Shadow of the Unicorn

by Susan Skylark

6

  The great wagons rumbled to a stop on the outskirts of the modest city and immediately the peddlers leapt from their perches, broke out their wares, whisked their horses out of the way, and cried aloud all the while, extolling their peculiar and much desired wares; the crowd closed in like vultures on carrion to discover what, if anything, borne by these traders from afar might convince them to part with their hard earned coin. As evening faded into night, the last of the customers straggled home, leaving the merchants at last to themselves. Jay had just finished his attentions to the last of the horses as he settled the beasts for the night when his father approached, placing a firm hand upon his shoulder.

  Jay turned to meet the man’s beaming gaze and smiled contentedly, knowing he could not ask for more out of life, but the man’s countenance fell as he said, “lad, I know what it is you want most in life, but there is something you must do ere you have your wish.”

  The boy steadily met his father’s gaze, wondering what it was the man proposed. Continued he, “I know you want nothing more than to have a wagon of your own, full of wares to sell, and impatiently await the day it will be so, as do I, but first I think it best if you discovered what else the world might hold for you, rather than dooming yourself to the life of a wandering merchant. I want you to spend a year in Astoria, study what you will, interact with others your own age, and see if anything else sparks your interest or desire. If not, we’ll be back in a year’s time to retrieve you and then you shall have your wish. If you find something else, well, anything that makes you happy could not make me prouder.”

  The boy stared at his father in dismay, a year?! In a strange city, alone? The man laughed heartily at the boy’s discomfiture, “easy lad, it is only a year and that to spare you a life of regret. I never had the chance and I’ve always wondered what else my life might have been. I will not curse you with that burden. What do you say?” The boy sighed heavily but nodded, he could never defy his dear papa in anything.

  The next morning saw the lad bidding a sad farewell to his folk, knowing this would undoubtedly be the longest year of his life, but saying nothing of his dismay, he tried to smile and part ways as pleasantly as such a thing could be done. He turned up the road leading into the city proper with drooping shoulders, soon losing himself in the growing sea of strangers; his father watched with a sad smile, long after he had vanished from sight. It would break both their hearts but he knew it was for the best; it was only a year after all.

  The boy tromped along, unheeding of anything else about him until he stood outside the gates of the towering castle. He mumbled something incoherent about coming to study to the guards at the gates and was soon admitted and given into the keeping of a waiting servant, who did his best to get the dejected young man settled, but there were some comforts the man could not give. He smiled sadly at the boy, knowing innately that he was heartsick for home, and knew only time and love could heal that particular wound. He left the lad with a cheerful farewell, sitting listlessly on the bed in his new room, but he was not even sure the lad had heard him before he returned to his own duties.

  Jace returned briefly to his room during the lunch hour to discover he had a roommate at long last. He glanced anxiously about the room, embarrassed that he had books and papers and clothes strewn about the room as if it were entirely his own, but the newcomer didn’t seem to mind or even notice. He frowned when the boy failed even to raise his head to see who had opened the door. “Hey!” said Jace, but the lad just sat there, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. Frustrated, the boy did the only thing he could think of and splashed the unresponsive fellow with a handful of water from the washbasin.

  That did the trick, the boy leapt off the bed in a fury and looked ready to tear this impertinent intruder asunder for his temerity, but the impish grin covering the fellow’s face froze him in his tracks. He frowned at Jace and grumped, “can’t you leave a fellow to his own thoughts?”

  Jace shook his head, “not when they are so dreadful that life is no longer worth the living. I can’t let you stew in your own dejection!”

  Jay sighed heavily, “but I’ve lost everything I’ve ever loved.”

  Jace gave him a horrified look, “permanently?”

  Jay shook his head, “only for a year.”

  Jace laughed wryly, “what are you thinking man? You haven’t lost anything, rather you’ve merely laid it aside for a time.” Said he more soberly, “be glad you have something to lose.”

  Jay frowned, “what does that mean?”

  Jace shook his head, “nothing, just that it is a truly blessed man who has friends and family to miss him whilst he’s gone.”

  Jay actually managed a wan smile, “right you are my friend, I hadn’t quite thought of it that way. It is only a year after all and this place can’t be all that dreadful if they allow scoundrels like you to run amuck.” Jace returned his grin and offered to escort him to lunch, to which the newcomer heartily agreed.

  Briane, Ella, and Adan were waiting for Jace impatiently when he finally entered the dining hall, for he had gone to his room simply to fetch a book, they were all rather astonished to see him return with a person instead. After getting their food and introductions all around, they settled in to interrogate the new arrival, which proved a pleasant distraction from his otherwise unsettling thoughts. He was surprised at how much he was enjoying the company of others his own age, especially those of the feminine persuasion, perhaps his father had had the right idea after all.

  As they sat before a roaring fire in the library that night swapping stories of the day’s misadventures, Jay felt himself right at home and eager to know more of his companions, and strangely, the world in general. He smiled contentedly, knowing his father was a wise man indeed.

  The next day was their Free Day, the one day of the week in which they had no classes or chores to attend to and on which they could wander about the city, gather with their friends, catch up on their reading, or explore the countryside about Astoria. The odd little fivesome chose to do the latter, borrowing horses from the stable and bundled against the chill of early winter, they set off with joy in the morning. They rode rather slowly, though the boys wished for nothing more than to go galloping over the frozen ground, but the ladies convinced them that such reckless riding over snow, ice, and frozen furrows could only end in disaster, so reluctantly they kept to the main road and the wider cart paths, keeping their pace to a safe but tedious walk.

  They chatted gaily amongst themselves, moving freely about the group, even Ella deigning to speak with those of common descent, having finally forgotten that she was of Royal blood and therefore superior to all life on earth; at last she was free to be merely a girl, without the pressure and temptations of palace life to crush her into a shape that was not naturally her own. With each passing day, she relaxed more and more and truly started to bloom, becoming the woman she was always meant to be. Jace watched her proudly and a bit possessively, though he had not yet realized that she was on the hunt for a noble heart and had selected his as her primary prey.

  Jay watched their interaction curiously, seeing enough between them to know that this particular lady, at least for the moment, was not open to or interested in his pursuit. He smiled ruefully, with her Royal pedigree, she wasn’t likely to make a content peddler’s wife anyway. He turned his attention to the other members of the party and studied them just as curiously, trying to map out the strange dynamics of the little group. Adan rode with Jace’s sister at the moment though neither said much, save perhaps to comment on the weather or point out some pleasing view or oddity along the way. There was definitely a little awkwardness there, but also more warmth than he would expect in mere friends; he scratched his head in befuddlement and decided the pair would bear watching, perhaps they did not even know themselves what was going on.

  At last the pairs broke up, the gentlemen closed ranks while the ladies rode close together, whispering eagerly
with no few giggles in the mix. Asked Jace of Jay as they plodded along, “so you intend to finish out your year and then return to the wandering life of a merchant?”

  Jay nodded, “that is my plan, at least at the moment.” He grinned, “but who knows what may happen in a year in this peculiar place?”

  Jace glanced at Adan with a knowing smile, “who indeed?”

  Adan frowned good-naturedly at the pestiferous boy, forcing Jay to ask, “what does he mean?”

  Adan studied the newcomer for a moment before saying, “he thinks me mad for wanting to join the Brethren.” He glanced unconsciously ahead at Briane’s back and sighed, “and sometimes I wonder if he is not right.”

  Jay followed his gaze and nodded to himself, so that was the game; there were feelings between the pair yet the man’s determination to do his duty as he saw it was coming between them. What sort of man was this who would throw aside love for duty? He felt a great respect budding in his heart for this noble young man. Asked he of Jace, “you have no interest whatsoever in the matter?”

  Jace grinned broadly, “I have no use or time for such a concept; I am well content in and of myself.” He glanced fondly towards Ella before continuing, “what need have I for myths when life is so rich and full?”

  Jay grinned, “strange that you can sit day after day in classes taught by those that hold such myths as very truth yet not come away tainted by association.”

  Jace laughed, “I can sort the true wisdom from the chaff; I have long ago settled the affair to my own satisfaction.”

  Adan leaned over with a wry grin and whispered, “just last week, actually.”

  Jace glared at him but a rueful smile softened the expression and they all laughed, drawing the ladies’ attention. They smiled back at the gentlemen, allowing their horses to lag so that the boys might catch up that they might ride all together, placing themselves on either side of the row of horsemen. When they stopped for their midday picnic, the girls complained of the cold and Adan promised to escort them home after lunch while Jay and Jace agreed to venture further into the wood, wanting to explore, no doubt more recklessly than the ladies would otherwise approve. They finished the meal, made their farewells, and then parted ways.

  They left the horses tied on the verge of the forest, knowing they would be more hindrance than help upon their intended path. A deep gorge wound through that part of the wood with a frozen river at the bottom of a sheer rocky drop. They had intended to try climbing down, but the ice and snow clinging to the crevices hidden in the steep sides convinced them otherwise, instead they contented themselves with exploring the rim, gazing down into its depths, and eventually crossing to the far side via an ancient tree that had fallen across the ravine and acted as a natural bridge. Their adventure was cut short by the early onset of night at that time of year and only reluctantly did they return to their horses and the city itself. But they were very grateful to meet their friends at the castle gates with warm drinks, eager to hear of the day’s adventure. Jay goggled at the fact that he was nearly a stranger, yet these peculiar folk had already embraced him as one of their own. His heart still ached for his father and the family circle that was the merchant caravan, but at last he was content to realize he possessed a family of a different sort and there were acceptable ways to live other than that to which he was accustomed; he smiled to wonder how he would feel a year hence.

  One day a few weeks later, Briane ordered Jace to accompany her back to his room and told Jay he had best stay away for a while, because she wanted to talk with her brother, alone. Jace smiled incredulously at the girl, who was she to be demanding privacy when she managed to sneak her way into every secret conference he or their mother had ever tried to arrange, but so troubled was she that the irony was completely wasted. He nodded, gave Jay a grateful look, received an amused nod in reply, and followed his sister as she marched off down the hall.

  Once they were alone, she turned to her brother and said with a troubled voice, “is Adan still intent on going through with this?”

  Jace smiled sadly, “I am afraid he is and it is fast approaching.” He had seen the growing affection between them and it hurt keenly to see his sister and best friend so confused as to what their relationship was and what the future held. Adan sometimes spoke of ‘what ifs’ but he always came back to his original intention and from that he never swayed. Poor Brie could not fathom why anyone would want to join the Brethren in the first place, which should have immediately ended the relationship, for her lack of understanding only made the situation worse when it was the most important thing in Adan’s life at the moment, but she was persistent and refused to abandon him until there was absolutely no hope. He could not refuse her anything, being the consummate gentleman that he was, so they floundered along day by day, waiting for something, anything to happen, but it never did, save the day of the Oathtaking gradually drew closer.

  “There is no hope?” mourned she.

  Jace shook his head, “not unless you take the Oath too.”

  She sighed heavily, “why can’t I just ignore him and get on with my life?”

  Jace smiled sadly, “because he’s a good man, too good to be wasted on such a futile life, but it is his life to squander.”

  She frowned, “but he doesn’t see it as such and he’s no fool. What are we missing?”

  Jace looked at her thoughtfully, “I have no idea. Either he is wrong or we are. But how can we be wrong?” They shook their heads but came no closer to an answer.

  She said resignedly, “I can’t abandon him, no matter how much it hurts, whatever betide, he is still my friend.”

  Jace nodded, “my feelings exactly, perhaps it will be better once all of this is finally resolved and we can all go back to the way things were before.”

  She said wistfully, “I am not sure I want them to be as they once were.” Jace smiled sadly in understanding but had no answer.

  They returned to the dining hall and joined the rest of their familiar company, Briane drawing aside with Adan to talk quietly in a corner. They seemed to come to some sort of mutual understanding, even if Brie did run off crying to her mother, a not uncommon occurrence of late.

  As Adan returned to the group, Jay frowned, “what is it with you two?”

  Adan shrugged, “she yearns after something I can never give her, at least not in the way she wants it. I think at last she has come to understand that.” A pained look entered his eyes, “and for that I am most grateful.” Jace gave him a sad smile and nodded in commiseration. Jay looked thoughtful.

  Trying to change the subject, Ella chimed in, “she’ll get over it, a woman always does, though it tries her heart sorely in the interim.” She smiled sweetly at Jace, “I hope I never have to go through such a trial myself.”

  Jace caught her eye and blushed like a sunset, Ella being one of the few people who could fluster him these days, for his confidence and skill grew daily, but he was still uneasy around the ladies at times, especially those he found particularly attractive, most especially Ella. The other students held him either in contempt or awe, with few exceptions, those being the members of their intimate little company, of which Jay was becoming a vital member, for with Adan soon to join the Apprentices, Jace was in desperate need of someone sensible to talk to. He didn’t intend for it to happen, but slowly their friendship was changing as the Oathtaking approached, and after, he knew it could never be the same. Thus he drew closer to Jay while he slowly drifted further from Adan. He supposed it didn’t help that his sister was in love with the man, Adan reciprocated her feelings, but would not throw aside his silly Oath to pursue her. With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the others, in desperate need of some distraction from these unsettling thoughts.

  Distraction did come, but not in any form Jace had anticipated. A servant approached and said that the Lady of Astoria wished for an audience. The boy blanched in terror, having only ever seen her from afar, save for t
he day when she confronted Ella. He held her in as much awe and dread as the other students, though terrified and perplexed as to what this could possibly be about, he dared not refuse her. He nodded, stood, and exchanged an anxious look with his friends, before vanishing in the servant’s wake.