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Back One Winter Morning Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. Read More
  55. Two Years Later
  56. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

There is no time to look for a hat. Snatching up the reins and turning once more to throw Kit a look that I hope conveys far more confidence than I feel, I take a deep breath and vault quickly up on to Ekara’s back.

‘Are you sure you’ll be OK?’ Kit grabs my hand. He looks so terrified that I almost bend down to give him a reassuring kiss. Someone I love is out there, alone and in danger, and this time I am here to help. This time I can do something.

I wrap my fingers around his and squeeze.

‘I will be,’ I say. ‘But only if my sister is.’

Then, before Kit has time to reply, I am kicking Ekara into life, and the two of us are thundering out of the yard without a backward glance.

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39

The gate at the far end of the drive is fastened, but instead of slowing down to open it, I dig my heels determinedly into Ekara’s sides and she leaps fearlessly into the air, clearing it by a foot. Gathering up the reins into one hand, I drop the other to the brave mare’s gleaming neck and give her a pat of thanks. Pausing for only a moment to check my bearings, I veer right and gallop up the hill towards the tree-lined path that leads down to the Dart River.

I am aware of the sound of Ekara’s hooves as they pound against the dry ground; I can feel brambles tearing at my bare legs and arms and the wind whipping through my hair, twisting and turning and flattening it against my head. My senses are reeling, my body slotting effortlessly back into the position that it knows so well, but all I can think is that I must find Tui. She is out here somewhere, most likely scared and upset because Kit and I both disregarded her cries for attention. The thought of anything bad happening to her is enough to make me urge Ekara on even faster, my lower legs pressing hard against her heaving sides.

As we crash our way through a partially concealed gap in the undergrowth, I only just spot the low-hanging branch in time, ducking my unshielded head until my face is pressed into the horse’s flying mane. I can only hope that Keith, the pony Tui’s presumably riding, is not going at this speed. Every time I turn a corner, I expect to see her sprawled out unconscious on the ground, the thought making me whimper with fear.