Nari stumbled over a rock in the path. Chenn caught her elbow, stopping her from crashing headlong into the ground.
“Thanks.” She smiled at him.
“Do you want to rest?”
“No.” Nari shook her head, pulling out the map she’d been given by a couple they'd come across a few days back.
She had found their route, but it was hard work getting onto it. They’d been off by several miles trek through hard terrain, and with monsters everywhere, it was difficult to get through.
A rustling came in the brush nearby. Chenn and Nari whirled around looking for the source of the noise.
What was it? Another monster? A person?
“Quick, into the bushes!” Chenn hissed in her ear.
They saw a flash of tawny red-gold in the bushes a few paces away. Nari didn’t hesitate to follow Chenn into the bushes a ways away from where they’d spotted the gold flash.
“What do you think it is?” Nari whispered.
Her shoulders and leg muscles tensed, ready to sprint if the source of the noise and the flash proved dangerous. She was much stronger now, and she was ready to run or defend herself. Chenn was similarly tense.
There was another flash, and a nightmare burst into the clearing. She pranced, tossing her head. Her gold mane fluttered in the still air as she spun and whirled, frantic. Something was bothering her, but what was it?
Nari wondered if it was their scent. Nightmares didn’t usually dislike humans. True, they brought the dark dreams to all creatures, but they also brought the peaceful dreams. People often had the wrong impression of them because of their name, nightmare, but it was just because they operated at night that they took that name.
Something else, hairy and gargantuan, burst into the clearing, hot on the mare’s tail. She whinnied, and then struck out with her hooves. It caught the hairy creature in the side of the head, but still it came on.
Nari could see it now. A fanged, furred creature that looked somewhat like a monkey, but had the head of a saber-tooth. She hadn’t seen any of these before. She’d thought they had been banished to the Dark Realms long ago. Her teachers had talked of them with horror. They weren’t supposed to come back. They were supposed to be locked away in a place where no summoning could reach them. How could they escape?
“It’s a Leohinin. Those aren’t supposed to exist.” Chenn whispered, glaring at the creature. "This is going to cause trouble."
“I know.”
Chenn started rummaging around in the satchel. He pulled out the Scepter. “Better hope this works.”
“Chenn! What are you doing? Are you nuts?” Nari murmured, eyes widening.
“Nope. Just making sure this thing goes back where it came from.”
Nari glared at him. “Do you want it to know we’re here?”
The head of the Leohinin swung around, facing their way. It sniffed the air, ignoring the nightmare for a moment.
“It already does, Nari. I need to concentrate. Shut up or it’ll kill us before I can banish it back to the Dark Realms.”
Nari’s face went pale, and she shut her mouth. She watched in silence as Chenn pointed the Scepter at the Leohinin. He closed his eyes and whispered something. Nari tried to catch what he was chanting, but he was so quiet that she couldn’t hear what it was.
The Leohinin snarled. It started shimmering. Then it threw back its head and roared in agony. A moment later, it vaporized, and all that was left was shimmering pile of dust. The nightmare tossed her head, neighing in alarm and prancing to the side.
Most horses would have bolted, but nightmares were of a hardier stock than a regular horse, and the mare stayed despite her fright.
Chenn put the Scepter away, and walked out of the bush with slow steps.
“Hey, now. We’re not going to hurt you.” He whispered to the mare. “We got rid of that thing. It isn’t coming back.”
The mare snorted, and tossed her golden mane. Then she spoke.
Nari jumped. She hadn’t heard anything about nightmares talking.
“I thank you, son of Earth. It is a good thing you came along when you did. I would not have lasted that thing’s attack for much longer.”
Nari walked slowly out of the bush too. She stared at the nightmare, eyes wide. “You can talk.”
“Yes, daughter of Earth. You can as well. Does this surprise you?”
“Well… No... I mean, yes, it does.”
The mare gave a rich, snorting laugh. “Silly human.”
Nari blushed.
Chenn stepped up to the mare. “We were hoping you might do us a favor, mare of the night.”
“What is this… favor, son of the earth?”
“We need to get to West Base quickly. You see, if we don’t, Amory may well take his armies and march on Earth. You have seen what he’s already brought out of the Dark Realms. These things should not be possible, and yet he has made them so.
"We must stop him. We have the Book, the Wand, and the Scepter, but he still has the armies, and I do not have the strength to banish all the creatures of darkness back to the Dark Realms. Only Andrew Parsi can do that. He is the strongest magic-wielder Earth has seen in millennium.”
The mare tossed her head, considering. “Why should I do this for you?”
“Because the lives of many, including yours and your kindred’s, hang in the balance of our success. We must succeed, mare of the night.”
The mare sighed. “Very well, son of Earth. I will take you. And, for pity’s sake, stop calling me mare of the night. My name is Ivwen.”
“Many thanks to you, Ivwen. We shall do as you ask. May we?” Chenn motioned to her back.
“You may.”
Chenn took hold of her gold mane, and swung himself up onto the mare’s back. She pranced back and forth for a moment, and then stood still as he swung Nari up in front of him.
“You know that this is a great honor, do you not, children of Earth? Nightmares rarely consent to being ridden.”
“We know that it is a rare honor, Ivwen. We thank you for it.”
“Ivwen, do you know the way to West Base?” Nari gazed in amazement at the mare’s luxurious gold mane and red-gold hide.
“I know the way, daughter of Earth.”
Nari fell silent.
The nightmare took off in a floating gallop. Trees and bushes passed in a blur.
Nari loved the wind on her face. She’d never ridden a horse before, and it was a good thing Chenn was holding her onto the horse. He must have ridden before, because he had no difficulties staying on the horse. It was a good thing he had because without him to steady her, she would've fallen off by now.
They continued to pass things at a fast pace, and Nari didn’t bother speaking. She simply reveled in the floating gallop of the nightmare, Ivwen.
Around dusk, Ivwen stopped. They had reached the halfway point, but of course, no one was there. They would all be thinking that she was dead by now, Nari realized.
“We should rest now, children of Earth. It is growing dark, and it is not wise to travel after that. I would suggest that you climb a tree to sleep tonight. You will be safer.”
“But Ivwen, what about you? You can’t climb a tree.”
“I have rounds to make tonight to visit people in their dreams. I will be safe. I shall return in the morning.”
Chenn slid off Ivwen’s back, and swung Nari off into his arms. She put her arms around his neck as he did so. He set her down on the ground, and she straightened.
Her muscles and legs were all screaming from riding half the day. Now she knew what some of her childhood friends had been talking about when they said you could get saddle-sore when you rode for the first time or for the first time in a long time.
She stretched, yawning. Now that Ivwen mentioned it, she was exhausted.
“I must go now, children of Earth. I will see you tomorrow. You are most agreeable companions. I am honored to meet you.” Ivwen lowered her head to nuzzle them both. “May the nightmare that brings your dreams be kind to you and bring you sweet dreams.”
“We thank you, Ivwen. We shall meet again tomorrow.” Chenn said, giving her shoulder a farewell pat.
She whinnied. “Well met, son of Earth. Indeed, we shall meet again tomorrow. Spoken as a true nightmare.”
She tossed her head, turned and flew across the land. A few moments later, she was no longer visible.
“Well, it was a good turn of luck that she showed up. We made much better time today than we would have walking. If this pace keeps up, we’ll be at West Base within a day or two. We’ve reached the halfway point. This is where Indri and I parted.” Nari told Chenn, selecting a tree to climb.
Chenn followed her to the tree, and they scrambled into its branches. It was a good thick tree with long, wide branches.
Nari and Chenn both fit on one of the ancient tree’s branches with ease. Nari snuggled up against him. She slept much better when he was next to her. For some reason, his nearness comforted her.
It was a strange thing, but his presence seemed to chase away the bad dreams. Or maybe it was just that the nightmares liked him, and took pity on her for his sake when he was near her at night. She had no idea, but she didn’t really care. What mattered was that she slept better.