9

SURROUNDED

THE ICE WARRIOR CLIMBED OUT OF THE WATER onto the limestone ledge and shook himself, flinging water off his hairy coat. Morningleaf backed away from him, noting his easy breaths. Something an elder mare named Mossberry told her long ago surfaced in her mind: The northern steeds are the best swimmers in Anok. In the dead of winter they break the ice and dive into the cold blue, feeding on sea plants. They can hold their breath for as long as a full-grown seal. No wonder this blue roan wasn’t panting; the swim had been easy for him. How many more Ice Warriors would follow her here? Her gut lurched.

“You can’t escape,” he said, prancing and surprisingly light on his hooves for such a massive pegasus.

Morningleaf’s flanks rammed the back wall of the cavern. The stallion loomed over her, drawing closer. She glanced down the tunnel.

“If I have to chase you farther, I’ll do more than just drag you out of here,” he warned, his voice echoing in the dim cavern. “I’ll break those ruined wings of yours. So don’t run.”

Morningleaf snorted. Since she couldn’t outswim, outrun, or outfight this thick-pelted pegasus—she’d have to outtalk him. “Why are you helping Nightwing?” she asked.

He took a step closer.

“You can’t believe he’s good for Anok.”

The stallion cocked his head, ever so slightly.

“Let me go,” Morningleaf implored him. “Tell Nightwing that I drowned and give Star a chance to defeat him. Can’t you do that? Just give Star a chance. He’ll free us all, even you.”

“I am free,” he said.

“Right,” she huffed. “You aren’t allowed to breathe without permission.”

He shook his head, getting angry. “Star—Nightwing—what’s the difference between them? A black foal is a black foal.” He prowled closer, opening his jaws to seize her.

Morningleaf leaped to the side, and her hooves slid on loose shale, knocking some into the water with a splash. “Star is good!” she whinnied.

“Star is young,” he argued. “He will change.” He lunged and snatched her injured wing.

Morningleaf shrieked, and her hooves flew, kicking the blue roan in the chest. He held on to her, unmoved.

Then three winged shapes, cruising below the surface, raced toward her, creating a large wake. Morningleaf’s heart sank—more Ice Warriors? She yanked her wing out of the stallion’s mouth and bolted. The blue roan whistled, stinging her ears, and he galloped after her, kicking up rocks.

Morningleaf slid across the stone cavern, cantering farther away from the main channel. The phosphorescent glow lit her way, but she was no match for the stallion. He grabbed her tail, lifted her off her hooves, and tossed her into the aquifer. She splashed into the cool water, sputtering. He leaned forward to dive in after her.

“Over here, you hairy whale!” It was Dewberry, with Hazelwind and Brackentail. Fresh energy shot through her legs, and Morningleaf paddled away. Her three friends surrounded the Ice Warrior.

“Go that way,” neighed Brackentail, pointing with his wing deeper into the aqueduct. Hazelwind nodded, urging her to go, but her brother’s eyes darkened and she knew what was coming next—her friends were going to battle the Ice Warrior to the death.

Morningleaf dived underwater and swam farther down the tunnel. When she popped up again, she heard the quick slam of the deathblow. The outnumbered blue roan was dead.

Then another familiar face popped up next to hers. “Bumblewind!” She swam toward him, and they rubbed their muzzles together.

“Where is everyone?” he asked. “I was following Dewberry and then I lost sight of her, and now here you are, alone.”

She nickered. “They’re that way, taking care of something.”

“The Ice Warrior?” he asked.

She nodded.

“You mean I missed the whole thing? The whole rescue?” He tossed his wet forelock out of his eyes.

She snorted, paddling her hooves. “I guess so, unless more Ice Warriors show up.”

“They won’t,” he said. “I mean, there were six others who followed us, but four were swept downstream and never saw the tunnel. They’re searching for you along the banks. One struck his head on a rock when he dived in, and he . . . he broke his neck. The other, well, we took care of him before he could enter this offshoot.”

“So no one knows I’m alive in here.” She swam to the ledge and used her hooves and wings to climb out of the water.

“No one but us.” His eyelids flew open. “Wait. Did you plan this? Or did you fall because you were tired?”

Hazelwind, Dewberry, and Brackentail trotted down the cavern toward them, dripping blood that wasn’t theirs. Hazelwind’s jaw was tight and his eyes narrow. “Oh, she planned it,” he said, furious.

Dewberry’s wings lilted to her sides. “We won’t . . . we can’t go back to the herd, obviously. Your mother will think we’ve all died.”

“I know,” she whispered.

Hazelwind whipped his head around. “Hasn’t Silverlake gone through enough,” he growled. “Our father was murdered before her eyes, and now you, her filly—falling to her death and drowning. That’s what she’ll think, you know. And she’ll think I got killed too. How could you?”

Tears erupted and flowed down Morningleaf’s cheeks. “I didn’t . . . I don’t . . .”

“Let me guess; you didn’t think,” accused her brother.

“Don’t be so hard on her,” neighed Brackentail.

Hazelwind lashed his tail. “Stay out of this.”

“I didn’t think you’d follow me this far,” sputtered Morningleaf.

“Like I haven’t heard you and Redfire talking for days about the aquifers,” he snapped. “As soon as you let go of my neck, I knew what you were up to.” Hazelwind stared down at his battle-stained chest. “I need to clean up.”

“Me too,” said Dewberry.

The three pegasi who’d attacked the blue roan slipped into the dark river to rinse their hides. They came out glistening, and also shivering.

“Nightwing will search for you, probably for many days before he gives up,” said Hazelwind, his anger subsiding. “We’re stuck in here for a while.”

Bumblewind glanced at the tall limestone walls, his eyes glowing in the phosphorescence. “How did Redfire know this was here?” he asked Morningleaf.

Hazelwind answered. “Redfire’s been filling her head with information about the desert. Rivers like these that cut through soft rock, form underground channels like webs that can’t be seen from the air. They branch out and surface far away from the main source, which is the river.” He glanced at his sister. “Now I know why you were asking so many questions about them.”

“She always asks a lot of questions,” said Brackentail.

Hazelwind shrugged. “That’s probably why I didn’t think too much about it until she let go of me.”

“What are we supposed to eat in here?” asked Bumblewind.

Dewberry shoved him. “Hungry already?”

Everyone nickered, and the tension melted out of the cavern and floated away with the long, dark river.

“We’ll rest here a few days,” said Hazelwind. “Then, if it’s safe, we’ll track Nightwing’s herd to the interior.”

“We’re going to follow them?” asked Morningleaf, stunned.

He grimaced. “Yes, we’ll keep our distance, but we’ll set up a watch to spy on Nightwing and the pegasi. When Star comes, he’ll need information, and we’ll be able to give it to him. At least something good has come from your recklessness.”

Morningleaf nodded quietly, because her brother was right; she hadn’t thought out her plan, or what came next. She was shocked that she was alive at all.

They traveled deeper into the tunnel, found smooth stone, and settled for the night. Before falling asleep, Hazelwind nuzzled his sister, forgiving her. “The four Ice Warriors who swam downstream didn’t see the aqueduct; they’ll report that we drowned, and a search won’t reveal our hoofprints or our bodies. It wasn’t the worst plan.”

Morningleaf sighed. “Our mother will understand, someday.”

“Yes, someday,” Hazelwind repeated, and then he closed his eyes.