Free Wonder Light by R. R. Russell Page A

she cried pitifully.
    â€œShe doesn’t want you to leave, does she?”
    Twig didn’t want to leave Wild Light either. It didn’t seem right for such a new baby to be all alone.
    â€œI know,” Casey said. “We’ll halter them both!”
    â€œI don’t know…” What if the wild unicorns were just waiting for her to come outside? But Ben had said she needed to be tamed.
    In a moment, Casey had Rain Cloud by the halter and Twig had the prancing little Wild Light in the aisle. Casey led Rain Cloud to Wild Light and the pony and the unicorn stood nose to nose. Before Twig could stop her, Wild Light danced playfully around Rain Cloud. She jumped, her leap verging on a rear, right in the pony’s face.
    Twig heard a gasp of alarm. Mrs. Murley had entered the stable, and her eyes were big and round. But Rain Cloud just gave the filly one of his indignant snorts, then a glare of warning. Wild Light retreated a step and gave an I’m sorry—I got too excited whinny.
    Mrs. Murley took hold of Rain Cloud and led him away from Wild Light. “Girls,” she said sternly, “that filly is too young for a halter.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Casey said. “I should’ve asked, huh?”
    â€œI know it’s exciting having a newborn filly, but we have to be careful to keep her safe. And introducing a new animal to a pony is a big deal. It can be dangerous.”
    â€œWe didn’t want to leave Wild Light alone,” Twig said.
    â€œI know. And she might cry when you go, but she really needs to get some rest. Let’s put her back, and when Mr. Murley comes home with a bottle and some formula for her, you can help feed her again. It’s time for you girls to groom your ponies now.”
    ***
    Twig stood in the pasture, watching Rain Cloud and the other ponies. Taylor’s pony, a golden-colored mare named Chatterbox, trotted up to greet Rain Cloud. Rain Cloud’s ears pricked toward Chatterbox, and he nickered softly at her. He looked peaceful enough when he was with his friends, away from Twig.
    â€œHow’s the filly?” Regina said, trying to sound nonchalant.
    â€œLonely.”
    â€œI wonder what happened to her mom.” Regina was quiet for a second. Then, “My mom’s in jail,” she said.
    Regina was waiting for her to say something, maybe to ask, For what? Maybe to say, Mine too . But Twig didn’t feel like saying anything. She didn’t know if her mom even knew where she was. Twig had sent her a letter just before what happened to Emily. Would she write back? If she did, would Keely answer it for her? Would she tell her what she’d done with Twig?
    Maybe, in jail, Mom would be clean enough to care. Maybe. Mom hadn’t put up much of a fuss when the police came. After they took her away, the police had found Daddy, and Daddy had wanted Twig. He’d been looking for her. He’d hugged her and called her Twig , in that way that made her love being Twig. But Daddy had come with Keely.
    Mrs. Murley approached the girls. “Let’s go get Rain Cloud’s tack ready, Twig,” she said, “and then I’ll show you how we catch him and get him saddled up.”
    Mrs. Murley laid some sort of padding and a saddle in Twig’s arms. It was much heavier than Twig expected, and her skinny, worn-to-wobbling arms nearly dropped it.
    Mrs. Murley pretended not to notice as she draped an incomprehensible tangle of leather straps over her own arm. “I’ve been riding Rain Cloud. He’ll be glad to have a break from such a heavy burden.”
    Twig would be glad to have a break from heavy loads herself, but not if it meant riding Rain Cloud, who’d probably spent the last hour in the pasture plotting and laughing his snorty pony laugh with his friends about how he was going to send the new girl flying. Twig considered tossing her armload up in the air and making a run for it. Maybe