The Deception

by Suzanne de Montigny

  Ulysees tensed, fearing for the worst, but released a breath of relief when Danae met Icarus square on, paddling his hooves back at him.

  “You’re going to be so sorry for that!” Icarus shouted. Rising to his full height, he shoved his weight against the old stallion.

  Danae toppled backward, stunned, but sprang back to his feet again. He twisted around and threw out his back legs, striking a hard blow to Icarus’ ribs. The Great Stallion screamed in rage. Snaking around, he lunged at Danae, baring his teeth and bit hard into his mane. Danae shrieked. Blood oozed from the wound.

  Ulysees cringed.

  The old stallion pulled away, his eyes crazed with pain, his breath heavy. He shook his mane and gagged. Then slowly, he raised his head and burst forward, charging Icarus again. Icarus dodged him, but not fast enough as Danae’s angry hooves pounded against his ribs.

  “You’re really asking for trouble, aren’t you?” Icarus growled. Leaping forward, he shoved Danae back with his full weight. The older stallion stumbled. His legs scrambled to keep his balance, but they collapsed with fatigue, and he rolled onto the ground. Before he could get up, Icarus lunged at him, thrusting his horn into Danae’s side. Blood spurted from the wound. Danae screamed in agony, but Icarus wasn’t through yet. Drawing back, he aimed his horn one more time.

  “Stop,” Ramah shouted.

  Icarus paused for a brief moment.

  “Leave him be!” she cried. “You’ll bring shame to the Legacy of Azaria.”

  The stallion took another angry step forward, his eyes blazing, and then halted, his body trembling.

  Ulysees watched Danae, his heart pounding.

  The old stallion raised his neck slowly, painfully, his warm, moist eyes meeting Ulysees’. He mouthed the words, “The truth.”

  Ulysees nodded, understanding.

  Then Icarus turned and addressed the herd. “I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he said, still breathing hard. “But we must protect the Legacy of Azaria at all cost. Danae threatens our safety with his words. These bones are an omen to warn us because we haven’t been obedient enough to Jaresh.”

  The herd huddled together, mute, until a lone mare raised her trembling voice. “But what’ll we do now?”

  Icarus took a deep breath. “You must obey my every word,” he said, “and always remember that I’m the Great Stallion, and that we must remain true to the legacy to survive.”

  He began the chant they’d recited all their lives, the herd joining in, their voices rising with each repetition. “We will survive, we will survive, we will survive!”

  When the mantra had drifted away, Alannah took brave steps forward. “But Icarus, there’s something else no one’s thought of.”

  “What?” he snapped.

  “What if there are more giant creatures – only they’re alive?”

  The voices of the herd rose again, louder this time, and more anxious.

  Ulysees cast a glance over the valley at her words, searching for anything. His eyes landed on something that made his heart skip. “Look,” he cried. “More bones over there.”

  All heads turned in the direction he pointed.

  “And over there,” shouted Téo.

  “And more over there,” said Alannah.

  “The whole meadow is filled with skeletons,” Sarah whinnied.

  The unicorns’ cries grew shrill with panic.

  For a moment, Icarus’ expression was almost childlike, fearful, and indecisive. Then he reared up and shouted, “Fly!”

  They scattered like rabbits, galloping anywhere and everywhere, in complete pandemonium, their ears pushed back, until Icarus scrambled up the hill that would take them away from this paradise-turned-hell. Their hooves battered the ground, and their manes and tails flew as they stampeded.

  When they reached the top of the hill, Ulysees slowed and looked back. Far below, he spied the sole form of Danae struggling to rise. “He’s still alive.”

  Téo pulled up and swung his head back too. “But he’s injured really badly. We’ve got to go back and help him.”

  “But Icarus might … kill him if we do, or worse yet, kill us. We’ve already been in so much trouble.”

  They teetered on the crest of the hill, undecided. Then Ulysees saw the sign he searched for – Danae pointed his horn in the direction of the herd.

  “Look, he wants us to follow Icarus.”

  “No,” said Téo, his voice thick with emotion. “We need to help him.” He started down the trail toward the old stallion.

  Again, Danae aimed his horn, more forcefully this time.

  “No, look. He doesn’t want us to. It’s too dangerous. We have to listen to him. But we’ll keep our promise to him, okay? To find the truth, somehow, some way.”

  “Alright,” said Téo.

  They turned and raced up the path after the herd, their minds made up.

  Chapter 16

  The Futile Journey

  The three men stood in the damp grass as the night grew darker, peering through prickly bushes at Ali’s cottage.

  “Okay, here’s what we do. We burst through the door when she comes home an’ tie ’er up. Then we keep ’er captive until she tells us where to find the unicorns.” Drachen’s words were bold despite the fear he held inside.

  “What if she doesn’t give in?” Ike asked.

  “She will when we’re through with ’er.” Drachen forced a snicker.

  “What are ya gonna do?” asked Kayden.

  “We don’t let ’er have any food or drink. She's old. It shouldn’t take too long.”

  Kayden let out a low, rumbling laugh.

  “But hold on,” said Ike. “What if one of ’er boys shows up?” He swung his head about, peering through the woods around the cottage.

  Drachen cringed at the memory of the three sons. They had the same piercing eyes as Ali’s, eyes that mesmerized people into doing what they wanted. His mind drifted back to the time he approached the stable keeper when he was a boy.

  “Please sir,” he had said. “My mama’s gone. I gotta look after my two brothers. I’m good with horses. Ya could train me. I’d work hard.”

  The stable keeper had bent down, his eyes filled with compassion. “What happened to your mother?”

  Drachen lowered his gaze to the ground, his answer barely a whisper. “She joined the colony.”

  “The colony? You mean she’s a leper?” The man’s eyes shot open to twice their size.

  “Yes, sir,” said Drachen. “An’ my Papa left us long ago, so it’s up to me. I’m all they got.”

  He waited for the stable keeper to offer him kindness, to place a warm hand on his shoulder, but instead, the man broke into a sweat, beads of perspiration dotting his forehead. His breath came in gulps, and he backed away. “How do I know you’re not a leper too?”

  “I’m not …”

  “But you could be,” the man said, retreating farther and farther, the whites of his eyes showing. “Besides, we don’t need any help right now.”

  Drachen slid down to his knees and grabbed the man’s sleeve. “Please sir,” he said with all the manners he could muster. “I really need the work.”

  The man jerked his arm away, his eyes filled with terror. “No! I told you we don’t need anyone. Now off with you!”

  Drachen had stood helpless, blinking back tears, and then turned and fled.

  A week later, while passing by, he saw Ali’s eldest son, Shem, working the horses. He had stared in shock while the stable keeper looked away as though he’d never met Drachen before in his life.

  Drachen shook away the memory of that horrible day, then turned to his brothers. “Nobody’s seen Ali’s sons in months.”

  “But what if they come?” asked Ike.

  “I’ll keep watch,” said Drachen, “just in case.”

  The hours passed, and still the old woman hadn’t appeared. Rain pelted down on the shivering brothers. At first it was a light drizzle, but it quickly turned into a downp
our.

  “Where is she?” Kayden growled. “I feel like a wet dog.”

  “I don’t know,” said Drachen, his voice sarcastic.

  “Whose idea was this, anyway?” asked Ike, blowing his nose in his sleeve.

  “Mine. You wanna get that horn, don’t ya?” Drachen broke into a cough, hacking for a full minute.

  “I never said I wanted to get soppin’ wet doin’ it,” snapped Ike.

  Drachen’s eyes wandered to the horizon. A thin, red line glowed beneath the clouds. “It’s just about sunrise,” he said. “Let’s wait inside. We’ll surprise ’er when she finally gets home.”

  His brothers grunted in agreement. After pushing their weight against the door, they tumbled into the cold, pitch-black cottage, feeling their way around in the dark. They sat down and huddled, waiting.

  As dawn crept in, and the black of night transformed to shades of grey, Drachen came to a horrible realization. “Everythin’s gone!” he shouted. “Everythin’. She left!”

  “What?” Ike turned, his eyes straining through the shadows.

  Fury filled Drachen at Ali’s mockery of him. He shot up, ripped off his drenched cloak, and threw it down. Cold water splashed back at him. “She must’a left the very next day after I talked to ’er.”

  “Ya mean to say we spent all night freezin’ an’ she’s not even comin’ back?” Ike jumped up and grabbed Drachen’s shirt, yanking his brother off the ground.

  Drachen didn’t wait for his next move. He took a swing, his fist crashing on his brother’s cheek. Ike stumbled backward, his jaw hanging in disbelief. Burning with anger, he touched his face, but before he could rise again, Kayden joined in and lunged toward Drachen, shoving him to the ground with a loud thump. An oomph escaped Drachen. They rolled around the ground, fists flying. Twisting and turning, the three punched and kicked until Drachen tasted blood. Was it his or Ike’s? After several more shots and vulgar insults, they finally sat up, their panting filling the small cottage.

  “What now?” Ike wiped the blood from his nose on his shirt.

  “Yeah, wise guy. Wha’do we do now?” growled Kayden.

  Drachen took a deep breath. “Let’s track ’er down. She can’t be too far.”

  By afternoon, they had changed their wet clothing and were loading supplies onto their horses. The animals groaned in pain.

  Drachen clicked his tongue in disgust at the trembling in his mare’s legs

  “They can’t take the weight,” said Ike.

  “Maybe not,” said Drachen, eyeing Xavier, “but the colt’s old enough now. I can use him as an extra pack horse.” He took the young male by the halter, tied him, and then threw a load over his back. “You’ll carry this if ya know what’s good for ya.”

  The colt kicked up his hind legs and catapulted the pack over the rails of the holding pen. Drachen ducked, the parcel whistling past his head. The brothers howled with laughter. Drachen gritted his teeth. After several more attempts, Xavier finally accepted a small weight on his back.

  They began their journey by following the trail that led from Ali’s cottage and trickled deep into the forest. Xavier tugged at his lead, sometimes bursting forth in a gallop, and sometimes digging his heels in the earth, often refusing to move at all.

  Exhausted by the colt’s antics, Drachen finally called a break. Bending down, he examined Ali’s tracks. “She’s in a wagon. See the two lines? There’s hoof prints in between.”

  “Yeah, but where’s she goin’?” asked Kayden.

  “Likely goin’ to find ’er sons before headin’ out to look fer unicorns. She’s gonna need their help.”

  “Then we’ll find all o’ them,” Ike rumbled. “Won’t that be a surprise to ’em, eh?”

  “Oh yeah,” said Drachen, a feeling of foreboding looming over him. “A really big surprise. I just hope the surprise isn’t on us.”

  Chapter 17

  The Initiation

  The unicorns traveled for weeks, trudging through muddied paths and dense brush, through mosquito-infested woods, and prickly woodlands. Their hides were scraped, turning the white of their coats to a grayish, blood-matted colour. Burrs stuck to their fur.

  Ulysees and Téo’s thoughts turned often to Danae in the weeks as they journeyed.

  “I wonder if he’s okay,” Téo whispered one night.

  “He must be. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made us go on,” said Ulysees.

  “But I’ve heard that if no one heals you, that a wound can fester and even kill you.” Téo’s eyebrows turned up in a worried expression. “We should have gone back.”

  Ulysees shook his head. “We couldn’t. You know that. Danae wouldn’t let us.”

  “Maybe not, but I sure hope the giant beasts didn’t get him.”

  Ulysees’ coat twitched at his friend’s words. “Me too.”

  They continued their trek until the old moon turned dark, and a new one took its place, its light filtering through the trees and casting enchanting shadows. It was on this night that Ramah halted the herd and addressed them.

  “All hail Icarus,” her voice rumbled.

  Ulysees’ muscles tightened as he waited for the stallion to speak. What bad news would he deliver now?

  Icarus stepped forward with an air of decisiveness. “Mares and stallion, colts and fillies, we’ve traveled for the duration of an entire moon since we left our home. It’s been difficult, but I now believe we are safe from the humans as well as the giant beasts that surely roamed the valley. And so I’ve decided we’ll set about searching for a new hidden spot among the trees to call our home at dawn.”

  Ulysees’ mouth dropped. “It’s actually over?”

  Téo’s face lit up. “I guess it is!”

  The unicorns cheered. They pranced about despite their fatigue, their hooves dancing on the lush ground beneath them. Stallions reared while the younger unicorns bucked and galloped about.

  After they celebrated, the foals explored their new surroundings in the dark with wonder-filled eyes.

  Ulysees breathed in the rich smell of the foliage. He bent his head to taste the sweet grass at his feet. Water bubbled close by. Turning toward the sound, he stopped when he spied Alannah wading in the creek.

  He watched her from the corner of his eye, his gaze shifting to her over and over again. Funny, he’d never noticed how pretty she was.

  Alannah dipped her nose in the water, her silvery white coat reflected in the sheen of the moonlight. Catching his glances, she took timid steps to the bank and climbed onto the grass a short distance from him, nibbling at the tender shoots.

  Ulysees secretly watched her for a while longer, and then said, “You know you’re going to get fat if you eat too much of that.” His mouth turned up into a crooked smile.

  Alannah regarded him, amusement dancing in her eyes.

  “Kidding,” he said.

  She huffed and flipped back her mane.

  They stood in awkward silence for a spell until Ulysees gathered up his courage to say the words he’d been thinking. “Alannah … I’m really sorry about being mad at you. You were right. We all have to stick together.”

  She looked uncertain for a moment, and then her face brightened as she broke into the sweetest smile. “It’s okay,” she said.

  “It’s just that I was so humiliated that day,” Ulysees explained.

  “I know. And I’m sorry I told, but I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

  Ulysees felt his face grow warm. “Aw, thanks.”

  They stood silent again, nibbling on the grass, content to be in each other’s presence. Ulysees grunted from time to time while Alannah swished her tail lazily. As the moon lowered in the sky, they sauntered back to the herd where they all huddled for the night beneath the branches of a wide banyan.

  * * *

  The next day, after the long shadows had faded into the darkness of the indigo night, Ramah addressed them all again. The herd scrambled at attention, their eyes hopeful.


  “It’s been a long journey, and I’m glad we’ve arrived,” Icarus began. “Everything we need is here – sweet grass, fresh water, even purple flowers, though not as plentiful as in the valley of the bones. Most of all, there are trees, lots of trees, where we can continue to live as shadows.”

  Mournful cries resounded at his last words.

  “But we’re tired of being shadows,” said a mare.

  “Yeah. Aren’t we far enough that we can live openly now?” whinnied an older stallion. “The sun feels so good.”

  “And I enjoyed the freedom of moving from one place to another, even if it was during an exodus,” said Sarah.

  Icarus’ face knotted into a scowl. “No!” he said, his voice stern. “We must follow the Legacy of Azaria. That means we will flee humans until the end of time. Have you all forgotten? Has the smell of purple flowers crazed your minds?”

  Ulysees dared not speak.

  “Did you hear me? The end of time.” His hoof thumped the ground, emphasizing each word.

  “But –” began Téo.

  “Silence, or suffer the wrath of Jaresh! I’m the Great Stallion. You’ll do as I command you!”

  Ulysees glanced at his friend. Téo shifted his weight in response.

  “Good.” Icarus threw back his head, holding it high. “Now, because of our circumstances, I have decided that our foals will be initiated this very night.”

  A round of gasps rippled through the herd.

  “But we’re not quite yearlings,” Ulysees whispered to Téo.

  “No, but we do have small horns.”

  “Yeah, I suppose.”

  The Great Stallion’s anger dissipated as he spoke, “We shall begin with Ulysees. Ulysees step forward and stand before your matriarch.”

  The colt wandered over, his footsteps uncertain, to where Ramah stood.

  The ancient mare’s eyes met his as she addressed him. “Ulysees, the explorer, you have always been adventurous, and though that sense of adventure endangered the herd, your careless actions alerted us that humans lived nearby. Because of this, your crime has been forgiven. Therefore, I command you to kneel.”