by Gwen Hansen
The strange thing was that the higher they climbed and the more remote the land became, the more roads there were. The narrow road they were on branched and branched again, was crossed half a dozen times, and at one point seemed to lead in at least five different directions. They didn't see any houses. They didn't see any people. Never hesitating, Illyria led them as if she had memorized the way.
“What are all these roads for?" Sheila asked when she and Darian were riding alongside each other again.
"You mean who are all these roads for?" There was a wariness in his voice that made Sheila uneasy.
"Who, what . . . you know what I mean. There isn't anything up here."
"No," Darian replied thoughtfully. “But let's say all this land was yours, and you wanted to make sure that if you had to, you could get around it easily. You'd make sure there were roads."
"Not me. If I had the money to buy this much land you can bet I'd spend it on some fancy villa overlooking the sea. Who in their right mind would buy all this desert and then carve roads into it? Even the unicorns have trouble in these mountains."
"He may not be in his right mind," Darian answered "and I don't think he had to buy the land."
Despite the heat, Sheila felt a chill run through her as the meaning of Darian's words became clear. "What you mean," she said slowly, "is that we're in Dynasian's territory."
Morning Star's shrill whinny—a sound Sheila had come to recognize as the unicorn's warning of certain danger—was her answer.
2
A Battle and a Barn
Morning Star's warning was answered at once by the low, clear call of Illyria's battle cry. Sheila's grip on her spear tightened, and her heart began to pound as Myno drew her sword and gave the signal to fight. Fight who? Sheila wondered. The only people in sight were the unicorn riders, all of them holding their weapons ready. The unicorns were completely still, poised for action at a split second.
The silence seemed endless. Then suddenly, from behind, came the sound of thundering hoofbeats. Dynasian's soldiers were upon them.
Despite the heat, the tyrant's men wore thick leather armor and helmets with a narrow strip that went down the nose. There was something very sinister about them, and Sheila shuddered as she realized what it was—the helmets made the soldiers look like executioners.
Their leader, a broad man with heavily muscled arms, sent his spear flying. There was a reassuring thunk as the spear connected with Myno's shield, and Myno's voice rose above the noise of the horses and the men. "Now," she cried, ''we attack!"
Fearlessly Dian aimed her spear and hit a burly, bearded soldier. Darian, Nanine, and Pelu joined the attack, swords flying.
Sheila sat on Morning Star, paralyzed. A heavyset soldier aimed a spear at her, and instinctively she ducked, flattening herself against the unicorn's back. Another soldier, on foot, ran toward Morning Star's side. With a rising sense of terror, Sheila realized the soldier was going to pull her off the unicorn. She heard Myno's endless drills running through her head: "Give the enemy the spear or give him the blade, but don't give him a chance." Still, throwing a spear at a target was very different from throwing it at a man.
Sheila took a deep breath, aimed at the soldier who was charging her, and forced herself to throw. She was incredibly relieved when the spear sailed over his head. But her relief vanished as she realized that the only weapon she had left was her sword. She drew it from its sheath at her waist and prayed she wouldn't have to use it.
Time seemed to slow as she waited for the soldier to make his move, and Sheila wondered frantically if she would actually be able to use the blade.
She never had the chance to find out. Morning Star darted to the side of the road and reared up on her hind legs, sending her rider flying. Sheila landed hard on her backside. She wasn't sure what was worse—the jolt or the shock of Morning Star betraying her in the middle of a battle.
It took only seconds before she realized that Morning Star had not betrayed her. Rather, the unicorn had acted to get her out of harm's way. Now it was Morning Star who was doing the fighting, and the unicorn on her own was far more dangerous than she was with Sheila on her back. Morning Star made straight for the soldier who had come at Sheila. He swung his sword in a low arc, trying to cut the animal at the knees.
"Stop!" Sheila screamed, desperately trying to warn the man.
It was no use. Before his sword had completed its arc, Morning Star's horn had pierced his armor, lifted him into the air, and dropped him in a limp heap. Having dispatched that attacker, the unicorn eagerly sought the next enemy. Sheila had to look away as the unicorn tore into another soldier. She stood shakily, willing herself to go back into the battle, but her knees gave way, and she sat back down.
All around Sheila the unicorns and their riders were doing a thorough job of defeating the small troop of soldiers. Quiet Storm and Illyria plowed through a crescent of five archers who never even loosed their arrows. Myno rode her palomino like an avenging demon. Sheila could barely tell the unicorn's horn from Myno's sword; both were covered in blood. And Darian—he no longer seemed a teenage boy but a brave warrior, crossing swords with a soldier twice his size. From the movements of Dynasian's man, Sheila knew what the outcome would be. The soldier was obviously stronger, but Darian was little and quick and had unerring aim. His blade found its way home easily.
As the battle raged on, Sheila was sick.
* * *
It seemed like hours later that Illyria knelt by Sheila's side, offering her a leather flask filled with water. Illyria's silver braids were almost completely undone, and her face was grimy with dust and sweat. Her tunic, always ragged, looked even worse than usual.
"Is everyone all right?" Sheila asked as she gave back the flask.
"There are enough cuts and bruises to keep Pelu busy for a while, but we were lucky. No one was hurt badly. How are you?"
Sheila couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Great, for someone who fell off her unicorn and got sick to her stomach."
"You could not have fallen off if Morning Star had not deemed it best," Illyria said gently. "Of the two of you, she is the more experienced fighter, and you must trust her judgment."
"You mean," Sheila said, "of the two of us, she is the only fighter…I’m sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. You fought by my side in Campora," Illyria reminded her. "But that was a different kind of fight." A smile played at the corner of the Unicorn Queen's mouth. "If you promise not to tell, I'll let you in on a secret.''
Sheila nodded.
"Swear," Illyria ordered with mock sternness.
"I swear. I'll never tell.''
"Especially Darian," Illyria added with an unmistakable grin.
"Especially Darian."
"Well, then, you should know that the first year I fought I shook before and after every battle. For hours. I used to have to make up excuses to go off on my own afterward so no one would see what awful shape I was in. Myno, of course, knew exactly what was happening, but then, Myno misses very little. And she's very good at keeping secrets.''
Sheila smiled, only half-believing the story. Illyria was probably just trying to cheer her up.
Illyria's blue eyes held Sheila's in an unwavering gaze. "Sheila, the taking of a man's life, even a man who fights for a tyrant, is a very serious thing. It ought to affect you." The unicorn queen stood up. "You come from a place and time where this sort of bloodshed is not usual for girls your age.”
The understatement of the year, Sheila thought, but to Illyria she said, "Not too many of my friends back home are warriors.”
Illyria shrugged. "Perhaps that is a good thing. In any case, you need not be ashamed. But now, if you're feeling better, Morning Star could use some attention. She has earned it."
Sheila took a curry brush and comb from her pack and went to attend to Morning Star. The unicorn nuzzled her gently, her nose velvety soft in Sheila's palm. "You're a lethal beast," Sheila said fondly, and
then put an arm around the unicorn, hugging her. "Thanks for saving my life."
* * *
Five days later Illyria led her band to the southern coast of the empire. The dry mountains where they had fought Dynasian's soldiers had given way to hills covered with cedar, cypress, and olive trees. Even better, as far as Sheila was concerned, were the small villages that welcomed the unicorns and their riders.
Tonight they were in a place called Nolad, about a day's ride from Ansar. They hadn't planned to stop at all, but there had been a sudden downpour, and a woman named Yvere had offered to let them spend the night in her barn.
Whinnying softly, the unicorns immediately made friends with Yvere's horses, and the riders settled into the loft above the stalls Considering that they were so close to Dynasian's stronghold, Sheila felt surprisingly content. It was good to be safe inside, listening to the rain fall on the thatched roof.
"This is luxury!" exclaimed Kara, stretching out in the sweet-smelling hay.
Nanine yawned. "In my land,'' she said, ''this is not what we call luxury."
"What do you expect when you grow up in a palace?" Darian asked, Absently he toyed with the bandage that had covered his right wrist ever since the battle. He grinned at Nanine. "I told you you were spoiled."
"At least I grew up, ' Nanine retorted. Her golden necklace, inlaid with turquoise and coral, gleamed in the light of the barn's oil lamp. Even in a worn tunic covered with bits of straw, Nanine looked every inch the princess.
Sheila looked down at her own clothing. Somehow she had managed to tear her tunic's right shoulder. Always too big, it was now threatening to slide off altogether. She tugged on it, wishing she had a few safety pins in her pack.
"Don't let it bother you," Illyria said, watching her. “We'll all have new clothing soon."
"We will?" Dian, who always tried to sound so cool, couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.
Darian rolled his eyes.
"Tomorrow, ' Illyria said, "We'll make camp in the hills outside Ansar then. And we certainly can't ride into the city looking like this."
“We can't ride in at all," Darian pointed out. "Don't you think a band of warriors riding around with a herd of unicorns is just a little conspicuous?"
Illyria grinned and threw a fistful of hay at her brother. "Your faith in me is overwhelming. When I said we'd have new clothing, I meant disguises."
There was a soft knock at the barn door, and Yvere, a small, serious woman, came in. She lifted a shawl from her head, and Sheila saw that beneath it her hair and tunic were soaked. If only they had umbrellas in this crazy place, Sheila thought.
"Forgive me for interrupting," Yvere began.
“You didn't interrupt anything important," Illyria assured her, giving Darian a mock glare. "Will you join us, or would you rather I came down?"
Yvere hesitated, almost as if she were afraid.
Illyria climbed down the wooden ladder and stood before their hostess. Watching them together, Sheila didn't blame Yvere for feeling timid. Illyria was a good head taller than the woman and stood straight and strong. Yvere's small frame was hunched over from years of working in the fields.
"You are going to Ansar?" Yvere asked.
Illyria nodded.
"That is good," Yvere said, with the closest she had come to a smile.
Illyria sighed. "I mean to find Dynasian's fortress. I'm not sure that's so good."
"You'll have no trouble finding his fortress," Yvere said. "But I think you will find something else of interest." Quiet Storm came up behind the woman and playfully rubbed the side of his head against her shoulder. Yvere turned and ran her hand through his mane. "Yes, that's right," she murmured. "He knows."
"Knows what?" Dian called from the loft. Illyria turned and gave Dian a severe look, and Sheila was very relieved that Dian had been the one to ask.
"Oh!" Pelu said, with a soft gasp. "She means the unicorns."
Dynasian had committed countless crimes against his people, but among the worst was capture of the unicorns. It was known throughout the empire that the unicorns were a force of Light. Where the unicorns were free, the land and people prospered. When they were taken by the tyrant, disease and famine followed. Illyria and her riders had sworn to free the unicorns, and indeed, with the help of Laric's men, had freed half of those Dynasian held in Campora. But the tyrant still held half of the herd, and now Yvere was telling them that the unicorns were in Ansar.
At least some of them. "I don't know how many there are," Yvere went on, "but there are rumors all through the city that he hides them in his fortress,"
"He always keeps them well guarded," Illyria said grimly. She looked up at her small troop in the loft. "Are you ready to storm a fortress?"
"In Campora it was his palace," Myno muttered. "In Ansar it's his fortress. He's going to get to know us awfully well,"
"You needn't do it alone," Yvere said. "Ansar maybe filled with Dynasian's men, but it's also filled with people who hate him. He has caused endless grief in that city." She paused again to stroke Quiet Storm, and Sheila saw her face lighten as she touched the unicorn. It was almost as if she looked younger, or as if she hadn't had such a hard life. Sheila had seen it happen before—the unicorns had that effect on almost everyone.
"I've heard rumors," Illyria said. ''There's a rebel group. They call themselves-"
"The Sareen," Yvere finished.
"It means . . . something like . . . Warriors of the Sun," Illyria translated for Sheila's benefit.
When Sheila had first entered this world, Pelu had touched her with a gleaming blue stone she called the Gem of Speaking. Sheila had never figured out exactly what it was or how it worked. All she knew was that it allowed her to understand the language of Illyria and the riders. Unfortunately, it didn't work with any of the other languages in the empire. Or with many of the names, which didn't have an exact translation into English.
"The Sareen are very strong," Yvere went on. "They've attacked Dynasian many times."
"Where do we find them?" Illyria asked.
Yvere gave Quiet Storm a final pat, pulled her shawl over her head, and opened the barn door. Outside, the rain was still coming down in torrents. "Oh, you won't have to find the Sareen," she answered as she let herself out. "I guarantee they'll find you."
3
Dian's Plan
Sheila slid off Morning Star's back with a grateful sigh. They had left Yvere's barn just before dawn and ridden most of the day. Illyria had led them single file down a twisting mountain road and finally through a narrow pass to this—well, the best way Sheila could describe it was a miniature canyon. Two walls of solid brown rock rose up on either side, and between them ran a clear stream bordered with willow trees and high wild grasses. In this land where everything seemed carved out of dry brown rock, it was like they had found a little paradise.
Sheila took her bedroll from the unicorn's back and then removed the saddle. At once Morning Star ran to join the others by the stream. The unicorns clearly liked this place—they were frisking in the water, prancing with delight. Sheila grinned as she watched Darian, who was walking along the bank, get thoroughly splashed.
Myno's voice cracked through the camp. "Get yourself settled quickly. And then gather at Illyria's tent."
That was a surprise. They hadn't used the tents since they had left Campora and Dynasian had declared them outlaws. The tents just took too long to take down when you had to strike camp and flee in the middle of the night.
If they were using them again, it must mean they intended to stay for a few nights and that this place was relatively safe. Sheila, of course, had not come to this world carrying her own tent, and now she wondered whom she would be rooming with.
Kara solved the problem for her. "Help me set this up," she called to Sheila, "and then you can stay with me.
For a while Sheila and Kara wrestled with cloth flaps, leather ties, and at least fifteen wooden stakes.
"If you put that st
ake in there," Kara said calmly, "neither one of us is going to be able to sit up. You're pulling the top down flat."
"Oh," Sheila said, studying the tent with confusion.
"Try putting it in over here," Kara offered, pointing to the obvious place to nail in the stake.
How can this be so complicated? Sheila wondered. She couldn't help thinking about her own tent at home—an aluminum and nylon domelike thing that practically put itself up.
"We're home!" Kara said when the patched little tent was finally standing. She surveyed the canyon with a warrior's critical eye. "It's not bad," she declared. "We'll only need two people on watch." She pointed to the mouth of the canyon, where they had ridden in. "Someone guarding that pass and then someone walking the perimeter of the camp, just in case.”
"I think it's great,'' Sheila said happily. The willow trees moved gently in the breeze, and the stream looked almost silver in the late afternoon light. Three other tents had already gone up, and Dian and Darian were starting a fire for the evening meal. For the first time since leaving Campora, there was an easy, relaxed feeling in the camp.
"Kara," Sheila began curiously, "how did Illyria find this place? The route we took—a homing pigeon would have gotten lost."
"She rides Quiet Storm," the archer answered simply.
"So?"
Kara took an arrow from her quiver and ran a finger along its shaft. "All of the unicorns have powers that go beyond the ordinary. You've seen that. But even among unicorns Quiet Storm is special. Ask Illyria about him sometime."
"Whatever you want to ask will have to wait," said Myno, coming up behind them. "Illyria wants to talk strategy now—with all of you.
Sheila followed Kara and Myno to Illyria's tent, where the other riders had gathered. They were sitting on the grass in front of the tent, as ragged a bunch as ever there was. Not one of them had a tunic that wasn't ripped, patched, stained, and faded. Dian, Sheila noticed, was sitting next to Darian, and Sheila couldn't help feeling an irrational stab of jealousy.