Lightnings Daughter (7 page)

Gabria smiled and thought Valorian might be pleased to find one of his descendants had come back to see his wheel.

Without warning Nara neighed a cry of welcome
. They Come!
she trumpeted.

Gabria turned in astonishment. She had never heard Nara sound so joyful. Her eyes fol owed the horse's gaze to the high pass where the light of morning was streaming onto the mountain face. A herd of dark horses gal oped down between the peaks, their manes flying and their tails raised like royal banners. Snow flew from their hooves, and the thunder of their coming rumbled over the plateau.

With the sun reflecting off the rocks and the snow, it was difficult for Gabria to clearly see the horses; then she rocked back in astonishment. She clambered up to the top of the cairn for a better view. As they drew closer, she recognized them immediately, for the horses were huge and black. They were all Hunnuli.

They galloped onto the plateau where Nara pranced to join them, and the entire herd neighed their welcome to the mare and the woman. They flowed into a circle around Gabria, following the curve of the wheel.

She tried to count them, but there were too many and they raced by her in a boisterous, wild run.

Their black coats gleamed in the sunlight, and a blazon of white lightning marked each horse at the shoulder. Her mouth slightly open, Gabria stared at the magnificent mares and stallions. Her heart sang with their delight.

At last the Hunnuli slowed down and stopped. They wheeled to face the woman, their breath billowing in clouds around them. A stallion broke away from the ring, trotted forward, and nodded his head to Gabria.

He was huge. Even on the cairn of stones, the woman's head barely reached his nose. She realized immediately he was the King Stallion. His great strength was molded in the muscles of his neck and legs; his eyes glowed with a deep, abiding wisdom. White hairs of age covered his muzzle, yet his step was powerful. A regal courage showed in his every movement and toss of his head.

We greet you, Sorceress,
he told Gabria. The stal ions thoughts to her were proud but kind.

She swept back her cloak and bowed low to the majestic horse.

We have waited a long time for the magic-wielders to return,
he continued.
The Hunnuli were bred
and born to be the companions of humans with the ability to use the powers of magic wisely. We have
missed them. You are the first in a long time to return to the arts. For that we are greatly pleased.

Gabria stared at the stal ion, her eyes huge. She had no idea what to say to him. Sensing her confusion, Nara left the circle of Hunnuli and came to stand beside her.

The King Stallion turned his dark eyes to Nara. Serve her well, Gabria heard him tell the mare.
She
must continue her work if sorcery is to return to the clans.

The mare agreed with a neigh.

Gabria spoke up, "Nara has been my friend beyond all imagining. She has served me very wel indeed."

And so shall her sons,
the stal ion replied. Then he dropped his head down to Gabria's height, arching his massive neck, and looked at her through the long hairs of his forelock.
Sorceress, we have
asked you to come to Valorian's Wheel so we can warn you. Someone, some human, is tampering with
magic beyond their control.
He shook his mane angrily.

You know the Hunnuli cannot be harmed or altered by magic, but we are innately sensitive to it and
to any change in the forms of magic. Lately, we have sensed strange vibrations emanating from the east.

These frighten us, for we believe the powers of magic are being abused.

Gabria looked away, her eyes thoughtful.

The stal ion snorted.
You know who it is?

"Possibly. An exiled chieftain may be in Pra Desh. We think he has the
Book of Matrah,”

Then, Sorceress, you must go. Find the source of this tainted magic before something terrible
happens that you cannot challenge or reverse.

Gabria paled. "Do you know what he is doing?"

The Hunnuli lifted his head to the east, his nostrils flaring.
That is unclear to us. The only thing we
know is this magic-wielder is unskil ed in handling the powers he is trying to use. He must be stopped.

Gabria felt her heart sink. Oh gods, not now, she cried to herself. To the stallion she forced her reply: "I understand."

Good.
The stal ion neighed a command, and a smal er, younger male broke away from the herd and joined Nara. The stallion bowed his head to Gabria.

It would be wise if you took other humans with you,
the king told her.
Particularly the chieftain,
Athlone. He would be a great help to you. Eurus wil go with you. Lord Athlone wil need a mount
befitting his talent.

Gabria eyed the young stal ion doubtful y. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but Athlone is very reluctant to admit his powers. Now that his stallion, Boreas, is dead, he may not accept another Hunnuli."

The King Stallion snorted, a noise that sounded much like laughter.
We wil let Athlone and Eurus
work out their own relationship. I'm certain the chieftain wil come to his senses.

The woman's mouth tightened, for she knew Athlone's stubborn nature. "I hope so,” she muttered.

With a toss of his head, the king signaled his herd. The horses neighed and pranced forward.

Farewel , Sorceress,
he said to Gabria.
We wil come if you need us.
Then he wheeled and gal oped back up the plateau, the other Hunnuli fal ing in behind him.

Before Gabria could draw another breath, the horses were gone. The thunder of their hooves echoed on the peaks and faded. An empty quiet fel on the plateau. She gazed at the twin peaks, wishing the Hunnuli would return, wondering if she would ever see their like again.

Nara nickered to her softly.
When Valorian brought the clans over that pass and built this wheel to
celebrate their journey, they had over two hundred Hunnuli in their midst. Now our herd has barely
thirty. Our numbers are dwindling rapidly, Gabria. Without magic and magic-wielders to give us purpose,
our mares and stallions do not always mate. Our breed wil disappear.

Eurus snorted in agreement.

"May the gods forbid that ever happening!" Gabria said vehemently. She vaulted onto Nara's back.

"Let's go home."

The two Hunnuli fel in side by side and made their way down the mountain at a more careful pace.

By late afternoon they had reached the foothil s and turned south toward Khulinin Treld.

*****

Two days later Gabria and the Hunnuli arrived at the Khulinin camp, just as the horns were blowing to send the evening outriders off on their duties. She rode Nara past Marakor, the tall summit that guarded the entrance to the val ey, and waved to the startled outriders standing guard nearby.

She smiled to herself as one of the guardians galloped toward camp to warn Lord Athlone. Nara trotted placidly along the path to the treld, Eurus close by her side. By the time the two Hunnuli reached the training fields by the camp, Gabria could see activity at the chieftain's hall. A moment later a horseman came galloping down the hill to meet her. It was Athlone.

Even from a distance Gabria could see his anger. His body was rigid on the horse, and his face was dark with fury. He reined his stallion to a halt in front of Nara.

"In the name of al the gods,” he shouted, his eyes on Gabria. "Where have you been?"

Before the startled woman could answer, Eurus came around behind Nara and snorted at the chieftain.

Athlone stared at the second Hunnuli, his anger retreating a little before his surprise and curiosity.

"Who is that?"

I am Eurus, brother of Boreas,
the young Hunnuli replied.

By this time the members of the hearthguard and the other warriors had caught up with their lord.

They gathered close by him, their faces interested but wary. Other clan members clustered around, staring and pointing at Gabria and the two Hunnuli.

Casually, Gabria glanced at the clanspeople to gauge their welcome. She was relieved to see they showed no oven hostility, only curiosity. The priestess of Amara stood at the back of the crowd, a wise smile on her face as she nodded a welcome. Athlone seemed to be the only one disturbed by her return. This time, however, she was not troubled by his reaction. The chief was a volatile man, and Gabria sensed his anger was fed mostly by concern.

Instead of rising to meet his rage, she merely asked, "How did you know I was gone?"

Athlone tore his eyes away from Eurus. "Piers went to find you five days ago. He told me you had left. There was no sign of where you were going, when---or even if---you would return."

She smiled. "You should have known that I would return."

Athlone nodded once, sharply, unwil ing to give up his anger that easily. "Where did you go?"

"Heretic!" someone suddenly shouted from the edge of the crowd. Thalar shouldered his way through the people and planted himself in front of Nara. "Be warned. Your exile is over, but this clan wil not tolerate your evil magic!"

Nara snorted menacingly, but the furious priest ignored her and shook his fist at the young woman.

"Your presence curses us, Sorceress, and your foul heresies bring our doom. Leave us in peace!"

"Thalar!" the chieftain said sharply.

Nara, however, had had enough. Her head snaked forward, and she snapped at the priest, her teeth coming dangerously close to his head. The crowd gasped as Thalar stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock.

"That wil be enough," Athlone demanded.

Thalar started to say something, but the Hunnuli mare flattened her ears, and he stepped hastily back. Glaring ferociously, the priest withdrew to the edge of the crowd.

The sorceress ignored him. She patted Nara and said to Athlone, "Please, Lord, could we go to the hal ? The Hunnuli are hungry, and I am very tired. I wil tell you everything over a hot meal."

The chieftain nodded and said with genuine relief, "Welcome home." He glanced back at the hall with a strange expression of regret. "There is someone else who has been waiting for you."

"Oh?" Gabria asked. She felt a tug of foreboding, but Athlone dismounted without a reply and handed his reins to a warrior. Gabria, too, slid off her horse. The mare gently nudged her rider before she and Eurus trotted back to the meadows.

Gabria watched them go. Standing beside her, Athlone studied the sorceress's features and marveled that a face capable of showing such love could also have such strength.

The crowd began to disperse to their own tents and cooking fires. Athlone, Gabria, and several hearthguard warriors walked up the hill to the entrance of the hall.

Twilight was settling into the valley. Once inside the open doors of the hall, Gabria noticed the lamps were lit and a fire was burning in the central hearth. A haunch of meat had been set to the side of the fire, ready for the chieftain, his family, and any other warrior who wanted to eat in the hall. Lady Tungoli and her serving girls were setting up the trestle tables before bringing in the meal.

Gabria said softly, "It's good to be home." The chieftain overheard her, and the quiet pleasure of her words evaporated the vestiges of his anger. He offered her his arm, and they walked into the hall together.

As Gabria and the men ate their meal and talked, Piers, Cantrell, and a stocky, ruddy-skinned man Gabria did not recognize came to join them. Other clanspeople sat close by, listening. Lady Tungoli organized her serving girls and also joined the group to hear the talk. No one bothered to introduce Gabria to the stranger in their midst.

Sitting beside Athlone's dais, Gabria told them all about her vision, her journey to Corin Treld, and the burial mound she had found there. She did not mention her own catharsis, but those who knew her wel sensed the new peace and assurance in her manner. She went on to describe the Wheel and her meeting with the Hunnuli. Her listeners sat spellbound as she told of the black horses and their king.

When she repeated the King Stal ion's warning about Branth, the stranger sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Lord Athlone, I---" he began.

The chieftain waved him to silence. "A moment, please, Khan'di." He turned back to Gabria. "You haven't told us yet why you have a second Hunnuli."

Gabria lingered over her cup of wine for a moment before answering. "The King Stallion sent him."

"Why?"

"He thought you needed a mount befitting your abilities."

Athlone looked up at the ceiling, the lines on his face taut. "I have a good mount. One befitting a chieftain."

The warriors around him stared at their chief in surprise. Any among them would have traded their swordarms for a Hunnuli to ride, but Gabria looked into Athlone's face and understood his refusal. She sipped her wine and let the subject drop. The King Stal ion's advice was wise. She would let Athlone and Eurus work out their difficulties.

Athlone, meanwhile, settled back into his seat and acquiesced to her silence. He had no wish to push the subject further. Instead he poured more wine into his cup and passed the silver ewer to the stranger. "Khan'di Kadoa, now you know why we have been unable to find Lady Gabria," the chieftain said with a twist of wry humor. "Perhaps now you would tell her why you are here."

Gabria final y got a good look at the stranger when he rose from the table and bowed to her. She guessed he was about fifty years old, for his short-cropped hair was gray and his heavy face was deeply lined around the mouth and forehead.

He was dressed simply in a pair of leggings and a knee-length hooded shirt, but there was nothing simple about the massive gold seal ring on his index finger. He met her scrutiny with a sharp, interested gaze of his own, and Gabria recognized immediately that this man was no fool.

"Lady, I am Khan'di Kadoa, a nobleman and merchant from the great city of Pra Desh, capital of the kingdom of Calah," he said smoothly. "I have come to talk to you about this exile, Branth. As I have told your chieftain, Branth has been in Pra Desh over six months now and has been causing nothing but trouble."