Blessed quiet resulted. Raine quirked his lips for a brief instant in acknowledgment. “She did say she marked me and can find me wherever I am. Why she did it, I’ve no clue.”
“So what do you know about them?” Corwyn asked.
Like Raine, Rygel stared deep into the flames, his slender hands clasped in front of him. “As a lad in the university where I studied, I delved deep into the library’s deepest basement. I discovered a manuscript so old it threatened to crumble with the slightest mishandling. I dared not breathe as I read it, for fear it might disintegrate into bits of parchment and dust.”
As though chilled, Rygel clasped his arms over his chest, hugging tightly to himself. “The author of that manuscript explained that he’d translated this from a text almost as old as mankind. He dated it as one of human’s first writings, suggesting it came from a people who no longer walk this earth with their language as dead as they. In it, the original writer spoke of unicorns.”
Unlike Rygel the drama queen, this Rygel glanced around, not to gather eyes, but to confirm his audience understood him. I gripped Raine’s hand not for succor, but for my comfort. His suddenly sweaty palm informed me how he fretted inwardly.
“This very ancient text said that unicorns held a most powerful white magic,” Rygel said. “Unlike any other magic this world has ever known, or will ever know. Inside their horn lies a mysterious power the gods don’t know the mystery of or can compete with.”
“She touched Darkhan with her horn,” Tashira added, his voice hushed.
“Instantly,” Raine added, “his broken heart mended. Within days, he found the answer his soul questioned and craved.”
Every eye behind the burning fires suddenly sought out shy, pale Ghost. She lay, curled into a tight ball beside the one she had chosen as her mate; her white fur melding into the snow she rested upon. With the attention on her, as it once had with her sister Arianne, Ghost vanished behind her white wealth of invisibility. Only her head with dark brown eyes and a black nose showed amidst the pristine snow where a young she-wolf lay. I sighed. I wish I could vanish so effectively. That trick could come in handy at boring council meetings.
“What do her tears mean, m’lord?” Witraz asked, ever daring what the rest of us wouldn’t.
“No one truly knows,” Rygel answered, his tone hollow. “The script says they are perhaps more powerful than the horn itself. A postscript mentioned such tears that drop on a living body connect the unicorn with that body, but no explanation of how or why. As far as the horn, the magic lives on in the horn long after its owner is dead. No one yet has ever killed a unicorn.”
“Crap,” Kel’Ratan snapped. “Many people killed these buggers and their horns were useless.”
Rygel grinned, his grin wide. “People have claimed to have killed the unicorn.”
“She admitted it,” Tashira added. “She said her people were hunted.”
“Hunted, yes,” Rygel replied. “Hunted and actually killed are altogether different. This creature is far too secretive and cunning to allow simple hunters to kill them. They’re wise, they’re powerful and I sincerely doubt anyone ever managed to kill one. Hunt, yes, and manufacture a horn for coin and tavern ale as their reward.”
“This damn baby fell into a hole,” Kel’Ratan declared. “They’re not perfect.”
Rygel smile widened as his tone dropped. “So sure are you?”
“Oh, you’re saying the baby fell in the hole for Darkhan to save?” Kel’Ratan snorted, his non-verbal opinion of that possibility.
“You said,” Rygel replied, his tone soft. “I didn’t.”
“Oh, please.”
“There are no such things as accidents.”
Tashira’s firm voice sent a chill up my spine. Shardon’s tail lashed as he shook his ears, clearly understanding his black brother while the rest of us gaped. “Only a fool believes in coincidence.”
Kel’Ratan rose up, as if to stand and storm up and down in a frustrated rage. Worried, Nahar gazed up at him and whined softly. I gripped his arm before he started blustering and roaring. At my touch, Kel’Ratan turned on me, his blue eyes hot.
“It matters little why the baby fell into a hole,” I said softly but firmly. I glanced around, my hand keeping a firm grip on my kinsman. “It doesn’t even truly matter that she marked him. All that matters is that a life was saved and these three returned to us safely.”
“Someday,” Arianne said, her hands on both Darkhan and Ghost. “Someday, we may know why this happened. Obviously she blessed Darkhan, for here is the proof of her blessing. I suspect she also blessed Tashira, though he speaks of it not.”
Tashira’s ears flattened at the sudden attention, his tight lips and high head making him appear mulish and stubborn. Raine’s eyes sharpened on him. “What did she say to you?”
Rather than answer, Tashira backed away from the firelight and into the darkness. Only his eyes gleamed redly, like daemon’s eyes, twin coals in the utter black.
“What passed between them,” I said, my free hand taking Raine’s, “is their business. It’s not for us to intrude.”
Raine nodded shortly, yet his eyes still bored into Tashira as though trying to see into his soul. Silverruff nudged his way under Raine’s hand, knocking Tuatha askew and distracted him at last. Raine smiled down at the huge wolf and stroked his ears.
“Somehow I very much doubt the unicorn,” Arianne continued softly, taking Rygel’s hand from under his arm to hold, “marked him for evil intent. I may not have been there, but had Darkhan not volunteered first, Raine could’ve gotten the foal out quite easily, I’m thinking.”
“He’s an idiot,” Tashira snapped from the outer darkness. “He didn’t even know she was a she.”
Raine smiled and shrugged. “I didn’t look for the plumbing. I saw a unicorn threatening to lance me with its horn. For all I knew she was a stallion defending his territory.”
“There are no male unicorns.”
Rygel’s soft voice brought Tashira back into the light and the astonished gaze of every one present. Despite my now lax hand, Kel’Ratan started up again, his belligerence in full swing.
“Now that’s the most idiotic thing you ever said,” he snapped. “She had a baby, or have you forgotten where babies came from?”
Rygel’s white teeth gleamed red under the firelight as he grinned. “Remember one thing,” he said, his tone soft. “The unicorn is the purest of all creatures who walk the earth.”
“That doesn’t mean they don’t–”
Rygel held up his hand, forestalling Kel’Ratan’s acid comments. “The ancient document stated that a goddess, one so mysterious the other gods know precious little about her, governs the unicorn. It firmly stated she created only females.”
“Then how do they, er,” I asked, confused, “reproduce?”
He offered me a half bow, his red grin still in place. “This text, written during a time of less strife and more trust,” Rygel replied in his didactic I-know-more-than-you tone that made me itch to slap him, “spoke of all the great creatures of the earth meeting to exchange news, learn from one another, form friendships. Remember what Elder said? The gods walked with their people in those days and evil hadn’t yet entered their world.”
During this exchange, Raine tilted his head and stared up at the cold stars, as though listening to another voice. Perhaps he was: Darius. His eyes didn’t appear glazed, however. “Darius said the same thing,” Raine said softly, his eyes still on the stars. “The unicorn goddess, while remaining aloof, permitted her children to mingle with others.”
“The manuscript said unicorns are born pregnant.”
Rygel’s words dropped like a bomb amid the hushed camp. Like the resulting explosion, everyone, men, wolves, Arianne and two Tarbane began talking at once. Among them, only Raine, Rygel, Bar and myself remained silent. Perhaps Ghost should be added to that list, for she seldom spoke at all and I don’t recall hearing her soft voice in the mix.
&n
bsp; Amid the babble and exclamations, comments and speculations, I turned my head to Bar, lying behind me. “What do you think?” I asked.
“Unicorns are special,” Bar admitted. “There’s no doubt about that. We griffins certainly don’t hunt them and, in times past, my ancestors have claimed friendship with them.”
“How do you know this?” I asked. “Did your parents tell you, before they were killed?”
Bar hesitated. “I think so. I vaguely recall stories, much like bedtime stories you humans tell your children, my mother told me. I believe she met a unicorn once, and spoke kindly of the meeting.”
As though hearing both sides of the conversation, Rygel nodded. “The manuscript I read said the unicorn wouldn’t hide from more honorable creatures, wolves, griffins, dragons and the like. Only mankind spread evil and killed wantonly.”
“She feared I was her enemy,” Raine said.
Rygel shrugged, helpless, a weak admission he couldn’t predict unicorn behavior with full comprehension. “Perhaps her predicament made her defensive,” he said slowly. “I don’t know. But I believe this to be true: unicorns are born pregnant. They birth their babies, raise them to adulthood, and then leave their child to wander in solitude until their death. How long they live, the author seemed not to know. Longer than men, most likely.”
“That might explain why they’re so rare,” I said softly. “One unicorn births one offspring. If chance wills one dies before giving birth, generations are gone.”
Raine lifted his head once more, gazing into the black bowl of the night sky. “The purest of creatures,” he murmured. “Their birth is without stain. That may explain why they are so powerful.”
Rygel and I exchanged a glance. We spoke at the same time.
“White magic.”
Tor may be a man, but he still needed his warrior lessons. Arianne and I sat on a rock during the midday break, watching as Yuri and Yuras tutored Tor in the finer arts of swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. To their endless disgust, I refused them the opportunity to practice their archery aboard their galloping horses. The horses needed their rest, I said. They worked hard enough carrying us over these mountains.
Two days had passed since we reunited with Raine, Tashira and Darkhan and ‘twas like we hadn’t been apart. Raine and I rode side by side, holding hands whenever the terrain permitted, talking and laughing, sharing our adventures during our separation.
Raine hadn’t wanted to ride Tashira, weakened as he was, but Tashira insisted with pinned ears and a cocked hind hoof. “I should’ve kicked your butt before you saved my life,” Tashira snapped. “Now I’m back to toting you around.”
“I can travel as a wolf,” Raine began, but Tashira cut him off with a sharp look.
“You know better than to argue with me.” That acid comment ended the matter.
Thus sans saddle and bridle, Raine sat easily on Tashira’s broad back, his great weight hardly an issue for Tashira. Despite his weakness, the huge Tarbane carried him as easily as he might a small child.
With all the food I insisted Raine eat, he gained back a few pounds. Shardon nagged Tashira into eating as much as he could hold at every possible moment, and he, too, looked sleeker after time. Yet, the shadow in Raine’s eyes never departed, even when he laughed. Though I kept my worry from my voice and expression, it gnawed my gut ceaselessly. He never berated me for following after him, despite his surety I’d die in the great north. Still, the unspoken words hung between us. He fretted I’d die up there, and I fretted I’d be forced to live without him.
“Rygel can’t get enough of healing talk,” Arianne commented as Raine and Rygel sat beside the fire.
“Is that what they’re doing?” I asked, pretending to watch the trio wrestle in the snow. In truth, I watched Raine, my gut churning. What’s wrong with him? Was it this absent girlfriend? Was it his worry over me? What? What caused that shadow and why couldn’t I vanquish it? What was wrong?
Yuri knocked Tor head over heels as Yuras shouted, but Tor rose, well-balanced on his toes. With a grin and a come-hither gesture, he beckoned Yuri closer. That fool obeyed with more arrogance than caution. Tor closed with him, kicked his right leg out from under, and took Yuri down with his own heavy weight on Yuri’s chest. Had he a knife, Yuri’s throat lay at his mercy. Yuras stopped shouting, shocked into silence. Kip danced around Tor’s legs, jaws wide as Warrior Dog licked Yuri’s cheek in commiseration.
“Well done,” I called, grinning.
Laughing, Tor helped a now sullen Yuri up and dusted the powdery snow off his thick fur leathers. Kip danced on his hind legs, barking.
Left and Right stood side by side a short distance away, Dire and Lightfoot at silent heel. Squatting with their wolves, Alun, Witraz and Rannon talked quietly near the fire. Kel’Ratan wandered away to stand atop a small hill, Nahar at his side. I guessed he’d put himself on watch to allow the others a chance to eat, relax and talk. Corwyn sat under a small tree, leaning against its trunk, catching a nap. Tashira and Shardon guarded the horses, grazing amid them but raising heads high to look around, ears, eyes and noses alert. Nothing alarmed them and their heads dropped once more.
I’d sent Bar, Digger, Thunder, and Silverruff off to hunt. When they returned, another group galloped off. After that, we’d ride again until almost sunset. During the evening hours more wolves would divide up and lope away into the wilderness to kill their dinner. Thus, there was half the pack protecting the camp at all times while the other half fed.
On this clear, cold afternoon as I idly watched Yuri, Yuras and Tor, Little Bull lounged indolently beside the fire next to Rygel. Fed and sleepy, he yawned occasionally, his ears flattening. Tuatha, growing bored with Raine’s inattention, wandered over to clamber over Little Bull’s neck to gnaw on his ear. Little Bull, his jaws wide in lupine laughter, rolled onto his side with the dark and tenacious whelp clinging to his face. Growling horribly, Tuatha bit deep into Little Bull’s ruff over his throat while the big wolf didn’t even feel his teeth.
“He’s a tough little bugger,” Arianne said, yet her eyes belied the heartiness in her voice. For while Darkhan had returned to her, his attention went to shy Ghost rather than herself. Whenever possible, the pair trotted side by side, sometimes beside Rufus and many times away from the main group. While Silverruff decreed that Ghost wasn’t to be courted by any other, Darkhan still worried her eyes might find another more handsome, more brave, more loyal.
Of course, Ghost saw no wolf other than Darkhan. Well, not quite, I admitted to myself with in inward grin. She noticed none other than Darkhan–and Tuatha. Once she met Tuatha, Ghost licked and nuzzled and mothered the pup until he hid behind Raine in desperation. Tuatha didn’t exactly dislike Ghost. He just preferred his human parents, Raine and me, over a wolf nanny. Ghost didn’t seem to mind, though, when Tuatha struggled out from under her paw and busy tongue to crawl into either my lap or Raine’s.
Arianne still needed his dark presence beside her. While Darkhan still loved her, he no longer worshipped her. I suspected Arianne couldn’t quite give up on him, and still craved the absolute adoration he once offered. She was his first love, and he’d remain beside her and guard her life. Ghost now owned his heart and his soul. But for Arianne that wasn’t enough.
Rygel and Darkhan, on the other hand, renewed their acquaintance on this new level and became firm friends. Like Little Bull, he wrestled and hugged and teased Darkhan, with the big dark wolf happy and wagging in friendly return. Ghost, while not quite as comfortable with Kel’Ratan and my boys as she was with Raine and me, responded to Rygel with an odd affection. She licked his face, nipped and jumped away with wide grinning jaws. She’d then duck into his arms to receive no end of embraces as Rygel laughed and held her close. As often as they trotted beside Rufus, they also shadowed Shardon.
Where were they, I wondered, lifting my head and shoulders to look around. Ah, over there. I should’ve guessed. On the opposite side of the small, shallow valley we tempor
arily camped in, Darkhan and Ghost sat side by side, talking. I guessed they were talking, anyway, as his face turned down while her muzzle turned up. Unicorn meddling or not, I doubted Darkhan could’ve ever found a better mate than Ghost.
Rediscovering my meal, half-forgotten in my musings, I tried once more to nibble on the cold roast venison and cheese. I also remembered I hadn’t wanted it in the first place, my gut too busy worrying over Raine to feel hunger. Glancing around, I found no wolf nearby who might want it. Rather than waste it, I reached down to set it aside by my rock, ready to offer to the first furry muzzle who happened by.
“You’re not eating,” Arianne accused sharply, no doubt looking forward to berating me for that sin as I had her so many times.
A sharp buzzing sound erupted from the snow near my hand.
Arianne screamed.
I recoiled, spinning upright, my fist now on the hilt of my blade. On my feet, blinking, I hesitated. I stared at the true ghost in front of me.
Kael stood behind my rock, smiling down at me. That pleasant mien, half love and half arrogance, hadn’t changed since the last time I saw him. My gaze dropped from his handsome face to a pale, silver-grey snake in his right hand. The small serpent bent and twisted, biting the grip that held it. As Kael was already dead, the serpent’s fangs had no impact on him whatsoever. It twisted and squirmed, unable to free itself.
A live snake in the deep mountain winter? A chill raced down my spine. This is wrong, this is so very wrong. Snakes cannot survive winter, that’s why they hibernated. Their blood froze under the frigid onslaught of cold, they had to burrow deep into the soil beyond the bitter reach of the ice.
Astonished, afraid, I raised my eyes to Kael’s amused blue ones. I hadn’t seen him so very long–damn how long had it been since Kael last haunted my steps? Months, maybe. I’d almost forgotten his existence. With the writhing snake in his fist, he turned to Arianne.
Upon hearing her scream, Raine, Rygel, Kel’Ratan, Corwyn, my warriors and every wolf within range advanced on the run. “What’s wrong?” I heard Raine bellow, but I’d no eyes for anything save Kael.
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