The Endless Gallop: Sequel to Torn From Hope
Chapter Three: And so the plot thickens...
By stazsong magick

A/N: Might be awhile before next chapter appears. Case of writer's block again, ugh.

Disclaimer: All is property of Tamora Pierce, except for plot, and the horses Dariou (white stallion) and Blanche.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter Two: Signs

Chapter Three: And so the plot thickens...

The mare Blanche's stall was directly across from Dariou's. She could hear every noise he made, every grunt of pain, and whenever he was conscious, every plead for help. He had been motionless since earlier that morning, before Daine had checked over Blanche herself. The night before she had contracted the disease. She hoped sincerely that she would never decline to Dariou's condition.

Her keen ears bent toward his presence. She been attentive of him, ready to greet him and offer a morale booster should he awake, but so far he had been totally quiet except for the steady rhythm of his breathing. Speaking of which...

Blanche pressed herself against the front wall of her stall, listening with all her ability. The steady sounds of Dariou's intakes of air had suddenly slowed down. He breathed in. He breathed out, sounding even more ragged than usual. He gasped for more air, as if his lungs weren't working properly.

Eyes wide, Blanche wheeled around in her stall, frantic. She let out one high-pitched whinny, then another. The horses in stalls nearby shifted their weight, irrate.

—Will you shut it?— said one.

—I'm trying to get some rest here. I've got a big day tomorrow!— said another.

—Yeah, a ladies' ride through the countryside,— joked a large draft-bred gelding.

—No, my squire is taking me in a jousting contest.—

—Knight-masters provide their squires with their own horses, dimwit!—

Blanche whinnied frantically, pacing her stall. —Daine! Can you hear me?— she shouted, wishing she had fingers to cross.

—Shut your muzzle!— the gelding demanded.

—No!— she shouted in reply, —Dariou's in trouble!—


********

Back at the castle, Daine was fingering through one book after another. The one she held was titled 'Common Equine Ailments'. She was looking through the glossary of different diseases, looking for one with similar symptoms, when a harried-looking palace scribe ran into her, knocking the book to the floor.

"Sorry," he gasped, "Looking for Daine, emergency—" He stopped talking as he noticed who he was talking to. "Daine! There's a commotion in the stables. Best that you see to it. Must get back to work." He ran off again. Daine noticed that he held a sheaf of papers in his hand. He had obviously been stopped in the middle of something important.

But there was no time for thought. Daine, ignoring the looks of nearby readers, disturbed by her sudden movements, ran out into the hall. Out there she could hear a horse's panicked whinny quite clearly. Within moments it was joined in with others.

Daine's thoughts jumbled together, and she didn't notice where exactly she was going until she arrived outside in the bright sunlight. There was not a cloud in the sky; too cheery, she thought, for a day like this.

Almost immediately the stables were upon her. She was so hurried to get inside that she didn't notice the tall looming figure in front of her. Daine ran headlong into him.

Numair grimaced, then smiled worriedly at her. "I knew you'd get out here as soon as possible," he said, "The horses are going mad."

Daine could hear one of the horses calling out to her in trepidation. —Dariou's dead! Dariou's dead!— the horse shrilled. She reconized the voice. It was Blanche, the little gray mare she had treated earlier that day.

She ran a straight path to Dariou's stall, Numair trailing along unsurely. Blanche had to have been mistaken. Dariou couldn't be dead, not yet, not when she hadn't figured a cure! Daine threw open the door and knelt down inside where the stallion lay, motionless.

No! She took the silvery horse's head in her arms and layed it her lap. His eyes remained closed. "Dariou, I'm getting to closer to finding what the infection you have is," she said," she said encouragingly, "Once I do, you'll be all right, and Blanche too. And all the horses throughout Tortall."

She looked up and noticed Numair in Dariou's stall also, although he was edging away slightly, with an odd look on his face. He fought his instinct to run at insanity. "Daine..." he started, "He's... he's... he's *not with us*."

Daine frowned, then stared at the stallion. "He — no!" She leaped up and the horse's limp head fell to the ground pitifully.

"I — I'm sorry." Numair held out one arm to her, and she ran to it sobbing. He pulled her in close and within moments his shoulder was dripping wet from her tears. "At least he's not in pain anymore."

Daine shook her head. "No, I suppose not. But I was never able to help him! I couldn't numb the pain, or even slow down the course of the disease."

Suddenly a mocking laugh sounded above them. Daine wiped a tear from her face and looked up angrily. Why would someone be laughing now, of all times? She was about to demand why someone would be so happy when something struck both her and Numair in the head. Her mind fell into oblivion.

Neither of them saw who the laugher's owner was.