Alex nodded sadly. She swallowed hard as she tried not to think about Comet leaving and promised herself that she was going to enjoy every single moment spent with him.

Chapter
SIX

‘Ta-dah! How about that for a water jump?’ Alex said with a proud flourish.

She was in the lower field with Zoe and Saffron and their ponies. There was a large muddy puddle at the bottom of a slope. Earlier, her dad had helped her to position a row of logs along its shortest side.

‘Perfect!’ Zoe said, smiling.

Saffron shrugged, unimpressed. ‘It’s not bad, I suppose.’ Her matching hat cover, gloves and designer gilet were the colour of lime milkshake today and she held a dainty little riding whip.

Alex felt conscious of her muddy boots, old jeans and battered body warmer. She was glad that Zoe was dressed in similar practical clothes.

They all lined up at the water jump.

Zoe and Maxi went first. The brown-and-white pony landed well, picking up his feet as he cantered on to dry grass. Alex went next: Comet jumped perfectly, leaping over the logs and splashing through the water. He even bucked playfully when he’d finished.

Alex laughed aloud. To herself she murmured, ‘Find fault with that, if you can, Saffron.’

Princess, on the other hand, obviously didn’t fancy getting wet. As Saffron rode her towards the logs, the grey pony shied. Taken by surprise, Saffron almost lost her balance. She only just managed to keep her seat as Princess stuck her nose in the air and pranced cheekily round the puddle.

Zoe and Alex laughed at the pony’s antics.

Saffron flushed bright red. ‘Come on, Princess. Stop being naughty!’ Pressing her lips together, she lined her pony up again.

Princess champed at the bit, threw up her head and slowed right down, about to refuse again. Saffron gave her a light tap on the rump with the whip. The grey pony sprang over the log from a standing position and stopped dead in the middle of the puddle.

Alex was helpless with laughter. Princess was really playing up today.

Comet whickered, rolling back his lips as if he was laughing too.

But Saffron had a face like thunder. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ she grumbled to her pony. ‘You’re making me look really stupid!’

‘Why don’t you just try talking to her gently while you squeeze her on?’ Alex suggested reasonably.

‘I know what I’m doing! Dad’s shown me how to deal with a stubborn pony!’ Saffron retorted. She hit her pony on the rump, but Princess still refused to move.

‘I’d like to see how Saffron would like it if someone hit her!’ Alex whispered crossly to Comet. ‘Maybe someone should grab that whip!’

The magic pony’s deep violet eyes glowed with purpose.

Alex felt a familiar tingling sensation flow down to her fingertips as Comet opened his mouth and huffed out a large breath, which turned into a tiny violet fireball. It shot invisibly towards Saffron and Princess trailing tiny bright stars. The fireball burst above them, showering them with violet glitter before dissolving harmlessly. Saffron gasped with surprise as the dainty riding whip flew out of her hand, whizzed through the air and landed two metres away.