by S. N. Hunt
Sarah smiled and raced into the trees. Taking potty breaks had been the only time he left her alone. The bag had produced pails of warm water for her to bathe in. She had asked him to allow her some privacy to bathe. He argued with her and finally agreed to turn his back.
She squatted behind a tree and quickly finished up. Adjusting her clothing, she looked up into the violet eyes of a pure white horse. Not just any horse, though. This horse was a unicorn.
Oh, my god! A real life unicorn. My childhood dreams are complete.
The unicorn’s horn gave off an iridescent glow. Sarah didn’t dare to move, not even to breathe. It moved toward her and nudged her shoulder. She cautiously lifted her hands and stroked its snout. Its eyes closed, and it leaned into her touch.
“Sarah, step away from it. Unicorns are not what you think. You are in grave danger. Slowly back away and come to my side.”
Sarah looked up to see Micheal standing with his sword drawn. She tilted her head to the side and looked at him in confusion. The unicorn neighed loudly and moved to stand between her and Micheal. It glared and huffed at Micheal. It stomped its feet and puffed out its chest.
“Micheal... I think you should put that away. It doesn’t seem thrilled.”
Micheal circled cautiously around the unicorn. It moved with him, always keeping Sarah behind it. Micheal released his hold on his sword and held his hands up. It huffed and stomped the ground in his direction. He started backing away.
Once it was satisfied with how far away he was, it turned to Sarah. It bent its front leg and bowed to her. Its horn scraping the ground in front of her. She glanced at Micheal unsure of what to do. Micheal gestured for her to come to him. As she inched toward him, the unicorn stood quickly and nudged her hip. She stopped moving and watched as it laid down in front of her. It prodded her towards its back. She laid her hands on its back and looked it in the eyes. Once more it pushed her hip, almost as if to tell her to climb onto its back. She swung a leg cautiously over its back and grabbed on to its mane. The unicorn stood up gently, so as not to unseat her.
“Sarah…” Micheal growled at her.
The unicorn strode up to him and bumped his shoulder. It walked past him and right into their camp. Lucifer neighed upon seeing the unicorn and pranced in place. It laid down next to her cloak and gently nudged her off. It stood and walked to Lucifer and rubbed its side against him. Its tail flicked him in the snout. Lucifer huffed and followed it to a patch of grass. Together they ate and became acquainted.
Micheal came out of the trees and walked up next to her. He glowered over at the unicorn and Lucifer. He shook his head.
“What just happened?” she asked him breathlessly.
“I think that unicorn just chose you as its rider. Never heard of such a thing in my life. Most unicorns look for damned or lost souls and never take a rider.”
“Damned and lost souls? What do they do with them?”
“The damned are those that have done great evil in this world. Murderers, rapists, you name it. The lost are the forgotten ones. Usually abandoned babies or children. Women who were abused and left for dead. No one knows what they do with them. Some theories say they consume the souls. Others say they ferry them to the afterlife. The only thing that is ever left behind is the empty shell of the unfortunate. The shell still breathes but will die shortly after the soul leaves. Unicorns are solitary creatures. All unicorns are mares and the only time they are seen is when they breed. There isn’t much known about them.”
“Well, Lucifer seems to like her.” She said as Lucifer continued to sniff around the unicorn.
“That is because he is a horny male. Hopefully, they go off somewhere and don’t keep us up all night.”
Sarah laughed and smiled at his comment. Though she hoped they did their business elsewhere. She stood and started packing up her belongings.
“No more alone time. You pee, I go with. This just proves I should never have left you alone.”
Micheal pulled Lucifer away from the mare. He had already saddled and readied him for the ride. Sarah slowly limped up to Micheal, dreading the long ride ahead. Before she reached him, the mare stepped in front of her. It laid down and looked at her. She looked to Micheal for help.
“She is yours now. I think she expects you to ride her.” Micheal said as he mounted.
The mare touched her horn to her back. A saddle of white with silver trimming appeared before Sarah’s eyes. The mare neighed and tossed her head. On her snout was a matching bridle. Sarah gingerly swung her leg over the saddle. As she sat down on it, it was like a cloud under her. Her groan of pleasure was loud. She gathered up the reins and paused, not knowing what to do. The mare came to its feet and moved to stand next to Lucifer.
“Must be a really nice saddle to make you moan like that,” Micheal said with laughter in his voice.
“I feel like I am sitting on a cloud,” she said with a blush.
“Obviously, she cares about you.”
“She needs a name. I can’t just say unicorn or her all the time. Any suggestions?”
Micheal shrugged and nudged Lucifer forward. Sarah stared down at the mare. Different names popped into her head, but none seemed right.
Angel, my name is Angel.
A voice whispered sweetly in her mind. Sarah started for a moment and looked around. The mare turned her head slightly and met her eyes. The intelligence in her eyes spoke of an old soul.
“Angel is her name.”
Chapter Seven
Shortly after Sarah had started riding Angel, her soreness was completely gone. She also didn’t have to worry about not knowing how to ride, Angel did as Lucifer. He galloped, she galloped.
Lucifer clearly loved his new lady. Once they had made camp that night, he had followed her off into the woods. The noises of the two of them had woken Sarah up throughout the night. The next morning, Lucifer had strutted around the camp and even nipped at Micheal. Micheal had quickly put him in his place. She laughed as she recalled the memory.
Micheal pulled hard on Lucifer’s bridle, “Just cause you are getting a piece of ass, don’t mean shit to me. Knock it off, you are acting like a foal.”
Lucifer had straightened up quickly and shook his head. She wasn’t sure the horse understood, but he sure acted as if he did. He allowed Micheal to mount him but still held his head high.
They rode through the trees in silence. Sarah had attempted to make small talk a few times, but Micheal replied with just grunts. She looked around at the trees that surrounded them. They were tall and created a thick canopy of leaves above them. The forest was alive with sounds of birds and animals during the day. At night, she fell asleep to the sound of insects chirping. She had never really camped before, but found she enjoyed the peacefulness. She loved the look of the sun through the trees. At this moment, the sun was setting, casting an orange glow around the canopy.
“Stop where you are. Why do you trespass in our forest?”
The voice came from above them. Micheal stopped the horses and looked around. Up ahead of them, on a thick tree limb, a figure melted from the foliage. From this distance, it was hard to tell what the person looked like. One thing stood out though, the person had an arrow notched and pointed right at them.
“We are just passing through on the way to the Blood City of Windern. We mean no harm. I am just trying to take my charge to friends.”
“We know who you are, Guardian. We also know who she is.”
This voice came from behind them. Looking up into the tree they had just passed stood a woman. Her thick brown hair hung in waves around her face. She had hazel eyes with full lips. She was clad in leather armor and held a bow in her hand. The woman took a step off the limb and landed gracefully on the ground, not missing a beat. She shook her hair back from her face. Pointed ears could be seen between the strands. She confidently strode up to them.
“Queen Lyris invites you both to come and stay in our fair city.”
“Do we have a
choice?” Micheal said with a growl.
The woman smiled smugly, “No, you don’t. Follow me, please, and don’t think of running. There are more of us in the trees.”
Sarah looked at Micheal and opened her mouth to ask him what was going on. He shook his head at her and nudged Lucifer forward. They followed the woman through the trees. The trees started getting wider, taller, and older. Sarah looked up into them and saw balconies above her. Windows and doors lined the trunk of the trees. Suspended bridges crossed from one tree to the other. It was now night, and the trees were lit up from within in a bluish white glow.
“Your horses will have to stay down here in the stable. We will care for them as if they were our own.”
Sarah got nervous thinking about leaving Angel. She slid from her saddle and looked deep into Angel’s violet eyes. Angel butted her with her snout and Sarah stroked her.
“Unicorns are very picky about their riders. You must be very special. No harm will come to her.”
Sarah looked into the eyes of the woman. Being this close to her, Sarah realized that the woman had brown tattoos on her face. The tattoo started in the middle of her forehead. It curled over her brows and down the sides of her cheeks and neck. It looked like a vine with leaves and flowers. The artwork was beautiful.
“Lucifer will protect her, Sarah. Let her go.”
Micheal was handing over Lucifer’s reins to a brown-haired child. Sarah fiddled with the reins before handing them over. She watched as the boy led the horses away.
“She will be fine. Wood elves respect all of nature.” Micheal said, attempting to comfort her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and she leaned against him. Her brows furrowed as Angel disappeared from her view. Micheal put a finger under her chin, tilting her gaze up. He nodded toward the elvish woman waiting for them.
“My name is Dyrinn. Welcome to the city of Ollsrion. Please follow me. We will get you lodging and food. The queen will meet with you tomorrow.”
“Why not tonight? We have a long way still to go to reach the Blood City.”
“She will meet with you tomorrow. Do not question us, Guardian.”
Dyrinn turned and started up a flight of stairs that ran alongside the trunk of a tree. Micheal gripped Sarah’s hand and followed. They climbed the stairs till they came to a platform. Stepping onto the platform, it rose into the canopy. Sarah looked over the edge and saw how far they were off the ground. She backed up into Micheal. He looked down at her and slipped an arm around her. He pulled her close to his side and squeezed her gently.
The platform stopped in front of a balcony and they stepped off. Dyrinn led them through arched double doors in the tree’s side. The doors opened into a long hallway. The walls were covered with vines, occasionally a door appeared nestled in the foliage. Flowers lit up the hall with bluish white light.
Dyrinn stopped in front of a door and opened it, motioning them ahead. Micheal and Sarah walked in together. In the room was a fireplace with a table and chairs. On the table were two settings with food piled high. A bookcase was built into one wall and was filled to the brim with leather-bound volumes. Two doors were on each side of the bookcase.
“Through the left door are your chambers, milady. The right is yours, Guardian. There is a pool to cleanse yourselves in both rooms. We have brought you food and wine. Rest and relax. I will come for you tomorrow for your audience with the Queen.”
“Are we allowed to explore your fair city?”
Dyrinn had her hand on the doorknob and looked over her shoulder at Micheal.
“Not tonight, Guardian. The queen will answer any questions you have tomorrow,” she said as she shut the door.
Micheal growled and reached for the doorknob. The knob would not turn. He turned back to Sarah.
“So we are prisoners?”
“At the moment, it would appear so. I do not know this Queen Lyris personally, but I have heard she is fair. I had hoped to not encounter the wood elves. They can be unpredictable.”
Sarah sat in a chair and said, “Should we try to escape? Are we in danger?”
Micheal knelt in front of her. He took her hands in his and gently squeezed them.
“Escape is impossible. We are in no more danger than when we were riding in the forest. I will protect you always.”
Sarah stared into the blackness of his hood. She reached up a hand and laid it against his hooded face. She wanted so badly to see his eyes.
“Sarah, we will be fine. We will see what the queen wants and be on our way. Eat and drink. After you eat your fill, you can bathe. A true bath, not one from a bucket.”
She smiled at him, “A bath does sound amazing. I am not complaining about the bucket, but sometimes a girl needs to soak.”
“Then you should eat quickly. I can hear the pool calling your name.”
He stood and browsed the bookcase. She laughed and started eating. The plate had meat covered in brown gravy, fruits, and raw veggies. The wine was sweet and flavorful. She sighed as she finished.
“I haven’t felt this full in a while. I am not sure I will be able to stay awake for a bath. Too many carbs.”
Micheal looked up from the book he was reading, “Carbs? Nothing on your plate was called carbs.”
“No, a carb is a nutrient,” she laughed, “Nevermind. I am going to my room. Enjoy your book. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Micheal.”
“Goodnight, princess.”
∞∞∞
Micheal watched her walk into her room. He set the book back on the shelf. He walked to the main door and turned the knob. The door swung open, and he stepped into a courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a white fountain. A trio of Elven maidens was carved into the top of the fountain. In their hands, they held pitchers that fed the basin. Each maiden was of a different age. The one facing him was young, a look of innocence on her face. Her skin smooth and youthful. The next maiden was older, with fine lines around her eyes and mouth. The third maiden was old and bent. Lines creased around her eyes and mouth, her skin wrinkled with age.
“The three fates. They feed the waters of sight. I have seen the girl in their depths.”
Micheal turned and faced an elven woman. Her blonde colored hair was braided at the crown. The braids were pinned behind her head. The rest of her hair hung down to her feet. Deep brown eyes glinted in the light as she studied him. Her beauty was timeless. Her delicate features were tattooed with silver vines. Upon her head, she wore a crown of matching silver vines. She wore silver hoops in her pointed ears. She had an air of grace and power around her. Her silver dress reflected light as she moved toward him.
“I assume the girl has retired to bed. I would like to know what you plan to do with her, Micheal.”
He blinked and felt as though he had been released from a trance.
“I am her Guardian. I will protect her with my life, Queen Lyris.”
Her brown eyes seemed to stare right into his soul.
“Good. I have spent many days looking into the waters of sight. They have shown me many endings to her quest. Many different outcomes. Nothing is ever set in stone. Choices define the outcome. Yours and hers.”
She walked up to the fountain and sat on the edge. She gestured for him to sit next to her. Taking a seat, he watched her dip a hand into the water. The water rippled and as it cleared, a scene unfolded before him.
Sarah crying over his dead body, his blood staining the ground. Sarah sitting on a throne next to Antony. Her green eyes were sightless and dead. Sarah laying in a pool of blood, a wound through her chest.
Micheal shot to his feet, “It lies!”
“Sit down, Guardian! These are just possibilities. The waters show what could happen. But there is one that you have not seen yet.”
Micheal sat back down on the edge of the fountain. This time, she took his hand and dipped it into the water. The water chilled him to the bone, even through the fabric of his glove. Ripples flowed from the spot he had tou
ched. When they cleared and a new scene could be seen on the water’s surface.
The tomb of kings, the Golden Contract turning to dust and blowing away in the wind. Antony’s broken body as he laid upon ragged rocks. Sarah smiled up at Micheal, her arms wrapped around his waist. Upon her head, a crown shone in the sunlight. The image disappeared, and he looked into Lyris’ eyes.
“What does it mean?”
“The Gold Contract must be destroyed or amended. That is how you win this war. It lays in the tomb of kings. She must journey there. Face the kings of old and forge a new path.”
“I have to get her to the Blood City first. Others await us.”
“Yes, I know about them. She must do much before she faces the kings. She has a long journey ahead of her. This will not be a quick battle. She will change as will you.”
“Why talk to me without her?”
“She must make her own decisions. The waters must not influence her. This was for you. You will become her rock and she will crash against you many times. You must keep her grounded. Her power will be great. Perhaps the greatest power we have seen in centuries. But she is human, and humans are prone to becoming power hungry.”
Micheal nodded and looked into the pool. Lyris dipped her hand into it once more. The ripples were bigger and rougher this time.
Sarah gazing up at him, her naked body arching towards him. Her standing in a window looking out over a kingdom, her stomach round and heavy with child. Sarah holding a bundle out to him, a babe nestled in the cloth.
“She will need love. Your love to win against Antony.”
The scene cleared and Micheal released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He felt shaken to his core.
“I will see you both tomorrow. I assume she knows nothing of what is going on. Nothing about you and your true nature.”
Micheal nodded and stood from the fountain. He watched as the queen walked away from him. He turned back to the door he had come through.
“I will not tell her anything. Let that come from someone she loves. But I ask that you stay here for a few days. Let her get close to you, Micheal.”