Hi everyone, today I am posting an extract from this month's birthstone unicorn story. Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to leave any comments.
Pearl’s
hooves sank into something warm and soft. “Sand,” she whispered, pawing the ground.
The rainbow had brought her to some sand dunes. Peering over the top of the
nearest dune Pearl saw a wide golden beach. Sun glistened on a blue green sea, and the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping at the shore made Pearl shiver with delight.
Whilst most of the jewels in the birthstone unicorn’s
horns were mined by gnomes who lived in the valley beyond The Enchanted
Wood, Pearl’s jewel had originally been formed inside an oyster. Her special
pearls had been gathered by the Merpeople who live in the ocean.
Tossing her head from side to side, Pearl saw
that there were many people on the beach, some were splashing around in the sea
or surfing on the waves. She took a deep breath and tasted the salty air. It
was wonderful; Pearl hadn’t visited the sea for a long time.
Pearl wasn’t sure where the child who
needed her was, she could feel that there was more than one child nearby with a
birthday today.
Pearl remained invisible, she didn't want to show herself to anyone. She needed to find out which child had summoned her before she decided what to do.
Suddenly, she spotted a family by the
rocks. She could see a little girl, who looked upset. There were two adults
with her and they seemed to be shouting something and looking around. Pearl’s
magical powers told her the girl had a birthday today, was she the child who
needed her help? Pearl decided to move closer and see if she could find out.
As she got nearer, Pearl began to sense
that something was very wrong. She trotted quicker, her ears twisting from left
to right as she tried to hear. Suddenly, her sharp ears picked something up and
she began to run as fast as she could across the soft sand. But Pearl galloped past the
girl; she was being pulled toward the sea.
Skidding to a halt at the edge of the
sea. Her legs tingled with anticipation as the salty water lapped over her
hooves. At first she couldn’t see or hear anything, but then the song of another
magical creature reached her. It was a voice Pearl knew very well. Oceanna, the mermaid, was
singing, calling to her from her watery home beneath the waves.
The world under the sea is huge. It is home to many wonderful creatures with magical secrets of their own, including
mermaids and mermen. Their ruler, King Neptune, lives far beneath the
waves in the deepest part of the ocean. His palace is made of coral and adorned
with rare and beautiful shells collected from all the seas and oceans in the
world.
Her
watery birthstone meant Pearl had always had a special link with the sea and she knew many
of the creatures that lived there.
Now, as she listened to the mermaid’s voice drift on the wind, her heart missed a beat as a flash
of glittering silver and green touched the surface of the water. Oceanna’s head
appeared above the waves; her shimmering blond hair glowing in the sunlight.
“There’s danger here Pearl,” Oceanna sang, her soft voice could only be heard by Pearl.
“A boy has fallen; banged his head on the rocks. I cannot get to him, he is
stuck out of my reach and is unconscious. Please help.”
Quick as a flash, Pearl leaped into the sea
and started swimming towards the rocks. The water was cold but she swam on,
following Oceanna’s voice. The water got deeper but Pearl was a strong swimmer
and she reached Oceanna quickly.
“Over there,” the mermaid pointed.
Pearl saw the boy lying motionless on the
rocks; hidden from the beach by an outcrop of spiky rock that jutted into
the sea. The waves broke close by sending spray and foam crashing over him. The
tide would soon cover him. She must act quickly.
Swimming as fast as she could Pearl tried
to reach the boy, but the currents were strong and they kept pushing Pearl back
out to sea. She watched helplessly as a
large wave splashed over the rocks, washing the boy into the sea.
Oceanna dived headfirst beneath the waves,
her silvery green tail flashed as she disappeared from sight. Oceanna couldn’t climb
the rock to reach the boy, but she was an expert swimmer and diver!