Daughter Of The Wind --Western Wind

by Sandra Elsa

  #

  Bella dismounted and Angel calmly returned to his stall. She was excited. She had never ridden before. Sitting on Angel’s back had been incredible, the warmth of his back, and the power of his muscles made her feel secure. The sensation of calm and confidence he exuded didn’t hurt either.

  Shortly Trace returned, riding a small bay saddlehorse. Dismounting, he led the horse in, and handed a bunch of straps to Bella. She knew it was a bridle but it made no sense to her.

  Seeing her confusion he handed her the reins of his horse and walked over to Angel’s stall. As soon as he touched the door, Angel rushed him, teeth bared. Bella remembered Lorn’s statement that she would be the only one capable of putting a bridle or saddle on him, and yelled “Stop!” But he had already taken Angel’s warning to heart. He stepped back and walked over to where she held his horse, and removed the bridle it was wearing. Giving the straps he’d brought for Angel, a shake it fell out to a recognizable form.

  He demonstrated how to put it on. Sliding one hand over the horse’s head to prevent him from throwing it in the air, he slid the nose piece over his muzzle. She noticed this bridle was different from the one Trace’s horse wore. It didn’t have the piece of metal that went in the horse's mouth.

  Angel’s was just a braided piece of rawhide, nearly an inch thick that went around his nose, a piece that went over his ears and a rein that attached to the bottom of the rawhide loop.

  “This is called a hackamore,” Trace told her. “I figured if it was only for appearances, there was no sense making him wear a bit.”

  He replaced the bridle on his horse and handed her Angel‘s hackamore. This time he placed the strap she needed to slide over his ears, in her right hand and threw the reins over her shoulder so they didn’t drag the ground or get in her way and she headed back over to Angel’s stall. She reached between his ears as Trace had just shown her but as soon as the rawhide band was below his head, Angel lowered his muzzle in it.

  “Is there anything normal about you or your friends?” Trace asked with a laugh.

  Bella just smiled at him and said, “I suppose you probably ought to demonstrate to him how to put a saddle on, in case this captain expects me to be using one tomorrow.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to do a little more work on that one. Even if he wants to I don’t see how he could do it himself. We’ll go over that when we get back from our ride.”

  Angel once again laid down for Bella to mount. The stable boy appeared as they rode through the door and he gave them a big smile and waved. “I thought you said you never rode him,” he called to Bella.

  Her excitement left her speechless, she just smiled in reply.

  They rode out the gate, and through the crowded streets of the market. Angel stepped quietly through all the people, a path opening like magic before him. Catching on to this phenomenon Trace brought his horse in step behind Angel.

  Once outside the city, he urged the bay, back up beside Angel and Bella. Then he passed them, kicking the gelding into a trot. Angel followed. For the first several strides Bella clung to Angel’s mane and bounced horribly then Angel adjusted to trotting with the unaccustomed weight and smoothed out his pace so she barely moved at all. Trace took a sharp left turn and Angel followed like a military drill team horse. Bella barely noticed the shift of direction. No matter how unbalanced she was, Angel always seemed to be underneath her. She knew that if she had been riding a normal horse she would have been in trouble but Angel took care of her.

  One day, she supposed, she would have to learn how to ride a regular horse but she would get through tomorrow’s tests with Angel’s help. They arrived at the woods and Conall joined them. Trace’s horse jumped when he appeared beside them but other than a small snort, he did not react negatively. Trace pulled down to a walk. When she came up beside him he said, “That’s odd, I would have thought a wolf that size would terrorize this poor beast.”

  Bella thought back to when she had first met Conall and told him, “Conall’s scent does not identify him as a wolf to the horse. As long as he doesn’t seem to be attacking, the horse shouldn’t be frightened. His scent is human. One more way the wizard that cursed him thought to punish him. Denying him even the company of a pack. In this case it works for us.”

  “How powerful a wizard this must have been, to even change his scent. Unless, as we were discussing last night Conall was originally human.”

  Again Bella felt the tiny prick of enthusiasm coming from Conall, “I like your brother. He is very wise.”

  “But is he right?”

  “I cannot tell you.”

  “The curse?” she asked.

  “The curse,” he agreed, then yelped in pain, collapsed and began shaking. For once he seemed to be expecting it and prevented Bella from feeling the effects.

  Concerned, Trace asked “Is he all right?”

  “I think he pushed the limit of what he was allowed to tell us, by telling me the curse prevented him from letting us know whether you're right or wrong.” She slid to the ground and laid a hand on Conall’s quivering shoulder, steadying him. “In its own way this reaction answers the question anyway." She knelt down and looked Conall in the eye. "Do you know who you were?”

  The emotion pouring off of Conall was incredible; intense happiness, mixed with sadness and lingering pain.

  “No, I do not. I remember every bit of the curse, but it happened so long ago, that's the only thing I remember from that time frame. There were times when I was more dead than alive. There have been many things I try very hard to forget. At one time in despair I let go of my original life. Since I met you I have struggled to dredge it back to the surface in hopes that perhaps one day I can regain that which I was. The memories are not there—it has been too long.” Despair crept into his mind voice.

  “Keep trying, you never know when something will be familiar. Does my knowing that you used to be human in any way change the curse?”

  “It seems to have released the restriction upon telling you that you're correct. That much alone is a great victory. A huge tapestry must be unraveled one strand at a time.”

  Such feelings of joy rolled over her that she laughed out loud. At Trace’s inquiring glance she told him, “Conall thinks you are exceptionally wise. You’ve just unraveled a strand of his curse.”

  “Who is he?” Trace asked.

  “It’s been so long he doesn’t remember. He claims who he was is not bound by the curse. It's more a matter of time and trauma that causes his identity to be hidden. Perhaps he'll recall it, now that he truly wishes to.”

  As Conall regained his feet, Angel lay down for Bella to remount. As soon as Angel was standing, Trace’s horse shot forward, weaving in and out of low hanging branches. Angel followed on his heels. Bella never even lost her balance as they raced forward. Angel recognized this for what it was, much more rapidly than Bella did. Her first thought was that Trace’s horse had spooked and bolted. Conall informed her that this was just a test; the bay gelding was firmly under control. Knowing this, she urged Angel on. He passed the other horse, and once out front, Angel wove a pattern back and forth, forcing Trace’s mount to slow down.

  Bella just laughed at his tricks. She was delighted at the day’s events. When they slowed to a walk, Angel turned around. He apparently decided they had proven their point and was ready to return to the stable.

  “Are you hungry?” she questioned Conall.

  “I'll be all right until tomorrow,” he returned. The sensation of joy still colored his thoughts.

  “I guess we’re done,” she said to Trace, who had already taken Angel’s none-to-subtle hint and turned around.

  Trace put the gelding in an empty stall at the inn. He explained that since he had signed it out, he was responsible for it. Nobody would be concerned unless he failed to show up when he was assigned to be somewhere.

  Stopping in front of Angel’s stall, he took the saddle off. Then he showed Bella and Angel how
to put it on. The gelding did not appreciate the demonstration of the proper method of tightening the girth, and brought a hind hoof up in an attempt to kick at the unpleasant squeezing around his barrel. His pinned ears warned Trace it was coming; the hoof didn’t even come close to striking him. Bella was grateful she had Angel and didn’t have to worry about whether or not he would be kicking at her.

  Trace made arrangements with the stable boy to keep his horse and turned him over to be groomed. Bella cared for Angel, assuring Trace that she would manage the saddle tomorrow if necessary.

  They found Johann sitting on a nearly empty bench at a rough hewn table in the common room with a man she had only seen once. The thick black hair was now thinner, salt and pepper, but the wide shoulders, sharp features, and immense size, were unmistakable. Bella stared in awe at the fire wizard that stepped out of the vision Conall had sent her.

  Johann and his friend were so deep in conversation they failed to notice Trace and Bella, until they sat down beside the two old men. Johann looked up with a startled glance. His friend nodded to Trace and examined Bella.

  “This is my grandson and granddaughter, Trace and Bella,” Johann told the stranger. Looking at the two of them, he said, “This is my old friend Paulus.”

  The stranger raised an eyebrow as he introduced her as his granddaughter. He said, “That’s right Johann, I am an old friend. I remember Trace, but you never told me you had a granddaughter, unless young Trace here has gotten married…”

  “Nothing of the sort,” Johann hurriedly quashed that rumor. “We adopted her some time ago, her father was lost at sea, and her mother was unable to care for her so we took her in.”

  Paulus scratched his receding hairline, smoothing an unruly lock into place, considering his friend. Turning to her, he looked straight in her eyes and asked, “Where were you born then, if your father was lost at sea?”

  “I lived the first several years of my life in Swadan. My mother moved east after my father died, but hard times followed her. When we met Johann, he was kind enough to put us up. When he offered to care for me, my mother was grateful. She moved away and I haven’t heard from her since.” This was not rehearsed. Nobody ever questioned it beyond the initial explanation, but Johann nodded his head, with a small smile meant just for her. Johann had explained that when fabricating a tale, it was most believable if the truth were interwoven somewhat. She was an apt student.

  Trace remained quiet throughout this exchange. Paulus turned to him and said, “You never mentioned you acquired a sister when you came to town two years ago.”

  “Two years ago I was excited with my own plans. I had other things on my mind than discussing the brat that tossed me off my throne as only grandchild. You‘re fortunate I remembered to deliver Grandfather’s letter.”

  Bella was amazed. He was smooth, and quick on his feet. No pause for thought, no nervous twitch as he fumbled for an explanation, he fell right in with the tale. Paulus seemed satisfied.

  Bella jumped back in the fray, “I’d have recognized him anywhere, from your description of him, Grandfather.”

  Paulus’ lips thinned as he considered the unknown before him. “What exactly has he told you about me?”

  Johann frowned, “I’m afraid I don’t talk about the days we served in the Wizard Corps together much. I only mentioned you because you're the only one I keep in touch with.”

  “Nonsense Grandfather. After all the two of you were through together you mention him more than you remember.” She turned to Paulus and said, “He told me he didn’t know how you were able to come to grips with the final battle with Telgar. He mentioned you have fire at your command.“

  Johann’s brow furrowed, but Paulus looked at her with less suspicion. “If he told you about that battle, you must be family. I’d have sworn he never mentioned it to anyone. Then I guess you two should be the first to know, I’ve offered your Grandfather a position as King’s Wizard. We’ve spent the past week hashing out details and he has agreed to accept.

  Bella’s eyes widened. Trace’s Jaw dropped. Simultaneously they said, “Are you certain you want to do that, Grandfather?”

  Paulus laughed. “Now I believe you. I had to agree that Johann would never be required to attend the King in battle, but once that detail was out of the way, we had few problems coming to terms.”

  “What happened to the wizard that held that position?”

  Trace nudged her with a knee, but Paulus just laughed. “He talks of the past but not the present, I find that peculiar old friend.” He examined Johann and then Bella, but she had given him irrefutable proof in his own mind that she was who they claimed her to be. “I am the wizard who holds that position. I find palace life gratingly dull. Soldier first; wizard second, has always been my creed. With Johann accepting the duties of Palace Wizard, I am free to become commander of the Wizard Corps.”

  Bella smiled, happy for Johann’s good fortune. Food arrived and Trace and Bella fell to eating, allowing Johann and his friend to continue their discussion. When the food was gone they bid their elders good night and returned to the room.

  “How did you know who Paulus was? Grandfather never even told me about that battle.” His eyes darkened, lips pulled down into a frown. For the first time Trace looked jealous of her relationship with Johann.

  Bella didn’t want an enemy; she defused the emotion with the truth. “Conall was there. He showed me the battle to demonstrate why I shouldn’t join the Wizard Corps. I recognized Paulus when I saw him. Trust me Johann does not talk to me either about those days.”

  Smiling again, Trace said, “What an amazing life he must have led. The times he’s lived through. The things he’s seen.”

  Bella didn’t argue. Without knowing specifics about the curse, it might not look so terrible.

  Trace accepted her silence. “We better turn in. Morning in the Army comes mighty early.”

  True to his word, the following morning they rolled out of bed before the sun rose. They dressed quietly, trying not to wake Johann, then walked downstairs.

  Nobody was in the common room. Trace assured her the Army would serve them breakfast. They went out in the stables and Bella groomed Angel until his coat gleamed. She even buffed his hooves until the tiny flecks of silver caught and reflected the small amount of available light. Then she held the hackamore up for him to put on and joined Trace in the aisle.

  Just as they opened the door to the outside, the stable boy stuck his head out of the loft. He saw who they were and in his sleepy mind made certain it was their own horses they were leading and tucked himself back inside.

  Trace led the way through the streets to a building with the delightful aroma of sausage and fried apples coming from it. He tied his horse to a hitching rack. When she tried to do the same to Angel, he objected. Angel moved away from the rack and she just dropped the reins, anybody who saw him would assume he had been trained to ground tie.

  She was amazed at the variety of food available. She ate the biggest breakfast she had ever had in her life. Trace assured her she would need every ounce of energy before this day was over. After they ate, they returned to the inn so Bella could collect her weapons.

  She strapped the sword to her side, and slung her bow and the quiver of arrows over her back. Her throwing knives were tucked into their hidden sheaths and her dagger was strapped to her side, opposite the sword. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

  Chapter 24