Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cloud landed with a whump, his hooves sinking into soft ground. Isabel opened her eyes and stared at her surroundings. The map had worked! She was in the middle of a sunny beach. The sea was a deep blue and a salty breeze sent frothy waves licking at the shore. "It's not raining here," said Scarlett, squinting up at the clear sky. "It's lovely." Isabel stretched out her arms, letting the sun warm her. Her hand snagged on something caught in Cloud's mane. "What's this?" she asked, holding up a tiny model of Unicorn Academy. Scarlett grinned. "That's our way home. Don't lose it or we'll be galloping all the way back." Isabel pushed the model deep down in her

pocket. There wasn't time to ride back. They had to find the rain seeds and get them to the academy before everyone was sent away. She eyed the coastline stretching away in both directions, and then the caves and steep cliffs behind her. Her mind started to form a plan. "It's going to take ages to find the rain seeds," she said, silently adding, if they're even here. "We should split up. Ava and Sophia, you take the beach. Olivia and Layla, you…" She was about to say climb up and search the cliff paths but then she noticed that Layla was looking pale. Remembering how she'd felt when she'd been climbing the clock tower, Isabel gave Layla the choice. "Layla, would you prefer to search the cliff paths or the caves?"

"The caves." Layla smiled gratefully. "OK, you two check the caves and Scarlett and I will go up the cliffs," said Isabel bravely. "Good luck, everyone." She smiled encouragingly. "We can do this. We can find the seeds!" Isabel tried not to notice the height of the cliffs as they set off. The sand stretched out invitingly in front of them. "Let's gallop there!" she said. She wanted to be the first to find the seeds. But Cloud slowed down to a walk. "I don't think we should. The ground feels spongy– there might be sinking sand." "But—" said Isabel. "We won't find the seeds if we get stuck," interrupted Cloud. Isabel fell silent. Cloud had a good point. She let him set the pace and concentrated on scanning the cliffs, hoping to see somewhere that rain seeds might be hidden.

As Cloud and Blaze started up the steep cliff path, Isabel wound a lock of Cloud's silvery- blue mane around her hands for courage. When Isabel saw a flash of blue from under a bush, Cloud left the path to investigate. The cliff face was steep with loose stones and Isabel clung on tightly as Cloud inched forward. Suddenly he lost his footing and slid several metres down before a scratchy bush broke his fall. Isabel's heart banged wildly against her ribs. The island magic would stop her from falling off but would it protect Cloud from falling down the cliff? "I'm fine," gasped Cloud, sensing Isabel's worry. He edged up to where she had seen the flash of blue but she was disappointed to see it was just a blue stone hidden by some golden flowers.

They went on a bit further and Scarlett spotted something blue in a hollow. Isabel held her breath as Blaze walked sideways across the cliff face to reach it. Scarlet slid from his back and stuck her arm in the hole. "She's found them!" Isabel was so relieved the seeds had been found that she realised she didn't care that it was Scarlett who had got to them first. But her relief was cruelly dashed when Scarlett held up a blue feather. "Not the seeds," said Scarlett ruefully. Undeterred, they continued the search. At the top of the cliff, Cloud said they