World Of Light (Arula: Two)

Chapter 7

Karma rummaged through her room packing. Plans had been made. They were to set out tomorrow at first light. The sooner they left, the faster they'll get there. The journey to the Sprite Clan would be a long one, nearly a two-month journeys, but they didn't have two months, they had two weeks until the Festival of Light, and that's when Queen Luska wished them to come by. Dagner had the idea that they rode ryder wolves, such as Hanley. Ryder wolves were the fastest animals in Arula, they can outrun a cheetah. Without much choice, they agreed to do so. Luckily, Dagner had friends who would deliver the wolves to them.

Now Karma sat on the window seat staring at the starry night and she wondered if her family, back at Earth, were looking at the stars she was. Angel jump up next to her master, curling up and placing her head on Karma's lap. Karma stroked Angel's head as she gazed out the window. Tomorrow, she knew, would be another journey of her life.

----

The day was bright and sunny on that morning summer day and Karma, Omar and Dagner were out by the stables packing. Mika was not to come on this mission, she and Omar had made that arrangement, someone had to look after Hope. The she-elf stood off to side with her daughter in her arms. "Ragnar had said to meet him by the Unra River, where he and two others will be waiting there with the ryder wolves." Dagner said, tying a bag on Hanley's back. The wolf snorted in protest. "Sorry, girl, but we can't over pack the horses, you have to pull your weight as well."

The companions had agreed to go to Bergen, a village in the Unra Valley, and drop the horses at a stable. Bergen was known as one of Arula's best horse breeders. Most people go to Bergen just for their annual horse show. Though, Karma wasn't so keen on leaving Pepper, her white with black speckled horse, there. Pepper seemed to agree when Karma told her companions this. "Worry not," Omar said, packing up his horse Jack, a brown and white mare. "Bergen treats horses like royals, they wouldn't dare hurt Pepper." Karma wasn't so convinced.

"Do I really have to leave Angel behind?" Karma asked, rubbing the long-tailed fox's ear.

"Yes, we've been over this," Omar said. "Angel wouldn't be able to keep up the ryder wolves. She's not built like that." Karma grumbled something under her breath and looked at Mika.

"Don't worry," the she-elf said. "We'll take good care of Angel." Karma smiled her thanks as the two hugged each other good-bye. Mika went up to Omar, hugging and giving him a kiss. "Be careful." She warned, as Omar took Hope into his arms, giving the little elf a hug.

"I'll be fine," Omar said, giving Mika another kiss, then turned to his daughter. "Be brave, my little stella.1" He said to her. "And I'll be back before you know it." Kissing Hope on the cheek, he returned her to Mika.

"Bye, papa." Sniffed Hope. "Be back before my brr-day, okay?" Omar smiled.

"I promise I will be back before then." He said. "And it's pronounced birth-day, not brr-day." The girl giggled and buried her head in her mother's neck. Omar turned to Karma and Dagner, asking, "we all set?"

"I believe-"

"Wait!" Called a weak voice, that interrupted Karma. "Please wait." Nector came stumbling in the sable, his tall frame leaning against the door to the sable.

"Nector?" Karma said, walking up to the sprite. "What are doing? You're supposed to be resting."

"I know," said the sprite. "But, if you're going to my homeland, then I want to come. I want to go home... please." Karma looked at her companions for help.

"Are you sure you'll be able to make the journey?" Mika asked. Nector nodded.

"I must. I'll be able to get better medicine there, no offense, but your human herbs don't do much for a simple sprite like me." Nector smiled weakly and looked at them with pleading eyes. Karma nodded to Omar.

"Get him a horse," she said, then turned to Nector. "You ready to go home then?"

----

A three days had past and Bergen came into view before they knew it. Karma sighed with relief, glad to finally be halfway to the sprite's capital village, Yunalla, and not so glad that she must leave her fine horse, Pepper behind for a few months or so. "We're here." She declared to her group and flicked Pepper's reins. The horse responded with a snort and trotted faster. The village was buzzing with people from all sorts of classes, poor, middle, and nobles. Karma had never seen so many of the classes here in one village. Horses trotted about the village, either pulling a carriage, pulling a wagon, or giving its master a ride on their back.

There were also a horse show going on, where people sold and bought horses. Children laughed and ran around the traveler's horses. A young girl had asked to pet them, which Karma and the others allowed. When they reached a stable, they paid the stable owner two pounds of coins. The stable owner gave them a suspicious look. "These are my traveling partners." Karma explained. "We just need you watch our horses for a while until we return." The stable owner looked at Karma and grunted,

"I don't trust no elf, dwarf, or fairy." Then looking at the two pounds in his hands he waved them off. "Have a nice day, though. I'll make sure your horses are well taken care of." When Karma and the others unpacked the horses, they began to walked to the Unra River. As they walked, Karma noticed the looks everyone gave them. She knew that most of them still don't like the Clans.

"I can let Hanley give them a bit of a scare if you want, Lass." Dagner said and Karma smiled.

"No thanks, Dagner," she said. "The faster we get out of this village the better." An hour later, they had made it to the Urna River, where three dwarves with a pack of ryder wolves waited for them.

"Here, here!" Dagner shouted to his comrades and they returned his greeting. They happily shook hands and talked in fast in their dwarf tongue. Turning back to his companions he said, "this here is Ragnar," Dagner patted a grey bearded dwarf's back that assumed to be Ragnar. "He is known as one of the many ryder wolf breeders. And over there," Dagner motioned to a black bearded dwarf and a brown bearded dwarf. "Are Haman and Zuke." The two dwarves pound their chest with their right hand in greetings, Karma, Omar, and Nector did the same. "Creator, you may pick your wolf first." Karma let Ragnar guide her over to the pack of wolves, each wolf was a different color and size.

The wolf that caught Karma's eyes was a white wolf with black tip ears. The beautiful creature looked at Karma with intelligent ocean blue eyes. "Ah," said Ragnar from beside her. "I see you're interested in my white one, eh?" He asked, with a chuckled. "He's a big one, he is. Don't like many dwarves, but he seems to find you fascinating. Go on and see if he likes you, if he does, he's yours." Karma gulped and approached the wolf. The wolf watched as Karma came closer to him, he let out a low growl that made Karma stop. The wolf sniffed and crept over to Karma instead. He sniffed her like he was searching for a lost item. He then stopped in front of her, making eye contact, snorting, then laying down.

Karma didn't know what that meant, she turned to Ragnar, who gave her a nod. "He has accepted you, Creator. He is yours to ride." Soon after, the others choose their wolves and began to repack their supplies. "Now," said Ragnar to the companions. "these ryder wolves will get you to your destination faster than any horse in Arula. So, ride carefully and may Odin be your guide." Dagner, Ragnar and the other dwarves, Haman and Zuke, said their good-byes and the three dwarves took to their own wolves and rode off with the rest of the pack following close behind.

"Let's get a move on," Dagner said. "We can get a head start if we ride now." The other agreed. As Karma approached her wolf, she looked at it closely. The wolf was bigger than Hanley and had thicker fur. Between its shoulder blades was a small dip, or hollow, where the wolf's rider sits. The wolf's blue gaze stared at Karma as she hesitated to get on. "It won't bite, Lass." Dagner said, beside her on Hanley. Karma nodded and got on the wolf. She slid easily in the hollow between its shoulder blades. "What are you going to name him?" The dwarf asked. "Because all good animals, such as that one, needs a name."

Karma look down at her wolf thinking. Then, it came to her. "Samson" She said, and the wolf, Samson, gave a jolt. Dagner laughed.

"It looks like he knows his name already, ha-ha!" Dagner clucked his tongue and Hanley raced on. Omar came up on a brownish, blackish wolf, its strong muscles could be seen through its fur.

"You ready?" He asked, and Karma nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said, then with a click of her tongue, Samson raced on.