The Horses Know (The Horses Know Trilogy Book 1)

by Lynn Mann

  A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered my previous lifetime with Infinity. When I had tried to intervene and prevent conflict on that occasion, not only had I failed but I’d been heavily punished. ‘What do you want me to do?’ I asked Quinta, dreading her response and feeling so alone without Infinity’s presence in my mind.

  ‘My horse was killed and yours came very close, so if anyone should be calling for a course of action to be taken against the Woeful, it should be us. And that is why it is so important that we stand together and hold firm to what Noble advised me, and I am sure Infinity will advise you once she is able; that rather than rise against the Woeful, we should help them. We have to stop the others from acting on their fear and dragging the human race back towards the ways of The Old.’

  The thought of having to speak out not just about what I was trying to do when I rode Infinity but now also about listening to the horses and opposing the hunting of the Woeful, scared me almost witless. My heart — which I had barely registered over the past days — lurched sickeningly.

  Infinity stirred. Together, reached me before she faded once more. It took all of my self-control not to reach after her. Together. I would do this and she would help me. Together. I focused on her thought and my mind became resolute.

  ‘I agree. Of course I’ll help. We both will,’ I said.

  ‘Well that’s two of us in agreement. I guess it’s a start,’ she said.

  ‘We’ll be more than two before long,’ I said. ‘There’s Rowena, Justin, Adam of course, Mason, and I’m sure…’

  ‘Don’t count on Rowena agreeing with us Amarilla, she’s not herself at the moment,’ said Quinta.

  ‘Well I know she’s hurt and upset, but she’ll listen to Oak even if she won’t listen to us, she always listens to him,’ I replied.

  Quinta shook her head. ‘You’ve been removed from it all, staying up here with Infinity as you have, and those who’ve been up to help you have been treading carefully, trying not to upset you while Infinity recovers. But things aren’t as they were, Amarilla, trust me.’

  When Quinta had gone, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I replenished Infinity’s hay and water needlessly, as she hadn’t touched either since I had last done it. I poked around and found a single pile of dung near Oak that I could clear away, and then flicked the straw of Infinity’s bed around with a pitchfork until there wasn’t a strand out of place. I sat and stroked the soft, velvety, pink skin of Infinity’s muzzle, allowing her exhaled breath to warm my hand. I just about managed to stop myself from willing her to wake up.

  Hot breath warmed the top of my head and I looked up to see Diligence’s pale grey muzzle above me. She nuzzled my cheek and then I felt her make her energy available to me, much as Oak was doing for Infinity at that moment. I received it gratefully. It wasn’t the nurturing energy in which Infinity would have cocooned me, it was more as if something caught my mind as it struggled to cope and gently held it together, giving me the feeling that there was a safety net through which I wouldn’t be allowed to fall. And then, what was that? Something was there at the edge of my mind, a similar feeling to when I could feel horses’ thoughts whistling by me to their Bond-Partners, but this felt more tangible, closer somehow.

  Open… try… foreign thoughts came into my mind.

  ???????????

  Try… came again.

  Try what? I asked.

  I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Mason approaching with a look of wonder on his face. He held out a mug of steaming tea to me. ‘Dili?’ he said softly.

  She turned to look at him. Hear me… help… Her thoughts touched me and I frowned, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  ‘Amarilla, can you hear Dili? She says you can but you won’t believe it and so you’re blockin’ her. She wants me to help. Help her Dili? How?’

  It was like catching the odd word of a conversation between people in the next room. Open… straining… relax.

  Mason said, ‘Dili says you need to be open to different possibilities with your mind. You’re strainin’ to hear her now and there’s no need, she’s right here. You just need to accept it and…’

  ‘Relax,’ I said. ‘I caught that bit.’

  He slapped his thigh and guffawed. ‘You can hear my Dili? Well I never! Can you hear any of the others?’

  ‘I don’t know. I can sense when they’re communicating with their Bond-Partners, but I’ve never heard what any of their thoughts were.’

  Dili’s thoughts whistled by me. Mason raised an eyebrow. ‘Catch that?’

  ‘No, sorry.’

  ‘She said you’ll be able to hear her when she decides to communicate with you.’

  ‘But why me?’

  Young… flexible… others… open… possibilities.

  I repeated the words as I perceived them, and Mason chuckled. ‘You’ve got the gist, you’re young and your mind is flexible, not like me, fat, hairy old codger that I am, eh Dili! She said that once the others realise what you can do, it will open them to further possibilities. She’s not wrong, either, what you did when you healed Infinity the other night, bit o’ bone-singin’, bit o’ tissue-singin’ and you trained in neither, we’ve never seen the like before and from the sound of it, you did a right good job of it too. Properly thrown the wolf in with the sheep that has, I’d stay up here a while longer my little Am if I were you — once you show your face down there, they’ll be leapin’ on you to know how you did it.’

  ‘Haven’t they asked Adam?’

  ‘Adam? Why would they?’

  I shrugged. If Adam was keeping it to himself that he was dabbling in the other Skills, I wouldn’t give him away.

  Mason began to groom his mare. I sat down and watched him as I sipped my tea, taking time to gather my courage before saying, ‘Quinta said people are talking about hunting the Woeful.’

  ‘Did she now.’

  ‘Yes. What do you think about it?’

  ‘I think that you need to get your horse well enough to move down nearer the buildin’s and then have yourself a hot bath and a good night’s sleep before you start worryin’ about anythin’ like that.’

  ‘But do you think they’re right?’ I was desperate to hear that he disagreed with them.

  He let out a long, deep breath. Dili stood peacefully and as her gaze caught mine, I knew with absolute certainty that it would be alright. There was something about her demeanour and her relaxed confidence with her Bond-Partner that told me he would listen to her. All of a sudden, images of Liberal’s face flashed into my mind and in that moment, I understood the hollows above his eyes and his slightly downcast demeanour that couldn’t completely be hidden by his magnificence. I realised that it wasn’t just Infinity and me that Feryl wasn’t listening to.

  Mason spoke. ‘When I saw our horses frightened and injured, I wanted to go and hunt those beasts with every livin’ fibre of my body. And then to see Shann and Newson lyin’ there, just lyin’ there, well, I don’t want to admit what went through my mind. To answer your question, yes, in a lot of ways, I think they are right. But it’s what my Dili thinks that matters and she says they’re not.’

  ‘Then will you stand with Quinta and me? And with Infinity?’

  ‘Stand with you? My little Amarilla, stand with you about what?’

  I didn’t feel belittled that he spoke to me that way; I think it had the same effect on me as his words to Infinity always had on her. I relaxed a little and told him what Quinta had told me.

  Mason said, ‘I’ve always taken heed of my Dili’s counsel, Amarilla and this time is no different. I won’t be joinin’ in any plans to hunt the Woeful, but try to stop the others? I’m not sure. Dili is waitin’ for me to make a decision on that by myself, so I have a lot of thinkin’ to do.’

  My heart sank. I hadn’t realised how much I’d been counting on knowing that Mason would stand with me, until he refused to give his decision. Infinity chose that moment to stir. She raised her
head and neck and rested on her elbows as she picked at the pile of hay in front of her. I rushed to sit next to her, leaning against her shoulder to support her while she ate.

  ‘Well hello my beauty, that’s it now, you eat as much as you can. From the sound of it, our little Am here is going to need you more than ever over the comin’ months,’ said Mason. ‘I’ll be up to see you both later. Amarilla, you practise what Dili told you, accept that you can hear her and relax. Got it?’

  I nodded and smiled weakly.

  Getting up. I was overjoyed to hear Infinity in my mind.

  Wait Fin, Rowena and Marvel are coming, I can’t support you on my own. I beckoned frantically to my approaching friends and they broke into a run.

  ‘What’s happening, is she alright?’ asked Rowena.

  ‘She wants to get up. Help me?’

  Rowena rushed around to Infinity’s right side with me and Marvel stood ready on her left.

  Okay Fin, up you get.

  Infinity lurched up onto all four legs and the three of us leaned our weight against her.

  Hungry. My beautiful mare began to tuck into her hay.

  ‘She’s hungry! She said she’s hungry!’ I said. ‘Oh, I haven’t got any grain up here. Why didn’t I think to have some ready for when she wanted to eat more?’

  ‘Don’t worry, Amarilla. MASON!’ shouted Marvel at Mason’s retreating back, ‘GET SOMEONE TO COME UP WITH A BUCKET OF WARM GRAIN WILL YOU? INFINITY’S HUNGRY!’

  ‘Curse the clouds Marvel, she may be hungry but she’s probably deaf as well now, like Am and me. Where’d you learn to shout that loud?’ complained Rowena and I couldn’t help but smile to hear Rowena talking more like her old self. But then it brought back memories of her frequent scolding of Shann and my smile disappeared.

  Marvel chuckled. ‘Comes from having big lungs, so I’ve been told and going by all accounts, I’m guessing your lungs take up a fair bit of room themselves!’

  ‘Hurrumph! Am, this is great that she’s up and eating, we’ll have her walking down to where she’ll be safe in no time now, you’ll see,’ said Rowena.

  ‘Oh Ro, I’ve told you, she’s safe up here,’ said Marvel. ‘It’ll just mean that Amarilla can live a bit more normally herself when her horse is in a shelter nearby.’

  ‘She’s not safe up here, none of us are. Sorry Am, but it’s true. Two men and a horse were wiped out in a heartbeat within spitting distance of where we’re standing.’

  ‘Well we don’t need to discuss that now,’ said Marvel.

  ‘No. Sorry Am, pay no attention to me,’ said Rowena.

  ‘It’s alright, I know what’s going on, Quinta told me,’ I said.

  ‘WHAT? Well she had no right to. You don’t need to be worrying about anything other than getting Infinity well and keeping yourself warm at the moment.’

  ‘I don’t need to be worrying that some of the Horse-Bonded are talking of going against the advice of their horses? That they’re willing to risk everything that the horses and the people of The New have been working towards?’ I said quietly.

  ‘I won’t discuss this with you now,’ she said.

  ‘Ro, please just tell me that you’ll always listen to Oak, please?’

  ‘Of course I’ll listen to him, but I do have a mind of my own, you know, and I will see that Shann didn’t die in vain.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ I asked her.

  She refused to answer me. I tried everything I could think of to provoke her into talking to me, but she set her mouth into a thin line and kept her gaze down at the floor. When footsteps approached, she said, ‘Marvel, ask whoever it is to come around this side and relieve me, will you, I’m meant to be helping to make the shroud.’

  I heard Adam’s voice. ‘Well Infinity, you’re a sight for sore eyes, fancy a bit of warm grain? Have some water first, that’s it. Not too much, now, how about a bit of this? It’s all warm and mushy, you won’t have to chew too much. Just a little, or you’ll colic. Slowly, that’s the way.’

  Adam came around to where Rowena and I leaned against Infinity. ‘She’s just had a small amount, otherwise she’ll colic when she lays back down. Best that she has mainly hay. I’ve brought a big bucket of it up and a flask of warm water so you can give her small amounts whenever she wants it. Now Rowena move over, I’ll pop in beside Amarilla. Are you still alright on your own, Marvel?’

  ‘Doing fine Adam.’

  Rowena shuffled along until Adam could take her place and then left without another word. Adam said, ‘we’ll need to keep Infinity upright a bit longer. That’s more food than she’s had in days and lying down immediately after won’t help her at all.’

  I nodded. Fin you need to stay up for a while longer. We’ve got you.

  She didn’t reply. All of her attention was taken up by her effort to stand while picking wisps of hay to eat.

  ‘Is everything alright?’ Adam asked me.

  I told him about my conversations with Quinta, Mason and Rowena.

  ‘Well you’ve no need to worry about asking for my support,’ Adam said. ‘Peace isn’t here to advise me but he doesn’t need to be. Three times, he asked me to intervene in villages where there were murmurings about hunting the Woeful and each time, both I and the villagers concerned paid him heed. I have no intention of doing otherwise now.’

  ‘But will you speak out to try and stop those who are talking of doing it?’ I asked him. ‘Please Adam?’

  ‘If I didn’t, then all of my years of learning from Peace would count for nothing. And don’t you be worrying about Rowena. She’s been through tough times before and she will again, but she always listens to Oak.’

  ‘I’m not so sure this time Adam,’ said Marvel. ‘From what I can make out she’s among those who are the most adamant that a hunt in the spring is necessary.’

  ‘In the spring?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, they’re not planning to go while winter still has a hold on us,’ he replied.

  ‘Well that means there’s a goodly amount of time for us and the horses to talk them out of it then, doesn’t it?’ said Adam cheerfully and I could have wept with relief.

  ‘Count me in with that,’ said Marvel. ‘Broad’s been having to focus a good deal of his energy on his foot, but not so much that he couldn’t put what happened into perspective for me.’

  ‘Is the poultice working?’ asked Adam.

  ‘He says it is, the splinter should be out soon but he’s fighting infection now.’

  ‘Hmmm. I’ll bring a draught along to him as soon as we’ve finished here and once the splinter’s out, we’ll use a different poultice to draw out the infection.’

  ‘Broad’s your horse?’ I asked Marvel.

  ‘Certainly is, great big bugger of a horse he is too, you’ll know him when you see him. Only problem with a horse his weight, if he stands on anything even remotely sharp, it either gets driven into his foot or causes a mother of a bruise. Trod on a buckthorn twig this time, the clot,’ he said, affectionately.

  ‘Do you mind if I ask what he said to you about what happened?’

  ‘Not at all. He said it wouldn’t have happened if we’d seen fit to help the Woeful through the winter before they became so desperate. He also made the point that distressing as the events were, they would act as a catalyst to either propel the human race forward in its evolution, or backwards.’

  I will lie down now, Infinity advised me, her legs trembling violently.

  I just had time to warn Adam and Marvel, before her front legs buckled and she lay down with a thump. I thanked the two men for their help and they told me they would send more people up to help later, in case Infinity wanted to get up and eat more once she had rested. ‘And don’t you worry too much Amarilla,’ Adam said. ‘Things will work out, they always do.’

  I felt much better for a while, but my relief was short-lived. Of those who came up to help me with Infinity, Justin was the only one who would tolerate my even broaching the subject of a spring hunt. Even
then, it was just to tell me that I would understand more once I was involved in the discussions down in the buildings and that for now I should just focus on Infinity and myself. The others who came changed the subject immediately and Rowena didn’t come up at all. When Quinta appeared later that evening with my dinner, I told her about my day.

  ‘I’m sorry to say I’m not surprised,’ she said, ‘but I’m glad you had a chance to talk to Adam and Marvel, I’ve been so busy helping with the shroud and checking on Integrity in case she needs anything, I haven’t really had the time to start a discussion with anyone about it. I should have known those two would take a sensible view.’

  ‘A shroud? Rowena said she was working on it too. What’s it for?’

  ‘It’s for Integrity and Newson. According to the horses, Integrity is sure now that Newson will leave his body behind if he knows it will be alongside her own and in what he still believes is the safety of The Gathering. The problem is that the ground’s too hard to bury their bodies once they’ve gone, so we are having to make a sealed shroud that will contain the… you know, the smell, and repel any animals from trying to, well you know, until we can bury them.’

  I shuddered. ‘Where will they be kept until the ground softens?’

  ‘There’s an old stone building along from the workshops. Integrity plans to carry Newson’s body there herself, stand on the shroud and then leave and take him with her.’

  ‘When will she go?’

  ‘Well the shroud’s finished and in place, so I should think sometime very soon. She doesn’t want anyone else to be there so Mason and Marvel will assist with lifting Newson onto her and then leave her to it.’