Light mimicked.
‘He’s funny,’ Glass giggled.
‘Great. Now Short Stuff thinks I’m a comedian.’
‘You get used to him,’ Moon said.
Behind her, the trees rustled, making the sound of a thousand whispers. Reflection pricked her ears, flaring her nostrils in alarm.
‘Soldiers,’ Light said, jumping up. ‘Don’t worry. They haven’t followed us. They are moving in the other direction.’ He sniffed the air. ‘Something else, too. Something far more evil. Something...’ His eyes widened. ‘It’s time to leave.’
‘What is it?’ Glass asked, but the wolf was already rushing across the clearing into the scraggly trees beyond.
‘Do you have a camp nearby?’ Moon asked.
‘Just on the other side of the clearing, hidden in the brambles,’ Glass said.
‘Good. Take me there.’
Glass held out her hand for Moon to take. Moon hesitated.
‘It’s okay,’ Glass said.
‘You don’t understand. My presence is painful for most people. My touch is deadly.’
‘It’s okay. Really.’
Glass’s face was open and honest, and there was a look in her eye that made Moon realise this small girl knew exactly what the risks were, and she had no fear of them.
Cautiously, she accepted Glass’s hand. Glass winced, but then put on a smile. ‘You are very sad,’ she said.
‘You are the first person to have been able to survive touching me in the many years since my unicorn was slain. If only we could all be as you are.’
Glass shrugged, then looked off into the woods, where the shadows were every creeping nightmare that she had ever feared was real. ‘What’s out there? What was it that scared Light so much?’
‘The thing we all most dread in these hard days is on the move, marching out from Crystal Shine to survey his new dominion. The thing out there is Crow.’
***
Onyx watched from the cover of the trees as the last spider–soldier unceremoniously stuffed Sky into a sack and dragged her away. She wriggled and squealed, fighting to break free with every last bit of her strength; but gradually her muffled screams faded away and there was only the horrid scuttling of the departing soldiers. Then that too was gone.
Onyx cantered out of hiding, shaking leaves from his mane. He was seized with the urge to chase after Sky, to run down every last one of those evil soldiers and smash them into dust; but as he prepared to set off, he briefly looked back at Private Silver. The brave soldier had not moved since he had been cut down, but what if he was still alive?
If Onyx left, then he would be condemning the private to death. If he didn’t leave, what terrible fate was in store for Sky?
Whatever he did, he was letting someone down.
He stamped his hoof agitatedly. He was only a horse. He was supposed to carry people around, eat grass, and occasionally win a race. He wasn’t supposed to make this kind of decision. Lives weren’t supposed to depend on him.
Silver groaned faintly.
Onyx made his decision. He nudged the private with his nose.
No response.
He thought for a moment, and then he licked Silver’s face.
Silver groaned again, half–opening one eye. ‘Your kisses are sloppier than my grandmother’s,’ he said. His voice was weak, but there was just enough life in it for Onyx to realise the private was not going to die just yet. He snorted, and nuzzled Silver’s cheek to show his happiness.
‘What do you think you’re doing? Get off me. Where’s Sky? Did she get away?’
Onyx shook his head and then indicated the way in which Sky had been taken. The shadows were growing longer by the second as night swooped across the land. It was already too dark to track the spider–soldiers. There was a chill in the air that had not been there before: a sense that things had changed for the worse.
‘We have to go after her,’ Silver said, through gritted teeth.
Onyx shook his head again. He was only a horse, but even he could tell that Silver was in no fit state to be going off on
‘He’s funny,’ Glass giggled.
‘Great. Now Short Stuff thinks I’m a comedian.’
‘You get used to him,’ Moon said.
Behind her, the trees rustled, making the sound of a thousand whispers. Reflection pricked her ears, flaring her nostrils in alarm.
‘Soldiers,’ Light said, jumping up. ‘Don’t worry. They haven’t followed us. They are moving in the other direction.’ He sniffed the air. ‘Something else, too. Something far more evil. Something...’ His eyes widened. ‘It’s time to leave.’
‘What is it?’ Glass asked, but the wolf was already rushing across the clearing into the scraggly trees beyond.
‘Do you have a camp nearby?’ Moon asked.
‘Just on the other side of the clearing, hidden in the brambles,’ Glass said.
‘Good. Take me there.’
Glass held out her hand for Moon to take. Moon hesitated.
‘It’s okay,’ Glass said.
‘You don’t understand. My presence is painful for most people. My touch is deadly.’
‘It’s okay. Really.’
Glass’s face was open and honest, and there was a look in her eye that made Moon realise this small girl knew exactly what the risks were, and she had no fear of them.
Cautiously, she accepted Glass’s hand. Glass winced, but then put on a smile. ‘You are very sad,’ she said.
‘You are the first person to have been able to survive touching me in the many years since my unicorn was slain. If only we could all be as you are.’
Glass shrugged, then looked off into the woods, where the shadows were every creeping nightmare that she had ever feared was real. ‘What’s out there? What was it that scared Light so much?’
‘The thing we all most dread in these hard days is on the move, marching out from Crystal Shine to survey his new dominion. The thing out there is Crow.’
***
Onyx watched from the cover of the trees as the last spider–soldier unceremoniously stuffed Sky into a sack and dragged her away. She wriggled and squealed, fighting to break free with every last bit of her strength; but gradually her muffled screams faded away and there was only the horrid scuttling of the departing soldiers. Then that too was gone.
Onyx cantered out of hiding, shaking leaves from his mane. He was seized with the urge to chase after Sky, to run down every last one of those evil soldiers and smash them into dust; but as he prepared to set off, he briefly looked back at Private Silver. The brave soldier had not moved since he had been cut down, but what if he was still alive?
If Onyx left, then he would be condemning the private to death. If he didn’t leave, what terrible fate was in store for Sky?
Whatever he did, he was letting someone down.
He stamped his hoof agitatedly. He was only a horse. He was supposed to carry people around, eat grass, and occasionally win a race. He wasn’t supposed to make this kind of decision. Lives weren’t supposed to depend on him.
Silver groaned faintly.
Onyx made his decision. He nudged the private with his nose.
No response.
He thought for a moment, and then he licked Silver’s face.
Silver groaned again, half–opening one eye. ‘Your kisses are sloppier than my grandmother’s,’ he said. His voice was weak, but there was just enough life in it for Onyx to realise the private was not going to die just yet. He snorted, and nuzzled Silver’s cheek to show his happiness.
‘What do you think you’re doing? Get off me. Where’s Sky? Did she get away?’
Onyx shook his head and then indicated the way in which Sky had been taken. The shadows were growing longer by the second as night swooped across the land. It was already too dark to track the spider–soldiers. There was a chill in the air that had not been there before: a sense that things had changed for the worse.
‘We have to go after her,’ Silver said, through gritted teeth.
Onyx shook his head again. He was only a horse, but even he could tell that Silver was in no fit state to be going off on
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