Hannah crouched low over the Kelpie’s back as Mistral surged forward over the short tufty grass of the Plateau. They galloped together into the wind, Hannah’s hair blown back from her face, and Mistral’s ever-wet tail streaming out behind them. This was what Hannah loved most about being able to Bond with Kelpies – freedom.

                “Come on, Mistral,” Hannah yelled over the noise of wind and thundering hooves. “Let’s race the wind!”

                Racing the wind was a favourite game of Hannah and Mistral’s, and both were as eager as ever. Mistral cantered a wide arc until he was running with the wind and Hannah’s hair was blowing into her eyes. Then he broke into a gallop again, and the race began.

                As Mistral put on more and more speed, Hannah’s hair began to blow less wildly, until, as Mistral reached his peak, it began to blow out behind her again.

                “We’re winning!” she laughed, waving a hand in the air as if holding a trophy aloft for a delighted crowd. Mistral tossed his head back, whinnying shrilly, before he slowed to a canter, a few steps of trot, and finally to walk as they reached the end of the plateau.

                Kelpie and Bonder were both panting hard, but still fizzing with adrenalin from their race across the plateau. They did this often, but it never felt any less special.

                They were at the higher end of the wide open space they called the Plateau, and Hannah could see right across it to the flagpole with a tattered red flag fluttering from it that warned of the deadly drop just the other side of it. This was where the ground dropped into the valley of the River Dayne. In fact, it was like this on three sides, for the river wound its way around the outcrop of rock that was the Plateau. However behind Hannah was a thick forest of tall pines, virtually impenetrable save the narrow path they used to get there.

                But the most spectacular thing about the whole place, and what Hannah was watching the sun set over now, was what everyone in the area referred to as the Top of the World. It was on the opposite bank of the river to Hannah, and rose some twenty metres above her, a sheer cliff of dark rock, rearing up into the sky. Hannah had never been to the top, although when she was younger she had tried many times. As far as Hannah knew, the only living things who could reach it were the eagles.

It was practically dark when Hannah got home, and she needed the yard floodlight to see to get Mistral his treats. Just because Mistral was a Kelpie, and most of the time denied being anything like a horse, he saw no reason for that to mean he couldn’t enjoy horse treats!

                Hannah’s older sister Melissa, her mother Cathy and Melissa’s tutor Verity were all in the lounge when Hannah walked in, cold and windswept. Cathy was fast asleep in the armchair by the gas heater and Verity was flopped comfortably on the sofa. Melissa, however, was in her Faery form, and was dressed in her sparkly aerobatics costume and seemed to be marking out a routine.

                “Hey Hannah!” she gasped, performing a somersault.

                “Hi,” Hannah raised her eyebrows, and looked in concern at her shelf of racing trophies. “Are you sure the lounge is the best place to be doing this?”

                “Absolutely!” Verity said firmly. “Melissa was mainly doing wing strength exercises. A faery has to be strong as well as flexible. We’d just stopped for a break to mark through her routine when you walked in!” This didn’t sound like much of a break to Hannah, but she didn’t say so. “And anyway,” Verity continued, “It’s not like there’s anywhere else we could practice.”
                “Human Flight Hall at the Division Centre?”

                “Booked. Stop a sec Melissa.” Melissa stopped, somehow balanced on tiptoe on one leg. Hannah envied her sister sometimes – there was no way Hannah would be able to do that.

                “Try to keep this leg straight,” Verity instructed. Melissa straightened it. “And get you right wing just a little higher…” Verity reached out and moved her tutee’s wing to the correct position. This, however, seemed to be too much for Melissa’s left toes, and she collapsed to the floor, red in the face.

                “Up! Again!” commanded Verity sternly, although she was smiling.

                “Oh you are a slave-driver, Vee!” Melissa laughed. “Don’t you think we should have a break now Hannah’s back?”

                Verity looked from Melissa to Hannah, and back again.

                “We have choc-chip cookies, you know, Verity!” Hannah smiled hopefully.

                “Well, in that case…” Verity laughed. “Go on, fetch the biscuits and I’ll get tea. Juice for you two?”          

                “Yes please!”

                “Trust Hannah to know I bought choc-chip cookies this morning!” Cathy grinned as her daughter offered them round.

                “I pride myself in knowing the whereabouts of all biscuits, chocolate, cake and stuff in this house.” Hannah laughed.

                “And on the subject of knowing the whereabouts of things…” Cathy raised her eyebrows pointedly.

                “What have I lost now?”

                “I found your book on Kelpie Gradings this morning in, er, the dirty clothes basket.”  Verity and Melissa dissolved into giggles, but Hannah was not particularly surprised, and nor was her mother; Hannah’s possessions were always turning up in unexpected places.

                She considered for a few seconds. “I suppose I must have put it in with my riding stuff from Wednesday…” she ginned, but then her face fell slightly. “It’s not like it’s much use to me, though. It’s not like I have a tutor to teach me the stuff, or to show me how to actually pass the Gradings.”

                Suddenly, Cathy seemed to remember something. “You just reminded me, Hannah, a letter turned up for you this morning.”

                “What?”
                “A letter! Stamped with the official sign of the Cambridge Majik HQ. I didn’t open it because it was addressed to you.”

                “Oooohhh!” Melissa giggled, still feeling rather silly from the dirty basket incident, “Open it Hannah! Open it!”

                “I don’t have it!” Hannah pointed out.

                Cathy was rummaging through a pile of papers on the coffee table. “I know I put it in here… Oh, here it is! Yes, go on Hannah, open it!”

                Nervously, although she was not quite sure why, Hannah took the letter and tore it open. She read quickly for a minute or so, her face breaking slowly into a wide smile. “Guys!” She looked around at them excitedly. “They’ve found me a tutor!”