Star Stable: The Lost Legend

Chapter Eight: Lost History

Erika had rode towards Linda's home and saw Meteor grazing on the lawn, much to her fond amusement. She left Nemain with Meteor as the two horses nickered at each other before Erika headed into the house. She noticed that hardly anyone was home, but she looked around curiously. She saw a clean and decent kitchen, dining room, and living room that seemed to be accented with Indian decorative accents.
But it wasn't long till Erika had found Linda's room and admired the creativity that's inside of the room.
Erika had found a fast asleep and muttering Linda on her cushioned window seat that's surrounded by her books. Linda's books were all over her bedroom. The books were either in stacks or by itself on the floor desk. Though, some of the book stacks seemed ready to fall by the slightest movement. A few notebooks and a few papers were all over the place too, Erika could see some quick notes have been written down by Linda before she had fell asleep and was curious about those notes.
Erika saw a beautifully illustrated book about the horses of Jorvik and their history. At the weekend's Red String Trail Ride, it was as if all the old stories were somehow coming to life to her. Her eyes were gazing to one of the illustrations in the horse book. It showed a strong horse, a gleaming black with fiery amber eyes and a small white star on the forehead. The horse was galloping over the familiar green meadows she and Nemain had ridden across more than once. The horse was so identical-looking to Nemain that Erika's breath was caught in her breath.
She started walking towards Linda when she suddenly felt a warm, sleek-furry body leaning and circling Erika's left leg. She looked down and saw a cute black cat with a stump of what's left of the cat's ear and gleaming emerald green eyes. Erika smiled as she crouched down and petted the cat, making the cat purred softly. The cat soon scampered off and started resting on her purple cushion.
Erika looked at the sleeping black-haired girl with a raised eyebrow as she stated, "You do realize that you're going to cramp up like that." Linda had stopped muttering underneath her breath, which made Erika become confused and curious at the same time. "Linda?" Erika was slightly amused and thought, And here I thought Alex was the heavy sleeper. "Linda." Erika nudged Linda's shoulder, but she continued sleeping and made Erika loose some of her patience. "Linda!"
Linda immediately startled awake and slipped off her window seat by accident with a startled yelp. Erika flinched as the weary girl had an unexpected wake up call with the floor and some of her notes.
"Are you okay Linda?" Erika helped Linda get up onto her feet from her earlier fall.
"Yeah." Linda yawned and rubbed her eyes underneath her glasses. "I'm fine. But what are you doing here?"
"You've sent me a message last night," said Erika as she got out her phone. "Remember?" She showed the message to Linda and she read it.
"Oh, that's right." Linda facepalmed and sighed. "Sorry Erika. I've completely forgot."
"It's okay," said Erika as she put her phone away into her backpack.
"I remember now." Linda got out one of the notebooks and led Erika to her window seat. The two girls both sat down on each side of it. "I've called you here, because I've found some information about the Fire Riders and the Flame Steeds."
"Really?" Erika perked up, excited to hear another Jorvik legend. "Can you please tell me?"
Linda nodded at Erika and smiled at the other girl's excitement of another lost legend to be learned.
"It's a fantastic story which I just have to share with you, and it's important that you understand." Erika nodded firmly at Linda's words and was ready to hear the legend. "Once upon a time, a great blizzard had roomed through the awakening days of Jorvik. The blizzard had killed many lives upon the island. But one day, three riders had came to put a stop to the blizzard: One hailed from the densest parts of Jorvik's forests, where the ground is arid and susceptible to wildfires. The second one hailed from the shadows of the thickest of forests. Lastly, the one had hailed from the fires of Garnok's Fury. The three of them had appeared at the time of the blizzard. They had gathered together and summoned the power of fires with each other. Warmth and brightness had spread over everything that was once lost. These campions have smaller pillars of power that's closely attached to the Soul Riders: The one that shines brightly and held the orange Flame had the Sun Circle. The one that looks into forgotten mysteries and held the blue Flame had the Moon Circle. Lastly, the one that hides amongst the shadows and held green Flame from the Lightning Circle. But once the terrible blizzard had disappeared, nobody knows what happened to the three Fire Riders. Them and their horses had disappeared without a trace. But they each held a symbol that's known to be the Circles of Fire that might be seen a fire or in the constellation of the night sky."
It almost felt like these legends are coming back to Jorvik. It also seemed to be coming to life from the legends that they are reading. Erika ran a hand over her face as she processed the information she just received. Three Fire Riders, the Flame Steeds, Soul Riders, Garnok... it all sounded larger than life and too complicated to actually be true.Their imaginations couldn't have come up with something this detailed. It was overwhelming, but she has to figure it out.
"Somebody has left a gift on the doorstep," said Nemain.
"I'll be right back," Erika said to Linda before she had went outside and found a small brown package on the doorstep.
Erika raised an eyebrow as she held onto the package and looked around curiously for any sight of any deliverers before she closed the door and headed back towards Linda's bedroom. She found Linda looking through her books and journals.
"Hey Linda." Erika had found a note attached to the package. "There's a package for us." Erika started reading the note. "Girls, I hope this information will help you both. This is for Erika Skyqueen to keep." Erika looked at the package curiously.
"Open it," said Linda eagerly.
Erika nodded understandingly and gently unwrapped the package that revealed a book that seems to be bounded in soft brown leather and had seen better days, which made Erika become curious about it. A diary maybe?
She gently picked up the book and opened it to the first page.
Property of Gunnar Thrymson.
Linda fell silent as Erika started reading the ornate handwriting to her close friend. The further she read, the more written sections there are in the old, but strong diary. But she noticed some of it was from the burnt diary and placed into this diary.
I was by myself when I had came across a beautiful druid woman named Kara Peregrine in the depths of a forest, outside of Jarlaheim. She is... truly someone special. She is slim and graceful as a swan in a lake. Her blue eyes are warm and kind like the sun. Her caramel hair scattered gleams of light from the morning light. The comforting scent of wildflowers surrounded Kara Peregrine. While grazing next to Kara was a beautiful white Andalusian mare named Angel. She didn't mind us appearing on our land, but she has something within her that I don't have and I want it too. She spoke to me as a friend and not someone who is treated like an outcast. Her eyes showed no fear or jealousy of me, but sympathy and compassion. I'm proud to say that she is much more than my friend.
I didn't know he was in love, thought Erika, surprised and curious as the wind skipped a few pages of the diary before stopping at a particular page, which surprised her.
Kara was very beautiful when I visited her tonight. Beautiful, but weakened. Her sickness had risen and none of the good healer's treatments or medicines seem to work on it. She managed to sit up with me for a while. Her hand was so soft and warm in mine.
After our marriage to each other, I fear that I might hear a completely different sort of bell will toll soon after her caught sickness. In her belly is her and my child who has yet to be born. I can't wait to see you my dear child.
Erika smiled softly and thought, He was a loving father too.
Kara had asked me if I believe in the afterlife. I had replied that we would see each other again, us and our family. We will be together forever and we will be happy. She smiled at that and closed her gorgeous eyes. I fear the worst for her, even my dear black mare Morrigan, was worried about her and our unborn child too.
Strange dreams are so black as night that I can scarcely describe them. They come from the highest, dark vast in the night sky with the glow of fire.
Erika narrowed her blue eyes thoughtfully and said, "This must of happened a few weeks after he and his mare had bonded." She turned to the next page of the diary with a frown. Erika noticed a few dried teardrops had fell onto the page.
A fearsome thunderstorm had rumbled through the area. It was as if nature had sensed something was wrong and was reacting to it. She is no more. She was not able to survive such a hard childbirth. Her and my child has been named Heather Thrymson before my beloved wife had left us.
Erika frowned and thought, I wasn't aware that he had a child. She turned to the next page of the diary with a frown.
I have heard a strange voice from that accursed Vala witch. I think it is coming from the center of the mountains that is called Devil's Gap for some reason, from my odd dreams and poisoned thoughts. I first heard it speak to me directly was at Kara's funeral. The low number of mourners was downright unacceptable given that at one time Kara's family was one of the most respected on Jorvik. I sat at the front with her mother and her sister, in the role of her loving husband. Everything was too late. Everything was wrong. The darkness that witch had planted inside of me. I have heard it just as I placed a red rose — a single red rose for our eternal love — on my beloved's casket. At first, the Vala witch's voice was no more than a whisper, even when I lagged behind after everyone had left.
"Gunnar," said the Vala witch. "Follow my orders or everyone you love shall be threatened."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Erika muttered with a frown and continued reading the page.
Somehow, the shadows and the whispers of the Vala witch had faded away when I had caught sight of my daughter in the basket, shining in the light. Feeling my gaze upon her, Heather looked up at me with open curiosity. She is clearly unaware of the death of her late mother and is more innocent than I can be. I gently held her in a protective way, even as I left the church and were joined by Morrigan and Angel.
Heather was so tiny and frail that I almost believed I was holding delicate glass, breakable with the slightest jolt. Oh my daughter, I promise to love you and protect you no matter what my dear.
Erika hummed thoughtfully and remembered her father's protective love for her. She leaned against the wall as she looked at the brown diary in her hands. But Erika knew that Gunnar was forced to have an image to maintain. He have honor to preserve. But there was nothing false about him, so his failures are a part of himself that he accepted, integrated into his person, and moved on from his mistakes. That was something to admire. She had realized that there was so much in Gunnar that can be admired.
Curse the Jarl! He had made enemies with a great rival of ours and has a huge deal of support behind him. This rival feels like we had started forsaking our old ways of life and our own gods. I had to lead the first charge in Jarlaheim as the leader of the army. But that is not the problem. It means that I have to leave my beloved daughter with Arianna Rainforest — the sister of Kara — in the village of Mistfall. Jon Jarl thinks I had forsaken my duties. But it was him who had left me alone after he had met these "Keepers of Aideen" and did not give me any time of day. That all changed when I had met Kara and Morrigan. But now... I am almost scared to follow his orders now. Those who will battle us had came to all the way to Jorvik and helped build the settlements, but now we have to battle our forebrothers. I have no choice, but to follow Jon Jarl's orders for everyone's freedom. There's a chance that everyone will discover my secret, but I am willing to do it... to protect my daughter. She is all I have left of my beloved Kara. Not for Jon Jarl's sake, but for my daughter's than my own. She has the chance to live a life that I did not have.
My dear Heather, if you are reading this, just know that I am sorry for everything that has happened. My time might be almost up, and yours is just beginning. There may be hard times coming to Jorvik. But I know you have the courage to show everyone that you are so much more than you appear. Lean into your courage and empathy in the face of evil — but do not let evil win. It's a battle for me just as well my child. I love you, no matter what.
Erika read on with heavy sympathy in her voice. Gunnar Thrymson as a grieving husband and brave father with genuine human emotions?
She felt sympathetic towards his situation and admired his self-sacrificing spirit. So, he was forced into some kind of agreement with the Vala Witch to keep Jorvik and his family safe? Good grief, a lot of people sure had misjudged him.
She soon found a folded picture in the book and gently unfolded it to see three people and three horses there in dark charcoal. There's a young man on the right and a young woman on the left with their horses standing in front of them was a colt too. The young woman was holding a blanketed bundle of a baby in her arms.
Erika hummed thoughtfully as she looked at the picture a sad smile.
"They looked so happy here," Linda said softly with a sad smile.
Erika's eyes started glowing bright blue as she made her decision. This power, chose her and Nemain for a reason and entrusted the task with a massive responsibility that's crucial. She was chosen to save the world. Who was she to go against the stars and the universe? Everything happened for a reason and she believed that if given an opportunity, she should use her strength and power to help others. Her choice was obvious: she would go with the Soul Riders and help their friends.