“Yes, ma’am.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Drained and exhausted.”
“Alright, I’ll put Welsh on point. You deserve a break, but we can’t afford to stop now. Anything within a few miles probably saw your explosion and might decide to investigate. We need to be moving.”
Chapter 25 – Destiny’s Touch
His rider was more exhausted than she let on. She sagged in the saddle as their trek in the cold night continued. Kayleigh had done something extraordinary. Let them try to deny both of them status! His showered her with pride and comforted the tired girl.
The other unicorns moved alongside of him and some of them actually acknowledged him. That was what power could do.
“Do you all still consider me an exile? What will you say about me when you return to the Sacred Island?”
Strangely, he no longer felt the desire to run away. Perhaps it was Kayleigh and her doubts, asserting their way over the bond. He wasn’t certain, but at this moment, he wanted to see their faces. Though they were well behind enemy lines, Majherri felt the touch of destiny. This time he would emerge from the desert in victory.
Hours went by and the group moved on. As the sun began to rise, Kayleigh was barely awake. In contrast, Majherri felt strangely alive. He wasn’t tired at all and still felt full of power.
Welsh helped Kayleigh from the saddle as the humans and the other unicorns retreated to what little shade and shelter the desert provided. He did not. He would not. When they left here, he would be vindicated. Those who had wronged him would hang their heads in shame and beg for his forgiveness.
Perhaps I should insist that T’rsa not be allowed to participate in the next mating season.
Majherri circled in the sand as these thoughts went through his mind. He searched for a few plants to slake his thirst. Wandering far, he felt something in the distance calling out to him. It was a whisper in the corner of his mind … so very familiar. His destiny was out there in the sands, pleading for him to come to it.
“Majherri, are you well?”
“Rheysurrah? Oh yes, I have never been better. Why the sudden interest, you foolish creature?”
“Foolish? You are the one walking away from the encampment. I had to gallop to get to you. Come back and get in the shade. You’re delirious.”
“No! For the first time in a long time I can see clearly. I warned you! I told you something was wrong in the west! Did you listen? Of course not?”
The idiot blocked his way. “Fine Majherri, you can gloat all you wish when we get out of the desert. Right now, you need to come back to camp.”
Majherri was barely listening to Rheysurrah. His words meant nothing … less than nothing. “Go away, you stupid child. Your words grow tiresome. Leave my presence and go crawling to that wretched bovine who calls herself my sister.”
The fool continued to stand there, blocking his path, so Majherri trotted around him.
“Your rider is back there, Majherri. She needs you. Slow down. Will you stop!”
“Never, you jealous little males and envious females are always trying to stop me! Look at your weakling of a rider! She is a sad excuse for a fire maiden, but what else should she expect with a thin-blooded unicorn like you.”
The youngling continued to demand he stop. He had no intention of stopping, ever again. He would be corralled no longer. Rules were for the weak, but he was no weakling.
“For the last time, Majherri, stop!” Rheysurrah butted into him.
“Stop? Stop? Never again!” Majherri spun and kicked the interloper. I’ve heard enough from you!
For a moment, Rheysurrah lowered his horn like he would attack. Majherri had no such hesitation. It was long past time he settled this score. The other was immediately defensive. Their horns smacked against each other as each fought for leverage. The weakling danced away and would not reengage.
“Majherri! We should not do this. You need help. I’ll retrieve your rider.”
“Coward! Stay and fight me. Isn’t this what wanted? To prove yourself to my sister?”
“If I thought you were sane Majherri, I’d gladly fight you, but this is wrong.”
“Bah! I’ve wasted enough time on you. Cross me again and I will kill you. Nothing will get in my way.”
Majherri watched Rheysurrah run away back to the camp – probably to spread more lies. It was nothing to concern himself with. The whisper was getting louder. It reminded him that there was a reason for everything and offered encouragement. It told him that he had journeyed so far and was so close to the end. The voice begged him to travel faster.
He paused by some plants and ate. It hurt when he bit on some of the stickers. He was careless, but this was a waste of time and he only needed enough to get him to where the voice told him he needed to go.
The sun beat down on him and threatened to make him delirious, but he increased his speed. There would be no further interruptions. It was just him and the sand flying out from under his hooves.
Cresting another large dune, he saw a group of riders and a trio of wagons waiting below. Men skulked around in the shadows provided by a group of rocks. The rational part of his mind warned him to the danger, but he was certain that they meant him no harm. He wanted to laugh and scream to the sky. His heart filled with joy and sorrow. The warriors watched him, but one figure waved them aside and moved toward him. The cloaked human walked with confidence and wide-open arms.
His pace quickened until he was almost in a full gallop. He spotted the bullwhip hanging from the belt and almost collapsed. His footing became uncertain. The world began to spin around him. Confusion seeped into every facet of his being, but there was a calming hand in his soul. It was like a firm grasp on his reins. The serenity centered him. Doubts began to vanish and they were replaced with assurance and calm. Nothing but the figure mattered. His entire world shrunk down to the space separating them.
The outstretched hands were female. They peeled back the hood and his heart hammered away. The hair was sun-bleached and the smile on the woman’s face beamed at him. It was a look he swore he would never see again.
This doesn’t make sense! It isn’t possible.
The woman regarded him and was at his side stroking his mane. He did not flinch at the contact. She fished around in her pack and produced a peach, Majherri’s favorite fruit. He greedily bit into it, savoring the trickle of the juices down his throat.
She laughed at him and said, “Hello, boy. It’s been a long time and I’ve missed you.”
Chapter 26 – The Whip and the Knife
“Reese … Reese! Get up!” Someone was shaking her awake.
Kayleigh struggled to focus. She had been in a deep sleep and fought to figure out where she was.
It came back to her in a rush – the desert and the danger. “What is it? Are we in trouble?”
“We’re not sure. Majherri ran off. He was behaving strangely. How do you feel? Whatever was happening to him may also be affecting you.”
“I don’t feel anything,” she replied.
“That’s good.”
“No Annabeth, I don’t feel Majherri – at all! It’s like the bond isn’t there!”
She was panicking and her friend knew it. “Easy there, Kayleigh. On your feet, we’ll sort this out, but first let’s make certain that you’re okay.”
The others crowded around and it felt like everyone was pressing in on her. The lieutenant ordered everyone back. “Close your eyes and clear your mind, Reese. Search for your unicorn. If he’s still alive you should be able to feel it.”
Taking deep, calming breaths, Kayleigh tried to block everything out except for Majherri. “I don’t feel him. Wait! It’s faint and in that direction!”
Annabeth nodded and said, “That’s the way Rhey said he ran off in. Lieutenant, I’ll take Reese and go get her unicorn.”
Townsend shook her head, “I’ll be able to ride faster, even with the extra weight of another rider, and you’re
the best fighter we have. You stay with the rest of the riders. If we’re not back by sundown, break camp and keep heading east.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rider Welsh answered. She didn’t look like she cared for the orders, but acknowledged them just the same.
“Good. Reese, take only what you need – the less weight, the better. Leave the rest here, we can retrieve it later. Your unicorn has a good ninety minute lead on us, but Osalon and I know how to cover ground in a hurry.”
Kayleigh grabbed only a few items; her sword, the Yar knife, her helm, and the two canteens of water. “I’m ready.”
“Alright, help me get up into the saddle and let’s get going.”
Annabeth helped Kayleigh get the injured warrior into Osalon’s saddle and Kayleigh clambered up behind the woman.
“Good hunting,” Rider Welsh called out as the sped into the desert heat.
For Kayleigh, it was a strange experience riding with the air maiden and her mount. She felt like an intruder. Concentrating, she searched for Majherri, but the presence of a bond right next to her was interfering. Oddly, she could actually feel the bond between Sandra Townsend and Osalon.
“Whatever you’re doing, Reese, stop it. It’s making Osalon and me uncomfortable. He’s considering throwing you.”
“Yes, ma’am. I was just trying to find Majherri again, but the bond between the two of you is all I can locate.”
The woman looked over her shoulder and back at Kayleigh. “You can sense the bond between another rider and her unicorn?”
Kayleigh shrugged, “Yes. Sorry it’s the first time I’ve ever doubled-up with another rider.”
“I’ve never heard of that happening before, Reese. Make certain to tell this to Captain Sycroft when we return to The Academy. What about when you tend to the unbounded younglings? Do you feel anything with those unicorns?”
“A little. The younglings are like a rope or a string that’s frayed on one side. With you and Osalon, the frayed ends of each string are joined and form a knot. It’s just like my bond with Majherri. I thought all of us could do this.”
“No. We can’t, Reese.”
“Oh,” Kayleigh felt embarrassed. It never occurred to her to ask anyone else if they could feel the younglings. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“No. We don’t really teach classes in the bond beyond the meditation techniques to help strengthen your connection to your unicorn. The bond itself has always been considered a private matter, between the two involved. That you can actually sense my connection to Osalon is significant.”
“I guess that explains why the younglings always acted so skittish around me. After awhile, they just stopped giving me that task, which is why I ended up in the stables all the time.”
“The more I speak to you, Trainee Reese, the odder you become. Do you have any idea why Majherri would want to run off? Welsh said her unicorn tried to stop him, but Majherri attacked him.”
Kayleigh bit her lower lip and turned to look across the dunes, seeing the distortions of the heat rising off the sand. Did Majherri decide to just leave on his own, abandoning me?
“What are you thinking, Reese?”
She weighed her options. Just saying nothing was probably the best course, but the lieutenant was risking her life. She deserves an answer.
“Ma’am, this is going to sound horrible, but before we went through the portal, Majherri and I weren’t planning to come back. It’s why I had maps of the world and so many supplies. Things just weren’t working for us at The Academy.”
Osalon stopped in his tracks and moved his head sideways so he could look at her. His rider was equally as incredulous.
“Reese? Are you serious?”
“Well that was the plan, until we ended up in the wrong spot with a bunch of monsters and crazy people trying to kill us.”
“You should have talked to someone.”
“Ma’am it wouldn’t have done any good. The other unicorns had all but banished Majherri. Their council or whatever you call it, refused to allow him to participate in mating season. Go ahead and ask Osalon, I’m sure he knows. Majherri was miserable. I was hardly able to spend any time with him without an instructor around, and I was considered too dangerous to work with anyone but an instructor. The other trainees are always telling me how lucky I am to get pummeled during weapons instruction or continuously knocked out of my saddle during jousts. It’s funny, but I didn’t see it that way. Laurel all but admitted that she and the section leaders were ordered to be nice and spy on me.”
“Reese, listen to me. This insane trip does prove that you are too dangerous to work with anyone but trained instructors. Leaving the island without learning how to control your fire would place the villages you visit in danger. Your journey has been hard and will no doubt continue to be so, but you must fortify yourself and your unicorn. You’ve been a model student in my classes, but you never once asked for help or advice. Every trainee has problems. Your problems happened to be more than the usual homesickness. I can’t speak for how the unicorns treat Majherri, but running away is never the answer.”
“I know, ma’am and I’m certain Majherri knows. With a war about to erupt, I don’t think he still wants to go out on our own. He’s a fighter, but I won’t be sure until I’m with him again.”
“Understood. First we find him and then we get out of here. After that, we’ll have time for a long and serious discussion. Come on, Osalon. Let’s get moving.”
Majherri’s tracks were easy enough to follow, though they were very erratic. Kayleigh was troubled by this and one other thing – the distant thread connecting him with Majherri didn’t seem to be getting stronger. Are we getting any closer? Is he running away without me?
They stopped only to give Osalon a chance to rest and drink some of their water. Kayleigh worried how much they would have left for Majherri whenever they caught up with him. Walking around, she probed once more across the bond. He sensed that he was happy. He knows that I’m coming!
Hurrying, she helped the lieutenant back into the saddle. The afternoon sun showed no mercy, but Lieutenant Townsend’s air magic helped drive back the incessant heat.
It was nearly sunset when the found him. He was standing by a cluster of rocks.
“Go get him. We’ve got a long ride to catch up to the rest.”
Kayleigh nodded and dismounted. Majherri watched her approach. His head tilted from side to side, almost as if he was looking at her for the first time.
“What’s wrong, Majherri?” He was backing away from her. She felt a sudden flicker of danger and confusion through the bond. He backed around the side of the rocks and she sprinted to follow him. Rounding the turn she saw nomads waiting on the sides of the rocks. A weighted net came down on top of her and she struggled in its grasp, crying out for help.
Landing helplessly on the ground she stared up at an approaching figure. A female voice said, “So, this is the little girl that would dare to steal from me.”
The woman threw back her hood and Kayleigh gasped. “Danella Lynch?” It was the same woman from the painting, except the lively green eyes were completely replaced with the same dark black she saw yesterday in that fanatical nomad.
It was the last words from her mouth before something hit her on her helmet and she lost consciousness.
It was night time when Kayleigh came to. She wasn’t in the net anymore, but her hands were bound and the rope was tied around one of the larger rocks. Her dented helmet was on the ground next to her. She looked around and saw that most of the nomads were gone, only six remained along with a sand troll. There was no sign of Lieutenant Townsend and Osalon. Majherri locked eyes with her and neighed loudly.
“Ah, did you have a nice nap? I was beginning to worry about you and trying to decide what punishment is suitable for trying to steal my unicorn.”
“I didn’t steal him. We have a bond.”
“No, I have a bond with him. How else could I pull him through the Portal syst
em to me? I don’t know what that thing you have with him is, but I wanted you awake, so I could break it before I kill you. After all, I wouldn’t want Majherri to suffer any backlash when you die.”
“Where’s the lieutenant?” Kayleigh spat out her question and rose to her knees. There was precious little moisture in her mouth.
“Oh her, you’d be better served worrying about what is about to happen to you. She surrendered, like a good little soldier, rather than watch me gut you. She and her unicorn are already on her way to meet the Master. He will take very good of our new recruit, but you … you don’t get to serve the Master, little thief. I get to punish you.”
“You’re under some kind of spell. You don’t have to do this, Danella.”
“First you steal from me and then you address me like you’re a friend. I’m going to enjoy this. Majherri, come here!”
The unicorn approached. Kayleigh felt a distant sense of confusion. Fight her, Majherri! Don’t let her control you! Break free! You can do it!
He shook for a moment and Danella looked at him and grabbed the unicorn’s mane. The woman’s face twisted in rage. “No, there will be no little insurrection from you. He obeys me … now and forever! Now, I have an irritant that needs to be removed.”
Danella’s hands moved up to the spirals of Majherri’s horn. In the dim light, the cracked horn glowed and Kayleigh felt like a vice was crushing the suddenly fragile tether between her and Majherri. She fought with all her mind to keep the bond from unraveling, but piece by piece, Danella was prying it apart.
“No!” Kayleigh’s screams mixed with those of Majherri as the bond snapped. Falling to the ground, she pounded on the sand and howled in pain. Majherri had also collapsed and even Danella appeared shaken as two of the nomad warriors steadied her.
The crazed woman practically hissed at her and unfurled the bullwhip, her personal weapon. A second later, it burst into flames and crackled on the sand. “That was the last pain you will ever cause me. Now, it’s your turn to suffer!”
Rider (Spirals of Destiny) Page 22
