Rift of Askrah Book 1: Fracture

“It is considered bad luck to travel on the back of a horse without knowing the name of the steed.” Galen said to them, just as they had ridden out of the city. “Since these horses have now changed ownership, you are free to name them as you please.”

  Cal was petting the side of his painted mare. He had a kind, and thoughtful look in his eyes as he stroked it. “I shall call her Adisa.”

  Galen nodded approvingly. “And you, Marina?”

  Marina looked down at the horse, and gently patted it. “What is it you wish to be called?” She whispered gently to the horse. For the briefest instant, she heard an echo within her mind. A name she was unfamiliar with. “Estaria.” She said suddenly.

  Galen regarded her over his shoulder for a second, and Marina shirked back slightly. Did I say something foolish? She wondered.

  Seconds later though, he began laughing. “I thought you said you were unfamiliar with horses?” Galen asked.

  “I am…” Marina said, beginning to feel slightly confused.

  Nihlen turned in his saddle to look at her, a large smile on his face as he regarded her. “There is a story among most riders that tells of the taming of the first horse. It was a great white mare, as beautiful as can be, just like yours. A girl, wandering in the plains of a land which no longer exists, came upon the horse, not knowing what it was. As she approached it, she was caught up in wonder at the sight of the creature. Standing beside it, she reached out to touch it. It was amazingly soft, and very gentle. Without a second thought, the girl swung upon the horse, mounting it bareback. As her head rested upon the horse's neck, she heard words within her head. The horse told her it would gladly bear her, take her anywhere she wanted to go, if she would only give her a name. The girl thought long and hard, trying to think of the best name possible for such a magnificent creature. Finally, she settled upon Estaria, which is said to mean ‘she who travels freely among the nighttime stars.’ The horse was overjoyed with her new name. She called out to her companions, creating a bond of trust and friendship with humans. In exchange for being allowed to ride them, the humans needed only to name them. This is the story told of how the relationship between people and horses first began, and why we now find them loyal to us.”

  Marina stared down at her horse, suddenly feeling very close to it. “So it is bad luck to ride upon a horse whose name you do not know because it breaks the pact they made with us.” Marina said, more to herself than the others.

  “Precisely.” Galen said, turning to Nihlen. “And what of your steed Nihlen? I was told before we left that horse was not tamed before you laid your hands on it. That is quite a story within itself.”

  Nihlen bowed his head to the compliment. “I call him Palata. It is the name of the great black steed ridden by my ancestors of times long past. Always, the king rode upon a pure black horse, and always he called him Palata. It was believed Palata was the same horse, always reborn to serve the next king in an endless cycle of life.”

  “What about yours, Galen?” Marina asked.

  “Her name is Lemet.”

  The city was now pretty far behind them. The sun was at its apex, and it was a perfectly bright and sunny day. Marina breathed deep the smells of the open field that now surrounded her. A light breeze carried the scents of hay and grass, flowers and trees. It was definitely a beautiful day to begin a journey. Marina looked ahead at Nihlen. He was slightly slumped in his saddle. Clearly he was lost in thought. It wasn’t hard to guess what kinds of thoughts he was lost in.

  Can he see this beauty around us today? Marina wondered to herself. Can he see beauty in anything at all anymore?

  As if in response to her thoughts, Nihlen suddenly turned back to look at her. “It’s an amazing day to begin a journey, isn’t it? Not a cloud at all in that sky.” Nihlen said, looking up toward the crisp blue above them. The light breeze ruffled his hair, and he ran his hand through it.

  Marina smiled inwardly to herself. At least he hasn’t fallen into a pit of hopelessness. If anyone can do what needs to be done, I’m sure Nihlen can. He’s strong, courageous, powerful…

  Suddenly, her face began to feel warm, and she looked away from him. To get her mind off of it, she looked over to Galen. “Do you have a route planned for the journey Galen?” She asked him.

  “I have been thinking of one while we’ve been riding. We have quite a trip ahead of us indeed.” Galen said. “More or less, we will simply travel north whenever possible. The border of Elharlia is similar to Leoradan. It spans the entire length of the top of the continent, separated from the rest of the lands by the Alglican Mountains. Our trip will take us through Hylrak first, then along the border of Geol through Miken. From Miken we will travel up the middle of Galdea and Barakka. Along the northern borders of Galdea and Barakka lies the Alglican Mountains. I’ve never been beyond them personally, so after that we will have to figure it out ourselves.”

  “How long will it take us to reach Hylrak?” Cal asked.

  “Five days a normal pace, but I think it’s best for us to move as fast as possible. Hopefully we’ll reach Hylrak within three and a half days. We have enough supplies to last well into our journey. We will avoid all cities and towns until we reach Miken. I want to put a fair bit of distance between us and the capital, to better conceal ourselves from anyone who may be searching.” Galen said.

  With destination in mind, and the wind at their backs, the party of four began to ride through the lush fields outside Leoradan. Marina took a deep breath, her lungs filling with the warm and sweet air around her. She reached down, and petted Estaria once more.

  Here we are, out on the open road.

  Chapter 13

  The Real World