stared at her in silence, but the sparkle in his eyes hinted of humor. "Now you see why he despairs to break his side of the curse. Yet he could only be so lucky to experience life as a feyquin."
After regaining her senses, Selina patted the long gray neck under the thick mane. "I doubt he sees it the same."
Faldon nudged her in the side. "Any human should see it as a blessing."
She ran her hand down the long bridge of his nose and gently pushed him away. He gave no reaction but followed her on the road.
* * *
After nine days of walking in new shoes and stays in a couple villages on the road, she followed Faldon off the road to avoid soldiers who might show loyalty to Sorvin rather than Antorin.
Near sunset of the ninth day since leaving Dorrinton, a distant shimmering palace of white rose high above a magnificent city spread upon the plains. The setting sun ignited the spires in its glow. A crescent shape at the highest peak could have been dual flames of a candle.
Selina stopped at the crest of the hill to gaze at the distant wonder. "It's beautiful!"
"We'll reach it tomorrow. Tonight we'll rest here." Faldon galloped away without another word, while the others settled to grazing.
Selina watched him go, eager for his return as a man.
With the bag of food from the last village, she sat down on a rocky hillside. Back in Dorrinton, Faldon suggested a sack for carrying water. She would not have thought of it. Reen had cared for their provisions.
She now looked at it in sorrow. What happened to her friends? She hoped Reen found Doxon and that Beth returned home safely.
She likely would never know since each day her life ebbed away a little more. When she left on this journey, she had fully expected to die in Vastorn.
From her vantage, Selina watched the sun disappear, anticipating when Faldon would join her. The other stallions grazed nearby. Bastien, who refused her help to heal him, stayed further away since Faldon's attack, while Faldon stayed closer to her. None of them talked about the fight. She didn't understand their behavior.
But she now understood their attitude towards humans, particularly Sorvin. Whatever he planned for her, she came to heal his father, the king, and she would do that. If he had other reasons for sending for a Na'Y'dom , she would refuse to cooperate.
Despite the hard, stale bread, she ate what her stomach demanded to fill it. Tomorrow she would enter the city. Food would be plentiful, if the palace was a demonstration of the richness of Vastorn.
With the stars twinkling in the sky, Faldon's steps crunched on the grass. Selina tossed him a red fruit, which he caught.
"Where'd you go—halfway back to Dorrinton?"
He sat down next to her and bit into the crispy fruit. "Too many guards around. I had to hide until they passed. They looked at the ground and mumbled about tracks. I think they expect us."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Likely bad." He stared at the fruit for a few seconds in a contemplative silence and threw it away.
"What's wrong?"
He said nothing but stood and took a few steps away, his eyes on the city.
"Faldon?" Worry tightened in her chest, especially since his news of the guards nearby. Selina stood up, ready to run if necessary.
"Curing Antorin may kill you."
Was that concern in his voice? "I have some time."
He turned to her, his emotions hidden by the dark night. "No, you don't. There's a sinister reason your life is cut short when the mark shows."
She touched the mark within a hair of completing the pattern around her neck.
"Every time you heal someone, you give them a part of your life. You sacrifice yourself for others. Y'dom was a demon, not a god. It cursed the Healers long ago, Selina, when they tried to destroy it. It's a part of this land's history. The mark glows as it grows. Yours is nearly complete."
"No. He was a god. He gave us the healing gifts. You're just trying to keep me from going. I thought we were past this." She choked on the lump in
After regaining her senses, Selina patted the long gray neck under the thick mane. "I doubt he sees it the same."
Faldon nudged her in the side. "Any human should see it as a blessing."
She ran her hand down the long bridge of his nose and gently pushed him away. He gave no reaction but followed her on the road.
* * *
After nine days of walking in new shoes and stays in a couple villages on the road, she followed Faldon off the road to avoid soldiers who might show loyalty to Sorvin rather than Antorin.
Near sunset of the ninth day since leaving Dorrinton, a distant shimmering palace of white rose high above a magnificent city spread upon the plains. The setting sun ignited the spires in its glow. A crescent shape at the highest peak could have been dual flames of a candle.
Selina stopped at the crest of the hill to gaze at the distant wonder. "It's beautiful!"
"We'll reach it tomorrow. Tonight we'll rest here." Faldon galloped away without another word, while the others settled to grazing.
Selina watched him go, eager for his return as a man.
With the bag of food from the last village, she sat down on a rocky hillside. Back in Dorrinton, Faldon suggested a sack for carrying water. She would not have thought of it. Reen had cared for their provisions.
She now looked at it in sorrow. What happened to her friends? She hoped Reen found Doxon and that Beth returned home safely.
She likely would never know since each day her life ebbed away a little more. When she left on this journey, she had fully expected to die in Vastorn.
From her vantage, Selina watched the sun disappear, anticipating when Faldon would join her. The other stallions grazed nearby. Bastien, who refused her help to heal him, stayed further away since Faldon's attack, while Faldon stayed closer to her. None of them talked about the fight. She didn't understand their behavior.
But she now understood their attitude towards humans, particularly Sorvin. Whatever he planned for her, she came to heal his father, the king, and she would do that. If he had other reasons for sending for a Na'Y'dom , she would refuse to cooperate.
Despite the hard, stale bread, she ate what her stomach demanded to fill it. Tomorrow she would enter the city. Food would be plentiful, if the palace was a demonstration of the richness of Vastorn.
With the stars twinkling in the sky, Faldon's steps crunched on the grass. Selina tossed him a red fruit, which he caught.
"Where'd you go—halfway back to Dorrinton?"
He sat down next to her and bit into the crispy fruit. "Too many guards around. I had to hide until they passed. They looked at the ground and mumbled about tracks. I think they expect us."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Likely bad." He stared at the fruit for a few seconds in a contemplative silence and threw it away.
"What's wrong?"
He said nothing but stood and took a few steps away, his eyes on the city.
"Faldon?" Worry tightened in her chest, especially since his news of the guards nearby. Selina stood up, ready to run if necessary.
"Curing Antorin may kill you."
Was that concern in his voice? "I have some time."
He turned to her, his emotions hidden by the dark night. "No, you don't. There's a sinister reason your life is cut short when the mark shows."
She touched the mark within a hair of completing the pattern around her neck.
"Every time you heal someone, you give them a part of your life. You sacrifice yourself for others. Y'dom was a demon, not a god. It cursed the Healers long ago, Selina, when they tried to destroy it. It's a part of this land's history. The mark glows as it grows. Yours is nearly complete."
"No. He was a god. He gave us the healing gifts. You're just trying to keep me from going. I thought we were past this." She choked on the lump in
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