The Serpent and the Unicorn: Book I and II

by Susan Skylark

  Chapter 9

  The last two months had been difficult for Arora. She tired of her present circumstances and longed for something more meaningful. She supposed it would help if she knew exactly what she was supposed to be doing instead of simply watching for anything 'suspicious.' Tristan and his party had ridden off with the sunrise a few days before and she was left to go about her daily business as court bard. Today she sat with the King's fourth daughter (he had six) in her rooms high atop one of the towers. The girl frequently requested Arora's presence, though Arora suspected it was more for someone to listen to the girl's romantic ambitions than for her music. As the fourth of six daughters (and by no means the handsomest) her chances of marrying well were not very good. Her father would probably marry her off in some political alliance with a sixty year old duke or consign her to the fifth cousin of some minor lord. She of course, dreamed of a handsome prince or at least a daring knight, but flights of fancy and the passions of the heart seldom matter much in such circumstances. As the girl talked of her longings for true love and a man less than twice her age, Arora played a bright, cheery melody on her instrument hoping to lighten the mood. A dark shadow passed over the ground outside and several people looked up and screamed as a monstrous green dragon flew towards the castle and alighted on one of the towers. He climbed effortlessly up the side of the tower and put his monstrous eye up to a window. Arora quit playing in surprise at the sudden appearance of the great eye but said nothing. The girl shrieked. At first Arora thought she was frightened but then realized she had screamed in delight.

  "Finally!" said the girl, "I knew you would come."

  "You did?" asked the confused dragon.

  "Of course," said the girl, "I knew I was not destined for a marriage of political convenience. Princesses are destined for greater things, true love not least among them."

  "I see," said the dragon who clearly did not understand a word she was saying. "

  By tradition, ladies who are kidnapped by dragons must marry the man who rescues them," said the girl excitedly, "and no old man or whiny boy will dare face a dragon. Therefore, whoever comes to my rescue will be brave, handsome, and rich. So being kidnapped by a dragon is the most expedient way to ensure an agreeable marriage."

  "Fascinating," said the dragon, "but I did not come to kidnap anyone. Unless, you happen to be a talented musician? I have a weakness for fine music."

  "But you must kidnap me!" whined the girl, "how else am I to procure a proper husband? I cannot even hum, but why should that matter?"

  "If you could play or sing I might be willing to put up with you," said the dragon, "but as it is, I think I would find you very irritating. Besides, what is the point of kidnapping a person? As a rule, dragons do not find men very tasty nor do we enjoy their company unless they are wise or talented beyond the usual scope of mankind. Holding you for ransom would be pointless; we often have enough treasure or can procure it by more efficient means. You have been reading too many fairy tales. Some things they put in the stories are just that, stories."

  "Then why are you here?" whined the girl.

  Remembering his mission he said, "I came in search of Tristan. I visited Astoria but the Lady sent me here. I can hardly tell one human from another, but I recognized the Lady Arora's music. So I thought I would see if she knew where he was."

  He looked a question at Arora who said, "he and four others rode for Astoria several days ago. They should be there soon. You have just missed him."

  The dragon looked disappointed, "you people are so busy all the time! Why do you not stop and nap for a few years every now and then? All this rushing about makes me dizzy. Anyway, I said I would check in on the black dragons for him and I have some information that he might find useful. Do you know if he will be returning or must I go back the way I came?"

  Arora said, "I do not know where his path will lead him next, but I am sure he would be eager to hear your news."

  "You can come with me!" smiled the dragon, "and entertain me along the way with your songs."

  "I would love to," said Arora, "I am sure Bristol will be back soon and resume his duties here. I can be of more use elsewhere." The girl, who did not understand much of the exchange between the two, scowled evenly between them. Nargath wasted little time in fulfilling his offer. He simply withdrew his eye and gently inserted a forearm and whisked Arora safely onto his back. They were off in a moment.

  The girl wistfully watched them fly off and muttered, "some people have all the luck."

  "I did not realize your haste," laughed Arora, "thankfully there is nothing vital amongst the things I am leaving behind. How long will it take to reach Astoria?"

  "It will be a two day flight," said the dragon, "you can sing for me once we make camp for the night." Nargath was notorious for his love of music; Arora had once played for him and he never forgot a good performance. They flew for the balance of the day and landed in a broad meadow for the night. Nargath passed a very pleasant evening listening to Arora sing and play. They were up with the sun and off on the final leg of their journey to Astoria.

  Back in Arca, a groom sleepily shoveled muck out of a stall when he was rudely awakened by a horrendous sound. A horse in a stall on the far end had somehow broken out of its stall and was loose in the stable. He quickly grabbed a halter and cautiously approached the animal. She reared and he jumped back. She thundered out of the stable, through the open gates, and into the mid-morning traffic of the city. Someone was not going to be happy about this. Meanwhile a rumor had spread that a dragon had tried to kidnap one of the King's daughters but had mistakenly grabbed the court bard instead. Much to the girl's irritation, the news of her near kidnapping did not gain her any sympathy but only encouraged several of the young men to boast about rescuing the beautiful bard from the dragon's evil clutches. Though boasting was as far as they ever got in their quest for glory.

  After the remarkable meeting with Lady, Tristan and Geff stood in the small audience chamber waiting to speak with her. She dismissed Bristol immediately back to his duties in Arca and sent Turin with Trap to introduce him to life in Astoria. Once she had dismissed the others, she turned her attention to Tristan and Geff. She smiled warmly at the boy, "welcome to Astoria. You are welcome to stay and attend classes if you wish, but I am afraid I must send Tristan again into danger and you will not be able to continue your journeys with him. A servant awaits you at the door to show you to your room." The boy bowed graciously and left the room. The Lady watched the boy run off with amusement and then turning to Tristan said, "where do you find all of these lost little boys and why do you bring them home for me to take care of?" She laughed and Tristan knew she did not resent 'taking in' one more 'stray.' Becoming serious she said, "what have you to tell me of circumstances in the East?"

  He told her of all he had seen and done on his recent tour of the Eastern Realms. "This University seems a good idea," she said, "if only it actually taught something useful. Though news of a schism within the Order is troubling, it is not surprising. We are seeing fewer recruits from the Order as time goes by and many of those that do stay on with us resign from the Order completely. It seems we will soon be back where we started, but then we must either merge or go our separate ways. We could not go on indefinitely as two separate though intertwined groups. I just hope they have gained something positive from our influence. That they are willing to subject their men to this University either means they are looking for a viable alternative for expanding the minds of their men and are unaware of the inanities of the University or they are again under the influence of some pernicious power. I fear it is the latter." Tristan nodded his agreement.

  "You spoke of sending me out into danger again," Tristan said, "have you ever done anything else?"

  She laughed at his mock-concern, "you are the one who has chosen such a life. If ever you wish to retire to a less exci
ting role, say as a Teacher or maybe even a Philosopher, all you have to do is say so."

  Tristan grimaced in feigned horror, "anything but that my Lady."

  She smiled, "then no more complaints about dangerous missions."

  He laughed, "I was not complaining. I was merely curious where you will send me next."

  She sobered, "that I do not know. Nargath arrived again today carrying Arora with him. He came several days ago and I sent him East in search of you. He found Arora in Arca and she accompanied him back here. He has some news for you about the black dragons. I know no more than that, but his news may tell you where you must go next."

  "What of happenings in the East?" asked Tristan.

  She replied, "I will send a few of the Brethren to assist Pallin in his 'studies,' and we will see what we can make of this University. Bristol is returning to Arca to continue his duties there. I have also sent more of our agents East in hopes of stopping this plot. As of yet, I have no set plans to counteract our enemy’s plans in the East. I am hoping Nargath's news and Trap's information may prove helpful on that point. You must be anxious to see Nargath and more so your wife." He bowed formally, smiled a farewell, and left in search of the dragon and Arora.

 

  It was not hard to find them (word of a dragon in the area was not long a secret) as they sat in a grassy field just outside the city. Tristan ran to Arora and drew her into a long hug. She did not realize how much she missed him, or how frightening his recent brush with death had been to her. He then made a formal bow to his old friend. "Tristan, finally!" boomed the dragon, "I have been running about like a panicked sheep hither and yon trying to find you."

  "I am sorry for the difficulty of your search," said Tristan, "but I thank you for your trouble. The Lady said you have news?"

  "Yes," said the dragon, "after we last met I cautiously sent messages to some of my acquaintances amongst the Black Dragons. One of them agreed to meet with me secretly, which was very odd. Black dragons are not known for being timid, and most of them are very fond of evil, but I do keep in contact with some of the more benign members of their race. No creature that I am aware of would frighten a black dragon except a bigger black dragon, but my informant was most definitely terrified. We met and he said that there was some terrible plot amongst some of his acquaintances, not that black dragons are overly social with anyone, but still, they do communicate, however infrequently. He said that some evil more vile than anything he had ever imagined was alive and well among some of the darkest of his race. Most of the black dragons dabble in evil, but he said there was at least one amongst them who had become evil incarnate. That is all he could tell me, besides the fact that this evil is exciting some reflection amongst the black dragons that perhaps it is time they took back various parts of the world instead of living as exiles in the Wildlands. I do not think they are planning anything within the next half century or so, dragons tend to take much longer to make decisions than men. Though, you live such short lives that if you took the time to thoroughly deliberate upon a matter you would accomplish nothing. No wonder you run about like leaves in a hurricane."

  Tristan looked at the dragon seriously, "I wonder," he mused aloud, "I just left a meeting with the Lady where a former member of the Brotherhood of the Serpent revealed that their master sometimes reveals himself to mortals in the form of a Black Dragon. Perhaps this is the 'evil incarnate' your friend spoke of? Though it is worrisome to think he is inciting thoughts of conquest among your viler colleagues. Can you warn us if any such attack appears imminent?"

  "Of course," said the dragon, "though I am not happy to learn that the Evil One has chosen to so degrade my species. Perhaps I should circulate this information, though carefully. It may rein in some of the more eager warmongers among us."

  "Thank you," said Tristan, "I know what you have risked to find this information and what you continue to risk in assisting us." Nargath bowed in acknowledgement. Nargath stayed the night and the more talented musicians among the Brethren delighted him with their skills. In the morning, he set off for his lair in the Northern Wilds.

  Geff, who had joined the previous night’s festivities in the meadow, remarked to Tristan, “Raye really did have his draconian anatomy mixed up.”

  Tristan laughed, “that was the least of his worries. I wonder how many of those poor boys starve or freeze during the course of their journeys.”

  Geff said, “so far, none that I have heard of. Of course publishing such an event would not be in the University’s best interest I think.”

  Tristan asked, “so what are your plans from here on out?”

  Geff said, “the Lady has forbidden me to travel further with you, but I think I shall stay and partake in some real learning.”

  “That is a wise decision,” said Tristan, “I look forward to seeing what you have learned.”

  The boy smiled excitedly, “and where are you off to?”

  “The Lady has yet to tell me where I am going and what I am to do there,” said Tristan, “I think it will be back to the Eastern Realms, at least until we get to the bottom of this situation.” Tristan was correct; he was going back to the Eastern Realms. As Nargath’s information had required no immediate action on his part, the Lady was sending him on a more useful quest (hopefully). The puzzle in the East still weighed heavily on her mind and she was sending as many of the Brethren thence as she could spare. Arora had discovered nothing useful during her stay in Arca and the Lady was eager to have her continue in her more traditional role as a traveling musician who went from village to village teaching the Truth, legend, history, and many other things through song. Perhaps where men were tired of being talked at, they would eagerly listen to an evening of music. Tristan would accompany her as her ‘guard.’ It was a less exciting role than he was used to, but the company of his wife would well make up for the lack of adventure. It would also give him an excuse to travel from village to village and look for more suspicious characters. Turin would accompany them as far as their paths coincided; he had his own duties elsewhere in the East.

  Music floated on the gentle breeze of evening. The sun had almost disappeared beneath the horizon and the sky slowly faded from orange to blue and then to black. Trap sat alone some distance from the festivities, not yet courageous enough to face his new colleagues. He respected the three men he had traveled with and felt at ease around them, but he was still very shy around the majority of the Brethren. He was still shocked at the outcome of the day, but for once in his life everything felt right. He saw someone walking towards him and looked about for a place to hide or a reason to flee, but he sat alone in the middle of an empty field. He must wait and face his visitor. Thankfully, it turned out to be Tristan. “A little overwhelming I think,” said Tristan cheerfully, “for one so newly back from the dead.”

  Trap smiled weakly at Tristan’s comment. “My former colleagues were not so exuberant,” said Trap, “I do not regret my decision but I fear it will be some time before I am completely at ease with such a drastic shift in my life.”

  “You will get used to it I think,” smiled Tristan, “do not fear your past or the future. No one but a few know of your previous life and we are a friendly lot.”

  “Thank you,” said Trap, “and to think I thought to take you on as an apprentice. Does the Master have a sense of humor?”

  “I believe He does,” said Tristan laughing, “else how could life take such sudden and unexpected turns?” As they talked, Trap seemed to relax; his life had literally turned upside down overnight, but he had fallen among an honorable and friendly group of people who would greatly ease the transition. As they talked, a shadowy creature approached from the distant woods. They quit speaking, and watched as it slowly and ominously approached. It stopped not far from the silent pair.

  It was a unicorn, though the usual glow that usually surrounded the creatures was
absent. If anything, this one seemed draped in darkness. She stood silently and stared at Trap. “She seems to know you,” said Tristan.

  “I am afraid she recognizes me as the man who slew her master,” said Trap sadly.

  “That would explain the darkness about her,” said Tristan, “she must still mourn his loss.”

  “How intelligent are these creatures?” asked Trap.

  “They are probably far wiser than men,” said Tristan, “they are no dumb beasts, and though they cannot speak with words they are still very good at getting their message across.”

  “I feel as if she is claiming my life in exchange for the life of her slain master,” said Trap in confusion. “

  Then that is what she is here for,” said Tristan quietly, “you do not so much hear as feel their intentions.”

  “She means to kill me?” asked Trap.

  “I do not think so,” said Tristan, “or she would have done it already, besides she has no claim on your life if you have been pardoned by the Lady.”

  “Then what does she want?” asked Trap.

  “I think she is claiming your life in service to her,” said Tristan.

  “What?” gasped Trap, “I do not understand.”

  “You have taken her master from her and she is claiming your life to fill that void,” said Tristan.

  “Me?” gasped Trap, “I killed the man dearest to her.”

  “Unicorns have a strange sense of duty,” said Tristan, “they do things for their own reasons, but once you have been chosen there is no point in resisting. They are faithful to the point of death, even if you do not want their services. I would accept her offer or she will drive you mad with her persistence.”

  “What should I do?” asked Trap.

  “Mount up,” said Tristan with a smile. Cautiously Trap approached the creature. She gently sniffed him as he came within reach of her nose and whickered a greeting. The darkness dissipated as Trap approached and the glow, though faint, returned. She seemed to be waiting patiently for his next move. Very carefully, Trap climbed onto her back and she was off like an arrow from the string. Tristan smiled, they would do well together. He walked back to find Arora and to enjoy the music.

  The next morning, Geff and Trap were there to bid Tristan, Turin, and Arora farewell. Trap was to remain in Astoria, both to advise the Lady on matters pertaining to the Brotherhood and also to sharpen some of his skills and to learn more about the Brethren and the Truth. He was sorry to see his new friends go, but he no longer feared his new colleagues and actually relished the idea of becoming a student again. Geff was unhappy at being left behind, but he had so much to learn that he would not find their absence difficult. Nargath had left earlier, but had also bid them a warm farewell and asked them to visit when next they were in the North, especially Arora. They set out on their journey with joy, but the unknown course of the next few months troubled their thoughts. Turin rode with them until they reached the borders of Syre, where he turned South towards Arca and his own duties.

  Tristan and Arora continued into Syre, planning to wend their way through the various villages between the Western border and the sea. Part of Arora’s assignment was to counteract some of the misinformation and disinterestedness imparted by the students throughout rural Syre. Tristan’s job was to protect his wife and keep an eye out for any more members of the Brotherhood. Both were to look for anything they could find that might help bring the whole situation to a close. The problem with fighting a vague enemy was that you must find the root of the problem and attack it, but the roots of this particular problem were well hidden. The University was a problem, but not THE problem. They had to figure out a way to disrupt the enemy’s experiment in the East so that it would not spread throughout the rest of the world. Shutting down the University was not only unethical, but they had no legal grounds to do so. Besides, if one source of misinformation was quashed several others would spring up to replace it and in places they might not be aware of.