The Guardian Herd: Stormbound (3 page)

WHEN STAR AND BRACKENTAIL ARRIVED IN
River Herd's main grazing field, a flat meadow dotted with oak trees, they found the pegasi lined up and waiting, their wings flared and their tails swishing angrily. It was clear Morningleaf had already informed them about Brackentail's return. Silverlake stood in the front of the line, watching them, but glanced often toward Hazelwind, whose expression was twisted with rage.

As Star and Brackentail approached, Brackentail's legs quivered, and Star felt his own gut lighten, like he was flying, or falling. He'd faced the hatred of a herd before, and now, even though it was directed at Brackentail, it was all too familiar.

Silverlake shaded her eyes from the bright sun and pricked her ears. “Where did you find him?”

“In a clearing through those woods,” Star said, nodding toward the small forest to the southeast.

“Is he the intruder we've been searching for?”

“I think so.” Star turned to Brackentail. “How long have you been watching us?”

“Three days,” said the colt in a bare whisper.

Hazelwind flew behind Brackentail and inspected the yearling's small hoofprints. “Yes, he's the pegasus I've been tracking.”

“He has no herd,” said Star. “He's asking for our protection.”

Most of the River Herd steeds had once belonged to Sun Herd, so they knew the story of Brackentail's betrayal—they had lived it. And the unusual tale had spread quickly across Anok; even the refugees had heard it. Pegasi never betrayed their herds. All the gathered steeds stared at the brown colt and grumbled with ears pinned.

“He betrayed his herd.”

“We lost our land.”

“He's not welcome here.”

Silverlake let them speak, and then she stepped forward and raised her wings. “The council will meet to
discuss Brackentail's fate.”

The River Herd steeds respected Silverlake. After Thundersky had banished her, she'd spied on Rockwing and was able to warn Sun Herd about the war before it started, saving them from a worse massacre. They folded their wings and listened to her words now. Silverlake spoke to Brackentail. “You will be placed under guard for our safety, and yours.” Then she turned to the medicine mare. “Sweetroot, will you tend to his wounds?”

Sweetroot nodded. Hazelwind rounded up a few stallions to guard Brackentail, and then River Herd went back to grazing and settling in for the evening.

After Brackentail was ushered away, Echofrost cantered forward with her twin brother, Bumblewind, and Morningleaf following her. She slid to a halt in front of Star, whipping her thin tail from side to side. Her expression was haggard, her eyes haunted. “How could you bring him here?”

Star hesitated, then said, “I didn't bring him here. I found him. He's been walking for almost a moon to find us.”

“You
know
what I mean,” she whinnied. “He tried to kill you, Star.”

Star bowed his head. “I remember.”

The breeze rifled her short mane, and Echofrost shook her head in irritation. “He's dangerous. He has no place here.”

Star glanced at the brown colt as he limped away with the stallions, one wing dragging on the grass, his neck hanging low, and his ears drooping. Brackentail was not dangerous, but the herd's hatred of him was. “He can't hurt us anymore,” Star said.

Echofrost folded her purple wings over her silver hide, lifted her head, and searched Star's eyes. He returned her stare and saw the horror of her captivity reflected there, crushing her spirit even here, where she was safe.

Since her kidnapping, Echofrost was not the same filly. She didn't speak about her captivity with Mountain Herd, but the evidence of the torture she'd endured showed on her body. Huge chunks of her mane and tail had been yanked out by their roots and were just beginning to grow back. Bite scars lined her neck and flanks, and her eyes were impassive and solid, like stones. It was as if half of Echofrost had died and was buried in Mountain Herd territory.

Star knew she blamed Brackentail for her misery. When the brown colt had tricked Star into the canyon race, he'd lured him into Rockwing's territory. Echofrost, Morningleaf, and Bumblewind had trespassed across the Vein
to save Star from Brackentail's deadly game, and that's when they all had been discovered by a Mountain Herd patrol. Echofrost and Brackentail had been captured; Star and the others had escaped.

Star studied Echofrost's devastated expression, wishing he could help her. He'd spoken to Sweetroot about him healing her just a few days ago, but the medicine mare had stopped him. “Echofrost can heal herself,” she'd said.

“How?” Star asked.

Sweetroot exhaled, looking almost as old as Mossberry before she died in the fire. “It's not the injuries bothering her, Star. It's the hatred. If you heal her, she won't learn how to forgive.” So Star left his friend alone, and Sweetroot mashed roots for Echofrost every morning and every night to calm her nerves.

And now Brackentail's return inflamed Echofrost all over again. Star exhaled, searching for words, but it was Echofrost who broke the silence. “Brackentail should be executed,” she said.

Morningleaf gasped. “That's extreme, don't you think?”

Echofrost looked from Star to her friend, and then to her twin brother. “You've all heard me. I have nothing more to say.” She kicked off and flew across the meadow to graze by herself.

Star stood with Morningleaf and Bumblewind. “It's not up to me what we do with him,” he said.

Morningleaf nuzzled Star, burying her nose in his thick mane. “She knows that, but she looks up to you. Everyone does.”

Star closed his eyes. The herd trusted him because he didn't destroy them with the power he'd received, but now they wanted him to protect them. Where was the line between destroying for evil and destroying for good? Didn't each pegasus deserve to be safe, including Brackentail? “I can't take sides,” Star muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?” asked Bumblewind.

Star shook his head, opening his eyes. “I'm just thinking too much.”

“I know,” said Morningleaf. “Let's get out of here and fly. It will clear your head.”

“Yes,” agreed Bumblewind. Star's two friends kicked off and soared away. “Hurry, Star, before it's dark.”

Star galloped into the sky, savoring the sweet, fluttering thrill that tickled his gut when his hooves lifted off the soil and he was aloft and rising, feeling free. He soared west toward the beach and quickly caught up to his friends, gliding right behind Morningleaf. She turned her head, her amber eyes glittering in the sun. “Are you following me?”

Star ran his eyes over her glossy coat and shining feathers. She was a typical yearling filly, lean and small, but her expression was defiant and amused. “Why would I?” he asked, pricking his ears.

She snorted, teasing him. “You follow me everywhere I go, like when we were foals.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I think it was
you
who used to follow
me
.”

Morningleaf whinnied over the forceful breeze. “Someone had to keep an eye on you.” The three friends crested the cliffs and dived toward the cool ocean.

“Is that right?” Star nickered, flexing his impressive wings; his muscles rippling across his chest. “You still think I can't take care of myself?”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling, and then she veered right and reached her top speed, cruising just over the tops of the waves, her legs tucked tight against her belly.

Star darted after her, his eyes scanning the water for danger. Morningleaf was correct; he did follow her everywhere, and he didn't like her out of his sight. When he closed his eyes each night, memories of her death a moon ago assailed him. He saw her feathers floating and her twisted, broken body, and he felt again the lurching collapse of his heart and how his entire world had shrunk and then shattered when she took her final breath. He
needed to keep her safe, even though deep down he feared it would one day destroy him. But he couldn't turn it off, and maybe worse, he didn't want to.

Star circled Morningleaf, dipped toward the sea, and then splashed her as she winged past him.

She squealed and looped around him, making him dizzy. Then she splashed him back, and he tasted the salt of the sea. Bumblewind glided down from the heights to join them.

Morningleaf flew a wide circle around her friends, her eyes bright. “Let's pretend Star's a Jungle Herd stallion on a trading mission with Desert Herd, and we've captured him,” she nickered to Bumblewind.

Star let his friends grab his wings and land him on the beach. No longer weanlings but not yet adults, they played for hours. And Star was grateful to Morningleaf for trying to distract him and clear his head, but his troubles weren't so easily vanquished.

Star shivered as a cool coastal breeze blew through his tail. The days were shorter and colder. If they didn't migrate soon, their coats would thicken further, like the Snow Herd steeds in the north, and then they'd be stuck with the heavy pelts until spring.

After a while they grew tired and relaxed on the coarse
sand, cracking crabs for the birds. Morningleaf tossed pieces of meat, nickering happily as the screeching birds caught them, swallowed them midair, and then begged for more with their insistent black eyes and sharp squawks.

“They get lazy if you feed them too much,” Star warned his friends. Feeding the birds was bittersweet for him. It reminded him of Crabwing, a seabird he'd befriended when he was hiding on the coast, waiting for his birthday. Star had taken to cracking open crabs and oysters for the little gull, and they had become fast friends. Star had marveled when the bird gave up flying to spend all his time with Star, riding on his back and demanding more food. The gull was content, and he'd trusted Star with his life. Star exhaled. That had been Crabwing's mistake. When Star's enemy Snakewing discovered Star's hiding place and saw him feeding the bird, he'd crushed Star's friend with one swift blow.

Star's thoughts turned to the pegasi of Anok who still wanted to kill him and to those who risked their lives to follow him. Almost every day, refugees from the other herds snuck away from their over-stallions to find Star, seeking a new life, one without war and fear, a life they hoped the black foal could give them. Others never made it. The survivors told awful tales of predators and executions
when they finally arrived, exhausted and hungry.

“Let's head back,” Morningleaf nickered. Star was jolted from his thoughts. Behind her the sky glowed orange and pink as the sun appeared to sink into the ocean.

“Good idea.” Star kicked off and led his friends back to where River Herd was grazing. As they left the coast, a deep and menacing chill suddenly ran through his body. This horrible coldness had been attacking Star ever since he received his power, and his eyes were drawn westward, to the world of the Landwalkers across the Great Sea, each time it occurred. He felt it now as he flew with his friends.

But it was not just a feeling, it was a force. It swept through him, darkening his thoughts, stealing his hope, crushing his joy, and sparking the fire of the Hundred Year Star that burned in the depths of his belly. It made him think of Nightwing the Destroyer, the first black foal to receive the starfire four hundred years ago, and the feeling was becoming harder to ignore. Did the starfire they'd each inherited bind them in some way—like the blood that connected brothers? If Nightwing was hibernating in the west, as Mossberry had suspected, was the dark stallion now awake? Star shook his head as he led his friends to the inland fields.

The farther Star flew from the sea, the faster the
feeling subsided, and as always, he hoped he'd imagined it.

“I'm going to check on Echofrost,” Bumblewind said as they approached River Herd. He veered off, found his twin sister, and landed beside her.