Soul Riders (Book 1)

by Helena Dahlgren

  Everything beyond the trees was shrouded in mist.

  On this early morning, the Secret Stone Circle murmured and vibrated with anticipation. The stone benches began to fill with participants. They were druids, the Keepers of Aideen.

  Fripp, the eternal leader of the druids, stepped forward. Though squirrel-like in appearance, he was something else entirely. His fur was blue, like Starshine’s mane, and his chest white. Here and there, red runes could be seen. The little creature stepped forward and addressed the gathered druids.

  “The moment we have long awaited has arrived,” Fripp said. “I can see it in the alignment of the stars. Now, finally, it will come to pass. Stars, moon, sun, and lightning stand side by side and we know what must be done. We also know the forces of darkness are gathering strength. Do not let this frighten you, friends. Darkness cannot prevail while there is light. And the light shines brightly now that the fourth Soul Rider has finally arrived on our island.”

  “Is she really here?” asked one of the druids on the stone benches. “Truly?”

  “Indeed, we have heard this one before, Fripp!” said another druid.

  Fripp sighed. “Believe me,” he said. “She has come. The four stand as one. Everything has been set in motion. The signs are often vague and difficult to interpret, that we know, but this time, there can be no doubt.”

  He looked at the druids, one by one.

  “We have not assembled in a long time,” he continued. “I am glad you all received my message and were able to come on such short notice. Elizabeth, would you like to say a few words?”

  Elizabeth stepped forward and pushed back her gray hood.

  “Over the past few weeks, I have observed our Soul Riders,” she said. “Some I have been in closer contact with than others. . . . The most recent arrival seems to be far along in harnessing her power as Guardian of the Star. The healer. And there is Alex, of course. She has long been known to us. I do not believe they can sense much about their destinies yet, but I have seen their powers awaken. Now we wait for them to grow pure and strong. Meanwhile, I have seen the bonds between them strengthen.”

  But then she frowned.

  “But we must remember that these are teenage girls, and I am concerned that they may not yet be ready. I would prefer for them to have a chance to nurture and fortify their mutual bonds for a while longer, to build their confidence . . .”

  “We do not have time, Elizabeth!” Fripp interrupted impatiently. “What you say is true, but the cracks between Jorvik’s reality and Pandoria’s unreality are greater than ever. All of Jorvik is teetering on the brink of destruction! Before long, Garnok will break free. If that comes to pass, we will lose all that is good in this world. It must not happen. The Soul Riders must be ready now! You must gather them NOW!”

  Elizabeth sighed. Her eyes were full of concern.

  “Is it true the generals have already thwarted them and claimed some of the Guardians?” one of the other druids asked.

  Elizabeth nodded confirmation.

  “I will do my best, Fripp. I do understand the time has come and that we must hurry, but the circle is not yet complete. The Soul Riders have not fully realized their powers yet and are not ready. You know this.”

  “We cannot wait any longer,” Fripp said. Strange galaxies and stars were reflected in his big, black eyes when he turned to the druids and said once more: “The time has come.”

  28

  Anne had never believed in fate. Nor the goofy stories about Jorvik’s history. In her family, logic and hard work were what mattered. Did fate make her mother the island’s most successful businesswoman? Hardly. The same was true of Anne’s dressage talent. It was all the long hours in the ring, the dull ache of sore muscles in her butt and thighs, her instructor’s iron discipline, and general stubbornness that resulted in prizes and success. Nothing else.

  And yet . . .

  Was all that work really worth it now that she had lost Concorde?

  She needed to get him back. All night, he’d been calling to her, louder and louder. Now she knew where to find him, all of him. Not the empty, transparent shell that was left in the stall. All that stuff about druids and magic, no matter how outlandish, had to be accepted if she ever had any hope of seeing Concorde again. She needed to fit it into a whole new worldview, and the sooner the better.

  I make my own destiny, she thought as she packed a backpack full of crackers, dried fruit, water, and a sleeping pad. And I have to do it alone.

  A persistent voice kept nagging her in the back of her head. It hadn’t let up all morning. Do you really have to do it alone? the voice said. Aren’t there four of you? Four of you striking out together? Isn’t that how it goes? Isn’t that the whole point? The four of you against the world?

  But Anne didn’t have time to wait for the others. She was used to taking things into her own hands.

  She needed to get Concorde back, to save him from oblivion. Without him, half of her was missing. The others would have to wait. After all, she barely knew them.

  Anne adjusted the straps of her backpack until it fit perfectly. Then she walked to the bus stop.

  The early morning bus from Jorvik City to Jarlaheim was almost empty. She watched the sun rise over Firgrove once the bus had left Mistfall behind. She thought about how she was going to go about finding the Secret Stone Circle in the Northern Mountains, which loomed up in the distance against the dark sky.

  The Secret Stone Circle? She thought about what might lay ahead as the bus rumbled down ever narrower roads. She’d never been there. And yet, somehow she knew it was where she needed to go. Herman said the druids would be waiting there and that they would help them. They were her only hope at the moment. And Concorde’s. She’d ridden in the area before, but not all the way to the Circle. She was aware of treacherously winding paths that disappeared up among the highest peaks.

  Once she got to the stable, Anne waved to a weary guard. She stepped into Concorde’s stall. It appeared empty. The oats she left him in a gesture of childish hope the night before were untouched.

  But Anne, who had already started to believe in miracles, felt she could still make out a pale gray imprint against the woodchips.

  “Barely even a shadow left now,” she whispered tenderly to the barely visible silver outline of a horse glittering on the floor. “I’m going to find you, angel. I know you’re waiting for me and need my help. Farewell for now, until we see each other again.”

  She threw him a kiss and watched as her breath turned into a pink cloud just above the floor. Then she shut the stall door behind her.

  Anne paused in the aisle, weighing her options. Speed or endurance? Which did she need more of right now?

  Eventually, she went into Jupiter’s stall. He was her favorite back when she was still a lesson rider, before Concorde came into her life. The old farm horse was once dark gray, like Concorde. Now he was as white as newly fallen snow, and he liked to take spontaneous breaks from time to time during trail rides to snatch a few mouthfuls of grass. But he was tough as old leather. Perfect for long-distance rides. Yes. It would have to be Jupiter.

  He whinnied to her when she entered, as though he was expecting her and she had arrived just on time. She quickly brushed the straw off him, picked his hooves, and tacked him up. Fifteen minutes later, she was mounting up in the yard.

  “To the Secret Stone Circle!” she told the horse, who immediately started walking. Before long, they were trotting.

  “I’m coming, Concorde!” she whispered and urged Jupiter on.

  29

  It felt weird to be going to school the next day, as though nothing had happened. But staying home felt even weirder. So, the girls stayed close together. However, Anne’s seat was empty in history class.

  “I don’t blame her for wanting to be at the stables today,” Linda whispered to Lisa before they op
ened their books.

  “I know,” Lisa replied. “But maybe we should text her, just in case? Ask how she’s doing? I think she was going to go to the vet with Herman today.”

  Linda nodded. It sounded like a good idea.

  “Poor Anne,” Alex sighed.

  All three of them were wearing big hoodies, as though they felt a need to wrap themselves in something soft against all the things in the world that chafed and hurt. Lisa missed her dad and thought it was strange that he hadn’t been in touch. She tried to shrug this feeling off to the fact that he was probably really busy with some important project and tried to reassure herself that she’d hear from him soon.

  “You can use the rest of the afternoon to work on your homework,” their teacher said, smiling warmly. “We’ll gather back here at three and go over the order for tomorrow’s presentations. I hope you know your local history from Jon Jarl onward.”

  The table in front of Alex, Linda, and Lisa was completely covered with maps of Jorvik, open books, and candy wrappers. The library computer was bursting with multiple Google windows. On one map, the girls had drawn three big circles and several smaller ones.

  “We’ll set out as soon as the fall break starts in a few days.” Linda pointed to the three big circles. “We have several sites to investigate, so we’ll have to split up. First, there’s Dark Core’s mysterious industrial complex in Jorvik City. And then there’s Dark Core’s oil platform, which for some reason has been moored at the old wharf on Cape Point for some time now. And, last but not least, we have Pine Hill Mansion on the edge of Pine Hill Forest, where that old photo of Mr. Sands was taken. Those are the primary Dark Core complexes we know about. Starshine could be held at any of those locations.” Linda wished she could be more certain, but her visions were still random and unclear.

  “But we can’t know for sure,” Lisa objected. “It’s simply a guess. They could have taken him to any of the old stables on Jorvik. There must be hundreds of stables on the island. Talk about looking for a needle in a haystack!”

  “I know, I know,” Linda sighed. “But we have to start somewhere, don’t we?”

  “Hey, guys,” Alex said. “Aren’t we starting at the wrong end? We should be contacting Elizabeth and the druids, like Herman suggested.”

  “First we find Starshine!” Lisa said.

  “I agree,” Linda added. “Lisa, you wanted to go check out the industrial complex in Jorvik City?”

  “I think that would work best. I can take the bus there,” Lisa said.

  “Alex and I will ride north toward Winter Valley, on the other side of the Northern Mountains,” Linda said. “There, we’ll split up. I’ll head toward Pine Hill and Alex will check out the old abandoned wharf at Cape Point.”

  “Aye aye, Captain Linda,” Alex confirmed, doing a quick salute. “What about Anne? Shouldn’t she have an assignment, too? She should come. There are four of us, right?”

  “Of course!” Linda replied. “But I figured it would be hard for her to ride anyone other than Concorde. That being said, half of us have lost our horses so far.”

  “All right, but . . .” said Lisa, who couldn’t stop thinking about her dad and Starshine. “Shouldn’t we just leave now? Do we really want to wait?”

  “Yes, do we?” Alex chimed in. “Come on, Linda, we’re a few days away from fall break—shouldn’t we be more in a hurry?”

  “Whoa now, we do have a lot of schoolwork to finish before the break,” Linda said in a convincing tone. “We can hold on for another day or so. As soon as school is out, we’ll leave. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Lisa and Alex mumbled together without any real enthusiasm.

  They all got up and left the library.

  “Has Anne replied to any of your texts?” Lisa asked. “Because I’ve got nothing.”

  The others shook their heads.

  “I’m calling Herman,” Lisa said.

  Herman picked up immediately. Lisa listened attentively. After hanging up, she turned to Linda and Alex. The world just became even more unsteady. She sat down on the floor in the hallway and her friends followed suit.

  “What’s the matter?” Linda and Alex clamored in unison.

  Lisa looked pale when she answered.

  “Anne’s not at the stables. Herman said someone saw her ride off on Jupiter. Her parents contacted Herman because they don’t know where she is . . .”

  That night, Linda was trying to sleep in her bed. She’d been drifting somewhere between dreaming and being awake for a long time now. Hours, maybe. Or maybe that’s just what it felt like. Sometimes, she enjoyed lucid dreaming. It was a sort of undemanding in-betweenness. She often had good ideas come to her at night, when she was halfway to sleep. The notebook in which she wrote down her thoughts was next to her on the nightstand. Sometimes she wrote poetry, sometimes diary notes, and sometimes dream interpretations.

  Linda was interested in dreams and their meanings. A while ago, she had read up on dreams, and specifically about the ability to guide one’s dreams. She had tested it out before by trying to force herself to dream about something in particular, but it had never worked.

  Tonight, the notebook was open to a blank page. Linda was on the verge of giving up on sleep altogether when she heard angry voices. Her light was already on. She quickly got out of bed, pulled her blinds open a crack and peeked out. Were the voices coming from the street? People on their way home from a night out, perhaps?

  The voices grew louder now. “The dam,” they were saying. They were crying for help. She closed her eyes and saw it all play out before her.

  The water, the darkness. Masses of water rushed into living rooms and garages. Families quickly packed their bags and left.

  A panic-stricken horse was pulled into the churning water. Meteor? Oh my god. His screams were mixed with the desperate voices until everything turned into crashing waves among the ink-black night.

  Linda opened her eyes, picked up her notebook and wrote. She didn’t recognize her handwriting, it was so different from her normal, neat hand. But she was the one moving the pen. When she was done, she sat with the notebook on her lap and read the poem she had just written.

  And so, so it is.

  And so, so it was.

  And so, so it happened

  when the water rushed in

  and swallowed us.

  30

  The house felt even bigger when Lisa was there by herself. The kitchen alone, with its big, cold surfaces, was like its own continent in the compact silence.

  Anne was missing. Jupiter, too. Anne’s parents had contacted the police, who had conducted a search around Jorvik Stables. Nothing. It was, they said, as though she and Jupiter had just vanished without a trace.

  Lisa picked up her phone to see if her dad had called. He still hadn’t, and now she was becoming even more concerned. The sandwich she had made earlier was sitting virtually untouched on the kitchen counter. Lisa threw it away.

  She called her dad, but the call went straight to voicemail. She left a message while she wiped the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. Tears of fury, she told herself. That felt better than tears of grief. Tears of disappointment were probably the worst. She was not going to cry any more of those.

  When Lisa thought about her dad far out at sea, her skin crawled. What if something had happened to him?

  The house was so dark. So lonely. Suddenly she knew she wouldn’t be able to take spending another night alone.

  Despite what Linda thought was the best plan, to wait for the school break, Lisa felt a greater sense of urgency. It was time for her to leave now. It wasn’t a moment too soon.

  Calmly and methodically, she packed a backpack with water, chips, carrots, dried meat, and an entire loaf of bread she had bought on her way home from school. She knew she’d be able to buy food in Jorvik City, which she’d get to by b
us, so she tried not to go overboard with the packing. She put a flashlight in her backpack and extra batteries. Her dad’s new binoculars. Two warm sweaters, underwear . . . How long was she planning to be gone? She wasn’t really sure, but more than ever, she felt like she was fumbling blindly in the dark. But she also knew that she had to leave. Not when school was out in two days, as they had agreed—now.

  She left a note for her dad on the kitchen table hoping that he would soon return to see it. When her phone was fully charged, she put it in her backpack and got out the map she’d already studied thoroughly. She checked the bus departure times in the app one last time and scanned the kitchen to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She should have texted her friends, she thought, but it could wait. Later, when she was on the bus. They didn’t need to know what she was planning—yet.

  She shut the front door behind her and locked it. She didn’t look back.

  31

  It was hard for Anne to say how long she had been riding for. All she knew was that she had left concepts like time and space behind. Maybe it had just been a few hours, or maybe days.

  Probably the latter: she had stopped a few times to briefly doze, eat some bread, drink a little water, and change her socks.

  It had been a difficult journey. The terrain she was riding through had not seen human feet or hooves in a long time. Riding Jupiter after so long was strange, too. His movements felt unfamiliar, and he didn’t react to the same commands as Concorde.