#3: A New Friend (Tales of Sasha) Read online

  Sasha’s stomach dropped. She’d been

  so sure it had been Sapphire.

  “I did pick Verdant Valley. Caleb

  showed me that the horses there were

  kind,” said Sapphire.

  Sasha thought about this. “If you

  chose the place, does that mean you

  know where I came from?”

  Before Sapphire could answer, music

  filled the air. A pink horse began to sing.

  Others tapped their hooves in time with

  the beat.

  “Enjoy the party!” cried Sapphire.

  “It’s for you. We’ll talk tomorrow.” She

  hurried away.

  Fireflies filled the night sky. They

  spelled SASHA with their lights. A huge

  apple-and-carrot cake was wheeled in

  front of her.

  “Don’t you think it’s strange that

  you’re such a big deal here?” asked

  Wyatt.

  “Maybe, but I like it.” Sasha had never

  had a big party before. She tapped her

  hooves happily to the music.

  “Let’s dance!” Kimani lifted her body

  several inches off the ground.

  “How do I do that?” Sasha wanted

  to hover like a hummingbird, too.

  “It’s easy.” Kimani showed Sasha how

  to move her wings in small circles. Sasha

  rose off the ground.

  “Time to twirl!” called Kimani.

  Together, they twirled above Wyatt.

  “You should dance, too,” called Sasha.

  “I’m stuck down here,” said Wyatt.

  “You can dance there.” Sasha wished

  Wyatt wasn’t being such a party pooper.

  Kimani and Sasha twirled until they

  were both dizzy.

  Thwack! Wyatt’s tail playfully swatted

  Sasha. She dropped to the ground.

  “You can’t do that.” Kimani narrowed

  her eyes at Wyatt.

  “I do it all the time.” Wyatt was

  forever swatting his tail at Sasha.

  “You don’t get it,” said Kimani. “She’s

  Sasha.”

  “I know who she is.” Wyatt turned

  to Sasha. “It’s time to go home.”

  “We’re having peppermint ice cream

  soon,” said Kimani.

  “That sounds yummy.” Then Sasha

  saw Wyatt scowl. “But we need to go

  back.”

  “It’s too late to leave. The ferry

  doesn’t run after dark. Wyatt can’t

  get across the lake,” said Kimani. The

  lake was too wide to swim across, and

  Wyatt couldn’t fly.

  “Stay here tonight. We’ll have a

  sleepover!” Kimani’s violet eyes twinkled

  with excitement.

  “Great idea,” said Sasha.

  Wyatt frowned. He didn’t think so.

  “What about Caleb? He’s waiting for

  us.”

  “No problem.” Kimani

  waved over a firefly. She

  whispered in his ear, and

  then he flew away. “He’ll

  bring Caleb a message

  right away.”

  Sasha and Kimani danced and danced.

  Wyatt stood silently near a group of

  other horses not dancing.

  When Sasha finally took a break,

  Wyatt pulled her aside. “I need to talk

  to you.”

  “The ice cream is melting,” called

  Kimani.

  “Wait until later,” Sasha told Wyatt.

  She hurried to get ice cream.

  Afterward, Kimani took them to her

  room. All the horses lived in caves carved

  into the cliffs. Soft patterned blankets

  covered the floors and the walls. Fluffy

  fur pillows were scattered everywhere.

  Sasha loved how cozy it was.

  “We can sleep over here.” Wyatt

  pushed together two pillows.

  Sasha yawned. She was tired from

  their long day.

  “Don’t sleep yet,” said Kimani. “Have

  you ever flown in the moonlight?”

  Sasha’s white patch itched

  with excitement. It did that

  when her body wanted to

  fly. “Could I touch a star?”

  she asked Kimani.

  “Let’s try.” Kimani

  grinned.

  “What about me?” Wyatt frowned.

  “I wanted to talk to you, Sasha.”

  Sasha hated not including Wyatt, but

  Kimani was her first flying horse friend.

  Tomorrow, she would go home. No one

  there would fly with her through the

  stars. She’d have plenty of time to talk

  to Wyatt later.

  “I’ll be right back,” Sasha promised

  him.

  The world below was dark and silent

  as the two horses flew through the

  night sky. Sasha tried to touch a star.

  She couldn’t reach it. Stars were much

  farther away than they looked!

  Sasha waved to a snowy-white owl

  that glided by. She wondered if Wyatt

  were looking up. Did he see her tail

  sparking with magic in the darkness?

  Together, Sasha and Kimani

  somersaulted in the moonlight.

  CHAPTER

  6

  Gone!

  Wyatt was fast asleep when they got

  back. Sasha didn’t wake him. She went

  to sleep, too.

  At dawn, Wyatt woke up.

  “Sasha,” whispered Wyatt. His breath

  was warm against her ear. “Sasha.”

  She didn’t answer. She was still

  sleeping.

  Wyatt nudged her. “It’s time to go

  home.”

  Sasha opened one eye. Pale morning

  sunlight poked through the cave door.

  How could that be? She felt as if she’d just

  gone to bed. “Not yet,” she mumbled.

  Wyatt kept on nudging her.

  “Go away,” she grumbled. She was

  so tired. She closed her eyes again.

  Hours later, Sasha finally woke up.

  Bright sunshine filled the cave.

  “Hey, there.” Kimani stood by the

  open door. “There’s leftover cake. Want

  some?”

  “Sure.” Sasha stretched her legs.

  “Where’s Wyatt?”

  “He went home,” said Kimani.

  “He went without me?” Sasha couldn’t

  believe it.

  Kimani shrugged. “He was up early.

  He tried to wake you.”

  Sasha winced. She remembered now.

  “I told him not to bother you. Besides,

  we don’t need him. He’s better off in

  Verdant Valley,” said Kimani.

  “You told him to go?” Sasha’s voice

  rose.

  “He wanted to go,” said Kimani. “He

  was upset.”

  Sasha felt horrible. She had been so

  caught up with her new friend that she

  hadn’t realized he was upset.

  “I’ve got good news!” cried Kimani.

  “Sapphire has been waiting for you to

  wake up.”

  “I need to find Wyatt,” said Sasha.

  “He’ll be fine.” Kimani pointed over

  at the golden door where Sapphire

  lived. “Don’t you want answers to your

  questions? This is your chance.”

  Sasha let Kimani push her toward

  Sapphire’s home.<
br />
  “Greetings!” The toucan opened the

  door. “Sapphire’s almost ready. Please

  enjoy this breakfast.”

  He placed an enormous platter in

  front of Sasha. Sunflowers, marigolds,

  and daisies were piled high. There was

  one bowl filled with honey and one bowl

  filled with raspberry jam.

  Sasha licked her lips. She leaned

  forward to dip a daisy into the honey.

  The sweet smell made her think of

  Wyatt. Wyatt loved wildflowers. She

  remembered the day they climbed Mystic

  Mountain to search for the tastiest

  flowers and her wings had popped out

  for the very first time. Wyatt had been

  so happy for her. He had wanted her

  to find the flying horses. He had gone

  with her through the scary forest when

  Caleb couldn’t make it. He’d been by

  her side the whole time. Now he was by

  himself. What if he didn’t know how to

  get home? He didn’t have the magic map.

  Sasha spit out the flower. She couldn’t

  stay here any longer.

  “Kimani,” said Sasha, “tell Sapphire I

  have to go.”

  “You can’t!” cried Kimani.

  “I need to make sure Wyatt is okay.”

  Wyatt was her oldest friend. She’d been

  wrong to ignore him. She wasn’t going

  to leave him alone now.

  “Go with her,” the toucan told Kimani.

  “You don’t have to.” Sasha knew

  Kimani didn’t like Wyatt all that much.

  “I want to help,” said Kimani. “I know

  this land better than you.”

  CHAPTER

  7

  Bend, Cross,

  Spring!

  Sasha and Kimani trotted down the

  beach.

  “Hello!” A peacock stepped out and

  opened his tail feathers.

  “We’re looking for my friend.” Sasha

  had met this peacock yesterday.

  “Eyes in the sky see so much more,”

  said the peacock.

  “We can’t fly,” explained Kimani.

  “We’re searching for hoof prints. Her

  friend doesn’t fly.”

  “He’s heading to the big trees,” said

  Sasha.

  The peacock’s feathers quivered.

  “You’re going into the big trees, too?”

  Kimani nodded.

  The peacock lowered his voice. “Keep

  eyes open for the little ones.”

  Sasha wanted to ask who the little

  ones were, but a troop of spider

  monkeys rode by on scooters. Kimani

  stopped one to ask about Wyatt.

  “He was meeting the morning ferry,”

  said the spider monkey.

  Sasha and Kimani set off at a gallop.

  They reached the edge of the big lake.

  “Is that him on the ferry?” asked

  Kimani.

  Sasha squinted at the far side of the

  lake. Wyatt stood on a raft that was

  paddled by three beavers. They watched

  him step onto the far dock and trot

  away.

  Sasha pawed the ground. What

  should she do? It would take a long time

  for the beavers to paddle back to pick

  them up.

  “Let’s fly,” said Kimani.

  Sasha stared at the water in front of

  her. “I can’t. I need a running start to

  take off.”

  “No, you don’t. Bend your knees

  low.” Kimani showed her how. “Then

  cross your eyes.”

  “What?” That sounded so silly.

  “Do you want to catch up to Wyatt?”

  asked Kimani.

  Sasha nodded. The longer she waited,

  the farther away he was getting.

  “Bend your knees, cross your eyes,

  then spring up fast,” said Kimani.

  Sasha bent, crossed, and sprang. She

  was flying! She couldn’t believe how

  many new things Kimani had taught her

  in the past day.

  She and Kimani flew over the lake

  in minutes. Wyatt had already trotted

  through the field of neon flowers. Now

  he stepped into the woods

  beyond the big trees.

  Sasha landed and ran

  with a burst of speed

  towards Wyatt.

  “Stop!” Kimani cut in

  front of her.

  Sasha pulled back so

  she wouldn’t crash into

  Kimani. “What’s wrong?”

  “You can’t go into

  the woods,” said Kimani.

  “There is danger there

  for flying horses.”

  Sasha remembered that Kimani had

  made up that story about honey turning

  wings fluffier. “You’re making this up

  because you don’t want Wyatt around.”

  “I’m not making it up,” said Kimani.

  “You’re my friend, and I want you to be

  safe. You have wings now, and others

  know it. There’s danger for us.”

  What should I do? Sasha wondered.

  Should I trust Kimani? Or should I follow

  Wyatt?

  CHAPTER

  8

  A Big Sneeze

  Sasha dodged around Kimani. She

  sped toward the trees. She was fine

  yesterday in the woods. She was going

  after Wyatt.

  Sasha tried to remember the path

  home through the woods. The trees

  were close together and tangled with

  one another.

  She looked behind her. No Kimani.

  She was by herself. She followed the map

  until she spotted green fields beyond the

  trees—and Wyatt! He was leaving the

  woods.

  “Wy—” She started to call for him.

  Then she felt pricks along her back.

  What was that? It felt like tiny feet were

  running on her back. How could that

  be? What was on her? She twisted to

  see.

  Oh! Five tiny creatures stood on

  her back. Everything about them was

  pointy. Pointy nose. Pointy chin. Pointy

  ears. Pointy elbows and fingers. They

  had bright green skin and wore outfits

  made from leaves.

  She tried to shake them off. They

  stayed on.

  “Help!” She felt something tug at one

  of her wings.

  Wyatt hurried back into the woods

  at the sound of her cries. He swatted

  them with his tail, but their tiny feet

  seemed glued to her back. Two more

  dropped onto her from the tree above.

  “What should we do?” Sasha was

  scared.

  “I don’t know.” Wyatt looked scared,

  too.

  “Sneeze,” called someone from deep

  in the woods.

  Sasha spotted Kimani hiding behind

  a nearby tree.

  “Come out and help,” called Wyatt.

  “I can’t,” said Kimani. “They’ll get

  me, too. Wyatt, you need to sneeze on

  them.”

  Wyatt didn’t move.

  “Do it fast!” called Kimani.

  This is the danger Kimani warned about,

  Sasha realized. She had been telling the

  truth.

  “Trust her,” Sasha told Wyatt.

&
nbsp; Wyatt tried to sneeze. Only a cough

  came out. He tried again. The little

  creatures started tugging on Sasha’s

  wings.

  “I can’t sneeze on command,” he said.

  Kimani raced from the safety of her

  hiding spot. She picked a dandelion from

  the ground. She waved it under Wyatt’s

  nose.

  A-a-choo! Wyatt let out an enormous

  sneeze near Sasha’s back. Snot covered

  the little creatures and unglued their

  feet. They fell to the ground.

  For a moment, Sasha stared at them.

  They were so tiny! Then they grabbed

  onto her tail. They began to climb it,

  using the hair as a rope.

  Sasha’s surprise turned to anger.

  Hot white sparks shot out of her tail,

  shocking the creatures. They scurried

  into the bushes and wrapped themselves

  in leaves until they couldn’t be seen.

  “We need to get out of here,” said

  Kimani.

  They all quickly hurried into Verdant

  Valley.

  CHAPTER

  9

  Two Friends

  Sasha was so happy to see the green

  fields of home again.

  “I didn’t listen and left you out. I’m

  sorry,” Sasha told Wyatt. “Is that why

  you left?”

  Wyatt kicked at the grass. “You

  didn’t need me. You found a new friend.

  I thought you wanted to stay with her.”

  “I’m your friend, too,” said Sasha. “I

  do need you, don’t you see? You just

  saved me.”

  “It wasn’t only me. Kimani helped,

  too.” Wyatt gave Kimani a shy smile.

  “We worked together.”