The Guardian Herd: Stormbound (2 page)

STAR KICKED OFF THE GRASS AND FLEW INTO THE
currents on the tail of Hazelwind, four stallions, and two battle mares. The sky was clear, and Star found it difficult to judge his altitude without the clouds. He was a good flier now, but he was still getting used to his powerful wings and to the confusing perspective of the heights. He glanced upward, wanting to soar higher, but Hazelwind leveled out when the air grew thin.

Star glanced at the fliers around him, noticing their chests expanding and falling too fast, their bodies shivering, and their eyes leaking tears. This was high enough for them, but the starfire he'd received a moon ago on his first birthday filled his belly, pulsing through him and
warming him, and Star had no trouble breathing. He tamped down his longing to fly higher and focused instead on the mission.

“Eyes down,” Hazelwind neighed over the ripping currents. Hazelwind's dam was Silverlake, the past lead mare of Sun Herd, and she'd asked her adult colt to patrol the skies. They circled above the Vein where their herd lived and grazed. Earlier, Hazelwind had spotted the hoofprints of an intruder, and he'd invited Star and some others to help him search for the stranger.

“You're sure we're not looking for a horse,” whinnied Dewberry, a small but fierce battle mare. She was four years old and Star didn't know her well, but Hazelwind did. They'd met in Sun Herd's old army.

Hazelwind flicked his ears at her. “Horses don't travel alone.”

“Neither do pegasi,” she countered.

Hazelwind snorted, and his wing caught the edge of a wind current, sending his body into a spiraling roll. Dewberry nickered in delight as Hazelwind struggled to right himself. When he was gliding safely again, he explained. “A lone horse wouldn't come so close to us, Dewberry, but a spy would.”

“A horse spy?” she asked, blinking her large eyes.

Hazelwind opened his mouth to answer, but Dewberry darted ahead, flicking her tail at him.

Star nickered, amused by the banter between the steeds and feeling joyful to be part of a herd and, more than that, to be flying. After Star received his power from the Hundred Year Star, he'd settled his followers in the Vein along the western coast of Anok, near Crabwing's Bay. He called them River Herd in honor of the deep, winding waterway that had led them from the heart of Mountain Herd's territory to the sea.

Five hundred steeds had followed Star out of Rockwing's Canyon Meadow and into an unknown future. Since then, two hundred more had abandoned their herds, risking execution from their over-stallions, to join Star. They had been surviving in the Vein for the last moon, but Star knew he had to find them a home, and quickly. The pregnant mares were nervous and impatient. Some longed to return to Sun Herd's lands, but Star chose not to claim his old territory. It was surrounded by herds that were hostile to him and to the steeds who'd joined him. War could not be avoided if they returned there.

And Star wanted a new beginning for River Herd, a territory unscathed by battle and the devastating memories of the past. But the decision was not his alone, for
he was not the over-stallion of River Herd, and neither was Thunderwing. The mighty crimson-feathered bay had given up his power when he followed Star, and he was now known as Thundersky. Star had formed a council to govern River Herd. They met daily to discuss their future, and Star trusted that an appropriate home would be decided upon soon.

In the meantime, River Herd lived peacefully in the Vein, but trouble it seemed had found them.

Star and the others scanned the terrain far below their hooves. The great river that had led them to the coast was just a thin blue line, the trees were shapeless green clumps, and the grazing River Herd pegasi were the size of ants. Star squinted his eyes, and things became clearer. He could make out the colors of the pegasi, even spotting Morningleaf's aqua feathers. From there he surveyed the terrain, sectioning it into shapes so he wouldn't miss anything.

Suddenly a movement caught Star's eye, so stealthy he might have imagined it. He blinked, shaking his head.

“Did you see something?” asked Hazelwind.

“I thought so, but I can't be sure.”

The patrol tensed, and Dewberry spoke. “Trust your eyes, Star.”

He had seen movement, and she was right; he shouldn't doubt his own eyes. “Yes, I saw something.”

“Take us to it,” Hazelwind said, ears pinned.

Star curled his wings, held them tight, and plunged headfirst. The eight others followed, plummeting toward land like diving hawks. Star narrowed his eyes against the sharp wind, his teeth rattling and his wings shaking as he sliced through the crosscurrents, picking up speed. The curve of the horizon flattened as the ground raced toward him, ready to slam into him, but everything also became clearer, easier to see. The individual rocks, the leaves, and the thing that had trotted across his vision, its color blending so it was almost invisible. With another sudden movement, the figure appeared in sharp relief. “It's a puma,” Star whinnied.

“I see it,” said Hazelwind.

The big tawny cat was stalking a small palomino yearling who had drifted away from the herd to graze on fresh grass. Star whistled a warning to her.

“No!” Hazelwind neighed to Star, but it was too late.

Star's throat tightened as he watched the palomino react to his warning. She spread her wings to fly away but only made it several feet up in the air before the leaping puma's claws sank into her feathers. The cat dragged her
to the ground, and within seconds it had its jaws around her throat.

Hazelwind hurtled past Star and rammed the big cat. The stallion, the palomino, and the puma tumbled across the grass. Star and the others landed, surrounding Hazelwind. Dewberry kicked the puma until it let go of the yearling, who then raced away on hoof, her injured wings fluttering behind her. The big cat backed toward the trees, hissing and spitting, then turned and ran.

Star was confused and shocked. “I'm sorry,” he said. He would have to do better to protect his herd.

Hazelwind landed and folded his wings. “Movement attracts cats, Star. We had time to reach the yearling before the puma attacked her, but once she bolted, it had to act.” Hazelwind took a deep breath. “But don't be upset. You spotted the creature, and that ultimately saved the palomino's life. You did well. Let's go see how she is.”

Star and the patrol returned to River Herd. The medicine mare was already tending the palomino, packing her wounds with leaves. “Would you like my help?” Star asked her. He hadn't healed anyone since he'd brought Morningleaf back to life on his birthday.

Sweetroot shook her head. “The fangs just grazed her. She's sore and she lost some hair and feathers, but it's nothing my herbs can't cure.”

The palomino yearling, a refugee from Desert Herd, was trembling. “We don't have cats where I live,” she said, tossing her mane. “I mean . . . where I used to live.”

Star remembered the night this filly arrived. She'd escaped with her family, but her parents and siblings had been caught and killed by Desert Herd warriors. She'd only survived because she'd gone to a river to drink and the patrol hadn't seen her. When she arrived in the Vein, she was almost dead with exhaustion and terror.

Star's wings sagged with sorrow. He looked at Sweetroot, who'd been treating his wounds and counseling him since the day he was born. “This is my fault. We need an army.”

Sweetroot nickered. “Calm yourself, Star. Armies are for war.”

“But the herd needs protection.”

“Protection and war are two very different things.”

“Are they?” Star drew up his wings and trotted away, more confused than ever. What sort of black foal was he if his herd wasn't safe even from cats? Thundersky would never have let a cat near his herd.

As Star walked, he felt the questioning eyes of the others on him, so he cantered into the sky where he could think.

He soared through the clouds, glancing down to see Hazelwind's
patrol meeting with River Herd's council of leaders to discuss the puma. Star worried that they hadn't spotted the hooved intruder since the attack. He or she was either hiding very well or had left. Star cruised just over the trees and was not surprised when his best friend, Morningleaf, appeared beside him. They flew together in silence, and after a while his breathing slowed and his thoughts calmed. Finally he broke the silence. “I don't know what I'm doing.”

Morningleaf nickered. “Of course you don't; you're a yearling.”

“But I'm the black foal. They expect me to know things, to save them. What was I thinking starting a new herd? We don't have a territory or an army. It's winter, and we should be flying south by now, but I don't know where to go.”

Morningleaf angled her aqua feathers and banked right. Star followed her. “The council will find us a home, Star. Remember Mossberry's stories—about the ancient pegasi who lived in the interior, on the windy plains? If those lands truly exist, they're not in use. My mother told me we might move there.”

Star remembered Mossberry's stories well. She was an elder mare who'd befriended him on his first migration. Neither she nor Star could fly so they migrated with
the walkers, and Mossberry had entertained him with stories and legends about the pegasi. A violent forest fire had taken her life on that journey, and Star shuddered at the memory. He looked at Morningleaf. “I remember hearing about the interior of Anok, but we have pregnant mares. We can't waste time traveling to land that may not be habitable.”

Morningleaf glanced at him. “Don't worry so much. Things will work out—for the best.” Her amber eyes were soft, unconcerned. Her trust in him surpassed reason, but it calmed him too. She dropped and landed in a clearing surrounded by fir trees. Star touched down beside her. “Look at all this sweet, untouched grass,” she said.

They lowered their heads and grazed, enjoying the winter sun on their feathers. Before long, rustling leaves drew Star's attention toward the woods. He pricked his ears as a shape creeped through the shadows. Slowly it walked toward them, and every muscle in Star's body tensed. Morningleaf reacted too, lifting her wings, poised for flight. They each froze, listening. Then the shadowy creature stepped into the light. Star's gut dropped, and Morningleaf sucked in her breath.

There, standing in front of them was Brackentail—the Betrayer. The orange-feathered colt said the last two words Star expected to hear. “Help me.”

STAR AND MORNINGLEAF STOOD ROOTED TO THE
ground. They stared at the brown yearling colt who had helped Rockwing plan his battle against Sun Herd only a moon ago, a battle that resulted in many deaths, including Star's mentor, Grasswing. As Brackentail staggered closer, Star and Morningleaf each took a step back, training their eyes on him.

“Please, help me,” Brackentail repeated, wheezing as though he had holes in his lungs.

Star scanned the yearling's body. Brackentail was thin and covered in dried blood. His eyes were swollen, almost shut; his tail was chewed to shreds; half his mane had been pulled out; and he had a broken wing.
The orange-feathered limb hung to the ground and had clearly been dragged over weeds and bushes for a long distance. The end feathers were torn, and the longest ones were missing, yanked out by their roots. The healthy wing rested on Brackentail's back. Flies infested his wounds and crawled over his face as though the colt were already dead. “What happened to you?” Star asked.

Brackentail lowered his head. “Rockwing banished me from Mountain Herd the day after you received your power. He said he couldn't trust a betrayer.”

Morningleaf snorted. “I'll agree with that.”

Brackentail continued. “His captain, Frostfire, escorted me to the Vein, and . . .” He paused, then exhaled long and slow. “He kicked me, broke my wing, and left me to die.”

Morningleaf stamped her hoof. “You don't expect us to feel bad about that, do you?”

“Morningleaf!” Star glanced at her, surprised to see her amber eyes crackling with anger.

“No,” Brackentail answered her. “I deserved it for what I did.” He raised his head, and the slits of his eyes glistened with tears. “But Rockwing lied. I didn't help him win the war. I . . . I wouldn't do that, Morningleaf.” He looked directly at the filly, his eyes pleading. “I knew
Silverlake was holding meetings at the waterfall. I knew she was going to try to save the black foal.” Brackentail nodded toward Star. “I believed he was dangerous. I was trying to save Sun Herd, and all the pegasi of Anok, from him.”

Morningleaf whinnied sharply, her feathers vibrating. “That's no excuse! You should have spoken to my sire, not to Rockwing.” Morningleaf charged forward, eye to eye with the brown colt. “Do you know how many Sun Herd pegasi died in the battle?”

Brackentail shrank away from her.

“Their blood is on your wings
forever
!” Morningleaf stamped away from him, breathing fast and hard.

“It wasn't planned,” whinnied Brackentail. “I was captured.”

Morningleaf whirled on him, teeth bared. “So you betrayed your herd to save yourself?”

Brackentail's thin-slit eyes widened slightly.

“Brackentail,” Star interrupted. “You're making things worse. Just tell us why you're here. What do you want?”

Brackentail stared up at the clouds drifting overhead. “I have nowhere else to go.”

“So you want to join River Herd?”

The colt nodded.

“No,” whinnied Morningleaf. “Absolutely not.”

Star touched her back with his wing. Her entire body was trembling. “We'll bring it to the council and let them decide.”

She faced him. “You can't be serious.”

“If we leave him here, he'll die.”

Morningleaf pinned her ears. “That's not our problem.”

“He's asking for our protection. And look at him; he's harmless.”

“He's harmless
now
, but he helped Rockwing destroy us, and he didn't do anything to protect Echofrost.” Star knew that. Echofrost was Morningleaf's friend, and when Brackentail tried to kill Star in a canyon run moons ago, Mountain Herd steeds had captured her and Brackentail. The brown colt worked with his captors, giving them information about Sun Herd, while poor Echofrost had been tortured and then released.

Morningleaf reared, charging Brackentail again, halting just short of ramming him. “Everything you feared Star would do to Sun Herd—
you
did!”

Brackentail collapsed under her accusations. “Kill me then. Please. Just end my life.”

Morningleaf's trembling subsided, and she backed away from the yearling colt. She looked at Star. “Do what
you want. I won't stop you. But think about how the others will react.” She turned and kicked off, flying alone back to River Herd.

Star sighed and approached the brown colt, his lip curling at the stench of his infected flesh and filth. “Can you walk a bit farther?” Star asked him, still unsure what to think about Brackentail's return. He should be feeling joy—his tormentor was now the tormented—but Star felt only sadness. He knew what it was like to be alone, unable to fly, and unwanted by any herd. Star sighed again, shaking his head. He would do what he could to help Brackentail.

“Yes, I can walk,” said Brackentail. “Thank you.”

“Don't thank me yet. I don't know what the herd will decide to do with you.”

Brackentail raised his head. “What do you mean,
decide
? Aren't you the over-stallion?”

Star folded his wings. “No. River Herd has a council, and all decisions are made by them. And it will be difficult for you when you arrive. Prepare yourself.”

Brackentail exhaled, looking relieved yet still frightened. The two pegasi walked side by side, like horses, through the lightly wooded terrain toward River Herd.