A Dark Legend From Jorvik II: Nihili - Star Stable Online

Chapter 2: A New Journey

Greendale Forest

Kendra, Sandra, and Erik quickly picked up on a major difference with the former headless horseman. Previously you could feel the darkness, rage, and hatred whenever the horseman and his Ferrymare were near. But all of that is gone now, replaced with something melancholy. A sense of sadness, confusion, and loss. Neither of the three friends felt any danger or threat from the horseman's presence, so they took their liberty to join him around the campfire. To which, Gunnar did not object. Kendra glanced over at Nemain who had separated herself from Apocalypse and Firefly, gone to reunite with her mother. Despite not being a foal anymore, Morrigan still nuzzled Nemain. Kendra smiled at the two of them and then switched her attention to Gunnar. He was writing something down in an old-looking journal with an inked quill. Curiously Kendra was trying to see what he was writing, but it was in an ancient script she couldn't read.

"So...what brings you back here?", Kendra asked. Gunnar stopped writing and then put away his journal. 

"It's been crossing my mind for a long time now, to come back here. Mostly because there are gaps in my memories. There are things I should remember but I can't. And my old journal doesn't have all the details I need to be able to remember. I believe that I was so blinded by my anger and hate for everyone and everything in the past, that it made me forget certain things...however, if I can find fragments of my memories, I might be able to restore all that I have forgotten", explained Gunnar.

"But that's not what made your decision to come here final, right?", asked Kendra.

"Right...I started to hear a voice, one without a face but a familiar tone. I thought its source must be here, somewhere on Jorvik. Possibly a lost spirit who never made it to my realm. The moment I stepped out of my realm, the voice called again but stronger", said Gunnar.

"You mentioned finding fragments of your memories? What exactly are they? And how do you know if you have found them and that they are yours?", asked Erik. 

"Good questions. First of all, everyone has their own fragments and they are usually located in places of importance to an individual. To be able to see them, you will sort of need a third eye...metaphorically speaking. Others cannot see your fragments unless you somehow are able to share them with someone else. For me, if I find a fragment, it's like an echo from the past, a faint shadow of sorts...if I look real close, I can see the memory being displayed to me, that shadow morphs into the memory it stores", Gunnar explained. He then reached for a leather satchel he was carrying over his right shoulder. He dug around the satchel for a little while and then took out an old rusty but fully functioning compass. "Since I can't always remember the locations of importance, this compass seems to point me to them. I've already discovered three of my fragments and just wrote them down in a journal".

Gunnar closed the compass and put it away in the satchel again. He felt a little embarrassed about blabbering so much, despite Erik asking him to explain the deal with the memory fragments. Probably because Gunnar is not used to being the one to speak and having others listening to him, especially living people. But he was quick to relax when he noticed that the others didn't mind him talking and seemed rather intrigued to hear out what the old horseman had to say.

"Anyhow...what are you kids up to these days?", asked Gunnar.

"Well...it's Halloween again, so we are celebrating", said Sandra.

"Hadn't Morrigan taken us out here, we would be on our way with the ferry to Goldenhills Valley on a little excursion", said Erik and smiled.

"Hmmm...I suppose neither of you got your fair share of adventure there last time we saw each other...", said Gunnar.