Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE Matilda and Pearl rode at the front as she and her friends left their camp to find the Heart Tree. "We're going to be really helpful," she whispered to Pearl. "We'll look really hard and find as many things on the list as we can while we ride. Then the others won't think I'm useless." "You're definitely not useless," Pearl said, loyally. "You're great!" "Thanks." Matilda stroked Pearl's neck but she was still smarting from the others' words.

Did Freya and Rosa really think she was stupid, and did Ariana really think her drawings were just scribbles? She swallowed, feeling unusually down in the dumps. She wasn't used to feeling that her friends were unhappy with her. "Is that Valentina?" Violet said suddenly. "What is she doing? And look at that chair!" In the middle of a circle of trees, Valentina was sitting on a comfy blue chair that was padded with silver cushions. She was shouting out instructions to the other girls in Ruby dorm, who were busy running around her. "Valentina, I've found something pink. It's up there, at the top of that tree. It looks like a feather from a rose finch," said Isla, a petite girl with short brown hair. "I don't want to just hear about it. Go and get it," said Valentina, bossily. "But it's too high for me to climb." Valentina stared up at the tree. "It is high but Golden Briar can get it down with his wind

magic. Where is he?" "I'm here." Golden Briar was munching on a bucket of sky berries while the other unicorns were helping their girls. He wandered over. "You need my wind magic again? What for this time?" Valentina and Golden Briar were second years. Golden Briar had found his magic last year but as he hadn't bonded with Valentina they hadn't been allowed to graduate, so had stayed at the academy. "See that pink feather up there? Blow it down!" Valentina reached for a chocolate from the bag next to her. Her face tightened when she noticed Matilda and her dorm-mates approaching. "I mean, I wish we could use your wind magic to get the feather," she said hurriedly. "But we can't because that would be cheating. And Ruby dorm would never cheat, would we, girls?" Isla looked bewildered. "But earlier on you

said that using Golden Briar's magic wasn't cheating because—"

"Because we aren't going to use any magic," said Valentina loudly. "What are you staring at?" she added, glaring at Matilda. "Oh, I know. A successful team." "A big fat cheating team, more like," said Matilda crossly. "I know you were going to use Golden Briar's magic to get that feather." "You can think what you like. You didn't see anything. And personally, I don't think having magic would make any difference to your chances, Matilda. Not unless it's super strong tidying magic. I mean, look at the state of you. Do you even own a comb? Oh, don't tell me, I expect it broke in that bird's nest you call hair. Go away and take your loser friends with you. You're not going to win the scavenger hunt. We are!" Matilda tensed. "Ignore her," said Violet. "She's not worth it." "You're right." Matilda breathed out slowly.

"Let's go." "Ruby dorm can't be allowed to cheat," said Ariana angrily, as the Diamond girls rode away. "I know, it's not fair," Violet agreed. "But what can we do? If we tell the teachers then we'll just look like snitches." "I think we should tell," said Rosa. "Cheating's wrong. What do you think Freya? Freya, are you even listening?" Freya was sitting on Honey's back, a faraway look in her eyes. "Yes, totally," she said, blinking. "Whatever you say." Rosa sighed in frustration. "I hate telling tales," said Matilda. "Let's not say anything. We'll just have to make sure that Diamond dorm wins." "Yes, let's do that!" said Rosa, looking happier. On the way to the middle of the woods, they skirted a pond and Rosa found a sparkling hag stone in the water. Then Violet spotted a green