Demothi chanted softly in the background, but his intonation grew louder and soon he shouted in a strange language.
Aspen gasped as a herd of snow-white horses charged into the village. Their hooves sounded like thunder, and she stepped back in case they got too close.
The horses slowed to a trot and snorted. Throwing their heads back, they flicked their tails and one by one, came to a halt in front of Demothi.
Leeman exited his cottage. He had a strange gadget strapped to his hip and clutched a leather whip tightly in his hand. The gadget looked like a huge G-clamp with a blue head and a short black handle.
“He’s taken the Gimler,” Sandy whispered.
“What’s that?”
“That blue object around his waist. It’s the most powerful weapon we have.”
A flowing white cape covered his broad shoulders, and he wore black pants and a loose white shirt. The largest horse walked up to him and lowered its head. Aspen watched in awe as it stood still and allowed Leeman to mount it in one smooth move. Warriors slipped out of the cottages, dressed in similar garb. Each one mounted a white horse and joined Leeman, awaiting his orders.
Aspen raced up to her uncle’s horse. “Wait, we have to come with you. We can show you where it happened.”
Leeman stared impatiently at his niece. His eyes glowed, and for a moment she was sorry that she’d called him back.
“I’ll take the girls. I’ll look after them. I promise!” Dylan shouted from behind them and ran up to the group. Aspen turned to stare at him in shock. He’d been nowhere to be found all week, and now he stood before them as though he’d never left.
Leeman took a moment to decide. “Protect them with your life.”
Demothi started to chant again and nodded his head as three more horses galloped into the village. With a wave at the warriors in the circle around him, Leeman jerked his horse forward and they all thundered through the village in a cloud of dust.
“Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Aspen stared accusingly at Dylan.
“I’ve been busy. I heard the sound of the alarm and knew there was trouble somewhere. Quick, mount your horse and we’ll leave.”
This was not what she wanted to hear, and she placed her hand against the horse’s flank. “I’ve never ridden by myself before.”
“These are magical horses. Demothi made them for us and we’ll know how to ride them. Trust me.”
Aspen hesitated for a second before hauling herself up into the saddle. Ginny was in trouble and she wasn’t going to be much help if she couldn’t reach her.
Before she knew what had happened, she was seated on the large animal’s back. Digging her knees gently into its side, she let the horse canter after the rest of the herd. It felt as though she’d been riding for years, and she relaxed and let the animal guide her. There were about twenty riders, all strong Power clan men, and her horse hurried to join them as they galloped up ahead.
Sandy and Dylan rode up next to her, and she leaned into the wind as the horse’s mane whipped in her face. Her ponytail slapped against her arm and her clothes fluttered in the warm wind.
Within minutes they’d reached the spot where the fight had occurred. The willow tree branches waved gracefully over the stream, and she was surprised that the scene was so peaceful compared to a few moments before.
Leeman crouched over his saddle and studied the area carefully. A small dagger tucked in his boot caught her eye as it glinted in the lemon light.
“They’ve used a waypoint!” he shouted. “Ted, take five of your men and race to waypoint ten. Paul, take five men and head for waypoint nine. The rest of you follow me to waypoint eleven.” As he spoke, six riders split away from the group and headed in one direction while another six peeled away to the south.
“Why are we splitting up? Where are they going?” Aspen asked Dylan as she caught up to his horse.
“Chancellors use waypoints to travel. I told you about them before. They’re like tunnels in the ground. They can’t come out during Lemona, so they walk underground and pop out whenever it’s Lavendula. This is waypoint twelve. We’re going to head them off at the next waypoint if we can reach it in time.”
Aspen nodded her head in understanding and urged the horse along as the team raced toward the next waypoint.
The sky darkened and Leeman lifted his hand to bring the steeds to a halt. A cloud of earth rose around the excited horses and riders, and he jumped from the saddle with a thud.
“Look after the horses!” he shouted at Dylan, Sandy, and Aspen.
The rest of the warriors dismounted and followed him stealthily through a large copse of trees. Dylan and Sandy clutched at the reins and tried to tie the horses to branches as quickly as possible. Aspen rushed to help them.
The sky changed to lavender as they worked, and she’d just tied the last reins to a branch when a sweet odor filled her nostrils. Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a boulder.