by Paula Boer
He enjoyed his feast and settled against a warm rock. Worries for his family at Waterfalls tussled with the excitement of reaching the ocean. How could he return to village life after experiencing these adventures? But the clans were under threat and he had a duty to share all he’d learned.
A shrill whinny woke him. He leapt to his feet and shook the grogginess from his head.
A short distance away, Fleet stood rigid behind Jasper, facing a sapphire unicorn.
The new arrival’s white mane and tail draped along the sand, his glistening white horn thrust towards Jasper’s chest. “How dare you violate my territory? Begone!”
Jasper backed up a step, bumping into Fleet. “Tempest, don’t you remember me? I’m Jasper. This is my son, Prince Fleet of Foot of Dark Woods. His friend cured my contorted horn. We need to cross to Tern Island and see Moonglow.”
Tempest advanced and struck the ground with a black hoof. Spume blew from his nostrils. “I’ll not listen to your lies. Do you think I can’t smell your evil? Do you think I don’t know what occurs outside Seashore? You’re one of Shadow’s creations, mimicking Jasper.”
Yuma approached with an outstretched hand, hoping to calm the situation. “I’m Yuma of Waterfalls. We’ve travelled far to seek help. I—”
Tempest charged Jasper. Waves crashed in a flood of foam around their hooves. Wind blasted sand against their bodies.
Fleet reared and screamed as Jasper clashed his horn against Tempest’s.
Yuma waved his arms at the unicorns’ heads in an attempt to distract them. “Stop! This is madness!”
Jasper and Tempest locked shoulders to shove each other backwards. Lightning sizzled from Tempest’s horn and bolts of energy sparkled from Jasper’s. Fleet dashed in and bit Tempest on the neck before thudding his heels against the blue ribs.
The unicorn didn’t flinch.
Yuma had to stop the fight. “Fleet, you’re not helping! We need him!”
Fleet backed off and drew a deep breath. “You try to stop them, then.”
Yuma grabbed a double handful of sand and threw it at their heads.
Blinking, they broke apart. Jasper cantered off a short distance and shook.
Tempest glared at Yuma, his black eyes glinting. “It’s a sad day when a man interferes in the business of unicorns. Why are you here?”
“Fleet’s dam had a vision. We found the goddess’s feathers and cured Jasper. Shadow chased us through the barrier. We must find a way to defeat him.”
As he explained in more detail, Tempest relaxed. The wind died down and the waves calmed. The sand settled into drifts.
Jasper waited for Yuma to finish before adding his own tale. “It’s Aureana’s will we’re here. My son and his friend saved me from a life of agony and hiding.”
Doubt lingered in Tempest’s eyes. “So, why didn’t you contact me before you arrived?”
Jasper explained that, despite what they’d always believed, Shadow could listen in to the unicorns’ mind communication. “We witnessed awful ravages across Great Forest. We must seek a prophecy advising what to do.”
Tempest still held his ears back. “Why is there a man with you? Aureana made them to care for coldblood horses, not to aid unicorns.”
Yuma edged closer to Fleet. “Gem asked me to come, and sent Tatuk, one of her dragons, too.”
Tempest checked the skies. “Where is he? Let him relate what’s been happening. Dragons can’t lie.”
Keeping a hand on Fleet’s withers in case he needed to mount in a hurry, Yuma regretted mentioning Tatuk. “He returned to Shimmering Lake, where Gem resides. But he gave me one of his scales.”
Tempest strutted over and inhaled Yuma’s scent. “You don’t have the same evil about you as the other two. Show me.”
Yuma extracted the diamond from where it hung beneath his jerkin.
Tempest sniffed the scale. “Come with me. The aquadragons will know whether it was given or stolen.”
Unsure what Tempest intended, Yuma followed him to the sea’s edge.
“You must go in.”
The waves calmed and lapped at Yuma’s feet. Not wanting to drench his clothing, he stripped and paddled in, the cool water welcoming after the long journey. The shifting sands and pull of the current made him wary. “I don’t like the feel of this. Can the aquadragons come to me?”
Tempest dipped his horn into the water. “You won’t drown. They’re near.” He trotted into the surf and disappeared beneath the waves.
Determined not to go deeper than his knees, Yuma waded into the sea. The sensation of the salt water caressing his legs tempted him further. He plunged into the water, swimming with powerful strokes parallel to the beach. He dived like an otter, relishing the silkiness of the buoyant ocean.
Aquadragons, similar to those he’d swum with at Shimmering Lake, surged around him, blowing bubbles from their long snouts, their leafy appendages wafting as they swam circles. They flowed over his skin like the kelp forest, stroking his arms and legs. The diamond sparkled on its thong around his neck. As he rose for air, a life force flooded through his veins as if he had indulged in Chaytan’s best ale.
Fleet paced on the shore. “I feared you’d been sucked away.”
Yuma grinned. “You should come in!”
Tempest erupted from the water and shook a spray of rainbows from his coat, his mane and tail flowing like spuming waterfalls. The sea flattened to a sheet of blue. “The aquadragons recognise the scale is a gift. We will go to Tern Island tonight, as you request.”
Chapter 17
Tempest led them to the base of towering granite cliffs where the low tide revealed a tumble of jagged rocks. Barnacles clung among the tidal pools and crabs scurried in the moonlight. He pointed out to sea with his horn. “We can be there by morning.”
He lowered his head and swirled the waves. Tendrils of light crept like roots across the surface. Beds of kelp wafted together in the current. He whinnied. “Malila, I need your help.”
A school of aquadragons bubbled through the surf. The lead one grabbed an end of the kelp in her snout. The others did the same. Diving around each other, they wove the strands into a tangled web to form a roadway to the island.
Tempest strode onto the living bridge. “Don’t be afraid to gallop hard.” He leapt across the water.
Jasper followed, the moon casting bloody shadows across the sea from his reflected coat. They galloped away, leaving only indentations in the kelp that filled with seawater, obscuring their passage.
Fleet hesitated and nuzzled Yuma’s foot where he sat astride. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“Having come so far, there seems little point in stopping now.”
Reassured, Fleet walked onto the bridge. Water lapped over his hooves. He halted, legs splayed. He sniffed the surface. Aquadragons giggled and zoomed on either side of him. He stepped forward. The bridge wavered, but didn’t sink. Taking a deep breath, he sprang into a trot. The platform bent beneath his weight, but held.
He broke into a canter, the sensation of moving over water and the spongy kelp upsetting his balance, the horizon blurring with the night sky. Only the turquoise sheen from the aquadragons gave any sense of perspective, their glittering forms keeping pace with ease, maintaining the tangle of kelp a few strides ahead, letting it drift apart behind him. The only sounds came from the gentle splash of his hooves and the wind in his ears, no lapping of waves or cries of night birds. Aromas of salt and seaweed and fish came and went.
He galloped on.
A glimmer of violet delineated the eastern horizon. Cliffs rose to the south, their faces streaked grey and white. Cries of gulls and terns competed with the wind.
The kelp gave way.
Water sucked at Fleet’s legs.
He floundered and thrashed, and then stumbled onto shifting pebbles. The ro
cky beach had a few patches of sand barely large enough for a horse to roll. Sea otters played with aquadragons in the surf, or floated on their backs and cracked clams on their stomachs. His hooves gained purchase as he cantered up the beach to join Jasper and Tempest. He hung his head, blowing hard, glad the ordeal was over. “I’m starving.”
Tempest peered down his nose and sniffed Fleet’s neck. “You should be refreshed after being surrounded by the sea’s power. Didn’t you absorb the energy of the ocean?”
“It was all I could do to stay upright.”
“Never mind, it’ll come with practice. Moonglow’s island has good grazing at the top of the cliffs. You can eat while I locate her.” He led the way along a narrow track winding up the cliff.
Jasper bounced along in a springy trot. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to help you with the crossing. I was having too much fun. I haven’t felt this good in all my life. If it weren’t for the nightmares, I would think I’d joined Aureana in the spirit world.”
Irritated by Jasper’s buoyant mood, Fleet dragged himself up the trail. As promised, a vast meadow of lush grass and sweet flowers cloaked the island.
Yuma gathered leaves and blooms by the armful. “Why are the plants still in flower? Is this place like Shimmering Lake?”
Tempest tested the wind with flared nostrils. “I’ve not been there. But I keep the weather temperate all along this coast. Aureana may have liked four seasons, but I prefer everything to remain the same. It’s bad enough I have to contend with the moon changes and tides without having seasons to worry about.” He galloped off.
What was wrong with seasons? Fleet loved the spring freshness after a cold winter and the cool autumn after the hot days of summer. It had been rare enough to see any variation in Dark Woods without the weather always being the same. The succulent feed reminded him of Gem. Seasons had passed since he’d mated with her. His longings brought back memories of the two fillies at Flowering Valley. They’d be far away with their new stallions by now. He should have stolen Tress instead of seeking a unicorn. Although he’d learnt much and had companions, he still yearned to belong to a herd and live in one place, somewhere with lush grass and clean streams, shady trees and singing birds.
Instead, he had horrific dreams and encounters with terrifying beasts, always on the move. Pushing aside his frustrations, he drank from a spring of fresh water and settled beneath a giant maple to doze.
The scent of an unknown horse woke Fleet. He opened his eyes. A snow-white unicorn stood next to Tempest, her gold points glinting, a flock of dragons flitting around her head in a rainbow cloud. Her deep blue eyes flooded him with memories of Sapphire.
Moonglow stretched forward to sniff his nose.
He blew back into her nostrils. “I’m Fleet of Foot of Dark Woods.”
Jasper also greeted her and shared their story. “Your prophecy must have related to curing me, not overcoming Shadow.”
Moonglow strolled about the meadow. “Prophecies can lead or confuse. You must follow your instinct.”
Fleet trailed behind her. “Does that mean you can’t help us further?”
“Help how? Oh, you mean you seek another prophecy. I can’t promise. And if one comes, you have to interpret it yourself.”
She wandered away and lifted her horn to the sky. Sparks like fireflies glittered from the tip, floating away in a twinkling shower.
“His black red and two curved horns
Needs him from bears den
Join together unicorns
Bring her from Goose Fen”
Fleet hadn’t known what to expect, but it wasn’t this riddle. He was none the wiser. “What does it mean?”
Tempest didn’t seem perturbed by the strange conversation. “So, Echo is still at Bearsden. That’s west of Rattlesnake Ranges. Goose Fen is east of Dragonspine Mountains. I wondered where Diamond was. It won’t take her long to get here, but for Echo it’s a different matter. What about Gemstone?”
Moonglow didn’t respond.
As she drifted away, Tempest stamped a hoof and followed her. “Come on, tell us more. What do you suggest once we’re all here? We know Shadow is a threat. How do we deal with him?”
A flock of gulls cawed overhead as they wheeled and hovered on the updraughts. The regular crash of surf far below added to the sense of a strange land. Fleet had never felt as exposed as he did on this clifftop, so unlike his home in Dark Woods. Even the bleak high plains between Snowhaven and Obsidian Caves hadn’t felt this open. Dizziness and despair threatened to overwhelm him.
Moonglow halted and her horn flared again.
“Six hotbloods come together
Solstice embolden
Eat death caps control weather
Call who flies golden”
She wandered away.
Tempest ignored her departure. “So, the others need to be here in time for the solstice.”
Fleet didn’t understand the prophecy. “What then? How does any of this help us defeat Shadow?”
Jasper nuzzled his neck. “Have patience. I believe Moonglow is saying all six unicorns must gather and hold a ceremony to call Aureana. We can receive instructions from her.”
While everyone on Tern Island waited for the arrival of the other unicorns, Yuma rested and replenished his medicines and food. An abundant supply of roots, leaves, and fruits kept him busy. Moonglow had asked him not to kill any animals.
The mild weather belied the shortening of the days as the winter solstice approached. Tempest left to meet Echo and Diamond. Apart from Moonglow gathering what looked to Yuma like poisonous mushrooms, he rarely saw her. When she did drift to their end of the island, she rarely spoke, her glazed eyes blind to all bar her dragons.
Fleet spent most of his time grazing or dozing. Although at times he jumped awake with sweat running down his neck, he appeared more settled. Yuma suspected that sharing his experience with the ancient unicorns helped him shoulder his burden.
Tempest had asked Yuma to build a great bonfire on a high outcrop of rock away from the cliffs. He struggled to find any wood on the exposed pasture and went to find Fleet. “How large a fire do they need?”
Fleet continued chewing a mouthful of grass and flowers. “No idea. I could carry driftwood from the beach if you want help.”
Relieved he hadn’t abandoned their partnership, Yuma accepted. Several trips up and down the winding trail later, they had a pile of timber higher than Yuma’s head. “I guess that’ll do until Tempest returns.”
Taking the opportunity to groom Fleet, Yuma wisped his coat until it gleamed. The horse’s rump showed no evidence of his former wounds. “Do you still have nightmares?”
Fleet’s bottom lip quivered. “I imagine I see Shadow leaping out of flames, but I can’t quite picture him. It’s like something you see out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, there’s nothing there.”
Yuma teased the tangles out of Fleet’s mane and checked his hooves, now trimmed and hard, composing songs of his adventures as he worked. He still couldn’t believe they’d travelled over water held up only by a net of seaweed. Seeing the otters earlier in the day reminded him of Laila and the jade figurine he had given her. Her gift of bumblebee nectar had saved his life and enabled Jasper to be cured. He must thank her again at the next gathering; he had already missed this year’s at the summer solstice. How many more would he miss before he could return home?
He turned around at the clatter of many hooves. A white unicorn with a flashing silver mane and tail followed Tempest. Alongside her came another unicorn, the colour of rich earth, with a blazing emerald mane. Jasper cantered behind. If it weren’t for Fleet’s solid presence next to him, Yuma would have believed he was hallucinating.
Fleet whinnied in response to the newcomers’ greetings. “Echo, thank you for answering Gem’s call when I was at Shimmering Lake.
Diamond, your daughter will be pleased to know you’re well.”
Diamond blew in his nostrils. She backed up as if stung. “There remains a taint about you like Jasper. Hopefully Aureana will rid you both of the poison.”
Jasper introduced Yuma. “Without him I’d still be in terrible pain and Fleet would have died. It’s time to consider accepting people as more than servants of horses.”
Tempest snorted and stared at the bonfire. “Of course we’re delighted your horn is straightened, but we’ve more important matters to attend to than discussing coldbloods and humans. We must prepare for tonight. I only hope we have time.”
Confused, Yuma looked at them all. “Doesn’t Gem need to be here? I thought all six of you must be present for the ceremony.”
Tempest glanced at Fleet. “We haven’t heard from her. I asked Malila to leave the kelp bridge intact in the hope Gemstone reaches us in time, but if she doesn’t—”
Diamond interjected. “She’s maintained silence with us ever since her horn came through. It was only because she made contact about Fleet that I believed the severity of the situation, otherwise I wouldn’t have translocated across both Dragonspine Mountains and Rattlesnake Ranges to bring Echo so quickly. I fear the effort has cost me so much I won’t be ready for tonight. We need Gemstone’s strength. She had the least distance to travel, and I can’t fetch her if I don’t know how far she’s come. We must trust that she’ll arrive in time.”
Chapter 18
Bare branches pointed at Gem as if accusing her of neglect as she trudged through the forest. She had never known the seasons to affect her territory. Now the bitter winds from the north swept through the valleys and browned the grasses. Dung lay in frozen heaps as the earthworms retreated to warmer soil. The creeks fouled with mud as too many paws churned the banks.