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Broheidon smiled at my approach and asked, “How was that session for you?”
“It was wonderful. Thank you. It was so peaceful. When did you last have a session outside?”
“Oh, it must be about three or four weeks ago. Like Lifin said, Selo used to interrupt our sessions by galloping through once I’d begun the class. I asked him politely to stop, but he laughed at me. I spoke to his father about him, but Nilah said Selo was getting out of control and he couldn’t do anything to stop him. So, I took my complaints to Lifin.”
“What did he do about it?” I asked.
Broheidon said, “Lifin was furious about Selo’s actions. He wasn’t only interrupting my sessions, he was running wild anywhere he wanted to. He caused many a visitor an injury as he careered into them. It’s only by good luck that no one was killed. I know Lifin tried to talk to Selo, but his brother wouldn’t listen. It made me sad to see Lifin so frustrated. It’s taken him years to build this business up, and Selo was doing his best to destroy it.”
“Why would Selo want to destroy it?”
Broheidon shrugged. “Jealousy? I heard Selo arguing with Lifin sometimes, and he said Lifin was a disgrace to centaurs everywhere. Selo said centaurs weren’t supposed to run businesses; they were born to run wild through the countryside. It wasn’t easy hearing them argue.”
I asked, “How does Lifin get on with his father? I’ve heard conflicting things about that.”
“Nilah is proud of Lifin and all that he’s achieved.” She paused and gave me a long look. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but seeing as you’re dealing with Selo’s murder, I think you should know all the facts. I sometimes caught Nilah looking at Selo as he raced through the ranch. There was admiration in Nilah’s eyes, along with envy. I jokingly asked him once if he’d like to run in the yearly race one more time. He said he would give his soul to do so. His tone was deadly serious when he replied. I don’t mind telling you, it sent shivers down my spine.”
Her eyes suddenly widened as she looked at something behind me. I turned around and saw Nilah striding towards us, sweat on his brow.
He smiled our way and said, “I have some amazing news. I’ve just been out for a run and I’ve made excellent time. So much so, that I can now confirm I will be taking Selo’s place in the race.”
I heard a quiet gasp coming from Broheidon.
I said to Nilah, “I thought Lifin was going to run in the race.”
“Not anymore. It’s my duty as head of the household to make sure we keep the 1,000 Acre Forest in our family. I shall inform Lifin of my decision immediately.” He gave us a nod before walking away.
Broheidon shook her head sadly. “This news is going to greatly upset Lifin. He’ll need my support.” She took a step forward.
I asked her, “What’s so special about the 1,000 Acre Forest anyway?”
Broheidon frowned. “That’s a good question. I don’t know what’s so special about it. I’ve never been inside it. I’m sorry, but I have to go. You are welcome to come back for another meditation class any time.” She cantered away.
Stanley got up from his mat, stretched and walked over to me. I quickly told him what had happened with the centaurs.
Stanley said, “So, Nilah had a motive to kill Selo. That’s interesting.” His ears twitched and he looked upwards. “Cassia! Look!”
I looked skywards and saw two figures flying over head. One was bigger than the other.
Stanley cried out, “It’s Kitty! She’s here with her mum! She’s in her dragon form.” He waved his paw at them.
The magnificent dragons circled overhead and then came in for a landing.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Kitty. She looked amazing as a dragon. She still had the same eyes and they twinkled as she looked at me.
“I can fly!” she exclaimed. “Did you see me? I flew and flew and flew!”
I laughed. “I did see you. You’re good at flying.” I gave Gepru a worried glance. “Is is safe for me to be so near to her? Luca said I’d be safe when Kitty’s in her dragon form. Is that right?”
Gepru lowered her huge head. “That is right. We had to find you. Kitty’s been talking about you two non-stop since we left your town square. She told me how you’d taken good care of her. I wanted to say thank you again.”
Kitty ran over to her mum and nudged her with her head. “Mum, ask Cassia. Ask her. Go on.”
“I will if you give me a minute,” Gepru said. She turned to me and said, “Would you like to come flying with us? Kitty would like you to. I would too.”
“I would love that.” I beamed at them both. “I’ll have to get my broomstick.” I felt something brushing into the back of my knees. I looked down and saw Stanley standing there with my broomstick in his mouth.
Stanley dropped the broomstick. “I thought we might need this. I heard what you said just then. Can we really go flying with Kitty and her mum?”
Kitty said to Stanley, “You can fly on my back.”
Stanley scampered over to her. Kitty was three times his size now.
Gepru said, “Whoa there, little missy. You’re not ready for passengers yet. I think Stanley would be safer with Cassia for now.”
Stanley gazed at Gepru. “Does that mean I can fly on Kitty’s back one day?”
Gepru replied, “Yes. We’re not going to lose touch with you two. I’ve got a feeling there’ll be times when you’ll need our help. If that’s okay?”
Stanley went all glassy-eyed and stumbled backwards.
I shook my head at him and said to Gepru, “That’s his pleased look. I’m glad you’ve turned up because I wanted to ask you about the 1,000 Acre Forest. Do you know anything about it?”
“Not much,” Gepru said. “I know the centaurs race for ownership of it every year. Speaking of which, I’ve seen two centaurs running out of that forest recently. The first one was an older one, and I think I saw him talking to you briefly as we were flying overhead.”
“That would have been Nilah. What did the other one look like?”
“Younger and thinner than Nilah. Oh, he was wearing a shirt too. It’s not often you see male centaurs wearing clothes.”
“That must have been Lifin. When did you see him?”
“A few hours ago. I was giving Kitty her first flying lesson and she was startled when the centaur, Lifin, came racing out of the forest beneath her. He was going at quite a speed. Almost an unnatural speed. Then the older came racing out a short while ago at the same impossible speed. There are many routes in and out of the forest, but they both came tearing out at the same spot.”
“That is interesting.” I picked my broomstick up. “Could you show us where that is, please?” I saw Kitty’s excited jiggling and added, “After we’ve flown around with you for a while, of course.”
Stanley hopped onto the front of my broomstick and declared himself ready for takeoff. I got on behind him and waited for Kitty and Gepru to take to the skies first. We had a wonderful time following them in and out of the clouds. Kitty was quite the daredevil and performed rolls and dives that had her mum screaming with fright. I was thankful Stanley wasn’t on Kitty’s back as he would have fallen off immediately.
Gepru flew at my side, her huge wings flapping silently now and again. We chatted about my work as a justice witch, and Gepru pointed out the mountain in the distance where she and Kitty lived. She told me to call on them at any time, but to make sure I sent a butterfly message first so that Kitty wouldn’t be in her cat form. I felt a twinge of sadness about not being able to hold Kitty as a kitten, but I knew it was for the best. I could always cuddle Stanley.
After a while, we circled over to a dense forest which stretched out for miles. Well, 1,000 acres to be precise. Gepru swooped low and we all followed her. She landed on a dirt path which had hoof tracks stamped on it. The tracks were in different sizes and obviously belonged to different centaurs.
Gepru said, “This is where they came racing out; both of them.” She glanced towards the trees. “This isn’t a good place. I can sense it.”
“I can sense it too,” I told her. “But I have to go inside. There’s something about this forest that’s beckoning me in.”
“We can go with you,” Gepru said. I didn’t miss the worried look she gave Kitty at her side.
There was no way I was putting either of the dragons in danger so I said, “No, thank you. I have to do this on my own. I’ll be okay. I know how to defend myself using magic.” I gave her a confident smile.
Stanley said to Gepru, “I’ll look after Cassia. I can feel when there’s danger around.” He gave her his own version of a confident smile.
Gepru said, “I’m not sure I should be leaving you, but I can see you won’t accept our help. Call out for me if you change your minds. Keep in touch. I’ll say goodbye for now.” She turned to look at Kitty. Her baby was fast asleep on the ground. Her wings were disappearing and she was turning into a cat again.
“No!” Gepru hissed quietly. “She doesn’t know how to keep her dragon form yet. I’ll have to get her away from you, Cassia.” She quickly grabbed Kitty by the scruff of her neck and took off into the air. They were soon specks in the distance.
Stanley and I turned and looked at the path in front of us. It led into the forest and I could see how close the thick trees were to each other further along the path. There was barely any sunlight coming through them.
I said to Stanley, “Can you sense any danger ahead?”
“Oh, yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “Can you?”
“Yes. And I can hear someone singing. A woman, I think. She’s calling us closer.”
“I can hear that too.”
We stared at the path for a full minute.
Then we stepped forward and made our way along the darkening path and towards danger.
