Galloping Through The Curse Of The Full Moon (For ShadeOfDawn and GuardianWhisperOfSongs)

[• Echo]

For as much as she stumbles,
She’s running.
For as much as she runs,
She’s still here.
Always hoping to find something,
Quicker than Heaven
To make the damage of her days
Disappear.
Just like,
Guinevere.
{Lyrics: Guinevere by Eli Young Band}

The sleek black hide of a horse moved lithely through the darkening forest, muscles gathering and extended, leaping forward. A slim, Elf maiden balanced precisely on his back, leaning forward and moving with him. Taut skin rolled over the wiry, long muscles of the animal, and horse and rider surged forward. Overhead, the full moon made its way above the forest, over the mountains and plains and ocean, rising up into Heaven. The light of the full moon cast its light over the valley, the night air still. Not a breeze stirred, not an animal other than the pair seemed to breathe in a short breath of light. It was all still.

In these circles I’ve been running,
I’ve covered many miles.
And I could search forever,
For what’s right before my, eyes.
Just when I thought I’d found it,
It was nothing like I’d, planned.
And when I got my heart around it,
It slipped right through my, hands.
{Lyrics: That’s Where It Is by Carrie Underwood}

~*_ Ziva _*~

I leaned smoothly over Linaid’s back, glancing quickly behind me. Where was Jagger and James? Another glance behind me showed they still weren’t there. Had something happened? I tore my gaze away from the woods behind me to what was before us. With barely a finger against his neck, Linaid would turn and move to my will. He whirled around trees, forcing his way through the wild, overgrown underbrush. The only sound was of his muffled hoof beats and our own breaths. No one behind us. So we had lost the scouts, but what about my companions? I felt fear grip at my heart for a moment, but I quickly pushed it to the back of my mind. No time for worry now; I had a job I needed to do. And even though it would be harder without Jagger and James, I knew I had no other choice.

Today,
Is the happiest day of her life.
I should be happy for her,
Today.
So tell me why are these tears in my eyes,
I know I should be happy for her.
But I’ve lost everything,
I’ve lost everything,
I’ve ever wanted,
Today.
{Lyrics: Today by Gary Allan}

A lone baby’s cry split the silence of the growing night, and Ziva glanced down at the blanket that she held securely in one arm. The young child opened its violet eyes, shining like gems with fear in the moonlight.
“All is fine, Child, you are safe for now,” she whispered to the baby, and it stopped, looking up at her. Linaid’s long, rocking stride seemed to calm them both as he leaped flawlessly over a fallen tree, ears half and half. Although the young child seemed fine with her surroundings as long as she was with the Elf maiden and the stallion, Ziva soon found herself to be anxious once more. This child that she held in her arms would decide the fate of the world, and now only one guard separated her from those who wanted to destroy her, and the world. Ziva bit her lip, forcing her eyes away from the child and back to the unmarked territory they were traveling through.

I close my eyes
And one more time
We’re spinning around
And you’re holding on tightly
The words came out
I kissed your mouth
No Fourth of July
Has ever burned so brightly
You had to go
I understand,
But you promised you’d be back again.
And so I wonder ‘round,
This town.
‘Till summer comes,
Around.
{Lyrics: ‘Till Summer Comes Around by Keith Urban}

~*_ Ziva _*~

Every so often I found myself glancing down at the child, whose glowing eyes had slipped shut once more. My long, dark hair blew out behind me in the wind that Linaid created as he ran, and my eyes, whose color shifted constantly, darted around through the forest. I knew it was too quiet; All my years of training as an assassin, and finally as a guard for the child, had taught me to be naturally aware of my surroundings. But with nothing here… I let my eyes slip shut for a moment, letting Linaid guide us throughout the forest on his own. I trusted him completely, and now he was the only thing I had left if Jagger and James were truly dead. I did not want to believe it, so I refused to let myself think of it. Luckily, my days of training had left me able to do this well. Now my mind was completely focused on whatever would be ahead of us…

Didn’t you know how much I loved you,
Didn’t you know how much I loved you,
Baby.
I gave you everything
Every part of me
Didn’t you feel it when I touched you
Didn’t I rock you when I loved you,
Baby.
Baby tell me.
Didn’t you know how much I loved you.
{Lyrics: Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You by Kellie Pickler}

The black stallion and his two riders continued to move swiftly through the forest, completely unaware of what was waiting for them ahead. The Shade lifted his head into the air, a silent snarl on his lips. The archers, all clothed in the strongest of black armour with the red markings of their King, shuffled through the forest. One stepped on a twig, and the Shade swung his head around to hiss at them. The archer shrank back, and the shade returned his gaze to the silent forest. He could hear it now: Hoofbeats. They were coming. He raised a hand, the archers falling silent once more as he listened intently. After a moment he smiled cruelly. They were still on their way.

I find myself waiting,
Hoping for you to come back.
Why is it so hard?
Why should I let myself remember you?
The insults, the words…
Somehow they only covered the fact
That I am totally and completely
In love with you.
Why did I ever doubt you?
Why did you give up?
Why did we give up together?
Is this what Life wanted?
Or is this all a dream,
For us to wake up in the other’s arms
Once more?
{Poem: Is this Life? By ShadeOfDawn}

~*_ Ziva _*~

Linaid’s muscles bunched and stretched to their full extent as his stride lengthened. He, too, could feel the heaviness in the air, knew all was not right in this forest. He snorted loudly, his breath rising like misty fingers up into the Skies. I rubbed his neck, holding the young child closer to my body. No way was I going to fail again. This child would get safely to wherever she was needed to go so she could be safe once more. I felt a pang of sympathy for this child, who was so young, with no family, yet was already expected to do such great things, had all the prophecies focused on her. I shook my head to clear my mind. No need to get distressed and unfocused now, it would do no good here, not know. Just like I had with my thoughts of Jagger and James, I forced the worries of the child’s future life to the back of my mind. Linaid lifted his elegantly sculpted forelegs just as it hit us; The scent of a Shade. My eyes widened as I tried to turn him away, though I knew it was too late. A rock came out and struck his hind legs, causing him to stumble over the large log. His body went down, crashing to the earth. I was thrown from his back, somersaulting through the air to land on my head. The child’s voice rang out again as I stumbled to my feet, drawing my sword with one hand. How could I have not seen this coming? Now we were alone, and I couldn’t leave her alone so I could fight… As I thought about this, I saw the Shade step out of the forest, grinning wickedly. Of course, the King had sent Durza, his most loyal demon. I snarled, clutching the young child to my chest, knowing that somehow, somehow, I would have to get her out of this safely, away from all of this…

This is my temporary home,
It’s not where I belong.
Windows and rooms,
That I’m passing through.
This is just a stop,
On the way to where I’m going
I’m not afraid because I know,
This is my,
Temporary,
Home…
{Lyrics: Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood}

[Guest]

~ Jagger~

Hooves pounded against hard rocky soil, stones flying up everywhere and spraying the ground. I lean low over Soul’s back, the Arabian/Barb cross skidding and stumbling over the path. I cringe back every time he trips, knowing that the sharp rocks would be digging into his hooves. But right now there was no way to stop him as he slid down the cliff face, and even if there was, he could lose his balance and fall down, us freefalling to our deaths. And if he didn’t fall, then the soldiers behind us would catch up and drag us up to the King’s castle. There I would most likely be tortured until I told them everything they wanted to know, and Soul would be killed.
I didn’t dare to glance behind me to see if they were still following or not. I could already tell by the stones and rocks tumbling towards us from behind us. Soul snorted loudly, throwing his head up high into the air as he slid to a stop, haunches low on the ground. I could see the whites of his eyes showing as he turned his head to look at me. I bit my lip, feeling terrible as I dug my heels into his sides, urging him on, talking quietly to him. He rolled his eyes as he leaped forward again, returning to his frenzied gallop that could lead us to safety or drive us to our deaths. I heard a scream and a shout behind me, followed by the terrified squeal of a horse in pain. I couldn’t help myself from turning my head to look behind me as a horse and rider fell to the ground. The riders who weren’t able to get their horses out of the way tripped over the rider’s and horse’s body, and they all began rolling down the cliff trail. One of the horses slid over the side, and horse and riders alike both followed like a string of death. I felt my teeth clench, stomach tightening as I turned away. No matter how twisted the people were, no one deserved a death like that. And certainly not the horses, who were forced to carry their riders to safety, often falling dead on their legs from exhaustion and starvation because they weren’t allowed to stop their run.
Soul heard the falling horses and whinnied shrilly, clearly terrified. His strides quickened as he half ran half skidded down the rocky path. Hooves dug into the cliff as he leaped forward again. Ahead, I could see a large, open valley that stretched out from the cliff and ending at the edge of a dark forest. My stomach clenched again as I realized how far safety, if that’s what it truly would be, was, and the possibility that Soul may not be able to make it. Already his chestnut body was covered in sweat, white legs caked in sweaty mud. His breathing was coming in short, hollow gasps, his breath rising up into the air like misty fingers. I looked up at the sky, praying to the God or Gods, whoever lived up there in every form and every religion, to let us be able to live through this. My thoughts drifted to James and Ziva with the Werecat child for an instant, and I immediately added them into the prayer.
Although as if in refusal to the prayer, I saw a drop coming up before the meadow. I held back a gasp, trying frantically to slow Soul down, but to no avail. He took no heed, continuing to gallop at full speed. He stumbled over a particularly large rock, his head going down. His nose dug into the ground, chest scraping against the rocks and stones as the rest of his body followed the fall. I closed my eyes, sending up silent prayers. As we reached the drop, I was propelled from his body, somersaulting through the air. I was falling freely through the air for an exhilarating moment, before I crashed to the ground head first.
I crumpled to the earth powerfully, my body seeming to fold in on itself. I sat up, still in a daze, seeing double. I saw Soul climb wearily to his feet, head low. Deep scrapes covered his chest and neck, blood pouring from his wounds. I looked up to see the remaining riders and horses skid to a stop on the ledge before the drop, raising bows. I stood, swaying slightly as the first round of arrows came flying towards us. I managed to dodge the worst of them, though one stuck in my forearm. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, stumbling my way to Soul. I grabbed his mane, leaning on him. I hopped a few times on the ground, swinging clumsily onto his back. My eyes darted around, looking for any place out of the path of the arrows. There: A cave. I dug my heels into Soul’s sides, wincing at his pain that was clear in his eyes. Yet loyal to the end, he leaped forward, stumbling as he cantered as fast as his exhausted body would let him to the cave. Once inside I gave him the cue to slow down, sliding off of him. He lowered his body to the ground with a grunt, and I sagged against the cave wall. I knew none of the soldiers would attempt the drop… For now, at least.
I opened my eyes, mind drifting to Ziva and James. Were they still alive? Was the Werecat? Did they get separated, or captured, or something more? I had no way of knowing. Looking down at the arrow in my arm. I gritted my teeth together, opposite hand wrapping around the shaft. It had gone all the way through, the arrowhead’s tip and part of the wood on the other side. I closed my eyes and snapped off one of the ends, letting out a short yelp of pain. Letting the piece fall to the ground, I moved my hand to the side with the arrowhead. I breathe in and out steadily for a moment, the hand whose arm had the arrow in it clenched in a fist, nails digging into my palm and drawing blood. I begin tugging, feeling the arrow move slowly through my raw flesh. I grit my teeth harder, focusing on the pain in my palm and mouth other than that in my arm. I yelp several times, and what seemed like an eternity later, I removed the bloody arrow from my arm. Throwing the wood across the cave, I rip off a strip of my shirt and tie it tightly, but not too tightly, around my arm to stop the blood flow. Lurching away from the wall to Soul’s side, I touched one of the scrapes, feeling him shudder. I bit my lower lip, ripping another strip of cloth from my shirt, untying my water flask from my belt. I move closer to Soul, pouring water over the cloth to clean his wounds.

James

Skye galloped through the forest, me grasping her sides tightly with my legs, hands tangled in her mane. Balancing perfectly on her withers like a jockey in the Derby on the only filly, I stuck like glue to her bare, stormy gray back. She darted swiftly through the forest, elegant and graceful as a fleeting doe. She wove through the forest, leaving the trail and creating her own path. I could hear the thundering hooves of the riders behind us, and urged Skye forward. Her strides lengthened, swallowing up the ground swiftly, though somehow the riders followed easily. I scowled, wondering how they could keep up. Were they experimenting on their mounts as well?
Holding on tightly with my thighs, I sat up straighter, letting Skye slow down ever so slightly. Twisting around on her back with my bow drawn, I pull an arrow from my quiver, knocking it on the taut string. Pulling it back, I aimed carefully, releasing it. The arrow left the bow with a whizzing sound, flying through the forest, striking a rider in the throat. The rider’s eyes widened in surprise and pain as he fell from his mount’s sleek back. The horse skidded to a stop, the whites of its eyes showing, and let its companions race past it. Suddenly seeming to realize it was free, it shook its head, whinnying shrilly into the cool night air. Spinning around, head and tail held high, the horse reared up, leaping forward at a dead gallop and disappearing into the trees. Before I had time to think of the free horse, instinct was taking over my body as I knocked three more arrows into my bow. Again and again they flew through the forest, each one hitting its final deadly mark precisely. And one after the other, the horses stopped, seeming confused at first. They whinnied to their companions, turning and fleeing into the woods, away from the bloodbath that was only beginning.
All too soon, the riders were nearly upon Skye and myself. With another scowl, I turned and leaned low over her neck, whispering into her ear. She flicked an ear and surged powerfully forward. Leaping logs, weaving around trees, and forcing our ways through the underbrush, Skye, myself, and our deadly pursuers galloped on through the forest. I had been in many races before. I loved the exhilarating rush, the flow of adrenaline that pumped through my veins, the sound of my heart throbbing in my chest that echoed that of Skye’s at a slightly slower pace. Whether it was a race for the money or a race for my very life or someone else’s, I had never lost. Skye had never lost a step, missed a beat, and had galloped fearlessly to the end. I knew this race was different, knew that if we lost this one, then the whole world would be likely to end. Though against the odds, that only made me want the win more.
We passed through a meadow, and only then did I notice how still it was. No animals other than horses who surged strongly forward stepped forth to inspect the feel of the wind. Their, our, breaths rose up into the air like fingers clawing their way into Heaven. Hoofbeats filled the air with their thunderous sound as the riders and their mounts galloped on. I scanned the ground ahead of us as we ran, grinning like a maniac. Leaning from Skye’s back, I swoop down, grabbing a fist sized, heavy rock. All in one smooth, flawless motion, I pull myself back up, twisting as I came up to throw the rock at the closest rider. The rock struck the hunter’s temple, and he dropped with and like the stone to the ground. Like all the others, the horse came to a dead stop. Only this time, it stayed, lowering its skinny head to graze. All the horses were skinny, mere skin and bones from the cruel, merciless riders who rode them into the ground until they dropped dead from exhaustion, dehydration, starvation, or all three. At least this poor animal had finally found a home.
Then we were back in the forest, weaving through the trees powerfully. With her greater endurance, and her being in better shape than those of the hunters’ mounts, Skye surged ahead once more. Faster and faster, we leaped through the forest with an excitement unknown to most. Glints in our eyes, we knew we were nearing the end of the race, with us in the lead. Though after a moment I sat up a little straighter, listening. Was that… Swords? The familiar sound of swords clashing against swords filled my highly attuned ears. Almost right after, I smelled a Shade. Nearly groaning aloud to myself, I looked behind me. No, I would have to keep going, unless I wanted the hunters to get me. Besides, a few more pursuers wouldn’t matter, would it? And if I could rid the world of a Shade, then it would be all the much better. Slinging my bow over my back once more, I drew my sword and laid it flat over Skye’s withers, waiting. A determined smile took up my face, and a moment later, we were crashing through the trees into the meadow.
What I saw nearly made me freeze. Hunters, soldiers, archers, and a Shade stood around none other than Ziva and the Witch Child we had been ordered to protect. I almost shook my head, hiding a smug grin from my face. What had Ziva gotten herself into, this time? Raising my sword and giving an Indian-like war cry, I swung my sword at those nearest to me. I flash a smile at Ziva for an instant.
“You miss me?” I tease, Skye sliding to a stop and rearing up as I slashed at the warriors, forcing a path to Ziva’s side. Us alone, it would be hard to win. But us together, we would be nearly undefeatable.
“Where’s Jagger?” I asked, not seeing him everywhere. Had he gotten separated from Ziva as well?

wordcount: around 2500,can't remember XD but over 2300