In the Absence of Light

Chapter 2: Into the Mountains

I hated waking up, but at the same time it was like a sensor in my head woke me up the minute false dawn started. False dawn and I am up. For a second I just continued to lie on the floor wrapped in my cocoon of blankets, but I had stuff to do. I had to move.

I untangled myself from the blankets and carefully piled the blankets back on the bed. My host didn’t need to know that I couldn’t stand his beds along with the company in his bar. I armored back up, strapped on excess daggers, and grabbed my sword strapping it on as I left the room.

Darin was waiting for me at the door with a cup of coffee and a piece of bread. He’d been on horse watch, and had obviously gotten everything ready to go. I lifted one eyebrow and he nodded in response to my question.

I moved out of the door toward the stable where the horses were, and Darin walked next to me, “I got everything ready to go. Zentas is already packed. My horse Damaskan is taking Falarin today. He’s feeling better and wants to ride, and I want sleep. Zireana is still recovering and in the wagon, though Kyra says she should be able to move about more soon. Parsa plans to walk, though we’ll see how long she walks for. Lyana is driving the wagon as always, and all the kids will be in it except Tyva, she’s riding her horse Jarclea. Kyra and Chrisin are both riding. Oh, and Chrisin told me to tell you that Varadill should be ride able in a couple days. He says Varadill would probably be best for Falarin if you agree.”

There was an excess person in the yard. There was a horse a person I had never seen before, “Who’s that?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention, the bouncer from the bar last night showed up this morning. I really didn’t expect anyone to show up, but there he was this morning all tacked up and ready to head out with that giant thing he calls a horse.” I stared at the horse Darin was talking about. I hadn’t seen a horse that large before. It was like a mountain of horse stood in front of me, and the average sized man on top of the horse in light leather armor looked like a child. The horse was taller than Gegarat and had the largest bones I had ever seen. I was a goddess of war, and yet this had never really caught my attention before.

I walked up to the horse and man, “What is this creature. I haven’t seen a horse this big before.” I could read that the horse was in his past and that where he came from they were common, but I couldn’t quite tell what they were normally used for or why he had one.

“Jessen’s an eastern plains plow horse. We breed them large so that they can haul huge loads without a problem. Most aren’t trained to riding, but I trained him to be ridden when my father gave him to me when I left home. He was two when I left, and he learned how to be an assassin’s horse as I learned to be an assassin. How did you know about me?”

“I told you the lady goddess talks to me. She was filling me in on the details of the people’s lives in the bar,” I forced myself to smile sweetly at the man even though it went against my nature. I had to control everyone around me. I had convinced this man, but soon I would have to convince the broken remnants of an army and then a city. I had my work cut out for me.

“Come on, everyone ready to move out?” I grabbed my horse from the stable hand holding his reins, shoved my foot into the stirrup and swung up. The stallion danced under me and gave small airs above the ground. I sat calmly shifting my weight to compensate for his movement.  

“You cursed that horse with that name. He’s going to kill one of us,” I turned to the speaker and I saw Falarin watching the horse dance. He was eying Zentas as if he expected the horse to suddenly explode.

“Zentas kills our enemies, not us. Zentas is a wonderful horse, and will one day be Zireana’s horse.” I laughed as he gave a powerful kick at a stable boy who was too close to his hind end.