by Setlu Vairst
***
Feeling immensely happier as he moved along his chosen path, Shane felt his fears and apprehensions beginning to wash away from him. Huge yellow flowers that littered the grass in front of him seemed to sway in a carefree happy way. ‘This,’ Shane reflected, ‘is more natural and normal than…’ And then he noticed upon one of the huge yellow flowers that stood as high as his head that there was a lone bee that was busy upon its work of delicate honey collecting and accidental cross-pollination. He stopped and moved closer to the flower.
“Hello,” he said, moving his snout closer to the active and busy bee. The bee never flinched in any obvious way and serenely carried on upon its ritualistic task. Shane was not surprised when he never received a reply. For the sake of it he placed his head so that his snout was only a tiny distance away from the bee and, again, he said “Hello?” This time the bee responded, if only by flying up and across to calculate a landing on another flower head.
Shane was satisfied. ‘Bees cannot talk to beasts and beasts could not talk to insects,’ and, as he stood there thinking that thought, a voice came from behind him.
“Talking to the flowers, are we?”
Turning quickly around, Shane looked upon the enormous bulk of Flack, for an instant not recognising the unicorn because he seemed so much bigger than he recalled.
Shane felt slightly embarrassed, but Flack prevented any more of this by asking, “Well, which way is Essilon?”
“This way,” said Shane, and with that turned once again and set off once again upon their journey; a journey that Shane had not long ago thought to be one that was to be attempted by only one of them; to forever remain uncompleted by the other. “Come on,” urged Shane, calling for Flack to follow him.
Flack immediately responded and set off in the direction that Shane was travelling. He held his huge head in the air and the wind ran in small currents along his body, caressing him gently, making him feel a little better.