Star Stable: A Forgotten Secret

Chapter Five: The Lost Secret

The Forgotten Fields' air usually felt as if it was vast, clear, and crisp. The mountains gleamed eerily in the fading sunlight. Fresh, grassy fields with rolling hills surrounded the area, which was specked with a few trees. There was a dot on the plains, a mass of brown was moving across the fields.
Freya's eyes widened when she saw a herd of horses stampeding as fast as the wind, their hooves thundering against the earth like a massive thunderstorm. They varied in color — some were bay, a few were chestnut with white markings, a couple were gray or white, one or two were palomino, and others were chocolate brown with white markings.
She watched as the horses galloped through the river and felt the wild panic in the air. Freya turned to look at the fields with a frown and her scar gleamed over her right eyebrow. She could see that a massive amount of heavy, silvery-white mist was floating over the Forgotten Fields and dark thunderclouds blocked out the sun, which almost looked like nighttime had came early to Jorvik.
Her eyes flashed in anger at the sight of it and her amulet had suddenly started glowing in a white light for some reason. She wasn't sure what it was, but she's not going to let these Vala witches to mess up her and her family's beloved homeland.
"Come on Stormchaser." Freya calmed down and rode her stallion into the mist, but they both kept guard up since they had nasty incident in Hollow Woods with dangerous and ancient, magical activity there when they searched for Anne and Alex after they had helped Fripp recovered from the explosion.
Stormchaser sensed the uneasy feeling and snorted warily when she and her stallion both heard cold crowing. Freya looked over her shoulder and saw about a dozen of shadowy ravens flying overhead and she could see that a few of them had smoke coming from them. She could see they were all glaring at her like a pack of hungry wolves. Hungry wolves makes wolves angry and the anger makes them hungry. Freya felt the chill of the Dark Ravens on her back and their eerie crowing was from her worst nightmares. Freya knew it'll take a while for her to recover from her trip in the Forgotten Fields.
A collective shudder ran through her. The fields felt even colder now. The wind whipped against her cheeks as she galloped wildly onward. The barely dodged the sleeping potions that had been thrown by the Dark Ravens overhead.
Stormchaser's hooves thundered against the grass. Freya's eyes teared up from the force of the wind as she raced along. Stormchaser galloped even faster than before. His breathing was rapid and rhythmic. It wasn't long till they hid themselves within the foggy mist and waited till the Dark Ravens flew away. They stood in the center of the fields when Freya felt a much colder presence appearing and saw some black smoke appearing.
Freya stiffened at the new presence and watched as the new presence had started to appear. The first thing Freya saw was a fierce black Shire horse, her mane and tail seemed to be set on fire as well her feathers by her hooves and her bright green eyes glowed like bright green smoke. The mare has a medieval, Y-shaped, baroque-styled, war bridle, an English saddle with orange spikes in the back of the seat, and bat-shaped flaps, a tattered green riding blanket, and two small pumpkins hanging from the seat of the saddle. But the Shire horse's rider made her breath caught in her throat. She looked at the headless horseman, but she startled to see that the headless horseman is no longer headless. He had his head back. It seemed that he was surprised too, because he also looked shocked. Freya had gotten the clarity of what the headless horseman would look like with his head, as if this was just an illusion or something. He has curly blond hair and bright green eyes that seems to be glowing through the mist, while his skin is much like hers and bares no scars of any sorts. He was wearing black shoulder-pads on top of his dark tunic with a dark gray long-sleeved undershirt, on his hands were black riding gloves, black trousers that ends at his black riding boots, and clasped behind him was a slightly ripped green cloak. He seems to be around the age of forty, which is at the time he have been beheaded over a thousand of years ago.
He looks like me, Freya thought in amazement as she took in his features. If she was any other person, she would have started feeling uncomfortable. But he was her ancestor, so Freya eagerly took in all the details of his face. He was so identical to her, except her eyes came from her mother.
"Erika?" Galloper Thompson was the first one who had recovered from their shock at seeing each other. His voice was weary and strong, but he carried himself as tired soldier. Though, Freya could sense a huge amount of guilt and loneliness seemed to be radiating from him. "Is it really you?" Morrigan took a step back warily. "No. It can't be." His green eyes became filled with heartbroken sorrow, while his mare nickered softly.
The sight of his upset body language brought out Freya's sympathy and empathy as she said, "No. My name is Freya Skyqueen."
Galloper Thompson's gaze took on more sorrow and looked down, silent tears rolled down from his eyes and Morrigan rumbled in sympathy. Freya felt a massive wave of guilt for increasing his grief.
"I'm sorry." Galloper Thompson looked towards Freya when he suddenly saw a faint, white glow coming from her. He looked at her in slight confusion and saw the glowing amulet around her neck. His gaze had became more sorrowful and a hint of hope.
"Where did you get that amulet?" Freya was surprised in the sudden change of topic. But he doesn't seem angry nor upset, Galloper Thompson seemed desperately hopeful.
She gently traced the carvings on her amulet before she explained, "This amulet is made by a druid and the piece of a stone that's taken from a runestone. It should protect me and Stormchaser from any dangers." Freya sighed and Galloper Thompson looked at her pleadingly, hoping for the truth to be spoken out loud. "My amulet and Stormchaser's saddle has been passed down in my family for many years since Jorvik was found in the Middle Ages."
A look of amazement and recognition entered Galloper Thompson's gaze and his bright green eyes softened as he met Freya's deep blue eyes with a warm glow in his bright green eyes. Freya suddenly remembered that she is the last living descendant of Galloper Thompson.
A jolt of past memory had entered Freya's mind. She was riding by herself from Firgrove as a twelve year old girl, trotting up a hill and trying to find the other riders that she had accidentally gotten separated from, moments before the accident. Then, a Shire-sized bear had attacked her (which gave her the scar) and made her horse tossed Freya off, making her hit a tree and was unable to get up due to her hit had winded her. The bear had scared off the horse and was about to have Freya for lunch when she heard an angry battle cry, a roaring neigh, and the scent of fire in the air. By the time Freya had awakened, she was in Starshine Ranch's nurse office and thought she was dreaming.
"I was so scared for you," Galloper Thompson said quietly. "I thought..." He started trembling and squeezed his eyes shut as Freya made Stormchaser moved next to him and Morrigan, closing the space between them. She gently gripped his left arm with her right hand, leaned against him, and rested her head on his shoulder. It was the closest thing she could get to a hug that she thought he would be able to tolerate.
Immediately, she felt Galloper Thompson tensed up at the sudden physical contact and felt his muscles flexed and stiffened underneath her grip.
"Don't worry." said Freya gently. "It'll take me more than that to knock me down."
She was determined to show Galloper Thompson compassion and if it caused her to get some burns from the Horseman himself, then so be it. She wasn't moving. She was relieved when she felt Galloper Thompson slowly relax instead of shoving her away or burning her.
They both stood there together for a few minutes, silent. The only sound being a rustle from the tree leaves behind them and the horses' soft breathing. Freya felt Galloper Thompson smiled softly and was about to speak when they suddenly heard screaming and cawing from the Dark Ravens.
"Oh no," Freya whispered as she made Stormchaser stepped a little away from Galloper Thompson and Morrigan. "What was that?"
"Someone else had came here too," said Galloper Thompson, looking equally as alarmed and rode in front of her protectively. Freya was surprised, but she made Stormchaser stand by her ancestor's side and nodded to him.
"I'll stand by your side," Freya said quietly, but determinedly.
Galloper Thompson was surprised, but he smiled warmly at Freya as she made her stallion stood next to Galloper Thompson and Morrigan, ready for battle. Both of them felt the unique connection between them, but they didn't know what it was and thought each other as equals. The both tensed as the newcomers had started heading towards them. Freya summoned the Lightning Circle and lifted her right hand that has a ball of pink electricity, while Galloper Thompson pulled out his sword and the blade was set aflame.
Freya watched as the four riders revealed themselves from the silvery mist. She relaxed as Alex and Tin-Can, Linda and Meteor, Lisa and Starshine, and Anne and Blondie with a curious Concorde by her side. She was relieved to see her friends again and a little worried about the healed scratches that Lisa and Starshine had probably patched up.
"Freya!" She rode towards the other Soul Riders and they hugged the teenage girl, much to her amazement. Her reunion with the Soul Riders had made Freya's heart full with love.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked Freya, looking for any sign of injuries on the girl. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"We're okay." Freya smiled at her Lightning Sister's protectiveness and patted Stormchaser's neck.
"Is that who I think it is?" Everyone turned around to look at Galloper Thompson and Morrigan, who was watching them a few feet away from them and was startled by Linda's observation.
Freya rode Stormchaser away from the others and back to the horseman and his mare before she gestured for him to join them. He looked wary at first, but he caught Freya's gaze and she gave him a quick smile that encouraged him and his mare to join them. Despite everything, Freya knew that her ancestor trusts her judgement and was glad to see he was beginning to trust them.
Linda's brown eyes shined with careful intelligence and deep thoughtfulness as she said, "We all know that these Vala witches are in Devil's Gap, but how do we approach them and how do we enter the mountains?"
"And help Galloper with his situation." Freya looked at her ancestor in concern and he looked at her with a sad smile before he looked back at the others.
"I think we have the upper hand," said Alex thoughtfully and looked at Freya with a sly, mischievous gleam in her hazel eyes. "The Vala Witches know about us, but not about Freya and Galloper." Alex smirked at the duo slyly. "We should use it to our advantage, just in case it goes south."
Freya understood what Alex was saying, she started to feel mischievous as Alex and asked, "What do you have in mind Alex?"
Everyone inched closer to form a circle to listen Alex's sly plan and she explained, "We have to be careful everyone. These witches are completely foreign to us. We're heading towards unknown territory, but we have no choice and we have to go by our instincts." Alex's hazel eyes shone with her strong courage and determined spirit. "Me, Linda, Lisa, and Anne will go in first. But we'll need Freya (Alex glanced uncertainly at Galloper and he glanced at Freya before meeting Alex's eyes firmly, to which she nodded understandingly) and Galloper Thompson will be our secret weapons, just in case something happens to us. You'll both stay hidden till I give you the signal to take part of the action and find a certain belonging of Galloper's." Alex looked at everyone and Freya smiled proudly at the girl's leadership skills. Elizabeth would of been so proud of Alex, being the brave warrior and the determined leader. Galloper Thompson was thinking the similar thing as Freya. "Is everyone ready?"
One by one, each of the riders and their horses nodded with determinedly and the wind blew through their hairs that made them looked like the warriors that they are.
"Lets do this thing." Alex and Tin-Can led the way and everyone followed her and her stallion towards the mountain range. Alex's speech had filled their hearts with the encouragement that they needed and they were willing to show the Vala Witches the new dawn of Jorvik.