In the Absence of Light

Chapter 2: Into the Mountains

“I’m sure that Zireana will just love to ride your crazy killer,” I think I preferred Falarin injured and not talking.

“Zentas is a great horse. Now let’s move out.” I gave him a steely glare warning him that I was not accepting any more arguments.

Darin rode over toward me on his bay who was probably being one of the calmest horses. “I would suggest to you that you let Zireana use Gegarat and you keep Zentas, but you would probably threaten me with death for saying that.”

I was a goddess and not some human making empty threats! “I wouldn’t make an empty threat. I would either kill you if it was necessary or tell you that that is simply a stupid idea because Gegarat was trained by my own hand to be perfect.” My hand… my memories as a human, my memories of being two in one. It was so strange how they were all me now. The self outside my body could comprehend this, but the self held within my simple mortal shell struggled sometimes with comprehension of what had happened to me. This mind had limitations, and sometimes one of those was wrapping my mind around ideas.

“So then I will make that suggestion. Gegarat has good training and a solid mind. She would take care of a beginner or a less experienced rider. Zentas on the other hand needs a firm and experienced rider who can stay on him and can prevent his tricks.” Darin was keeping his horse just far enough away from Zentas so that the stallion could not easily kick him. He was eyeing the Zentas’s graceful dancing legs as if they were snakes seeking to strike him.

“He’s a light horse though. I need a heavy horse for heavy combat.” Sadly Darin was making sense, and I did enjoy the challenge of riding Zentas…

“You still own Gegarat. And you don’t really need a heavy horse; you don’t need to where as much armor as normal people.  Any horse has enough weight to crash through enemy forces. Yes the heavy war horses are heavier, but I think Zentas has proven that he is just as able to tear someone limb to limb as any of the big horses, and not only is he able, he’s willing and happy to.” His logic was flawless.

 He was right. Zentas was good at fighting. He did seem to enjoy it even. His light color seemed at odds with his love of killing, but he was a horse of the absence of light. His spirit was darker than Gegarats’, and where Gegarat was a calm and sheathed blade, he was a naked blade always ready to strike.

“Surprisingly, you make sense. I didn’t think you would be able to persuade me, but I do like this horse… He has so much spirit.” It must have been the taint of human attachments that had made me miss the logic behind which horse I should ride. Zentas was perfect for me and I had simply refused to see it. It disgusted me that I had not seen this, that I had allowed old memories of attachment to influence me…

I looked around and noticed that everyone was ready to go. “Alright, let’s head out. It’s time to leave the plains and head into the mountains.”

“You have no clue where you are really heading except for what you have seen in a map.” Damn he was annoying. Would I have to put up with him for much longer? Maybe he would just die. I wouldn’t mind that terribly.

“Do you ever shut up? Have you forgotten I am THE Lady of Darkness? Of course I know where I am going. How dare you doubt me.” Insolent fool.

“I don’t, I just keep for getting you are Zedi now and you don’t like to confide plans in others.” He was still riding next to me. Hopefully he wouldn’t try and insist on scouting with me or I would have to put my foot down.

“Listen here, Dy never liked you, she never even cared for you. In fact she could barely tolerate you. We are the same person. The difference is that Dy could pretend to be human, but I cannot. I speak what’s on my mind and feel no sense of obligation to you. My obligation was to Dy who was actually me, and that obligation is over.”