.
“Come on, we’d better get the ponies back,” Mia said. She meant it as much for her friends, as well as the ponies. She could see how pale the girls all looked, and knew that she must look exactly the same.
“Okay,” Rosie puffed, her breath still coming in shallow gasps, “but we need to go to the village shop first.”
The others stared at her, wondering if the fright had turned her a bit peculiar.
“What on earth do you want to go there for?” Charlie asked, wanting to get home, and see Phantom safely tucked up.
“I want to go there,” Rosie said, her jaw set, looking determined, “because I think we should sign that petition against the Abbey, and I think we should sign it now.”
Rosie stepped into the shop just before it closed. She fished about in her pocket to see if she hadany change hiding somewhere in the depths of her jods. She was convinced, as she walked up to the noticeboard to look for the petition, that some chocolate would settle her shaken nerves very nicely She’d left Alice holding Dancer. Her pony had tired quickly after her exertions, and was standing with her muzzle dramatically low, almost touching the floor. Dancer’s eyes were still goggly, but as Rosie disappeared inside the village shop with a ping of the door, the little pony was busy lapping up all the sympathetic pats she was getting from the other three girls.
Rosie found just enough change to buy a bar of fudge. She had planned to have a bite and share the rest with the others. Only, with Rosie distracted by the noticeboard, the fudge had disappeared bite by bite without her realising. She had found the petition and borrowed a pen from Mrs Gleeson behind the counter. Rosie flipped over the first, completely filled page, and added her and her three friends’ names at the top of the next. Then she began to scan the first page to see who else had signed. Suddenly her eyes almost popped out of her head.She dropped the pen, started to choke on the last mouthful of fudge, and rushed to the door.
“You… you…” Rosie gulped and coughed and spluttered. “You’ll never… believe… this! You… have… to see it!”
Rosie dashed back inside the shop, leaving the others staring, mystified, at each other.
“I’ll wait with the ponies,” Charlie offered, not wanting to leave Phantom. “You two go in and see what Rosie’s on about.”
Mia and Alice jumped down, wincing with pain as they landed on frozen feet.
“This had better be worth it,” Alice said, hobbling into the shop. Charlie stood, peering through the window, while holding all four sets of reins. The others were
Mia collected herself, and called over to Charlie. “We’re going to find a way over to you a bit further up.”
Charlie nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak just yet, as tears of shock were suddenlywelling in her eyes. She and Phantom were now standing on a lane outside the Abbey grounds, on one side of a stout hedge. There was an area further along where the hedge was a bit smaller, and the others popped their ponies over from an active trot. Even Dancer didn’t think twice – she was so pumped that she flew straight over.
Once they were all on the lane, they rode over to where Charlie and Phantom were waiting. Charlie leant forward and hugged her horse around his hot neck, feeling utterly grateful that he was alive. The other three ponies were dark with sweat, and still twitchy.
“Did anyone see Mr Pyke?” Charlie whispered. “I can’t believe he’d actually shoot at us like that – he must be mad! I feel like riding back in there and telling him as much, too!”
Mia could tell that, as brave as Charlie might sound, she wasn’t really in the mood for going back into the Abbey grounds. Especially not to confront Mr Pyke.
“Well, it’s not the first time he’s taken a pot shot, is it?” Alice reminded them, shakily.
The others nodded, wondering how anyone could be so reckless.
“Come on, we’d better get the ponies back,” Mia said. She meant it as much for her friends, as well as the ponies. She could see how pale the girls all looked, and knew that she must look exactly the same.
“Okay,” Rosie puffed, her breath still coming in shallow gasps, “but we need to go to the village shop first.”
The others stared at her, wondering if the fright had turned her a bit peculiar.
“What on earth do you want to go there for?” Charlie asked, wanting to get home, and see Phantom safely tucked up.
“I want to go there,” Rosie said, her jaw set, looking determined, “because I think we should sign that petition against the Abbey, and I think we should sign it now.”
Rosie stepped into the shop just before it closed. She fished about in her pocket to see if she hadany change hiding somewhere in the depths of her jods. She was convinced, as she walked up to the noticeboard to look for the petition, that some chocolate would settle her shaken nerves very nicely She’d left Alice holding Dancer. Her pony had tired quickly after her exertions, and was standing with her muzzle dramatically low, almost touching the floor. Dancer’s eyes were still goggly, but as Rosie disappeared inside the village shop with a ping of the door, the little pony was busy lapping up all the sympathetic pats she was getting from the other three girls.
Rosie found just enough change to buy a bar of fudge. She had planned to have a bite and share the rest with the others. Only, with Rosie distracted by the noticeboard, the fudge had disappeared bite by bite without her realising. She had found the petition and borrowed a pen from Mrs Gleeson behind the counter. Rosie flipped over the first, completely filled page, and added her and her three friends’ names at the top of the next. Then she began to scan the first page to see who else had signed. Suddenly her eyes almost popped out of her head.She dropped the pen, started to choke on the last mouthful of fudge, and rushed to the door.
“You… you…” Rosie gulped and coughed and spluttered. “You’ll never… believe… this! You… have… to see it!”
Rosie dashed back inside the shop, leaving the others staring, mystified, at each other.
“I’ll wait with the ponies,” Charlie offered, not wanting to leave Phantom. “You two go in and see what Rosie’s on about.”
Mia and Alice jumped down, wincing with pain as they landed on frozen feet.
“This had better be worth it,” Alice said, hobbling into the shop. Charlie stood, peering through the window, while holding all four sets of reins. The others were
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