And away we go with Part Two of The Shape of Family! This Part is entitled “Wings”.
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The Shape of Family
Part Two – Wings
by Rick Cook Jr
Wing Captain Claire Claymonte wanted to stay and search for the rider of this beautiful horse. It rankled that they were not able to sneak up and catch him unawares. But if the Forest didn’t kill him, a patrol probably would.
She sighed as they mounted up and Sergeant Combs continued to work his skill at calming on the animal. Dark blue and gray patches on a coat of midnight black. She had never seen horseflesh of this variety before. Her white stallion Moxie was a sight to behold, but pure white breeding was in vogue even among the civilians. A horse with coloring like this one… Envy of the entire military, she’d be. She could claim it as spoils of the road if she wished.
“Hand over the saddlebags,” she said to Combs as they left the forest and took up the route.
Jeffrey Combs patted the horse on the neck and reached for the saddlebags, leaning over. The horse dipped to the side and Combs nearly lost his grip. He held with leg and a grip on the reins and came up laughing.
“This one’s feisty,” he said, freeing the bags and handing them over. The way he looked at Claire made her uneasy, like she was just another animal he might tame. She snatched the bags trotted to the other side of the road.
She said, “Mind that horse. I don’t think she likes you.”
“She’ll be okay after she gets used to me.” The horse bucked and then settled, and it was almost as if she laughed at him.
She frowned at the contents. She couldn’t even tell if the rider had been man or woman. No personal effects, no clothing, no cleansing supplies. Not even a hint of what the rider might have been doing. Just food, a bevy of small weapons, bludgeons and daggers and the like. Accoutrement befitting a highwayman, perhaps. Then there was the star chart with a manual on how to read the stars.
“I haven’t seen one of these in years,” she said, holding up the star chart. “This thing must be fifty years old. And terribly illegal.”
“Are we surprised that an illegal traveler is carrying illegal things?” Marie asked. Claire caught herself from speaking out against the young lady. Fourteen, impertinent as they come. If only Renee were here instead. She could concoct a reason to send the young miss home and get Renee in her place.
No. That would be impertinent of Claire. Best to keep a twinner on hand for emergencies.
“I’m merely surprised it exists,” Claire said. “Scout, do you know the navigation of the stars?”
“No, Captain, it’s not needed.”
“And why aren’t they needed, Scout Mollen?”
Marie Mollen let her pace slacken to ride abreast with the group a moment. “I know every road in the kingdom, Captain. Every Scout does.”
“Say you’re deep, deep in the Red Forest by some mishap.”
Jeffrey Combs butted in. “Come on, now, Captain. We all know what happens when you’re lost in the Red Forest.”
Private Hughes in the rear called, “You feed the forest.”
“Your blood will paint the leaves in a fresh new coat,” another soldier yelled.
“So forgive me Sergeant if I ask our Scout how she would navigate an impossible situation,” Claire said, cutting off all remarks.
Marie stared at her, brow crinkled in concentration. “Could I navigate with the stars?”
“If you knew how, you could follow the stars anywhere in the kingdom.”
“No wonder it’s illegal,” Jeffrey said.
“Where was this delinquent going, do you think?” Claire asked Sergeant Combs.
“Somewhere far away if this horse stock is any indication.” He patted at the horse again, and again the horse snorted and tried to knock him from the saddle.
“Can you keep that animal contained or not?” Scout Mollen asked.
“She’s a little tricky, but I think we’ll come to an arrangement.”
“She’s a beautiful creature, to be sure. Have you seen her like?” she asked Jeffrey.
“Just some children’s tales. Blue isn’t really a color for horses.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin while thinking.
“What children’s fable tells of blue horses?” Claire asked.
She stuffed the star chart back into the saddlebags and linked them to her horse. Illegal for a civilian but not the military. Worth thinking about a lesson in stargazing if they could work it out.
“Are you talking about Filomena?” Scout Mollen asked.
“The very one.”
“She wasn’t even a horse, though!”
“Sure she was.”
“Pegasus ain’t no horse.”
Claire rolled her eyes. Let them talk.
“Close enough,” Jeffrey said. “What’s it matter, it’s just an old story.” He patted at the black horse’s mane, and the horse seemed to be settling. That was good. Mayhaps she could be tamed and ridden. Claire pictured herself, a brilliant contrast in rider and horse. She could wear white with slashes of blue and black…
“Pegasus is a special kind of horse, isn’t it?” Jeffrey said.
“It’s not even a real thing.”
“Oh, and there you’re very wrong. I almost caught one, once.”
“You didn’t.”
“Course I did.”
Their prattle didn’t go for very long before there was a disturbance in the forest. Claire held her hand up for silence. Jeffrey’s horse, the one relegated to pack-horse while he rode the new midnight filly, gave a frightened neigh and tried to bolt. His excellent training kept it from losing its wits and a stubborn yank on the reins kept it in check.
Branches cracked and snapped, the birds gave flight. From Marie’s slight forward position came a creature from the darkened woods, whirling body and gnashing teeth. Marie cried out and fell from her horse in the confusion.
The bandersnatch was upon them.
Marie’s pony bolted but couldn’t get away from the rending claws and snarling jaw. It fell in a crying heap of blood before Claire could even start to mount a defense. The midnight horse raced forward with Jeffrey on her back, and the other soldiers followed suit, falling into formation for this whirling dervish of a forest devil.
But Jeffrey wasn’t in formation, instead holding back. Claire took his position and yelled at him to get the horse under control. The bandersnatch rushed between horses, headed straight for Scout Mollen scrambling back in the first real terror Claire had seen on the girl’s face. That was good.
Jeffrey and the black horse crashed into the bandersnatch from the side while Claire and the other soldiers reformed ranks to take it down. The black horse neighed and stamped her hooves aggressively at the creature, dancing back and forth in a way no horse had ever done before.
Claire thrust her spear forward as she rode past, but the bandersnatch twisted away and dove back into the woods, snarling a final time. The horse it maimed lay dying, but the creature had fled.
Jeffrey climbed off the black horse and held it steady, expecting a trick. The filly didn’t even bother, just nickered pleasantly. Claire would have sworn it had eyes for Marie only.
“What in the name of the Five was that all about?” Marie cried as Jeffrey helped her to her feet, dusting off her backside for her.
“Never seen a snatch so bold before,” Claire commented. Of course she hadn’t, none of them had.
“Bidelia?” Marie asked. She must have been in shock. The black horse pulled at Jeffrey’s grip, dragging him a few feet to obscure the dying horse while Claire herself put a spear through its throat. A good horse, and their swiftest.
“Bidelia went down keeping you alive,” Claire shouted to Marie after the deed was done. “Combs, get that blasted horseflesh out of the way and let Scout Mollen through.”
“Love to, Captain, but she’s being a stubborn bitch, isn’t she?”
Claire dismounted her own horse and patted its side for it to stay put and walked around the black horse to Marie. “It’s done. You can say good-bye if you want, but she’s been put out of it. And I need you to do your duty, Scout.”
The girl pulled up short. “What?”
“You need to get to the capital. Let the Wings and the patrols know that the creatures are ignoring even daylight and large groups now. It’s getting worse and we need to be ready.”
“I don’t have a horse.”
“You can use Sergeant Combs’.”
The black horse danced forward again and nickered at Marie, nudging her with its snout, then stepped to the side and knelt in front of her.
“What the hell is this?” Jeffrey asked, pulling on the reins again.
“Does she want me to ride her?” Marie asked, tentatively stroking the horse’s face.
“It seems so,” Claire said. “But I can’t trust my scout to an untrained horse.”
Weirdest horse Claire had ever seen. Maybe its previous rider had been a young woman? Possible, she supposed.
“I don’t think she’s gonna give you a choice, Captain.” Jeffrey yanked on the reins again. “She’s gone stone for me.”
Claire chewed on her lower lip and then stopped. Bad habit. Best not to show her hesitation. She nodded and stared at her unit.
“Very well. Scout Mollen, report to the capital what we’ve seen here. Have this horse, if she doesn’t fling you from her back into a ditch, stabled with the rest of the Captaincy until my return.”
“Yes, ma’am. Are you hurrying back as well or should I send Renee?”
“Best to send her I think. We’ll wait for her in Stalbridge.”
The young lady nodded and stood in place for a moment, concentrating. It took only half a minute and she opened her eyes and nodded. “Scout Renee Mollen rides.”
“Then get on this confounded black horse and do the same.”
Jeffrey helped her into the saddle, though she hardly needed it with the horse kneeling as she was. It hopped up the moment Marie was settled, whickered playfully and shook her head left to right so Jeffrey had to release the reins or lose a hand.
“Good luck, young miss,” he said, patting the girl on the boot. “She seems to like you better than me.”
“We’ll see how she does once I’m out of sight of you all.” The girl spared a glance for her dead horse, scrunched up her face in a vain attempt not to cry, and turned away. “On you go, black bitch.” She kneed it in the sides but it didn’t start moving. “Tally-ho? Onward?” she tried but the horse approached Claire’s horse, nipping at its former rider’s saddlebags.
“It wants its owner’s belongings, I think,” Jeffrey said, and Claire felt a sudden anxiety at giving this horse anything more than it already had.
“She won’t get them. If you’ve got any knack for animals like they say, then get that horse moving,” Claire said to Jeffrey.
“Hasn’t worked yet, but I’ll see what I can do.” He came up to the horse’s side once more and whispered words into its ear, and all at once the horse reared back so that Marie had to hold the horse’s mane to keep from falling, and then bolted off towards the capital.
“Guess it worked that time,” Jeffrey said. “Well, least I can ride my own horse again.” He gathered up the saddle and other belongings on Marie’s dead horse and attached them to his.
Surly and worried twinners, a flirt and animal-chaser. Now a wild black horse with no rider. Her retinue was quick becoming filthy with weird. That might come to be known as a nickname if she wasn’t careful.
“Mount up, drag Bidelia into the woods. We finish our mission and then we head for Stalbridge.” They all got back in their saddles and rode on, touring the countryside for civil unrest and supernatural chicanery.
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Part Three should be following the third and final narrative perspective, and then the story will be told from these perspectives going forward! Come on back on Tuesday next week for more fun!
Panning For Clouds 