Labels in Jorvik: Star Stable Fanfiction (Discontinued)

Chapter Seven: The Pied Jorvikian and Horse Pt.2

"Huh, I don't know, the pass!"

"Get down here this instant, or forever hold your peace, young miss!" Johanna's voice sounded murderous.

A couple of snickers arose from the Knights. Mira rolled her eyed defiantly, but navigated her way down the rock. The girl hesitantly met a furious Johanna. Once she got at least three feet within the instructor, a rhythym of hooves caught everyone's attention. Noel, the pied horse, and its rider, a pied jester, wobbled their way towards the group.

"Am I late?" The silly jester dismounted without a problem and brushed his shirt. "Sorry, I was meeting someone up the pass."

Johanna was the first to speak up, "What business did you have up there? And on someone else's horse especially?" 

During the interrogation, Cassandra gazed at Noel's disheveled state. The once energized horse was breathing at irregular rates. The peculiar thing was, Noel appeared hyper when riding up towards the riders, but his health was deteriorating. Cassandra wasn't the only one that ran up to the poor horse, but Mira did too. 

Both girls gasped as the gelding reared unexpectantly and bolted. Everyone drew away from their individual conversations and eyes followed the runaway. Before Cassandra could register the scene, Nancy and Aleksey were off on their horses. Mira had wrangled Barbara's horse, Sevensands, and roughly galloped the palomino tobiano Jorvik Warmblood into the distance. Johanna and the Knight's advanced instructor, Jude, authorized members to stay put.

Cassandra ran towards Summer's side, but she froze midway. Edmund saw her pause and forcefully grabbed her fore arm. Cassandra opened her mouth to protest, but both were already up to Summer.

"Just...go!" Edmund gripped the shocked girl's shoulder and focused into her eyes. Cassandra was once again speechless as her mouth budged open, but she dutifully nodded and hastily swung onto Summer's back. 

"You tyrant!" Cassandra yelped helplessly as Summer bolted. She heard a slap a mere second before and came to the conclusion that Edmund smacked Summer's rump. She dared not to look back, fearing the angered face of Johanna. Her heart pounded against her already adrenaline filled chest as she attempted to control of her horse.

She could see a flicker of Aleksey's bay Arabian mare's cobalt black tail, and Cassandra urged Summer to gallop towards that direction. She could see the little fiasco of riders were trailing up another mountain pass. She could feel the air get thinner as it whipped her hair, nearly wiping the loosely tied helmet off. 

In the distance, Cassandra could spot an end to everyone's trek. She slowed Summer down to a trot, and posted. She didn't want to wear off the mare. Cassandra suddenly realized where Mira, Nancy, and Aleksey stopped. It was an old G.E.D site that eventually shut down from poisoning the Valedale Waters. You would think the council would put an end to it sooner.

"Mira!" Cassandra's shout echoed off from the daunting walls that created a cul de sac. For some odd reason, she didn't see a trace of human life. She halted Summer and patted the tired warmblood. "Sorry girl, but I have to leave you for a while," she stated and dismounted. Cassandra surveyed the area on foot and kept calling each person's name. 

A litte while after she starting shouting, she could hear hoof beats. She ran to the center of the cul de sac, ready to receive an earful from Johanna. However, who she saw bounding upon a chestnut rabicano Morgan, was a complete and utter surprise.

"Edmund, why the hell did you follow me?!" Cassandra screamed as Edmund stopped sharply, causing Altairia to rear. She stared bewilderingly as he dismounted.

Edmund approached her calmly and asked, "Did you find the others?"

"Ha, no!"

"What? Are you meaning to tell me that you can't track down three people on horseback?"

"No, I've been meaning to say that you're still the self-obsessed and oppressive devil!"

"I'm obsessed?! Oh, I see. You don't recall that time where you cracked that other girl's mirror!" Edmund shook his head before going off again, "You know what? I don't need this, and you don't either. We don't have much time until Joh-"

"Shit," Cassandra muttered, completely oblivious to Edmund's last statement. 

The earth rumbled furiously, perhaps with the force of a medium earthquake. It still made Cassandra hold on to Edmund's jacket. 

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving my life!"

"Our lives are already doomed, Johanna will burn us at the stake!"

"Oh shut up!" Cassandra snapped, but held on to Edmund. From her peripheral vision, she could spot a group coming up. They really were going die from going off without permission. However, there was no way the quaking was caused by a group of galloping horses.

"Um...Cas?" Emdund nervously asked.

"What?" Cassandra really didn't want to answer anymore questions. She planned to avoid Edmund for the rest of the year too.

"Why is there a huge, pink crack on the stone we used to stand on?"

"Huh?" Cassandra looked down and was facing a menacing, seemingly bottomless pit. The light surrounding them was a fuschia sort of pink, the kind that you wanted to rip your eyeballs off from the way it glowed so horribly. 

"AAHHHH!" They both shrieked, all the way down to where time and space were distorted.