Free Sea Horses by Louise Cooper Page A

to them on the wind.
    Tamzin splashed through the shallow stream that spread across the beach, running to catch up with the pony. As she emerged from the shadow of the headlands the moon's cold white eye sailed out from behind the cliff, bathing the scene in spectral light. The wind was much stronger here, whipping her hair back and blowing a fine mist of spume in her face, and the sea's noise had grown to a roar. It was like a voice calling to her with a strange, wordless power. She stopped, suddenly afraid, but Moonlight whinnied again and came to meet her.
    ‘Moonlight!’ Tamzin hugged his neck, feeling his warm breath on her face. ‘What is it? What do you want?’
    Joel came hurrying up and took hold of Moonlight's halter rope. This time Moonlight didn't try to jerk away. Instead he pulled, quite gently but with real determination.
    ‘He still wants us to follow,’ Joel said. ‘Where, though?’
    ‘I don't know,’ said Tamzin. ‘But we've got to go with him.’
    Moonlight tugged insistently on the rope again, as if agreeing with her. Joel stared at the sea and narrowed his eyes. ‘The tide's turned. It's coming in.’
    ‘Maybe, but we've got to find out what Moonlight wants!’ Tamzin looked up and down the length of the beach, which stretched away into the vague distance. She admitted to herself that she was scared. Scared of the night and the thundering surf and the incoming tide. Yet she had come this far. She couldn't back out now. This mystery had to be solved.
    ‘All right,’ Joel said. ‘We'll let him lead us a bit further, and see what he does.’ He slackened the halter rope. ‘Come on then, Moonlight. Show us.’
    Moonlight immediately set off. Tamzin and Joel went with him, and at first they thought he was heading for the edge of the sea. But suddenly he veered off to the left, and Joel realized what he meant to do.
    ‘He wants to go round the headland!’ he said breathlessly. ‘We can't let him. It's dangerous. We might get cut off by the tide!’ He hauled on the rope, trying to stop the pony. ‘Moonlight! Moonlight, whoa!’
    Moonlight fought him, whinnying and rearing, and Tamzin cried, ‘Joel, let him go! He knows what he's doing!’ A huge, suffocating sense of excitement was building up in her. They were close to something, she knew it – something vital!
    Impulsively she made a grab for Moonlight's rope and snatched it out of Joel's hand. Joel shouted, ‘Tam, don't!’ But Moonlight was already trotting away, and Tamzin was running with him. For a second Joel hesitated. Then he raced after them towards the headland.
    As if he knew that Tamzin could not run at his speed, Moonlight kept his pace across the sand to a trot. But Tamzin could feel his excitement. It was like an electric charge transmitted through the halter rope. Whatever Moonlight wanted her to see, it was very close.
    The pony passed the first cave but as they drew level with the second he wheeled sharply and pulled towards the yawning mouth. The cave looked black and vast and menacing, and Tamzin's own excitement was swamped by a wave of fear. She tried to push it down, telling herself that it was only a cave and darkness couldn't hurt her. Moonlight was walking now, and she laid a hand on his neck to give herself courage.
    They reached the entrance of the cave and were just about to go inside when Joel caught up with them. ‘Tam!’ He grabbed her arm. ‘You can't go in there!’
    Moonlight snorted angrily. Tamzin stared at the cave's black interior and swallowed. ‘I think I've got to,’ she said, her voice unsteady. ‘Moonlight wants it. It's important.’
    ‘Look at the tide!’ Joel pointed towards the sea's edge. ‘It's coming in fast, there isn't time!’
    ‘There is,’ Tamzin said stubbornly. ‘Moonlight knows. He won't let me come to any harm.’ She flashed Joel a look that was pleading and challenging at the same time. ‘I've got to do it, Joel. I'm going to, whether you come with me or