Taladonya

Chapter One- Sky Water's Secret

Jessie walked over to the pasture gate and whistled low. Sky Water threw up her head and came toward her in a jolting trot. Jessie had gotten the mare when they found her wandering behind the house. Nobody had claimed her so she had gotten to keep her and no one could identify her breed, either. She had long and quick legs, a short but smooth head with tiny ears and a wide forehead. Her neck and body were short and her chest wide. Some people said she looked like a Morgan, others said Belgian crosses. But Jessie had never heard about or seen a breed like her.

She reached Jessie and nosed her pocket in hope of finding a handful of horse cookies. Jessie ruffled her mane as she caught several of the cookies in her fingered gloves and held them out for Sky Water. Her strawberry roan coat was speckled with white hairs and Jessie thought they looked like rain drops, which is where her name came from.

Jessie picked up a lead and let herself into the gate and stood beside Sky Water. In one swift moment she jumped and swung one leg over Sky Water's rump.

In the six months since she had found Sky Water, she had ridden her everyday. She had been acceptable of the bit and saddle, although Jessie never used them, and she knew the leg and voice commands as if she understood what they meant.

Jessie leaned over Sky Water's shoulder and tied the lead line she had picked up to both sides of the purple halter. She laid the rope down in the mare's mane and squeezed her knees to Sky Water's side. She never used the rope, but her mother made her have it on in case of an emergency. Jessie could balance herself well enough from the bounciest trot to the fastest gallop withusing only her hands and knees. When they went out for rides, Sky Water went anywhere she wanted to go and Jessie just rode along her on her thick back. But when ever it began getting dark out, Sky Water always headed for home.

Suddenly, Jessie relized she had shut the gate behind her instead of leaving it open for Sky Water to walk through.

"Oh darn! Do you think you can jump it Sky Water?" Jessie asked, serious for a moment, then began laughing whne Sky Water bobbed her head.

She walked Sky Water to the other side of the field, then turned her and cantered her for the fence. Sky Water popped over the four-foot gate with ease. She continued to to gallop past the red brick house where Jessie had spent all of her twelve years. It housed herself, her mother; Annabelle, her father; Jeffery, and her eight-year-old sister Cynthia. She had also gotten a cat for Cynthia for her birthday two weeks ago.

When Jessie and Sky Water reached top speed in the meadow behind the house, Jessie laughed with joy and hugged the mare's neck as she ran.

Sky Water automatically slowed to a trot when they reached the forest. The trail Jessie and Sky Water had beaten into the ground invited all the woodland animals onto it as their highway. Squirrels and rabbits scurried all over the forest floor and stood on their hind legs as they watched Sky Water pass. Their beaty eyes darted back and forth and suddenly vanished from sight.

For October, the weather was quite warm and the ground wasn't frozen and had no snow. The fotting was still spongy from the morning frost under Sky Water's hoof. An acorn suddenly fell on Jessie's head and landed between her thighs onto the broad back of the mare. Jessie looked up and saw a small squirrel looking down at her. She tossed the acorn back up and saw him race away.

Sky Water suddenly stopped when they came to a lush meadow. The grass was wavering with the slight breeze and the drying stems rustled softly. The whole meadow overflowed with grass and it seemed the water-like surface of it went on forever.

Jessie slipped from Sky Water's back and walked up to her head," What's the matter girl?"

"Jessie, I need your help."

She spun around and looked behind her. Her peircing green eyes swept the valley. The voice didn't sound ordinary. It was as if the words were placed right into her mind."Who's there." she called out.

"Jessie, it's me, Sky Water. I need your help."

This time Jessie turned to look at Sky Water. Her innocent eyes pleaded.

"Do not be alarmed. Just listen to me and do as I ask."

Jessie broke out laughing as scratched Sky Water on the ugly, gray scar in the centre of her forehead. Jessie always tried covering it with her forelock but Sky Water always shook it out. It was as if she wanted it to show. "A talking horse! Mom was right. I do need a vacation!"

"I'm not a horse," the voice said, irritably."I'm a unicorn and there are many other unicorns in Taladonya." Jessie stared, confused.

"Taladonya?"

"Yes, Taladonya. To prove it's me, I'm going to lay down." Just then, Sky Water dropped to her knees and folded her hind legs beneath her.

Jessie stared, horrified."It's true."

"Yes." she answered, rising."Now listen to me carefully. I'm a unicorn and as I said, there are many other unicorns in Taladonya. But right now they are in danger. The Evil Queen Emma is trying to take over. I need your help to try and stop it from happening. Taladonya is unicorn land, not waste land. I was sent by the ruler of the herd, my grandfather. He would have sent my brother, but he was taken from the herd. Taladonya is all one world but the Evil Unicorns and horrible creatures are mainly to the far side of it. They usually keep there distance but since the Queen found out that unicorn horns are worth more than gold in the Black Markey, she started every she could think of to capture the unicorns. It is very rare that a unicorn will grow they're unicorn back once it is broken or cut off. I'll tell you more along the way, now let's hurry and go!"

Sky Water's eyes suddenly turned dark and dangerous-looking as she waited impaitiently for Jessie's answer.

Jessie was confused. "I'd go with you but how can I just up and leave without my family noticing? They'll worry when we dont come home."

"They will not notice."

"How can't they?" Jessie insisted on knowing.

"I cannot tell you that. Let's go. I'll answer any questions you have on the way."

"Alright, I'll go with you." Jessie agreed as the swung onto Sky Water's back. "But what I don't understand is if Taladonya and the unicorns are in so much trouble, why did you wait six months before you told me?"

"I had to make sur eI could trust you with the herd's life. It cost us a few unicorns but we would rather lose a few with the wait rather than bringing someone in who might be on the other side, costing us the whole herd."

Jessie thought about this for a moment than asked, "How do we get there?"

"There is a pass, in this meadow behind the orange grove. We are almost there already."

They cantered up to the grove then dropped down into a trot. Jessie looked at the oranges that had been frozen with last night's frost.

Sky Water picked back up into a gallop, eager to return to her homeland. After another few minutes of galloping, she stopped and snorted."We are here."

Jessie looked around, still straddling Sky Water's back. She expected to see a gap or a cave, but she saw nothing. "Where?"

"You cannot see it. The pass is not a whole in the ground. It is magic. Watch."

Sky Water then walked over to a spot next to a large oak tree and pawed the ground three times then made a noise Jessie had never heard before. Sky Water noticed her confusion and explained," That is a unicorn call. Only unicorns can make it." Jessie nodded, pretending to understand.

Suddenly, sparkles began falling and the ground started shaking. it looked like snow and they kept changing colors but when Jessie caught one in her hand, it burnt her.

"Hold on!" Sky Water yelled.

The sparkles got thicker and thicker and pretty soon she couldn't see Sky Water. Then she felt them both being lifted into the air and they spun aroudn and around. Suddenly, it all vanished and they dropped to the ground.