Quinn pulled on the rope, tugging his new Kihlara out of the stable. She instinctively resisted, tossing her head and snorting fiercely at him. But when she felt the sun on her feathers she relaxed, stretching her wings and blinking up into the foggy sky. Quinn watched her warily. He hadn’t clipped her feathers, not bearing to disable the braya so . . . but he was beginning to think that that had been a very poor decision.
She turned to look at him, a beady glint in her eye. Quinn felt his heart drop. “No, no, girl, please!”
Rearing, she ripped the rope from his hands. He cried out in pain as the rope burned his hand. “Journey, no!”
She stepped back, snorting, and in that moment their eyes met.
Hers, defiant, alone, filled with a need to be free, to return to wherever it was she had come from.
His, frightened, lonely, full of dread at what his queen would say when she found out the braya had escaped.
Then the silver braya rose above him, her hooves flashing in the sun.
Starpebble came down with a thud and lowered her head to examine the cowering Landwalker.
She could kill him.
Or could she?
Was that who she was?
Was she like Sprucefeather, who would kill anyone in her way?
Taking a long look at the boy — could she do this? — she spread her right wing out to him, beckoning. Her hide trembled. I can’t do this. He can’t touch me.
The boy stared, his eyes flicking back and forth from her to the stable like a frightened animal’s. Then, slowly, he stood and reached out to brush Starpebble’s feathers.
Barely succeeding suppressing her flinch, she stepped closer, moving her wing so he could get on her back. Though all her fiber cried out to fly away, now, she stayed. Because his eyes were like hers.
Caged, longing to be free.
And when he was on her back, she resisted the urge to fling him off her back, fling him away from her beautiful feathers, fling him to the ends of the world, and leaped into the air, circling higher and higher until she was as high as the weak Landwalker seemed to bear to go.
Flying as fast as she could, she left her prison behind.
Mountain Herd:
Flintwing~ (over-stallion) dark gray stallion with slate-blue feathers, black mane and tail. Deceased
Cedarwing~ (over-stallion) agile light bay stallion with blue feathers, black mane and tail, thin white blaze
Sprucefeather~ (widowed mare) bay mare with green feathers, black mane and tail
Snowstone~ (under-stallion) white stallion with mint feathers, white mane and tail. Deceased
Stormrain~ (yearling) dark gray filly with dark green feathers, black mane and tail
Hoperiver~ (single/widowed mare) pure white mare with sparkling blue feathers flecked with amber, silky white mane and tail
Stormsun~ (single mare) chestnut mare with turquoise feathers, curly black mane and tail fading to light brown, four white socks, blaze
Rockroot~ (medicine stallion) smoky-gray stallion with deep pink feathers, black mane and tail, white snip on nose
Snow Herd:
Mistwing~ (over-stallion) white stallion with misty blue and white feathers, silver mane and tail
Ashcloud~ (lead mare) smoky gray mare with smoky purple feathers, black mane and tail, large diamond-shaped star on forehead
Fogfire~ (captain) gray stallion with navy feathers, black mane and tail. Deceased
Moonfrost~ (mated mare) dark silver mare with dark purple feathers, black mane and tail, Deceased
Echoflower~ (single/widowed mare, elder) white mare with pink feathers, white mane and tail
Rainshine~ (yearling) dark silver dapple filly with silver feathers, black mane and tail
Desert Herd:
Cobrawing~ (over-stallion) bay pinto stallion with green feathers, mixed brown-and-white mane and tail
Dustcloud~ (lead mare) palomino mare with pale green feathers, white mane and tail, wide white blaze
Sunfire~ (captain) gold dun stallion with violet feathers, gold mane and tail, thin white blaze
Starpebble~ (yearling) silver filly with pale blue feathers, white mane and tail, deep blue eyes
Ember~ (black foal, yearling) solid black colt with black feathers, black mane and tail
Spark~ (black foal, yearling) solid black colt with black feathers, black mane and tail, four white socks
Brightsky~ (mated mare) bright palomino mare with mixed blue and purple feathers, white mane and tail
Sunlight~ (single/widowed mare) palomino pinto mare with pink feathers, white mane and tail. Ember and Spark’s dam. Deceased
Summersong~ (yearling) brownish-gold filly with pale pink feathers, light brown mane and tail
Palmroot~ (medicine mare) gold dun mare with amethyst feathers, black mane and tail, black points
Tumbleweed~ (nursing foal) buttermilk buckskin with turquoise feathers, black mane and tail, uneven blaze
Sandwens:
Shanika Stormrunner~ Queen of the Fifth, age thirty-three. Tall with long black hair, tan skin, golden eyes. Kihlara mount:
Quinn Cloudburst~ age fourteen. Curly light honey-brown hair, lightly tanned skin, dark brown eyes.
Sami Firetongue~ age thirty-nine. Short crinkly black hair, dark brown skin, amber eyes
Kihlari:
Sera~ beautiful dark bay mare with lemon-yellow feathers, black mane and tail, wide white blaze
Ras~ handsome dark bay colt with lemon-yellow feathers, black mane and tail, wide white blaze
Jager~ gray pangare mare with light green feathers at the mantle changing to white at the ends, gray mane and tail
Celaeri~ blue-gray mare with rose feathers, black mane and tail
Viru~ palomino stallion with reddish-orange feathers, flaxen mane and tail
Didn't I tell you Fate wasn't dead? :) Hope you enjoyed!
@Riverglade I'm still waiting for the picture of Sprucefeather getting whacked by watermelons...)
That's amazing!! I really like it!
AMAZING work as always, @Iceberry!!!
Yay! I am glad that your story isn’t dead, as I really liked it! Starpebble is so brave here…if I had been in her position, I would have just bolted.