Rider (Spirals of Destiny)

by Jim Bernheimer

  Pasha approached him again, closer this time and rested her head against his own. “No, it wasn’t. But for the first time this trip, you’ve shown how much it hurt you. You’re starting to live again. T’rsa feeds off her rider’s anger, but deep down she wants you to heal.”

  “And what do you want, Pasha?”

  She twisted her head in amusement. “What I want, you’re not ready for right now – maybe someday soon though.”

  Chapter 8 – A Fragile Tether

  “Abasa won’t let me touch him!” Francine exclaimed with a strangled cry.

  Kayleigh looked up from where she was changing the bandage on her hand. The girl seemed like she was panicking and her smallish unicorn kept moving away from her. The rain from last night had broken and only a few clouds dotted the morning sky.

  Captain Lynch approached, “What is the matter, recruit.”

  “My unicorn … there’s something wrong!”

  The water maiden looked even more stern than usual. “Do you still feel the bond?”

  When Francine didn’t respond immediately, Captain Lynch shook her by the shoulders. “Answer me! The bond? Is it there or not?”

  “I don’t feel it!” The young girl screamed.

  Annabeth, the fire maiden moved over quickly and ushered some of the other recruits back. Kayleigh gathered that this was somewhat serious based on the tone. The scene in front of her was much easier to process than last night’s battle. She’d barely slept at all and hadn’t eaten more than an apple and a hunk of bread for breakfast.

  Part of her wanted to join the onlookers, but common sense won out. She stayed where she was and watched as Majherri wandered over to her. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the coarse brush and began working on him.

  “Are they going to be alright?” she asked Majherri running her hand across his coat.

  She found herself staring into the dark orbs of Majherri’s eyes and a feeling of loss and sadness passed through her being. Her unicorn didn’t think Francine and Abasa were going to get through this. Together, they watched Lieutenant Sheppard and Captain Lynch roughly handle Abasa into a submissive position, helped by their mounts, while Rider Welsh forced Francine’s hand on the unicorn.

  The young unicorn was clearly frightened and letting loose fearful wails.

  “Welsh, get her on Abasa,” Captain Lynch ordered. “We’ll lash the two of them together and hope that forces the bond to reconnect! Rope! I need rope, right now!”

  Kayleigh watched Alicia turn and sprint in her direction. Using her undamaged hand, Kayleigh reached into the bed of the wagon and pulled out a coil of rope and tossed it underhanded to Alicia, who spared her a grateful smile before heading back to the disturbance.

  Abasa managed to free himself, throwing the two Battle Maidens restraining him to the ground. T’rsa and Pasha immediately moved in and pinned the young unicorn back against a tree. Lieutenant Sheppard was the first one back on her feet. She grabbed Pasha’s mane and gestured at the ground beneath Abasa. The area blurred slightly and Kayleigh could see Abasa beginning to sink into the suddenly giving surface.

  He tried to get out of the muck, but the ground solidified, locking three of Abasa’s four legs and effectively immobilizing him. Lynch and Sheppard worked quickly, maneuvering Francine onto the back of her steed. Welsh started binding the two of them together.

  A short time later, Sheppard released the duo with Captain Lynch tying the other end of the rope to T’rsa. Abasa pulled and tugged, but T’rsa was easily a match for the much younger unicorn. This thrashing continued for easily five minutes before Abasa stopped bucking and seemed to accept his current state.

  Captain Lynch looked around and clearly did not like all the gawking. She said, “The rest of you are supposed to be breaking camp! There’s plenty of work to be done in Miros, so get moving!”

  Kayleigh finished brushing Majherri and loaded her bag and bedroll into the wagon. She helped Ellen with her gear and the two of them started packing Francine’s items.

  “Ellen, can you handle the wagon?”

  “Huh?” The blonde asked, momentarily confused before recalling what happened to their driver last night. “I can handle a wagon.”

  “Good, I’ll have one of the others sit with you and you can show them how to do it. I’d do it, but…” Kayleigh trailed off looking at her injured hand.

  “What was using magic like?”

  “I was so scared, I didn’t even notice,” Kayleigh tried to dismiss it, not wanting to really discuss the matter. What happened was really beyond her description and she couldn’t find the words to do it justice. With whatever Francine was facing, it wasn’t the proper setting to speak something like this.

  “I hope I’m a fire maiden like you. Most of us won’t find out until the testing ceremony a month after we get there.”

  Casting a glance around, Kayleigh loaded the last of Francine’s things into a rucksack and replied, “I think we need to worry about getting there first.”

  Kayleigh was thankful that she’d gotten Ellen to take the reigns. The other wagon missing a driver had to be told to do this. Part of her upbringing with her mother was to be the practical one. By the time she was eight, Kayleigh making meals or reminding her mother of things that needed to be done. Her mother often got lost in her current project and would overlook mundane things like cooking.

  I hope she’ll be okay without me. What am I thinking? She’s the one who all but threw me out into the street with nothing! I need to focus and stay grounded. If I do that, then maybe I won’t completely fail at this lead rider thing after all.

  She spent the miles in quiet contemplation. Ellen and Alicia were driving the wagon and the rest were reading quietly. Kayleigh just stared at the tree line and wondered what was on the road ahead.

  “You don’t look well, Reese. How’s your hand?” Lieutenant Sheppard asked as she brought Pasha alongside the wagon.

  “I’m okay, ma’am. How’s Francine?” She replied, glancing up at the front of the wagon train where the unicorn with rider firmly attached was being led by Captain Lynch.

  Sheppard surveyed at all the expectant faces and said, “Abasa is the youngest unicorn in the herd. The bond might not retake. Every bond is different. Some are exceedingly strong and run deep. Others are a fragile tether until they are fully realized. The mental state of both the rider and the unicorn also come into play. The attack last night might have been too much, too soon for both involved. All of you need to be aware of this over the next few days as you spend time with your mounts. If you feel something isn’t right, tell one of us – immediately!”

  She recalled Francine’s actions last night, holding the ax out to her and scared witless. To Kayleigh’s mind, the bond was like a pair of ropes knotted together.

  “What happens if it doesn’t retake?” Alicia asked.

  “We’ll try to force the bond for a few days, but if it doesn’t reappear, we’ll send her back home.”

  The idea of going home struck like a slap in the face.

  “What happens to Abassa, if that happens?”

  The Earth Maiden took a moment to compose her answer. “He would return to the herd and come back out next year looking for a new rider.”

  “But what about their bond?” Ellen asked.

  “The bondspark is a connection, not a guarantee. Unless you were selected early, odds are that well over a thousand hands have touched your unicorns. There may be someone better suited for your unicorn. Whether it’s fate, destiny, or just plain old dumb luck, you made a strong enough connection to be chosen as a rider. You got there first. The bond is something to be nurtured. Only when you reach the point where you can call upon the unicorn’s magic can you relax and stop worrying.”

  “Does that mean Kayleigh can stop worrying?”

  A slight smile spread across the stocky woman’s face, “I think recruit Reese has several other things to worry about, but this isn’t one of them. Now for a change of subject, M
iros will be substantially different from our other stops. There isn’t going to be a celebration. These people just lost friends and family to raiders. We’ll try to do some good work while we’re there. All of you are expected to do your part. Most likely, we’ll leave most of our supplies behind and take enough food to get us to our next destination.”

  As the lieutenant made her way back to the next wagon, the whispering began. Kayleigh tried not to pay much attention to it, but one thing stood out.

  “I guess it’s why we have to take a seven year vow of chastity,” one of the others said.

  “What exactly do you mean by that?” Alicia asked turning around.

  “Well, if what she said about the bond is true, that might be why they have us take a vow of chastity. Having a male suitor might interfere with the bond.”

  “I wonder why it’s seven and not five? Why doesn’t it just go to graduation? What do you think, Kayleigh?”

  “Um … this is all still new to me,” she said while scrunching her nose in thought, “I didn’t even know about a chastity vow up until you just mentioned it. If I have to guess it is probably that the first two years after you graduate, they keep you too busy for romance.”

  Alicia nodded and said, “That sounds correct. Rider Welsh told me that even after you leave The Academy, you still have plenty to learn.”

  Kayleigh stayed a part of the conversation just for the sake of being involved. As the wagon moved on, she could only wonder what other little surprises about this new life were waiting for her. Being nervous seemed like a perpetual state for her.

  Miros looked much different from Kayleigh’s previous visits. Even the bright late summer day could not mask the dreadful appearance of the small town. It had only half the population of Helden … less now. Her eyes were drawn to the parts of the wall that had been breached and partially collapsed. From what she heard, the attack came just before sunrise, probably after the sentries had spent the entire night awake and were looking forward to the end of their shift. This season, she had taken her turns on Helden’s walls and knew, all too well, how fatigue could set in after eight hours of looking out into the darkness from the elevated towers.

  One of those towers was blackened and had seen better days. It was occupied by a stern looking man with a crossbow as they passed. The only one who seemed to look more frustrated than him was poor Francine, who had been taken off of Abasa within the last mile. She sulked in the corner of the wagon and rejected any attempts at conversation. They would try again once they left this place.

  Inside the walls, things weren’t much better. Some buildings were burnt down to their frames. The stench of death and decay was in the air. In the square were the remains of individual funeral pyres and one large pile where the townsfolk had flung the bodies of the ten raiders who were killed.

  Still, the people of Miros mustered up their hospitality and welcomed them officially to the town. The elders thanked Captain Lynch for their timely arrival. The four magic wielding battle maidens immediately turned the tide on the Yar and sent the looters scattering, while most of the women and children were offshore on the boats of the fisherman waiting for the nightmare to end. Kayleigh tried hard not to imagine what it must have felt like.

  She saw Sir Aeric, who had stayed overnight in the town along with his guards. The man appeared tired, but carried himself with both dignity and determination.

  The group that stumbled onto the camp must have been looking to scout out Helden for a possible raid. It made Kayleigh feel better knowing that the threat to her former town was eliminated. When the wagons stopped, they climbed out. Captain Lynch and the other maidens, except for Lieutenant Sheppard brought the remaining unicorn forward for the choosing ceremony.

  “Alright,” Sheppard addressed the girls, “work with the drivers and consolidate the supplies into that wagon over there. The rest, we are going to give to the town.”

  Aside from the small chest of gold, the gesture of two wagonloads of dry goods was mostly symbolic, but the crowd appreciated it nonetheless. When the gift of two hundred gold coins was announced, Kayleigh looked at Lieutenant Sheppard and the earth maiden shrugged her shoulders. It was the chest that should have been hers. Knowing that it was going to help people took some of the sting out of it, but, even so, Kayleigh returned to her work with an angry expression on her face.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Majherri standing very close to Abasa. Her unicorn was obviously giving Francine’s a stern talking to. It included butting and tapping horns against each other. Kayleigh had no real idea how to interpret unicorn conversations, but she got the impression that Majherri was throwing his weight around.

  “They’re gonna send me home, I just know it!” Francine muttered passing her a sack of flour.

  “You shouldn’t worry about that now,” Kayleigh replied.

  “…says a girl who can already do magic with her unicorn. Thanks for the advice, Kayleigh. I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “I’m just trying to help!” Kayleigh said.

  The harsh reply came back, “This isn’t like teaching me to read. This is losing my unicorn!”

  Maybe it was the pain from the burn in her hand, or the queasiness from not eating, the fact that this could have been Helden, or even seeing Majherri doing what he could to help, but Kayleigh eyed the smaller brunette and hissed, “Look around! These people have real problems. This isn’t the time or place for whining. You’ve still got a chance to reconnect with Abasa. The villagers here have to rebuild there homes and say farewell to their dead.”

  Several of the surrounding girls stopped what they were doing, this being the first time they’d heard her utter an unkind word at anyone other than Morganstern. Kayleigh had gone out of her way to be pleasant, but this problem wouldn’t be solved with sugar. Instead, it needed some salt.

  “What did you say?”

  “Put things in perspective. Even if you can’t reconnect, you still get to go home and live your life.”

  “But how am I supposed to reconnect with him?” Francine pleaded, drawing some looks from the nearby villagers.

  Kayleigh paused and tried to think it through and not sound callous. “Look at what changed. You’re scared from the battle last night. We all were. But you’ve got to put it behind you.”

  “She’s right, you know.” The pair turned to see Lieutenant Sheppard behind them. The earth maiden continued, “Recruit Resse, let her hold your knife.”

  Kayleigh did as instructed and handed the bone knife to the nervous teenager. The girl held it like it was going to bite her at any second.

  “What is it?”

  “Huh?”

  “That is not the correct answer, Recruit Andover. I’ll ask again. What do you have in your hand?”

  “A knife.”

  “Is it a knife for cutting food, recruit?”

  “No.”

  “That’s right,” Sheppard said. “It’s a weapon. It’s meant to kill something. Accept it. It’s what you’re going to be trained for. Your fear is intruding on your bond. It threatens to undo it, permanently.”

  “It is not!” Francine replied a little too loudly.

  “Oh really? Which one of you was more affected by the battle and the deaths? Abasa, or you? Were I to guess, Abasa is eager to prove himself and was impressed by what Majherri did.”

  Francine stood there refusing to meet the lieutenant’s eyes. To Kayleigh, it appeared that the younger girl was withering under the stern gaze of the officer.

  “We are warriors. You might have accepted that in your head, but you must accept it in your heart. Hasn’t Captain Lynch already told you something similar?”

  Francine lowered her head further, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “That’s why we don’t let you away from school until the end of your third year at the Academy. You need to have those fantasies you’ve built up erased and the reality put in its place. If you can’t truly accept it, your bond with Abasa won’t come back no matter
how long we tie the two of you together. Now, give Reese back her knife and both of you get back to work.”

  Defeated, Francine offered the knife back to Kayleigh and stared in helplessness. The younger girl wanted to rage that it wasn’t true, but everyone knew it was.

  After the wagon was unloaded, they watched the end of the ceremony. The final rider was selected, she was a small and skinny redhead named Helena. Understandably, there was little excitement in her expression. Kayleigh was close enough to hear the girl’s mother say that her father and brother would have been proud.

  Kayleigh choked back a few tears, knowing all too well what that meant. When Captain Lynch called for the other unicorns to come forward, Kayleigh looked at Majherri. As expected, he refused to move. She marched over to him.

  “Majherri, go be nice for awhile,” she scolded him. They’ve suffered a great deal and anything we can do to help, we should.”

  She stared into his eyes and there was a struggle of will and pride. Deciding to try and exert some authority, she said, “I followed you into battle without question. The least you can do is something simple in return.”

  Moments passed while the unicorn weighed her request. Eventually, Majherri agreed, giving the impression that it was against his wishes, but he would do it for her ... this time.

  She breathed a sigh of relief as the stubborn creature trotted over to where the villagers of Miros stood in awe of being close to living, breathing sources of powerful magic. Even without their bond, she could see his discomfort, but she knew it was his way of offering to work with her as a team.

  Chapter 9 – A Touch of Magic

  The lightened wagons and favorable weather made for a quick trip to the next town. It took a trio of apples and two brushings, but Majherri forgave Kayleigh’s demands that he prostrate himself and allow those unclean, unwashed, and unworthy hands to paw him like a piece of meat. His rider was happy to be able to purchase some of the necessities that she’d been denied.

  Danella certainly would have never asked that from him!