Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE Cross-country was one of Freya's favourite lessons– she loved galloping and jumping, and Honey loved it too. However, for once she was glad when their lesson finished. If she was going to work on the robot that evening, she needed to get all her homework done during the lunch break. "Come on, Honey, let's get back to the stables as quickly as we can," she urged. "Do we have to?" Honey said. "It's a lovely sunny day. We could go to the play park." "I can't. I need to do my homework," said Freya. "There's no time for homework now," said Rosa, overhearing. "We agreed to go pumpkin

picking with Miki and Himmat this lunchtime, remember? For the party." Freya groaned inwardly. "Do you really need me? I've got loads to do." "You have to come and help," said Rosa. "The pumpkins are massive and it's going to take all of us to pick them and take them to the stables." "OK," sighed Freya. "As soon as we've settled our unicorns we'll meet at the stable entrance and go to the pumpkin patch," said Rosa, hurrying away. Honey snorted. "Do you have to go, Freya? We hardly see each other at the moment." "You see me lots," Freya said. "Only in lessons. You never visit me the rest of the time. I miss you." Freya felt guilty. "I promise that I'll change that, soon," she said. "I'm just really busy working on my invention." Honey huffed. "I think you like your invention more than you like me." "I don't!" exclaimed Freya. She wished she could tell Honey that the invention was for her.

It's just a couple more days, she told herself. Then Honey will understand. "Wow! Look at these pumpkins!" said Freya a little while later, as she stared at the sea of massive purple pumpkins in the walled vegetable garden. She picked her way carefully between the pumpkins, trying not to let their curly green tendrils trip her up. Miki stopped beside a huge pumpkin. "Someone help me here." Himmat rushed over and held the pumpkin while Miki cut through its thick spikey stem. Then Freya and Rosa helped them to lift it into Miki's wheelbarrow. Pumpkin picking took much longer than Freya had expected but they had a good haul of pumpkins to show for it. They carted them to the stables in the wheelbarrows.

"Goodness me! What are you going to do with all those?" Ms Willow, the school nurse, came out of her unicorn's stable with some rolls of ribbon in her hands. She was young and pretty and the girls really liked her. She was always fussing over her unicorn, Daffodil, decorating her yellow and orange mane with elaborate plaits or pottering around the gardens with her, gathering

herbs to make medicines from. Daffodil had healing magic but Ms Willow liked to use herbal medicines on sick or injured students whenever possible so as not to tire Daffodil out. She really did adore her little unicorn! "We're going to use them to play a game of leapfrog in the small barn, Miss," said Rosa. The others exchanged grins. Rosa had conveniently missed out the vital fact that it was going to be a midnight game! "In the barn?" Ms Willow said in surprise. "Why not outside?" "Just in case it rains," Rosa invented. "It's all right if we play in the barn, isn't it? It's never used for anything." Ms Willow smiled. "It's fine. Enjoy yourselves!" She headed into the tack room. Diamond and Topaz dorm wheeled the pumpkins into the old stone barn and arranged them around the empty space. Their unicorns came out of their stalls to watch. "They're massive!" said Crystal, Rosa's

unicorn. Rosa nodded. "They're going to be perfect for playing leapfrog." She tried to leapfrog a huge one and got stuck on top of it. She collapsed to the ground, giggling. Freya suddenly realised Honey hadn't come outside with everyone else. She went to find her. Honey was in her stall, picking at a net of hay.