Magic? (Book 1 of The Aluna Search) (completed)

Chapter 2

Sirge brought snow into the stalls where they washed and groomed the horse. They saddled the girl up. Lina left to go saddle up speed.

‘He need some exercise and I can keep better control on Snow if I bring’

She walked down pass the stalls where two sick horses were being kept.

“How are you going?” she said as she patted a pregnant chestnut horse names Oak. Oak whinnied back happily showing she was fine. The stable opened in two directions one to the paddocks and the ‘car park’, she didn’t believe a patch of mud and grass could count as one but the management said it was so everyone went along with it. In the other direction it opened out to the forest where it was her job to teach and give tours in. ‘the white of the forest’ was a place she stumbled over a year ago when she first came to Greenwood.

The place was dark and damp so the snow didn’t seem to melt there. It had a strange aura to it which Speed hadn’t like so they left. Now a boy wanted to go there. She shook her head it was too weird.

“Lina!” a female voice pulled her out of her revive.

“Oh hi Hailey” Lina said moodily

“Who’s that guy, huh?”

“A guy named Sirge who is taking a private tour of the forest” she said

“You know the price of private tours has gone up?”

“No, how much now?”

“For three hundred to four fifty, can you believe, management is so greedy! So did you charge him the right amount?”

“No way! I charged him a two hundred”

“Oh god you’ll get in trouble for this!”

“I’m-”

“Don’t worry we are all on your side!”

“Precisely” she mumbled. She knew everyone had a soft spot for her, sometimes she felt like a real baby but other times they were so kind to her.

“Oh! Sorry I have to go and you have a tour to do! See you later!” she ran off waving back at Lina and Lina waved back. She went into speed’s stall.

“Hey boy” she cooed and he whinnied back.

“Come on we are going for a gallop”

‘Oh good I need to stretch my legs’ he thought to her. She saddled him up and led him out into the foreground of the forest.

"You’re riding that horse!"

"What?"

“Oh nothing it’s just…They're exact replicas but Snow is white and Speed black!" he said after a moment and he wasn’t convincing her but she played along.

"Yeah I know." Lina started "Their manes same length to the millimetre when we cut it grows back. The style of their mane won't change and if you lift up their mane" she lifted Speed's silky hair to reveal a white five pointed star. Sirge lifted snow's soft hair to show in the same position as Speed's, a black five pointed star. Sirge mumbled something to himself.

"They’re like…" Sirge began

"…Two halves of the same horse." Lina finished "They're not brother and sister, yet exact opposites." Sirge mumbled again.

‘Geez he does a lot of mumbling’ she thought which Speed picked up on and let out a whinny laugh. Sirge looked over not getting what was going on but he still had a serious look and a cold stare which made Speed shut up.

They both mounted their horse. Sirge motioned for her to lead which she was quite pleased about and happily took up lead.

“come on let’s really ride, let’s see if you can handle snow at a faster pace” she wanted to see snow buck him off his ‘high horse’ but Snow seemed perfectly happy with Sirge on her back. Speed took off like a bullet quickly crossing the clearing. Wind battered her hair ruffling it. She laughed as the wind whipped her face. Once she got across the meadow Speed slowed down to work himself around the twisting trees and path.

A white streak came up beside her. She looked across to see Sirge and snow solemnly overtaking her and Speed. She knew this would happen. Snow couldn’t win a ran against Speed across and open plain like when the town cup is held, but she can beat Speed though the forests every day. Just like their colouring it was as if Speed had taken the speed component and Snow had taken the agile component. And Lina thought this the woods seemed quiet and their seemed to be only one horse galloping though the forest, as if the horse were truly only one horse.

The horse halted abruptly and a gust of wind rattled though the trees. The trees around them shook violently. Lina quickly gazed over at Sirge frightened, this had never happened before. Sirge was still looking cold and distance. He looked over at her and for a moment they stared into one another’s eyes, for one long moment until Lina pulled away her gaze. He was looking at her, admiring her? Or hating her? She pushed aside such thoughts like the rest of them. It seemed she had a pile of pushed away worries and thought good and bad.

She looked back over at Sirge whose eyes remained upon her or had they looked at each other at the same time?

"Sirge? What’s the matter" Lina asked. Sirge’s eyes were misty and he looked troubled and if trying to remember something.

‘What’s going on in there?’ She thought. Sirge shook his head.

 "Sorry," he replied finally, "my mind wonders sometimes" he shrugged.

"This is it" Lina said. The trees towered over them like high walls. There were no gaps in the grove of trees other than what looked to an entry. Two trees stood some way apart, enough for two on horses to get though comfortably. The trunks were wide leading to thin branches which twisted, and intertwined together making an arch.

It started to rain, to pour down. Lina lightly touched Speed's side and he leaped forward under the tall leafy branches. Sirge shortly followed. White specks filtered thought the branches. Little snowflakes fell softly down drifting slowly. Lina looked down to see Speed dappled white. Speed whined shaking his head, the snowflakes exploding off him.

Lina snapped out of the trance and put her hand on Sirge's shoulder. He jumped and turn towards her.

"Let’s go" Lina said

“Not you go back” Sirge told her firmly

“Come one” Lina said not caring for want her was saying coming in the grove was calling her, a least she thought it was. She started trotting into the grove when she stopped and turned back. Sirge was still on Snow standing back then nodded.

“Fine “he shrugged; shrugging was seeming to become a habit. They trotted on Speed and Snow into the towering trees.