Silver Hooves in the Darkness

Chapter Four

The heated bath drained away any residual aches from her limbs and dirt from her golden coat. The cleansing chamber was also sadly free of any others of her kind or human attendants, given the lateness of the day. Paola sank one more time beneath the water, pondering the general absence of equinii in Dome Biblia at a season when many Couriers should have been taking advantage of the bustling activities in the dome prevalent during the earliest days of the growing season. The lapping water broke the silence as she resurfaced and left the wide bath.

She padded across hexagonal tiles of grey, her thick soles making no sound, but leaving human-shaped footprints. The color of the flooring reminded her of Ercole, and she found herself suddenly smiling. It had been a memorable day when she had first seen the tall, brawny equino, who had emerald green eyes and a lustrous grey coat. His darker grey mane had glittered with the sapphires woven into it, for his services were sought only by the wealthy. She wondered how many humans he had carried across the Maze in his black carriage in the performance of his duties as a Transporter. Very few, probably. The cost was great, but more importantly, few humans, even those of the highest rank, had the courage to ride in a windowless conveyance through a space that would kill them instantly if they were ever exposed to it.

Too much like a "coffin". That was what one human had called the carriage, but she was unfamiliar with the meaning and significance of the word.

She crossed into a hallway still contemplating the fears humans had of the Maze, even though the domes were bound to it. Had it been almost a full cycle since she had last seen the stallion? Surely not, she thought as she approached a connecting passage that led to the individual stalls in the stable. Lately, it seemed that time fled by as swiftly as any Courier raced. A growing restlessness within her signaled that she would soon leave her yearling days behind. Her gem would let her know when that fateful event occurred and her identification code changed.

She stopped before a panel of thick, blue mist, a strange portal in a green wall. The barrier rippled with puffs of white, taking on the appearance of the ceiling of Dome Biblia on a fine day. "EQ-YFI1-WP-Palo-9," it stated with a flat, tinny voice, recognizing the energy her gem radiated. "Stall 9."

The equina held her breath, closed her eyes and crossed the mist. She emerged on the other side completely dry. The walls of the new corridor were rich with the warm tones of cherry wood. A light breeze came from somewhere. Looking down the walkway, she spotted a flashing chartreuse ball of light floating above one door and walked toward it.

Stall 9 had an open window, providing a lovely view of a courtyard overflowing with bright yellow flowers. She peered out, leaned on the sill and took a deep breath. Scents from the surrounding town tickled her nose and relaxed her with their familiarity. Earth from tilled fields mixed with the spicy perfumes of merchants. The orb floating above the Library dimmed one last time before darkening. The walls of the blackened dome began to sparkle with lights that slowly formed across its span. She watched their slow arcing movements for a time and wondered what it would feel like to actually eat and drink as the humans did when they sat down to their evening meals. It was at day's end that her masters were most at ease and generous.

The equina stretched. Maybe, one day she would try an apple. She glanced at the woven fiber screen that shielded a bucket and a patch of straw separate from the rest layered across the floor. Her face flushed. She had heard that elimination was a messy process.

She closed the shutters, plunging the room into darkness except for the cool green light of her gem. In the morning, she would retrieve her bandoliers, clips and pouch from a groom who would have cleaned them, as was customary.

She did not feel like laying on a bed of straw this night. Sometimes, she preferred to simply stand. Paola leaned against one wall. Tendrils of yellow light emerged from its smooth surface and wrapped around her body to support her. Her gem dimmed to match their color as she drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she sped across a barren expanse on four legs, not two. And Cenere cried out her new name.