Chapter 8: Destiny?

Minara didn’t buy it for a second. She sensed Lissna’s uncertainty, but didn’t say anything, not wanting to worry her. There was no way that the legend wasn’t true, there were too many similarities between herself and the description of every other black foal.

For the next few weeks, she began to take being the black foal very seriously, and started grilling every elder she ran into with questions about the legend, and anything that might be related to it. The elders almost always had the same answers, and Minara was left to piece together the information and try to make sense of it on her own. She knew that it was starting to worry Lissna, but she couldn’t stop. She feared what would happen on her first birthday if she wasn’t prepared to receive the starfire.

Once she had exhausted all of the information about the star and power itself from the elders, she started asking questions about other black foals.

“Norann,” Minara nickered to the old mare. “Have any other black foals survived to their birthday?”

Norann looked at Minara. “Yes, actually, two have. Nightwing the Destroyer and Starwing the Healer.”

“Only two?” asked Minara. She was only the third black foal to have survived being born? “What do you mean when you say they are a Healer or Destroyer?”

“Well, supposedly, the starfire has two main purposes. Healing or Destroying. The Healing starfire is gold, and the Destroying starfire is silver. When the black foal gets the starfire, they will either receive the Healing starfire, or the Destroying starfire. When Nightwing got his starfire, he became a Destroyer, and almost wiped out our entire species. The first of our kind that came the Realms fled from Nightwing five hundred years ago. Starwing became a Healer when he got his starfire, and Nightwing was awoken from his many hundred years long sleep by it.”

“Wouldn’t he have died?” asked a wide eyed Minara.

“As long as the black foal has the starfire, they will be immortal.” Norann answered.

Ashie and Zinc popped their heads over Minara’s side of the wall and looked at them. “Immortal?” Zinc asked. Apparently they had been eavesdropping on them during the entire conversation.

Norann looked at the twins with an amused expression on her face. "Yes, immortal," she nickered.

“Are Starwing and Nightwing still alive?” Ashie asked.

“No,” Norann said. “Nightwing was killed by Starwing, and Starwing lost his starfire when he killed Nightwing, making him mortal. They are both long dead by now.”

Minara looked down at her hooves, disappointed. She was hoping one of the stallions would have been alive still, and could help her figure out the starfire.

~

Edin walked up to the Ruk, just done with her work with Astra for the day. After Minara was born, she realized that she wanted to help her mother in the Ruk more, and so Kali and Astra arranged for Edin to have a part time apprenticeship, to give her more time in the Ruk.

Now Edin was mainly in charge of taking care of Minara and Lissna, which she greatly enjoyed. The black filly was curious, and eager to learn, and so she loves it whenever Edin introduces her to new things or teaches her new tricks. She seemed to love being around the elderly or retired Kihlara, which puzzled Edin. There were so many foals her own age, and yet Minara wanted to be with the elders.

A whoosh of air and the sound of wingbeats woke Edin from her thoughts. She looked up, and saw Dusk Patrol just taking off for their round. She searched for Riko, who was in Dusk Patrol, and found him flying near the back. Riko saw Edin, too, and waved. SHe waved back, then walked into the barn, heading straight for Minara and Lissna’s stall.

She got Lissna’s spring green halter, and Minara’s much smaller bright amber halter off of their racks, and let herself in the stall. “Hey, girls,” Edin greeted them. She stroked Lissna’s cheek for a few moments, then strapped on the halter. Minara was watching the elderly mare Norann again, so Edin walked over to the filly and put her halter on, too. “You can chat with Noran later,” She said to Minara, laughing softly. She led Lissna and Minara out of the stall and out to the covered paddock.

Even though it was only late afternoon, it was fairly dark out, with a thick covering of clouds making the air humid. Edin unlatched the gate and led Lissna and Minara into the paddock, before closing it. SHe glanced up at the sky, looking for any signs of rain. It was supposed to rain later that same evening, and she wanted to get all her chores done before then.

Sitting on the fence, Edin watched Minara frolic and play while Lissna snacked on the grass that she had tossed in there earlier. It was spread around the large space, to get the mare to stretch her legs after being in the stall all day.

After about half an hour, the wind was starting to pick up, and it got darker outside. A few mre minutes of this led to sprinkles of rain starting to fall down, and Edin decided to bring Minara and Lissna in early, not wanting to get caught in the rain. She put their halters back on, and led them back to their stall.

She fed them, and then also fed the other Kihlari in their section of the barn, too, cleaned the stalls, then re-filled the water buckets, before brushing Lissna. The rain was now coming down harder, and the sounds of it hitting the roof of the Ruk were loud. Edin finished up her chores, said goodbye to the Kihlari, and put on an extra coat before heading home.

~Characters~

Sandwens:

Kali Moonphase~ Ruk breeder/manager. Edin's mother. Average height, with light skin, brown hair, and green eyes,

Edin Moonphase~ The Astronomer's Apprentice. 13 year old girl. Tall for her age, with light skin, long, straight black hair, freckles, and green eyes.

Astra Smith~ The Astronomer. Edin's mentor. Average height, with tan skin, black hair that is usually worn in a messy bun, brown eyes, large round glasses.

Riko Nightfire~ Edin's best friend. Rider in the Sky Guard's Dust Patrol. Average height, tan skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Kihlara mount: Sorren.

Queen Journa Stormrunner~ Leader of the Fifth Clan. Tall woman with light tan skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. Kihlara mount: Magnfiesk.

Kihlari:

Sirie~ Silver bay mare with gold feathers tipped in red, flaxen mane and tail. Minara's birth mother. Deceased.

Minara~ Black filly with bright amber feathers tipped in dark brown, bright blue eyes, huge white blaze, four very tall stockings.

Sorren~ Dapple gray stallion with teal feathers, thin stripe on face, two hind socks.

Lissna~ Chestnut mare with spring green feathers, star on forehead, and one hind white sock.

Magnfiesk~ Queen Journa's Chosen Stallion. Striking grullo stallion with light blue wings with flight feathers tipped in dark pine green, pale blue eyes, wide blaze, black points, black mane and tail with lots of white hairs mixed in. (pronounced: Maan-fyesk)

Norann~ Bay roan elder mare with dark purple feathers, black points, black mane and tail, one deep brown eye, the other eye turned a milky blue-ish white from blindness.

Ashie~ Dark gray filly with coral feathers, dark brown eyes, silver mane and tail, and large snip on nose.

Zinc~ Dark bay colt with golden feathers, dark brown eyes, black mane and tail, black points, wide blaze, and two hind stockings.

~Characters~

Sandwens:

Kali Moonphase~ Ruk breeder/manager. Edin's mother. Average height, with light skin, brown hair, and green eyes,

Edin Moonphase~ The Astronomer's Apprentice. 13 year old girl. Tall for her age, with light skin, long, straight black hair, freckles, and green eyes.

Astra Smith~ The Astronomer. Edin's mentor. Average height, with tan skin, black hair that is usually worn in a messy bun, brown eyes, large round glasses.

Riko Nightfire~ Edin's best friend. Rider in the Sky Guard's Dust Patrol. Average height, tan skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Kihlara mount: Sorren.

Queen Journa Stormrunner~ Leader of the Fifth Clan. Tall woman with light tan skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. Kihlara mount: Magnfiesk.

Kihlari:

Sirie~ Silver bay mare with gold feathers tipped in red, flaxen mane and tail. Minara's birth mother. Deceased.

Minara~ Black filly with bright amber feathers tipped in dark brown, bright blue eyes, huge white blaze, four very tall stockings.

Sorren~ Dapple gray stallion with teal feathers, thin stripe on face, two hind socks.

Lissna~ Chestnut mare with spring green feathers, star on forehead, and one hind white sock.

Magnfiesk~ Queen Journa's Chosen Stallion. Striking grullo stallion with light blue wings with flight feathers tipped in dark pine green, pale blue eyes, wide blaze, black points, black mane and tail with lots of white hairs mixed in. (pronounced: Maan-fyesk)

Norann~ Bay roan elder mare with dark purple feathers, black points, black mane and tail, one deep brown eye, the other eye turned a milky blue-ish white from blindness.

Ashie~ Dark gray filly with coral feathers, dark brown eyes, silver mane and tail, and large snip on nose.

Zinc~ Dark bay colt with golden feathers, dark brown eyes, black mane and tail, black points, wide blaze, and two hind stockings.