The Guardian Herd: Landfall Read online

  Sweetroot often spoke directly to him, and she encouraged others to do the same. Once, she’d spoken to him like she understood his predicament. She’d said, “Star, I know you’re alone and its dark, but you must not follow the Ancestors if they come to take you away.”

  What she didn’t know was that the Ancestors had already visited him, an army of them. Star thought back to that day, remembering.

  They’d invaded his dreams, bringing light and joy, and he’d whinnied with pleasure. The Ancestors were transparent and brilliant, their feathers refracting light, their eyes glowing with love, and their bodies strong and muscular.

  They flew around him in circles, dazzling him. He’d wanted to join them, but they wouldn’t let him. His mother was there, and Grasswing, and ancient pegasi from the legends. There was no mistaking the bay pinto Spiderwing, the founding sire of the modern herds, or Raincloud, one of the bravest mares who’d ever lived. Detailed descriptions of the pair had been handed down for centuries, and they were so accurate that Star recognized them immediately.

  But they were elusive, flying just on the edge of his thoughts. It was a beautiful spotted filly who finally spoke. She hovered upright with her back legs dangling, and at least a thousand weanlings surrounded her in the formation of an army. “You’re not finished here,” she whinnied.

  Star struggled to answer, but he couldn’t form words. Who are you? he wondered.

  “I’m Hollyblaze, Spiderwing’s sister, and I will not rest until the Destroyer is defeated,” she answered. “All our hope is in you, Star.”

  But you’re dead, Star thought.

  “That’s true,” she answered, and Star realized she could read his thoughts. “But we’re alive in the golden meadow, where every pegasus goes when they die; but Star, not all of us have made it here. The steeds murdered by the silver starfire are trapped. Their souls are stuck in a dimension we call the Beyond because we cannot travel there; no steed can. Thundersky and many others are caught in the Beyond, and the only way to free them is to destroy their killer: Nightwing.”

  Star’s mind reeled at her words. Thundersky was not in the golden meadow? He’d seen Nightwing destroy the stallion; and Silverlake had galloped to his side, sobbing with grief. Her solace was that her mate was now safe and living with the Ancestors. But this filly said Thundersky’s soul was trapped? How could Star free Thundersky and the other souls when he couldn’t wake up?

  Hollyblaze angled her brilliant gold-tipped emerald feathers and cruised close to him, and he was struck by the sadness in her eyes. “You must destroy Nightwing; it’s the only way to free the souls.”

  I tried that. He’s stronger than me.

  Hollyblaze charged toward him, her bright wings making a whoosh of noise. She narrowed her eyes, not angry, but determined, and she said, “You must try again.”

  Star’s helpless heart thudded in response, just once, but it pushed some blood through his veins, giving him hope.

  Hollyblaze gestured with her wing, indicating all the Ancestors who’d come to visit him. “Nightwing has caused grief in the golden meadow, and grief doesn’t belong there.”

  Star understood. They missed their loved ones who had died but were trapped in the Beyond.

  “My army drove the Destroyer away from you, Star, after he pierced your heart, and your guardians have hidden your body. Now it’s time for you to wake up.”

  Hollyblaze shot upward, followed by the Ancestors, and then they vanished in a burst of light, leaving Star in darkness that felt blacker and colder than before.

  9

  DECOY

  MORNINGLEAF SKIDDED ACROSS THE WET ROCKS and dived into Desert Herd’s Tail River. Her thumping heart rushed the blood through her veins, giving her energy and erasing all thoughts but one: Escape! She paddled her legs and angled her wings, swimming deeper into the channel and away from Petalcloud’s scouts who, like her, were so far from their home.

  She cruised to the very bottom of the Tail River. Morningleaf and her friends had arrived in Desert Herd’s territory three days ago, and this morning two of Petalcloud’s Ice Warriors, who were scouts out searching for Star, had spotted her and were now chasing her. She flapped her wings, straining the warm water through her feathers. It was like flying, except her lungs were hot, throbbing for air.

  After several minutes Morningleaf breached the surface like a crocodile, allowing only her nostrils and eyes above water. She circled slowly, peering at the shore, and her eyes widened when she spotted the two warriors standing in the reeds nearby; the taller one was white, and the other was a gray pinto.

  “She lost us,” the pinto said.

  “No. She can’t be far.”

  Morningleaf was afraid to slip back under the water in case she created ripples, so she held still and willed the stallions not to see her.

  “I don’t see hoofprints.” The pinto glanced at the sky. “She took off, I think.”

  The other warrior wiped the sweat rolling down his brow. “If Morningleaf is here, Star’s body must be close. This is good news.”

  Morningleaf held her breath at the mention of Star’s name. Her plan to lure Star’s enemies away from him was working.

  “Getting his head off will be tricky,” said the gray pinto. “I don’t see why Nightwing wants it. Everyone who was there saw what happened. Nightwing destroyed his heart. Star is surely dead.”

  “Maybe,” the other said. “But Star’s magical. We all saw that chestnut filly die too, and now here we are chasing her.”

  The pinto snorted. “True, but there’s nowhere to hide in this territory except the Red Rock Mountains just southeast of here. I’ll check it out. You fly back to the patrol and send a messenger to Petalcloud. She’ll want to know that Morningleaf is here and not in the Trap.” The two warriors kicked off and flew in opposite directions.

  Morningleaf ducked under the surface. It was springtime, so the river water was clear and deep. It didn’t rain in the desert, not often anyway. This water came from fresh snowmelt in the higher elevations. It filled Black Lake and then spilled into the Tail River, which led all the way to the Sea of Rain.

  Morningleaf spiraled through a collection of tall reeds, scattering black-bellied fish, and let the currents push her south ever faster, toward her friends Shadepebble and Brackentail.

  The land bordering the Tail River was lush with tasty coyote willow and flowering arrowweed shrubs. The ancient waterway carved through solid bedrock, creating a deep channel that traveled through canyons, flat deserts, and wide basins. The rest of Desert Herd’s territory was desolate and hot, dotted with cacti and shrubs, and crawling with poisonous snakes and scorpions. During the peak of the afternoon, the hard ground was too hot to walk on, and the air blistered her lungs, making breathing and flying difficult. Morningleaf and her companions learned quickly to travel in the early morning and the early evening.

  Morningleaf coasted with the current, gently paddling her legs and steering with her wings. Her eyes drooped as the soothing water lulled her. Early this morning, Morningleaf had left her friends to graze on the coyote willow when two of Petalcloud’s scouts had spotted her. She hadn’t realized they were so close, and getting chased by the stallions had taken a huge toll on her. Now her eyes closed, just for a second it seemed, and she fell asleep.

  The sound of rushing water woke her.

  Morningleaf blinked, feeling confused by the frantic roar of the rapids. The stallions who’d chased her into the Tail River were gone, and she remembered falling asleep in the gentle current, but now the river’s surface was fast and frothy. She lifted her wings and tried to fly, but her heavy feathers had soaked up too much moisture. She drifted downriver, and what she saw ahead caused her gut to twist. Just a short distance away, the Tail River dropped over a cliff—a waterfall!

  Morningleaf dug her wings into the water, trying to stop herself, but the current had picked up speed. She shook the water out of her eyes and realized the waterfall was a steep one. She whipp
ed her body around and kicked her legs, trying to swim upstream. She paddled hard, making no progress. Then she heard a voice.

  “Over here.” It was Shadepebble, waving her pale-pink feathers, trying to get her attention.

  Morningleaf felt instant relief at the sight of her friend, and next to her stood Brackentail, prancing, his expression distraught. Morningleaf swam harder.

  “You can’t swim against the current,” Brackentail whinnied. “You have to swim across it. It’s just like flying.”

  Morningleaf paddled sideways as Brackentail galloped down the shore, following her. The river swept her along, and her hooves clunked on hard rocks, but she was gaining on the shore.

  Brackentail leaned over an embankment, extending his flying limb to her. “Bite my wing,” he neighed over the roar of falling water.

  Morningleaf surged, swimming harder and faster, angling toward the shore and Brackentail’s orange feathers. She was panting, and her neck ached from holding her head above water. There! She was in range of his wing.

  Morningleaf craned her neck and bit into Brackentail’s feathered limb. The big yearling colt dug in his hooves and pulled. Morningleaf scrabbled for the river bottom. When her hooves found purchase in the dirt and rocks, she was able to throw her body forward, and with the help of Brackentail, she landed on the shore, just a wing length from where the river collapsed over the edge.

  Morningleaf lay on her side, gasping like a beached fish.

  “You’re safe,” Brackentail said, also panting.

  “What happened?” Shadepebble asked.

  “I fell asleep in the water,” Morningleaf wheezed. “I put the mission in jeopardy.”

  “Shh,” Shadepebble whispered. “It’s over, but where have you been all morning?”

  “I woke up early, and I was hungry. I only went a short distance away to graze when two of Petalcloud’s Ice Warriors spotted me. They chased me, and I led them away from you two, then I dived into the river to escape.”

  “Where are they now?” Shadepebble peered at the vast blue sky.

  “Gone. I lost them.” Morningleaf pricked her ears, examining her two friends, who still appeared worried. “Our plan is working,” Morningleaf reassured them. “The two stallions think Star is close by.”

  Brackentail touched Morningleaf’s shoulder with his wing, his eyes brimming with concern. “Please don’t graze by yourself again.”

  Morningleaf flicked her ears at him and then shook herself dry, unsure how to answer. She hadn’t asked Brackentail to come on this mission, but she hadn’t stopped him either. And now he’d saved her from falling over the edge of the waterfall, proving his worth, but when she looked at him, she felt confused. She was beginning to trust him, but that felt like a betrayal of her friend Echofrost. The silver filly had not forgiven him for causing her capture by Mountain Herd steeds when they were weanlings. And Echofrost hadn’t forgiven Star for letting Brackentail back into the herd. Morningleaf hadn’t chosen sides, didn’t believe in choosing sides, but she knew that any kindness toward Brackentail hurt Echofrost’s feelings—and even though the filly was not here but far away in the Trap, Morningleaf felt guilty. “From now on we’ll stick together,” she agreed with a light shrug of her wings.

  Brackentail nodded, satisfied.

  “So where to next?” Shadepebble asked.

  “To the southern nests of Jungle Herd,” said Morningleaf. “Echofrost said that Frostfire has scouts there, and we’ll make sure they spot me too. The rumors will spread that Star is hiding in the south.” She flexed her wings. “My feathers are dry now; let’s fly so we don’t leave hoofprints.”

  The three friends kicked off and swooped over the edge of the waterfall.

  Morningleaf gasped when she saw the drop she’d almost endured. It was a hundred wing lengths at least, straight down into a deep pool, but large, jagged rocks jutted from the cliff into the falling water. She might have survived the fall but not the rocks.

  “It’s beautiful,” said Shadepebble, gazing at the sparkling mist and the yellow desert flowers decorating the swimming hole.

  Morningleaf snorted. “That’s not what I was thinking.”

  10

  AWAKE

  DEEP IN THE TRAP, STAR SLEPT AND DREAMED OF waking up. He wondered if his heart would ever beat like it once had, with confident hard thumps, pushing blood through his wings and muscles?

  As if reading his thoughts, his heart gave a violent shudder. Star’s leg twitched, and then his heart thumped again, sending blood and pain through Star’s limbs.

  Star heard Sweetroot’s voice. “Ack!” she whinnied. “He moved!”

  And Star felt it too. His leg spasm had made contact with Sweetroot, kicking her in the shin. His heart beat again and again, slowly, but growing stronger with each compression. As his heart roared to life, blood rushed through his veins and into his brain, which helped him think clearer.

  “He’s waking up,” Bumblewind neighed.

  I am, Star thought gleefully. I am.

  Star guessed that several hours had passed while his body slowly came to life, beginning with his legs. Excited voices gathered around him, and he heard Sweetroot shooing the pegasi back, to give him space to breathe. He tried to lift his head, and a blur of dim light pierced his dark world. It took Star a minute to understand that his eyes were open. He saw the muddy shapes of his friends surrounding him. He flailed his front legs, and then a wing pressed hard against his forehead.

  “Don’t try to stand,” Sweetroot said. “You’ve been asleep a long time. You’re weak.”

  Star blinked several times and cleared his vision. His trusted friends—Bumblewind, the battle mare Dewberry, Hazelwind, the new stallion, Clawfire, and his adopted dam, Silverlake, surrounded him. They appeared relieved and concerned at the same time.

  Star looked down and was shocked at the sight of his body. His hipbones rose in sharp relief to his sunken, hollow muscles. His coat was dull and his hooves dry and cracked. Star scanned the gathered pegasi. “How long have I been like this?” he asked.

  “Almost a moon,” Sweetroot answered.

  Star slid his wing aside so the medicine mare could listen to his heart. “Your pulse is gaining a rhythm.” She lifted her head and turned toward the pegasi. “Star needs to rest and eat. Bumblewind and Dewberry, will you gather fresh lichen for him?”

  Star’s two friends nodded and trotted away.

  “Lichen?” Star asked. “Where am I?” He peered at his surroundings. He was in a dark forest. A thick web of interlocking tree branches blocked his view of the sky. His breath blew out of his nostrils like smoke; it was cold, even though it had to be almost summer now. “Is this the Trap? Did you fly me here?”

  “Yes,” Silverlake said. “We moved you here . . . after the battle with Nightwing.” The gray mare had aged several seasons since the battle, and her grief for her fallen mate was etched permanently into her expression. Star exhaled as he remembered what the Ancestors had told him about the Beyond, that any steed killed by the silver fire was trapped there, and the silver fire had killed Thundersky. His soul was stuck, but Star didn’t tell Silverlake that. It was bad enough for her that Thundersky was dead, murdered by Nightwing.

  Star pricked his ears, glancing around him, suddenly alarmed. “Where’s Morningleaf?”

  His friends hesitated to answer him, and in their silence, Star’s delicate heartbeat fumbled. “Tell me,” he rasped.

  “She left on a mission,” Silverlake said, clenching her jaw.

  Star could tell the mare wasn’t pleased. “Who sent her?”

  Silverlake sighed. “She sent herself.”

  Star hurtled to his hooves and then promptly fell back on his side with a loud grunt. “My legs,” he moaned.

  Sweetroot rushed forward with a mixture of herbs he didn’t recognize. “Chew these,” she said. “They’ll help with the pain.” She dropped them by his nose.

  “Is Morningleaf in danger?” he asked.

 
; His friends shuffled their hooves, not wanting to upset him. He exhaled, watching his breath rise toward the treetops. Of course she was in danger; all missions were dangerous, and Star was in sorry shape to help her. He sniffed the herbs and chewed them, his empty gut protesting as he swallowed the foreign medicine. He couldn’t remember much about his fight with the Destroyer—only the incredible pain, and the fact that he’d lost. “What about Nightwing; did I hurt him at all?”

  Silverlake shook her head. “You don’t remember?”

  “A little.”

  “He has powers either you don’t have or you don’t yet know how to use,” she explained. “He protected himself with a silver shell, like a shield. It blocked your starfire. You couldn’t touch him.”

  The shield? A vague memory of it formed in Star’s mind. It was translucent like a bubble, but solid to the touch.

  Sweetroot smoothed his black mane along his neck. “Star, you should know that Nightwing broke three of your legs, and most of your ribs. Besides that, you’ve suffered massive bruising and burns. You’ve been healing, but slowly. You’re not ready to walk or fly.”

  “I can take care of that right now.” Star panted, readying his golden fire.

  “No!” Sweetroot neighed. “Please wait, and listen.”

  Star closed his mouth.

  Sweetroot continued. “The connection between your mind and Nightwing’s was severed when he stopped your heart. Right now he can’t sense you, or track you, but he might if you use your starfire.”

  “How do you know this?” Star asked.

  “Echofrost followed him after he hurt you, and listened to his plans. He doesn’t know if you’re dead or alive. Right now it’s best if he thinks you’re dead, to give us time to make a plan.” She touched his injured legs. “You’re mending fast on your own, faster than any of us would. Your starfire is part of you; it runs in your blood, but you must give it some more time. Soon you’ll be as good as new. Better than new,” she added.