The Guardian Herd: Stormbound (14 page)

AFTER ARRIVING AT THE SOUTHERNMOST EDGE
of the Trap, Frostfire's team had to shelter for three days while a terrible blizzard passed through. Frostfire was still upset they had not found Shadepebble with Snow Herd. He wondered how Rockwing would react when he failed to return the overstallion's last surviving filly. It made the mission of capturing Morningleaf that much more important. He could fail once—maybe—but he could not fail twice. Rockwing would banish him, or worse. Frostfire sighed, feeling overwhelmed.

“Frostfire, come see this!” cried Larksong.

His blood raced at the alarming tone of her voice, and he flew toward her. She stood on a patch of melted snow
near the edge of the Trap. Sprawled at her hooves was one of his stallions.

Frostfire landed. “What is it?”

Larksong backed away, her eyes round. “His tongue! Look at his tongue. It's blue.”

Frostfire's small team panicked at the sight of the blue roan warrior lying on his side, coughing. Sweat beaded and rolled down his hide. “I'm fine,” he rasped.

Frostfire flew up and hovered over him. “Get back!” he whinnied to his team. “You too,” he neighed at Larksong. Frostfire's thoughts tumbled. His mission was swirling out of reach. They were probably all infected.

He glanced at Larksong. Her black eyes were desperate. “What do we do?” she cried.

“Just get away from him,” he said. “All of you.” His team flew toward the lake about a mile away. Frostfire gazed at the wheezing stallion. “How long have you been sick?” he asked.

“My throat's hurt since we spied on Snow Herd. I didn't . . . I had no idea it was the plague. I thought it was the cold weather.”

The stallion's mouth hung open, and his tongue lolled out, swollen and blue. His eyes were fever bright. Frostfire knew that if the plague didn't kill him, the sweating
would. The stallion's coat was wet, and the cold air would soon freeze him to death. Spastic shivers ran through the warrior's body at intervals. He thrashed, but he did not have the energy to rise. “Don't leave me here. Please.”

Frostfire's throat tightened. This was his warrior, and he did not want to leave him to die alone in the snow, but his team could not risk staying near him, nor spend weeks trying to heal him. “Don't plead with me,” he said to the roan. “I can't save you. I want to, but I can't. I can't even stay near you.”

The stallion closed his mouth, understanding.

“I can speed your journey to the golden meadow,” Frostfire offered, coiling back his sharpened hoof.

The stallion rolled his eyes toward Frostfire. “No. Once I rest, I'll be able to get up. I'll make it home on my own.”

Frostfire nodded, feeling proud of the stallion's determination, even though they both knew he would not make it home. “I'm sorry,” Frostfire said, and meant it. He hated to lose a warrior.

Frostfire flew away and joined his team. “It's the Blue Tongue plague,” he said to them.

Larksong snapped her jaws shut. “I'm not going to die in this miserable place,” she said. “Not from some dumb
plague, and not before we steal that filly from Star.” She twisted her head to look at Frostfire. “The storm is over. What's the plan? How are we going to get her? The black foal keeps her close.”

Frostfire grimaced. Again he was taken aback by the boldness of her questions. As a captain, he wasn't used to them. He had to remind himself she was a sky herder, not a warrior, and she didn't know any better. “When it's time, I'll give you your orders,” he said.

Larksong leaned in close to him, staring into his eyes. Her wing brushed his. “You don't
have
a plan, do you?”

Her touch startled him and rendered him speechless. He felt trapped by her intense gaze and the heady scent of her long mane. He said nothing, his mind spinning.

Larksong huffed and broke eye contact.

Frostfire trotted away from her to collect himself. She was utterly fearless of him—unlike the rest of his team. He could kill her for talking back to her captain during a mission; surely she knew that even though she was a sky herder. Frostfire tossed his mane, baffled by her and her words because, as usual, she was right. He didn't have a plan. He was hoping one would present itself once he found the River Herd steeds. The best idea he'd come up with so far was to create a distraction and then whisk
Morningleaf away. But he had no idea how he would accomplish that. Not yet.

He glanced at the sky, which was pale blue and full of puffy white clouds; it wasn't going to snow today. With or without a plan, it was time to get moving. “We'll travel along the edge of the Trap, heading north, until we reach the Hoofbeat Mountains.”

His team flexed their wings for flight.

“It will take us several days to reach the end of the woods,” he explained. “Then we'll be in the Ice Lands, and we'll only fly at night. River Herd could be anywhere.”

“Or they could be right in front of us,” said Larksong, looking smug.

“What?” Frostfire whipped around to find Star, Thundersky, and the rest of River Herd staring at him from a mile away. Standing next to the black foal was the target of his mission: Morningleaf. And if all this wasn't shocking enough, next to her was Brackentail, the yearling colt he'd left for dead. Behind him was Frostfire's sire, Iceriver.

Frostfire gulped, driving air into his tight lungs, and dropped his wings in defeat. His head swam with questions. River Herd was supposed to be in the Ice Lands; what were they doing heading south? And why were there
so few of them? Maybe they too had succumbed to the plague.

There was nothing to do now but confront them. He reminded himself that he had an excuse to be here: he was searching for Shadepebble. Frostfire led his team across the snow, and they halted a short distance from River Herd. Iceriver neighed a short, joyful greeting. Frostfire hadn't seen his sire since the day of his weaning, but he did not return the greeting. Anger sizzled through his veins at the sight of Iceriver. His sire had not stopped Petalcloud from trading him, and that fact would always be a thorn between them.

Brackentail pinned his ears, and Frostfire swept his eyes over the brown yearling. The injuries he'd given Brackentail before banishing him were healed. The black foal must have used his powers on him, because Frostfire remembered breaking one of those orange wings permanently.

Frostfire's gaze landed on Star. He'd grown taller since his birthday. It seemed ages ago that Frostfire had snatched the dud colt by his useless wings and carried him off to meet Rockwing for the first time. Now the dud could fly, and he could easily kill Frostfire with a huff of his breath.

Star broke the silence. “I assume you've come for Shadepebble.”

Frostfire's limp wings flared at the mention of his aunt's name.
Was Shadepebble with River Herd?
Stunned, but not wanting to appear ignorant, he just nodded.

Star whistled, and Frostfire watched Shadepebble trot through a group of pegasi and stand next to the black foal, so close to him that their shoulders touched. She was clearly
not
his captive.

Frostfire's thoughts spun, unraveling and re-forming as he adjusted to the sight of his aunt. Shadepebble was the last pegasus he'd expected to see here. And she was alive! Frostfire hadn't failed either mission, not yet. He'd found both fillies, and River Herd could not be suspicious of him. They had his aunt—they were the ones who looked suspicious.

Frostfire spoke, knowing his team would follow his lead. “Yes, we're a rescue party.” He willed his eyes not to look at Morningleaf, not to give away his true intentions. “Shadepebble was taken from us by Snow Herd. We've been searching Anok for her. How is it you have her?” Frostfire rattled his feathers.

“We found her,” said Thundersky, also rattling his feathers. “She was drowning, and Star saved her.”

Frostfire blinked, confused. Star saved an enemy steed? He took a deep breath and looked at Shadepebble. “Is this true?”

The undersize filly nodded. “Yes. And I'd like to stay with them. With River Herd.”

“What?” Frostfire's fragile sense of order collapsed.
His aunt didn't want to come home?
His eyes scanned River Herd—from Iceriver and Thundersky, who'd given up being over-stallions to follow Star; to Brackentail, who'd been accepted back into the herd he had once betrayed; to Star, who had the power to rule Anok but who lived like a nomadic land horse; and then to his own deformed aunt, who was ready to abandon her herd. When had the world turned upside down?

“Excuse us,” said Frostfire. He snatched Shadepebble's wing in his jaws and dragged her aside. “You are an embarrassment to your sire,” he hissed, staring into her determined eyes. “You will come home now.”

“You're hurting me,” she said, her eyes wide.

Frostfire groaned. “I'm confused. Did you run away, or were you kidnapped? Hedgewind told me you flew for your life.”

“I was taken,” stammered Shadepebble. “But when Snow Herd found out who I was, they banished me and
the captain—Clawfire—took me. He and I became friends. We set out to look for Star. I'm here by choice.”

“Where is this captain?” rasped Frostfire.

“I don't know. We were attacked by an ice tiger, and then I ran and broke through a frozen pond. Star saved me.”

Frostfire threw up his wings. “They're all manipulating you, Shadepebble. You're the filly of an over-stallion; you're a hostage.”

Shadepebble stamped her hoof into the crisp snow. “No! They said I could leave if I wanted. All my life I've been told that foreign steeds are evil, but they aren't. Rockwing lied. He lied to the whole herd!”

Frostfire collected his thoughts. Shadepebble felt indebted to Star—it was a powerful obligation for a pegasus, one he wouldn't be able to argue her out of, but he tried anyway. “Do you realize, Shadepebble, that you wouldn't have been attacked by an ice tiger if you hadn't been kidnapped in the first place? You don't owe anyone for saving you from an attack that should never have happened.”

Shadepebble clenched her jaws and pinned her ears, but said nothing.

Frostfire closed his eyes. Rockwing didn't argue with irrational steeds, and neither would he. “I'm taking you
home.” He nodded to his team, and they seized her, ready to take her by force.

Star and Thundersky reared, galloping closer, ready to fight, and Shadepebble whinnied, throwing open her small wings to stop the altercation. “Okay, okay! Please don't fight!” Shadepebble staggered sideways, almost falling over.

“What's wrong with you?” snapped Frostfire.

“I'm just very tired and hungry,” she replied. “Please let me rest, and think, and then I'll come with you on my own.”

Frostfire thought about it. Staying to let Shadepebble rest would give him more time to plan the kidnapping of Morningleaf. He folded his wings and said, “I will give you one day and one night to rest. After that we go home.”

Shadepebble let out her breath. “That's all I need.”

Frostfire turned to Star. “My team will camp there,” he said, pointing toward a clump of fir trees. “Will you accept a truce with us while we wait for Shadepebble to recover?”

Star glanced at Thundersky and Silverlake, who nodded.

“You may stay,” Star said, and then he caught Thundersky's attention. “I'm going to patrol the area, to make
sure the ice tiger isn't still lurking near. Will you keep the herd close together until I know that it's moved on and that we're safe?”

Thundersky nodded, and the black foal turned and galloped into the sky, followed by Morningleaf, Silverlake, and twelve others. Frostfire watched his aqua-feathered prize pierce a cloud and disappear. But soon Morningleaf would return, and he would be waiting.

STAR DIVIDED HIS STEEDS INTO TWO GROUPS. ONE
would soar over the woods and one over the tundra. If the ice tiger were still around, they could probably scare it off. Most cats were skittish when confronted, and he hoped the same was true for the large, long-fanged tigers of the north. Morningleaf followed Dewberry's group, and Silverlake stayed with Star. They dropped from the sky often to inspect the snow for tiger prints, but found no sign of the beast. They'd all just returned to River Herd when a spasm of pain shot through Star's mind.

“Ack!” His wings tensed and his feathers curled, causing Star to crash into the snow.

Silverlake and her sentries landed next to him, and
the River Herd steeds galloped closer. Silverlake's ears swiveled, listening for danger, and her breath came faster. “What is it?” She glanced west, searching the sky. Ever since he'd told her about Nightwing, she'd been on edge.

Star grabbed his head in his wings. His eyes rolled back, and his body twitched. One half of his mind was conscious enough to be embarrassed that he was rolling in the snow, grunting and thrashing. The other half was far away, cruising fast and low over the ocean, heading west. He was caught in the grip of another vision, but this time he was awake!

His starfire gurgled to life in response to the pain in his head. Star smelled salt. His spirit body glided over the sea, and his hooves dipped into the water, making a long, gentle ripple.

His spirit was off to visit Nightwing again. But why? Had the dark stallion called him, or was Star at the mercy of his starfire, a power he still didn't understand?

Ahead was Nightwing, flying toward him, his hooves also skimming the sea—and it was like Star was watching himself. But this black pegasus had no white star, and he was bone thin and dull coated. Nightwing glided effortlessly, carried by the wind currents, and he approached Star with his teeth bared. Star trumpeted in alarm, and
then the stallion passed through his spirit body—toward Anok—leaving Star colder than the snow.

Star heard Silverlake's nervous whinny through his dream. “Get back!” she warned the watching steeds, sensing the tension building in Star.

Star kicked wildly and then rolled onto his hooves, pawing at the ice with hot steam pouring from his nose, and his hooves glowing gold. Silverlake and the others were blurry shapes standing around him. He struggled to focus his eyes, and his body tensed with the need to fight, or run. He spun in a circle, looking for the haggard stallion with the silver eyes, but Nightwing was nowhere. Star opened his mouth and blasted the snow around him with golden fire. It melted, revealing fresh green lichen and gray rocks.

Then the world suddenly snapped into focus and Star groaned, reeling sideways.

“Star! What happened?” asked Silverlake, creeping toward him, her ears flat and wary. “What did you see?”

Star shivered. He was positive his vision had shown him the actions of Nightwing in real time. The four-hundred-year-old stallion was traveling fast, heading toward Anok. “He's on his way here,” gasped Star.

“No!” she whinnied, twirling around. The River Herd
steeds stared at them, baffled. “It's time you told them,” said Silverlake.

Star nodded and raised his voice to address all the pegasi. “Since I received my starfire, I've been sensing Nightwing's presence. He's alive. I believe he's been hibernating across the sea.” Star took a deep breath and continued. “But he's awake now, and he's returning to Anok. I've waited to say something, hoping I was wrong, hoping it was just my new powers that I was getting used to. But Nightwing is heading toward us as we speak.”

The fierce bravado of the pegasi melted like spring snowflakes, and many voices cried out at once:

“The destroyer?”

“No.”

“What will we do?”

Thundersky threw back his head and trumpeted the alarm of an over-stallion.

From the clump of trees, Frostfire heard the commotion and led his team toward them. “What's happening?” he asked. His warriors pawed the snow, their muscles trembling for battle.

Star reared and slammed down his hooves—drawing everyone's attention. “It's true,” he said, sweeping his eyes over the panicking pegasi. “Nightwing is awake.”

Frostfire's jaw dropped.

“But we have time to prepare,” said Star, trying to calm them. “He's across the Great Sea, but he's flying this way.”

“What does he want?” asked Frostfire.

Star lowered his head, feeling miserable to upset his herd. “Probably me.”

Dewberry snorted. “Or to finish what he started four hundred years ago.”

Star shot her a sharp glance.

“I'm just saying what we're all thinking,” she whinnied.

Four hundred years ago Nightwing set out to destroy the pegasi of Anok. Only because of the ancient stallion Spiderwing had any steeds survived.

“She's right, I think,” said Iceriver. “It makes sense. A new black foal is a threat to the old one.”

Thundersky nodded, and Star sighed. Of course the two past over-stallions understood rivalry better than most steeds.

“Nightwing can't cross the ocean in a day,” said Star. “And he's weak, probably from sleeping for so long. We have time to think, to plan.”

The pegasi grumbled and shed feathers onto the snow.

“Listen to Star,” said Thundersky.

Star was grateful for Thundersky's support. “First, we must warn the other herds,” he said.

This caused more heated murmuring in River Herd.

“But how will we fight him?” asked Frostfire, lashing his tail.

“
We
won't,” said Star. “
I
will.”

Frostfire eyed him doubtfully. “You don't have an army. You'll need one if you hope to defeat him.”

“An army will slow me down.”

Frostfire lifted his head. “You're arrogant, black foal. How could you fight a powerful pegasus like Nightwing on your own? You'll get yourself killed—you'll get us all killed. You'll destroy Anok!”

Star sighed and dropped the argument. It was true; Nightwing had destroyed an army of tens of thousands with ease, but Star had no intentions of letting that happen again. He had the silver fire, just like Nightwing. He'd killed the bear with it. He could fight the Destroyer.

“Stop arguing,” said Sweetroot, stepping forward. “Don't you see this could be the end of us?”

Silverlake gasped. “Don't say that.”

Sweetroot unfolded and refolded her wings. “Slathering the truth with honey won't change it,” she said. “Nightwing is coming to destroy us all. For once in our
blasted lives, the herds of Anok need to stop fighting one another and unite.”

Loud muttering erupted among the gathered steeds.

“The council of River Herd will meet to discuss this,” said Thundersky.

The herd disbanded, breaking off in small groups, their eyes trained on the sky. Nothing ferocious had ever come at them from above. The sky was their domain, but not any longer.

Star trotted to the pond to drink and think. With Nightwing on his way, Star worried about Morningleaf. The Destroyer had seen her face, and had killed her in Star's dream. But besides her safety, Star had a secret from Morningleaf—one he'd only shared with Silverlake—that he was
also
a destroyer. Morningleaf had seen a glimpse of it when he'd healed Brackentail's wing, but they hadn't spoken of it since.

Now Star was counting on that ugly power to fight Nightwing, and he would have to tap into his darkest feelings, his anger and bitterness. Star took a deep breath. He didn't want Morningleaf to see him that way.

Like a spirit, Morningleaf materialized beside him, jolting Star from his thoughts. “Are you afraid?” she asked.

He looked at her dainty chestnut face, wide blaze, and
flaxen forelock. Her amber eyes were soft tonight, her aqua wings relaxed.

“I am,” he said.

She nickered, and the gentle sound soothed him. “So am I, but it's going to be okay.”

Star inhaled, taking his first deep breath since the vision overtook his mind. “You don't know that.”

“I do.”

“But how? You can't.”

She tucked her muzzle against his chest. “I have visions too.”

Star gaped at her. “You do? What have you seen?”

She lifted her head and smoothed his ruffled feathers. “The future,” she said. “All the herds living together in a valley of long grass. United.”

Star gasped. “That's the golden meadow, Morningleaf. You've seen the end, not the future.”

“I don't think so,” she said.

Star hadn't meant to challenge her. “Was I there?”

Morningleaf closed her eyes. “No, but I probably just didn't see you.”

Star tugged her mane gently. “Is this you trying to make me feel better?”

She nickered. “Sorry.”

“Don't be. I have the starfire. Nightwing can't take over like he did last time. I can fight him, and I will win.”

Morningleaf snuggled closer to him, and they each closed their eyes as night fell in the north.