Unicorn Valley 3: Healer's Heart

by Lena Austin

  “A little more, Brolly. Please. Do it again. I need you.”

  With Le-An’s insistent voice in his ear, Brolly forced himself to crawl slowly and painfully toward his lover. When he faltered, Le-An wouldn’t let him rest until he moved again.

  “Pushy bitch. Jack. Whatever. What do they call squirrel genders anyway?”

  Le-An’s voice laughed at his question. “It doesn’t matter, does it? Crawl for me, Brolly. Come to me and make me better. That’s it. Good.”

  “Am I done? Is this far enough?”

  The voice changed to a cool, feminine tone. One he’d heard before, somewhere. Yes, that’s far enough. I can help you now.

  Brolly slipped softly into unconsciousness with the ease of sliding into a pool of water. He felt the hands reach through the veil and drag him into warmth. Then he felt nothing.

  Chapter Nine

  Brolly had finally stopped shivering an hour after he’d awakened, warm and safe in his own bed, with Le-An beside him. Le-An looked much better, to Brolly’s relief. Many of the pustules had burst and begun to heal, giving Le-An an odd appearance. Still, Le-An was alive, awake, and in good spirits. That was all that mattered to Brolly.

  Le-An held his hand while Sella and Gilly performed their ministrations, and seemed to not wish to let go. That was perfectly fine, in Brolly’s mind. He’d almost lost Le-An, and didn’t want to stop reassuring himself that a pulse beat in Le-An’s flesh beneath his hand.

  Brolly saw Shadow waiting with clear impatience for Sella and Gilly to finish the healing spell on his broken leg. They’d already done all they could for his hands, and now he wore mittens of bandages that allowed him no use of them.

  Sella removed her hands from Brolly’s leg, and brushed her palms together with satisfaction. “There! That will do for now.” She shook a finger at Brolly while Gilly silently put on the splint. “You’ll not use this leg for more than trips to the privy, or you’ll hear it from me, Furface!”

  Moving with her usual silence, Gilly moved to the other side of the bed and gave Le-An more tea. Her soft voice was less admonishing. “You are lucky you heal so quickly. Drink up and restore your strength.”

  It astounded Brolly how quickly both of them had recovered from their ordeal. A few hours of sleep, and both he and Le-An were weak, but alive. Even Le-An’s face was no longer so ravaged, and the cough had stopped almost as soon as they’d been put to bed.

  “Ladies, may I speak to our two adventurers alone?” Shadow was close to fidgeting.

  Both fillies impishly bowed. “Yes, My Lord Herd Stallion!” they chorused. Shadow’s sisters never lost the opportunity to tease him.

  “This is Valley business, you two. Shoo! Go cater to another worthy’s whims.” Shadow pushed them both out the door and shut it firmly behind them.

  Le-An managed his old bravado. “Methinks we’re in trouble, lover.” He winked at Brolly.

  Shadow leaned against the door. “It is possible.” He turned his stern gaze on Le-An. “I just had a conversation with a human who waits politely outside the veil, agitated with concern over the blood of his friend Brolly on a boulder.” He paused. “He said he could smell Brolly in the blood. And flowers.”

  “Whaaat?” Le-An was the first to react. “It must be Andrew. How did he find us? How could he smell Brolly in the blood? How could he smell the Valley? It’s winter out there.”

  Brolly didn’t bother with asking questions there were no answers to. He flung off the sheets and reached for his clothes press. “Seems rude to ask you, but could we beg a ride, Shadow? Neither of us could walk that far, I think.”

  Gesturing to his naked state, Le-An chuckled. “I don’t have the energy to transform and make myself clothes in the process. I don’t suppose you have a few clothes too big for you to wear, do you, Brolly?”

  Shadow sighed and gestured. Le-An now wore his customary dark brown trews and linen shirt. “I’ll carry you both to the edge of the veil to verify the human. However, I’ll be damned if I waste time running. We teleport.” He gestured once more.

  Brolly finished lacing his shirt while sitting on his ass in the grove near the entrance they’d used that morning. Le-An helped him to his feet, and they tottered to the veil to peer through.

  Sure enough, it was Brother Andrew. He’d made himself a small fire. He shivered as he left to give a handful of grain to the big black horse Le-An had given him. When he returned, he sat back down with an obstinate look on his face and seemed to stare directly at them through the veil.

  Brolly made a move toward the veil, as if to step through, but was stopped by Shadow’s hand on his shoulder.

  “You can’t, Brolly. You will have to…”

  Andrew’s eyes had widened. “Brolly!” His shout carried through the shield. “Wherever you are, come out!” He looked around wildly. “I can smell you and Le-An. Please come talk to me.” He fingered his necklace with the carved wood cross and bit his lip. “Please?”

  Shadow wordlessly teleported them to a hidden place in the trees, out of sight of Andrew. Brolly and Le-An staggered in surprise, but held each other up. They weren’t dressed for the cold, and Brolly’s fingers ached in his bandages, but they stepped forward.

  Andrew rose as soon as he saw them, one hand remaining on his necklace, but his face wreathed in smiles. “I’m so happy to see you both are alive!” Then he noted the warm-weather clothing and bandages. “Can we go to your home? You aren’t well, are you?” His Latin was, as ever, impeccable.

  Brolly and Le-An looked at one another. In their own language, Brolly said, “I trust him, but Shadow would kill us.”

  “Shadow won’t.” Shadow stood behind them, not bothering to hide his horn button. “But I may use a spell to alter his memories if I don’t like what I hear.”

  Andrew smiled. “Ah, the fellow I talked to earlier! Thank you so much for fetching my friends.”

  Shadow bowed without smiling. In Latin, he replied, “I welcome you to my kingdom, Andrew, in the name of my brother.”

  Andrew caught the implications and sank to his knees. “Thank you, your Majesty. I am honored to know my humble friend is, in truth, a prince.” He looked confusedly at Le-An and Brolly, clearly wondering which was royal. “Oh, dear. Oh, dear,” he muttered.

  Andrew then bit his lip and squared his shoulders. He glanced at Shadow before putting his head back down. “Your Majesty, I have a second reason for following my friends, other than concern for their health. I believe they may be able to help me seek my grandfather.”

  “And how would these two help you do that?” Shadow asked coolly.

  “Your Majesty, Le-An bears a close resemblance to the man who fathered my father. They even bear the same name.”

  Brolly broke up laughing. Pointing a finger at Le-An, who stood in open-mouthed shock, Brolly roared, “You’re caught again, my friend.”

  Shadow quelled him with a look. “Enough. We will go to more comfortable surroundings, if the human is willing.” He turned to Andrew, who looked up bewildered. “Do you place yourself in my hands, never questioning what I must do to protect my home? Do you vow that you will die before revealing what you see?”

  Andrew nodded. “I do, and I so vow. I am your servant, Majesty.”

  “Then rise. Bring your horse.” He gestured and put out the fire. Andrew gasped, but meekly got the horse and stood humbly back from the others.

  Shadow stepped through first. Brolly and Le-An motioned Andrew to follow. Wordlessly, the gentle friar stepped forward and shut his eyes. The veil parted before either of them had a chance to open it. He kept walking until he disappeared.

  Brolly and Le-An stepped through. “Did you let him in, Shadow?” Brolly queried.

  “No, I thought you did.”

  Andrew smiled and shrugged. “It didn’t before. I found the wall I couldn’t see when I first found your blood.” He helped Brolly sit in the grass. “You should be in bed.” He glanced around. “Even in such a wondrous and beautiful place as
this, you should be sheltered.”

  Le-An remained standing with a speculative look on his face. “If you are a descendant, then there’s one thing that breeds true.” Without warning, he swung his fist at Andrew.

  Astonishingly, Andrew ducked faster than the blink of an eye. Brolly’s mouth fell open. “He has the same speed as Leanina!” he blurted. “That’s why you closed your eyes when Le-An hit you. So you wouldn’t avoid the blow.”

  Le-An laughed and embraced Andrew, who looked wary before allowing the hug. “Welcome to my world, grandson!”

  Brolly simply put his head in his hands. “No more surprises. No more surprises. I’m staying home, and I’m never leaving.” He repeated the words in a singsong manner while Shadow abandoned his royal demeanor and laughed until he clutched his sides.

  “Yes, Brolly, you are newly mated, and now you have a step-grandson who is prettier than you!”

  “Shaddup, Hayburner!”

  “Andrew has had enough of a shock, I think. Where would he be most comfortable to stay? In your noisy, busy hospice or where?” Shadow grinned and nodded toward Le-An and the human, who chatted animatedly.

  Brolly thought carefully. “The Vampire temple, with the male priests. Now that they have returned to pure worship and no longer cause mischief, if Andrew can stand to be around females, that would be most human-like.”

  “Let’s ask him. That would be polite.” They put the question to Andrew.

  “A temple would be very nice, but what’s a Vampire? And why do you say, human-like?”

  Le-An turned red. “Well, Andrew, we aren’t human, you see. A Vampire looks like this.” He transformed, but smiled and showed his fangs. “They’re very nice people, really.”

  Andrew stepped back and turned white. He asked slowly, “You aren’t human? Then what are you? And, by extension, what am I?”

  Le-An glanced over and begged for help. Brolly and Shadow shrugged. “You were there, lover,” Brolly muttered in the tongue of the Valley.

  Le-An sighed. “Um, well, do you remember the stories of the Great Flood?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Le-An paused, flicked a look at Shadow, and then asked, “Did your mother tell you stories of creatures who no longer existed, like Unicorns?”

  “Yes. Though she died when I was a boy, I remember a few.”

  “What do you think happened to all those beings?”

  Andrew thought long and hard, scratching his chin. “I’ll assume this is not an idle question.” He glanced at Shadow’s horn button, and Brolly’s golden-brown eyes, then closed his own. He swallowed hard, opened his shocked blue eyes, and released his necklace. “They live here, in this beautiful place, safe from mankind. My Lord in heaven.”

  Andrew sat down hard in the grass and rubbed his forehead. “One thing does not make sense. The Flood happened long ago. Yet you speak of it almost as if you have a memory of the event. Does time flow differently here? Like a slower stream compared to the fast river of mankind’s world?”

  Shrugging, Shadow chose to answer. “We don’t know. We live here, and it seems to flow normally for the residents. Perhaps you could tell us? My wife is a historian of the Elves. You might wish to discuss it with her.”

  Andrew was silent. “It seems I have much to learn first.” He looked at all three. “I may be presumptuous, but would you be kind enough to show me what you really are? I have the sin of curiosity, I’m afraid.”

  Brolly and Shadow changed, but Le-An remained in human form. Andrew gaped at Shadow’s silvery Unicorn form, and his eyes softened when he saw Brolly’s wagging tail. Then he turned to Le-An.

  “You didn’t change, Grandfather. I find it odd to call you that, though it is your proper title. I’m glad to know I’m not so orphaned as I thought, but my curiosity remains.”

  Le-An shrugged. “Call me Le-An. My only other offspring calls me Papa only to tease me. Unlike Brolly and Shadow, this is how I remain most of the time. Were I to show you my forms, we’d be here all night.” He glanced at the setting sun.

  Andrew nodded. “If time is something I have much of, we can discuss it at length. Nothing needs to be done immediately.” He stood. “Perhaps I can be shown where I might rest my weary head, get a meal, and think of all I’ve learned today? Would there be stabling for your, er, my horse there? Or could he simply be freed?”

  Le-An marched over, removed all the accoutrements from the horse, and threw them in the grass. While Andrew’s back was turned, they disappeared, courtesy of Shadow. Only Andrew’s pack remained in the grass. The horse wandered off to eat the lush grass.

  Shadow returned to human form and spoke the tongue of the Valley. “Brolly, can you put him up in the cavern overnight? It’s a long journey to the Vampire temple from here, and he’s had enough shocks without my teleporting you three.”

  Brolly nodded agreement. If his own head ached with these revelations, Andrew must feel as if he were too confused to move.

  “Then I’ll leave you in the care of your family, Andrew.” Shadow returned to Unicorn form and cantered off.

  “His Latin is very good.” Andrew shook his head. “I’m sorry, that was a foolish statement. I will likely babble like a fool for days.” He shrugged and flung his arms out helplessly.

  Brolly returned to human form, and watched Andrew relax marginally. Good. Familiar things would help. “How does some dinner sound, Andrew? Oh, and how do you feel about being around females?” He clapped Andrew on the shoulder and the three of them began to walk back toward the cavern. His leg felt much better, and the splint was becoming a nuisance, not a support.

  Andrew stared for a moment, then smiled shyly. “They are as much of a mystery to me as this place is. I went into the abbey at the age of ten. I don’t mind giving up my vows to the brotherhood. They seem irrelevant here. Celibacy didn’t make any difference to me, since I’d already realized I preferred men. My contacts with the convent sisters were rare and brief.”

  Le-An chuckled. “This is a new world for you, Andrew. Here, you may love men and it is not considered a bad thing, though you may disappoint Brolly’s sisters with your lack of interest in their considerable charms.”

  Andrew blushed. “I wouldn’t know what to do with them, anyway. I don’t even speak their language. Are the men as beautiful as the women? That subject is less abstract for me.” His face flamed even redder. “I’m virginal no matter which way you look at it. I know what I like, but I’ve never tried.”

  If I know the denizens of the Valley, once they get over being scared of you, your virginal state will be a thing of the past, Brolly thought, but kept it to himself. There were some things a fellow just had to find out for himself.

  There were other more immediate issues to deal with. For instance, how to get a human accepted without screams of terror. Worse, how to avoid another war like the one three hundred years before when the last human entered the Valley?

  Brolly’s head ached.

  Chapter Ten

  Brolly staggered back to his room and prayed for a measure of peace. He’d spent the last few hours beside Shadow, calming the fears of the Council and his family over the presence of a human in the Valley. Only Shadow’s acceptance calmed most of the fearful. Shadow reminded the nervous of how the human mage Joshua had lived in peace. The Herd Stallion defending a human was scandalous, but it had worked. Still, Brolly’s head ached from the arguing.

  At least he’d been able to remove the mitten-like bandages from his hands. He flexed his fingers happily.

  Andrew was now lodged in one of the guest rooms in the front of the hospice, comfortably full after a warm dinner, clean from a soak in a hot tub, and no doubt still reveling over the fine wardrobe Brolly’s sisters had “found” for him. Sella had been very clever about pretending to rummage in a trunk before producing “this old thing” or “these boots Father never wore.” Andrew’s humble innocent acceptance had charmed them all.

  As he opened the door to his room, Brolly was
astounded to find Le-An naked and in female form, weeping as if her heart would break. His calm, unflappable Le-An? What was this?

  “Oh, my poor baby,” he soothed, and brought her a linen to wipe her tears, shutting the door on his way past.

  Le-An gulped down her sobs, and accepted the kerchief before throwing herself in his arms.

  He could guess a few things that would make Le-An weep like a leaky cauldron, but it was better to let her tell him. In his gentlest voice he asked, “What’s wrong, my love?” Then he marveled that he could make the change from a male-to-male relationship to male-to-female so seamlessly.

  “I’m sorry! I’ll go back to male. I always feel a bit less vulnerable that way.”

  “Why should you? I’m finding it very pleasant to hold you right now.” He did, too. It was different to hold a smaller Le-An who was as soft as a cloud.

  Sniff. “You don’t mind?” The large tear-stained brown eyes he loved hadn’t changed.

  “Silly. I love you. Not the form you wear.” In fact, the little bundle in his arms was making his cock harden. He ignored it and told it to behave while he kissed her wet face. “Now, what’s wrong?”

  Le-An stuck out her chin. “Oh, nothing much. Just that I’m suddenly a grandparent, my lover might still have to leave me to be Pack Leader, and… and…” Le-An looked away, taking great interest in a hanging on the wall opposite. “Look, every once in a while, I get overwhelmed. The memories wash over me and I think I’ll drown in them.” She sighed. “For nearly 700 years, I’ve been alone and lonely. That’s a long time to get set in one’s ways.”

  She tucked her head under his chin and snuggled. “Yeah, so it’s stupid, but I’ll say it anyway. I’m still in many ways a female. I’ve been scared to keep this shape for so long, because it is smaller and weaker. Yet it feels so good to permit myself to bawl like a bereft calf. It’s a way of letting go of the past. Now I’m scared to be a male. I’m terrified I’ll someday hunger for a woman. What will I do when I see that helpless anger in your eyes? Will you be there when I get back? Many of my lovers weren’t.”