Star Stable: A Forgotten Secret

Chapter Seven: A New Beginning

A pair of hooves splashed through a puddle and another pair of hooves wasn't too far behind. Galloping from the shadows of the trees from the Hollow Woods was Freya riding on Stormchaser racing ahead and leading Galloper Thompson riding on Morrigan. A little cluster of light rain clouds had passed through the evening, dampening the ground and filling the air with the scent of fresh rain. The distant mountains were delicately sprinkled with the fading mist from the rain, like white frosting on cake slices.
"Try and catch me if you can!" Freya called out, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Get back here!" yelled Galloper Thompson, clearly filled with the excitement from his descendant and her stallion.
They were running together, as though they're two in the same. Freya felt the wind whooshed through her. She was intensely aware of Stormchaser's movements underneath her. She felt herself smiling and Stormchaser let out a loud whinny. Freya raised herself up slightly as the grassy ground disappeared underneath them for a bit. Stormchaser had leapt over a log. She felt her hair flowed behind her and her stomach lurched. She almost felt as if she and the stallion were both flying. She tightened her grip on the reins and Stormchaser slowed down for a moment, long enough for her to regain her balance again and calm down her excitement. Freya took a deep breath, calming herself down and nodded to Stormchaser, who nickered softly with an excited look and they both continued their galloping.
It wasn't long till Galloper and Morrigan had started to catching up to Freya and Stormchaser. He and his mare still worked in the Keep as a ferryman for lost spirits, while Freya and Stormchaser sometimes helps out and continued protecting Jorvik alongside the Soul Riders and Keepers of Aideen. She smirked and led him to a small mountain where the Red String Trail Ride takes place and has breathtakingly beautiful sights of the area. Beams of sunlight shone down on them and the scents of the wildflowers wrapped around them.
Once they arrived to the campsite and set aflame the lanterns on the four wooden beams around them, Freya gave Galloper a cheeky look at his amazed expression.
"I wanted to bring you here before you and Morrigan left," Freya said to them.
But when they both looked up, they both soon saw something astonishing in the sky.
It was so beautiful. She could count more hues and shades than in the box of paints and watercolors that she had bought a few years ago. Shades of sapphire, violet, magenta, and golden shimmered and shined, like a giant rainbow had blanketed the sky and stretched out over the land. It was barely evening, but the stars started to sparkle brightly in the night sky. Despite the darkness of the appearing dusky sky, they were so bright and clear like distant diamonds sparkling in the night. The stars sparkled like distant diamonds in the sky, while the sky is like deep sapphire blue velvet that sparkled with the beautiful, autumn constellations overhead. As the clouds cleared, a silver circle of the full moon had also appeared in the night sky and had casted its soft silvery beams of light over the lake. Not just that, but they could the Valedale Lake taking in the silvery reflections of the moon and the stars like a dark, velvet cloth. One could see the outlines of Hollow Woods and the trees gently swayed in the wind, scattering the silvery moonbeams on the forest floor.
"It's so beautiful here," whispered Galloper as he and Morrigan took in the gorgeous, but peaceful scenery around them. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"I know. Right?" Freya has set the fireplace aflame, revealing the three light tan tents, buckets filled with apples, and water troughs.
But as Galloper dismounted Morrigan and led her to join Stormchaser, he saw that Freya was looking a little sad as she gazed into the growing flames. She looked at Galloper and watched as he sat down onto the log next to her.
"I'm going to miss you," Freya said to Galloper quietly.
His green eyes softened and said softly, "I'm going to miss you too. But I promise I'll come back next October."
"I'll be waiting for you." Freya smiled warmly at Galloper Thompson and some of her sadness had disappeared.
She couldn't hug him, Galloper wasn't much of a hugger. So, she moved next to him and closed the space between them. She sat next to him, gently gripped his right arm with her own 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. She was determined to show Galloper Thompson her compassion and she didn't care about getting burns from the Horseman himself. She wasn't moving. She was relieved when she felt Galloper Thompson slowly relaxed to her gentle grip instead of shoving her away or burning her.
They both sat there together for a few minutes, silent. The only sound being a rustle from the tree leaves in the distance and the horses' soft breathing behind them. Freya was surprised to see Galloper's arm go over her shoulder and pulled her into a sidelong hug. She placed her head over his chest and was glad to hear the rhythmic sound of his heart that matches her own.
They both looked at the fireplace together. The flames crackled on the wood. A few sparks flew into the night sky like fallen stars rising into the vast, star-filled sky. The sparks seemed to have alight and aligned the Pegasus constellation in the night sky. Freya could have sworn that she had heard a neigh from the mythical winged horse.
"There was a time." Freya could feel Galloper's deep voice resonate from his chest. "Where I didn't want to be here anymore."
Freya felt her blood run cold and her breathing stopped. She couldn't believe her ears. But she couldn't blame him for thinking that. He was betrayed by his best friend. The people and horses — with expedition of Morrigan — hated him. He was different and innocent, but he was beheaded for that and had started scaring everyone into understanding where he was coming from.
"When?" Freya held his trembling right hand and did circles with her thumb gently.
"It happened when Morrigan was killed by the fire in her stable." Galloper Thompson shuddered and Freya snuggled closer to him, the black mare and buckskin stallion looked at them. "That's when I accepted the deal with Harpy." He sighed and looked down, his curly blond hair fell over his face. "It was my biggest disgrace, but it was the only way to rescue my only friend and partner." Galloper placed his chin on top of her head and Freya laid her head onto his chest. "I didn't know what was happening. But after meeting you, everything had started to come to light and it slowly started freeing me and Morrigan from our captivity of the witch." Galloper shuddered and Freya gently squeezed his hand, surprised to feel the equal warmth from him as well as hers. "I was relieved to have such a brave and wise granddaughter." Freya smiled at those words, but she knew there was more to it and decided not to push his limits.
"Till that time comes, we both have roles to plays in separate realms," said Freya as they both looked back at the campfire. "I have to protect Jorvik, alongside the Soul Riders and the Druids."
"And I have to protect the Realm of the Dead from the dark forces," Galloper said grimly.
"We'll have to protect our realms from the destruction," Freya said.
"Just be careful." Galloper sounded hoarse with sadness. "I was afraid that I could of hurt you." His bright green eyes met Freya's deep blue eyes. "Please don't scare me like that again."
Freya nodded understandingly and the two riders separated each other a bit and placed their foreheads against each other.
"Till the time comes, we have to go on our own separate paths with our comrades," said Freya.
The both saw each other as equals, but not as unique people with different lives. But as people who are both willing to bring new changes to Jorvik and protect the light that surrounds the magical island.