The Guardian Herd

by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

  Angry thoughts tumbled through Star’s mind. This white stallion had kidnapped Morningleaf, murdered her protectors in front of her eyes, and then taken her to the dark lava tubes in Jungle Herd’s territory, where she’d lived in terror until she escaped. If Star released his rage about this, he could be as dangerous as Nightwing. The dark emotions tumbling through his mind horrified him.

  But then Star noticed Frostfire’s swishing tail, which was curly like his own, and he remembered that this white stallion was his uncle. He and Star’s mother, Lightfeather, shared the same sire, Iceriver. And Star’s mother had once instructed him to follow his love, not his fear. He had to remember who he was, even now when he was alone with his enemy. And he was not a destroyer. Star crammed the silver fire down into a tiny, cold seed.

  Frostfire snorted. “I’m right about you, aren’t I? You are here to conquer us.” He looked terrified, but also smug.

  “No, that’s not true.”

  “Than why are you here? What do you want with the herds of Anok?”

  Star arched his long neck. “I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone.”

  “But you do hurt us. You don’t see how you’ve ripped the herds apart? You don’t see the trail of blood behind you—that every over-stallion is dead, that the steeds of Anok are enslaved, and that Nightwing has returned?”

  “I didn’t do all that. I united the herds.”

  “But it all started with you, when you were born.”

  Star tossed his damp forelock out of his eyes. “No. It started four hundred years ago, when Nightwing was born.”

  Frostfire shrugged his pale wings. “What’s the difference? You both hurt us; you both bring destruction.”

  “Can we stop arguing? Our friends are missing.” Star gazed across the tundra toward the Great Sea, thinking and wondering. “Why did you leave Larksong alone in her condition?”

  Frostfire’s ears sprang to attention. “What condition?”

  Star blinked, only now remembering what Larksong had told him, and that Frostfire didn’t know. “Your mare is with foal.”

  Frostfire staggered as though Star had kicked him. “My Larksong?”

  “Yes. It’s a colt.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I healed them both.”

  Frostfire paced in a circle, shedding feathers, excitement building in him like a storm. “I’m going to be a sire?” He pricked his ears forward, his voice rising. “Larksong was supposed to meet me by the little waterfall at midnight. She said she had something to tell me, but she never showed. I think Nightwing took her when he took your herd. We need to save them!”

  Star’s gut tightened. “Together?”

  “Why not?”

  Star gaped at him. Because you formed an army to kill me, he thought.

  Frostfire seemed to read his mind. “Right, I know we’re not herdmates, but we have the same purpose, do we not?”

  “But I don’t need you,” said Star. “I can look for them on my own.”

  Frostfire closed his eyes for a moment, seemed to make a decision, and then peered intently at Star with his odd pair of eyes. “You can, but it will take you many seasons to search all of Anok. I know where Nightwing is taking the pegasi.”

  Star’s heart lurched. “How do you know that?”

  “Nightwing told me when I formed the Black Army, before he chose to side only with Petalcloud. But—”

  Frostfire stalled, eyeing Star’s longer, more powerful wingspan. “If I tell you, you’ll leave me behind.”

  Star hesitated. There was some truth to that. Frostfire could never keep up with him because of Star’s powers. Star didn’t need to eat or sleep often, so he could fly for many days without stopping. Frostfire would need rest and food.

  “I’m not wrong, am I? You’d leave me?” asked the white stallion.

  Star shrugged. “Why do you want to travel with me anyway? Why should I trust you?” Star gazed at Frostfire, remembering all the treacheries of their past: the time he yanked Star from Feather Lake and flew him to Mountain Herd’s territory to meet the over-stallion, Rockwing; the time he promised to protect Morningleaf and then kidnapped her instead; and the two times he’d beaten Star’s friend Brackentail to near death.

  Frostfire met his gaze. “I need you, Star.”

  “Why?”

  Frostfire tensed. “Look, I failed to deliver your head to Nightwing, and after you defeated my army, the Destroyer vowed to kill me. It’s why Larksong and I were hiding. We were going to meet at midnight and fly away, probably across the sea. But you have starfire. You can keep me safe from Nightwing, right?”

  Hysteria bubbled from deep within Star. His worst enemy was pleading for his protection.

  “Please,” said Frostfire. “He’ll kill me on sight, and now he has Larksong. I can’t rescue her on my own. If you promise to help me free her, I’ll help you find your friends.”

  Star stared at Frostfire’s curly tail. His mother would want Star to help him. Through a tight jaw, Star reluctantly agreed. “All right, I’ll help you rescue Larksong, and I won’t leave you behind. Now tell me, where is Nightwing taking my friends?”

  “I won’t tell you, but I’ll take you there.”

  Star suppressed a wave of anger. “You trust me to protect you from Nightwing, but you don’t trust me to keep my promise? I won’t abandon you, Frostfire.”

  His companion stared at him, saying nothing. Star exhaled, realizing that a lying stallion like Frostfire couldn’t trust anyone. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  “It’s not that simple,” said Frostfire. “Nightwing will visit the territories first, to collect the stray pegasi. He wants all of us, every last pegasus. So if we find him here in Western Anok, maybe you can stop him before he settles the herd. If we can’t find him quickly, then I’ll take you to the lands where he plans to live.”

  Star pinned his ears. “Where to first?”

  “I don’t know exactly. Maybe Mountain Herd’s territory,” said Frostfire. Then he narrowed his eyes. “This doesn’t mean I believe in you, Star—that you’re the healer. You can destroy too, just like Nightwing. You’re no different.”

  Star balked, and fresh anger surged through him, but he decided to let Frostfire have his feelings without rebuke. “I hear you,” said Star. And the two stallions flew side by side into the sunrise.

  3

  CAPTURED

  MORNINGLEAF’S TEARS SOAKED HER CHESTNUT face and dripped off her cheeks, falling hundreds of winglengths to the ground below. She dangled between her mother, Silverlake, and her friend, Redfire. The two steeds did their best to carry her through the clouds without hurting her worse. Her brother, Hazelwind, and two of her best friends, Echofrost and Shadepebble, flew ahead, creating a wake for the steeds, to ease their burden. Echofrost’s brother, Bumblewind, flew behind with Brackentail and Dewberry, whispering about escape.

  Leading their herd was Nightwing the Destroyer. The pegasi didn’t want to follow him, but Nightwing had shot silver starfire at the ones who’d resisted, killing them instantly. The herd had two choices—follow Nightwing or die—and the pegasi of Anok chose to follow, because they had hope. “Star will rescue us,” Morningleaf had insisted, and the news traveled secretly from pegasus to pegasus, lending the herd strength.

  Echofrost dropped out of formation and soared closer to Morningleaf. “I have news,” she whispered as loudly as she could without Nightwing’s warriors overhearing.

  Morningleaf’s friends crowded together, their wingtips touching as they flew. Echofrost continued. “When we landed earlier to drink, I overheard two Ice Warriors talking. Nightwing is taking us to the Flatlands in the interior of Anok.”

  “The Flatlands!” sputtered Hazelwind.

  Morningleaf watched the guards who patrolled the outskirts of the massive flying herd. “Shh,” she warned her brother.

  Hazelwind lowered his voice. “Look at the newborns; they’ll never make it that far. And what about the winds, and the wolv
es? Star rejected the interior as a safe home for pegasi moons ago when we were searching for a new territory for River Herd.”

  Dewberry interrupted. “Legend says that the Lake Herd pegasi blew away in a storm.”

  “I heard that giant wolves swallowed them whole,” said Bumblewind.

  Dewberry pinned her ears. “No wolf is that big, or that hungry.”

  Redfire, who hailed from the desert, spoke. “Our legends say that the Lake Herd pegasi fled Anok when Nightwing became the Destroyer four hundred years ago. That they escaped.”

  Morningleaf twisted her neck, studying the handsome chestnut stallion they’d befriended in the Trap, remembering that Redfire liked to retell old stories. “If they escaped, then why didn’t they ever come back?”

  Redfire and her friends were silent a moment, wondering about the fate of the ancient Lake Herd pegasi. Had they been swallowed by a storm, by wolves, or by fear? It seemed important, considering they would soon be living in the same dangerous lands.

  “There’s a lot of food in the interior,” said Bumblewind, causing Dewberry to snort. “Best grazing lands in Anok.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” grumbled Hazelwind. “We have a long journey ahead of us, but it also gives us time.” He glanced at Morningleaf, his eyes full of grief for what had happened to her in the Trap. “We must plan an escape.”

  Morningleaf glanced down at the land passing far below her hooves. They’d been traveling for fifteen days, visiting the five abandoned territories and searching for stray pegasi to join their herd. Many were elders, and when they refused to follow Nightwing, he’d set them all on fire. Each time Morningleaf closed her eyes, she saw the flames and heard the screams.

  But the view when her eyes were wide open was just as awful. Her beautiful aqua feathers were destroyed, charred and useless, burned to black shreds by Nightwing. She was a dud now, a walker, a grounded pegasus—she might as well be a horse. Her agony about this seared her mind in waves of sadness followed by overwhelming fury.

  “Star will destroy Nightwing,” Morningleaf said in a choked breath. Nightwing had also murdered her sire, Thundersky, and trapped him in the Beyond—a realm between life and the golden meadow, a place where souls killed by Nightwing were stuck.

  “Of course,” said Hazelwind, his voice grim. “But we can’t wait, and Star doesn’t know where we are or where we’re going. Anok is . . . huge. I’m making a plan.” With that, Hazelwind flew off to resume his position, taking the headwind to ease their flight, and everyone followed suit, leaving Morningleaf dangling between her mother and Redfire.

  Silverlake had been silent during their discussion, but now she spoke. “You look tired,” she said, fretting.

  But Morningleaf thought it was her mother who looked exhausted. Silverlake had witnessed the murder of her mate, Thundersky, in the Sun Herd lands, and then she’d watched Nightwing maim her filly in the Trap. Grief and rage thundered inside the old mare, threatening to rip her apart.

  “I’m okay, Mama,” said Morningleaf. “Please don’t worry about me.”

  “I am worried, but it’s more than that.” Silverlake lowered her voice and Redfire turned his head away, giving them privacy to speak. “Your brother is wrong,” Silverlake whispered. “He plans to free you so you can rest and heal, but I have a very bad feeling about it.” She glanced at Nightwing, who flew at the head of the captured herd. Starfire sparked off his tail, reminding all of them of his power. Silverlake switched her gaze back to Morningleaf, her expression determined. “I . . . I just don’t think it will end well. Please be patient. Star will rescue us. And he’ll heal your wings.”

  Silverlake faced away, hiding her rage from Morningleaf. The old mare had vowed to see Nightwing destroyed, but she had no way to accomplish this. Morningleaf knew her mother felt helpless, because she felt the same way.

  “I understand, Mama,” said Morningleaf, but she couldn’t promise to obey. Nightwing was unpredictable, and he knew she was special to Star. It was why he’d hurt her in the first place. Perhaps her mother and friends could wait things out, but could she?

  As Morningleaf was carried through the sky, she remembered the horrors of their first day with Nightwing. River Herd had been celebrating the defeat of Frostfire’s Black Army in the Trap when Star had done an amazing thing. He’d healed all of Frostfire’s wounded warriors, and after doing so, Star told them they were free to go. But instead of leaving, most had joined River Herd and become followers of Star. Morningleaf had felt so proud and joyful, so full of hope.

  But one steed had not been healed, and Star heard the pegasus mare groaning far away in the woods. Star left River Herd to find her, promising to come right back, and that’s when Nightwing and Petalcloud had landed in their camp. Terror had ripped through the pegasi, and a battle mare named Ashrain had reacted, attacking Petalcloud. The Destroyer stepped between them and killed Ashrain in a huff of silver fire. The warriors charged him, and Nightwing destroyed them too. It was as easy for him as breathing, and Morningleaf would never forget it—hundreds of warriors turned to dust while still upright and poised for battle.

  Silverlake had thrown up her wings. “Stop,” she’d cried. Morningleaf wasn’t sure if she was speaking to Nightwing or River Herd, but everyone had halted, prancing in place, and the only noise was the panicked bleating of the newborns.

  Nightwing opened his mouth, and hundreds more terrified pegasi bolted into the woods. He hurled his power after them, and silver beams of light twisted through the trees like snakes, hunting the pegasi who galloped away, and then it curled around their necks and choked them.

  Nightwing’s power overwhelmed River Herd, and soon all steeds had dropped their heads in submission. A few trotted slowly away, choosing death over capture, and as they melted into the shadows, Nightwing’s silver fire caught them and evaporated them.

  Silverlake had approached Nightwing, looking desperate. “What do you want?” she’d asked.

  The Destroyer folded his wings, gazing at River Herd like a proud sire. “The pegasi of Anok belong to one herd now, my herd. I’m your over-stallion.”

  Morningleaf had reared, her anger rising like steam.

  “Don’t do it,” Silverlake had whinnied, and Morningleaf could still hear that warning reverberating through her head. If only she’d obeyed her mother, but at that second she hadn’t cared what happened to her, or at least she thought she hadn’t. She’d galloped toward Nightwing and halted, facing him.

  “You’re Star’s friend,” he’d said, blinking at her. “I remember you from Sky Meadow moons ago, when I stabbed your precious black foal through the heart.”

  Morningleaf had trembled, remembering when Nightwing had pierced Star’s chest with a thin stream of starfire, almost killing him. But an army of weanlings, the ghosts of deceased young pegasi, had come down from the sky. The leader of that Weanling Army was Hollyblaze, Nightwing’s past best friend who he’d killed or gotten killed and who now haunted him. When she’d landed with her spirit army, Hollyblaze had called Nightwing a coward, and that had upset him terribly. Then she’d shot bright lights into his eyes and drove him away from Star, allowing Star’s friends time to whisk his body to safety.

  Morningleaf had taken a breath and then invoked the dead filly’s name, hoping to frighten Nightwing with it. “Hollyblaze called you a coward in Sky Meadow. Why?”

  Nightwing’s eyes had popped wide, and he reared, shedding feathers. He’d glanced upward, as if the act of saying Hollyblaze’s name would bring the filly’s spirit down from the golden meadow. When nothing happened, he trained his eyes on Morningleaf. “What did you say to me?”

  She’d whipped her tail from side to side. “Hollyblaze called you a coward. I heard her say it. Is it because you murdered her and all those helpless weanlings?”

  Nightwing’s mouth had opened and shut, but no words or starfire came forth.

  Morningleaf had taken a cautious step toward him, sensing his unease. “Tell me,” she’d whispe
red. “Did you murder your best friend?”

  Nightwing had gasped, and a single tear dropped from his eye and landed on the soil. Morningleaf watched as a black flower sprouted between his hooves. She smelled something terrible, like rotting trees, and realized it was coming from him. Nightwing twisted his neck, and his eyes drifted off, seeming blank, but she imagined he was reliving his past.

  Morningleaf had stepped closer, thinking to drive him off. The River Herd steeds softly rattled their feathers.

  “Please no,” Silverlake whispered to her filly.

  Nightwing had taken a deep, shuddering breath and then focused on Morningleaf, lowering his head toward her. “I won’t kill you,” he’d said.

  Morningleaf let out her breath in a gasp of hope.

  “Not as long as Star lives,” he’d added. “You’re special to him, and as long as I have you, I won’t have to hunt him down. He’ll come to me, and I imagine he’ll do anything—anything—to protect you.” Nightwing leaned closer to her, baring his yellowed teeth. “But I’m going to make sure you never get away.”

  She’d squeezed her eyes shut then, and he’d attacked her. The memory of the pain shot across her mind in colors, brilliant and blinding. Nightwing had doused her wings, only her wings, in silver fire that circulated like water, seeping into her bones and into her feather’s roots, killing them so they would never grow back but preserving them so they wouldn’t fall out, leaving her wings blackened and ugly, and unable to carry her weight into the sky.

  She shuddered, feeling sick even now, fifteen days later.

  Her mother had squealed, galloping to her side, and Morningleaf had collapsed. Then Nightwing had lifted his head and roared starfire at the leafy overhang that created a natural ceiling in the Trap, blasting a huge hole in it. “We’re migrating,” he neighed to River Herd. “Pick up this filly and move out!”

  And just like that, River Herd had a new over-stallion—and they left the Trap, and Star, and had flown to the territories to gather any remaining stray pegasi.

  Now Morningleaf swept her eyes across the thousands of migrating steeds flying in formation east, to the interior of Anok, but Anok was a massive continent, and the interior was so far away. She guessed it would take until the middle of summer to get there. How would Star ever find them?