The night air was crisp, clean and moist with sadness. Editras a girl who sat alone on a dark gray bolder wept over her mothers capture. Her mother was taken by Meszro’s kingdom. Who are in war with Kladriks Emperor.

“What must I do? I can not leave home. All my memories are here.” A clash in the sky brought down a dark cloud. “My lonely, lost child. When things are taken and not forgotten it hurts deeply. But this has not gone from reach. One thing you must never do is give up. Once you think you are not going to get through something you wont, with a good thought towards something anything is possible.” The cloud shifted to a lighting bolts shape then started to speak, “I bring this gift from Zeus as a gift of your father’s strengths in hope you have the same.” A midnight black horse was formed from the cloud. He was tied at his ankles with chain. “Am I dreaming?” she asked with a confused look in her eye along with amazement. “No now listen! I must warn you, he has a bad temper but he is loyal. His name is Zeus in remembrance of the gift giver. If this horse gets in the wrong hands he will kill all that you love so do not ever loose his trust.” within a second the cloud was gone and the girl sat stunned at the magnificent creature standing before her.

What must I do now? She walked toward the creature. A voice filled her head. “I am a gift from Zeus created in the fires of his thoughts. A gift that your sire and damn gave you is the gift to speak to animals through your mind. You can speak to any mortal animal with the exception of me.” The wise voice echoed in her head. “What must I do she glared at the horse. “You must get your mother back and I must be the one to help you. The key to unlock the chains hangs from my neck please give me some shelter, for I am tired from birth.” He explained. “Oh yes. I will as soon as I get the chains off we will sleep in the covered area of the woods.” She replied soothingly, as she grabbed the key from the horse’s neck she turned the lock on the black and gold chains that dug in to the horse’s legs. Speaking through her mind she told the horse to follow her and to go anywhere in her sight as long as he stayed with the only one that understood him. Then sleep fell upon them both.

In the morning she awoke with fog surrounding her. The horse stood a few feet away and grazed on the thick grass. He was the darkest black she had ever seen in a horse. His eyes were a beautiful oceanic blue. He was approximately 16.3 hands which would be the second biggest horse she had ever seen besides the horse only ridden by the warrior of Kladrik’s emperor. She dreamed about the horse’s beauty while wakening from a well needed sleep.

Standing up she thought about all that happened the night before. She remembered she needed to get her mother back and that he was the only one who could help her. She sent her thoughts out to the horse. “You being the only one to help me may I ride you with just mind speaking so I can get good fitting tack.” She asked the horse politely as she could. “Of course.” He answered as he took more grass in his mouth.

She jumped up onto his back and directed him to a dirt path. She simply explained for him to follow the path till he saw a building. Once they reached a building she jumped off and walked into a dear friend of her mother.

“Mister Smith? Are you here.” She questioned her self out loud. “ Editros is that you? Is it truly you?” a man answered coming closer. His broad shoulders and round waste said it was him. “Yes smith it is me, it’s really me.” She explained as they hugged. “I need to talk to you about something. I have some money but I need tack for my new horse and I really need some money for other things so I was kind of hoping that I could pay it in a year.” She explained with a nervous tone. He stared into her pale blue eyes with sorrow. “My child may I please see this horse of yours.” He asked still staring into her eyes. She walked out the door and asked the horse to come. The man looked in astonishment. He saw a tall broad horse with strength of nothing he had ever seen before. He saw the deep blue eyes and the dark black that had been predicted in the prophecies. “My god child, why is this horse staying with you? Why not is he running?” He eyed the horse up and down over and over again. “Mr. Smith you knew my mother well, she gave me a gift. She gave me the gift to speak to animals through my mind or through talk.” The man looked at her in an astonished dream. “Come here I must show you something.” The man waved his hand in a direction. She followed him in to the shack the man called home and down into an underground retreat. The man had a giant box. It was set between saddles and bridles. “Help me move these so we can get to the box.” He asked her. They moved all of them and then, they stared at each other. He moved to open the box. Lifting the old dusty chest he said, “I will give this to you as a gift. I have know use for it and anyone who comes to me for tack won’t be able to pay the right price.”

In the chest was a black and gold saddle pad with stirrups and a gold bridle. Gold rings were on the side of the pad to hold saddle packs. A breast collar sat next to the bridle. Both made of gold and black stone. There were lower leg shields and a head piece, with the crest of a black horse head with silver eyes. “Mr. Smith I could never thank you enough I must go take my mother back I hope to see you again.” She grabbed the man around the shoulders, tears dripping from her eyes. “You will see me again; I will always be here for you. Ill help you carry this so you can be on your way to save your mother.” The old mans eyes red with sorrow.

She set the tack on the horse and grabbed the bridle with a bit in hand, slid the bit into the horse’s mouth and mounted with in seconds. Run Zeus run, as fast and far as you can go just run.

In the morning when they both woke she saw Zeus drinking from a near by pond. Good morning. The horse welcomed. This water is good. You should have some before we leave. Editros glared at him. “I hope you no I’m not that stupid.” She said with enthusiasm.

She took out sum pastries from her saddle bags and started to chew. Zeus stared at her, with out a clue. She reached in the bag and took out two white cubes. What are those, may I ask. The horse drank more from the crisp clean pool. “They are sugar cubes. They are for you when you get your lazy self over here.” She started to eat her pastry again.

Packing her bags she drunk from the pool and washed her face. Zeus was antsy. I hear something. Something is in the bushes over there. Predator! He charged for the bush. She was astonished. Most horses would flee. High pitched screeches came from Zeus. A man jumped from the bush. “Stop Zeus!” she yelled, as she grabbed her bow. The man rose. His wrist bloody. “What are you doing here?” she asked the man, as she drew her bow.

“I was simply going to attack you, because you are on the army’s land.” He had a vicious look in his eye. “Then this beast tried to kill me!” He said as the horse reared, in attempt to kill him again. “Stop it Zeus!” She screamed. Looking back at the man, he had dark black hair down to the middle of his eyes which were a pale blue. He wore silver armor that had Kladrik emperor’s crest, the North Star.

“I need to employ for the army. My mother is a hostage of Mezro.” She explained. “I have the gift to speak to all mortal animals by speaking or through thoughts. This beast that tried to kill you is my horse named Zeus, given to me by Zeus.” The man looked at her amazed by what she had been telling him. “If you do not bring me to your army I will simply kill you and go my self.” She said calmly. “They will kill you with out me and if I bring you they will still kill you. There is no way you can join them.” He whimpered the words. “I have mastered the sword, and bow. I am the quickest one in this area. I should hope one does not defy me.” She gave him a smirk.

“Zeus come here.” She ordered. The stallion furious about the man not being dead. Throwing the saddle on, and buckling the breast collar and the cinch. She swung up. “Are you coming?” She looked at the man. Jumping up behind her he tried to grab the reins. Thrusting his with her metal spiked wrist guards she noticed he was still bleeding. “I control him, only I do.” She forced him to move his hands.

Loping up to a plain with hundreds of tents. Men all over the place. Passing them they grabbed their weapons and followed. “I never asked what your name was.” She asked the man nervous. “I am David of the Kladrik Emperor. Also known as the army’s leader.” He answered as he dismounted. She jumped down. Zeus do not harm them till I say so! I mean it. She said with anger.

“Men do not harm her.” There was a slight pause. A huge man walked out of the tent. Broad shoulders with muscles all over his arms and legs. No fat covered him. She looked at him with the look that she would not back down to anything. “Who is this girl to boss you around David? She’s small; she can’t be that hard to push around.” She breathed in deeply and raised her head in show of power and to gain dominance. “I would stop talking before I kill you.” She glared at the big man. “Sezor stop you don’t know what she is capable of.” He shook his head at the man, trying to say stop.

Grasping the sword at his belt Sezor swung at the girl. Ducking she grabbed hers and thrust it into his leg. “If you want to fight I will make you suffer.” She whispered to him as she twisted the sword and pulled it out. The man screamed in pain. Walking a way the men gathered around moved a distance away from her. He turned around starring at her with anger. She laughed, “You know anger never got any body anything.” He thrust at her chest. Stepping out of the way she took an arrow from her quiver and stabbed him in the side with it. Dropping to the ground she took her sword. “For your actions you must die!” She screamed as she swung. A lifeless body lay on the ground motionless.

All the men looked at the body then her. “Is there any one else who would like to challenge me?” She yelled with out a challenge to breath like her opponent before his last breaths. David still stood next to Zeus. “May I ask your name girl?” He looked at her with soft eyes. Glancing over to him she replied, “My name is Editros. Son of Achilles.” The men stood silent. “You are the son of Achilles!” David sounded amazed. “And you have this horse from Zeus.” The crowd gasped in glory of seeing such a miracle. “We will proudly let you join this army.” He explained. A man stepped out of the crowd. “But she is a girl. We can not ruin our respect for the goodness of skill are army has.” The man angry glared at her. “ Hadrik, must I remind you what she has done to one of ours already, she will do the same to you if need be. There is no way of stopping her. Besides you should be grateful to meet the daughter of Achilles.”

David pushed through the crowd. She followed holding Zeus’s reins in one hand, and her sword in the other. “Where must I sleep?” She asked nicely. Walking forward he answered, “In the same tent as me.” Startled she yelled, “I will not! I will not sleep in the same tent as you.” Looking back, “Unless you want to not sleep in a tent you will sleep in the opposite side of my tent as me, you will have the blankets and I will sleep on the ground.” She put her head down, knowing she was wrong. “Fine as long as Zeus is away from all other horses and next to our tent.” She brought her head up to see him shake his. “Fine!” He said with annoyance.

Reaching the tent she saw his hand, it was dripping blood. “You know your wrist should be stitched.” She said with sympathy. “It wouldn’t be this way if it wasn’t for your horse.” He answered in anger. “Why are you so mad when I had no control over what he heard. I thought it could have been a mountain lion or something similar. Who would have guessed it would be a man trying to attack me. Besides it’s a good thing you didn’t try because I would have killed you before I saw your face.” She stopped as he turned around. Glaring at her he calmly stated, “You sleep here just let me get the top blanket.”

She took her packs off Zeus and brought them in with the tent. She sat on the edge of all the blankets. Removing the armor that was molded to fit her chest she only had on a small shirt with two straps over the shoulders. She also had on a short skirt made of leather. David took his armor off and it revealed a muscle filled chest, and arms filled with muscle. He looked at his wrist with agony. Blood dripped from the veins that were so close to the skin. He took a warm rag and wiped it off but it kept seeping through the wound. She stood and walked over to him. Grasping the needle from his hand she took the wrist from his hand. She gathered the extra skin and poked the needle through with a gentle touch. When it was over he thanked her. She went over to the bed she was to sleep and laid down to think about her mother. She and he soon fell asleep.