Victim of Fate

by Jason Halstead

  Alto nodded. "Defensible, that's smart."

  The guard grinned.

  Alto led Winter into the city, eschewing the stable and walking the unicorn into the city. He hoped that majestic nature of the beast and his own history with the jarl and Trina would earn him some leniency. "No pooping in the city, okay?"

  Winter bumped him with his hindquarters and sent him stumbling a few steps before he caught himself. Alto returned to the unicorn's side with a red face.

  Their journey through the city was quicker than he expected. Holgasford, for being the second most important Kelgryn city, was not overly large. It was smaller even than Portland, or at least the city proper was. Buildings and merchants were set up outside the timber walls. Inside were mostly houses and halls, as well as a few smithies and bakeries. Alto walked past two earthen ramps that took them past sharpened spikes driven into the ground to act as pikes. The city was built to be defended from attack. Alto found himself approving of the design even as he couldn't imagine a way for an enemy army to attack without incredible loss of life.

  "Hold!" a guard called out when they reached the final ramp. "The stables are at the gate; you'll need to leave your mount there."

  "This is no mount," Alto said while Winter stomped his hoof. "This is Winter. He's a unicorn and I owe him my life."

  "No animals allowed in the jarl's hall, nor left to roam free," the royal guard said.

  "This is no animal," Alto protested.

  Winter snorted in agreement.

  "Our laws is laws," the guard on the other side of the road said, backing up the first one.

  "I won't leave him behind."

  "Fine by us," the first guard said. "You'll need to step off to the side so others can pass by, though."

  Alto glowered at the guard. He turned to Winter and was about to speak when the unicorn swung its head around and pushed Alto forward a few steps. Alto stumbled and turned, but only in time to catch Winter's horn in his side. The painful poke made him step away even as his hand went to his side. Alto stared at Winter, his mouth hanging open in surprise. The unicorn nodded with his head towards the palatial hall ahead of them.

  "You want to wait here?"

  Winter stomped the ground.

  Alto shrugged. "All right." He turned back to the guards. "Nobody lays one hand on him, understand? I'm a friend of the jarl and Princess Patrina."

  The first guard laughed but the second one stared at the two of them. "Be quick about your business."

  Alto nodded and walked past them stiffly. He entered the hall and found himself at the end of a long procession of people awaiting the jarl. Alto peered around, noting the similarities to the smaller hall he'd been in to the north, and then was startled when he saw Patrina sitting in a chair to her father's right. She looked bored.

  Alto stepped out of the line and tried to catch her attention. He finally waved until a guard noticed and stepped over to him. "Hey now, there's to be none of that; get in line and wait your turn."

  "I know Trina. I'm her friend!" Alto said.

  "All well and good, she'll excuse you for not acting proper then." The guard pointed at the line.

  Alto turned and saw that his place had been taken; he'd have to start over. He scowled and glared at the guard. "This is a mistake," he muttered.

  "Alto? Is that you?"

  Alto and the guard turned to see Patrina walking around the tables towards him. Alto raised his hand again and grinned, and then was shocked to see her pick up the skirts of her green dress and run towards him. He was even more shocked when she crashed into him and knocked him into the guard and then all of them onto a pile on the ground.

  When they sorted themselves out, Alto found himself in the center of a circle of guards with Trina standing opposite him. Her eyes glistened in the torchlight and her lips were raised nearly to her ears. "It's good to see you," she managed to say.

  "Is that what you call it?" Alto winced at the words that rolled out. "I mean, it's good to see you, too. Really good! You look really good. I mean well, you look well."

  Patrina giggled, which set Alto back. Trina never giggled! Her smile faltered, prompting Alto to follow her gaze to the dirty ribbon still tied about his wrist. It was Aleena's ribbon and, judging by the color and the look on Trina's face, the princess knew all too well what it was.

  "What's this then?" Teorfyr's voice boomed as he pushed through the circled guards. He stopped and appraised Alto with a shrewd eye before he smiled and laughed. "Well met, Alto! Took you long enough. My daughter's been pining away for months."

  Alto felt his legs weaken at Teorfyr's words. Patrina was pining away for him? She'd missed him? He shifted his gaze to Patrina and saw the bright red color of her cheeks. Did that mean it was true or that her father had embarrassed her? Alto hid back his groan and wished that Karthor or Namitus was at hand to offer him some advice.

  But he had no friends this time; he was looking for them and alone. All he had was Winter, and the unicorn was stuck outside. Alto gasped. Winter! Of course.

  "Trina, you've got to see this!" Alto stammered.

  "What's this?" Teorfyr asked, confused by the sudden topic change.

  "My apologies, my lord," Alto said. "I've something outside I want Trina to see. You're welcome, too, of course!"

  "Of course," Teorfyr chuckled.

  Patrina smiled and stepped up to Alto, and then waited. He stared at her, confused until she motioned for him to lead the way. Alto led the way back out of the hall with his cheeks bright enough to rival the torches.

  "Winter, meet Patrina!" Alto cried out as soon as they emerged from the hall.

  The unicorn turned and looked at him, and then shifted his gaze just enough to stare at Patrina. A soft whicker escaped Winter's throat as Alto approached. Alto turned, ready to say more, when he saw that Patrina had stopped in her tracks and was staring with open eyes and mouth at the unicorn.

  "Um, Trina, this is Winter; he's a friend of mine. He saved my life in a forest far to the south, and then I saved his." Alto paused and turned to look back at his friend. What he saw shocked him into silence. Winter had extended one hoof and curled the other so that it looked like it was kneeling before her. The unicorn even dropped its head until its horn touched the ground.

  "You've brought my daughter a unicorn?" Teorfyr said a moment later.

  Alto watched, speechless, as Trina walked up to Winter and rubbed its neck. Winter raised its head and nuzzled it into her, making the princess laugh.

  "I guess so," Alto answered the jarl even as he felt an emptiness in his stomach.

  "Alto, come here," Trina called out to him without turning.

  Alto walked over woodenly until he stood at Trina's side. She turned and took his hand in hers, and then leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I forgive you for taking so long to get here."

  Chapter 11

  Alto's spirits were buoyed at the thought of a proper feast amongst the Kelgryn after days on the trail eating cold rations and sleeping on the cold, hard ground. The aroma of the food spread about the table before him was wonderful, but in spite of the repast and camaraderie, he found his appetite missing. Alto poked at his food and looked up when a silence fell about him.

  The Kelgryn were staring at him, waiting for an answer to a question Alto had missed. "I'm sorry, I must be tired from my journey," he managed.

  Teorfyr chuckled. "I asked you to tell the tale of how you tamed a fine beast such as the one you brought for my daughter."

  Alto forced a smile on his face instead of the frown he wanted to share. "Winter's no simple beast," he said. "I'd been driven apart from my friends in a forest by a horde of twisted creatures. Animals that were joined with other animals in unwholesome ways."

  "Evil sorcery!" one of the Kelgryn said as he smashed his fist into the table.

  Alto nodded. "It was. We'd already fought our way past wasps half as long as a man. The villagers called the forest enchanted and they feared it. From what I saw, th
ey had the right of it."

  "So what happened in this dark and scary place?" Trina asked.

  Alto paused to study her. She seemed interested but her tone had enough of the cutting humor he remembered to make him doubt her sincerity. Was she teasing him? Didn't she believe it was as he'd said?

  "Aye, where'd the unicorn come in?" Teorfyr pressed with unmistakable curiosity.

  "I'd wandered through the dark for hours," Alto answered him. "My friends had gone one way and I another, separated by the beasts. I saw lights in a bog and was going to head for them when I heard Winter behind me. He stopped me from following after them and led me out of the forest."

  "Wisps!" Teorfyr said while nodding. "I've heard of such lights. Faerie creatures that lure men to their deaths. You did well, leaving there."

  Alto shrugged. "I was lucky that Winter found me."

  "And now you've brought him to Patrina." Teorfyr nodded his approval. "Alto, you've done well for yourself. You wield Kevard's Blade and you think of my daughter when a boon befalls you. You've earned my permission to court her."

  Alto heard a couple of gasps from around the table, including his own. He wasn't concerned that Winter wasn't a gift to be given away; he was wishing he had somewhere else to be. Anywhere, really. He fought to keep the jarl's eyes locked with his own so he wouldn't have to look at Patrina. What would she think of this? She was too headstrong to just accept such an arrangement, even if she did like him.

  "Um, thank you, Jarl. I was wondering, though, you see, my friends and I were separated and I've not seen them for days. We were planning to come here and then head on. Have you heard any word of them?"

  "Friends that would leave you in a forest filled with magic and darkness are no friends you should keep," Teorfyr advised.

  Alto nodded. "I've thought long and hard on that, but I know them to be noble and true. The way I was confused and twisted about in the forest makes me believe there was more magic involved than I first realized. If it can affect me, then surely it may have done the same to them?"

  "You think they are lost to the forest as well?"

  Alto frowned; he hadn't considered that. He shook his head when he remembered what the farmer had told him. "No, I've spoken with the villagers who saw them. They lost a horse and they thought they lost me, but still planned to come here."

  "I'd say you beat them here then," Teorfyr said. "Stay and be my guest, Alto. As long as you like, you're more than welcome here."

  Alto nodded. "My thanks, Jarl. Seems I've no horse to ride should I desire to leave anyhow!"

  "While you're here, my horse is yours," Teorfyr said. "In fact, I think it might be a good idea for you to accompany Patrina while she gets to know Winter."

  Alto forced another fake smile on his face. He glanced at Patrina and saw her face was tight with her own forced expression. It seemed that whatever fondness they'd had for each other had worn away already. It was just as well; Patrina was a princess. Courting her was far too complicated. A girl like Patrina deserved something special like a unicorn. Alto had far simpler wants and needs in life.

  * * * *

  Alto leaned against the wooden fence and watched as Winter stamped his foot into the ground. The unicorn shook his head from side to side, telling Trina that he had no interest in the saddle she held in her hands. The Kelgryn princess turned to Alto and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

  Alto glanced at the nearby stables where Jarl Teorfyr's horse was waiting for him. The stables were small by Kingdom standards, with only the horses belonging to the royals and respected visitors being allowed inside the walls. Bringing a unicorn to the city had earned him the rank of respected visitor. Now he was just the boy that had lost his friends. "You have to ride him bareback. Winter doesn't like saddles."

  "That's silly," Trina announced. "What about barding? A blanket? Bit and bridle?"

  "Good luck," Alto said.

  "How am I supposed to guide him?"

  "Don't ask me, ask him," Alto growled. He glanced at the stables again and wondered if riding with Patrina wasn't such a good idea after all.

  Trina turned to glare at him again. "He's a horse! He can't talk."

  Winter whinnied, voicing his annoyance.

  Alto scowled. "He's as much a horse as you and I are goblins or elves."

  Patrina's eyes narrowed before she turned back to the unicorn. She set the saddle down and walked up to him. "Is he right, can you understand me?"

  Winter's head nodded once.

  "This is crazy," Trina breathed. She let out a short laugh. "Okay, so how do I ride you if you won't wear a saddle?"

  Winter turned and lowered himself just enough so she could grab his mane and leap up onto the unicorn's back. She screamed and slipped off the far side, falling and rolling away. Alto couldn't stifle his laugh in time to stop Winter from swinging his head around and fixing him with a baleful stare.

  "Don't give me that look," Alto fired back at the unicorn. "You knocked me on my arse a few times!"

  "Wait, you rode him?" Trina said as she climbed back to her feet. "I thought only maidens could ride a unicorn?"

  Alto threw his hands up in the air and turned away. "Figure it out yourself!" he spat over his shoulder as he walked away. Winter whickered behind him but Alto refused to look back at him. He thought he'd had a friend in the unicorn. An unusual friend, to be sure, but still a friend. They'd saved each other's lives even and this was the thanks he got. Maybe it'd be best if he went north and searched for the mines himself. His friends would get word of him and catch up, especially since they still had horses to ride.

  Alto pulled up short when a flash of white announced the arrival of Winter with Trina on his back. She shifted to keep from slipping off from the abrupt stop and then grinned at him. Her grin faltered when she saw the sour expression on his face.

  "What's the matter?" she asked. "I'm sorry if I don't seem thankful; it just doesn't seem real yet."

  "Oh, it's real," Alto muttered. He stared up at her and shook his head. She had the setting sun behind her, setting off beautiful red tints in her golden hair that was pulled into twin braids down her back. He took a breath and forced his gaze to Winter. The unicorn lowered his head and stepped forward, earning a surprised hiss from Trina as her balance shifted. Winter nuzzled his nose against Alto's chest and forced him back a step. Alto gave up and scratched Winter's head.

  "See, he still likes you," Trina said.

  Alto offered a weak smile. "I suppose it's for the best. I was beginning to think I'd found the only unicorn that preferred men over women."

  Winter whipped his head up and snorted. He stomped his hoof a few inches from Alto, and then lowered his head and glared at the man. Alto let a chuckle slip and immediately felt better for it.

  "I'm sorry, Trina, it's just been hard. My friends are gone and I don't know if I'll see them again. They've got Sebas, too, but I had Winter until today. Now he's abandoned me too."

  "I'm sorry," Trina said from her perch on the unicorn's back. "I didn't ask for him or anything, he just kind of, well, he chose me."

  Alto nodded. "I know. I don't begrudge either of you. You're a beautiful princess, why wouldn't he pick you? You deserve someone like him."

  Trina's lips fell open. Alto shrugged and looked at the ground. "We're supposed to be headed into the Northern Divide again. Tristam and Kar have been talking about some ancient dwarven mines they think we can find. If they've been lost or overrun, he says what we find is ours to keep."

  "I thought you said this forest where you fought the monsters was south of here, in Kingdom lands?"

  "It was," Alto said, looking back up at her for a minute. The fiery halo of sunlight made his stomach twist until he looked away again. "On the morning of the day we left, Karthor came to us sharing the cry of help from a village overrun by the creatures from the forest. We went there first."

  "Oh." Trina fell silent for a moment before saying, "Alto, why won't you look at me?"

  A
lto risked a glance and found his gaze stuck fast with hers. "Because I've got no right to be looking at you. I'm the son of a farmer and not good for much more than doing that or spilling blood."

  "Is it that, or is it the favor you wear on your wrist that keeps making you look away? I don't think there's anything simple about a man that can retake a city and befriend a unicorn."

  Alto's eyes went to the pale ribbon on his wrist. Aleena had given that to him. Aleena was right for him. She was no one special, just a girl trying to find the right man to provide for her and to live a good life. A simple life. Alto looked up at Trina, his lips parted to tell her just that but the words wouldn't come out.

  "It's just as well," Trina said in a cool tone after he hesitated one moment too long. "I've heard the rumblings of others. I am what you Kingdom men would call a princess. Courted or not, I can only marry another noble."

  Trina pulled on Winter's mane and turned the unicorn around. She twisted back to cast a hard look at Alto. "And there's nothing noble about a man who would wear one woman's favor while courting another."

  * * * *

  Alto made his way back to the palace. The young warrior had no goal and ambition; he simply didn't know where else to go in Holgasford. There were taverns and halls where he could find refuge in a cup, but he'd vowed to keep a clear head. He had coin enough for his simple needs, even finding a place to sleep if need be, but sleep was the last thing on his mind.

  Alto found himself walking around the royal hall while servants and officials milled about taking care of whatever jobs they needed to do. Alto looked up when he saw an older woman who looked familiar walking towards him. She smiled at him as she approached, stopping him and making him realize how pretty she was.

  The woman's hair was blond streaked with gray. She had it pulled back into a single braid to keep her hair out of her crystal blue eyes. Alto realized where he'd seen her before; she'd been sitting to Teorfyr's left. That explained her familiarity, as well as the now obvious resemblance to Patrina.