Prologue
Prologue
Milkath
The colt ran. His breath came out in icy white spurts that dwindled lazily towards the heavens. His hooves pounded on the frozen earth, sliding and slipping as he ran, all grace forgotten, towards home. His coat was the color of autumn leaves, pied with a pale gold. His mane and tail were both golden, matching the splashes that formed on his coat. Half grown and lanky, the colt was handsome, and vain. Had his pride not interfered, he may not have been in this situation, but it had, and he was.
His heart crashed continuously like a roaring waterfall, so loud that he was certain that the world would hear it. He could not be caught! Had Belk not repeated that sentence over and over again? He could not be caught! Panic washed over him afresh even as he wrestled it to the back of his mind.
"Keep your focus!" the colt hissed to himself. If he lost that, it was over. If he lost that, the entire rebellion would perish, and it would be his fault.
Milkath glanced behind him, and felt, rather than saw, the fully grown unicorn giving chase. He let out an oath and spurred himself faster. He had the disadvantage of a lighter weight, at the speed he was going, he wouldn't be able to stop in time for anything that may have blocked the path ahead. He would just have to hope that the footing had no abrupt changes.
Luck was not on his side. Before the colt, the path cut off abruptly to a cliff with a river in the chasm below. Instead of slowing his pace, the colt pushed faster still, and heard the stallion break behind him. Milkath shoved his green-gold eyes closed and launched off of the cliff, leaving land and the enemy behind.