The Broken World Book One - Children of Another God by T C Southwell Page B

looked around. A dire bear stood not ten paces from the tent,
idly sharpening his claws on a tree. The massive animal spotted
Chanter and grunted, studying him with myopic brown eyes. The Mujar
smiled and walked over to his shaggy brother to scratch the rough
fur between the beast's eyes. The dire bear moaned with pleasure
and lifted a mighty clawed paw to swat Chanter, who danced
aside.
    The bear
dropped to all fours and pursued him with friendly grunts. Chanter
laughed and skipped away. The playful chase ended when he stumbled
into a deep snowdrift and the bear pinned him down with massive
forepaws to lick the Mujar's face. Chanter endured the warm wet
caress for a time, then pushed the animal away. The dire bear
retreated, shaking his head and moaning. He did not want to leave,
but Chanter used a brief mind-lock to send him back to his
foraging.
    A glance at the
sky told Chanter that the moon was setting and dawn not far off.
Stripping off his tunic and leggings, he rolled in the snow,
scrubbing himself with handfuls that turned to water on his skin.
By the time he finished and donned his clothes again, the dawn's
first pink tinge brightened the sky.
     
    Talsy woke
blissfully warm, and snuggled closer to the source. Smiling, she
opened her eyes to find Chanter stretched out next to her, keeping
most of himself off the ground by resting on one elbow. He shot her
a smile, then rose and struggled out of the tent, almost pulling it
down on top of her. Untangling himself from the strings, he settled
on a rock.
    Talsy glared at
him, wishing he would stay and keep her warm. Yawning, she wrapped
her coat more firmly around herself and crawled out to stretch in
the pale morning sun. Firewood filled the fire pit, and, as she
scooped snow into a pot, Chanter leant forward to place his hand on
the wood. Talsy braced herself for the momentary sensation of being
in the heart of an inferno.
    The Mujar
smiled as she placed the pot on the flames. While the snow melted,
she pulled down the tent and packed it, then made tea and cut
slices of bread. Chanter's night in the wild seemed to have done
him good. His hair glittered, his skin glowed and his eyes
sparkled. He seemed to be deep in private thoughts, and they ate
breakfast in silence. Talsy packed away the pot and cups, dreading
another day of slogging through the snow.
    "Can you
ride?"
    Chanter's
question startled her, and she swung to face him. "Yes, why?" She
had ridden her father's shaggy pony many times.
    He smiled and
nodded. "Good. Take a deep breath and hold it."
    Talsy obeyed
without question, and Chanter bent to touch his hands to the
ground. The icy silence of Earthpower clamped down, solidifying the
air with terrifying suddenness. As the moment of frozen stillness
passed, she let out her breath in a sigh. Chanter had vanished, and
before her stood the most magnificent black stallion she had ever
seen. He turned a finely chiselled head towards her and gazed at
her with silver-blue eyes.
    Talsy grinned
and went to stroke his glossy coat. Chanter pawed the ground with a
flinty hoof, and she got the message. She slung the heavy bag over
his back and regarded his tall withers with a sceptical eye. He
lifted a foreleg, making a step with which she struggled onto his
back, using his long glossy mane to pull herself up. As soon as she
was settled aboard, he set off across the snowy landscape.
    Talsy patted
and stroked him, then was forced to clutch his thick mane when he
broke into a canter. Although the icy wind nipped at her nose and
cheeks, his warm back kept her cosy. Soon he found a narrow trail,
and his hooves rang on the frozen ground in a steady rhythm. The
trail wound amongst craggy rocks and plunged down steep icy banks,
which Chanter slid down on his haunches while Talsy clung to his
mane with her heart in her throat. He ploughed tirelessly through
deep drifts and climbed hills of sliding snow. Several times, Talsy
almost slipped off, and he sidestepped to prevent her