by Kate Douglas
Tady shivered. They had no weapons. He could only hope whatever waited beyond the door was friend, not foe.
Chapter 5
Lester moved slowly across the floor of the cave with every intention of dousing the fire. He felt as if he and Tady were much too visible to whatever lurked outside the cleft in the rock. He scooped a handful of sand from the floor of the cave and tossed it over the fire.
The flames flickered but the fire burned on. Les grabbed a second handful, when a soft, questioning nicker sounded from the darkness. Glancing back toward Tady, Les moved closer to the doorway.
He flashed the beam of the small flashlight into the pouring rain, and froze. There, standing just outside the entrance to the cave, soaked to the skin and looking more bedraggled than fierce, was a gorgeous white horse. At least Lester thought it was a horse, though it was hardly bigger than a pony.
He saw no saddle or bridle. Nothing that made the beast look at all tame, but Les threw caution to the winds and slowly rose to his feet. He held out a hand, speaking softly. Nonsense syllables, sounds of comfort he remembered from childhood visits to his grandfather’s ranch.
Damn. Where had that memory come from? He stepped closer, only peripherally aware of Tady moving up to stand close behind him. The horse nickered and cocked an ear. Les murmured low sounds, moving closer until he could touch the silken muzzle on the beast.
The animal shied and backed away, but Les kept up the monologue, ignoring the icy rain that quickly drenched his silken sarong. The animal looked weak, its ribs showed prominently and Lester saw that it trembled, either from cold or fear.
“Here. Take this.” Tady handed Les a small bowl of grain and dried fruit.
“Where’d you get this?” He stared down at the bowl a moment before holding it out to the horse.
“Lorcan’s pack. It gives whatever you need.”
“Amazing. Look! It’s turning toward the food.” Les stepped back, into the cave. The horse nickered, then slowly picked its way over the rocky entrance, dipped its head and entered the cave.
Lester forgot to breathe. Tady’s voice was filled with wonder. “It’s a Unicorn. Look at his horn!”
It was indeed. While the beast was snowy white with a frizzy little goatee beneath his chin, there was a glorious silver horn growing out of the center of his forehead. As if unaware of their scrutiny, the Unicorn walked slowly, cautiously, into the cave.
Lester noticed his hooves were cloven, much like a large goat, but the body and tail made it appear very much like a horse. Slowly, reverently, Les held the bowl of grain out for the animal. It snuffled, tilted its head, then tasted. The animal sighed and took a great mouthful of grain, chewing carefully.
“Look at his eyes.” Tady’s soft whisper broke the spell that seemed to have engulfed Lester as he held the bowl for the mythical beast. “I think he’s blind.”
Lester flashed the beam over the milky eyes. The Unicorn never paused eating. He didn’t blink, nor did he seem at all surprised. “That would explain why he’s so thin. Tady, I thought they were made-up creatures. I’ve not seen one of these anywhere in all the time I’ve been in the Northern Realm.”
“They’re very rare. Our one endangered species, I would imagine. He’s definitely a beautiful creature. What will we do with him?”
Lester grinned. “Why, take him with us, of course. If She Who Rules is capable of turning me into a shapeshifting Dragon, I would think she’d be able to heal his eyes. If he’ll come, that is, though I imagine if you can keep pulling bowls of grain out of that pack of Lorcan’s it will be almost impossible to get rid of the beast.”
Tady’s laughter burst out so quickly the Unicorn lifted his head and snorted. Tady quickly calmed him with a soft pat to the nose. “Aye, he does seem to have missed more than a meal or two. Will ye travel with us, magical beast? Our journey may be long and treacherous.”
The Unicorn stopped eating. He raised his head and sniffed first Tady, then Lester. Then he carefully laid his chin across Les’s shoulder and sighed. There could be no other description of the sound. Les patted the smooth nose, then ran his fingers through the tangled scruff of hair hanging from the Unicorn’s chin. “I think this is a yes, don’t you?”
Tady nodded. “Aye, he seems taken with you, Les. I’ll fix him a bowl of water. See if you can dry him off with one of the blankets. The poor creature is still shiverin’.”
Tady filled a bowl with fresh rainwater, pulled another bowl of grain out of his magical pack and fixed a spot in the cave for the Unicorn with some of the bedding he’d gathered for Lester and himself. When Tady led the beast to his impromptu stall, the Unicorn nickered as if thanking him, then carefully folded his legs and settled down in the soft ferns and branches. As if totally exhausted, he stretched his chin out on the floor of the cave and fell almost immediately asleep.
Tady threw one of their blankets over the Unicorn’s back and gently ran his hand along the creature’s spine, feeling each sharp rib beneath tightly stretched skin. How long had he gone without food? Why couldn’t he see? Tady couldn’t recall any mythical creature in the Northern Realm suffering from any form of disability. They were all magical, for goodness sake! Magic didn’t allow this sort of travesty.
Grumbling quietly to himself, Tady carefully banked the fire, and then crawled into the bed of ferns next to Les. They’d share a blanket tonight, but at least the Unicorn would be as warm as he could be.
Les threw his arm over Tady’s waist and pulled him close. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
Tady grinned into the darkness. “Yeah, he should be just fine. He’s got the two of us, hasn’t he?”
Les’s quiet laughter rumbled against Tady’s spine. Damn but he loved the man. “There are so many wonders in this land, Tady. Have I ever thanked you for bringing me here?”
“Almost every day, Les.” Tady rolled over within Les’s strong embrace. “You’ve never once complained about leaving your old life behind. Not once have you asked to go back. Only forward.”
“I left behind nothing that mattered. My family is all gone, except for Amanda. She’s not blood but she’s the closest to a daughter or sister I’ll ever have, and she’s here in the Northern Realm. You’re here. What more could I want?”
“To fly?”
Tady’s soft question hovered between them. He felt Les take a deep breath, heard the soft whoosh as he let it out. “To fly. You’re right, but I think I could be happy without that. If I had to choose between shifting to Dragon form and flying, and you, I’d give up my quest in a heartbeat and never look back.”
Tady felt the warmth from his heart to his toes. “You’d do that for me?”
“Aye, Tady. I’d give up everything for you, and you know it.”
Lester turned Tady in his arms and pulled him close to his chest. Tady felt every breath his mate took, every beat of his heart. The Unicorn, sleeping just a couple of feet away, nickered softly in his dreams. Tady felt the warmth of Lester’s body, the love that was an almost physical entity holding them together. Secure in Lester’s arms, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The Unicorn was stronger in the morning. He nickered once and went outside, then returned within a few minutes while Lester and Tady cleaned up their camp and stowed their gear.
Les grinned when the animal carefully walked back inside the cave. “Who’d have thunk it? A housebroken Unicorn.”
Tady laughed out loud. “I told ya they were magical.” He reached out and stroked the animal’s nose and got a sharp whinny in return.
Les walked up to the animal, murmuring softly as he drew near. He didn’t want to spook him. “We’re making a perilous journey. Do you want to go with us?”
The Unicorn tilted his head and sniffed Lester’s hand as if he listened.
“Tady and I are headed to the Seat of Magic. It’s a dangerous trip and we may not make it there, but maybe She Who Rules can help you to see. I ask again. Do you wish to travel wit
h the Elf and me?”
This time the Unicorn snorted and raised his head, nodding as if to say yes.
“Then it’s settled. Stay close. I think the trail is about to get even rougher.” Les grabbed his pack and helped Tady fit his over his shoulders. He took a thin band of leather out of one of the pockets on his pack and looped it lightly around the Unicorn’s neck. The animal jerked a bit, but Lester shushed him. “It’s just so you know to follow us. All you need to do to pull loose is to put a bit of pressure on the lead and the knot will untie. Is that okay?”
The Unicorn tilted his head as if considering, then nickered and nodded his approval. Tady checked for anything they might have left while Lester started out in the lead. The Unicorn followed close behind, obviously giving Lester his complete trust.
Now a caravan of three, Lester, Tady and the Unicorn headed toward the sheer walls of the canyon.
* * *
It was the Unicorn who found the way. Les had canvassed the entire ridgeline, hoping to find some sort of trail, but hadn’t had a bit of luck. Tady stayed with the creature, afraid to leave him alone so close to the sheer drop into the canyon, but the Unicorn kept nibbling his way closer and closer to the edge.
Finally he nickered and pawed at a thick clump of weeds, then barged right on through toward the precipice. Tady had only a second to let out a yell, but he cut it off in mid-scream when he realized the Unicorn stood on a level just below the edge of the cliff.
“Lester! Over here… I think we’ve found the way.”
The Unicorn snorted. Tady revised. “The Unicorn has found the trail. Come quickly!”
Les came running, hugged Tady, hugged the Unicorn and sighed. “I’d about given up. Thank you, my friend.” He patted the animal’s warm coat, grimacing once again over the protruding ribs. Tady took Les’s hand.
“It’s okay. We’ll feed him all he can eat and get his weight back up. By the time we get to the Seat of Magic, I imagine he’ll be sleek and sassy.”
Les was already following the animal down the trail. “He’s already sassy,” he mumbled. “Starting to act a lot like you. All we need to work on is the sleek…”
* * *
For a truly sightless creature, the Unicorn appeared to have a most amazing sense of direction. Tady walked beside the animal with his hand firmly planted on his shoulder, the leather lead grasped in his hand, but the Unicorn placed his cloven hooves with precise care on the rocky trail, slowly but surely finding the safest route to the bottom of the canyon.
They paused beneath a spreading oak. Lester knelt beside the stream they’d followed and dipped water into his mouth with his cupped hand. Tady grabbed a mug from his pack and filled it for a drink. “Should we take a break here and have some lunch?”
Lester sat back on his heels. “I could stand a meal.”
Tady laughed. “You can always stand a meal.”
The Unicorn whinnied and sniffed the air, then lowered his nose to drink. The sound of falling water had gone from muffled to distinct. The waterfall they’d seen in their vision must not be far from here.
The Unicorn found a spot in the shade and curled up on the ground. Tady placed a bowl of grain in front of him. Dipping his silver horn as if in thanks, the creature sniffed the bowl, then began to eat.
Lester pulled two huge sandwiches out of his bag and handed one to Tady.
“Thank you.” Tady took a bite and thought of the journey ahead. So far, what they’d traversed had felt almost identical to the scene from his vision, though the Unicorn hadn’t been part of the waking dream he’d shared with Lester. He wondered about the symbolism of the Unicorn, what the animal’s purpose was to their trip.
Nothing happened in this land without purpose.
“How much longer do you think we’ll need to travel?”
Lester’s voice broke into Tady’s meandering thoughts. “I don’t know. I remember sensing the passage of days and nights well beyond the waterfall. We must remember this is all a test.”
Les nodded toward the Unicorn, now licking the bottom of the bowl. “Is he part of the test, do you think?”
“I don’t know. I can’t imagine him just happening upon us. In the land of the Fae, strange things generally occur with a purpose.” Tady leaned over and took the empty bowl from the Unicorn, slipped it into his pack and pulled it out full. This time there were apples mixed with the grain. “Eat up,” he said, finishing the last bite of his sandwich. “I want to get to the bottom of the waterfall by this afternoon.”
* * *
Lester stared down from the rocky precipice and felt a cold sweat break out on his body. This was no small cascade. Water roared through a narrow chute, shot out over the edge and fell hundreds of yards into a boiling cauldron of steam and spray. There were vines growing from the rocky cliffs alongside the cataract, but no sign of the trail.
He and Tady were perfectly capable of climbing down the vines, but what of the Unicorn? They couldn’t just leave him here. Les sensed Tady moving close behind him. “Any ideas?”
“We could do it, but not the beast.”
Les and Tady both turned to look at the Unicorn. He stood behind them, head down, tail hanging lifelessly behind him, the perfect picture of dejection.
“Ya know, he’s not all that big.” Not much bigger than a donkey, for that matter. Lester took a few steps closer to the animal and gently rubbed behind his ears. “Would you let me carry you?”
The Unicorn raised his head and stared at Les with sightless eyes.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Let me just see if I can lift you.”
“Ah Les, you’re gonna hurt yourself, man.”
Les ignored Tady. He squatted down and wrapped his arms around the animal’s chest and butt. Carefully, so as not to spook him, Lester picked the Unicorn up off the ground.
The animal held perfectly still, as if he understood not to struggle.
Lester set him back down and patted his back. “Heavy, but not impossible. If we could make a sling, somehow tie him to my back?”
* * *
Tady stood on his toes to adjust the sturdy pack. They’d had to sacrifice one of their blankets, but the Unicorn rode safely, secured to Les’s back. Les helped Tady fasten the rest of their gear for the Elf to carry, then stepped back and held his breath when Tady grabbed a stout vine and slipped neatly over the edge.
If anything were to happen to Tady, there’d be no point in going on. Les realized there’d be no point to anything without Tady. Everything he wanted in life was somehow connected to a slightly built Elf with a Dragon-sized attitude. Les peered over the sharp edge of the cliff. Tady was already a third of the way down, moving swiftly through the thick curtain of sturdy vines.
Tady paused, as if aware Les was watching him. He grinned and waved. He shouted something, but the sound of his voice disappeared in the roar of falling water.
Les reached around behind himself and rubbed the Unicorn’s foreleg. The animal nickered, as if reassuring Les all was well. Les watched while Tady made his way to the bottom, then knelt down and grabbed a thick length of vine. “Lord, I sure hope this works.”
He tugged the vine, tested its strength, then slowly, carefully, slipped his foot over the edge and lowered himself off the precipice. The roar seemed louder as he steadied himself against the face of the cliff and searched for the safest way to the bottom. The Unicorn held perfectly still. For the first time since finding the creature, Les was glad the animal was blind.
It was one hell of a long way down. Les glanced down once and felt the world begin to spin. He jerked his head up and focused on the leaves in front of his face while the air rushed in and out of his lungs. Once he got his breathing and his heart rate back under control, Les searched for a fresh handhold. Slowly, carefully, Lester lowered himself and his heavy pack through the greenery, finding a stout vine there, a rocky handhold here. He felt beads of sweat drip down his bare chest and the slow, steady burn of muscles pumped to their max.
The Unicorn snorted. The bee buzzed away and Les resumed his slow way to the ground. Once more he looked down and wished he hadn’t. Tady stood directly below, one hand raised to shade his eyes as he watched their precarious descent.
Hand over hand, one foot after the other, Les slowly but surely worked his way down the cliff. When his foot finally touched solid ground, he fought the overwhelming urge to weep with relief. Instead, he knelt down so Tady could release the patient Unicorn.
Lester hoped Tady didn’t notice when he carefully, reverently, kissed the ground.
Chapter 6
From their position at the base of the falls, Tady finally figured out why this waterfall was so big. It wasn’t falling merely from the small stream they’d followed. From this point, he could see it was fed by at least three larger rivers, all coming together here. Three points of the compass, heading due north toward the fourth.
No wonder the magic felt so strong. He glanced toward Lester and saw that the big man’s arms still trembled. The Unicorn wasn’t huge, but Tady couldn’t imagine the strength it must have taken to lug the creature down that long cliff. If only he’d been able to shift to find the Seat of Magic, Lester wouldn’t have to take risks like that. They could have found She Who Rules in just a day.
Of course, it was all about the journey.
Tady sighed, gathered up his pack and glanced toward Lester and the Unicorn. “Are ye ready, m’boys? We need to move on if we’re to find a safe spot to camp tonight.”
Lester nodded. The Unicorn snorted and they all moved on down the path.
That night they camped in a small meadow near the river that raced through the canyon. Lester spent a long time getting the Unicorn comfortable, preparing a soft bed and placing a filled bowl of grain in front of him. Tady watched with a full heart and an aching cock. Lester seemed so caught up in the minutia of the journey, he’d paid scant notice of Tady.