When she at last opens her rose grey eyes, a magnificent stallion stands before her. His sleek powdery blue coat is generously dappled with white snow flakes. His ebony mane ripples in silken waves from the crest of his neck. He dances beneath a muscular boy on the verge of manhood. The boys hair, black like the stallions, hangs down his back.
"HOOVAS!" the boy sharply commands. The horse ceases his fidgeting. The rests his hand on his leg and leans over and asks, "Ashanna navos?"
Slowly she sits up holding her injured head. Her long hair is matted with rich red blood and tuffs of dried ma ma grass. Nervously she glances around for her horse. Seeing she is alone she clutches her torn cape to her chest and turns her eyes back to him. She remains silent and unsure of him.
His skin tanned in such an uneven way makes him appear grubby and unkempt. A grey muslin tunic identifies him as a nobleman's stable boy. He flips his uncombed bangs to the left exposing one emerald green eye and he again inquires "Ashanna Navos?"
She shrugs her shoulders and motions with her slender hands that she does not understand. He taps his whip against his faded brown boot and points to the triptych chelah crest embroidered on the saddle blanket.
She draws her shoulders back and proudly exclaims,. "Lord Hadossion and my father are allies."
His broad grin reveals a row of white teeth twisted in such a way they appear sharp. He flairs his wide nostrils in a satisfied sigh, "Ra jeetomi eesybar." he chuckles in his musical voice. Kicking loose from his stirrups he brings his right leg over the stallion's withers and drops to the ground. He flashes his carnivorous smile as he squats at the hem of her satin robe. His hands, smooth like well worn leather, grasp her wrists and easily pull her to her slippered feet.
Dizzily she falls against his broad chest. His rough tunic smells of horses, hay and wide open spaces. He smells of old sweat and sorcery. His warm hands don't hold her, but merely steady her while she regains her balance.
"Audi Aunna" he whispers.
Surprised at the sound of her name she jerks back and stares into his green eyes flecked with gold. He steps away and gestures for her to take his horse. She gathers her flowing violet skirt and edges toward the stallion. With one last cautious glance over she shoulder, she mounts. The stallion impatiently flicks his black tail up and down while she gathers the three reins.
Blushing with the embarrassment of having misjudged him, she shyly turns toward and whispers, Thank you." A smile lights her scuffed face.
He raises his left hand in a farewell salute. That is when she notices on his wrist a trekinin design burned deeply into his flesh, marking him forever as a spirit thief. Her cries for help would not again be heard in this world.
(c) 1991 P. R.
the picture (c) 4-10-1990 - an early picture of Audi Aunna and the dapple blue stallion when they first leaped from my mind to the page.
- you know....I have created and lived in many fantasy worlds in my life. A gift that my sister gave me as a child. I can walk trough any door and be anywhere I want to be. Anyone I choose to be.
I, as I gently suggest in this story...am a spirit thief. Capturing spirits from the realm of imagination and trapping them on paper.
I wonder when I look at this short/short I did in college...should I go back and write the rest of Audi Aunna's story? Or is this one small version of it enough? The story would be a pre-teen fanstasy adventure. I've only some of the ideas jotted down here and there, and a lot of the story has faded with time. I could find her though...I still have my triptych chelah braclet...and I know how to follow the tracks of the dapple blue stallion, they lead straight to the Attagumbey mountains...
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