The Lust of Horns

NHEDRI V

"You mean, even with the five tribes we will be defeat?" The thought made me dizzy, and I nearly took the plunge for the fifth time. I never was one to like heights. And always believed we must stay grounded. "The Yornfolk are that powerful?"

Father's silence caused a chill to run up my back. "We are no match for their sorcery ... sadly, daughter. We will all be slaughtered without the help of Tardakk."

"Tardakk is dead, father. You said he has fallen yourself."

He nodded, patting his horse. "I said he fell. I didn't say he was dead."

My throat tightened, and I couldn't get air past my lips. "You mean ... he is not dead?"

"Like I said, Tardakk has become a prisoner of Castle Kra and we are to free him." He looked up the long, winding trail. "If we free him, he'll bring his army to our aid and we will destroy the Yornfolk. Then he can reign as rightful King."

My hands were sweaty, and I gripped the reins tight. "But ... I thought Eroh, and I were to be Horn Lord and Lady Horn."

"You will never be Lady Horn." Father said solemnly. "Everything I've told you was to serve a greater purpose."

"What purpose? Why offer my hand at all-"

Father's tone grew loud and echoed in the mountain. "Because we must have power with all the clans. I have married you and your sisters off to serve Tardakk's purpose." He grimaced. "The Yornmen are here now, but there is a bigger war to be fought. The Great Cleanse is coming ..."

I'd heard these words before. Every hoofling had. The warning that a great fog would sweep across our lands, bring about creatures that would doom us all. Only those who had the strength to survive the night would live in the new world to come.

We rode high on the trail. At one time it looked to be carved like stairs. But the weather and avalanches had taken their toll. Breaking the stairs down to slippery slopes. I felt my stomach churn, and the urge to throw up the higher we got. The trail veered right around the mountain when the inside opened up, leaving a great ravine to my left. The bottom riddled with trees that looked so tiny they reminded me of roots.

Golden hawks nested inside the mountains. I'd seen their twigged homes along the cliffs. Some with great golden eggs inside. Father shot a pair down of hawks who were protecting a nest of a dozen. He grabbed the eggs and put them in his sack. I hoped we'd have them for supper.

Hours dragged on and the close to the sun we got, the hotter my skin felt. The rash returned, more severe than before. It itched and burned on my thighs, beneath my forearms, around my waist and neck. When we stopped, I applied more remedy, and it helped, but I feared it'd only be for a time. What I needed was a few days' rest.

By nightfall, we reached the summit. I was thankful for that. The trail was getting hard to see with the shadows barring down on us. Mayhee snout was frothy, and he was panting, almost collapsing on the flat ground at the top. There was an old well that was full of dark water. I tried to keep the horse away, but he fought me, and drank more than his fill.

"You'll regret that if you get sick ..." Mayhee slurped down the water, keeping his ears folded down. He was ignoring me, as he always did when he didn't agree. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

After both horses had their fill and father and I ate a few prairie peaches, we continued through the stone flat. Around us the jagged edges arched like a tunnel, causing the trail to wane the deeper we moved on. The air was sultry, even at night, and smelt of dirt, moldy earth, and fire. I even tasted it on my tongue when I breathed through my mouth. I decided it best to breathe through my nose.