Prologue

In the mid-morning sun
the village of Cristalleria
dazzles...sparkles…glitters…
twinkles…shimmers.
Crystal cubes, balls, prisms, stars,
beads, rosettes, pendalogues
flash…dangle…drip…like diamonds
or the Ice Queen's chilly tears…
from every tree limb…branch…bough…
filling the air with clear…melodic tinkling…jingling
and flickers of fairy fire...light.
Encircling…encompassing…rimming
the tournament field
varicolored banners...standards
flog the pristine spring-scented air.
Townsmen…women…children
stand elbow-to-elbow...jam-packed...
necks craned...breaths held...eyes riveted
upon a solitary charger...rider.

Resonating...in every ear...
the bellow-suck...whoosh
of powerful lungs inflating...vacating...
fueling the flames of determination...courage...
resolution...purpose...
Man...horse...
testing...tensing...bunching...flexing...
stretching...releasing
readying...preparing...priming muscles
for assault.
Sweat glistens...courses...streams down
equine flanks...human neck…chest.

Saddle leather creaks…protests
as weight shifts.
Balls of feet push down…brace
against stirrups.
Body angles forward…rider stretches
prone upon the corded neck…
whispers encouragement
into his mount’s ear.
A loud appreciative snort…wired toss of head…
on-edge mauling of the ground by heavy hoof…
is its response.

Sinking down…settling into the saddle…
Reins are gathered…wrapped tight…
biting into flesh...
Deep…lungfuls of air...sucked in…
Thighs taut…rigid…
intensely aware of the heart
pulsating beneath....
within the cavernous chest.

Horseman...charger...freeze
a tableau of flesh...blood...bone...sinew…
emitting...radiating...power, energy…
raw...and combustible.

Without warning…sign…
the stallion
erupts...explodes into action
launches…rockets forward...
shocking a gasp from the eager crowd.
Powerful legs devour ground...distance…
pounding...rumbling…thundering…
churning grass…stones…dirt…
a splintering cacophony arises...
sparks spit...
as iron-shod hooves clash
with diamond-hard…glass.

Onward...upward...man...horse climb.
Thousands of breaths catch…
Thousands of hands clasp…
Thousands of dry lips lick...bite...excitedly
Thousands of throats cheer....
build…swell…to a roar
as the mighty stallion
cannonballs past the halfway mark …
only three quarters of the way
from gaining…winning the summit...
claiming the royal bride.

Sweat…lathers…flecks…splatters.
Heart…lungs…labor...strain…stress…strive.
Muscles…contract…tremble…spasm.
Hoof...seeking traction…missteps...stumbles…slips
looses footing…balance.
Knee buckles…wobbles
Body tumbles…topples
smashes down…upon the glassy mound.

Spinning…sliding
Tender flesh brutally caresses glass
Friction splits…rips…gashes skin
smearing a bloody swathe
down the hillock’s crystalline surface…
a slick…wetly gleaming crimson arrow…
pointing the way…up
to the forlorn…despondent…regal figure
enthroned upon the peak.

Spectators...
horror-stricken...gape-mouthed…
watch as man…beast...battle…struggle
to slow…halt their sickening...slithering…
tobogganing descent.

Tossed sideways…
yards below his fallen mount…
the rider…face…a nutcracker parody
of clenched…grinding teeth…
grabs wildly for a marker stake
as he hurtles…whizzes past.
Arm flings over…around…the pole...
Secures it tight...between chest and arm...
Body anchored…just in time…
as his horse…
eyes rolling in maddened fright…
skids past.

A desperate lunge…a lucky stroke of fate…
attains the flailing reins.
No time to secure…just tense…brace
for the force…shock…to come.
Torment disgorging...howling from his throat…
two thousand pounds of panicked…thrashing horse
jolting...wrenching…tearing…ripping at every muscle…
threatening to rend...
shoulders…arms…elbows…wrists...from sockets.

By the grace of the Five Great Women…
the animal’s struggles…lessened…ceased…
intuitively…sensing rescue…
human limbs…iron stake…held fast…
the tactic impeding…decreasing…slowing…
the velocity…just enough...
allowing the stallion...a coasting...gliding slide…
[before the tension-stressed reins snapped]
to the base....thirty sloping feet below.

Gasping…wheezing…chest heaving…
breath gusting...steaming…fogging
the translucent veneer…
the horse lay...exhausted...drained...depleted...
but safely deposited upon the ground.

Struck mute by the Jackulan feat...
the crowd stood...thunderstruck…
brains uncomprehending
what eyes had borne witness to.
Then…as one...
they detonated...
applauding...cheering...hurrahing...
whooping...shouting...whistling…stomping
in relief...appreciation...
of such an act of heroism.

The welter of discordant sounds
made no impression…elicited no reaction
from the rider…crumpled…deflated…
upon the slope...
a flaccid…boneless…stringless marionette…
ligaments…nerves…tendons…
flesh…brain…
ablaze with agony…torment…pain.

Thoughts like irritated bees
begin to swarm...swirl...collect...join...
perforating the white-hot haze of anguish…
urging...stirring…rousing...rallying
him to awareness...consciousness.
As though molded of fragile porcelain
his head raised...gingerly...hesitantly
testing the ability of the neck to secure it upright.
A feeble lurch rolled him on his side...
another...on his belly.
The bracing chill of the glass...beneath his cheek
revitalizes him further.

Hands brace...push up...raising him to his knees...
then to his feet.
Standing...balancing precariously as a babe...
its first steps not yet taken...
He shakes his head...cautiously
clearing his mind...sharpening his vision.

As his eyes regain focus...he gazes about
taking in
The princess...trapped...high upon her throne
The village throng...their cheers…hurrahs tapering
The multitude of contestants...impatient to try their luck
The horse...struggling to right itself upon bloody knees.