The Deception

by Suzanne de Montigny

  The fillies listened, small cries escaping their throats until Ulysees’ words trailed off.

  “Icarus!” Lilia shook her head. “He always was cruel, but I never thought he’d be that dishonest.”

  “I’m so shocked,” said Alannah. “The herd has been following him blindly.” She slapped her tail. “But … this creature, will we be safe around him?”

  “Yes,” said Ulysees. “No matter how frightening he looks, just remember he’s as gentle as a rabbit.”

  The fillies shared an anxious glance, and then fell in step with the colts.

  When the sun had moved farther in the sky, they found the lake, tucked away in a deep corner of the woods. Pushing through the low brush that lined the trail, they made their way to the shore.

  “This is it.” Ulysees said, looking back at the fillies.

  “It’s beautiful,” cried Alannah. “I’ve never seen water that colour before.”

  “Me neither,” said Lilia.

  Ulysees walked along the beach, searching for signs of the great beast, but found none. After a time, he shot Téo a helpless look.

  Then the water in the center of the lake began to bubble.

  “What’s that?” cried Lilia with a nervous nicker.

  “I don’t know,” said Alannah, straining to see.

  A huge wave rose up on the shore followed by another and another. Darius’ head shot up, trailed by his long neck and body until he rose to his full height.

  The fillies backed away, but the giant dinosaur was quick and swung his head out, lowering it to their level. He smiled. Alannah stopped, and then smiled back.

  Darius’ voice echoed as he spoke. “You’ve brought more unicorns with you.”

  “Yes,” said Ulysees. “This is –”

  “Lilia and Alannah!” Darius finished his sentence.

  “How did he know?” Alannah broke into an uncertain smile.

  “Because he’s a seer,” said Téo.

  Alannah pushed her nose forward until she touched Darius’. She let out a chuckle. “You know, he’s actually kind of cute.”

  With her words, Lilia took timid steps toward the great beast too. When she reached him, Darius gently picked her up in his mouth and stood her on his back. Lilia let out a small shriek, and a giggle.

  “Wow, you guys should see what it’s like up here!” she called.

  Darius lowered his head again and placed his mouth over Alannah, lifting her and dropping her carefully beside Lilia.

  “Hey!” said Ulysees. “Us too.”

  With two more reaches, the four unicorns stood atop the gentle giant.

  “Now hold on tight,” said Darius. “I’m taking you all for a ride.”

  The yearlings whinnied with excitement as he descended back down in the water, carrying them along on his back.

  “I’ll bring you to the other side of the lake,” Darius said. “You’ll find the red flowers there.”

  “How did he know about the red flowers?” asked Alannah. “Oh yeah – seer.”

  When Darius arrived on the opposite shore, he lowered them onto dry ground. “Go through those trees, and you’ll find a meadow. The flowers are huge and sweet. Icarus won’t be disappointed, and then he’ll have reason to let you come back over and over again.”

  The yearlings scampered into the clearing and sampled the fine flora.

  “Oh, these really are good,” exclaimed Alannah.

  “Mm-hm,” said Lilia.

  They gathered as many as they could in their mouths and carried them to the edge of the lake where Darius waited.

  “Ready to go back?” he asked.

  When they nodded, he transported them to the other side and delivered them to a cool place where they dropped their flowers in a pile.

  They settled close to Darius to hear his stories of days gone by. Lilia’s eyes filled with tears when he gave her his account of Polaris’ death at the hands of Ishmael.

  “It’s so sad,” she said.

  “Yeah, but it’s the real story of how the Legacy of Azaria began,” said Ulysees. “Not what Icarus has been telling us. We have to follow the truth. That means no humans and no horses.” He nodded with conviction.

  Darius cocked his head. “What’s wrong with horses?”

  Ulysees flinched. “You mean you don’t know? I thought you were a seer.”

  The dinosaur began to twitch his tail. “No. Tell me.”

  “They carry humans on their backs to do their bidding. They’re the enemy.” Téo said as though it were common knowledge.

  “So in other words, you don’t like horses because they’ve been tamed?” asked Darius.

  “Yeah, more or less. Plus they look different than us. We’re better since we’re white and have a horn.”

  Darius narrowed his eyes. “What about white horses?”

  Ulysees was stumped for a moment, and then replied, “I didn’t know there were white horses, but I guess those ones are a little better than the rest.”

  “No, Ulysees.” Darius pressed his lips together, his eyes filled with sadness. “They’ve been enslaved. Don’t you understand that? They have to obey their human owners or receive punishment. If they weren’t tamed, they’d be just like you, traveling in herds, grazing, and running free. And if it wasn’t for me teaching Azaria the three survival skills, you’d be in exactly the same plight as them.”

  Guilt welled up inside Ulysees, but memories of the reprimanding of his friendship with Xavier overrode his feelings. “Yeah, but most of them aren’t white and that makes –”

  “Ulysees,” Darius interrupted, his voice stern, “colour doesn’t make a difference. It’s what’s inside that counts. Look into their eyes. They’re like a pool of water reflecting the soul.”

  Remembering Xavier’s eyes, Ulysees felt himself burn with shame. They had been brown and warm, and so eager to make a friend.

  “And the same goes for humans,” added Darius. “There are some you can trust.”

  Ulysees backed away. “No. That’s impossible. The Legacy. It was created for a reason.”

  “Yes, but –”

  Glancing up above the tree line, Ulysees noticed the sun nearing its journey’s end. “We’ve got to go,” he announced.

  “Just think about it, okay?”

  Ulysees turned away without answering and gathered the red flowers in his mouth. The others followed, preparing for the journey home.

  As they plodded up the trail, Darius called out. “Good-bye, my friends,” and then added under his breath. “We have so little time left.”

  Chapter 23

  The Invasion

  Drachen and his brothers stood on the edge of the settlement, peering through the leathery leaves of the bushes.

  “That’s the last candle,” whispered Drachen. “Let’s wait a while longer to make sure everyone’s asleep.”

  When enough time had elapsed, they tethered their horses and stepped out into the open.

  Xavier whinnied, his hooves drumming the ground.

  “Shhh,” warned Drachen, waving the small whip at the colt’s face. “Ya make a sound, ya get this.”

  The colt let out a rumble and backed away, the whites of his eyes showing. Drachen raised his whip again, quieting the animal. When he was sure the colt was sufficiently subdued, they moved on noiseless feet to the small hamlet of cabins.

  An owl hooted from its roost near the top of the structure.

  “Who keeps an owl?” whispered Drachen.

  “A witch,” said Kayden.

  A shiver worked down Drachen’s spine.

  Making their way to Adiva’s cabin, he went over the plan in his mind. They’d open the door very softly and sneak in. Kayden and Ike would grab the old man and gag him, while he’d wake Adiva, slipping his hand over her mouth to stifle any screams. Then he’d demand the horn. As soon as she’d hand it to him, and of course she would, they’d flee, grabbing a rabbit or two on their way out for their supper. Drachen snickered. That would show
them – keeping the horn for themselves when they could have healed Mama and the other lepers. It was perfect.

  They had inched nearly halfway to the cabins when Xavier let out a loud neigh. Drachen jumped. “Stupid colt!” he hissed.

  A mare whinnied back.

  “Why’d ya have to go and bring him along anyway?” grumbled Kayden.

  “What? Ya wanna carry the extra stuff next time?” said Drachen, dripping with sarcasm.

  Xavier neighed again, this time much louder and more brazen.

  “Quick,” said Ike, “before he wakes up the whole place.”

  “He’s gonna get a good whippin’ when we get back,” said Drachen.

  They had just hastened their steps and approached the first cabin when a cloud floated over the moon, darkening the night.

  “Oh great, that’s all we need – to be blind,” said Drachen. He reached his hands out, searching for the walls of the cabin. He pushed his way forward, feeling, listening. Behind him, his brothers followed, their hands gripped like claws to his shirt. “Stop pullin’!” he said.

  A hand let go. Seconds later, an earsplitting clatter exploded behind him.

  “Ow!” cried Kayden a little louder than he should have.

  “Shhh, ya idiot!” whispered Drachen.

  A dog let loose a volley of barking.

  “Wasn’t my fault. It’s just so darned dark.”

  Xavier neighed again. The mare whinnied back. The dog barked.

  “Who’s there?” shouted a man.

  Drachen flinched. Panicking, he cried, “Run!”

  Doing an about-face, the three men dashed, unseeing, stumbling, and cursing as they went. With their sudden movements, all the animals awoke. Barks and neighs and roars brought the hamlet to life. Candles were lit.

  Scrambling as fast as they could, the men dashed across the settlement and dove into the bushes. Untying their horses, they leapt on them and whipped them into a gallop, leaving the habitation and the men as far behind as possible. When they arrived back at their camp, they scrambled to load their belongings onto their horses, and then stumbled deeper and deeper into the woods – anywhere Ali and her sons couldn’t possibly find them.

  Finally locating a secluded spot, they shoved their gear under brush, hid the horses, and then slept late into the morning. When they awoke, Drachen peaked out from his hideout, searching for signs they had been followed. When he was certain they were safe, he rummaged around for firewood. Leaning over to pick up a branch, his eyes shot wide open. He sucked in his breath and let out a whoop.

  “I found ’em!” he screeched.

  The men stumbled, rubbing their eyes to where Drachen was stooped.

  “What?” asked Ike.

  Drachen pointed to the soft ground only a few feet from where they had been lying, his breath coming in gasps. “Unicorn tracks!”

  Chapter 24

  The Capture

  The yearlings marched past Icarus and dropped the rare red flowers. The mares threw themselves on the flora with great gusto, devouring all but one they saved for Ramah. When the matriarch took a bite and voiced her approval, Icarus turned and observed the yearlings.

  “Where did you get these flowers?” he asked.

  Ulysees was careful to avoid the stallion’s gaze lest his expression give him away. “It’s hard to explain, really. The deer trail curves a lot.”

  “Oh, it does, does it?”

  “Yes,” said Téo. “You’d have to see it to understand.”

  “Why did it take you so long? Did you go the same way you went last time?” Icarus’ voice was filled with suspicion.

  Ulysees felt the stallion’s eyes burn into him. His stomach fluttered, but he forced the muscles of his face to relax. “No. It took us a long time to find them. We couldn’t quite remember where they were, but once we did, we picked several bunches and came right back.”

  Icarus stared at Ulysees, his eyes penetrating, reading.

  Ulysees’ heart pounded.

  Their gaze locked for what seemed forever until the stallion finally turned away, seemingly satisfied.

  Taking several steps away, Ulysees heaved a sigh of relief and rejoined the herd for the night.

  The next day, Icarus ordered the two yearlings to the opposite side of the forest.

  “Do you think he’s onto us?” whispered Téo.

  “I don’t know, but he’s sure trying to keep us away from Darius. He knows all too well he’s real.” Ulysees watched the stallion from the corner of his eye.

  “Ah, he’ll let down his guard sooner or later, and then we’ll go back,” said Téo.

  “Unless we outsmart him first and set out on the new trail, then double back to the turquoise lake.”

  Téo broke into a smile. “Not a bad idea. Let’s do it.”

  Saying their farewells to the herd, they set out in the direction Icarus had relegated. At first, the new land seemed much the same as on the trail that led to Darius’ home, but after they had traveled for a time, Ulysees suddenly froze, his ears pricked forward.

  “Do you hear that?” he asked Téo.

  Téo stopped, his ears flicking.

  A strange bleating sound echoed in the distance.

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” said Ulysees.

  Breaking into the shadow-walk, they crept forward until they spied a young buck through the leaves, struggling against an invisible foe.

  “What the …” said Ulysees.

  They took a few more cautious steps until they were within sight, then camouflaged. Ulysees’ heart quickened at what he saw. “His leg’s caught in some sort of rope,” he whispered.

  The deer bleated again, yanking at the cord. He leapt forward, the rope cutting through his hide to the flesh below.

  Ulysees’ blood pulsed through his veins. “This is the work of humans. Let’s get out of here!”

  Catching the wind, they flew back through the forest, their manes tangled and their sides bathed in foam, to where the herd awaited their return. The sun hovered near the horizon, and the shadows had grown long.

  “What's wrong?” Sarah asked.

  “Humans!” said Ulysees, his breath ragged as his drumming hooves slowed to a halt. “In the woods.”

  “Humans?” whinnied another mare.

  The word traveled at breakneck speed. Mares gathered their foals to their side while the others flew into a protective cluster around them.

  “Where’s Icarus?” asked Ulysees.

  “I’m here.” The Great Stallion’s voice resonated from where he stood, a silhouette in the distance. “What happened?”

  “I found a trap.” Ulysees’ chest heaved as he forced out the terrifying words. “They’re capturing animals by the leg with cords. We must get away soon, or they’ll find us!”

  The unicorns threw their heads back, their frantic neighs piercing the air.

  “It’s just like in the time of Ishmael. It’ll be the death of our species!” cried a stallion.

  “There’s no escaping them!” whinnied a mare, her thin voice rising to a frenzied pitch.

  “What’ll we do?” asked Sarah. “The little ones are too young to travel great distances.”

  Ulysees swung about. “Mother, we have no choice. We have to leave now. There’s very little time.”

  “But we can’t,” cried the other mare. “What about the night creatures? It’s nearly dark, and we won’t be able to protect our babies.”

  “We’ll just have to take our chances,” said Ulysees.

  Icarus moved through the herd until he stood face to face with Ulysees. “What kind of animal did you say they captured?”

  “A deer,” said Ulysees, still out of breath.

  Icarus shot a look of amusement at Ramah.

  The aged mare’s voice chortled with sarcasm. “A deer? Is that all? Humans have been hunting deer since the beginning of time. You’re worried about a deer?” Her rumbling laugh ended with a cough. “Ulysees, you’re youn
g and have a lot to learn. I doubt the humans even know we’re here. Sarah’s right. It’ll be too hard for the foals to flee – and too dangerous at night. Do we really want to risk losing one of our babies?” She snorted as she eyed the yearling.

  “Let’s wait until morning,” said Icarus. “Then at least there’ll be light to travel by.”

  “But …” Ulysees spun about, searching for someone, anyone, who would side with him. His pleading eyes met with blank stares. It was obvious no one was going anywhere.

  The unicorns settled for the night, huddled close together in their hidden spot among the trees, nervous hooves thumping the ground as they slept.

  The night stretched long and taut for Ulysees. He started at every sound, every bird hoot, and every rustle of leaves. His dreams were fraught with visions of distorted human faces and monstrous horses with gigantic hooves. Then, slightly before dawn, a flurry of wings and the abrupt twitters of birds forced his eyes open. His head shot up to catch sight of a deer bolting. Its tail flickered and its ears twitched as it fled through the woods.

  Something wasn’t right.

  A beast called … was it a bird … or a jackal? His hide rippling, he searched the darkness.

  “There they are!” a voice cried.

  Three dark creatures sprang from the woods, like apes, only more ominous. A hideous face flashed before Ulysees. Terror seized him as he recognized the visage he’d seen through the leaves near the praying tree.

  “Humans mounted on horses! Fly!” he shouted.

  The unicorns scattered in every direction, their screams filling the air. Young foals tore after their dams, eyes wide with terror.

  Ulysees leapt and broke into a gallop. He ran without thought. A dark creature cut his path. His nostrils flared at the human’s odour. Rearing up, Ulysees battered his enemy’s chest with his hooves. The human threw his hands to his face to block the blows. Ulysees let out a loud whinny and bit the creature’s arm. Screaming in pain, the human dropped to the ground, his mount fleeing.