by Paula Boer
Two snowy mandibles raised in response. “Stop. Mine. You. Next.”
The croaky voice sent a cold trickle through his veins. He had no idea how to tackle the spider. Although he’d replenished his arrows, he couldn’t draw his bow with a broken arm. And if he killed it and the strands were magic, he might not be able to free Fleet. What if the spider had already injected Fleet with its venom? He must do something, and quickly. “Don’t hurt the horse! He’s on a mission from the goddess. She won’t be happy if you hinder him.”
“Hungry. Winter. Long.” The spider skittered over Fleet’s back, sparkling like sunlight on snow crystals. Her long legs wrapped more silk around Fleet’s head and neck.
“Stop! I can hunt for you. You needn’t feed on Fleet. There are many creatures in the valleys.” Yuma gabbled on, saying anything to hold the monster’s attention. He introduced himself and gave Fleet’s full title, hoping to impress the spider with the horse’s lineage. “What’s your name?”
“Snag.”
“You’re very beautiful. Please let me help you catch something else.” Yuma maintained a wary distance from the spider’s reach.
“How?”
Yuma explained how he could play his pipe to attract animals.
“Give.”
He rummaged in his pack with his good arm and played a series of warbling tunes one-handed. Birds gathered outside the cave.
Snag spun a fine net and, after easing to the other side of the web, cast it in the air. The sticky material snared a snowy owl.
“No!” Yuma couldn’t bear to see the magnificent bird of prey fall victim to the spider. His mind churned to come up with a solution.
Snag wrapped and stored the owl on the edge of her web before preparing another net.
Yuma waved his pipe. “Now you’ve seen how it works, I’ll give you this in return for releasing Fleet. You’ll be able to call all the food you want.”
Snag returned to Yuma’s side of the web and stared at him with eight crimson eyes. The hair on her legs bristled. “Eat. You. Have. Pipe.”
“I’ll break it if you don’t let us go. Please, it’s a good gift.” Knowing spiders didn’t breathe through their mouth parts, he also knew she should be unable to play music. But she could talk! Or was it Tatuk’s scale enabling him to understand her? No, a spider that large had to be another of Shadow’s creations.
He played a few more notes.
“Good. Gift.”
Yuma’s heart raced. Was Snag agreeing, or repeating his words? He held out the pipe, ready to retreat if the spider tried to trick him. “Release him first, then I’ll give you the pipe.”
Snag didn’t move.
“Okay. I’ll put the pipe down here. You can retrieve it when we’re free.” Yuma placed the musical instrument on a protruding rock and walked with his back to the wall, his spear in his left hand.
“You. Tear. Permit.” Snag extricated herself from the web and scuttled a staccato patter towards the pipe.
Yuma leapt towards Fleet and grabbed handfuls of silk. The softness rather than stickiness surprised him. The threads wouldn’t tear. He grabbed a shard of obsidian, slashed at the fibres, and tore them away from Fleet’s head, worried he might suffocate.
Fleet had sunk into a stupor. As his face came clear, he sighed and shuddered. “Leave me. It’s better I die. I’m Shadow’s grandson. Black like him. Evil.”
Yuma grabbed one of Fleet’s ears and twisted. “Don’t talk like that! Quick, kick through the silk as I cut it.”
Snag picked up the pipe and inspected it with her mandibles. The only sound came from her clacking legs.
Yuma hacked at the fine strands, amazed at their strength. They came free, the strands sticking only to themselves, not his hands. Hurrying before Snag changed her mind, he cut Fleet free.
Fleet’s head drooped. “Go without me. The feathers are lost. Jasper is dead. I’ve failed.”
Angry at Fleet’s tone, Yuma stuffed the obsidian shard in a pouch in his jerkin. “If Jasper is dead then so is Shadow. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It’s the poison.”
Not knowing how quickly Snag could make more silk, he rolled it into a small bundle and stowed it on top of his pack, worried the spider might be able to re-use it. He leant against Fleet to steady himself. Adrenalin tingled in his chest as he struggled to mount from the offside, unable to use his right arm. He swung his left leg over and hugged his arm to his chest. “Let’s get out of here.”
Fleet didn’t move.
Snag waved her hind legs and started spinning a net.
“Run, Fleet! For Sapphire’s sake!” He booted Fleet in the ribs, something he’d never done before.
Fleet sprang out of the entrance and galloped down the track. The sound of drumming followed them as Snag rebuilt the web across the cave’s entrance.
The pain in Yuma’s arm became too intense for the fast pace. “Slow down, I think we’re safe.”
Fleet dropped to a walk. “Why did you save me?”
“You’ll feel better once we’re away from this place. Tatuk will be waiting for us.”
Away from danger, sadness swamped Yuma at the loss of Jasper. But with Shadow’s death, at least their mission was over.
Hooves pounded from a side valley. Fleet pricked his ears towards the sound.
Yuma stared. No-one could have survived the collapse of the mountain.
Jasper thundered along a narrow cliff edge, blood from numerous wounds streaking his neck and chest.
Yuma remained astride as they waited for Jasper, in too much pain to dismount.
Jasper arrived, puffing hard. “Get moving. Shadow’s following. Cross the barrier!”
With renewed haste, Fleet set off for the Sentinels. Yuma rode in silence, the speed jolting his broken arm.
Jasper slowed, his muscles quivering.
Relieved, Yuma burst with questions. “How did you get away? Did you encounter Snag?”
“No. I tunnelled out a side wall where I could sense it was thin. The effort was almost too much for me. I can’t use the source of power Shadow feeds on. He escaped via another route. I don’t know how long it’ll take him to catch up.” Jasper plodded on.
The basalt pillars at the edge of Shadow’s territory came into sight.
Fleet trembled as they passed through the Sentinels, nausea rising in his throat and shudders racking his skeleton.
Tatuk remained perched on a ledge, a tiny jewelled dot on a sea of rock.
Yuma winced as they jolted to a halt. “Tatuk! Thank the Mother you’re still here. We could all do with some of your food, please. Then we’ll tell you what happened.”
Tatuk fluttered in the air and flapped his wings. “Jasper is stuck! He can’t get past the barrier.”
The possibility of Jasper being restricted by the Goddess’s cage had never occurred to any of them. Yuma urged Fleet back to where Jasper fought the invisible wall, lathered in panic. “We’ll find another way out.”
Jasper swished his tail, shivering with fear, pain, and exertion. “If another path existed, Shadow would have found it. But if the veil bars all hotbloods, how did Fleet get through? He’s seven-eighths hotblood.”
Yuma thought back to Gem’s reactions when they first met her. She had believed Fleet evil due to the poison in his veins. “Shadow’s bloodwolves get through. Maybe their poison is a shield.”
He rummaged in his pack and unwrapped the parcel of maple leaves. “I still have the fangs from the one that killed Sapphire. Try carrying these.”
Jasper backed up, snorting at the foul smell. “Tangle them in my mane. Be quick or Shadow will be here.”
Yuma struggled to attach the venomous teeth one-handed, finally getting them to stay in the long hair.
Jasper leapt to cross the barrier. It tossed him back like a leaf in a gale.
/> Yuma growled. “They lose contact when you move.”
“Then get on and hold them against my neck.” Jasper sidled next to Fleet to let Yuma slide over onto his back. “Hurry!”
If he hadn’t been in agony in a dire predicament, Yuma would have believed he’d gone mad. Ride a unicorn! Only a few seasons ago he didn’t even know they existed. He heaved himself across onto the crimson back, gritting his teeth to bite back a scream.
Jasper trotted towards the border. Still the veil rebuffed him.
A piercing neigh shook the air.
Shadow galloped towards them, his mane and tail flowing like lava, rain pouring from his slick coat. His crimson eyes glared and steam puffed from his flared nostrils. The ground shook and rocks careened from the hillsides.
Yuma raised his good arm and slashed it down, thrusting the bloodwolf fangs deep into Jasper’s neck. “Go!”
Fleet bounded at the Sentinels. Nausea clogged his throat. Convulsions rippled along his spine. His legs thrashed the air as if swimming across River Lifeflow in full torrent.
Again he broke through. This time Jasper followed.
Shadow raged on the far side of the barrier.
Tatuk flew high, giggling at their escape. Safe outside the veil, they sought shelter from the foul weather and Shadow’s screams.
Jasper shook from head to tail, spraying water in an arc of rainbows. “We must rest and work out what to do. There must be a way to overcome him.”
Sweat dried cold on Fleet’s trembling coat. “We’re no better off than when I first found King Streak. The feathers were no good. I can’t fight Shadow. I can’t save Equinora. I’ve failed.”
Tatuk turned pale. “You need to eat.” He flitted outside and blew on the meagre grasses.
Yuma stroked his nose. “Tatuk’s right. The poison will be clouding your mind. Eat his sustenance and we’ll work out what to do.”
More from a lack of will to argue rather than agreement, Fleet tottered into the rain. Steam wafted around his legs. He had no appetite. Wandering away from the Sentinels and the omnipresent sense of doom, he nibbled the feed in the hope it would settle his nausea.
Yuma followed and leant against a boulder. “I need to fix your and Jasper’s wounds. Have you seen any comfrey for a poultice?” He glanced about for the large soft leaves. “Does it grow this far north?”
“No idea. Ask Tatuk.” As Yuma went to find the dragon, Fleet swallowed another mouthful. Strength returned to his legs and warmth permeated his body, but the pain in his neck and rump, plus the despair at Equinora’s fate, kept him from feeling better.
Yuma yelled.
Fleet raced to where he crouched. “What?”
“It’s Tatuk. He’s gone grey. I think he’s dying.” He lifted the dragon with his good arm and cradled the limp form.
Fleet inhaled the scent of the wasted body. His heart tore—first Sapphire, then Cirrus, and now Tatuk. “He’s worn out from fending off Shadow’s evil. You must send him love. I’m exhausted and more likely to kill him.”
Ill ease squirmed through Fleet’s veins like the poison. Was everyone linked to him destined to suffer? Evil slithered after him like a scorcheel. Why had the goddess chosen him, Shadow’s grandson? Perhaps they were both meant to perish. She never intended him to find a cure, only destroy them. With his colouring, he should have realised he wasn’t like any other horse he’d met…apart from Tress.
Fleet trembled. Perhaps Tress was also Shadow’s progeny. She certainly had the arrogance of his grandsire. But she was too beautiful to be evil. Memories tore at his heart. Tress wasn’t as glorious as Gem. Yet the arrogant princess had a presence about her that attracted him. And Gem had sent him away as soon as his hot blood became evident. Perhaps she’d detected his foulness and been afraid to tell him. It would be better if he died, too.
Yuma smacked him on the nose. “Fleet. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You’re killing Tatuk.”
Concern for the dragon drove away Fleet’s horrors. His love for his dam and the need to fulfil her dying request warmed his veins. A glimmer of colour seeped into Tatuk’s scales as Fleet remembered Sapphire with love.
His rump throbbed. What would it be like to live forever with pain? The agony of Jasper’s contorted horn drove him to act as he did. His sire had never meant to harm Sapphire. He’d only been seeking help. Yuma was right: the poison clouded his mind. His heart softened. As he forgave Jasper, the ailing dragon’s colours returned.
“He’s coming round.” Yuma clutched Tatuk to his chest.
Fleet’s concern turned to Yuma. “You must do something for your arm.”
Fully recovered, Tatuk flew up to perch on Yuma’s shoulder. “Make a sling with the spider silk.”
Yuma unravelled the tangle from his pack and tried to separate the threads. “I can’t do it on my own.”
Fleet grabbed a strand in his teeth. Under Tatuk’s direction, they wound the silk around Yuma’s arm in a cocoon. The threads set hard.
Yuma ran his fingertips over Jasper’s neck. “The salve I used on Fleet’s wounds is finished. I left the anise hyssop on the other side of the barrier. And the goddess’s feathers. I wasn’t able to retrieve them when the roof collapsed.”
Jasper nuzzled him. “I know. Don’t worry, they’re buried deep. I sensed their power. And as I’ve said before, I believe Moonglow’s prophecy brought Fleet to cure me. The feathers were never going to change Shadow.”
Fleet’s heart thudded. His breath roared through his nostrils. Every raindrop splashed against the rocks like a waterfall. He couldn’t stop now. He had to find a cure for the poison or die. He had to avenge Sapphire’s death and do whatever he could to save the herds. “Can you contact Moonglow and seek a new prophecy?”
“Don’t forget Shadow will hear.”
Fleet sighed, his legs heavy with dread. “Then we must go to her.” Another trek before he could settle.
Chapter 15
The grasses had barely had a chance to fatten their seed heads before the cold weather returned. A flurry of amber leaves settled around Tress. She twitched and stamped. “Isn’t it ever quiet? If it’s not the wind in the trees or the rushing river, it’s the howl of wolves.”
Half Moon grazed closer, one eye as always on her filly. “Don’t mention those beasts. They give me the shivers.”
The mares had remained at White Water Cliffs despite Wolfbane’s bullying. Tress had nowhere safe to go and Half Moon didn’t want to travel with her foal. Even though Wolfbane occasionally brought back other mares, they never stayed long, sneaking away when the stallion dozed or ventured afield.
Tress watched Pebbles gambol after a cloud of butterflies with yearning, but her feelings for the young horse were mingled with sadness. The poor pasture meant the filly had not grown tall and Half Moon was reluctant to wean her. The scent of unknown horses drifted on the wind. Tress pricked her ears and looked to see who came.
A ragtag mob trotted over the rise. A skewbald mare led two chestnuts and a red roan. Their ribs protruded and their coats were dull. Wolfbane herded them towards Tress and Half Moon with snaking neck and bared teeth. As they cantered up, he broke away and headed to the river.
Tress welcomed the newcomers. “I’m Queen Silken Tresses of White Water Cliffs. How far have you travelled?”
The skewbald gave a sultry greeting. “I’m Patches of Maple Woods, beautiful country to the west. Bloodwolves have broken the herds and killed our lead mare. Your stallion stole us before we could regroup.”
The other mares didn’t bother to introduce themselves and wandered off a short distance to graze. Tress had no idea how to reprimand their rudeness.
Patches looked around with a sour expression. “Where can we get morels? I could do with a pick-me-up after the long journey.”
“I don’t know. What are they?”
> The new mare scratched her face on her knee. “Fungi. Very good to eat and they lift your spirits. There must be some here. They’re always abundant after fires, and the trees here are scorched.”
Tress arched her neck. “Well, maybe in your territory, but I haven’t seen any.”
Half Moon motioned to the edge of the forest with her nose. “There are a few behind the old village. I wasn’t sure whether to eat them while suckling Pebbles.”
Patches stared at Half Moon. “You’re right to avoid them. If that’s your filly, she should be weaned. Try eating sage to help dry up your milk.”
Half Moon thanked her and asked questions about what the herb looked like. Patches shared her knowledge before turning back to Tress. “How come you don’t know the medicinal plants?”
“My sire is King Streak and my dam Queen Starburst of Flowering Valley, so I grew up in open grasslands. I only moved here recently.” Tress paraded around the skewbald, her tail held high.
“It doesn’t look as if you’ve had your first foal yet.” Patches called to the other new mares and headed to where Half Moon indicated they might find morels.
Tress nudged Half Moon. “Let’s go to the river. I don’t like these newcomers.”
Half Moon hesitated and cocked an ear to check Wolfbane hadn’t returned. “If they leave, we should go with them. Pebbles is old enough to travel.”
“They’re likely to return to Maple Woods. I’d rather go home, but I don’t know how to get there. Do you have any idea where Boldearth will have gone? Perhaps we could find him.”
“No. Anyway, I suspect you don’t really want to leave Wolfbane. I’ve seen you mating with him. You didn’t look too upset.” The chestnut mare drifted away as she grazed.
Tress followed. “I can’t help my urges, and he’s a big strong stallion, worthy to sire my foal. But I’m carrying now and don’t need him.” She flushed at the thought of the new life growing within her. Wanting the company of an experienced mare when her time came, she longed to return to Flowering Valley and Starburst.