Rider (Spirals of Destiny)

by Jim Bernheimer

  After a few more moments, the traffic into the main gate was halted for this procession. Naturally, Kayleigh felt uncomfortable with all the attention on her. She simply did her best to fix her gaze squarely on the Captain’s back.

  Once inside the gates, the massiveness of the city seemed to press down on them. Even with the spacious streets, twice as wide as Helden, they were a sliver of white in a sea of humanity. From the corners of her eyes, she could see the faces of the onlookers. They stopped what they were doing and turned to watch the young maidens and their unicorns.

  Streets went off in what seemed like every direction. Talcosa was a maze unto itself. Back in Helden, Kayleigh often stared out into the ocean and allowed the great expanse a chance to kindly remind her that she was small and there were things that were larger than she would ever be. Talcosa was unapologetic and overbearing. Buildings loomed, larger than anything she’d ever seen. Order mingled with chaos and everything swirled in constant motion.

  Kayleigh knew this place intimidated her. How could it not? But still, she moved forward in the wake created by Captain Lynch and Majherri’s sister. Winding their way through the streets, the buildings abruptly receded into open expanse of the Great Market. It was rumored that anything and everything could be bought and sold in this area filled with small buildings, carts, tents, and wagons. Kayleigh overheard men arguing over a small patch of earth and who was allowed to sell there. They paused as the group passed, but immediately resumed. As they moved closer to the docks, the temperament of the crowd changed. They were less inclined to stop and stare, less interested in anything but there own business. It even felt a little hostile.

  At an intersection, Captain Lynch halted the column and they waited for a series of wagons filled to the brim with goods to pass. People tried to scamper through and get to whatever destinations were ahead of them, but Lynch maneuvered T’rsa into the wake left by the wagons and her words rose above the chaotic din.

  “Make way! Make way!”

  The crowd, like a living entity, momentarily held its ground, but the warrior refused to stop moving forward. On the long ride here, Kayleigh had been told time and time again that one of the greatest strengths of the magic between rider and mount was the ability to project an aura of authority that bordered on fear. That magic multiplied by a full formation of riders was what broke enemy lines and chased off opposing riders. It was part of what made them the most feared fighters in the land.

  From her position right behind Captain Lynch, Kayleigh felt that authority for the first time and saw the swirling crowd bend, forcing itself painfully out of their way.

  Part of Kayleigh relished the idea of wielding that kind of power, just as another feared it. Regardless of her insecurities, the column pushed forward until she could see the water and the piers. Boats lined every pier and there was constant movement as ships were both loaded and unloaded at the same time. At the center of this bustle was a single pier with no activity whatsoever. Six armored warriors stood at the closed gate. Only when Captain Lynch approached did one remove a key from around his neck and unlock the gate, swinging it open.

  The man saluted and spoke to Captain Lynch, “On behalf of my sovereign liege, I welcome you back to Talcosa and bid you a final safe journey to your isle. The ferry captain is waiting for you.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant of the Guard. It is good to be back.”

  Getting onto the wide pier was a relief. Much to Kayleigh’s surprise, it did not creak from the weight of the unicorns like the piers of Helden complained under the stress of supporting the ocean’s bounty. This was solid. This was eternal. This was everlasting.

  “Continue walking your unicorn to the gangway, Recruit Resse. Stop when you get to it and wait for me to formally request permission to board.”

  Kayleigh started to open her mouth to reply, but fought back the words. No answer was needed and she had been told to remain silent until they reached The Academy.

  Once they stopped, Captain Lynch dismounted and an older man dressed in finery walked down the gangway. His hair and beard were black and spotted with gray, but he carried himself with strength and a relaxed power. As Captain Lynch went down to one knee before him, Kayleigh recalled seeing paintings of the man before.

  The “ferry captain” was High-King Barris himself.

  “Rise brave warrior, and be welcomed back to my city.”

  “Thank you, my liege.”

  He smiled and gestured for her to rise, scanning the assembled recruits. “The rest of the new class? A most promising group indeed! I see the seeds of greatness before me. You are the pride and joy of all the land, ready to learn how to become the greatest protectors of all. Your journey truly begins here and now. It is my great honor to take you to your new home.”

  Kayleigh could barely meet the man’s eyes and she knew her face was flushed with embarrassment, just as she knew every other recruit was in a similar state of disarray.

  “Permission to board?” Captain Lynch asked.

  “Permission granted.” The High-King answered.

  He stood there, smiling as Kayleigh passed by and led Majherri onto the ferry. Despite her best efforts, his gaze met hers and she felt like he was staring right into her soul. Majherri nudged her, breaking the connection and Kayleigh moved forward. She peered back as the other recruits experienced their own struggles. When Ellen looked like she was about to faint, the man caught her and said something about working on her “sea legs.” High-King Barris was one of the most accomplished mages in the land, and Kayleigh knew there was more going on. Whatever he was doing was subtle, but she felt it.

  With all the unicorns onboard, the High-King signaled to a man in robes. A wave of his hands caused the ropes to loosen from their moorings and the gangway to simply disappear. A gesture from the High-King’s hands immediately started the ferry moving forward.

  The ferry picked up speed and almost seemed to glide across the surface of the lake. The Academy grew closer and in the distance, Kayleigh saw dots of white on the grass near the pier, hundreds of them. Each one was a unicorn and a rider in the same white robes.

  They were her sisters, and after all this wandering, Kayleigh was finally home. She vowed to keep that feeling with her for all time, no matter what.

  Chapter 11 – Extra Duty

  Those moments of awe his rider experienced upon arrival were rapidly replaced with the drudgery of life at The Academy. He had watched them go from one building, wearing their nicest dresses to this etiquette class and leave looking like a defeated pack of rabble. The unicorn found it ironic that they were trying to remake these young women into the finest warriors in a world dominated by the males of their species, only to confuse them by giving classes in proper social behavior, dance, and serving leaves in hot water. Every unicorn knew that water free of any impurities was the best water of all!

  After their lesson on how to be a proper human female, they rushed back to their barracks to change into tunics to tackle the obstacle course. The course was ever changing. As soon as the human recruits became comfortable with the pitfalls, more would be added. Today was such a day. The rope swings were replaced with a rope net that the females had to climb up and over. Less than half were able to achieve this and all were disheartened by the performance. Currently, they were in the stables and his rider and another were becoming better acquainted with a pitchfork.

  “I’m beginning to wonder if this was one colossal mistake,” Kayleigh muttered quietly dumping straw and manure into a wheelbarrow.

  Majherri snorted. It was his way of reminding her of his superior hearing. His rider was working off what the humans called “demerits” and he didn’t require physical contact to sense her frustration.

  “You know I’m not talking about you,” she replied in a whisper. “We both know what she’s doing isn’t fair.”

  Captain Lynch had decided to set the tone early for her class and she was a strict disciplinarian. This extended to Kayleigh’s role a
s lead rider for the newly formed class. Regardless of her personal performance, for every five demerits the class earned as a whole, Kayleigh received one hour of extra duty. In a class of over forty new recruits, from various educational, personal, and emotional backgrounds, all trying to conform to life at The Academy, those demerits came at a full gallop.

  The male unicorn knew that this rule usually wasn’t enforced on a lead rider until the first season ended. It was blatantly obvious why it was already in effect. The fairness, T’rsa’s rider promised Kayleigh never quite materialized.

  She set the pitchfork down and rolled her sore right shoulder in a slow circular motion.

  The strange movements of humans never cease to amaze me.

  “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

  “Are you talking to me?” Ellen asked from the next stall.

  “No, Majherri is keeping me company,” Kayleigh replied.

  “Oh, sorry about all this … I didn’t mean to get caught skylarking during Etiquette class. When I was selected, I only thought about learning to use a bow and a sword. Proper posture wasn’t a consideration. ‘Sides, cleaning out a stall is the same whether it’s a horse or a unicorn. At least it’s something I’m good at.”

  “Don’t worry. It wasn’t just you. Four people also failed the personal inspection this morning. Either way, you’ve got a leg up on most when it comes to the bow and sword. You’ll get etiquette soon enough. It just requires practice and attention to detail.”

  There was an audible sigh from the stall next to Majherri as Ellen declared, “I used to make fun of all the town girls, trying to be perfect little ladies. Now, I am one!”

  “Ah, but none of them have a unicorn right? Try not to get down on yourself, Ellen; do you want some extra help?”

  “Maybe, you seem to pick it up easy enough.”

  His rider shrugged and said, “My mother … she usually painted or sculpted nobles or the merchant class. Good manners and the like were things I picked up along the way. I may be a little too busy right now, but there are several riders from noble families. I’ll see what I can arrange, but in return you might have to help one of the others with riding or something similar.”

  “Sure,” the other girl answered from her stall while filling her wheelbarrow with another load of blackened hay.

  Kayleigh grabbed a rag and used one side of it to wipe her hands somewhat clean and the other to get the sweat from her brow. She patted him and he could feel her calluses already developing. With a smile she said, “I know you’re the most beautiful creatures in all the known lands, but you can make an awful stink!”

  Majherri flipped his mane in humor and regarded her comment ironic considering what human cities smelled like. There wasn’t enough hay in all the land for that.

  “Awful stink, you say?” An unseen party asked before stepping into the waning light.

  The unicorn looked at the male. He was young, but carried himself well. The fanciful decorations on his tunic marked him as one of the upper class humans. It was the same as the man who possessed the magical bird on their recruiting trip.

  The male bowed, “Brian Tomas, at your service. Well, if we are being correct, I am the stable master for this building, so technically you two are at my service.”

  “Greetings. Are you, by chance, related to Sir Aeric?” his rider asked, laughing politely at his joke.

  “He is my older brother and part of the reason I’ve been absent until today. His lot in life is to be a knight of the realm, fight in battles, spending months without a comfortable bed. Mine is helping my uncle manage the stables and be surrounded by young maidens and unicorns. I’m pretty sure I have it better. Now, you were saying something about smell?”

  The one called Ellen proffered her pitchfork and Majherri watched as the nobleman selected a chunk and held it to his tiny nostrils before crushing it and considering the texture. His rider contorted her face and tried, in vain, to suppress a choking noise.

  “Yes, this does rather smell and it’s a bit compacted. The unicorns in this group are getting too many fruits and not enough grass. This happens a lot when a new group takes over the feeding duties. I’ll speak to the new class’s lead rider and caution her about overfeeding.”

  “That’s her right there,” Ellen said gesturing with her tool. Naturally, some of the loose material splattered on his rider’s cheek.

  “Ellen!”

  “Oh, sorry!” The younger girl exclaimed while Kayleigh tried to hide her embarrassment and wipe it off with the rag.

  “Well, I always say, if you don’t get any on you, you’re not doing it right.” The male’s statement seemed to take the edge of the situation.

  Humans are generally more entertaining in small numbers. Sadly, in large numbers, they mostly try to kill each other.

  “So, you are Majherri’s new rider. My brother spoke of you.”

  “He did?” Kayleigh replied looking somewhat uncomfortable.

  The stable master waved his hand dismissively and said, “Oh, nothing but good things, I assure you. Now, I don’t know if your unicorn remembers me, but I was just starting as a stable hand when he was last here.”

  Majherri shuffled forward to get a better look at the human and found that he did recall him. The “boy” grew into his lanky frame in the decade since Majherri last saw him. His shoulders were broad and he possessed an air of dignity. There were many similarities to Sir Aeric.

  “Well, it is good to be back on the Sacred Island. Father insisted I attend welcoming festivities for Aeric, which lasted a full week. Next mother’s birthday was only a few days after that and I didn’t dare be rude. After a time, I was beginning to believe they were trying to keep me there and began to plot my escape. But enough about me, the two of you seem to have a bit of extra duty this evening. How many more stalls do you have to clean out?”

  Kayleigh replied, “Six. It’s easier than trying to groom the younglings, who don’t have a rider. They don’t let me touch them for very long.”

  “Well, that is their nature, but you have much work to do. I’d offer to help, but since it is extra duty, it isn’t permitted. Although, I suppose I could be a gracious host and fetch the two of you some fresh water and perhaps a bucket for Majherri.”

  “We’re fine. No need to bother.” His rider answered. Majherri spotted the signs of a blush on Kayleigh.

  “Oh, but I insist. I thought my stables were going to be in a terrible state when I arrived and this is so much better than I hoped. It’s the least I can do.”

  His rider and the other made a show of trying to refuse him, but Majherri noted how susceptible the pair of females was to the male’s charm and “good” nature. After the noble left for the well, Ellen commented on his good looks and his rider seemed dismayed at her overall appearance. Watching humans interact always amused him. Still, even after all these years, he was no real judge of what constituted mating stock among humans.

  Sadly, neither was Danella. Even so, his rider and all the others will swear a vow of chastity soon that lasts for seven years. Life must be difficult for this Brian – so many potential mates and none actually available. Of course, humans have no set mating season to begin with, which is why they are the strangest of all animals.

  Such thoughts led Majherri to think of Pasha and he stopped listening to the humans tittering like birds. He’d seen her out when the recruits were stumbling, in their two-legged way, about the long obstacle course. Rain pelted the trainees without mercy. Pasha’s rider would constantly dismount and berate any of the trainees that the human did not think was working hard enough, or complaining too much.

  She was doing it often enough that Majherri wondered why she even bothered returning to the saddle.

  The rest of the first season herd did not care to watch the humans exercising in clear skies, let alone bad weather. They usually grazed in the pastures and waited for their humans to come to them for riding lessons. Considering Majherri barely tolerate
d any of the younger ones, this made for the perfect place to escape from their collective foolishness, even if watching humans climbing ropes and crawling through mud was just as silly, but he was interested in his rider’s progress. The opportunity to converse with Pasha was a definite bonus. He walked closer, swishing his tail in greetings.

  “Your rider is a good specimen, Majherri, even compared to those that are actually her age. The rest of them leave much to be desired. My rider will have a difficult time with this herd of humans.”

  “They do seem to fall a lot, part of the problem with only having two legs and a poor sense of balance.”

  Pasha pawed the ground with one of her forelegs, indicating humor. “You are gaining a reputation for avoiding the herd and following your rider around.”

  Majherri snorted and answered her. “The unicorns saying these things are no more a proper herd than the humans wallowing in the muck like pigs over there are trained warriors!”

  “I see this is a subject that brings out your temper. I meant it in jest.”

  He fought to relax. This wasn’t going the way he hoped it would. “I need to apologize. The younglings are irritating. Once my first rider graduated, we only returned to the sacred isle for mating season. Now, it will be twelve full seasons before I can leave this place again. I already feel confined.”

  “This is a pleasant change! I’m surprised and flattered.”

  That was better. He felt foolish and off balance because of his outburst. Shifting uncertainly on his hooves, he replied, “The fault is not with you, but me. I’ve missed your company. Your rider keeps you busy and the others are a poor substitute for your wit.”

  “You look very much like a unicorn that I know, but you act nothing like him.”

  “I am becoming more comfortable with once again having a rider. When I put my mind to it, I can be rather charming.”

  Wide-eyed, she regarded him. “Is this your way of courting me?”

  “I suppose it is,” he answered in the affirmative and tried to gauge her reaction.