The Dark Legend (Star Stable) (Under Editing/Re-Write)

Chapter Eight: The Horseman's Diary

Erika had went back to Fort Maria and started looking for some answers too. She walked through the hallway, seeing that several of the rooms were full of bookshelves, desks, chairs, scrolls, and quills. When she finally came across a room that was unlike the others.
It's a study, thought Erika and entered the room warily.
There's a large desk made of solid wood with books and quills strewn across the top and stacked in piles. The walls were covered with bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling. But there was a foggy window at the far right corner. Erika shuddered from the sudden drop in temperature as she stepped into the room. She had a feeling she should be in the room and shouldn't be in the room. But she started looking at the books anyways, going with her strongest instincts.
She found a lot of books about Jorvik, Keepers of Aideen, Druids, forts, villages, and so on. When she found the last book showed a fair amount of wear, appearing to have been well-read with illegible comments in the margins. It seems to be bound in soft leather brown leather, which made Erika become curious about it. A forgotten diary maybe?
She gently picked up the book and opened it to the first page.
Property of Gunnar Thrymson.
"Hey guys!" Erika called out to her friends. "I've found something!" She was immediately joined by the other Soul Riders, Mrs. Holdsworth, and Beatrix. They each fell silent as Erika started reading the ornate handwriting to the others. 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 Aria Rainforest in the depths of a forest, outside of Jarlaheim. She is... truly someone special. Her blue eyes are warm like the sun and it felt like I was looking into pools of water. Her hair scattered gleams of light from the morning light. The comforting scent of wildflowers surrounded Aria Rainforest. While grazing next to Aria was a brave light gray Fjord stallion named Archer. She didn't mind us appearing on their 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 empathy 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.
"Ella 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, He was a loving father too.
Aria 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. "This must of happened after he and Morrigan 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 blizzard had come forth through Jorvik during the winter months. 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 Inga Thrymson before my beloved wife had left us from a terrible flu in the cold winter."
Erika frowned and thought, He must of been in so much pain and hurt. 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 Aria's funeral. The low number of mourners was downright unacceptable given that at one time Aria's family was one of the most respected on Jorvik. I sat at the front with her mother and 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, Inga 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 Archer.
Inga 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.
She soon turned to the next page and was surprised at the deeply angered writing in the next page.
"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 Ari Rainforest — the younger sister of Camma — 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 Morrigan and Aria. 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 Aria. 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 Inga, 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. Galloper Thompson as the 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. 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 young colt too. The young druid woman was holding a blanketed bundle of a baby girl in her arms.
"That's some picture," remarked Alex.
"They looked so happy here," Linda said softly with a sad smile.
"Did you find anything about the Vala witches before I called you guys?" Erika sighed as the others shook their heads and gently placed the picture back into the book before she placed it into her brown satchel that was strapped on her right shoulder.
"Erika." She jumped in place when she suddenly heard a gentle, musical voice was soon heard echoing in Erika's ears, in which reminded her of the sea. The voice is clearly a female and sounded human, but inhuman at the same time. "We are being summoned by someone."
"Looks like I have to leave earlier than I thought." Erika started walking away. "I have to meet up with somebody." Everybody exchanged confused and curious glances, but Mrs. Holdsworth smiled at her warmly and Linda nodded with a proud look in her eyes.
"I'll be back soon." Erika walked away from the others and used the hidden exit in an empty room behind the bookshelf. She found the horses standing on the far right side of the cliff, while Nemain stood calmly to her left side.
Erika petted her mare's muzzle and mounted Nemain. She soon rode off into the light of the setting sun and the rising moon.