Star Stable: Wildwoods

Chapter Three: A Runestone

The morning sun shone down on the great fortress of Jarlaheim. The crowds were beginning to come through the marketplace as the heat of the day begun to rise. The early yellow light made the buildings and balconies gleamed like ancient silver. Locals inspected the produce and goods. But among them wandered foreigners in unique clothes and women with equally unique makeup. But a little away from the crowds of the people was Erika.
The girl scanned the crowd curiously, but a faint look of loneliness entered her blue eyes as gazed at the crowds of people. The girl sighed wearily and started walking through the town carefully.
A group of young girls stared at Erika, some with envy while others gave her looks of old admiration. The looks she received from the young men were less divisive. They stared with widened eyes and mouths opened ajar, some even winked and flexed their muscles. Erika rolled her eyes at the sight and looked away from them.
The children's reactions were more pleasant. They waved and and smiled with innocent enthusiasm. A few elderly villagers and younger people were also friendly. Her eyes softened when she saw an elderly couple sitting on a bench. The husband gifted his wife a rose.
Erika felt her heart lifted at the beautiful sight in Jarlaheim. But the peaceful feeling in the town square had disappeared when everyone heard a loud, panicked whinny.
People screamed at the rampage of the panicked horse. Many of them dragged children and their pets indoors. Others went into some nearby stores. But some people surrounded the panicked horse. Despite her fear of the terrified horse, Erika had joined the circle just as well, unaware that someone was videotaping the incident.
"Somebody has to take hold of the reins," whispered Justin to Tristan, who had recently joined the circle.
Without saying a word, Erika slipped away from the other horse handlers and walked towards the panicked horse. The horse handlers stiffened and gasped quietly at the sight, especially Justin and Tristan.
But Erika, on the other hand, she was slowly, but carefully approaching Kasper. Kasper was slowly calming down as Erika carefully approached him. But everyone heard a small crack from a person's boot stepping on a fallen branch by accident.
At that, Kasper had started whinnying and rearing in a startled panic once again. Erika was swift with her movements as she suddenly ran towards the panicked stallion. She managed to take hold of the loose reins and dodged the slashing hooves of the spooked stallion.
"Whoa! Calm down fella." Erika's voice was surprisingly calm and soothing like the wind. She gently stroked Kasper's muzzle and the stallion soon calmed down. "Easy boy. It's okay."
"Erika." She looked over her shoulder to see the vet approaching her and the stallion. "You did a good job at calming him down. But can you hold him still once I checked up on him?" Erika nodded with a sympathetic smile.
As Erika gently held Kasper's reins and kept the stallion calm for the vet, the vet started using a stethoscope to listen to Kasper's heart. The vet used a otoscope to check Kasper's ears and then got out a flashlight tool to check the stallion's alert eyes. The vet put her tools away into her white doctor's bag, then the vet started lightly touching the stallion's legs as she searched for any scratches or wounds.
The vet stood up with a warm smile and patted the stallion's flank. "He's one healthy horse. He probably gotten spooked by something."
But as Erika petted his neck, she spotted an empty black saddle that's strapped on top of a blue steeplechase blanket and remembered the bridle's reins in her hands. "And bucked off his rider by accident."
"Oh dear." The vet glanced at the agitated stallion. "You should probably find this fella's rider and bring them to my office."
"Do you know the rider's name?" Erika asked the vet curiously.
"I recognize him." The vet smiled gently at the sight. "This is Kasper. His rider is a girl named Sonja." But her expression became worried and gazed at the girl. "But it's not like them to be apart like this. Erika, you find her."
Erika raised her head with pride. "I will." She was unaware of Justin's eyes watching her walk away with the spooked stallion. Erika followed Kasper's lead and held the stallion's reins. She followed him to a secret path behind the Jorvik Stables Arena.
Suddenly, a clearing carpeted with soft grass and growing sapling trees had opened up. The clearing was bathed in a warm, golden sunlight. There was a large stone monolith with ancient writings and unique carvings on it, with some rocks underneath it.
"What is that thing?" Erika asked, sounding both bewildered and defensive, as she gazed at the runestone.
"Kasper!" On the other side of the rune stone was Sonja and Kasper eagerly nuzzled Sonja as she hugged him. Erika cracked a smile at their reunion.
"What happened?" Erika asked, sounding both bewildered and curious, as she gazed at the rune stone warily. "And what is that?"
"It's a rune stone," explained Sonja. "It's all over the island."
"But what happened?" Erika eyed the rune stone and gave a canteen of water to Sonja. "What made you stop here?"
"The rune stone had somehow started glowing!" Sonja's voice had raised at that last word, which made Erika stepped back a bit.
Erika gave Sonja a doubtful look. "Glowing?" She glanced at the rune stone while she placed her hand on the rune stone to feel the carved markings. She looked back at Sonja doubtfully and with a touch of protection. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"
"Very funny." Sonja gave Erika a playful glare. "But it did glowed."
Erika gave Sonja a dubious look. "If you say so. Let's get going..."
But all of the sudden, the rune stone started to glowing bright blue within the ancient carvings. Erika cried out in pain and pulled her hand off of the glowing rune stone. It was glowing like a small burning blue fire in the center of her left hand. It sounded as if a piece of a hot iron had been placed onto the center of her hand.
Erika gritted her teeth her pain and held her hand upwards. The palm of her hand revealed a strange marking have been made. It looks like a crescent moon and three intertwined circles in the center of her hand.
"Erika!" Sonja exclaimed, her eyes wide with horrified panic and confusion. "Are you okay?"
She gritted her teeth in pain as the burning had slowly came to a stop. But the strange marking remained firmly on the palm of her hand. "I—I'm fine." She quietly strengthened her resolve and hid her scarred hand with a black fingerless glove. "Lets bring you to the doctor."
At that, Erika helped Sonja onto Kasper's saddle and used the reins to lead the stallion back to Jarlaheim. But they were unaware that a raven with glowing eyes on top of the wall, clearly had seen their encounter with the rune stone.