The next morning I woke up early, much to my displeasure. I crawled out of the warm comfortable bed mumbling about the stupid hour and logic that told me to get moving for what promised to be another interesting day. I hung my pouch around my waist and headed into the main part of the cave. The light from the dark violet rocks gave off a dim light to see by, while the cave entrance admitted the very first rays of the sunrise.
I found myself walking to the entrance. The sun felt so good on my legs as I walked outside and stopped a few feet beyond the cave mouth. Being just above the heavy mist, the sun hit the mist in an array of rainbow colors and bounced back. The effect was like a double sunrise and I lost my breath at the beauty. It was the first real beauty I had seen on the mountain and the first that did not carry with it a scary undertone. I wished I could freeze the moment in its perfection forever. I ached inside to see the rest of the mountain produce and reflect such majestic wonder. The song flowing inside my heart added its own request for the same.
“What do you want me to do?” I whispered not for the first time. “Why have you brought me here?” But the song did not answer beyond the gentle urging that I was doing the right thing. I looked out at the beauty. “Great, and that would be what exactly?”
“Talking to yourself?” A calm, smooth voice spoke at my right side.
I tuned to see the handsome Tommy approach me. I smiled slightly. “No, but it’s just as bad.” He raised his eyebrows and waited. “I was talking to the song.”
Tommy smiled. “Oh, and did it answer?”
I sighed. “Not really. Well, no more than usual.”
Tommy nodded his understanding. “It doesn’t really help to know the answers will come when they are suppose to does it?”
I shrugged. “Not particularly. So far the only answers I have received have raised more questions.”
“That’s the mountain’s way for now,” he replied as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It won’t last. That I can promise.”
I tried not to be affected by the way his hand was doing weird things to my stomach and turned to face him. He shifted his hand, but kept it there. “You said last night I have an important role to play in the mountain’s new life. How will I know if I am making the right decisions?”
“You will.”
I shook my head. “How can you be so sure?”
“I have faith in you,” he said simply.
Confused I raised my eyes to look more fully into his soft gray ones. I saw no deceit there, only an honest answer. “Why? Have we ever met before?”
If I had met this man before, I would not have forgotten!
He smiled and lifted his hand to run a finger down my cheek. His voice was calm as he spoke, “I guess I just feel like I’ve known you for much longer than a single day.”
“Oh?” I half-whispered.
He laughed. “Yes.”
“Um, any particular reason?” I asked, looking at the ground.
I could hear the smile in his voice as he answered, “Yes.”
I looked at him when he didn’t say anything else. “And…”
He shook his head. “I can’t give away all my secrets.”
Have you given away any? Everything Tommy said centered on the mountain, even his position as guardian. “Does it have something to do with you being the guardian?”
Tommy smiled. “You are very perceptive. But don’t ask any more questions about my position just yet.”
“Why not?” I asked softly.
“Because I would have to insure your silence until it was safe for you to have that knowledge,” Tommy’s answer went beyond cryptic.
“How would you do that?” I asked curiously, without fear.
Tommy laughed and touched the tip of his finger to my nose. “You don’t want to know.”
“What’s going on out here?” The sharp question came from the door of the cave.
I stepped back guiltily from Tommy, though I wasn’t sure why I should feel that way. As I stepped, I turned to face Hunter, but when I went to put my foot down there was nothing there.
I had no time to yell as I started to fall, but Tommy was quicker and pulled me back to safety and into his arms. I gasped for breath as I tried to comprehend what had just happened. Tommy was saying something and rubbing a soothing hand over my back, which was actually more distracting than soothing. Somehow I knew Hunter had joined us and was questioning me. But I couldn’t make sense of it. I took a deep breath and focused on the song’s and Tommy’s attempts to sooth me. I realized slowly that I wasn’t frightened, just surprised that it had happened. The knowledge allowed me to step back from Tommy calmly.
He kept his hands on my arms and asked, “Are you okay?”
I nodded, but realized they both needed to hear my voice. “Yes. It just surprised me.”
My steady voice must have surprised them, because they shot each other a look of astonishment, before smiling at me with pride.
Just then Daydream thundered out of the cave with Nightmare and Rougefire right behind her. “What happened? You were in danger.”
I looked at her shocked. “How did you know?”
She gave me an overbearing patient look. “Grace, I always know when you’re in danger.”
“Oh,” that was all I could think to say.
“Well, since we are all here, why don’t we head to the portals now? It’s the next thing you are going to want to see,” Tommy informed us all.
“Food first,” Hunter demanded.
The unicorns nodded in agreement. Tommy smiled. “All right. We should pack a lunch too.”
“How far away are they?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Tommy replied, as he headed back into the cave.
“Daydream?” I turned to her, but her only reply was a smile. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be very interesting?”
“Because it will,” Daydream said matter-of-factly.
Hunter groaned. “Isn’t everything?”
“Good point,” I responded as we headed in.
Forty minutes later, all six of us were outside again. Each unicorn carried a sack with supplies like rope, food, and I was pretty sure a dagger or two, which made me wonder what Tommy thought was going to happen on this trip. Each person carried their own pouch with a personal set of supplies, including small food items.
I patted Daydream’s neck and looked at Tommy, who stood a few feet in front of me, expectedly. “So, when will the mystery be over?”
“Is it ever really over?” Tommy questioned back with a smile. “This part ends now, though. The portal system is located above the mountain in the clouds.”
Hunter snorted. “What are we going to do fly there?”
“Have you got a better idea?”
“On what?” Hunter exclaimed. He glanced at me. “Did I miss seeing the airplane on the way in?”
“If you did, so did I,” I muttered.
Nightmare shook his head, from his place on Hunter’s left and huffed. “There are none of those monstrosities here.”
“Okay…” I said slowly. “Then how are we flying?”
Tommy smiled. “How do you think?”
I was thoughtful for a moment. “In some stories unicorns can fly.”
“Nightmare, now what are you hiding?” Hunter asked, only half-threatening.
Nightmare sniffed. “I’m hiding nothing. You never asked.”
Hunter gaped at him while I turned to my own unicorn. “Daydream?”
“Yes, Grace?” She asked sweetly.
“Am I supposed to command you to grow wings or something?” I asked sarcastically.
“Sort of,” was the short answer.
“Well?” Hunter growled.
“How well do you know Greek mythology?” Daydream asked.
“Pretty well,” Hunter and I answered at the same time. We looked at each other as the light dawned.
Both of us stepped back and in commanding voices called, “Pegasus wings!”
&nbs
p; Within seconds, wings unfolded from both unicorns’ backs. When they fully extended they easily reached nine feet. Nightmare’s were black on top with silver and purple underlining, while Daydream’s were whiter on top and rainbow coloring beneath.
“Wow,” I whispered as Hunter exclaimed, “Oh, yeah!”
“Now, you know our secrets. You may use these abilities separately or together it is always your choice. If you wish for use to use them but remain invisible, simply call out what you want,” Daydream explained.
“Pegasus wings invisible!” I called out immediately as Daydream’s wings disappeared. I looked at her. “Can you still fly?”
In answer, she took off to into the sky with her mate right behind her. The two preformed circles and danced in the sky, before finally coming to land gently in front of us again.
“Show wings!” I whispered as the wings appeared again. I smiled. “Pegasus wings hide.” Daydream folded her wings at her side and they melted into her back. “That’s amazing.”
“I know,” Daydream stated.
I had to smile at her obvious self-satisfaction.
“Let’s get going.” Tommy drew our attention back to the task at hand.
He had I both called out, “Pegasus wings!” And Daydream’s wings were back and Roguefire’s appeared.
Hunter, Tommy, and I climbed onto our winged unicorns and within seconds were in the air. Flying on Daydream’s back was the most freeing and exhilarating experience. My trust in Daydream allowed no room for fear, even though I was in the middle of the sky, with nothing but a flying unicorn between my butt and the mountain below. The wind was cold the higher we traveled and it moved faster, but it never hampered our breathing. I looked over and saw from Hunter’s face that he thought the fact we could breath oxygen normally up here was wonderful. I couldn’t tell how I knew his specific thought from his face, but I knew without a doubt I was right. I laughed and enjoyed the thrill of this freedom flying as I put my hand through a soft cloud.
The ride lasted most of the morning. Suddenly, right in front of us was a thick cloud cover. Tommy and Rougefire disappeared into it. I gasped amazed as Daydream and I followed with Hunter and Nightmare right behind. We popped out on the other side and hovered over a large cloud.
Below us the cloud spread out as far as I could see. When we were underneath the cloud it looked solid, but the view above was a completely different story. It looked like it was full of rainbow colored holes from midnight black, to sky blue, pink, forest green, purple, sea green, and deep blue.
“Oh my,” I said.
“Just wait, Grace. This is nothing yet,” Daydream answered as she dropped to land on the cloud.
“Is this cloud going to hold us?” Hunter protested as Nightmare dropped beside Daydream.
“I guess it will,” I answered as nobody fell through.
Tommy laughed and dismounted. He walked over to us calmly. “Yes, the cloud is quite solid. These holes are the Cloud Portals.” He held up a hand to forestall Hunter’s questions. “Hang on, Hunter. I’m going to tell you all about them.
“There are three types of portals. The first are the Stationary Portals. Those are doors from one world to another that never change places, such as the portal in the forest that you both used to get from Earth to Dream Mountain’s world. The second type is called the Summand Portal. These are commanded and come whenever the person who called it is and go wherever needed. Finally, there are the Cloud Portals. These start here and go into certainty worlds at any point in time that is needed. These portals are also used to monitor each world that they are for.”
“And you know this how?” Hunter questioned.
“You’re just going to have to trust me,” Tommy replied calmly.
I nodded, knowing I already did. “Who can call the Summand Portals? Who uses them?”
Tommy sighed. “A better question would be who controls them. The person who controls them can give whoever they want permission to use them.”
“Okay, obvious question, who is that person?” Hunter asked.
“You don’t know?” Tommy mocked. “I’ll let you figure it out. But don’t you want to see inside one?” He changed the subject smoothly, as he walked to the nearest portal. “Come look.”
I glanced at Hunter, then shrugged, and joined Tommy. Kneeling down, I leaned over the edge of the hole slightly. I looked down and almost fell in at my shock. I was looking into a forest, a very lush green forest to be exact. It looked young, but it felt older somehow. I gasped in amazement when a golden stag raced below me. It leapt gracefully over small bush and around the large trees, as if it and the forest were one. Only a few seconds later a band of men armed with bows and arrows crashed into my viewing frame. They looked around nosily, while a few tried to shush them. All were big men, each one looking like he owned a blacksmith shop, but without the respect.
I didn’t bother to wonder where the old time description came from, but leaned in slightly to make sure they didn’t shoot the stag. Of course, there was no chance of that with all the noise they were making. What I had failed to notice was the edge of the Cloud Portal was not as firm as the rest of the cloud. In fact, it wasn’t firm at all. It had the consistence of, well, a cloud.
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Chapter 6