Chapter 9

Chapter nine, Lyra and Misty had just reached the entrance to the tunnel in the rose garden when they heard the sound of hooves. Lyra swung round and saw the rest of Ruby dorm galloping across the moonlit grass towards them. "There they are!" "Lyra! Misty! Wait!" Sienna and Sparkle reached them first. "What are you doing?" Sienna demanded as Sparkle skidded to a halt. "I was about to go back to sleep when I realised you were fully dressed and that you had your explorer's bag," said Evie, catching up, "so I woke the others." "We went to the stables and saw that Misty was gone," Sienna continued. "Then we spotted some hoofprints on the frosty grass so we followed them." "And now we've found you!" finished Ivy. "You were about to go hunting for the map without us, weren't you?" Sienna grinned. "Well, it doesn't matter because now we're coming along too. An early-morning adventure, how awesome is that?" Lyra felt her heart lift. "Very awesome!" she said, grinning back. "But first we need to be prepared." She rummaged around in her bag and handed out torches. "OK, everyone ready?" They all nodded. "Then follow me!" Lyra and Misty led the way carefully into the tunnel, crossing the

uneven ground until they reached the end and came out into the cavern where the sparkling river disappeared through the rocky wall.

该页暂无翻译

"We didn't find the map in this tunnel, so it must be in that one!" said Sienna, pointing to the smaller tunnel that they hadn't taken. "Are you sure? It doesn't have a picture of Daybreak either," Lyra pointed out. "I think we should go back to the last carving we found." "Lyra's right," said Misty. "If the pictures have led us this far, it doesn't seem right that they suddenly disappear. Let's go back to the last one and have another look around." Lyra felt a rush of gratitude to Misty for backing her up. She stroked her neck. "Thanks," she whispered as they retraced their steps. Misty snorted happily, and for the first time ever Lyra felt as if they were a real team. When they got back to the last picture of Daybreak there was only one way to go. Lyra thought that was odd. All the other carvings had been at tunnel junctions where they had to make decisions. Her mind whirred as she studied it. There was a faint circle surrounding it– identical to the one enclosing the picture on the stair back in their tower. Holding her breath, Lyra leant down from Misty's back and pressed it hard. Would it work? The carving moved under her fingers, followed by a loud grating noise. Everyone cried out as a section of the rocky wall at the end of the cavern slid to the side. Through the gap they could see the river widening out and flowing on through more caves. "That must be where we have to go!" cried Lyra. "Remember the clue: Find Daybreak, move stone, follow river deep!" Evie nodded. "Find Daybreak, move stone must have meant pressing the button." "So now we follow the deep river," said Lyra. Misty trotted to the gap. From there Lyra saw that the river had a wide bank on both sides and that there was a large wooden raft tied to a rock, which was bobbing gently on the moving water. "A raft! Let's use it to float down the river." "Awesome!" said Sienna. They all clambered through the opening. "Oh, wow, I've never been on a raft before," said Evie, sliding off Sunshine and scrambling across the bank towards the rafts. She reached out to pull it closer but as she did so she overbalanced, toppling into the water with a splash. She yelled and

thrashed about as the current started to carry her down the river. Sunshine whinnied in alarm and raced to the water. "Evie!" Sienna yelled, jumping off Sparkle. She ran to the edge of the bank and reached out her hand. "Evie, grab hold!" Lyra leapt off Misty too and also raced over, holding her hand out as well. If they could just grab Evie as she came past… "Be careful, Lyra!" Misty whinnied shrilly, stamping her hooves in agitation. Purple sparks suddenly swirled into the air along with the sweet

smell of burnt sugar. Glancing round, Lyra saw Misty surrounded by a swirl of iridescent purple bubbles. One bubble swelled as it floated towards the river, shimmering as it grew. It landed on the water, where it seemed to dissolve then reform around Evie. Lyra watched in amazement as the bubble carried Evie safely to dry land and then burst, sending thousands of tiny shiny bubbles spinning away overhead. "Wh-what just happened?" Lyra stammered as Sunshine started nuzzling Evie. "Misty's found her magic, you doughnut! What do you think just happened?" cried Sienna, thumping her on the back. "Oh, well done, Misty!" cried Ivy, and all the unicorns whinnied in delight. "Th-thank you, Misty!" stammered Evie, her teeth chattering. She was soaked and it was cold in the caverns. "I'm so sorry, everyone!" Lyra stared at Misty in awe. "You got your magic." "Bubble magic just like my mum," said Misty, looking delighted. "It means that I can protect things, make objects float in the air or even make bubble bridges. There's all sorts I'll be able to do once I've learnt to control it," she added. "It's brilliant magic!" said Ivy. Lyra threw her arms round Misty's neck, happiness shooting through her. Misty had found her magic! "Three cheers for Misty," said Sienna generously. "You found your magic at just the right time." "Yes, thanks again, Misty," said Evie. "We'd better go back and get you dried off," said Ivy, taking in Evie's dripping clothes and chattering teeth. "But what about the map?" Lyra said. "We've come this far. We can't go back now." "Evie will catch a chill if she stays in her wet clothes," said Sunshine, breathing warm air on Evie's face. Lyra felt bad. She didn't want to make Evie ill but they were so close to discovering the next clue. Suddenly she had an idea. Rummaging in her rucksack, she pulled out a shiny silver blanket and handed it to Evie. "Here, put this round you. It's a survival blanket. It's really light but it will keep you warm. I've also got spare gloves, socks and a hoodie too," she