Soul Riders | Star Stable

Waiting | Chapter 10

Linda didn't want to ride in the dark because of the days events. The sun was low on the horizon, almost entirely over the mountains. Meteor quickened his pace.

Once Linda reached Fripp she could tell something bad had happened. 

"Alex is in the hospital, I think it was the dark riders."

Fripp looked curious at this. He took a moment before he said, "Nicole's gone."

Linda was about to continue talking but stopped, with her mouth hanging open.

"What, how, what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure, I was gone for a mere few minutes and when I returned there was no trace."

Linda was shocked.

"How?"

"I'm not sure what happened."

"How's Alex? We need to have a discussion about today's events, I feel they are connected. Why is Alex in the hospital?"

"Lisa was too tired to heal her as well... Tin-Can was injured too."

"Well, I suggest you return before nightfall, we will discuss this tomorrow." 

At this Linda left and hurried to Meteor, a sliver of sunlight was left.

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Anne found Alex in the hospital. She was sleeping and had a large bandage covering her forehead. Anne sat down and waited for word from Linda. The sun had now set over the mountains, Jorvik was dark.

Anne's phone dinged, "Fripp wants to talk to us all tomorrow, how's Alex?"

"She's still sleeping."

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Anne fell asleep in the hospital room and woke up to Alex staring at her.

"What happened?" She asked immediately.

Anne took a minute and rubbed her eyes trying to wake herself from the grogginess she felt."I wasn't there, Linda and Lisa were the ones that found you."

"Hows Tin-Can?" Alex asked curiously.

"I believe he is resting at the stables."

Alex let go of a deep breath, and relaxed a bit.

"Linda and Lisa said they would come to see you. I think Fripp wants to see you too." Anne remembered.

As soon as all four Soul Riders were there Alex got ready to tell them what happened. 

"Me and Tin-Can were just taking a trail ride, but I thought I saw someone in the woods. So, we followed her... I thought I saw Jessica." She paused, the girls were tense. "I followed the hooded figure from behind, and when they stopped I stayed hidden in the forest. I looked through the brush and saw Nicole, and Katja was approaching her. I quickly rode Tin-Can around to get Nicole. When I was there Jessica and Katja were going to kidnap her." Alex took a deep breath. "She turned to run and knocked into Tin-Can and me, I struck Katja and me an Nicole started riding off. I fought them off for a while, but another cloaked dark rider joined them. I held them back, but then they jumped ahead...."

Anne looked curious, "what do you mean?"

"Well they appeared in front of me, I saw her just before she struck. But I was too late..."

"What happened to Nicole?" 

"When the dark rider struck us, I made sure to absorb most of the strike. But it was powerful, it threw me off Tin-Can and everything was blinding." Alex sighed. "I saw them drag Nicole off and strap her onto one of their horses. She...She's gone."

All the Soul Riders looked miserable, the thought of how they let the dark riders get to someone innocent.

Lisa went to go grab Alex's arm. "Alex, let me heal you, then we ca-"

Alex yanked her arm away, "No, I deserve this. After what I did. I'm the reason Tin-Can was hurt, I'm the reason Nicole's gone!"

"You aren't the reason, from what Fripp told me... Nicole left on her own. Alex you did your best, it's oka-"

"No it isn't. I could've done better."

Lisa, Linda and Anne looked concerned. 

"Well I will go tell Fripp, find out when Alex can leave." Linda got up and left. 

Anne decided to go find a doctor or nurse. Lisa stayed with Alex. 

"Thank you, for healing Tin-Can." Alex said quietly.

"Of course."

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A day had passed and Alex was released. "Finally free! It's like jail being confined to a bed and not able to see my horsey!" The doctor overheard them and had a frown engraved on her thin lips. "Miss Cloudmill, I hope you will take my advice and not ride. It could aggravate your injuries, especially having a concussion. I ask you to wait a week."

Alex rolled her eyes, Anne smiled. 

Alex and Anne went to the stables to get their horses. Concorde stomped his hooves excitedly when Anne entered. They tacked up and started riding out. Alex didn't want to admit it but the doctor could have been right about waiting. Her chest hurt, her ankle hurt and she felt dizzy. She was a lot slower than Anne, Concorde didn't like being held back. Anne slowed down to ride beside her. 

"You okay?" She asked gently.

Alex didn't want to admit what she was feeling, "yep, fine."

Anne veered off trail at this and went into a heavily overgrown area, she started making the motions with her arms. The colours swirled together into a glimmering portal in front of them. Alex was thankful and lead Tin-Can through. 

Soon after they stumbled into Fripp's chamber, the other girls were there. A dark hole was still burned into the wall, Alex shuttered. Fripp was talking to Lisa and Linda, he looked up when Anne and Alex entered. He smiled when Anne entered and frowned when Alex followed.

He clasped his tiny hands. "Ah, now that we are all here, we have some important matters to discuss..." He paused, "as we all know, Nicole is gone. I was informed from Linda that it was the dark riders." Fripp looked very grim. "We should expect the worst, she is the perfect weapon, and with her it could leave to the very destruction of the Keepers of Aideen." He looked directly at Alex. "Alex gather the druids most valuable texts in the secret stone circle and a handpicked few to guard them from the inner circle."

Alex nodded her head.

"I... I have something to say-" Linda looked down at her feet as the other girls and Fripp looked at her, "-I... had a vision last night. Even more vivid than the others. I saw darkness, so much darkness... Jorvik was," she shuddered, "Jorvik was gone."

The room gained a darker glow as everyone felt the weight of what Linda said. 

"If this is true, we need to protect Jorvik at all costs." He gestured his hand at them all. "The Soul Riders destiny is to protect Jorvik from darkness. We must try our very best. Alex, start your task, Linda should help you. Lisa and Anne, I need you to look for any trace of Dark Core or the riders."

Everyone left with their assigned tasks. Alex picked five druids and gathered piles of books from houses and cellars. Linda fetched a huge number from Fripp's library. Fripp hopped out to them a few moments after they finished. 

"Thank you my fellow druids, you may be confused as of why you are here, but the continuation of The Keepers of Aideen relies on it. I have asked Avalon to prepare a vault high in the Jorvegian mountains, the journey to get there would be a few days but I will have Anne open a portal for you to arrive faster. This vault has not been opened in many generations, but now it is time. I ask you to not come out, until Jorvik is once again alive. From this moment it may be the last time I see you, have a safe journey."

The five druids looked shocked, as did Linda and Alex.

Could this be the end of Jorvik?