Once again the girls seemed to have hit a dead end. This place was like Fort Knox. Getting past the gates would be impossible. Without a spellbook.
"So what's the - hee haw - plan?" Laura enquired.
"I guess to make the *ook* *ook* gates dissapear" Sophie figured fliiping through the pages of her tome.
"And you think you can *hee-haw* do that?" Laura sounded sceptical.
"I restored Annie's *ook* *eek* mind didn't I?" The monkey replied defensively. She had become quite protective of her unofficial role as party mage "And I made Portia...well, let'd just say I reckon I'm *ook* getting the hang of this"
"You should let me try *squeak* *squeak*. Vanishing spells are easy"
Sophie politely declined Portia's offer. No way was she letting that rat loose with the spell book, even if she had lead them to Lucy.
"I can *ook* do this!" Sophie claimed once more before beginning her next spell. Moments later she, Annie and Portia found themselves tumbling to the ground as their ride seemed to vanish from beneath them. The gates were still in place but..
"Where's Laura *croak*?" Annie panicked.
"I think that's *squeak* her" Portia smugly nodded down towards an adorable little piglet standing roughly where the donkey had been before "I said you should have *squeak* let me do it"
"Seriously *oink*? Me again?" The pig complained. Laura's voice had become noticeably higher pitched to match her reduced size "Are you doing this *oink* on purpose?"
"*Ook* of course not! And I'm really *ook* sorry Laura but at least you can fit *ook* through the gate now"
"Hooray for Sophie" Portia squeaked sarcastically.
"Fine! *Oink* I'll go find Lucy then one of you better *oink* sort this out"
The tiny pig then slipped through the bars and trotted off towards the house muttering angrily to herself.