Chapter 6: The Kihlari Barn Skyfall and Stormsong were both pulled into a large barn. The tame Kihlari reared at the sight of them, and they whinnied and rattled their feathers, watching the new steeds' struggle. A small, curly haired girl stood beside the curly haired Rider, and Stormsong guessed they were sisters. The small girl skipped over too Stormsong, and turned to her sibling. “Her hide is black, Ari,” she said, and turned back to Stormsong, reaching out to touch her.  Stormsong flinched and backed into her stall. She glanced at Skyfall, who was also being observed. The dark golden pinto spoke, “My name is Rain. My Rider is Ari, and her sister is Tlali.” Then the buckskin mare spoke, “I am Zahara, and my Rider is Jade.” Stormsong frowned at them, and turned away. “What should we name them?” Jade asked. “What about Winter? For the dapple grey,” said a tall Rider with long brown hair. Ari nodded. “That’s good. I was thinking Luna for the black one.” “A good name, but have you noticed that her wings drag? And she has extra-long legs,” Jade said, frowning. They nodded as Tlali reached out towards the black filly again, but Ari pulled her hand away.  “Don’t,” Ari said, “She is not used to us.” Then she turned towards Jade. “We better tell Queen Azar about them.” Jade nodded. Jade was Queen Azar’s youngest daughter.  The Riders filed out the barn, and newly named Winter and Luna watched them lock the heavy barn door. “Where doomed,” said Skyfall, and collapsed in her stall. Rain looked at them. “You're not doomed,” she nickered. “6th Clan will take care of you.” She smiled at them in a motherly way, and Stormsong’s fear of her evaporated. “Where did you fillies come from?” Stormsong sighed. “We are from the south, past the Southern Mountains.” Rain stared at them in confusion. “Wow. I’ve never heard of wild Kihlari.” Zahara interrupted, “Why did you leave?”  “Um....,” Stormsong glanced nervously at Skyfall, and then looked down. “It’s best not to speak of that,” said Skyfall. Zahara frowned at them. Stormsong looked up, and peeked out her stall, “Where are all the other foals?” Zahara snorted, “In the Ruk.” “What’s the Ruk? And why are we here and not there?” Stormsong asked. Rain spoke up, “The Ruk is a smaller barn, where retired Fliers, stallions, and mares, along with the foals, are kept. I’m guessing they put you here so they could train you, and then later sell you.” “Sell us? What does that mean?” Skyfall snorted, annoyed.  Zahara took an impatient breath. “To sell means to trade, I suppose. The Sandwens will trade coins to get something they want.” Skyfall huffed and shuffled in her stall, banging against the walls.  Rain bit her lip. “You should get some rest,” she told them. Stormsong sighed, and her knees buckled. Within minutes, she was asleep. Tlali followed her sister as they walked towards there hut. Jade had left to go see her mother. Many Riders went to go tell their family's the exciting news about the wild Kihlari. Tlali looked up at her home, and ran to go find her mother and her younger brother. Ari stayed behind. A small chicken coop, surrounded by a fence, stood next to the house. On the other side was a larger fenced off area where their land horse, Reva, stood, grazing on grass.  “Hey, Reva,” Ari said, climbing over the fence and patting Reva’s neck. The spotted bay mare looked up and whinnied, then went back to grazing. Ari climbed back over the fence and walked into her home. As she walked in, she smelled delicious soup. Her mother, Eirwen, was stirring a large pot of soup while Tlali played with their younger brother, Mogotsi, on the floor. “What’s cookin’?” Ari asked, and bent down to ruffle Mogotsi’s hair. “Mum is making split pea soup!” Tlali said, and grinned. Split pea soup was her favorite. Ari grinned, and walked over to the pot, grabbed a spoon, and slurped some up. “Hey!” there mother laughed and slapped her playfully. “Not yet!” After their mother finished stirring the soup, Eirwen poured some into four separate bowls and they all sat in front of the small round table, slurping on their meals. “Ari found two wild Kihlari!” Tlali said, and wiped her face with her sleeve. “And one of them is black!” “That’s wonderful, dear.” Eirwen clearly thought that Tlali was joking. “No, it’s true,” Ari said. “Really? Wow. That is very strange.” Eirwen frowned. “I wonder where they came from.” Ari shrugged, “We don’t know, I don’t care.” “Ari!” This was Tlali, glaring at her older sister. “Girls!” Their mother grabbed their empty bowls and set them aside. “Time for bed.” “But-” “Now.” The sisters huffed and climbed up the ladder and into their beds, ignoring each other. Tlali waited several minutes until she saw her mother go to bed. Tlali peeked at Ari. She was gently snoring on her pillow. Tlali quietly slipped out of bed and climbed back down the ladder, and sneaked outside towards the Kihlari barn