Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 Twisting desperately, Ava grabbed at the branch, the bark biting into her hands as she caught hold. She hung from the tree, legs dangling. "Ava!" squeaked Sophia and Olivia. "I'm right beneath you, Ava," called Star. Ava's arms ached, but she hung on tightly until the branch stopped swaying. Knowing Star was standing beneath her made her feel braver, and she prepared to pull herself back up. It was a bit of a scramble, but at last she was sitting astride the branch again. "Well done!" Sophia called in relief. "Thanks," panted Ava, blowing on her stinging fingers. This time, when Ava offered the spider her hand, it came at once, scuttling into her palm. Ava giggled as its little feet tickled her. Gently, she stroked its back. "Look at you, so cute!"

The spider gazed at her adoringly, then it rubbed its head against her hand and shook its bottom like a happy dog. "Aww!" cooed Ava. "You're gorgeous. Valentina is a total fluff head!" she called to the others. "Cave spiders are the friendliest spiders ever. This one's definitely lost. Sorry, you two, but I can't go on with the scavenger hunt until I've found its cave. I'll catch up with you later." "We're not going anywhere without you," said Sophia. "Where do you think it lives?" "There are some caves a bit farther on through the trees, aren't there, Ava?" called Star. "We went there once when we were looking for shadow-vetch seeds for your garden." "Good thinking!" Holding the spider carefully, Ava slowly climbed down and got back on Star. "Can you take us there, please?" Star whinnied. "Of course!" They set off through the trees until they reached a rocky cliff face. The spider perked up as they got closer, dancing in Ava's hand, its long legs kicking wildly.

Ava couldn't stop giggling. "Is this your home, then? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" In answer, the spider jumped onto Star's back, let out a sparkly pink thread, then used it to sail down to the ground. It scuttled across the grass and into a small cave in the side of the cliff. Ava sighed happily. There was a rustle, and the spider's head popped out of the entrance, its big eyes wobbling. It waved a leg at Ava and Star before disappearing again, this time for good. Ava smiled and hugged Star. "I love a happy ending."

"Me too!" Sophia agreed. "But we haven't finished yet. Where's that list?" She pulled it out of her jodhpurs pocket, laid it on Rainbow's neck, and smoothed out the creases. "We need heart-shaped berries and also a jumping bean. Ava, any ideas?" Ava grinned. "Actually, yes. Follow me…." When every item on the list had been scavenged and safely stored in the backpack, Ava, Sophia, and Olivia raced back to school. Olivia was confident that they'd won. "And all thanks to Ava." Ava wasn't so sure. She wasn't surprised when they saw that Scarlett's team had beaten them back to school. As they rode up to the finish line, Scarlett and Isabel were triumphantly hugging a rather scared-looking Layla. Ava felt sorry for her. Layla was very clever, but Ava was sure that she didn't enjoy galloping as much as everyone else. She gave her a sympathetic smile. "We won!" Isabel boasted loudly. "You did not win!" Ms. Nettles was in charge of checking the bags of scavenged items. She gave a

thin smile, her glasses rattling on her bony nose as she held up a plant. "This is boneheal. You were asked to find knitbone." Isabel scowled. "What? Are you sure? The flowers…" "The red flowers are similar to knitbone, but the leaves are quite different." Ms. Nettles took Ava's bag and pulled out the contents one by one, checking them off her list. "Lovely," she said. "What a fine specimen of knitbone. You must tell me where you found this herb." "I…I…grew it," Ava stammered, the intensity of Ms. Nettles's stare making her uncomfortable. "Really." Ms. Nettles looked thoughtful. Ava looked away, and when she glanced back Ms. Nettles was continuing to empty the bag. "Well done, girls," she said. Her sour face crinkled into a rare smile. "You are the winners! Your prize is a giant bar of chocolate. Don't eat it all before lunch!" "I can't believe it! I never win at anything," said Olivia as they rode their unicorns back to the stables. "Thanks for letting me join your team. I've had so much fun."

It didn't take long to settle the unicorns with a deep bed of fresh straw and an apple and carrot snack. Ava left Star drinking from her water trough, which automatically refilled with colorful water from the lake, before leaving the stables with Sophia and Olivia. "I'm starving," said Sophia. "I hope there's something good for lunch." Lunch was a huge buffet with sandwiches, tapas, pizza, and spring rolls. Ava and her friends ate hungrily, sitting at a table overlooking the lake with all their friends from Sapphire dorm. Isabel was still a little huffy over losing the scavenger hunt, but her smile returned as she plowed through a multicolored ice-cream sundae with cherries for dessert.