Magic In The Storm Read Free Page B

whisps of grey clouds
overhead.
    A storm.
    The tree had been hit by lightning. But there
was more. The message had been clear, but he still didn’t
understand it. What was coming?
    Whatever it was, Morgan was ready. He had
been ready for years. A sudden chill made him shudder for a moment,
but it passed quickly. Could this be it? Could this be what he had
been waiting for his whole life?
    No matter what, he would be ready.
    He turned back to Apollo. The horse was still
shaken, so Morgan reached down inside of himself for calm.
    Yes, that would help Morgan too. It would
help him be ready for whatever it was that was coming.
    Slowly, gently, he stroked the horse’s soft
muzzle, letting the calm flow from his hand into the animal. The
horse settled down, but Morgan didn’t. Another flash of lightning
lit the deepening gloom that was spreading through the forest in
anticipation of the storm. The wind ruffled his hair.
    He had work to do. If there was going to be a
major storm, he would have visitors seeking his protection—many,
many of them.
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    A
nother deep roll of thunder shook the walls of
the old barn, while the wind outside howled with fury as it picked
up strength. The door to the barn smashed open and closed behind
Morgan. The wooden building groaned at the onslaught.
    Apollo whinnied and stomped his hooves in
agitation. Morgan turned toward the horse, following his line of
vision, but there was nothing—nothing other than a barn full of
creatures of every sort.
    There had better not be any fighting. Prey
and predator were jammed into this too small space, but it would
just be for a short time. Surely, they could control their
instincts until the storm was over—they had before. But Apollo was
clearly agitated.
    “What...?” Morgan began, when from somewhere
deep within the forest, he heard another horse shriek out in
fright. This was followed by a loud crash, and an agonized
scream.
    This one sounded almost... human.
    Morgan froze. How could that be? There was no
one in this forest besides him. Neither his cousin nor his old
nanny, who sometimes came to visit him, would ride out on a day
like today. It must have been an animal.
    Still, it was an animal in need. Morgan could
almost feel the creature’s pain radiating out, calling to him for
help.
    And there was something else entwined with
the need. Deep within him, he felt the same sensation he had had
earlier—a sense of anticipation, of beckoning, of portent.
    He looked down at the tiny foal in his arms.
The poor thing was shaking with fright, and his mother was gently
nipping at Morgan’s shirtsleeve—reminding him that he had been in
the middle of doing something when the scream had distracted
him.
    Looking quickly around the barn filled with
the animals he had brought with him and those which had come there
on their own, Morgan swallowed a moment of panicked frustration.
How were they all going to fit? If any more came... but there would
be more, at least two—the horse he had heard and... whatever else
had made that scream.
    But there just wasn’t space!
    Morgan squeezed into Apollo’s stall. The
small pile of hay in the front corner would have to do for now.
Gently settling the foal in the soft hay, he turned back to his
horse. “Sorry about this, but you’ll just have share.”
    The horse whinnied resignedly.
    With the foal settled, Morgan turned to look
for Oberon, his black Labrador.
    “Oberon!” Morgan called out. His loud, deep
voice caused some of the smaller animals to scurry for cover.
    The dog trotted out of the last stall, where
Morgan supposed he had been settling in the new litter of pups that
a vixen had just brought in.
    “I need you to watch over the animals. I’ll
be back soon.” The dog barked his assent, and Morgan knew that he
was leaving the creatures well cared for.
    As soon as he stepped out of the door, Morgan
was buffeted by the strong wind. Despite the urgency of the
situation, he stopped and took a deep breath