Chapter 10
I look back and forth as we walk to a stable. The woods here are stunning and smell so sweet; I wouldn’t mind staying here little longer. I hear birds tweeting, and I look around to see a robin sitting on a branch staring at me as if he is smiling, as if he knows something about me.
I feel a prickling on the back of my neck and jerk my head around looking for anything that’s out of place. I look forward again, and I see that Damien has a grim look on his face.
“It’s a shapeshifter, the bird. We call it a Morphon. He can become anything. That’s why it gives you the creeps. It’s more than an animal; it’s like a human,” he says.
How does he always know what I’m thinking? We must really be connected in a way that I don’t understand. That train of thought slips from my head as we turn the corner to the stable.
Two beautiful, shiny horses are neighing and eating hay. Damien walks up and strokes the brown horse’s back. It has a beautiful white mane and tail, and dark brown eyes.
“This is Bronco,” he states, pointing to the brown horse. “And this is Silver.” He points to the other one. “She’ll be your horse.” He runs his fingers through Silver’s mane. She’s beautiful, all white with bright blue eyes and a silver mane and tail.
“She’s been waiting on you; she’s a Starlight. They’re special horses that have the ability to find their owner anywhere. She’s not claimed yet; you will have to claim her.” Damien grabs my hand, pulls a small knife out of his pocket, and, before I know it, has sliced open my finger. Blood trickles down my finger into my palm.
“Now look into her eyes and call her; say her name. Then press your hand to her lips. You will know it took when she starts bucking. The process will be complete when she stops. Then she will be yours and you will be hers.”
Is he serious? I have to claim her?
“You will be able to find each other anywhere, and she will know what you need. It takes a few minutes to claim her, so you’ll want to get started.”
I’m focusing intently on my finger; when I look up, Damien is leading Bronco out of the stable.
I turn back around, and Silver is standing too close for comfort. I look deeply into her eyes, and my instincts take over. I call her name, “Silver.” I touch her lips with my bloody finger, and she sticks her tongue out to lick it. It’s an odd sensation. Her tongue feels like a cat’s tongue, but it’s as long as a dog’s.
Suddenly, she’s bucking like crazy, like she’s in pain. I want to help her, but am not sure how. I just watch her for what feels like an eternity, but can only have been a few seconds. She looks right at me, as if pleading for mercy. The longer she looks at me, the worse I feel.
I’m getting dizzy on my feet, my head is aching, and I feel as if I’m going to collapse. I do the only thing I can and reach toward her. The second my fingers stroke her silver mane, she calms down.
It’s as if I’m taking some of her pain away. I feel a sense of understanding, as if she knows what I want, and I know everything about her. My stomach settles.
She bends down, bowing to me. I know, instinctively, that she’s accepting me and offering me a ride. I have claimed her. My heart swells with love for this creature.
I walk toward her and swing my leg over her back, and she stands. I pet her mane, as she walks out of the stable.
...
“So you did it, and it didn’t take long, less than two minutes,” Damien says, looking at his watch. His surprise and excitement are radiating from him, now atop Bronco.
“So is Bronco your Starlight?” It only seems logical, seeing as I get Silver.
“No, only Suppliants get Starlights. Silver has been waiting for over 600 years for you. There was another Suppliant, about fifty years ago, that people thought was the Suppliant from the prophecy. It turned out, that she couldn’t claim Silver. She was killed in the process.” Damien looks down at his reins, as if this is hard for him to talk about.
“Did you know she wasn’t the right Suppliant? Why do people think she was?” I think about it for a second, and suck in a breath when I realize. “You thought you were her Protector?”
“Yes, I thought I was her Protector. That’s why people thought she was the Suppliant from the prophecy.” Silver stops walking for a moment; I look at Damien.
“How do you know I’m the Suppliant from the prophecy if you thought she was?” I could just be another Suppliant, but not the one that the prophecies spoke of. There has to be a way to know.
“You passed the test; you claimed Silver. She was identified by the Light Queen as the Starlight to the Suppliant from the prophecy. Whoever claimed Silver was the Suppliant from the prophecy,” he says, still looking at the ground.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was dangerous, and the last Suppliant died trying to claim Silver? That could have been me,” I shout at him. I’m not sure why but I feel betrayed. I feel like he should have told me that. I look at him, and tears well up in my eyes.
Damien looks at me like there’s something he wants to tell me. Before I can comment, Damien looks at the ground and pulls back on his reins. Bronco starts trotting, and Silver follows.
My answers will have to wait.