The Dark Rider

CHAPTER Eighteen



Nicola floated in a void, her mind detached. She was surrounded by darkness so absolute that she could not see her own body. Was this death? No, the life force was still there, an alien presence embedded within her very being. It was filling her veins, her synapses, her consciousness, and it scared her. She tried to recoil from it but could not find a way.

Images began to flash through her mind then, meeting Paul, the feeling of having known him forever, the desire to be with him that led to her hotel room, and then the trapdoor that had opened within her mind sending a tidal wave of awareness plunging through her body and brain. Then he had pulled her back to reality only to accuse her of betrayal and abandon her. Despite this she could only forgive him. She had seen his confusion, his pain, and had felt it as if it was her own. All she wanted was to take it from him.

Everything became confused then. The presence within her had been able to control her. It had taken her out into the night, into woodland where some battle was taking place. The last thing she remembered was seeing a rider on horseback staring at her with all the rage and hate possible, and it had struck fear into the very core of her heart for she was sure that it had been Paul, yet how could that be possible?

More time passed. Then, in the infinite blackness, she noticed a speck of light. Tiny at first it grew, quickly becoming the outline of a person, and as it approached she realized with a shock that she was looking at a reflection of herself from some form of mirrored surface. She was dressed in a long white cloak, golden brown hair braided with curls framing her face that seemed more defined, ageless. She reached out with one hand in fascination, her opposite image doing the same, outstretched fingers reaching towards each other, towards the shimmering surface that was like glass, and then their fingers touched.

Nicola was jolted into consciousness. Her head was pounding with the force of blood flowing into it, and her body was being knocked constantly. Her skin was burning and tingling with an intensity she had never felt before as it rubbed against some kind of clothing. Every sound, from the rustling of fabric to the footsteps of whoever was carrying her, was like a megaphone in her ears and she shook her head trying to escape from the noise. Opening her eyes all she could see was fabric inches from her face, and as she tried to orientate herself she realized she must be being carried upside down on someone’s back like a sack of potatoes thrown over a shoulder. Immediately she began to beat the back with her fists.

“Let me down,” she cried out her voice muffled by clothing. In rising panic, she punched even more and began to kick out with her feet.

“Let me down,” she cried out again.

She felt the movement stop and her body being swung round and planted on her feet. As she gained her balance and her eyes adjusted to the moonlight she found herself staring into fierce blue eyes set in a rough, angular face, the same face she had briefly seen in a clearing during a battle she was sure must have been a dream.

“We do not have time for this,” he said in a harsh voice.

“Time for what?” asked Nicola angrily, her voice sounding alarmingly loud. “And while you’re at it tell me who the hell you are and what is happening to me.” As she spoke she realized that she was still naked although the mud and darkness covered her. Her body was buzzing. Feint breaths of wind felt like a hurricane against her skin, sending waves of goose pimples up and down her limbs, and she shivered. Even with the moonlight she could see everything in such clarity and detail she was amazed, and after a few moments of standing she could hardly keep still such was the energy flooding through her.

“Forgive me, my name is Falk,” he said in reply, his eyes never leaving her face. “I am a Warrior of the Light. I served Gwen, last Warder of the Emerald Forest.”

Nicola stared at him dumbfounded. Her senses were still reeling from the events of the past hour, only now beginning to send signals to her brain that she was standing naked in the middle of nowhere in front of a complete stranger who claimed to be some kind of warrior, and that she was quite possibly in grave danger.

Falk noticed the change in her bearing and composure. “Please, I know this is all unbelievable to you but I am not going to harm you. I am here to protect you.”

Nicola began to back away, desperate to run, but to where? A few hundred meters behind him, on the near horizon, an orange glow signalled streetlamps and hopefully a village or at least some houses, but how she would reach them she had no idea.

“I don’t know who you are or where this is but you better not take one step closer or I will make so much noise the police will be here before you know it.”

He raised his hands in surrender.

“You were there. You saw the Rider, saw his power. It is you he wants.”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean?” asked Nicola continuing to back away. “An hour ago I was having dinner with a friend and now he is gone and my body feels like it is on fire and my head is full of something really weird. Then I feel like I am not in control of myself and am in this woodland and there is some kind of battle going on with swords and arrows like some fantasy film. Then I wake up on the back of some man I have never seen before who, for all I know, is going to murder me in the middle of nowhere and all for what?” Nicola fought back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her, while all the time the man just stood there watching her but not making any moves towards her.

“What is your name?” he called to her.

“Why should I tell you?” she replied almost hysterical.

“Please, Gwen died saving you.”

Nicola registered the pain in his eyes and it was like a switch hitting her, all her rational defenses breaking down to be replaced by a realization that this was real, that everything Paul had said in the hotel dining room, as the dusk bled light from the sky, had to be true.

“Nicola,” she said. “My name is Nicola.”

“Then listen to me Nicola,” said Falk across the void between them.

“This is no fantasy. When a Warder’s human life ends their place is taken by another who becomes the bridge between this world and ours. We call it the awakening. It has happened this night but it went wrong. The man who it was supposed to be turned out to be an agent of the Dark.”

Nicola stared at him transfixed, for his words matched things that Paul had said. Her heart lurched as she thought of him.

“There is always one who is to be awakened.”

“That’s what Paul said,” Nicola whispered as the realization began to hit her. She felt giddy, the moonlit horizon beginning to sway alarmingly, her mind wheeling as it tried to come to terms with this new revelation.

“It is you Nicola.” Falk watched her intently. “The power has awakened within you but it is not finished. The essence and knowledge of all Warders before you must pass into your mind. Only then can the connection be made.” He could feel the seconds tick away, knew that time was running out, yet he needed her to believe. “Paul has a sister. Her name is Alex. Gwen placed the knowledge within her. I have to take you to her.”

“It cannot be,” she whispered, trying to get a hold of herself. She looked at him, focusing on him as if for the first time, everything standing out in harsh-edged clarity.

“This presence in my mind, my body,” she questioned. “That’s it, it will never go away?”

“It is the energy of life,” he said simply. “You will learn to embrace it as Gwen did. As I have.”

“You mean Aunt Gwen, don’t you?” she said. “He spoke about her, Paul.”

Falk’s eyes widened.

“You knew him?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes. Just for a day, this day, but it’s like I’ve known him for a lifetime, I can’t describe it,” said Nicola, her voice full of emotion. “He said he was to be awakened but that he did not believe. Then something happened to me and he said I had been awakened not him. I am scared for him.”

Falk remained silent for a moment.

“It is true,” he said, “Paul was to be awakened. Gwen knew him for many years, trained him for this moment.” His voice shook. “She was wrong. Now many have paid the price for her error.”

“What do you mean? What has happened to him?” said Nicola afraid of what she would hear.

Falk bowed his head in sadness.

“Gwen was tricked by the Dark Lord himself. There is a prophecy we have of the one who will unite us and defeat evil forever. Myrkur made us believe that one was Paul. Now he knows everything about us. Our magic can no longer protect us.”

“Has Paul been captured?” asked Nicola trying to control the emotion in her voice.

Falk looked across at Nicola, despair filling his eyes.

“Paul no longer exists as you knew him. He has taken the form of the Rider and is now forever bound to Myrkur as his servant. He came to kill you Nicola.”

Nicola recoiled in shock.

“No, I don’t believe he...”

“Yes Nicola,” said Falk cutting in. “Many of our warriors died saving you from him. Their sacrifice is the only reason you are here now.”

“No,” said Nicola, her heart dying inside of her.

“He will come here Nicola, searching for you so he can fulfill Myrkur’s command.”

“No, he is a good person,” said Nicola desperately. “He could not do these things.”

“Why do you defy the truth?” cried Falk, his voice rising in anger.

Nicola could take it no longer, and with her body literally overflowing with energy she turned away from him and began to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. As she ran she was amazed at the speed she could reach. Her legs felt full of power, the wind blowing past her exhilarating, and for a moment she believed she could escape. Then, he was beside her, his hands reaching out to grip her forehead and, as he did so, everything fell into darkness.


*****


Cursing himself, Falk caught Nicola’s limp body and lifted her up onto his shoulder again and began to run back the other way towards the village. He had already lost too much time and that had not gone well. He wondered what other disasters could befall them this night for already he had lost nearly everything.

Forcing himself to focus, he approached the first row of houses and slowed, reaching out with his mind and searching them until he found one that was empty. He stole silently across the back garden to the back door which opened for him and he was inside. He raced up the stairs to a bedroom where he laid Nicola gently on the bed, pulling sheets over her to keep her warm. He quickly searched the upstairs rooms, finding some clothes that looked like they may fit her. He went back into the bedroom placing them next to her on the bed.

Closing his eyes he called up a shield around her and then he turned and was gone, taking the stairs two at a time. He went around the front of the house checking the street was empty before going to the nearest car. Opening the door easily, he got in and gunned the engine pulling away quickly and heading along the street and out of the village. As he hit the main road he floored the accelerator and shifted up the gears, the speedometer hitting 120 miles per hour in a short amount of time.

Already he could sense the wolves, a dark malevolence moving across the land, like wraiths of shadow, and he cursed for they were moving so fast. Ahead of him was Alex, their prey. At this rate he was not even sure he would get there in time yet he had to, for there was no other way. Desperately he pushed the pedal down as hard as he could, streetlights glowing in the distance.