Read Online The Guardian Herd: Stormbound by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez - Free Book Online

yourself.” His deep voice brimmed with the confidence of his birth father, Iceriver, and the ferocity of his mother, Petalcloud.
    Frostfire peered through the branches. A bay stallion with gray feathers emerged with his head bowed. Frostfire was shocked to recognize the under-stallion. He wasn’t an intruder; he was Mountain Herd’s flight school instructor, Hedgewind. Hedgewind’s yearling students stood trembling behind him. Frostfire’s young aunt, Shadepebble, was one of the students, but he didn’t see her. “Explain yourself,” he commanded Hedgewind.
    The bay stallion’s lip quivered, and tears formed in his eyes.
    Frostfire swallowed his disgust. “Answer me or I’ll kill you right here.”
    Hedgewind’s words came out in a whisper. “We were raided by Snow Herd stallions.”
    Frostfire flared his wings. “What? Where?”
    â€œOver the mountains in the western Vein, near the old Sun Herd lands.”
    â€œYou left our territory?” Frostfire flattened his ears.More and more, steeds were sneaking off to graze in the Vein where there was still long grass.
    Hedgewind stammered. “Rockwing gave his permission.”
    â€œThen why are you hiding here by Circle Lake?”
    Hedgewind glanced at the clouds floating in the blue sky above them, trying to gather his words.
    â€œLook at me when you speak,” ordered Frostfire.
    Hedgewind met Frostfire’s eyes, and the words tumbled out of his mouth. “There were seven of them. They took Shadepebble.”
    Frostfire choked on the spittle that had collected in the back of his throat. Snow Herd stallions had stolen Rockwing’s filly! It was unthinkable. “When!” he demanded in a roar.
    â€œThis morning.”
    Frostfire whirled and walloped the instructor with his back hooves. Hedgewind ducked, but Frostfire’s blow didn’t miss. The bay under-stallion sailed backward, tumbled over his wings, and then crashed into the snow. The flight school yearlings galloped toward the clouds, their eyes round and wild. “Come down,” Frostfire snapped at them. They landed and waited, shivering with fear.
    Hedgewind coughed blood, splattering the snow in reddroplets. It was high noon. Frostfire guessed the Snow Herd stallions were many hours away with their prize by now.
    â€œI don’t think they know who she is,” sputtered Hedgewind. “They just took her because she . . . she couldn’t keep up with us.”
    Frostfire exhaled, furious. Shadepebble had been born a dud with mismatched wings. Unable to fly the first five moons of her life, she exercised her muscles each day until she could lift off over the grass. After many more days of practice, she flew to the lowest clouds and back, and then Rockwing had allowed her to attend flight school. Today was only her second lesson. “You didn’t go after her?” asked Frostfire.
    â€œNo, sir. I was protecting the others.”
    â€œProtecting them, or yourself?” Frostfire advanced on the quivering stallion, ears pinned, teeth flashing. “You abandoned Shadepebble and hid like a coward. Do you think you will get away with this?”
    â€œI—I made a mistake,” said Hedgewind, humble and trembling.
    Frostfire felt nothing but disgust for the old warrior. Hedgewind had lost his taste for battle years ago and had been reassigned to teach flight school. Why Rockwinglet him take a flock of yearlings to the Vein alone was beyond Frostfire, but he knew Rockwing would place all the blame on Hedgewind.
    Frostfire kicked off. “All of you—follow me.” The yearlings and their instructor followed him back to Canyon Meadow, where Frostfire knew Rockwing would not be pleased to hear the news that his last remaining filly had been stolen.

9
THE MISSION
    FROSTFIRE FOUND HIS GRANDSIRE, ROCKWING , standing on the outcropping of rock where he’d attempted to execute Star just over