Page 20 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

A twig snaps under one of my boots, and the pegasus lifts its head, instantly finding me among the trees. It doesn’t appear scared, or even startled, as we stare at one another through the thick branches that lie between us. From what I know of them, which is mostly myth at this point, they can be fairly territorial, so I take another step back, willing my body language to appear as non-threatening as possible. It watches me curiously, ears moving forward and body language suggesting it's perfectly relaxed, as if we've known each other forever.

I put another foot of space between us, about to turn around to leave it to its breakfast, when it takes a step toward me. I freeze, my breath catching in my throat as I watch it saunter amiably in my direction. I remain still until the pegasus is right in front of me, staring at me with its big brown eyes. I didn’t even know I was holding my breath until it nudges me familiarly, and I exhale in a huff, almost laughing with relief.

It continues to nudge and sniff me when I remember I still have an apple in my pocket from last night. I reach slowly into my pocket and hold the apple out for my new friend, who takes it right out of my palm, crunching away greedily. I do laugh now, not quite believing what I’m experiencing. I reach up tentatively and pet its nose, feeling more and more confident by the moment that it’s tame and won’t try to bite or trample me. The way it’s snuggling up to me makes me think it’s domesticated, leading me to wonder where its owner is. My guard is instantly back up as I consider the possibility that it’s not out here alone, but it wears no saddle or bridle. The whole situation is incredibly strange, but there’s not much I can do at this point except say goodbye to the friendly animal and head back to camp to await the sunrise.

Having realized that I only had one apple, the pegasus had gone back to grazing, but when I turn to walk away, it lifts its head again and starts to step with me. I stop, and it mirrors my movement. I take several steps now, and it does the same. I laugh, unsure what in the Four Kingdoms is going on. Maybe it just wants more apples and thinks I’m its best chance of finding some. I keep walking back to camp with the pegasus in tow behind me since it’s not like I could stop it from following me even if I tried.

I make it back to our camp and find another apple in my bag, and my new shadow accepts it without hesitation, then starts sniffing around our camp, probably looking for more of the crunchy, sweet treat. I sit down near the fire, shaking my head in disbelief.A Pegasus!Never in a hundred lifetimes did I think I would ever live to see something so magnificent.

The sky is lightening slowly as the sun prepares to make her daily debut, and although I know I’ll be saying goodbye to Briar and Killian in a matter of moments, I feel a little less alone having the pegasus here, even if it’s just temporary. It’s light enough now that I can tell it’s a mare, and my heart pangs slightly for Freya.

As if on cue, the sun peeks over the horizon as Briar and Killian emerge from their respective tents, and I hold my pointer finger up to my mouth, signaling them to stay quiet. They catch sight of the winged horse grazing behind me and their eyes go wide at the same time.

I grin.“I made a friend.”

∞∞∞

After we all acknowledge how rare the pegasus is and I recount how I found it in the woods, Briar and Killian start gathering their things to head back through the mountains. We’re all taking longer than usual to clean up the campsite, trying to delay the inevitable. Once everything is packed and we can’t possibly stall any longer, Killian and I lock eyes, and my vision blurs with tears. I throw my arms around his torso and he wraps his arms around my shoulders in a brotherly embrace.

Gods, this is gonna hurt like a bitch.

“Take care of yourself, kiddo,” Killian says. Normally, I would scold him, but knowing it could be the last time I hear him say that term of endearment makes me feel like sobbing.

I hold myself together enough to tell him,“I love you, big brother.”

We pull back from our hug, and Briar instantly slams into me, holding me tighter than she ever has, tears soaking through my shirt.“Kick some ass out there, okay?”

“You too, B. What am I gonna do without you?” I’m full-on crying now, tears flowing down my face and into my mouth, making me taste salt.

Briar pulls away, hands planted on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes, her tone stern.“What you were fuckingbornto do.”

I nod, wiping my runny nose and puffy eyes, trying to gain control of my emotions. They both hoist their packs onto their shoulders and exchange a look, no doubt feeling anxious about traveling back through the mountains.

“Take care of each other!” I plead with them as they start to walk away. They both nod solemnly and then lock eyes, the air between them charged as they exchange a silent vow. Knowing theyfeel strongly for each other, even though they won’t admit it, makes me feel better about parting ways. At least they’ll have each other to keep them grounded as they deal with the magical mist once again. I watch them walk away until they’re at the foot of the pass, and they turn around to wave goodbye to me one last time.

I hold my hand up in farewell and whisper the words of the Sacred Departure, said only if someone is dying, or leaving with no plans to return.“Let not sorrow cloud our spirits, but rather let it ignite a flame of gratitude for the time we shared together. May Dafina in her infinite wisdom conspire to bring us together once more, if only in The Faide beyond.”

They stand together with their heads bowed while Briar does the enchantments once again before they make the journey back. They lift their heads, and I watch them disappear into the thick fog of the mountains.

I start to feel utterly alone, doubting myself more and more as each second passes. But before I can really start to break down, the pegasus comes up behind me and places her head on my shoulder. I reach up and rub her jaw, her presence a bigger comfort than I would’ve thought. I exhale a whisper of a sob and take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on what needs to be done.

I turn to face her, holding her nose as I look into her brown eyes.“What shall I call you, hmm?” I ask the powerful beast. With my knapsack on my shoulders and my bow and quiver strung across my back, I start to walk in search of civilization, and the pegasus follows, only footsteps behind.“How about Shadow?”

She whinnies playfully in approval, and I smile to myself.“Alright then, Shadow. Here goes nothing.”

Chapter Ten

Shadow and I walk for miles in peaceful solitude, getting more comfortable with each other’s presence. It’s not like I have any real claim to her, but she doesn’t seem to care about that.

After several hours, my feet are aching. There’s a steady throb pulsing through my heels and countless blisters are forming on the arches of my feet, but I haven’t dared to try to mount her. Even though she seems tame, I have no idea if she’s been broke, and frankly, I would feel nervous to ride her with her wings. What if she decided to take to the skies with me on her back? I could plummet to my death if she bucked me off mid-air. So, walking it is.

Eventually, we start to pass some small farms, which lets me know a town is likely close by. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find an inn to wash and stay the night in, but the more I think about encountering strangers, the more nervous I become.

Firstly, because I’ve never met anyone on this side of the mountains, and I don’t know if people here will be different from those I grew up around.

And secondly, knowing how rare Shadow’s kind is, I’m nervous that someone will either recognize and claim her or try to steal her and sell her for profit.

On top of those two things, I’ve been thinking of Killian and Briar constantly, knowing what they’re going through in the mountains but not actually knowing if they’re okay. I’ve been trying to make peace with the fact that I most likely won’t know how they fared in the Pass for a long time, if ever, and all I can do is pray that they made it through.

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