Melody's Unicorn

by Richard Swan

  ‘True words indeed,’ said Clíodhna. ‘A unicorn. I do not like this. You may love the unicorn when you find it, but you will not understand it.’

  It would have been easy for Melody to be crushed by this speech, but in a strange way it comforted her. The queen had put into words the vague fears and thoughts that Melody had had herself, but hearing them from someone else made them more bearable. She knew that the unicorn was an alien creature, something she could never hope to comprehend in any way. It wasn’t an animal of the kind she knew in her own world; it was more as if she was chasing a spirit, or an angel. At the same time the queen had said that she might love the unicorn in some way, and she clung to that. She would love it regardless of what it might be, and she would let everything else take care of itself. Seeking for truth? Very well, if that was the way the queen put it, Melody would seek for truth and accept whatever happened to her.

  Had she been able to see it, Melody would have known that her resolution had produced a stern determination that made her pale features stronger, older, and beautiful indeed. Clíodhna saw it and rejoiced. It was rare to see a human child in the Otherworld, and it was good to see one with such spirit.

  ‘Enough!’ she said. ‘You have passed the test, and may go forward with my blessing. This fey creature will accompany you, and may he prove true to you and worthy to be by your side. But be warned. Feys are fickle creatures and not to be trusted. They make good enemies and bad friends, as my people say. This one says he is your friend, but be cautious nonetheless.’

  Erec looked furious and opened his mouth as if to protest, but a look from the queen quelled him and reminded him that he was to stay silent. It was Melody who answered for him, speaking carefully and with formal dignity.

  ‘Your Majesty, he has helped me so far, and I trust him to accompany me further. We thank you for your blessing and your permission to continue. I shall do my best to please you, and hope to be able to repay your kindness.’

  ‘That will be seen in its own time. Yet there is one thing more. You are wearing a ring, I perceive. Let me see it.’

  Melody felt a strange reluctance to have the ring examined. She had no idea whether the queen would think it worthless, and despise her for having it. There was no choice, however, and she held out her left hand. The queen took it in her own, and the touch of the queen’s skin wasn’t what Melody was expecting. She thought that the queen would be as cold as her voice and her appearance, but instead her flesh was warm, almost hot, as if there were fires within her that could be stirred at any moment.

  ‘Do you know what this is, child?’

  ‘I was given it recently. I’ve been told it’s been in this Otherworld before, although I don’t know if that’s important. It’s very beautiful.’

  ‘It is more than beautiful. It has uses, as you will find.’

  ‘Will it protect me against creatures like the ones that were going to attack us?’

  ‘Did you try to make it do so? I think you know the answer to your own question. Your ring, like any ring, will only help you do what you will yourself to do, and what you believe you can do, and your will must be unwavering and unshaken. If you believe it can drive off your pursuers, then maybe it can. If you are not certain, then it cannot help you.’

  Melody thought she understood what the queen meant, but she didn’t see how she would know until the occasion arose, and then it might be too late.

  Clíodhna’s face almost softened into a smile.

  ‘Go, child of beauty. You will learn the extent of your power as you grow, and who knows? Perhaps your unicorn is part of your growing. So may you find what you seek, and may what you find be what you hope for.’

  Melody could find no words with which to reply. She bowed her head a little as a sign of acknowledgement and gratitude, turned, and touched Erec on the arm to indicate that he should follow her. Even now it looked as if he wanted to say something, but he thought better of it, and followed her silently after making a slight and awkward bow in the direction of the queen. It wasn’t clear whether he was grateful to her for her help, or merely glad to escape from her grasp without injury and destruction. He didn’t look back as Melody led the way towards yet another copse of trees that stood on a slight hill some distance away, and from which she hoped to be able to see something of the surrounding land. The long grass brushed against her legs as she walked, but she was becoming used to the feeling and was beginning to accept that everything in Faërie was finding her an object of curiosity.

  Brocéliande

  Melody and Erec didn’t talk as much after they’d left Clíodhna safely behind. In one way they felt closer to each other, because of the emotions they’d revealed to the banshee queen. In another they were shyer, more aware of the differences between them, and the mysteries that surrounded them. Erec stopped teasing Melody and acting as if he knew everything about Faërie and she was the ignorant outsider. For her part, Melody was quiet because she was pondering all that had been said and all that she’d learnt since she’d entered the Otherworld. She was no closer to knowing where her quest would lead her, but she was more sure that she had a rightful place in it.

  Despite her preoccupation she noticed that the landscape was changing. They left the last of the trees behind them and emerged onto a rolling moor, where the lush greenery and rich forest was replaced by short grass and low shrubs. It wasn’t bleak, like some moors Melody had been on, and the change from the shade and depths in the woodland was refreshing, like a dip in a clear sea. Their path led down a gentle slope to a shallow river that trickled and bubbled its way along a stony bed. They stopped to drink from its pure water, and found that it was easy to ford without the water reaching much above their ankles.

  As they crossed the river and walked up the slight slope opposite, Melody could sense Erec becoming uneasy beside her. He didn’t say anything, but she knew that something was wrong. Looking around, she couldn’t see anything that would cause anxiety. The moorland was empty, dotted here and there by splashes of yellow that might be gorse bushes. Perched in one nearby was a bird that was evidently some species of warbler, and its clear and musical song was carefree and loud. It wouldn’t be singing like that if there was danger nearby. The sky too was clear, with a few light clouds scudding along on the breeze. All in all it was a lovely day, and Melody’s own mood was cheerful. She was walking a straight line across the moor, her path unobstructed, and her feelings were of anticipation. She didn’t think she had far to go to find her goal.

  Cresting the ridge they could see, a good distance in front, a dark line on the horizon which might indicate a new band of trees. As they walked towards it Erec’s pace began to slow, and eventually he stopped.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ said Melody, keen to move on.

  ‘Is that where you’re going?’ asked Erec. Melody wasn’t sure whether he was nervous or afraid, but there was clearly something that he didn’t like.

  ‘Yes. Of course. That’s the way the track goes, straight on.’

  ‘Then I can’t go with you any further. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Why ever not? It’s only some trees. They look friendly.’

  ‘They’re not “only some trees”. It’s the beginning of a huge forest. Those trees guard the borders. We don’t go there.’

  ‘Why not?’ Melody asked again. ‘You love trees. You live among them. They’re not dangerous, are they?’

  ‘The trees aren’t. The forest is. It’s a place of error, of confusion. If you go in there, the chances are you’ll never come out.’

  ‘You mean there aren’t any paths? You think I’ll get lost? I’m not afraid of such a thing. I’m following the unicorn’s track, and that will be straight.’

  ‘Oh, there are plenty of paths. But they don’t take you to places. They lead you astray; they divert you from your intentions and purposes. It’s the one place in Faërie where you can’t follow your desires, because your desires become confused. You wander around, thinking you’re get
ting somewhere, but you only become more and more disorientated. We don’t go there.’

  Melody was becoming irritated. ‘How do you know all this, if you haven’t been there? It can’t be that bad.’

  Erec became heated in turn. ‘A few feys have, foolishly. Occasionally one reappears, by chance. They went into the forest deliberately, but they have no idea how they got out. Pure luck, they think. And there are monsters in there, too terrible for them to describe. It’s as if they’ve gone mad.’

  Melody was going to retort, but paused and thought about it. Erec hadn’t lied to her yet, he’d always been entirely truthful as far as she could tell. The forest must have a grim reputation for him to warn her against it so passionately. She examined the tree line carefully, although she was too far away to distinguish detail. Conifers, definitely, and yes, they did form a line like a barrier across the horizon. Even so, she didn’t feel threatened by them.

  ‘Look,’ she said, ‘I can’t judge the truth of what you’re saying. But I do know the unicorn’s in there, and that I have to follow it. There’s no doubting the track, and no doubt in my mind that it will lead me direct to the unicorn. I shan’t be tempted to turn aside by other paths. I won’t get confused.’

  ‘You don’t know that!’ Erec sounded exasperated, as if he desperately wanted to convince her, but wasn’t sure how.

  ‘No. I don’t need to know it. I feel it. I feel sure I’m in no danger and that my path is clear.’

  ‘What if it’s a trap? What if the unicorn leads you to destruction? Why are you so insistent about following it, anyway?’

  ‘A trap?’ Melody shook her head. ‘No. The unicorn couldn’t be part of a trap, and it doesn’t wish to trap me itself. It’s not a creature like that. It has no deceit, no trickery. It is itself, and I shall follow it.’

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  Melody turned her attention from the horizon and gazed straight into Erec’s eyes. ‘I feel it, like I told you. It’s not something I can explain. It’s not a rational thing. “What the heart says is right.” That’s what my mother used to tell me, and what I tell myself. My heart says I have to go this way. As soon as I saw the unicorn, back in London, I knew what it was, what kind of thing it was. I knew I had to follow it, it was just an automatic thing to do, and anyway I believe it has something to do with my destiny, my own purpose. I can’t explain that properly because I don’t understand it myself. Look, Erec, this is something I have to do, so please don’t try to stop me. I appreciate that you may not be able to come with me, but I don’t have a choice about it.’

  Erec was gloomy, perhaps thinking he might never see her again. ‘Well, I can’t prevent you. I know that. But I can’t come with you either. I’m sorry. You’re on your own.’

  ‘I’m sorry too. You’ve been so good to me, and kind, and you’ve helped me all the way. I’m sorry you won’t be there at the end. What will you do?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Until now my will has been to go with you. I’d like to wait here for you, but I don’t know that you’ll ever come out. I can’t wait forever.’

  Melody was struck by a thought of the people she’d left behind in London. They too would be waiting for her, wondering when or if she’d return to them. She seemed destined to leave behind all the people who’d helped her, and she didn’t know whether she’d be able to thank them. She put a hand on Erec’s shoulder. ‘Listen. I’m grateful to you, truly grateful, for everything you’ve done. And I’m not leaving you lightly, or willingly. It’s just that I have a mission, a quest, and I can’t ignore it or turn aside from it. I have to go on. Alone, if need be.’

  Erec reached up and squeezed her hand with his. ‘I know. I do understand. You have no choice, no more than I do. We’ve been together, and now we must separate. I’m no seer, I don’t know if we’ll meet again. I hope so.’

  Melody embraced him and hugged him to her. ‘I’m sure we will. I’m no seer either, but I don’t believe we met just in order to be parted so soon. When I come out of the forest – and I will come out of the forest – I’ll look for you. And if I look for you, I’ll find you. Isn’t that how it works?’

  Erec hugged her back, and although he smiled Melody thought he was on the verge of tears. ‘Yes, that’s how it works. But don’t be so certain that it’ll be me that you wish to find when you come out. The forest may change you utterly, change your desires. You may tread a completely different path, and never wish to see me again.’

  The sadness in his voice brought tears to Melody’s eyes too. She hugged him closer. ‘Don’t be silly. I can’t be changed that much. I will want to find you, I promise, and I will find you. It’s as simple as that. Now, let me go before I lose the courage to go on. And don’t wave goodbye.’

  Firmly, deliberately, she kissed Erec on the cheek, then let go of him. She looked once more into his strange eyes, then turned towards the forest and set off without looking back.

  ‘Goodbye,’ Erec called after her. ‘Good luck.’

  It wasn’t luck she needed, Melody thought. She didn’t answer, because she’d said all she needed to say to him, and set her face and her mind towards the forest ahead.

  As she drew closer Melody could see that the nearest trees were conifers, as she’d thought, but they weren’t any type she recognised. They were like cypresses, and their boughs swept down and out in long graceful arcs, interlocking with the trees on either side and touching the ground, so that they formed a seemingly impenetrable curtain. To pass the border she would have to force her way through, and she had no idea how thick the branches were or whether they would yield to her. Still, the unicorn had come this way, so she would try to follow it.

  It was no surprise to find a dryad waiting for her. The dryads at least were identical to those in her own world. This could have been the twin of the one she’d spoken to on Ealing Common – was it only a day or two ago? It felt like months.

  ‘Hello,’ she said as soon as she was near enough to be heard clearly without raising her voice.

  ‘Hello indeed,’ said the dryad in its strange, slow voice. ‘We have been waiting for you.’

  Melody hadn’t expected to be surprised, but she was. Waiting for her? Had the dryad seen her approaching and merely stepped out from amongst the trees to see what she was doing, or did it mean that her coming was known in advance? The latter idea was unnerving, although she remembered that dryads often knew more than could be expected. She decided to avoid asking directly.

  ‘We?

  ‘Of course. There are many of us here, guardians of the forest boundaries. We do not allow anyone to stray in by chance. That would be foolish.’

  ‘For you or for them?’ Melody asked the question very gently, to show that she didn’t mean to offend.

  Dryads didn’t smile, nor alter the tone of their voice, but Melody could sense that it was more amused than annoyed.

  ‘Both. We are guardians. We would be failing in our trust if we let strangers wander in unchallenged. And for any visitor to enter without deep purpose, that would be foolish indeed. They would never leave.’

  There was no threat in the dryad’s tone, but there was a sense of finality. It was a statement of fact. Melody felt a chill at his words. They were a close echo of what Erec had told her. Yet she was comforted by the suggestion that she might be allowed to enter if she did have ‘deep purpose’.

  ‘I’m following a unicorn,’ she said simply.

  The dryad would have smiled at that, if it could. ‘We know. That is so clear that you do not have to say it. And I advise you to use few words while you are in the forest. Words, like actions, have extra weight there, and are not used lightly. You will not need to explain your purpose to anything you meet.’

  ‘So I can go in?’

  ‘Of course. Could we stop you?’ The dryad seemed to be speaking to itself rather than to her, she thought. It could obviously prevent her going forwards if it chose to, so perhaps it meant that her will was so strong that it couldn’
t be challenged.

  ‘Is the forest dangerous?’ It was a stupid question to ask, but Melody still didn’t want to confront the idea that her journey was shaped in a way she didn’t understand. It suggested that it might not just be her own will that drove her forward, but some external force beyond her control. She didn’t like that idea.

  ‘Yes, the forest is dangerous. It is fraught with peril, greater than any you have ever known. Yet stick to your purpose and all may be well.’

  Melody would have preferred the dryad to say ‘all will be well’, but she knew it couldn’t be sure, and couldn’t lie. She took refuge in the immediate problem.

  ‘So, how do I get in? There’s no path, and these branches are locked against me.’

  ‘Aren’t locks made to be opened?’ said the dryad. ‘The trees know what you want.’ As it spoke, the branches of the nearest conifers began to sway, first towards her as if wishing to touch her, and then away. They curved further and further back until there was a clear gap between them, a gap which precisely marked the track that the unicorn had taken. It couldn’t be seen, but Melody could follow it.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, both to the dryad and to the trees. Without another word she moved resolutely forward. There were further conifers behind the first row, and then more. As she approached them they swung their branches aside for her to pass, and then let them rustle back into place behind her, like so many grand ladies rearranging their skirts and making themselves comfortable.

  Melody lost count of the number of trees she passed. She’d assumed that the border would be a narrow belt, but the conifers went on and on and she began to wonder if the whole forest was an unvaried mass of them. There was light above her as she walked, but on either side, in front and behind, there was almost total darkness from the interweaving boughs. If the branches around her snapped back into place she would be smothered and that would be the end of her. She walked steadily on, neither pausing nor speeding up, and hoped that the trees would continue to accept her presence.