Chapter Five
The Unicorn
Jane ran deeper into the dimly lit forest, small branches whipping at her as she ran. Jane glanced back at the keep. Two figures emerged, Sawyer carrying his spear and Geoff holding a burning stick from the fire as a torch.
“Sawyer! This way!” called Jane.
She turned and ran a few more steps before she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Standing not twenty yards away from her was the source of the white shimmering. Could it be? But how? She shook her head to clear it, then closed her eyes and opened them again. And still, there it was.
Its majestic head was adorned with a large, spiraled horn nearly two feet in length, and from its chin hung a tuft of white hair. It was drinking from the stream. The moonlight shone and danced against the unicorn’s body and flowing mane, giving it an illuminating radiance. Jane stood motionless, not even breathing.
She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life, and was unable to take her eyes off the wondrous figure before her. She trembled and her heart raced. The unicorn looked directly at her, and she held a hand out toward the amazing animal. The unicorn backed away.
“Oh,” pleaded Jane, “please don’t go. Please.”
She was about to get on her knees and beg the unicorn to stay. Before she could do so, however, it regarded Jane with a quizzical look and nodded. Jane was sure that somehow the unicorn understood her. It walked to Jane, its head bobbing up and down. As soon as it was within arm’s reach Jane rubbed its nose. The unicorn stepped closer. She wrapped her arms around its neck and squeezed. She could feel its powerful muscles as she hugged it.
The unicorn curled its head around Jane’s back and she knew she was also being hugged. As she embraced the unicorn, Jane finally remembered to breathe. She inhaled deeply and thought she smelled fresh gingerbread and roses, her two favorite aromas. She rubbed the long white mane and closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her face. She felt love, pure love, and nothing else.
Jane buried her face against the unicorn’s neck and cried. All of Jane’s fears and anxieties as well as her headache were washed away by the benevolent feelings she shared with this glorious creature.
“The fairy tales are true,” said Jane. “Unicorns are real.” She maintained her grip around the unicorn’s neck.
“Sometimes unicorns come to maidens in the forest, don’t they?” Jane sniffled and wiped her face. She lifted her head and looked into the large lavender eyes of the unicorn.
“Well,” she said, “this maiden won’t try to tame or trap you.” Jane pressed her hands to each side of the unicorn’s head and kissed its nose.
“Never,” she said as she hugged its neck again. The unicorn pawed at the ground with a hoof and rested its head on her back. Their intimate embrace was all that mattered to Jane. She could stay with the unicorn forever. She stroked its neck and shoulder, feeling the powerful muscles beneath its soft coat.
Jane knew that she was in the presence of something great; something eternal and good. The unicorn’s grace and beauty were intoxicating.
“Most little girls hear fairy tales of unicorns,” she whispered, “but I must be the luckiest girl in the world to be here with you.”
She felt the powerful, steady thumping of the unicorn’s heartbeat as she pressed herself closer. Her fingers found a moist spot on the unicorn’s shoulder. It flinched at her touch; something was protruding from its shoulder. Jane looked at her fingers and saw they were red again. She gasped and looked at the unicorn’s shoulder. A broken, roughly cut arrow shaft was sticking out from the muscular shoulder. Blood ran from the wound, down its leg, and onto the ground.
“Oh, you’re hurt! Who would do this to you?” Jane caressed the unicorn’s slim neck while she gently grasped the broken wooden shaft.
“Easy, now. Easy. I need to take this out and stop the bleeding. Be still.”
Jane pulled on the protruding arrow shaft, which caused the unicorn to flinch. “Whoa there. Easy. It’s almost out.” Jane stroked the unicorn’s soft mane with long, calming strokes. Then she heard Sawyer and Geoff calling her. Apparently, she had lost them in the forest. She didn’t want to answer just yet, though, because they might frighten the wounded unicorn.
“Okay. One more time,” said Jane as she exhaled loudly and grasped the shaft again.
From somewhere in the dark forest came a terrifying shriek. The unicorn’s muscles immediately tensed and it broke its loving embrace with Jane to look in that direction. Jane also looked, but she wasn’t sure what she had heard. Perhaps it’s just an animal squealing for food and nothing to worry about. A lower, more distant shout answered the first. Jane couldn’t hear any words or language in the shouts; the sounds were too guttural.
Soon came a series of excited yelps and hoots from several other sources and Jane could see the glow of torches deep in the forest coming closer. The unicorn stamped its hoof repeatedly, tossed its head, and neighed. Jane reached out to calm it, but it reared on its hind legs, then turned and bolted away.
“No! Please, no!” Jane ran after it, but the unicorn disappeared into the darkness, its brilliant luminescent coat sparkling against the light of the rising moon one last time.
“Come back! Please!”
She heard another series of yells, this time much closer. There was grunting and snarling as well. Whatever was making the noises was not friendly; Jane determined that much. The hair stood up on the back of her neck and suddenly she felt alone and cold in the dark. She crouched behind a large tree. She saw the firelight from at least five torches pass by her, and she heard the unknown figures make snorting and sniffing sounds. As they raced by, Jane saw their silhouettes in the moonlight. They were roughly five feet in height, slim, and had a slight slouch. Suddenly Jane realized what they were doing. They were hunting the unicorn!
Her heart began to race again and her breathing became ragged. Oh no! What are those things? And why are they hunting the unicorn? We have to do something. Sawyer and Geoff need to be warned! Jane ran back toward the keep, hoping Sawyer and Geoff had heard the hunter’s cries. She navigated through the trees as best she could in the dark and arrived at the stream, not far from the old ruined keep.
“Jane? Is that you?”
It was Geoff’s voice. He and Sawyer emerged from behind a large tree on the other side of the stream. Geoff was still carrying a torch.
“Sawyer! Geoff! Come on! We need to help! Hurry!”
Jane motioned for them to follow her.
“Hurry! Come on, guys!”
“What’s going on, Jane?” Sawyer asked as he and Geoff splashed across the stream.
“I think some people are out looking for us,” said Sawyer. “I saw torches.”
“Yeah, and we heard wild animals, too,” added Geoff.
“No, no! Come on, guys! We have to help it! Hurry!” said Jane as she turned and dashed back into the forest.
“Jane! Where the hell are we going?” Sawyer’s tone was insistent as he chased after her with Geoff close behind.
“We have to help the unicorn! Now come on!”
“The…the…what?” Sawyer blinked and stopped. Geoff stood beside Sawyer and looked at him. “I think she said unicorn,” he said. Then he ran after Jane.
“Huh?” said Sawyer under his breath as he charged after Jane and Geoff.
Jane dashed headlong into the dark woods, the moonlight lighting the ground and guided her way. Her heart pounded with every step. Please, please get away, she thought. Please escape. Ahead, perhaps a hundred yards away, she saw the glow of several torches. Oh no. No, no, no. They’re still after the unicorn.
Jane plunged further into the dark forest, paying no heed to the limbs that raked her arms and face and pulled at her hair. She felt a stinging pai
n on her right cheek. She touched it. Something warm and moist trickled down her cheek. Her pursuit in the dark left her with a scratch, but she didn’t stop.
Soon she heard an awful commotion coming from the far side of a clearing just a little further ahead. She ran until she reached the edge of the trees before stopping to catch her breath. She blinked several times to clear her eyes to make out the flurry of activity before her. She moved a little closer for a better look while staying hidden in the trees. The unicorn was fighting five small humanlike figures.
As best she could tell in the moonlight, they were Geoff’s size or maybe a little larger, but there was something not quite right about them. Their bodies were thicker than a boy’s and their skin was darker, a dark brown hue with a green tint with patches of matted hair. She noticed they had jagged teeth and their eyes bulged and darted around excitedly. They were armed with swords and spears and wore dark hide armor which didn’t fit them very well. They were yelling and shouting in some guttural language. They were trying to pull the unicorn to the ground with ropes.
No! Oh no! It can’t be! The horrible sight made her heart sink. The unicorn fought valiantly for its life, having dispatched four of the little creatures, but five more remained and they had it surrounded. The unicorn’s beautiful white hair was soaked red in a few places. Tears rolled down Jane’s cheeks, and she watched in terror as the largest of the humanoids jabbed a wicked-looking spear into the unicorn’s side. The unicorn reared on its hind legs and neighed in pain as it flailed at its attackers with its front legs. They’re torturing it! No! Jane gritted her teeth.
Jane frantically looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Sawyer and Geoff arrived a few seconds later as Jane grabbed a handful of nearby stones.
“Come on! Hurry! We have to save it!” she said, pointing at the chaotic scene not thirty yards away. Sawyer and Geoff stood transfixed, unable to believe their eyes. Geoff was the first to speak, “It really is a…a—”
“Unicorn,” said Sawyer, finishing Geoff’s sentence. “What are those guys doing?”
“Sawyer, they’re killing it! We have to save the unicorn,” said Jane, giving Sawyer a shove to get his attention. “Come on!”
“Wait, Jane,” said Sawyer. “They have weapons.”
“No! We can’t let them kill it!”
Jane turned and ran toward the melee, her heart pounding with every step she took. The unicorn fell and lay on its side, breathing heavily and bleeding from a half dozen wounds. The largest of the humanoids was now jumping up and down, roaring in triumph and waving his spear. The other four humanoids also appeared jubilant, shouting and barking as they danced about victoriously.
Sawyer and Jane ran toward the unicorn. Sawyer was faster than Jane and overtook her. Geoff was a few yards behind.
“Stop them, Sawyer. Hurry!” Jane threw a few stones at the unicorn’s attackers as he raced by. “Don’t let them kill it!”
Sawyer saw the leader raise his blood-soaked spear into the air for the final killing blow. The unicorn wasn’t moving; it was weakened from battle and loss of blood.
“Hurry, Sawyer!” pleaded Jane again. Sawyer rushed straight at the larger humanoid with his spear raised. He was a dozen yards away when the two closest humanoids noticed him charging. They yelped in surprise and moved to intercept him, but he was too fast. The bigger humanoid was still gloating over its kill when Sawyer swung his makeshift spear. His strike to the back of its head sent its body flying in one direction and its newly dented helmet in another.
The blow, however, also shattered Sawyer’s spear and Jane saw him wince in pain and shake his hand. Next he turned his attention to the two charging, snarling humanoids. One was armed with a rusty sword and the other had a crude stone axe.
The first humanoid swung its sword at Sawyer’s midsection, but Sawyer’s quick reflexes enabled him to leap backward just in time to avoid the strike. The creature followed up with a thrust aimed at Sawyer’s heart. Sawyer quickly sidestepped the thrust, but slipped and fell backward in the tall grass. Frantically, he reached about trying to find something he could use to defend himself.
The humanoid now stood over him glaring and drooling. It raised its sword over its head and then whack. Something struck it square in the face, stunning it. Jane had thrown a bulls-eye with a rock and nailed the little creature.
“Get up, Sawyer,” she called as she pelted the humanoid with a couple of more rocks. Sawyer scrambled to his feet and found a tree limb nearby. The humanoid with the stone axe rushed at Sawyer with its weapon raised. The look on its face was malevolent and filled with hate. Sawyer grasped his tree limb with both hands and swung it like a baseball bat. He struck his attacker squarely on the jaw, sending splinters and teeth flying and dropping the creature in its tracks.
The first humanoid had recovered, and in spite of being peppered with stones from Jane and Geoff, advanced on Sawyer. It was still a little unsteady and missed badly with another sword thrust. Sawyer brought what remained of his tree limb down directly on the creature’s warty head, knocking it unconscious.
The remaining two humanoids were unsure what to do next. Their leader and two others had fallen so easily. Screaming, Jane rushed past Sawyer hurling rocks at them. Sawyer looked at the remaining nub of a handle in his hand and threw it at them as well. Faced with a screaming, rock-hurling maniac, the remaining two humanoids turned and fled. They yelped wildly as they disappeared into the forest. Jane ran to check on the unicorn.
“Oh nooo. No, no,” she sobbed as she reached the unicorn and saw its wounds. She dropped to her knees beside it and as she did so, it raised its head and looked at her with sad eyes. Its breathing was labored and shallow.
Jane tore a piece of cloth from the bottom of her blouse and placed it over a nasty wound in the unicorn’s side. She gently stroked its neck as she looked into the unicorn’s lavender eyes and started to cry again.
“Please don’t die,” she sobbed. “You can’t die. Please don’t.”
Sawyer collected the weapons from their unconscious foes in case they awakened while they were tending to the unicorn.
“Why would anyone want to harm such a wonderful animal? So beautiful…please don’t die…please,” said Jane.
Sawyer knelt beside Jane. She was crying so much she could barely see as she tried to stop the bleeding from several wounds.
“Jane, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” said Sawyer. He then placed his hand on the unicorn’s neck and gently rubbed back and forth.
“It isn’t your fault,” said Jane between sobs. “You did everything you could. We were just too late.”
The unicorn appeared to understand they were trying to help it and give it some comfort. It shifted its head and rested it neatly in her lap. Tears were streaming down her face; she couldn’t bear to watch such a beautiful animal die.
“I wish we could do something,” said Sawyer.
Jane nodded. She was sobbing too much to say anything. She didn’t even look up when she heard Geoff approaching.
“Are you guys okay? I thought we were…,” Geoff’s words trailed off at the sight of the dying unicorn. “Oh…”
“Geoff, you’re a scout,” said Jane. “Don’t you know of some kind of technique to stop the bleeding?”
Not able to take his eyes off the unicorn, Geoff slowly shook his head. He removed the moist rag Jane had placed on his shoulder and covered one of the unicorn’s wounds. As Jane watched, Geoff began to stroke the unicorn’s chest and front legs.
“I’m sorry,” whispered Jane. “So sorry.”
Jane felt helpless; she wished she could do something, anything, to save this magnificent animal. She thought about how majestic the unicorn was when she first saw it in the forest, how affectionate it was to her. Geoff sniffled and wiped his face. Sawyer sighed and walked to the
nearest prone humanoid.
“Jane, I’m sorry about the unicorn. I really am. But what do we do with these guys?” he said, nudging one with his foot.
“What are they, anyway?” asked Geoff, looking up from the unicorn.
“No idea,” said Sawyer. “But we have a problem—other than not saving the unicorn. They’ll eventually wake up and more than likely come after us next.”
Jane didn’t answer, nor did Geoff. Yes, thought Jane. They will regroup and hunt us just like the unicorn.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” she said solemnly. “Maybe we can tie them up.”
“No,” said Sawyer. “They’ll break free no matter how we tie them up. And don’t forget they have friends still out in the forest somewhere.”
Jane scanned the dark forest, but saw no movement. Her eyes were blurred from her tears.
Finally she spoke, her voice breaking. “I don’t care what you do with those horrible, ugly things. Do whatever you want. They deserve it.” She heard Sawyer let out a grunt.
“Maybe we can just run as fast as we can, get far away, maybe even find people and some help,” said Geoff.
Sawyer shook his head again. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right killing them like this. I mean, they’re helpless.”
“Yeah, right now they are,” said Jane. “But what if they do exactly what you say? What if they come after us? Hunt us down? Will they show us mercy? I doubt it.” She motioned to the unicorn. “They’ll kill us, too.”
“But is it, you know…,” said Geoff, not wanting to say the word. “Is it murder?”
“More like self-preservation and justice,” said Jane coldly.
“Yeah,” agreed Sawyer, “and I don’t think these things pass for human, either. They have to be human for it to be murder, right?”
“Then…who’s going to do it?” Geoff’s voice was almost a whisper.
Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1) Page 6