“Must I call you Lord Teddy?” he asked.
“No. Teddy is fine. I don’t think I’d much like being called Lord Teddy all the time.”
Altha was still a toddler. She had brown hair like her mother, and green eyes. She was shy with Teddy, and tended to cling to her mother’s leg.
“Hello, Altha,” Teddy said, squatting down to her height. At first she hid her face, but then she peeked at him and said hello.
He smiled at her and she suddenly started prattling to him with her baby words. She showed him a bracelet she was wearing, and when he told her it was pretty, she grabbed his hand and pulled him off his feet in her excitement to show him something outside.
When he stood up, she took his hand and led him outside. Once there, she showed him a lamb that was apparently hers.
“Nova,” she said.
“Nova? Is that the lamb’s name?” he asked. She nodded.
After a few minutes, she lost interest in Teddy and went off to play with the lamb. Teddy returned to the house.
The children had bedrooms in the newer section of the house. Teddy’s room had been changed somewhat in order to add to the house, making it a little smaller, but he didn’t really need much. After changing into the regular clothes in the wardrobe, he went out with Fury to see things he hadn’t seen before.
It was spring. Flowers were blooming and all the bushes were a light shade of green. Unlike the heat at home, it was cool here, with a fresh breeze. As they travelled, Teddy noticed that breeze had gradually turned into a harder wind, yet the sky remained blue with white, puffy clouds.
“Where are we going?” Teddy asked.
“To see the cyclone,” Fury said.
“I don’t want to see it!”
“You are safe, Teddy. As long as you keep your distance, you won’t be hurt. Remember, this one doesn’t move from the one spot.”
“Why do I need to see it?”
“To know where it is. That way you can avoid it. It is important to know your enemy.”
They travelled along a path across the meadow and through the woodland. Here and there in the woods they saw small huts. Fury explained that these were the houses of the woodsmen, guardians of the forest. They looked after the animals, sometimes cut down trees and rescued those who were lost or hurt.
“Do many people get lost in the woods?” Teddy asked.
“Sometimes. Villagers don’t know the woods well. Sometimes, if they wander off the trail they may lose their way.”
When he first entered the woods, Teddy thought it would take all day to get through it. The woods came to a sudden end, and the open land gently sloped down. What looked like a black smudge at first, gradually took shape as they came closer to it.
They reached the bottom of the hill. A little distance away they saw it clearly: the cyclone. It looked like a column about as tall as a skyscraper and as wide as a merry-go-round. It made a rumbling sound that Teddy could feel vibrating through the ground. There was also an occasional hiss.
Teddy stood staring at it, certain it would do something. It simply revolved. If the wind knocked something into it, the object was sucked in, never to be seen again. A large item would make a clattering sound for a few moments before eventually being blown out again in broken pieces.
“As you see, it won’t hurt you unless you go too close,” Fury said.
“But what is it for?”
Fury looked confused.
“What does it do?” Teddy asked.
“It does what you see.”
“But what is its purpose?” Teddy asked, feeling frustrated that Fury didn’t know what he meant.
“I truly don’t know. I don’t know that anyone does.”
They left the area, wandering down along the flat lands. They came to a slight incline in the land, and as they reached the top, they heard the whoosh of the sea. Just a little below them water lapped the sand, coming in in waves and then returning.
Teddy had never been to the ocean. He was fascinated.
“Is it safe?” he asked.
“The water will not harm you unless you cannot swim. Then you will drown,” Fury said.
Teddy slid off Fury, sat on the sandy ground to take off his shoes and socks, and approached the water. As he stood on the wet part of the beach, a wave washed over his feet and ankles. It was cold. He’d forgotten it was only spring here. He didn’t realize how cold the ocean could be.
After the cold water hit his feet once more, Teddy backed away from the shoreline and put his socks and shoes back on. He was glad he was here with Fury. His mother wouldn’t have let him put his feet in the sea when it wasn’t warm enough to go swimming.
They headed off again, back toward the village. It surprised Teddy how quickly they arrived, considering how long it had taken them to get to the cyclone. They hadn’t even gone through the woods.
Teddy met several of the village children. They were anxious to meet him. Several were his age. They invited him to play with them.
Teddy was afraid these children would soon discover his poor performance at sports and abandon him, as the boys in his neighborhood did. To his surprise, they played a game that was fairly simple, and they were patient with him as he learned it.
The game was somewhat like hopscotch, but rather than connected squares in a straight line, this game was drawn in a large circle. Teddy proved to be quite good at it, to the delight of the other children.
Too soon it was time to go in to dinner. Teddy promised to see the children the next day if he was still there, and entered Taurek’s house, where Hilda was just putting dinner on the table.
Over their meal Teddy caught up with everything that had happened since his last visit. The children showed him their prized possessions, and showed him the various things they could do.
Soon, it was time for bed. Teddy hugged each of them in turn, saying he hoped to see them the next day. He didn’t know whether or not he’d wake up here or back at school. Then he went to his room and quickly fell asleep.
In the morning he awoke to giggles and someone shushing the children who were giggling. For a moment, Teddy was afraid something had happened at school to make the other children laugh, but as he looked around, he discovered he was still at Taurek’s house, in the bed he’d slept in the night before. He stretched and got out of bed.
The children were apparently playing a game in the main room, giggling and dropping something that thumped. Teddy quickly dressed and went out to the main room to discover what they were doing.
“I hope they didn’t wake you, Lord Teddy,” Hilda said.
“No,” he replied, looking at the children, who stopped to stare at him as he entered. “But please, just call me Teddy.”
Hilda curtsied and then went to put some bread on a griddle to toast by the fire.
“What are you playing?” Teddy asked.
“I’m trying to teach Altha how to catch,” Sven said.
He had a small leather ball. He tossed it to his sister, but only after it hit the floor did she put her hands out to catch it.
“Maybe if you and I throw it back and forth, she’ll get the idea,” Teddy suggested.
Sven agreed, and the two boys threw the ball back and forth. Altha ran from one to the other, trying to catch it before they did. Finally, the boys sat on the floor and Altha sat in front of Teddy. He reached around and took her hands. When Sven threw the ball, Teddy pushed Altha’s hands together to catch the ball. She laughed, thrilled to finally catch it. When the two-year-old threw it back, the ball went well past her brother, showing she was no better at throwing than catching.
“Come, children. It’s time for breakfast,” Hilda said.
They all gathered at the table, and she gave each a plate with interesting-looking marbled bread with honey poured over it. Teddy cut his up and tasted it. It was similar to French toast.
Even though Hilda had cut Altha’s up in tiny pieces, the child still had more on her face than in her mouth when
she was finished.
When they had finished, Hilda told Teddy that Fury was ready to take him wherever he needed to go. Teddy didn’t really need to go anywhere, but he went outside to see what plans the unicorn might have for the day.
Fury told Teddy that the king wished to see him, and off they rode to the castle. This time the way looked familiar, and Teddy felt more confident about meeting the king.
He was led into a small room where the king sat at a desk, writing. He looked up when the door opened and Teddy was announced.
“Lord Teddy, welcome!” the king said, standing and approaching the boy.
“Your Majesty,” Teddy replied, bowing. He didn’t know how he knew how to behave in front of a king; he just did.
“Sit down, please,” the king said as if he and Teddy were long-time pals instead of a man and a boy. Teddy sat in a comfortable chair that looked like it belonged in someone’s living room. The king sat in one just like it.
“How do you like the kingdom?” the king asked.
“It’s pretty cool. I have some friends here already.”
“But of course you do! I wondered if you would like to see one of our ceremonies.”
“Yes, I would,” he replied, thinking it was odd he was being asked instead of ordered.
“My son, Prince Alexander will turn 21 tomorrow. He is to be knighted. I know he would love to have you come, if you are still here.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’d really like to see that.”
“Excellent!”
“Will you give him that sword?”
“You’ve seen it?”
“The blacksmith was still making it. I saw part of it, and he told me about what it would look like when it was done. But that was the first time I was here.”
“Ah, that was his first sword. He has that already. This is to be an even greater sword.”
“Has he fought any battles?”
“Nay, we are at peace. But you will get to see him joust.”
“Joust?”
“Ah, you would not know. It is a mock battle on horseback. Anyone attempting it without the proper training could be killed.”
“Father, I –” said a tall, muscular young man with blond hair who entered the room without knocking. “Oh, I’m sorry. No one told me anyone was here.”
“Teddy,” the king said, “this is my son, Prince Alexander.”
Teddy stood and bowed. “Your highness,” he said.
“This is Lord Teddy?” Alexander asked, sounding as if he thought Teddy was far more important than a prince or a king.
“Indeed,” said the king.
“I’m happy to make your acquaintance,” Alexander said. “I do hope you’ll come to the knighting ceremony.”
“I hope to. I hope I’ll still be here,” Teddy said, thinking a knighting ceremony was far more important than Social Studies class.
“What was it you wanted?” the king asked Alexander.
“I was just wondering if anyone had heard from Lord Teddy, actually.”
They invited Teddy to share a light meal they were about to have. Lunch with a king and a prince was definitely better than Social Studies.
They ate in a small room. A polished table in the middle held plates and goblets. The queen and her two daughters, Princess Christine and Princess Elaine were already seated.
Queen Audra sat at the head of the table by the window. The sunlight shining through made her golden hair seem to glow. She wore a blue silk outfit, with dark blue trousers and a light blue tunic. She looked younger than Teddy’s mother, even though her three children were all older than he was.
Christine had dark hair that hung down her back, and large, brown eyes. She was dressed like her mother, but her trousers were red and her tunic, pink. She looked nearly Alexander’s age.
Elaine looked closest to Teddy’s age. She was probably about 12. She had light brown hair and blue eye. Her outfit consisted of dark green trousers and a pale green tunic. She smiled, while Christine looked serious.
All of them smiled when they saw Teddy. They stood as the king entered and took his place at the opposite end of the table from the queen. Once the king sat, so did everyone else. Teddy sat across from Alexander.
“Welcome, Teddy,” the queen said, smiling. “It is good that you are here.”
They asked him about his home realm, and told him of preparations for the next day while footmen served a meal that looked a little bit like pizza, but they ate it with knives and forks. They drank something fizzy, although it didn’t taste like any sodas he was used to. Teddy tried to do whatever they did.
Alexander was very friendly toward Teddy. The queen asked questions about his mother and father, and about his school. She was interested in what sorts of things he studied. Christine watched and listened, but said nothing. Elaine acted a bit shy, as if she wanted to ask questions as Alexander did, but was trying to appear more mature, like Christine. Occasionally, Elaine asked about some subject Teddy had mentioned that she didn’t know.
When lunch was finished, they left the room for the servants to clean up. The girls said they had riding lessons and Alexander walked with Teddy to the entrance hall. The king and queen had to see some of their subjects that were getting things ready for the next day’s festivities.
“I really hope you can come to my knighting. I think you’ll like it, and there will be lots of fun events. It won’t all be ceremony,” Alexander said.
“I hope I can be there, too.”
They parted company, Fury coming to take Teddy back to the village.
Teddy spent the rest of his time until dinner playing with the village children, as he had done the day before. Then he had dinner with Taurek and his family.
Hilda was very excited for Teddy. He was fortunate to be invited to the knighthood ceremony. Teddy was afraid to be excited, since he didn’t know whether or not he’d still be in the realm when the next day arrived.
Hilda tried to teach him all of the courtesies she knew, such as how to address various members of the king’s court. The thing that upset her, however, was what Teddy could give to the prince as a gift. They had nothing fit in their home, and Teddy had nothing from his own realm.
Shortly after they had finished their meal, someone knocked on the door. Taurek opened it to find Raneesh standing there with something wrapped in a cloth in his hands.
“Forgive me, Taurek, but I had heard the Lord Teddy is to attend Prince Alexander’s knighting. I thought perhaps he would need a gift.”
“Come in, Raneesh,” Taurek said.
Raneesh entered the house and greeted Hilda.
“You are a gift from the gods!” Taurek said. “Indeed, we were just discussing what Lord Teddy could bring.”
“If I may,” Raneesh said, and placed an item wrapped in a cloth bag on the table. He unwrapped it to show a goblet of silver with gems around the base, and scrollwork around the bowl.
“This must have cost much to make,” Taurek said.
“All of the villagers contributed to the cost. It is our hope that Lord Teddy will consent to give it from himself and all of us in the village,” Raneesh said.
“Of course I will!” Teddy said.
“That was kind of you, Raneesh. It is a beautiful piece. I’m sure the prince will treasure it,” Hilda said.
Raneesh beamed, and then bowed slightly.
“I will not disturb you further. I’m sure you have much to do to prepare for tomorrow.”
“Will you not stay and have some refreshment?” Hilda asked.
“Nay. I have only just finished my evening meal. I only wanted to give this to Lord Teddy to take to the prince.”
With that, Raneesh left their home.
Everyone gathered around the table to look at the goblet. It was one of Raneesh’s best works, and he was a master at his craft. Perhaps it was his very best. The firelight reflected on the gems in the base and stem. The silver gleamed. Teddy had never seen anything so beautiful.
&
nbsp; “It is a proud moment,” Taurek said. We have been given the care of Lord Teddy, and he is to give, perhaps, the choicest gift to the prince.”
Hilda re-wrapped the goblet, and placed it in a small cabinet behind a panel in the wall. Teddy had never noticed the panel before.
Soon, it was time for bed. Teddy thought he’d never fall asleep, given the excitement for the next day crossed with fear that he would no longer be there the next day. But before long, he was sleeping soundly, his dreams filled with knights and jousts.
In the morning he quickly looked around him. He was reassured to find himself still in Taurek’s house.
Hilda had laid out the special outfit, and the polished boots stood beside his bed. He dressed carefully. Teddy was surprised by how comfortable the boots were He expected they’d be stiff, and he wouldn’t like them.
When he had finished dressing, he went out to the main room. Taurek, Hilda and the children looked at him as if they were looking at a prince.
“The only one I’ve ever seen look as handsome was Taurek on our wedding day,” Hilda declared.
“I wish I had my camera with me. I’d love to have a picture to show my friends,” Teddy said.
“A camera?” Taurek asked, unfamiliar with the term. “I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s like a box. You push a button on it and it takes your picture.”
“Like a portrait.” Hilda said.
“Only it’s not made with paint. If only I knew when I’d end up here, I could make sure I had things like that so I could show you.”
“Your world must be wonderful indeed,” Taurek said. “I’m sure Sven would love to go there someday, if only it were possible.”
“I promised a friend I’d take him here with me, but he wasn’t near me when I left.”
Taurek scowled. “That is not possible, Teddy. You are the chosen one, and no one else may use your gift. I don’t know what might befall you if you tried.
Kenny wouldn’t be happy to hear that, but there was nothing Teddy could do.
Fury arrived with a leather bridle and a saddle with fanciful creatures stamped into the leather. Under the saddle was an ornately woven blanket. His horn sparkled like an icicle, with an array of colors embedded in it.
Fury: The Wind Unicorn (The Unicorn Tales Book 2) Page 3
