Landfall

*Landfall*is the third book in the Guardian Herd series, written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

## Summary

It has been many moons since Star received his starfire power. He has gone from being born a dud-unable to fly and shunned by the five herds of Anok, including his own-to becoming a strong yearling, ready to lead his own herd as an over-stallion. But now he will face his toughest challenge yet. Nightwing the Destroyer, Star's eternal rival, is amassing an army to destroy him and all of Anok. The only way for Star to defeat him is to learn how to fight like a warrior-*without* using his starfire. For if he uses his power, even to heal, Nightwing will know where to find him. As the threat of war looms over Star's head, he can't help but wonder if the current peace among the united pegasi is strong enough to defeat the powerful Destroyer once and for all.

## Plot

Nightwing has arrived at Anok to kill Star. Star and Nightwing fight, and when Thundersky joins the fight on Star's behalf, Nightwing quickly kills him. Able to project a shield of Starfire to protect himself from Star's attacks, Nightwing stops Star's heart with a blast of Starfire. When Morningleaf calls for the Ancestors for help, they answer, appearing as the spirits of weanlings (the age they died at) led by Hollyblaze, who was killed by Nightwing, and hold Nightwing at bay while Morningleaf, Bumblewind, Echofrost, Silverlake, Hazelwind, Shadepebble, and Clawfire take Star to the cave where Silverlake once hid him.

Nightwing flies across Anok searching for followers. Echofrost flies after him to spy on him, and Hazelwind goes with her. Silverlake and the others take Star to the Trap so Sweetroot can heal him. Sweetroot says Star is alive, but in a deep unnatural sleep. The herds in the trap have formed a United Council, consisting of Silverlake for the River Herd, Ashrain for the Jungle Herd, Redfire for the Desert Herd, and Birchcloud, who left Rockwing after he planned to take the Sky Meadow by force, for the Mountain Herd.

Hazelwind and Echofrost return to tell the River Herd that all the pegasi who did not hide in the Trap now follow Nightwing, who has offered to make a pact with whoever brings him Star's head. Petalcloud and Frostfire accepted his offer and formed two opposing armies, respectively the Ice Warriors and the Black Army, to hunt for Star. Sandwing returned to the Desert Herd territory, but was killed by Nightwing, along with Smokewing and Twistwing, to take over their herds. Petalcloud and Frostfire do not know Star's current whereabouts but suspect Morningleaf will be with him. Morningleaf flies off as a decoy to draw them away from Star, and Shadepebble and Brackentail go with her.

In the Desert Herd territory, Morningleaf is seen by two Ice Warriors and escapes them, and on their way to the Jungle Herd territory, Brackentail says he tried to help Echofrost when they were Rockwing's prisoners by bargaining with Rockwing to leave her alone if he gave him information, but Rockwing had her beaten more instead.

Meanwhile, in Star's dream, Hollyblaze tells him that those killed by Nightwing's Starfire, including Thundersky, are trapped in the Beyond and cannot go to the Golden Meadow (the afterlife for pegasi) until Nightwing is killed. Star wakes up, with Sweetroot slowly healing him, and he is advised not to use his Starfire or else Nightwing will sense that he is still alive. Petalcloud and some of her Ice Warriors, including Stormtail, arrive at the Trap in search of Star, but when they hear that Morningleaf was spotted in Desert Herd territory, they leave. Ashrain suggests forming a United Army so the herds can teach each other their fighting techniques; the pegasi unanimously accept.

At the Jungle Herd nesting grounds, after finding the nest of the legendary Spiderwing, who survived Nightwing and his foals founded the five herds, Morningleaf allows herself to be seen by Frostfire, Larksong, and a few of their Black Army so that they will search the Lava Tubes for Star. Morningleaf, Brackentail, and Shadepebble escape by luring them into a trap set by Brackentail.

Clawfire teaches the River Herd how to sharpen their hooves, Ashfire teaches them how to attack with rocks, and Redfire teaches the River Herd how to fight on the ground.

When Morningleaf, Shadepebble, and Brackentail return to the Trap, Star tells Morningleaf, alone of the pegasi, that Thundersky is in the Beyond until Nightwing is destroyed. Echofrost eats some red berries against Sweetroot's warnings and gets Morningleaf, Bumblewind, Brackentail, and Dewberry to do the same, resulting in all of them getting poisoned, and Star heals them with his Starfire despite knowing it will alert Nightwing to his survival and location. Realizing the upcoming war is her fault, Echofrost finally lets go of her hatred and forgives Brackentail. The River Herd call Star "Starwing", and Sweetroot now accepts Star healing pegasi.

Nightwing sends both his armies to the Trap. The Black Army attacks first, and the United Army fight them. Frostfire intends to kill those closest to Star so that he will either surrender to Nightwing or leave Anok, and then destroy Petalcloud and her army and win his pact with Nightwing. However, when it is clear that the Black Army has lost the war, Frostfire retreats. Star heals the injured pegasi of the United Army, and, following a vision of Lightfeather saying her final words "Heal them", he also heals the injured pegasi of the Black Army. Most of them join Star, while the others leave.

The Ice Warriors attack next, not splitting up as the Black Army did. Petalcloud reveals that part of why she refused Star's help was because the sick Snow Herd pegasi were useless to her, and Nightwing's pact involves ruling Anok at his side. When Star is at the mercy of the Ice Warriors, Stormtail tries to kill him but he protects himself with a Starfire shield for the first time. Petalcloud and her Ice Warriors retreat.

Star finds Larksong injured, discovering that she is also pregnant. After Star heals Larksong, she reveals that Petalcloud beat her up to lure Star away from his friends. When Star returns to the Trap, he finds that Nightwing has entered the Trap, incinerated an unknown number of pegasi, and captured the rest.

## Points of View

* Star
* Morningleaf