The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman Page A

deceit.
    You need to get rid of him. Otherwise there might be a king someday who wants a thousand wives to serve him.
    That will never happen,
I said.
    Send him to the next world.
Penthe had a huge heart, but not for this boy, my brother the black horse.
And let everyone know that's what you're doing. You'll be no one's Queen until you make this sacrifice.
    There was a gathering on the first full moon since we'd come to the pasturelands. I covered my face with ochre and chalk. I dressed in my finest clothes. I painted my mare yellow and red, my mother's favorite colors. I came to the meeting with every weapon I had been given as the new Queen, all strapped to my back with rope.
    I am going off to kill the boy, my brother, who killed the Queen. This is what you expect of me, and this is what I intend to do.
    My aunt Cybelle came to embrace me. A war cry went up and I felt that cry in my blood.
    We will wait for you,
Cybelle said.
    But Asteria came riding up.
    You're so ready to be the Queen,
Asteria said.
But once you said it wouldn't suit you. Perhaps you'd like another who's more sure of herself to step forward.
    Even Astella looked at Asteria, shocked by her nerve.
    I'm sure of myself
I said. At that moment I was. I knew what I was about to do. I had already made choices I hadn't expected; the decisions of a Queen.
    My archers would like to come with you. To serve you, of course. In case you say you'll get rid of the child, and then change your mind, we will he there in your place.
    If you don't trust me enough to do it, why should I trust you enough to accompany me?
    The archers looked at each other; there was no answer for that.
    No, I'll leave myself in the morning.
    That night as I was getting ready, Io came to me and said she would go with me. To protect me, she said. My sister who had never been in battle, never lifted the scythe I'd had made for her until she gave it back to me.
    Stay here and take care of Penthe.
    Then let me sing to you so you can sleep and be refreshed for your journey,
Io insisted.
    My sister wrapped her arms around me and sang me to sleep, the song from the north storm country whose words I didn't understand. Maybe that was why I woke in the middle of the night. Or maybe it was my dream of the black horse calling to me. I would not bother to wait for morning. I would let the dark cover me, and make certain I rode alone.
    I sneaked out so as not to wake Io. I covered her with my blankets so she would not be cold without me, then I packed up my weapons, went for my horse, and left.
    We raced across the grasslands; I didn't let my mare rest until we neared the place where my bear had been killed. I got off my horse to honor Usha before I went on. When I went onto my knees I found the last of Usha's teeth in the circle where the grass still did not grow. I gathered them into a leather pouch and tied the pouch to my waist. Now that I was Queen I didn't braid my hair, but let it fall loose down my back. I had been given four more lines of blue on each of my cheeks, for courage, for protection, for wisdom, for luck.
    I thought about Melek, how close his village was, and I wondered if his people had returned. But there was little time to wonder and I knew I shouldn't be thinking about him; I rode hard the rest of the way. When I reached the priestesses’ cave, I tied up my mare, spoke a blessing, and entered into the darkness.
    It still felt like winter inside the cave, though there was a fire. Greeya came to me and bowed her head. Her eyes looked red with some foretold sorrow.
    How is our priestess?
I asked.
    Still in this world, but only because she's waiting for you.
    I wasn't surprised that the high priestess knew was coming. She likely understood before I die that I would have to make this journey. I went to pay my respects. I'd brought Deborah a comb made of bone for her hair, since even now she was vain, though her hair was snow white; and I'd brought her a bundle of deer meat that would give her