“He is Arovanni, Jala. Part of my soul was used in his creation. I know what he can do. To trust me is to trust him,” Valor explained. Moving forward he took her by the arm gently and pulled her back toward the horse. “Here, place your hand over his nose gently. Just rest the palm there against the skin.”
Jala gave him a questioning glance, but allowed him to move her hand to the horse’s nose. Gently she pressed her palm against the flesh and marveled at the warmth beneath her hand. She had expected Valorous to be cold to the touch as his barding was. Instead he felt like a living creature, though she had never seen him eat, drink, or sleep. There was a faint stirring in her mind and she silenced her thoughts with a bit of wonder. She could feel emotions, though she knew they weren’t her own. It was almost like the bond with Finn had been, though not nearly as strong. She had felt the faint brush of the Arovanni’s mind in Goswin when Valor had handed her the reins, but it hadn’t been nearly this defined. She could sense confidence flowing through the link as well as loyalty and compassion. Fainter, there was a flicker that seemed almost too fragile to examine closely – trust. Slowly she pulled her hand back from the horse and let out a slow breath. “All right, Val, we ride,” she said faintly and wondered if he could even hear her words over the hammering of her heart. To her own ears it sounded like battle drums.
“Trust me.” Valor urged, though the words sounded more like a plea than a request.
“I do,” Jala assured him and moved to mount the horse. He can see in the dark and he wants Finn back as badly as I do, she reminded herself as he settled on the horse behind her. Certain horses are bred for certain things. The bigger they are, the less versatile they are. Blackjack might never carry a knight, but he will be able to get up paths that ol’ Buck wouldn’t consider. The memory of her father’s words came unbidden and she swallowed heavily. “Valor, this is a War Horse isn’t it? He is made for charging at enemies, right? Not playing mountain goat on a pitch black cliff.”
“He is Arovanni. Hold on to something – either me or the saddle. It will be a quick ride down. Lean when I lean and try not to scream,” Valor explained as his horse leaped forward with a speed that didn’t seem at all appropriate considering the situation.
Jala swallowed the squeal that almost broke from her lips and seized the front of the saddle in both hands. There was a moment of panic as the horse leaped, and then the only sound was her ragged breathing as the animal plunged over the side of the cliff.
“Hold on,” Valor warned just before the Arovanni’s hooves once again touched rock. Her teeth knocked together at the impact and her nails dug deeper into the leather of the saddle, but she managed to keep silent. The horse ducked its head lower and put on more speed. Jala could see the path now. It was narrow and covered with loose rocks. Had she seen the ground beforehand she wouldn’t have believed even a mountain goat could manage it, and yet they were riding a very large horse down it at entirely unreasonable speed.
Valorous’s shoulder rubbed on the first corner of the path sending blinding sparks off the metal of his barding. Jala let out several rapid breaths and considered closing her eyes for the remainder of the trip. She felt Valor lean forward against her back and faintly remembered his orders enough to lean forward as well. There was another moment of weightless terror as the horse jumped again and then the thundering descent resumed.
“Almost over,” Valor whispered to her as he sat up a bit. She adjusted her position to match his and repeated his words over and over in her mind.
Her world shrank to her own thundering heartbeat that perfectly matched the thundering hooves. She wasn’t even aware she had clenched her eyes shut until they ceased moving. Valor let out a slow hiss behind her and she cautiously opened her eyes. They were stopped with the base of the cliff at their backs. Valorous shuffled beneath them and let out a snort of displeasure. She felt Valor kick his feet free of the stirrups and then dismount.
“What is it?” she whispered, leaning over the saddle toward him. As far as she could tell they were the only occupants of this shadowy corner of hell.
“Cast a light. You will need it,” Valor whispered back as he drew his sword slowly.
Jala nodded faintly, not liking the sound of his words at all, and summoned the light spell. She closed her eyes as she cast the spell to avoid blinding herself and centered it in front of them and above. As she opened her eyes once more, pale violet light illuminated the area around them.
The landscape was rock strewn as it had been on the plateau above, but here and there an occasional tree grew, though they were twisted and gnarled things. They were not alone here either. Crouched on every rock and in the branches of trees were dozens of twisted little creatures. In comparison with the demons they had already fought these things seemed pathetically small, but there were so many of them. “It is plural guardians. Hell is no place for optimists,” Jala said softly. “At least they aren’t big,” she added in what she hoped was a reassuring voice.
“My father’s favorite quote, Even the strongest man can be taken down by rats, comes to mind,” Valor replied dryly. His gaze was locked on the creatures and it was clear that he planned to let them make the first move. “He used it in reference to infantry swarming knights but I think it applies fairly well here.”