Castle Avamir (3 page)

Laura smiled timidly. “Nothing that made sense.”

“Tell me,” Heart pleaded.

Laura closed her eyes to recite the words. “Home lies higher than the clouds, deep in a valley, under the stars, and over the moon.”

Heart caught her breath. “Thank you!”

Laura was shaking her head. “But it doesn't make sense.”

Heart smiled. It
didn't
. But if the girls had said the same thing the book said … maybe it was true.

“Promise you won't tell anyone about the book?” Laura said. Her eyes were full of worry. “Most of the girls already think I am strange and—”

“You have my word of honor,” Heart said quickly. “Will you do me a favor?”

Laura nodded. “If I can.”

Heart knew that if she went to get Kip and Avamir, she would have to explain to Binney where she was going.

Heart drew in a long full breath.

The Gypsies would try to stop her—or they would insist on coming with her.

Heart knew she couldn't allow that. If Dunraven was involved, her journey would be dangerous.

She looked at Laura. “There is a old barn outside of town, where the Gypsies stay and—”

“I know it,” Laura interrupted. “I take vegetables to the shoemaker's wife down that road every evening.”

Heart smiled. “Good. Your mother won't get angry, then. Tell the Gypsies I'll see them soon. Just that. Nothing else.”

Laura put her hand on her heart. “I will. And if you find Leah and Terrin, tell them I miss them?”

Heart smiled. “I promise.”

“I wish you lived here,” Laura said quietly. She ducked her head, studying her muddy feet. “I don't have any friends.”

Heart felt the bracelet tighten again.

“She isn't my mother,” Laura said suddenly, tipping her head toward the door.

Heart rubbed the bracelet through her cloak. “She isn't?”

Laura shook her head. “She says she found me asleep in the turnip patch.”

The shop door suddenly banged open. “Get that firewood in here!”

Laura's eyes went wide, like a startled fawn.

“Stop your idling!” the woman scolded. “Get inside!”

Laura whirled and ran back through the door.

The woman turned and slammed it shut behind them.

Heart blinked.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask Laura.

Moonsilver pawed at the mud.

Heart turned to face him.

“There'll be no dry bed for us tonight,” she told Moonsilver.

He shook his head, making his armor clank.

“I really don't know which way to go,” Heart admitted. “But I have to try to find Castle Avamir. Your mother and Kip are safe with the Gypsies.”

Moonsilver nuzzled Heart's shoulder.

He turned, pulling the loose lead rope with him.

Then he started off, dragging it in the mud.

Heart ran to catch up.

She grabbed the lead rope and lengthened her stride so it would look like she was leading him, and not the other way around.

A
t the top of the muddy hill, Heart turned in a slow circle.

There was a bank of clouds on the western horizon.

Only one peak jutted above them.

“‘Higher than the clouds,'” Heart said to herself.

She left the road and set off through the forest.

She walked westward—straight toward the lowering sun.

The trees were thick in the valleys, and Heart and Moonsilver had to wade through creeks.

With every step, Heart got more excited.

What would it be like to find her family at last?

Maybe the girls Laura had found were her cousins! Heart caught her breath. Maybe she had sisters!

The woods were quiet except for the gentle off-and-on sprinkle of rain.

There were no houses, no roads, no people.

Once they were well away from Hickory Creek, Heart laid the halter rope over Moonsilver's neck.

They had no need to pretend when they were alone.

Like Avamir always had, Moonsilver matched his stride to Heart's.

Heart kept walking. She was careful to follow paths made by deer and rabbits. The animals knew the easiest way through the mountains.

The drizzle finally stopped at sunset. Heart found a copse of hickory trees so thick the rain had barely come through.

The ground wasn't dry, but it wasn't too wet.

Heart took off Moonsilver's armor.

He shook himself, then rubbed his cheek against a tree trunk. He cantered in a circle, tossing his head. Heart wished she could stand the chill like he could.

She shivered.

Then she gathered a few fallen branches.

She propped them against a low limb.

Using twine from her carry-sack, Heart tied the armor plates into place, making a roof for shelter.

Then she built a small fire beneath it.

The warmth was wonderful.

She dried her cloak.

She gave Moonsilver four apples. He ate them one after another, crunching the sweet fruit.

Then he went to graze.

Heart ate an apple, then a little of the cheese. She yawned and looked up at the dimming sky.

She remembered her first days in Lord Dunraven's forest.

She had been so scared.

Every little sound had made her nervous.

Now she loved to sleep beneath an open sky.

Overhead the clouds were clearing off.

Heart set about making a bed of leaves. She found the driest ones she could and piled them high.

The warmth of the fire began to dry them.

By the time she lay down, they were warm and no longer wet.

Moonsilver settled close beside her.

He reached out and touched her cheek with his muzzle, then lowered his head to sleep.

Heart stared at the stars for a long time before she closed her eyes.

The next morning, Heart rose with the sun.

Moonsilver was already grazing in the clearing.

He cantered toward her.

In minutes his armor was back in place.

Heart fastened the straps, buckling them smoothly and quickly.

“‘Higher than the clouds, deep in a valley, under the stars, and over the moon,'” Heart said to herself as they began walking.

From the valley she was in, Heart couldn't see the mountain peak.

It didn't matter.

She headed away from the sunrise.

That meant she was still traveling westward. She
would see the mountain peak as soon as they were high enough again.

The sun rose as she walked.

She stopped to marvel at the blue sky and wished she could be with Binney and the others.

They would celebrate such a beautiful day. There would be laughter and singing, and Zim would play his flute.

Heart blinked back tears. Why couldn't she ever stay with the people she loved?

Heart wiped her eyes.

It had been nearly a year since she had seen Ruth Oakes.

Moonsilver had been a young colt when they had run away from Ash Grove.

Thinking about Ash Grove made Heart think about Tibbs Renner.

And Simon.

Heart pulled her flute out of her carry-sack.

She played softly to quiet her thoughts.

Coming around a bend in the path, she noticed a thick stand of maple trees.

As she passed beneath them, she saw that their long branches had grown into a tangle overhead.

It was like standing beneath a single, giant tree.

Heart heard something rustling in the leaves.

She looked upward.

The sound stopped.

“Squirrels,” she said to Moonsilver.

But Moonsilver was twisting his long neck to look up into the branches.

His eyes were rimmed in white and his tail was arched.

He sidestepped, lifting his hooves high.

Heart touched his shoulder.

He was trembling.

Then, suddenly, he lowered his head and nudged her. Heart nearly stumbled.

She stopped, trying to see up into the branches.

Moonsilver nudged her again. He drew a quick, startled breath. “What are you afraid of?” Heart asked him in a low voice.

He switched his tail and snorted, pushing at her shoulder.

“All right,” Heart said. “We'll go.”

She started walking, taking long strides. Once they were in a clearing, beneath the open sky, she glanced back at the maple trees.

They looked like ordinary maples, except for the strange, knotted branches.

Moonsilver blew out a long, quavering breath.

He had stopped trembling, but Heart could tell he still was uneasy.

“You're probably a little scared without Avamir,” Heart said quietly. “You've never been away from your mother.”

Moonsilver stamped his forehoof.

Heart started walking, one hand on his neck. “Without Avamir, you're scared of squirrels in trees,” she teased him. She glanced back toward the trees and saw a flash of lavender wings. “And songbirds!”

Moonsilver shook his head so hard his armor rattled.

Heart laughed.

He dropped his head and walked faster.

Heart had to run a few steps to catch up.

“I'm sorry,” she said, feeling a little silly.

She talked to the unicorns all the time, and they seemed to understand her. But … was Moonsilver upset about her teasing?

His head was high and he was walking fast. It
looked
like he was ignoring her.

“I really am sorry,” Heart insisted.

Moonsilver stopped. His ears were pricked forward. He was staring at something.

Heart looked up.

There was another stand of knotted maple trees in front of them.

“It was just birds!” Heart told him. She nudged his shoulder.

Moonsilver refused to go forward.

H
eart tried pulling on the lead rope.

He would not move.

Then, abruptly, he walked forward by himself, veering to one side to go
around
the maple trees.

But Heart was still holding onto the rope.

She tried digging her heels into the wet earth, but it made no difference. Moonsilver dragged her along.

“Stop!” she demanded.

Moonsilver shook his mane and switched his tail.

He pulled her around the trees, then past them. Then he began to trot.

Heart managed to keep up at first, running alongside him.

Moonsilver did not slow his pace. Heart staggered along, holding the rope. Then he tossed his head, jerking it free.

Heart stumbled to a halt. “Moonsilver?” She wiped her sleeve across her face. “Moonsilver!”

He left the path and headed up the steep slope.

Heart ran after him.

She had no idea what to do. Moonsilver had never acted this way before.

“Where are you going?” she called to him. He slowed to a walk, but he didn't stop.

He turned to look back at her. Heart didn't feel silly talking to him anymore. She was too worried.

“I have to figure out what the book meant,” Heart called out to him, desperately trying to think of some reason for him to come back to her. “We don't know where to go yet.”

Moonsilver shook his mane. Heart lengthened her steps. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Wait! I'm sorry I teased you!”

Moonsilver kept going.

Heart hitched her carry-sack higher onto her shoulder. She hoped they weren't near a town.

People would notice a girl chasing an armored horse.

They would think she was a careless stable page—that she had lost her lord's fancy battle mount.

Then they would try to catch him, hoping for a reward.

“Moonsilver!” Heart called.

He still didn't stop.

He didn't even slow down.

In fact he broke back into a trot.

His head was high, his tail flaring out on the breeze.

Heart was scared.

What would she do if he began to gallop? She couldn't possibly keep up with him. If he galloped out of sight, she could lose him altogether.

Would he do that? Would he run away?