“Penelope calls me,” she said, ignoring his comment. “I must go. Safe journey to you.”
“Despite the circumstances, it is good to see you as well, Cyemma. Safe journey to you as well.”
He admired her retreating form, wondering if Cyemma’s rider had actually called. She was a truly beautiful creature. They’d spoken briefly during mating season, and he hadn’t been interested in her at all. It was not mating season now, but he’d definitely felt something in her presence.
This made him worry. Is the magic corrupting my rider spreading through the bond to me as well?
“There you are,” Danella said. Majherri watched the way she walked toward him on her two legs, carrying a saddle. Other than her completely black eyes, she didn’t move or speak differently, but he already knew that things were wrong. She moved slower than normal, but that was probably due to the injury inflicted by Kayleigh’s bone knife.
After his odd conversation with Cyemma and the young warrior, he’d left the spot overlooking the grand pavilion and ventured to the center of the oasis. A worker filled a trough and, as he drank, horses were led alongside of him. The “old” Majherri would have been incensed at being forced to drink with the stupid animals. He decided this wasn’t a battle worth fighting and finished quickly.
Though I doubt humans would sit down to eat with dogs or pigs, I would be embarrassed if I had any standing left to begin with.
His rider fished around in one of the saddlebags for a pair of peaches and offered one to him, while biting into the other. “You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get these out here. One of the Master’s acolytes transforms them from some of the local produce for me. The poor, delusional boy hopes to curry favor with me now that you have returned to my side. I sit in a favored position at the Master’s table, Majherri.”
He stopped biting the peach and stepped back from her.
When did you become interested in your own standing? Indeed, Danella used to scold him about his interest in standing amongst his herd.
Her expression hardened, and she said, “You do not approve?”
Shaking his head from side to side, he answered her.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? The things I had to do to bring you back to me! And after all that, you go and take another rider! What about loyalty, Majherri? What about everything we had together? How could you betray me so?”
The saddle dropped to the ground as his rider quivered in rage. She stepped forward and reached to the sword on her side. The comments he’d heard concerning her sanity were confirmed.
Pausing with the blade drawn halfway, she said, “No! This isn’t how I imagined us together again. I know you’re mad about the girl, but it had to be done. Put yourself in my position. What would you do if I had another unicorn? She wouldn’t have just given you back. We both know that. If your bond with her had been real, I wouldn’t have been able to break it.”
Her words were cruel barbs trying to get at his insecurities. Snorting loudly, he turned his back on her in anger.
“Fine, Majherri,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper before rising again. “You’ll accept the truth eventually. Until then, come here!”
The unicorn felt the power of her command overwhelm him. He fought back with all his willpower, but it only made him stumble slightly as he moved to her side. It was insulting, degrading, and he wondered if it was worse for him because of his horn tip being embedded in that thing’s heart. Still, Majherri would learn from this. He would meet her next commands with stalwart resistance and see if it made a difference. This was not a battle that could be fought in a single engagement.
“I will not tolerate any misbehavior on your part, Majherri. We’ve been given a mission by the Master. We are riding to the frontlines for the assault on Jaruciax and you will not embarrass me in front of him.”
She took no care, slamming the saddle painfully onto his back and securing it. As Danella climbed into the saddle, Majherri felt the physical manifestation of their bond. With a clearer mind, the unicorn sensed the taint of the netherbeast within the bond it. It bothered him more than the crack in his horn or the unsightly scars on his side.
“Battle calls us,” Danella said, leaning forward and speaking into his ear. Her hand moved through his mane, stroking the hairs and trying to sooth him. “We were meant to be together and fight side-by-side. Ride with me, Majherri! Ride!”
Prodded by the unsavory magic poisoning their sacred bond, Majherri broke into a spirited gallop toward the cluster of wagons and soldiers that slowly made their way from the sanctuary of the oasis. At the edge of his vision, he saw a shape dart into the sky. It was Count Darius riding his manticore. The creature had the body of a lion, brown leathery wings, and the red segmented tail of a scorpion.
The humans called Darius, The Mad Usurper. Eighty seasons ago, he’d led a rebellion along with several of the southern kingdoms, and the sympathies and support from some here in the West. Cities burned and rivers of blood were spilled for many seasons before Darius was finally stopped. The world thought this human wizard defeated and dead. Clearly, they were wrong, and would soon be paying the price for their ignorance.
The columns of troops escorting the supplies followed distant landmarks until the shifting sands gave way to the dirt. Despite the heat, they made good time, especially when the winds picked up. The breeze was more than enough to cool them, but insufficient to create a dust storm.
“Even the elements join in the Master’s righteous cause,” Danella said to Penelope Garrett, who rode Cyemma.
“Truly, Danella,” Penelope replied. “It is also good to see you in the saddle again. Your skill has been sorely missed. I suspect Jaruciax would have fallen days ago were you among us.”
Majherri noted how quickly the air maiden agreed with his rider. The simpering compliment that followed annoyed him and he caught the attention of the nearby female.
“Is this what you meant when you said the others fear her?”
Cyemma pretended that she didn’t hear him. When he asked again, she snorted dismissively.
“We should not discuss this in the company of our riders,” she cautioned.
Majherri neighed loudly and replied, “Why not? My rider already knows it to be true. Yours does as well. When did we become so meek that we cannot give voice to the truth?”
Cyemma slowed, clearly wanting the conversation to end, but Majherri stayed beside her.
“Majherri! Don’t be a stubborn mule!”
He did not appreciate her insult and pressed onward. “Do you fear your rider will use her foul magic to control you? I don’t! Danella wanted me back so badly. We made such a good team because we both rebelled against authority. Unfortunately for her, she has become that which I detest.”
“I sense that your mount seems to be fostering a rebellion,” Danella said in an accusing tone, getting the gist of the conversation between the two unicorns.
“Cyemma remains docile and in control, Master Scout Lynch. I believe she is attempting to calm your unicorn,” the dark haired air maiden responded, addressing Danella by her rank.
“That’s odd,” Danella answered with the slightest hint of a growl in her voice. “I don’t see it that way, Lancer Garrett. If you cannot bring yourself to discipline your unicorn, perhaps I will. One of the things Majherri found so attractive about your Cyemma is her flawless, unmarked hide. It would be an absolute shame to use my whip as a punishment for her insubordination.”
Majherri recognized Danella’s ploy immediately. His rider would punish Cyemma instead of him. It was distasteful.
“I will ensure Cyemma remains committed to me, Danella Lynch. If you’ll excuse me.”
Urged by her rider, Cyemma darted forward and left him alone with Danella.
“You are correct, Majherri,” she said to him, while they watched the air maiden ride to the front of the caravan. “They do fear me. I have been granted considerable latitude by our Master. I tho
ught you would like this. We no longer have to justify our decisions to officers anymore. You see servitude, but I see freedom! What’s this? You send me an image of that desert rat. He was given great reason to fear me, and if I were him, I’d be careful not to cross my path again.”
Majherri didn’t view her actions through the same distorted eyes Danella did. He took considerable pleasure in sending her an image of a former lover who’d earned her ire.
“Again with the disapproval? You’ll understand eventually.”
I doubt that! the unicorn responded and sent her an image he knew she associated with being humbled. It was from her days at The Academy and the only time she’d run afoul of General Jyslin. The older, bent woman had found Majherri keeping his rider company as Danella cleaned the fifth year stalls after a particularly poor performance by her squad in formations.
Danella had been in something of a mood after being given a punishment suited to lower years and was muttering an endless stream of curses when the general’s cough startled them both.
“Recruit Lynch,” the general began, ignoring the language Danella wielded as effectively as her pitchfork. “I fear I bear a portion of the responsibility for your punishment. Had I not been on the parade grounds, I doubt your lead instructor would have issued so many demerits.”
His rider said nothing for a moment, and General Jyslin took that as a sign to continue. “Congratulations on your posting as a scout, Recruit Lynch. I suppose you won’t have to lose much sleep over poorly executed formations.”
“If you say so, ma’am,” Danella answered, choosing her words carefully.
To the shock of both unicorn and rider, the much older woman picked up a pitchfork and stuck it into the hay inside the stall and removed some of it. “Oh, you wouldn’t believe how many hours I spent in the stables during my time here. Let’s see, what were we talking about again, young lady?”
“Formation drills?” Danella answered, clearly unsure of what they were really discussing. Even Majherri was curious now.
“Oh yes! Scouts don’t really need to pay much attention to how well a unit prepares itself for a charge. It’s just a maiden and her mount. Did you know I was a scout when I first left this island?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Danella said.
“Of course you do,” the woman continued and smiled at both Danella and Majherri. “Every year several recruits do a long and detailed account of my service. If my memory serves me correctly, it was your twin sister for your year.”
Majherri watched as his rider nodded.
“She’ll make an excellent lancer, I believe.”
“Ma’am? Meghan’s been posted to the couriers,” Danella said.
“That she has, but I stand by my statement. Still, I’m not here to discuss her this evening.”
“Permission to ask the general a question?”
“By all means, speak freely, Danella Lynch.”
The unicorn watched his rider draw upon her courage and ask, “What are you here to discuss?”
The woman leaned her pitchfork against the side of the stall and laughed. “That’s a new record, young lady! It usually takes ten or fifteen minutes of my prattling on about things before a recruit finally works up the nerve to ask the old lady to get to the point. You did it in around three, which is why I believe you have the makings of an excellent scout.”
“Thank you!” Even Majherri was impressed by General Jyslin’s proclamation.
“You’re welcome, but I just said ‘the makings.’ You haven’t been anointed just yet. Let me tell you about one of the stories that never ends up in those presentations…my very first mission. I’d been ordered to check the forests near Colfax for enemy troops. I did my job and spotted an understrength battalion of enemy cavalry there. I was quite proud when I returned to my captain and reported in.”
General Jyslin paused for a moment and Majherri waited for the other set of hooves to fall. “That’s when she started asking me questions. Were they regulars or irregulars? Did they have archers or infantry with them? Did I see support wagons carrying their provisions? When I couldn’t answer her, she called out for a scout who was capable of doing the damn job to go back to the area and show me how it was supposed to be done! Attention to detail, Miss Lynch! To a scout, it’s everything. If I’d paid more attention, I might have noted the quality of the armor they wore, or if any were drilling and whether the drills were as sloppy as what you and your classmates displayed today. I also could have seen the campfires of the wagons and the mixed company of foot soldiers and archers. If my captain had sent us in based on my words alone, we might have lost or suffered many more casualties than we did. My so-called legend may very well have ended on my first mission.
“I guess that brings me back to an earlier comment when I said that formation drills don’t matter when you’re a scout. Now that we’ve had our little talk, do you agree with that statement or not?”
“I disagree,” Danella said.
“Why is that?”
“It’s important information.”
“Precisely. Everything, and I do mean everything, is important information. Details matter, young scout. It’s your lifeblood. It’s what your officers use to decide whether to commit troops, and might end up being the difference between life and death for the members of your company. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Good. The lesson you’re here to learn tonight doesn’t have a single thing to do with this stall, but I’d appreciate it if you’d do a good job just the same. Tonight, it’s about an old scout who sees potential in a recruit, who will be leaving this island soon. I want to make certain you know what the stakes are while the worst that can happen is a few hours of extra duty in the stalls.”
Danella snapped to attention and saluted, bringing her arm level across her chest, palm down.
“At ease, Lynch. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to return to my office and enjoy a fine glass of wine. I like to reward myself on those rare occasions when I feel like I’ve done something that could make a difference. Finish your task to the best of your abilities and return to your barracks. Have a pleasant evening, Danella.”
“You too, ma’am.”
As General Jyslin reached the exit to the fifth year stables, she stopped and stood with her back facing Danella. “Before I leave, how about a test to see how quickly you can apply tonight’s lesson? Can you tell me the color of the stone on the necklace I’m wearing?”
Majherri looked at Danella and saw her face twist in an effort to recall the answer. Her mouth opened on twice, but no words came out. Finally, he saw her admit defeat. “No, ma’am. I don’t recall your necklace.”
“Good answer. My question is a ruse. I’m not wearing a necklace this evening,” General Jyslin answered. “Always report the truth as you saw it. If you have to guess, make certain your commander knows it is a guess. What you don’t see may also be just as important as what you did. Safe journeys to you and all who ride with you, fire maiden.”
“And the point of bringing that woman up is?” Danella said in the same haughty tone she’d been using with Rider Garrett. “Her legend is built on a lie. Soon everyone will know that she never killed the Master. All she accomplished is the death of her unicorn. She’s just a bitter old woman, clinging to falsehoods and trophies in her office. The Master will have his revenge!”
Majherri snorted and sent an image of the maidens dressed in their ceremonial white robes, lining the grassland by the dock to welcome the new recruits. He was asking what she would do with all those who would stand with the general and High-King Barris.
“Most will abandon her when the truth comes out. Those who do not will regret their choice.”
He sincerely doubted that, and sent her an image of a time when she’d attempted a foolish stunt and had been injured instead. Before they’d been separated, he’d use this image to tell her she was being stupid, but in a humorous manner. No good-natured feelings flowe
d across the bond at this time.
This angered his rider greatly, and she hissed, “We’ll see if you feel that way soon, Majherri.”
He responded with a vivid image of him riding across the island…with Kayleigh on his back. Danella’s hiss turned into a full scream, and that same numbness he’d felt before, when she was controlling him, descended, slamming into him like a boulder hurled from a catapult.
Still, he found a tiny corner of his mind where he could think for himself. He’d fought his first of many engagements across their bond. If wielding power over him tired her, Majherri would see to it that Danella was exhausted. He was a scout also, and his mission was clear. He would gather information about the curse inhabiting their bond. Using that knowledge, he planned to test Danella’s resolve on all fronts.
Chapter 4- Grounded in Earth
Once they’d arrived at the camp, Kayleigh said her farewell to Brownie and watched as one of the soldiers led the horse away. The recovered possessions belonging to the other trainees was cause for some celebration, but Kayleigh’s return created mixed reactions amongst the unicorns and riders. No one was certain what to make of her bonding with Rheysurrah. Marcia was still fuming. Laurel and Amanda were happy. The trio of earth maidens were somewhere in the middle. After she finished recounting her time apart from them, Kayleigh asked where they were planning to go after Shiftla and what they knew about Jaruciax.
Laurel replied, “The refugees were the last group that managed to get out of Jaruciax by land before the enemy troops cutoff the roads leading out. Supposedly, the barges are still in service, but the footbridge was destroyed by some kind of magic. From speaking with them, I got the impression that they didn’t think the city would hold out for more than two weeks.”
“I still can’t believe an army came riding out of the desert, and no one even realized it was there!” Tamera Akers exclaimed. “One of the soldiers with this group told me that they tried to send messenger birds, but the skies are filled with swarms of vultures and hawks that were spelled to kill any birds the city tried to send. They showed up the day before the lead units did.”
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