by Paula Boer
Tatuk landed on her crest. “There’s a racoon fighting a skunk over by the alder pond. I can’t get them to stop.”
Gem changed direction. “I’m tired of all these squabbles. There are so many animals here I can’t keep up with all the disputes.”
The dragon paled. “I don’t have the strength to feed them, and the lake’s waters aren’t providing the nourishment they need. You should close the veil.”
“If I do that, those outside will perish.” Summoning up energy from the last of her reserves, Gem cantered down the slope to the arguing mammals.
The cramped conditions had taken a toll on everyone, their skin hanging in loose folds with matted fur. Even the chipmunks had ceased their chittering and guarded their stores of hard-won nuts.
At Gem’s approach, the racoon raced to her feet. “He stole a snail right from my paws!”
“It was mine first.” The skunk raised his striped tail. “This is my burrow. You’re trespassing.”
Gem struck the ground with her hoof. “Stop it, you two. If you can’t get on, I’ll banish you both. Everyone is finding it hard to locate enough to eat. Nobody should be eating the snails. I’ve told you before to drink from the lake. I can’t waste more energy sorting out your differences.”
Other animals came to listen. As a squirrel scampered up with an acorn, the racoon snatched it from the smaller creature. The skunk jabbered and hissed.
“Enough!” Gem lashed out at the racoon with a hind leg. Her hoof caught him in the ribs and bowled him over. She whinnied in horror and checked he was unhurt. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
The racoon scampered up a tree and eyed her through his striped visage. “The lake doesn’t satisfy our hunger anymore.”
She had to do something. She looked for Tatuk, who’d flown off when the skunk raised his tail. He was nowhere in sight. She called for him as she headed back to the lake.
He settled on a rock near her favourite resting tree. The once-mighty oak was almost devoid of leaves, and dead branches scattered the ground. She swished away a fly as it sucked blood through her dull coat. “You’re right. I have to close the veil. What will the creatures do who are stranded outside? I’ve failed them.”
The dragon’s colours no longer pulsed with vigour. “We must save those who are already here. They’ll be needed to repopulate the land. I’ll inform the dragons on the borders that no more animals are to be permitted through.”
Gem sank to the ground. “What sort of guardian am I that I can’t look after those who seek refuge? Who knows how long it will be before Equinora is safe?”
Tatuk flew off without answering. Gem flopped down her head, ignoring the ants crawling into her ears and the flies drinking from her running eyes. As she lay prone, her mind filled with words.
Come to Tern Island. You’re needed here for the solstice.
The voice was one she hadn’t heard often until recently. Tempest rarely communicated with the other unicorns. For him to send out a summons must mean the threat had spread wider than she’d feared. She’d been optimistic when Tatuk had returned and told her that the golden feather had cured Jasper’s horn, and then saddened that the same power hadn’t worked on Shadow. Tatuk had also shared that Shadow could hear the unicorns’ mind messages. She’d had no news since—the dragon had refused to leave her with all the troubles at Shimmering Lake—but the lack of recovery of the land could only mean Fleet and Jasper hadn’t found a way to overcome Shadow.
The summons came again. Diamond and Echo were already there. Good, let her parents deal with the troubles, they were stronger and wiser than her. She would only add to their woes. It might even be her twisted horn corrupting Shimmering Lake—the more she tried to help, the worse the situation became—and everything around her was dying. But why now? Nothing made sense.
Plunged into misery, Gem dragged herself to the lake, failing to feel any invigoration as she waded into the crystal waters. Diving deep, she searched for aquadragons. The underwater channels they loved to frequent were empty. She rose to the surface and struck out for the far shore. A few dragons skimmed the water, their normal giggles absent.
She scrambled up the marshy bank and stopped in horror. Grey, lifeless forms tangled among the reeds. The dead aquadragons’ bodies had shrunk to bare bones. Their sparkling skin had shed and shattered, fragments of turquoise and aquamarine forming a layer of grit at the water’s edge.
Gem climbed onto dry land, her heart bursting with sorrow. One by one, she carried the corpses to a pile of driftwood. A small flock of dragons hovered nearby. A couple had red legs, denoting their mastery over fire. She called them down. “Please give the aquadragons a ritual farewell. I can’t bear for them to be eaten by the other animals, no matter how starving everyone is.”
The largest of the flame dragons landed near the bodies. “We’ll need your help.”
Summoning her love for her lost friends, Gem sent energy to the dragons to light the pyre. Flames licked the tiny bodies that shrivelled and crackled. A wisp of smoke wafted skywards as each body was consumed. She stared at the last remains, her despair deepening like the purple clouds billowing overhead, a sight she’d never seen at Shimmering Lake. Rumbling thunder echoed her pain. She tried to cheer herself up by remembering the aquadragons riding her bubbles, at how thankful she’d been for their laughter and play.
Attracted by her love, Tatuk appeared. “Maybe you need to go to Tern Island.”
“How can I? I don’t have the strength to help my charges, let alone travel. And what would happen here if I were away?”
Chapter 19
The swollen sun on the horizon cast ripples of orange across the sea. The five unicorns waited in array around the bonfire on top of the cliff, fidgeting and pensive, the tension in the air setting Fleet’s hair on edge.
Tempest strode over to him. “There’s still no sign of Gemstone. We can’t proceed without her.”
“You must! I’ve come all this way for help. And it’s the solstice tonight. Isn’t that when Moonglow’s prophecy said you should call the goddess?” Fleet trotted around the pile of firewood, watching the expressions of the other unicorns. None of them would meet his eyes.
Tempest remained calm. “Moonglow is adamant we need six hotbloods.”
Fleet’s temper built. “Did she tell you that? Or is that your interpretation of her riddles? She could mean anything! I can’t make out her nonsense.”
Diamond joined them. “It’s not nonsense. That’s her power. It’s why she doesn’t often speak, and why she says confusing things. But she’s never been wrong. We must listen to her, even if she’s off with the dragons most of the time.”
Fleet gnashed his teeth and lashed out with a hind leg in frustration and anger. “I promised Sapphire I would do whatever I could to stop horses being destroyed and avenge her death. I found King Streak and he sent me to find a unicorn. I found Gem only to be sent away again. I found the goddess’s feathers. I confronted Shadow and barely escaped with my life. I discovered more about my ancestry and Sapphire’s life than I wanted to know. I came all the way here, when all I want is to settle somewhere safe and be part of a herd. And now you’re refusing to help! I’m sick of being pushed around. Don’t you care about horses? Don’t you care about Equinora?”
Jasper wandered up. “Calm down. Of course we care. We’ll do everything we can, but if we need six hotbloods, there’s no point starting without Gemstone.”
“Has she come before when you’ve needed to call the goddess? Is it always at the solstice or will there be another time?” Why were the unicorns being so complacent?
Echo clustered with the others, only Moonglow holding her place at the fire. “We’ve never called Aureana before.”
Fleet reared, neighing long and loud. He dropped back to the ground and confronted Tempest. “I’ll take Gem’s place. Th
en there’ll be six of us.”
Tempest backed up a step.
Diamond leant forward and stretched her nose to Fleet’s. “You’re very brave, but you don’t have a horn to deflect the power. You’re not a full hotblood. The ceremony might kill you.”
“How do you know, if you’ve never done this before?”
Jasper closed in, too. “Aureana told us how to call her before she left for the spirit world. It’s bad enough I’ll have to counteract the poison in my blood, but you won’t have the strength.”
Tempest stamped the ground. “And whose fault is that? You should take more care of your progeny.”
Yuma walked over and rested a hand on Fleet’s mane. “Take care what you do. You’re still weak from your wounds and the arduous travel, and the fungus Moonglow collected is very potent.”
Echo flicked his ears. “Why was Fleet sent on this quest if he wasn’t meant to take part? Moonglow isn’t worried about Gemstone not coming. We must trust her prophecy.”
Glad one of the unicorns supported him, Fleet thanked him. “And I’m seven-eighths hotblood. I may not have a horn, but maybe the ceremony will cure me. Aren’t poisonous fungi sometimes used as medicine?”
Moonglow walked over to the pile of mushrooms she had collected and carried a mouthful to each of them. “I think I’ve picked the right ones. The yellows and oranges look so similar, then I remembered they had to have white spots.”
Fleet sniffed at the pile in front of him. “Do I have to consume them all?”
Moonglow tilted her head. “I don’t know. Eat until you feel the effect, I suppose.” She ate her share and took up a stance close to the stack of driftwood.
Tempest snorted at the mushrooms in front of him. “It seems Moonglow believes you are the sixth, Fleet. So, let us commence.”
Fleet stared at the fungi, disliking their smell. Sapphire would never have allowed him to eat these.
Diamond chewed her mouthful, her coat darkening with sweat as she resumed her place at the pile of wood. Her horn sparkled. “We must join horns over the flames. How can Fleet do that? We must try with only five of us.”
Tempest shuffled her over to make more space around the fire. “No. There must be six of us. Fleet must take Gemstone’s place.”
Jasper looked at each of them in turn. “I’ll help him. If he holds his head against mine, he can share my horn.”
At Tempest’s instruction, Yuma lit the fire, placing coals from his hearth at close intervals around the base where he had stashed piles of kindling. The driftwood crackled without smoke as the unicorns resumed their places. The two mares stood like the peaks of Snowhaven, their white coats reflecting the flickering light. The stallions glinted like the dragons perching a safe distance away among the trees.
With no other option, Fleet consumed the mushrooms. They tasted as foul as they smelled. Not wanting to risk spoiling the ceremony, he ate the entire pile Moonglow had given him. He took up his position around the fire, his head in contact with Jasper’s with his rump pointing to the sea. Sparks danced in the air, spiralling up into the moonlit night.
The unicorns’ horns pointed towards the centre of the fire, flames licking their tips. They held their bodies rigid, tails over their backs and necks arched. Saliva slid from their lips as they mumbled words Fleet didn’t understand. Stars drifted across the heavens and sank into the ocean.
The flames grew and enveloped them. He experienced no pain. Was that the mushrooms numbing him, or the power of the goddess? Wind whipped his mane and tail into tangles. Thunderous clouds scudded above the island. A dry storm lashed waves against the cliffs.
Lightning struck the heart of the circle.
Fleet twitched and trembled. His mind swirled, full of golden flames.
The bonfire flared and roared, engulfing their heads and necks.
Why have you called me?
He almost jumped, almost broke the unity of the circle.
Moonglow raised her head. “We need your help. Equinora is in danger.”
The bonfire flared and roared, roiling about their heads, their necks. Though there was no sensation, Fleet could see that the flames reached almost down to Echo’s powerful shoulders, and realised that to the unicorns, he must seem similarly half-swallowed in the conflagration.
You are the protectors of Equinora. You are ignoring your roles. Why should I help you?
Moonglow, you offer your prophecies yet stay on Tern Island instead of sharing your powers with those in need to the north, east, and west.
Echo, you ignore the creatures in your territory when floods, fire, or storms destroy their food, or when deep snows cover the land and waters turn to ice.
Tempest, you prevent the seasons renewing the land at Seashore, yet allow storms to rage elsewhere without tempering their fury. You allow the rivers to silt up and gales to tear down forests.
Diamond, you wander at will for your own pleasure, never aiding those you encounter, staying hidden, and avoiding your duties. You haven’t even taught your daughter her role. No wonder she isn’t here.
Jasper, as pleased as I am you are finally free of pain, you continue to mope over Dewdrop when you could be using your power to create caves for bats and bears, or ledges for roosting birds.
You must all use the powers I granted you to protect Equinora.
In the centre of the flames, a prancing unicorn appeared. She radiated beauty, golden feathers from her wings sweeping the ground. Her voice moderated, now trilling with birdsong, burbling creeks and rustling grasses. Fleet smelled lupins and lilies.
Fleet of Foot, only you endeavour to counteract Shadow’s harm. You will henceforth live up to your full name, drawing power from the earth, wind, and sun, to become the fastest horse in all creation. Use your speed wisely, and save my land. Return to Obsidian Caves and confront Shadow.
Acrid smoke smothered the sinking moon in a blood-red haze.
Fleet’s heart pounded and his skull threatened to burst. He heaved in deep breaths, relieved that Aureana’s anger hadn’t been directed at him. Yet how was he to confront Shadow?
He blacked out.
The rising sun shone straight into Fleet’s eyes. Yuma crouched by his side and stroked his mane. He blinked, raised his head, and rolled onto his chest. Warmth suffused his veins as if he had drunk from a steaming pool. His body glowed with nourishment. “What happened?”
Jasper blew into Fleet’s nostrils. “Thank goodness you’re alright. Can you stand?”
Fleet braced his legs and shoved to his feet. His heart glowed with love for those around him. “I saw the goddess!”
Tempest walked around the burnt remains of the bonfire and greeted him. “Yes, she came, for all the good it did us.”
The smell of singed hair lingered in the air. Fleet could still taste the powerful mushrooms on his tongue. Each single hair of his mane tickled against his neck as Yuma untangled the sweat-drenched knots. Moonglow’s dragons glimmered brighter than any he had met at Shimmering Lake. The sounds of lapping waves carried up from far below.
Echo shook himself and stretched his hind legs. “It’s been a long night, and we’re no better off. It seems Aureana won’t help.”
Jasper snorted. “That’s not quite true. My neck is healed and the poison has gone from my veins. I no longer suffer depression.” He addressed Yuma with a bow. “I understand why you stabbed me with the fangs to escape Obsidian Caves. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Now I’m fully cured. I will forever be in your debt.”
Diamond added her thanks for his wellbeing. “But Echo is right. We’re no nearer to overcoming Shadow. How can Fleet fight him?”
Fleet nibbled at a patch of clover. The leaves had never tasted so sweet. He relished his new extraordinary senses in direct contrast to the fear that racked his guts.
Moonglow drifted over and stared at hi
m. She gasped as if startled. Sparks flared from her horn.
“Death and poison cross the land
Entwined destiny
Shoot and dust green stone in hand
For their dynasty”
Echo waved his horn. “Green shoots and dust? Does she mean my power? Or Jasper’s over stone? Or is the green stone emerald, like my horn?”
Diamond nudged Moonglow’s shoulder. “Or does the prophecy mean Gemstone? Her whole body is emerald. Is that it?”
Echo paced around the dead fire. “Maybe our daughter did have to be here.”
Tempest grumbled. “Indeed, what’s the use of having a cohort of six unicorns if one can’t even be bothered to turn up?”
Diamond jumped to Gemstone’s defence. “We don’t know why she didn’t answer our calls. Maybe she can’t leave her territory because of the threat. And we don’t even know if the prophecy means emerald. There are other green stones.”
Fleet had no answer. He no longer believed, like he had before the ceremony, that Gem hadn’t turned up because of him. That would be ridiculous. There must be another reason she wasn’t here, part of the goddess’s plan. Gem. His last memory of her was when she sent him away, when Yuma was carving the image of him. “Yuma! The green stones Tatuk showed you. Do you still have any?”
Yuma retrieved the last two arrowheads of jade from his pack. “You mean these?”
“Yes!” Understanding clicked. “The goddess must intend us to hunt the beasts down like horses and people do with hogs.”
None of the unicorns had ever witnessed a hog hunt. Fleet and Yuma described how herds and clans lived together, the horses driving the hogs to slaughter in return for oats and hay.
The idea horrified and fascinated the unicorns at the same time. Diamond shivered. “I can’t imagine participating in anything so brutal as killing creatures like that, no matter how evil. There must be another way.”
Echo agreed. “Aureana wouldn’t want anyone murdered. If the prophecy refers to jade, it must be to change the animals somehow.”