The gypsy held her breath and steadied her arm, marking her kill just as she had seen the trainees do on the field. Only upon the release did she exhale and, to the prince’s satisfaction, she hit more enemies than she missed. He made a mental note to train her in archery if they ever made it back alive.
One mimic scurried by the prince with its spear raised high. Jaycent ripped the weapon from the creature’s clutches and jammed it into the monster’s back. Glancing over his shoulder he saw another sneaking in behind Levee. In one fluid motion, he yanked the tip of the crude spear from the paralyzed body and cast it past the gypsy’s head.
Shock spread across Levee’s visage, but it quickly faded when an enemy collapsed so close behind her that its hand struck the back of her legs. She jumped and jabbed the heel of her boot into its head for good measure.
Within minutes, twelve mimics soiled the ground, and three more were being hacked to the same fate by Kotu and the prince. Jaycent flipped the hilt in his hand and swung low behind his back, tearing into another mimic’s belly. His elbow greeted the monster’s face; a move that stunned the creature long enough for the prince to spin around and kick its flailing body to the ground.
One swipe of his blade severed the mimic’s neck, and Jaycent gave into a wild grin as four more of the gangly monsters moved tentatively toward him. He crouched, ready for a renewed attack.
Thunder rolled overhead, rumbling long and low. Just as it began to fade, a new thrum took its place. Everyone, ally and foe, paused when the ground shook. Cackles spread through the mimics on foot, and Jaycent sensed the odds were about to change. Howls filled the air once again, followed by the high pitched cries of more war-lusting mimics.
Levee lowered Jaycent’s bow, terror in her eyes. “The missing herds…”
Tortured horses ridden by mimics stampeded toward the vulnerable rahee, their foaming mouths tinted with blood. Jaycent, Kotu, and the rookie raised their swords, ready to accept their fate, whatever it may be.
As the steeds charged toward the small band of rahee, Levee felt her heart sink. Within seconds, these monsters would trample them under the very creatures they were born to protect. She looked to the prince, Kotu, and even the wounded soldier clinging to Joust’s back, ready to fight despite impossible odds. They would pour out everything they had onto this field.
Clenching her fists, the gypsy turned to the herd charging toward them under the force of a hundred of pounding hooves. It was time she do the same.
Jaycent looked up from the slain body at his feet just in time to see Levee step in front of the herd. “Don’t!” he shouted.
The shrieking horses were nearly upon them when the gypsy threw her hands in the air. With every bit of oxygen in her lungs, she cried out in the old tongue, “Tekayah!”
That very instant a wave of power left her. Like the rushing breath of a hurricane, it swirled her hair and blew the grass into a restless dance as a flood of magic swept over the herd, skidding them to a stop. The mimics shot one another questioning glances as the horses beneath them swayed under the pull of Levee’s influence.
Their hesitation bought the gypsy a few extra seconds. Enough for her to commune with the quivering herd.
The pain and fear of forty horses stung by whips, barbed reins, and weapons washed over Levee’s senses and nearly dropped her to her knees. Jaycent caught the gypsy before she could hit the ground, and Levee clenched her eyes shut, forcing her mind to sort through the overwhelming emotions.
She had done this with Melee earlier that day. She could do it again. Though Levee had never tried to influence so many horses at once, she had to believe it would work. Grunts and snorts rose from within the herd as they felt the gypsy’s presence enter their minds. Smiling, she imparted the image of mimics being rolled over, crushed, and trampled, fueling the horses’ anger and overriding their pain.
You are no one’s servant, she reminded them. This is your land. Help us take it back!
Rousing neighs sounded in return as the horses turned to face their riders with eyes full of clarity. Whatever spell had bound them to obedience, Levee had shattered it. Now they were free, their breasts puffed with vengeance.
One mimic tried in vain to assert his authority again over a mousey mare. The angry horse clamped onto the mimic’s forearm and yanked him to the ground. Rearing up, she slammed her hooves into her former master, stomping the life from his body.
Other horses followed suit. Jaycent, Kotu, and the rookie gaped as the herd bucked, bit, and rolled the mimics into the ground. An awestruck hand fell onto Levee’s shoulder, and she met His Highness’ slack-jaw expression with an encouraging smile.
“How did you….” Jaycent’s voice trailed off when a growl issued from the shadows of the forest. The prince yanked Levee behind him and fell into a battle stance. Kotu and Joust helped form a wall between the wolf and the girl who had saved their lives. As the battle between the wild horses and their unseated masters raged on, the rahee focused on the large canine walking calmly out of the concealment of the forest.
Bigger than any natural wolf, it bore a thick pepper mane around its neck and shoulders. The creature snarled at the quartet in front of him as he sized up their pitiful defense.
“Impossible,” Jaycent muttered.
A wily grin spread across the wolf’s maw. Fear was his ally, and it glimmered in Jaycent’s pale blue eyes as they stared each other down. His Highness had found himself in a frightening predicament far away from his pet unicorn’s reach.
Jaycent stood with his blade drawn in a bold defense, but his trembling hands told the beast the dreams had done their job. His Highness was physically at his weakest and his memory of the vision so similar to the reality before him now made him doubt his odds. Deep inside, he felt helpless, just as the wolf had intended.
“Leave him alone,” a feminine voice warned.
Red eyes shifted from Jaycent to the precious asset he hid behind his back. A skinny rahenyan girl with a bow slung over her shoulder stood, her feet planted firmly on the ground. Horses gathered behind her, scraping their hooves and snorting in the wolf’s direction.
A disdainful snarl escaped the side of the canine’s lip. He snapped his teeth in a threatening bark. The wolf hadn’t anticipated this new little rahee. She had foiled his ambush with a display of rahenyan magic he hadn’t seen in centuries.
Speaker, the wolf’s voice slithered across the gypsy’s mind. Levee felt a chill course through her. Mentally, she beckoned some of the horses to offer them an escape from the evil entity in wolf clothing.
Four equines broke away from the mimic massacre to join their rahenyan allies, their bodies streaked with a blend of sweat and blood. The wolf’s growl deepened when Levee mounted a chestnut steed. Jaycent reached for a leopard-coated stallion, but was pulled back when an arm hooked around his neck.
The prince tucked his chin to guard his throat as he clawed at the blue sleeve of a soldier’s tunic. His muscles tightened with fury and he wrestled against the rahee he had thought to be his ally.
“Kotu, what are you doing?” Levee berated. The soldier flipped his dirty blonde hair from his face, revealing a wicked grin.
“Siding with the winning team,” he sneered. “What’s it look like?” The prince froze when a dagger poked against his spine, and he turned his head just enough to narrow two cold eyes on the traitorous soldier.
Levee clinched her hand around the chestnut’s shaggy mane, familiarizing herself with the only weapon she knew how to wield: the sturdy stallion beneath her seat.
With a deep breath, she settled inside his mind, hearing the horse’s thoughts and feeling his body as if it were her own. The chestnut’s legs dance back and forth with antsy steps until Levee’s will held them still.
You are quite formidable. The wolf circled the rahee, his eyes on Levee as his tongue lolled with satisfaction. Stronger than the prince.
“Let us go,” Levee demanded. “We’ve done nothing to incite your wrath.
”
Oh, but you have. A growl rumbled in the predator’s throat. You see, horse-child, until now, everything was unfolding just as I intended. The prince and his feeble-minded soldiers walked right into the trap I set. The beast glanced at the dying mimic fodder and the angry horses marking him as their next target. But I did not predict one of your kind to be among them. You’ve stolen my easy victory, and now I must dispose of you as well.
“Why?” Levee demanded. “What have we done to become your enemy?”
Enemy? Child, you are merely a hindrance between me and my goal. Weary of the girl’s ignorance, the canine planted his feet, ready to attack. But that will all end now.
The wolf leapt straight at Levee, teeth bared. The gypsy reacted on instinct, her mind still joined with the chestnut horse beneath her seat. Two hooves rose up to greet the canine and kicked it back to the ground.
The wolf rolled several feet. When he rose, he stumbled, and Levee knew she had injured him. But to the gypsy’s surprise, a conniving grin spread across its maw.
You want to fight? So be it, but let us make it interesting. The wolf threw his head up in a long howl, calling two new enemies from the depths of the forest, their blood red eyes matching the canine’s gaze.
Night mares—evil equines born from the abyss—had answered the wolf’s call. The first galloped toward Joust with her head poised low, feigning a strike toward the stallion’s breast.
When Joust dodged left, the mare raised her head and speared the young rookie in the chest with her corkscrew horn. Eyes bright with glee, she slowed her canter and shook the rahee back and forth, reveling in his agonizing cries. His body tore and bled under the mare’s violent shake, and Levee had to rip her eyes away from the scene, her ears pressed back in a desperate attempt to block out the poor rookie’s screams.
Even Kotu stared, his mouth agape, and Jaycent used the distraction to slide his hand down his back, seizing his captor’s wrist. With a violent twist, the prince forced the blade from Kotu’s hand.
As the dagger fell harmlessly to the ground, Jaycent spun free of the traitor’s grasp and slugged Kotu in the nose. A swift knee dropped the soldier to the ground where he curled in pain as the prince towered over him.
But before Jaycent could kill the traitor, a second night mare intervened. She galloped toward the prince, her perverted horn aimed for Jaycent’s throat. The prince brought his sword up, pushing the horn out left while he stumbled right, out of the charging mare’s path.
“Go! Run!” Jaycent ordered Levee. Dashing toward the leopard-coated horse, he flung himself onto the equine’s back. “We cannot fight these hell-beasts!”
The gypsy didn’t have to urge her steed to take flight. The horse, too, had measured the terrible odds and made haste across the fields toward the nearby mountains.
Jaycent’s horse fell in stride behind Levee’s chestnut mount as the night mares pursued. The first of the two evil equines caught up with the prince, and Jaycent parried the fierce swipes of its horn with his sword. Waves of pain jolted through his arm with every strike, nearly unseating him. The other honed in on Levee from behind where it quickly gained ground.
Joust, true to his war horse ideals, still fought valiantly for his allies. He charged after Levee and the chestnut’s attacker, nipping at the enemy’s flanks and forcing her to buck. It didn’t stop the dark mare’s pursuit, but it slowed her enough to buy Levee time.
The gypsy looked back to find the herd she had freed had split into two groups. The first circled around the wolf while ten broke away to form a crescent behind her. Those ten drove hard to catch up with the fleeing rahee.
Levee loosed a couple of volleys from her borrowed bow at the night mare trailing her, but the shots soared dangerously wide, nearly striking one of the gaining stallions and forcing him to fall back. Sliding the bow back over her chest, Levee switched to plan B, sending out a mental plea for guidance to the horses behind her.
Make for Skalabur’s Post, offered a white mare four horses across from her. It’s that outcrop of rock on the mountain ahead. A black unicorn headed that way not long ago. If you can make it there, I’m sure he will help you.
Levee nodded her thanks and leaned into the chestnut’s gallop. Joust led the herd, curving like a lasso around the night mare at Levee’s flank and stalling the evil beast’s pursuit.
The gypsy then guided her horse up an inclined path that wound toward Skalabur’s Post. Behind her, the clash of horn and steal continued to ring, and she glanced over her shoulder to see how Jaycent was faring.
The prince had managed to score his share of deep cuts, but it did little to diminish the mare’s pursuit. It flung its “mane”—a wild line of flames—into the prince’s side, nearly throwing him off his horse.
Jaycent grunted, his free hand tucked against his waist as he hunched over the sear in his tunic. To Levee’s relief, the prince’s sword never wavered, and he still managed to slice as much as he parried.
Keep running, Levee encouraged Jaycent’s mount, knowing fear was the only thing keeping the beast going. Using her will, she forced her chestnut to fall back, taking shelter in a shallow recess of the mountain wall. There they waited until Jaycent and the hounding night mare sped past.
Levee then launched into a gallop behind them, intent on taking some of the heat off of the prince’s back. Snatching the small sword from her belt, she closed in on Jaycent’s foe and slammed the blade deep into the night mare’s haunches.
A shriek leapt from the mare’s narrow mouth. It slowed, but to Levee’s horror, its shorten stride wasn’t from being wounded. Now she ran parallel with the gypsy’s horse, a new prey in sight.
I will slay you for that, horse-child, the mare promised, its hateful eyes gleaming.
The trail was rising now. The path grew more winding, and a precarious drop had begun to form on the right side. The warring party climbed farther up the slope with Levee and the night mare side-by-side. The dark mare swung again, and Levee’s horse threw his head back to avoid the nasty horn. He narrowly escaped the attack, the mare’s horn scraping across the chestnut’s cheek.
The gypsy grimaced, her mental link with the mount forcing her to feel every hit as if his body were her own. Picking up the pace, she clipped the night mare with her mount’s shoulder, bullying it toward the narrow ledge. The black beast stumbled, one cloven hoof sliding off the cliff into open air.
But the mare was incredibly agile. She recovered and spun her weight so she stood horizontally across the path. The gypsy skidded to a stop, then pressed her horse against the mountain wall as the mare walked toward them, her horn lowered for an attack.
“Levee!” Jaycent tried to force his mount to charge in, but the spotted steed fought the prince’s commands, refusing to go near the evil mare.
The gypsy calmed her horse as she tried to anticipate the night mare’s next move. The beast reared back, its red eyes steeled against her torso. Believing the equine’s gaze marked her strike, Levee stood tall in her seat and waited for the mare to make its move.
As soon as she did, Levee brought her stallion’s head low and dropped her body flat against the horse’s back. The night mare’s horn careened over their heads and smashed into the rock, wedging itself tightly inside.
Levee didn’t wait to see if the mare would pull free.
“Cente!” she cried. The chestnut bolted from the tight space while the night mare struggled to dislodge its horn from deep inside the rock. In a moment of pride, the chestnut wheeled and tossed his head in triumph, but his victory was premature. With a furious grunt, the night mare reared and slammed her hooves against the stone, yanking her head free.
“Run!” Levee hollered to the prince. Together, the pair continued their desperate gallop up the mountain slope. While their mounts were slowing against the pull of exhaustion, the night mare charged relentlessly on.
The creature fell upon Jaycent this time, and his sweat lathered horse nearly buckled under the weight of
the mare’s barrage. Levee watched in horror as the mare led Jaycent’s sword up in a high parry only to double back with a slice toward the middle of his torso.
Jaycent’s horse bolted forward, clothes-lining the prince on the mare’s twisted horn. He flew to the ground in a blind roll, narrowly missing the mare’s stomping hooves.
Jaycent let the momentum guide him, absorbing the impact and tumbling helplessly down a small incline onto an open cliff face. The ground was mercilessly hard, and the prince swooned when his head slammed against it. His body fell limp near the cliff’s edge while his sword slid by and over, clanking down the mountain’s face.
Levee charged the dark mare before the beast could launch herself at the fallen prince. Seeing the gypsy’s pursuit, the beast skipped left, bringing the blunt side of her horn down across the chestnut’s haunches. The horse’s weary legs buckled beneath the hit, and Levee braced herself for the fall.
This was it. As her body landed atop the weary stallion, Levee was certain the mare would finish them off. She clinched her eyes shut and awaited the painful blows.
But the night mare balked when twenty-two hundred pounds of twilight blue flesh streaked down from a shallow cave above the trail and landed in her path. The chestnut pulled itself back onto its feet with the gypsy clinging to its neck, and they both looked on in awe as the largest unicorn they’d ever seen locked horns with the wicked mare.
Jaycent lifted his head with a moan, his own disbelief stamped across his face. Skalabur, king of the unicorns, drove the night mare back with a pair of diamond hooves, his teeth scoring bites against her face and neck. The devilish equine didn’t even try to fight back. She backed onto the cliff, trying to put distance between herself and her magnificent enemy.
And he truly was magnificent! Muscles that rivaled most draft horses were bound into the 20 hand stallion’s lean physique. His coat mimicked a starry canopy while a pair of golden eyes, bright as the sun, challenged the vile entity.
The Rogue Trilogy Page 23
