Secret Rescuers Read Free

pieces of rock in her hand. The green crystals glittered.
    “Yes, really!” Sophy nodded vigorously. “I know it must seem strange, but you see, the same thing happened to me! This is a Speaking Stone. It lets you talk to magical animals. The queen threw out this bag of stones as if they were rubbish after the king died.”
    “She didn’t know they were magical then?”
    “No, and she doesn’t like magic anyway.” Sophy lifted a thread over her neck. “Your stone will only work for you. See, I have one ofmy own! Now I talk to magical animals all the time.” She showed Maya a stone dangling on the end of the thread. It looked rough and grey on the outside like Maya’s. Opening the stone, Sophy revealed a little cave of purple crystals.
    “So I’ll be able to talk to magical animals too?” Maya almost squeaked with excitement.
    “Try it now!” Sophy grabbed Maya’s hand. “Say something to Windrunner.”
    Maya faced the dragon and swallowed. “H-hello, Windrunner! I’m pleased to meet you.”
    Windrunner’s amber eyes blinked and he bowed his head. “Pleased to meet you too. Any friend of Sophy’s is a friend of the storm dragons!”
    Maya gasped. It was just so strange hearing the growling noise from his mouth turn into words.
    “You see !” Sophy was bouncing on her toes. “It’s lucky I found you. The stones only work fora few people and I really need your help because danger is coming. That’s why I’m here!”

    “What’s the danger?” asked Maya.
    “There’s a knight at the royal castle who hates magical animals – a really horrible man! He’s set out to destroy them and we think he’s on his way here. We’ve spent all day flying around looking for him but we haven’t seen him yet.”
    “I’m very tired from all the flying!” grunted Windrunner. “I will rest a little, Sophy.” He blew warm breath on the ground and then settled down with his tail curled around his body.
    Sophy and Maya climbed to the top of the riverbank, where the path led to the bridge.
    Maya held the two pieces of her magical stone tightly. “But how did you make friends with a dragon?”
    “I rescued his baby brother from the castle,” explained Sophy. “I work there as a maid. That’s how I know Sir Fitzroy – he’s the knight I was telling you about—” She broke off as footstepssounded on the bridge.
    “Maya, is that you?” called her mum. “Are you all right? You’ve been such a long time that we wondered where you’d got to.”
    “I’m fine, Mum! Just a minute,” Maya called back, before whispering to Sophy, “I’m sorry – I have to go. But I really want to help … and a knight rode past here today. He might be the one you mean.”
    Sophy nodded. “Meet me here – just underneath the bridge – at first light and we’ll work out what to do. Remember your stone only works for you! Don’t show it to anyone.”
    “Don’t worry, I won’t!” Maya smiled at her new friend before hurrying across the bridge.
    So many strange things had happened in one day. First she’d helped the unicorn foal, and then this girl – Sophy – had appeared from nowhere! Now she had a special stone that let her talk to magical animals and that was the most amazing thing of all!

Chapter Four
The Town by the Lake
    Maya found it hard to sleep that night. She stared up at the drawings of famous dancers pinned on the wall above her cabin bed. Usually the gentle movement of the water underneath the boat helped her to sleep, but tonight her mind was full of sky unicorns and magical stones.
    Just before dawn she got up and took the special stone from under her pillow. Fetching a thread from the sewing basket, Maya tied the two pieces together. Then she made the threadinto a necklace and hung it round her neck as Sophy did. The stone was hidden beneath her dress where no one would see it.
    Then she tiptoed out of the cabin and climbed to shore. Feeling a little shy, she crossed the bridge to find Sophy and