by T S Paul
"The Warrens weren't. These people aren't very trusting out here." Bill commented from the back seat.
"Can you really blame them, Bill? You've seen the town. It's barely there. When I report into Washington, I'll mention the ineffectiveness of the local office, but don't expect a miracle. You know I have almost no pull with them. Let's just solve this one. We'll do the interview and get back with Ana. Maybe she can make something from the soil samples and tests."
Cat looked at me again. "Did Fergus find out anything about the Unicorns he talked to?"
I looked in my shirt pocket. "What about it Fergus? Did you discover anything?"
Chapter 10
Fergus poked his head out of my shirt. "Can you put me over there?" He nodded toward the console between the seats.
After arriving, he poked at the various items in the small bin: pens, clips, and other junk. "I knew one of the females. Her name was Jewel."
My eyes widened. "Your Jewel? The one you were going to fight for?"
Fergus stopped trotting around and froze for a moment. "Yes. Your Grandmother told you?"
I nodded. "Fine. Whatever. She was mine and Peter stole her after the humans sold me. The elders know that we are being killed and they do nothing about it. The tales are just tales. They don't mean anything. My father ... He knew! That's why he told me to leave that day. He knew what was going to happen! He knew." Fergus turned away from us.
All of us were silent. I didn't know what to say. When Fergus first came to live with us, he would sometimes tell me stories about famous Unicorns or lore that his mother taught him. I barely remember it, but Grandmother apparently wrote it all down. She does stuff like that. Where she keeps all the random bits of history and stuff is a big mystery to me because it's not in the house.
Bill was the first to speak. "Agatha, I think you broke your Unicorn."
That got a rise out of him. "I am not broken. My people need help, and I'm tiny! If I had been there, maybe I could have done something! Paul was killed by Peter. Peter by Marion of all Unicorns. And still, Albert was killed. I should have been there."
It was my fault. All of it. If I hadn't zapped Fergus, he might have been able to go back to the Ranch. "Fergus, I'm so sorry. You might have been able to go back if I hadn't zapped you. You lost everything because of me."
"No. None of this is your fault. Blame Camilla if you like, but I would be dead if not for you. Fern and Jewel confirmed that. They would have used me up and then killed me." Fergus hung his head.
"Fergus, what it the difference of the mane colors? Why do you have Magick and not the rest of them?"
Fergus raised his head and stared at us. He looked both to the right and the left before coming back to us. "Since you are going to help my Herd, I will tell you. It's from one of the tales the Elders tell. We were once a great people who lived far away. Our land was surrounded by both water and mist. Many creatures thought to be myths lived among us including Dragons. The Dragons preyed upon us, but we had protections. The Goddess Epona decreed that the Unicorn race would have five divisions. Each was to be defined by a color. Much of what we know we are born with. The teachers only reinforce the memories adding in new experiences and feelings." He stopped and looked up at me.
"Fergus, are your people telepathic somehow?" I had to know.
"Sort of. Your Grandmother told me I shouldn't be able to speak, but I can. You would have to ask her. Each of us has different abilities. Purple manes are the teachers. We learn in groups. It's mainly what to eat and what not to eat. Language and other skills are something all are born with. The Greens are the healers and Red the warriors. Red manes are the ones that fought the Dragons according to the elders. They defended us until the humans came and a pact was struck. Elders have white manes."
Cat leaned over and looked down at Fergus. "What about blue like you?"
"What about me?"
I shook my head. Not this again. "Your color Fergus. What does blue do?"
"Blue? No idea what you are talking about right now." He looked down and started nosing a dusty wrapped mint in the tray.
"You were doing so good there. Come on Fergus. Finish it please."
"Fine. Blue is special. We are the Wizards of our people." Fergus looked at us and smiled.
My familiar was a wizard?
"You can do Magick? Like what?" I was in total shock.
"My Magick is similar to yours. As we grow older, we have more access to those that came before. When we first met, I only knew I had it, not that I could use it. Your spell changed something in me. It made me stronger somehow. I ... Things have happened around me that our histories have never spoken of. If my father or mother was still alive, I could ask them. I don't trust the Herd Stallion or the elders."
I looked at Cat and nodded. We had a running bet that Fergus could do something. His jumping ability had to be Magick or aliens. It was the only explanation. Chuck thought it was a teleporter like on Star Journey, but we both told him that was ridiculous. How would he push the buttons?
From the backseat, Bill spoke. "Fergus, do the various colors still fill those roles?"
Fergus peeked up over the armrest to see Bill. "Sort of. The elders still tell stories and present the laws. Paul was red. He's the one that defeated my father and took over the Herd. I remember that Paul and his son knew several fighting techniques that I was never taught. Including using stones to sharpen your horn. The only green I ever knew was my mother. She knew lots of stuff like what grasses to eat or not to roll in the mud. I can remember her teaching me our history and about the world at large." Fergus paused. Looking at me he asked. "How did she know that?"
"Something we need to look at. I'll call Grandmother when we finish the next interview. She once told me of a spell that lets a Witch talk to animals without hurting them. A Skinwalker I do not wish to become." The very idea of that gave me the shivers.
"Good plan. I'll remind you. Fergus, what about the other colors at the Ranch? I could have sworn I saw yellow and orange out there. And Anastasia dug up some research that said there were once black colored Unicorns too. Do you know about those?"
"You saw other colors? They might be new, but the elders never mentioned them to us. Black means death. One of our scariest tales has a monster that has all black skin and a silver horn. The elders say that black Unicorns work for the Dragons. They worship them, instead of Epona. Can I get back in your pocket now?"
Picking him up I placed him in my pocket. "Thank you for helping us, Fergus."
"Jewel pointed something out to me I never considered. Even though I am still upset for not being there with my friends, I'm alive. If I had stayed, it might have been me on the wall in that house alongside my father." He slipped down inside my pocket.
Bill replied what we were all thinking. "He has a point."
I stared out the window thinking of our time together. "Yes. Yes, he does."
Way too much to think about at this time. Fergus just spoke more at one time than he had in years and he only tried to evade the question a couple of times. His chat left us with even more questions instead of answers.
<<<>>>
The Running Eagle Ranch was the opposite of the Warrens. These folks raised both horses and cattle, no grain in sight.
"Are you sure they said it was OK?" Bill asked Cat after we sat outside the gate for about twenty minutes.
"I told you I spoke to the wife. She said it was fine. I'm not going to just barge right in. At least not without a warrant! That camera up there moved, so I know they saw us. Just chill!"
They had been snapping at each other for about ten minutes so far. It surprised me that Bill was poking the Cat. He knew what she changed into when she got pissed. Back at the Academy, the Were students used to play this game called 'Get Angry.' They would insult each other or play jokes to see if they could force a change in the other. Cat possessed an incredible amount of control over her other form. She always won.
Neither one of
them noticed the gate opening in front of us and the man dressed in cowboy leathers standing on the other side. I let the gate open all the way before breaking them up. "Guys?"
Both of them continued to pick at each other. "Cat, are you going to go in or would you like to sit out here and play some more with Bill?" I pointed toward the cowboy.
"Crap! Sorry, Agatha." She put the car in gear and rolled forward through the gates. The man came over to her window. Instantly my shields came down. This man was a threat somehow. Both Certainty and Proof didn't like him. Mumbling under my breath, I cast a spell. Unlike most of Grandmother's spells, this was mostly a passive spell. My new Russian friend Zhanna taught me this one. It would detect Magick and let me know the 'taste' of it. Like an idiot, I forgot to use this on earlier at the Magnus Ranch.
"You people the FBI Agents Ellie told me about?"
"Yes, sir. We're from the Magical Crimes Division. Can we speak to Mr. Running Eagle about a few things? He's done nothing wrong. It's just a few questions for an investigation we are conducting in the area." Cat smiled at the man.
"Wally Warren told me you might stop by." He held out his hand. "Benjamin Running Eagle nice to meet ya."
"Thank you for seeing us. Do you want to talk here?" I leaned over so he could see me.
"The wife would kill me if I did. Go on up to the house. She's expecting you. Too few visitors as it is around here. I'll be along in a moment." Benjamin pointed down the road.
"Nice guy." Cat remarked.
"Maybe. He wasn't as belligerent as the Warrens. Maybe he isn't affected as much?" Bill pointed out.
Looking around, I couldn't see why not. The landscape looked dead. There were a few distant animals, cows or bison from the look of them. What could they be eating? Much of the grasses looked dead or dying. "I guess we'll find out up ahead. Just so you know, there is Magick here. Not too strong though. It's hiding just out of sight, or at least that's what it feels like."
The main house came into view. Unlike the Warren's this one was showing its age. It was a classic Plains farmhouse style with a wraparound porch. The paint had seen better days. Faded wood bore the weight of the years here.
"They live in that?" Cat pointed.
"It must have been a masterpiece in its day." Bill looked around her seat towards the front of the car.
"A century ago. Now it's just old. What's keeping it together, bird droppings?" Cat just shook her head.
"None of that you two. Be professional around these people. If it collapses, you will be inside it. Don't jinx it."
The house looked worse closer up. The roof was sagging in the middle, and the porch steps had seen better days. It made me glad Chuck stayed at the Hotel with Ana. He might have broken them. A dark-haired woman with braids stepped out of the house. "Hello. Welcome to Running Eagle Ranch."
Cat stepped out first. "Mrs. Running Bear? I'm Catherine Moore, we spoke on the phone."
"Call me Ellie, Agent Moore. We're informal around here. Who are your friends?" The Native American woman wore a big smile on her face.
Taking the lead, Cat introduced us.
"Come on inside. I've got fresh lemonade all set for you. We don't get visitors at all anymore around here." Ellie led us into the house.
Bracing myself, I reached out and touched the side of the house. If it were infused with Magick, I would know right away. Neither my spell nor the bracelets could sense anything. I felt some of my protections lessen. The interior was furnished sparsely but nice. Very county looking with rustic furniture and faded walls. It must have been a palace in its heyday.
Ellie saw us looking around and remarked on it. "The house was built in 1888 by my husband's Great grandfather. We've lived here for about twenty-five years. It still needs a lot of work, but Ben is doing it as he finds the time. Ranching is time-consuming. Let me get those drinks. Please make yourselves at home."
In a small way, the place reminded me of our house back in Maine. Just thinking of home brought to mind the meeting my mother, and I had after so long a separation.
<<<>>>
"Mom?" My mother was sitting in the kitchen staring out the window when I walked in. She looked up suddenly seeing me as if for the first time.
"Is it really you, Agatha?" She stood and gave me a huge hug.
All I could feel was her warmth as her small, emaciated body hugged me. Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her. In a few places, I could feel bone under her skin. Just where was she for all these years?
"I've missed you so much, Mom. I tried so very hard to see you. Grandmother and I tried. We really did. But Aunt Camilla wouldn't let us. I'm sorry." I could feel tears running down my face leaving damp spots on her shoulder.
Teegan pulled away from me and looked me in the eyes. She wiped my tears away with her fingers. "You did nothing wrong. It's not your fault, dear one. Camilla... Camilla can be hard to deal with sometimes, but she meant well. Forget about her. I'm home now. Let me look at you."
I tried to hold still as she inspected me. In some ways, I still felt like I did when I was seven. "Already a woman. And wearing the bracelet? Why is it on her?" My mom looked over my shoulder.
"She has two of them Teegan. There was another hidden inside the Garden. Verity left it for her. She's the one to take my place one day. Not your sister. Agatha is the one." Grandmother answered.
"That's impossible. Ned didn't have that sort of power, did he? The whole reason he was exiled from his family was his lack of power. How could this have happened? No, they will want her. No! Not my little Agatha. They can't have her." I watched as my mom hugged herself and started to cry. She pushed me away as I tried to comfort her. It was if she didn't even recognize me anymore.
"Agatha, she's backsliding into her previous state. Get Minerva please." Grandmother ordered me from the room after that. When we found her at the private hospital Camilla had placed her in, she was deathly ill. They had been treating her for illnesses she didn't even have, in an attempt to 'accidentally' kill her. With Camilla out of the picture, all the roadblocks disappeared. Everyone now remembered who she was and why she was there. Legally we could take them to court, but Grandmother told me she would take care of it. Mother didn't know who we were, who she was, or even what year it was. The healers had her for two weeks before we even could see her.
<<<>>>
"Agent Blackmore?" I heard my name and looked up to see a glass of lemonade in front of my face. Beads of condensation slowly worked their ways down the side of the glass.
"Sorry. I was elsewhere. Thank you, Ellie. It looks good." I could feel my cheeks heating up. Daydreaming at work wasn't cool!
"We all have those moments sometimes. There are things here that remind me of my childhood in Arizona. All I have to do is pick them up. We hold our deepest memories in our hearts." Ellie carefully sat in the chair across from us. "Is there anything I can answer for you?"
"Well, we're investigating the deaths of several Unicorns over at the Magnus Ranch. We thought to ask around to the neighbors. When the Warrens told us about the plants and trees around here we included it in the investigation. Do you and your husband know anything about it all?"
"Robert Magnus. Such a tragedy. His wife and son were so young too." Ellie looked sad.
"What about his family? Did something happen to them?"
"Didn't the Warrens tell you, Agent Moore? The Magnus family came to town around the same time we took over here. There was a small bit of trouble in town with the new ownership, but it was all resolved quickly. We had a few issues too with local workers and those that didn't like Indians. Eleanor Magnus and I became fast friends since we shared a name and a church. They weren't strong believers, but they attended every week. Their son Bobby was only a few years old then. There was a freak storm during a picnic outing, and their car went off the road into a ditch. Both Eleanor and Bobby were killed. Poor Robert wasn't the same after that. He dove into his work and grew the Ranch to what it is today."
We didn't know what to say. Ellie Running Eagle was painting a picture completely different from that of the Warrens. Suddenly both my shields slammed shut.
"It takes a lot of work to run a ranch. Sorry I'm late. What did you folks need to talk to me about?" Benjamin stepped into the room.
Chapter 11
Benjamin Running Eagle practically glowed to my Magickal sight. Why he didn't back at the gate confused me, but he set off every alarm I had now. My shields were tight against my body and constantly reinforcing themselves. Now was not the time to ask the bracelets to give me details. The man looked very different now than he had outside. His rough-hewn look was gone as were his work clothes, and he was shielded, heavily.
