Shadows of Lela

by Tessonja Odette

  “Don’t get used to it. In the morning, Helios will still be here.”

  It was a sobering truth. With a sigh, I tucked the rose back into my pocket and retired to my bedroll.

  As I drifted to sleep, I summoned thoughts of my beloved; her golden hair, her blue eyes, her bold stance, her sultry voice. I remembered the moment she stepped onto her balcony, how my heart had stopped. I remembered her beautiful yet scowling face as she stood high above me, and how she had looked at me. Wait, at me? No, she had been looking through me. Her eyes were always somewhere else, somewhere in the distance. My pockets were full of an endless supply of jewels, but no matter how many I placed before her, I couldn’t get her to look at me. I shouted her name to get her attention. I sang, I danced, I did magic I didn’t even know I could do. Nothing could captivate her. Without a word, she turned and left her balcony, closed the door behind her, and took all the light from the world. I was left standing in darkness.

  I woke in a cold sweat next to the dying embers of the campfire. Just dreams, I told myself, yet try as I might, I couldn’t shake the darkness lingering behind my closed eyes.

  11

  The Other Hunt

  Cora

  It felt good to be clean again. The cool water of the sunlit river washed over my naked body, taking with it all the tension from my mind and muscles. I tilted my head back and let the sun warm my face. Holding my breath, I dunked my head under the gently rushing waters, letting my long, tangled hair flow in the current.

  I stood back up and looked downriver where my unicorn companion, whom I’d named Valorre for his valorous rescue, bathed in the deeper waters. Now that he was clean, I could see the sun reflecting off tiny speckles of silver in his gleaming white coat. His strength and health had improved significantly since we’d begun our travels together, it was hard to believe I was looking at the same unicorn I’d fled the cave with. Feels nice, doesn’t it? I directed the thought to him.

  Very.

  Valorre’s health wasn’t the only thing that had strengthened in our time together; our connection had become so deep that communicating with him seemed no different than conversing out loud with Maiya. Sometimes I even spoke to him aloud, just to remind myself I had a voice.

  Once my skin became wrinkled, I reluctantly left the river and returned to the sapling where I’d left my freshly washed clothing hanging to dry. I put on my ivory chemise, still slightly damp, and sprawled out on the riverbank beneath the mild heat of the sun while I waited for the rest of my clothing—pants and bodice—to dry.

  One of the first things I’d done after embarking on my new path was to raid the hunters’ camp for necessities; extra arrows, a few knives, a small traveling bag, and a pair of leather pants. The pants took a good deal of washing, cutting, and stitching to forge a pair that would comfortably fit me, but the effort had paid off. I couldn’t imagine stalking bloodthirsty hunters in a dress.

  I closed my eyes, reveling in what would probably be the last calm moment of my day, until a shadow fell over me. I looked up and saw Valorre standing at my side. He’d been so quiet I hadn’t even heard him approach.

  The hunters. They move, he said.

  Then let’s go.

  I rose and pulled on my pants, tightening the laces up the sides of the legs until they fit snugly. I tucked the bottom of my chemise into my pants and laced my brown leather bodice over the top. Next, I belted my bag around my waist, strapped on my boots, and draped Roije’s cloak around my shoulders, followed by my bow and quiver of arrows.

  I felt heavy after being so free and naked just moments before, but I was eager to start my day. There was much work to be done.

  After I had parted ways with Roije and Maiya, Valorre and I had retraced our path back to the hunters’ camp. It was, of course, abandoned by the time we arrived, but we were then able to follow their tracks. Keeping about a quarter-day’s safe distance behind them, we continued to follow them for the next week until they settled into their new camp. Every day since then, I’d made it my mission to gather as much information as I could by stalking, watching, and listening. When the opportunity arose, I would sneak into camp, steal what I could use or eat, and search for anything significant that might provide answers. So far, I’d only gathered enough information to leave me with more questions.

  It was late in the morning by the time we reached the hunters’ camp. I crept quietly between the trees, crouching below the cover of leaves and branches as I peered into the clearing. Just like Valorre had said, the hunters had left for their daily hunt. As usual, only two men were left to guard—I’d come to learn they were named Nym and Arrin. They were new arrivals, replacements for young James and a hunter who’d been killed in the fight with the brown unicorn.

  I looked at the cages; all but three were empty. In the time the hunters had been at their new camp, they’d captured three unicorns. They’d been kept alive so far, yet didn’t appear to be fed or cared for in any way. Just like Valorre and the brown.

  I’d learned from Valorre that he’d witnessed the hunters in the cave harvesting the horns from the other unicorns only when they were at their weakest. Sensing the diminishing life-energy of the three unicorns, I knew they didn’t have much longer. I wanted so badly to free them, yet I hadn’t figured out a way to do so without putting my mission in danger. If I made any significant move, the hunters would know of my presence. It wouldn’t be so easy for me to follow them if they expected me. I needed a plan and answers. Soon.

  While I knew the hunters only harvested the horns when the unicorns were near death, I had yet to learn why. Why would they want a horn from a weak unicorn as opposed to a strong one? Was it just so it would be easier to remove? Was it so the unicorns didn’t put up a fight? Why did they even want their horns in the first place? What were they doing with them?

  No matter how many times I asked myself these same questions, I couldn’t figure it out. I’d tried probing the hunter’s thoughts and intentions, but the results were unsatisfying. I need to question them directly, but how?

  I watched Nym and Arrin idly pacing the perimeter of the camp, and wondered how difficult they would be to overpower. They looked no older than James had been, and both were of lean build. Perhaps I can kill one and wound the other for questioning. I shuddered at the thought of ending human life. The Forest People had taught me to hunt and defend myself, but they’d also instilled within me a deep reverence for all life. I knew I could kill if it were necessary to defend my own or another’s life. But can I plot the end of a human life, even if the ends justify the means?

  Kill is never to be done lightly, Valorre said.

  I know, but we’re running out of time. I need answers and I need to free the unicorns before—

  We were distracted by the rumbling of voices approaching from beyond the camp. Gringe and Jarod appeared. I’d expected them to be hunting with the others for many hours more.

  Nym and Arrin looked just as surprised to see them as I was. The guards immediately began pacing the camp with more attention, their weapons held more firmly in hand. “What brings you back early?” Nym asked.

  “Orders.” Jarod looked flustered as he stormed across the camp and bent down next to one of the cages. After kicking some things to the side, he stood holding a large, ornate red chest with gold detail along the sides and corners.

  Gringe followed clumsily in his wake, looking equally unnerved. “It has to be tonight?”

  “Isn’t that what I said?” Jarod barked.

  “Not a lot of warning…”

  Jarod turned to Gringe, fixing him with a fierce glare. “When I get my orders, I follow them. I suggest you do the same.” He heaved the chest at Gringe who begrudgingly accepted the burden.

  “Your orders for tonight remain the same,” Jarod shouted at Nym and Arrin, and then motioned for Gringe to follow him back into the dense forest.

  I was torn between terror and curiosity as I debated what to do next. I could stay and formulate
a plan to question one of the guards and free the unicorns, or I could follow Jarod and Gringe. As badly as I wanted to make sure the unicorns remained unharmed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jarod was up to something dark. I had to know what it was.

  Valorre and I quietly crept away from the camp and began to track Jarod and Gringe.

  Dark had fallen by the time Valorre sensed the two hunters had stopped. When we caught up to them, we found them standing in a wide clearing with the box open at their feet. I could see something gleaming from within, reflecting the white light of the moon. Unicorn horns.

  I extended my power to catch Jarod and Gringe’s whispered conversation.

  “Are you afraid of it?” Gringe asked.

  “No,” Jarod answered flatly.

  “What will it do?”

  “You’ll see.”

  A few moments of silence passed, and then Gringe said, “It wouldn’t hurt us…would it?”

  Jarod slowly turned his head to look at Gringe. “Will you shut up?”

  Gringe growled his acquiescence.

  The silence that followed grew hauntingly still. Not the rustle of a leaf or the hoot of an owl could be heard. I was afraid to breathe in case the sound ruptured the stillness and revealed my hiding place.

  After endless moments of the tortured silence, sound returned, but not in any familiar or comforting way. It was a sound that could be felt more than heard at first, a rumbling of the ground beneath my feet. Then a pounding reverberated through the trees as shadows moved and shifted in the distance. The rumbling grew heavier, faster, mimicking the beat of my frightened heart. Something was coming.

  And then I saw it. A dark form stalked from between the rattling trees at the far end of the clearing. Bathed by the light of the moon, I saw it to be a huge, hideous creature resembling something between a boar and a wolf. Its head, which seemed too large for its shoulders, had a boar-like snout and tusks, but no visible ears. Its front legs had hooves while the back legs had enormous paws. The rear of its body was narrower than its shoulders and ended in a long, pointed tail. It was a hairless thing with raw-looking flesh. Tiny spikes protruded from its body, mostly surrounding its head and neck like a mane. It plodded toward the hunters, its immense hooves and paws leaving turned, loose ground in its wake.

  The hunters scrambled back, quivering with fear.

  The Beast towered over them, its beady, black eyes flickering from the hunters to the box of horns. A bellowing roar erupted from its open mouth. Moonlight glinted off rows of sharp, black teeth. With one swift move, the beast swung its head down and devoured the pile of horns. After another loud roar, it shook its body from head to tail like a wet animal. Perhaps it was just a play of the moonlight, but I could swear I saw a cluster of new spikes spring from the skin on its upper back.

  My throat was dry as my heart hammered painfully in my chest. I could feel Valorre’s panic as he stood trembling behind me. We need to get out of here, I told him.

  Keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the beast, I took a tentative step back, and then another. To my relief, the beast turned and began padding back in the direction from which it had come, making the ground rumble once again. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as Valorre and I quickened our pace, backing further and further away from the horrifying creature.

  Just as the Beast was at the far edge of the clearing, it halted mid-step, and I froze as well. It lifted its snout as if sniffing the air, and then swung its massive head back around. I could swear I saw its beady eyes connect with mine.

  Valorre lowered his head, and I swung my body over his back just as I heard the pounding of monstrous hooves behind us. We flitted between the trees as fast as Valorre could go. I took a wary glance behind me and saw nothing but quivering trees and a massive shadow gaining on us. It was only a matter of time before I felt hot, sticky breath on my back. I inhaled a shaking breath, stilled my mind, and reached for my bow. As quickly as I could, I nocked an arrow, swiveled my torso around and shot.

  The Beast’s snapping jaw loomed above me as the arrow struck its snout. The creature roared and faltered, but I was only allowed a moment’s delay to nock another arrow into my bow as the Beast regained momentum. This time I shot it between the eyes. The Beast skidded to a halt, howling as it shook its head and rubbed it against a tree. I shot one more arrow into its thrashing hide and quickly nocked another one. I didn’t lower my bow until I could no longer hear the Beast’s thundering howls.

  12

  Glimpse

  Teryn

  “What do you think is worse?” Lex asked as he and I stood at the bank of the river, watering our horses. “Riding or hunting?”

  “It’s a tie. It’s hard to believe I ever loved either. However, I do still love my horse, so hopefully I can find my love for riding again once this is all over.” I gently stroked the neck of Quinne, my golden-brown mare.

  “What do you think is better?” Lex said with a teasing smile. “A warm bed, or a warm meal?”

  “Why are you torturing me?” I laughed. “Both! Please!”

  “You two are pathetic.” Helios appeared behind us, sneering.

  “I thought you were scouting,” Lex snapped. “Back so soon?”

  “Unlike you, I don’t need all day to make myself useful. Follow me.”

  Lex and I exchanged a glance, and I shrugged my shoulders. We left our horses and followed Helios down the riverbank. After a while, he veered toward the trees and then crouched down in the dirt. I stood behind him, looking over his shoulder as his finger hovered over the outline of what appeared to be a large hoof print.

  “There. This print is larger than a normal horse, yet it leaves a lighter indent in the soil.” Helios’ voice was soft and full of awe, completely unlike his usual dour self.

  “What does that mean? Big feet, skinny body?” Lex smirked as I hid my laughter behind a cough.

  Helios turned to us, and I braced myself for a glare and a harsh word. However, Helios’ eyes were wide, and a tight-lipped smile stretched across his face. “It means a unicorn has been here. Its trail continues deeper into the forest.”

  An excited chill ran down my spine. “Are we going to follow it?”

  "We aren’t going to do anything.” Helios’ face settled back into its usual scowl. “You two will stay here while I track further.”

  “We’re supposed to be in this together,” I argued. “We should all go.”

  Helios narrowed his dark eyes at me. “For one, I don’t even know if there will be a unicorn at the end of these tracks. It could have been captured already. The hunters could even be nearby. For another, this is the most promising hint of a unicorn we’ve seen. I won’t have either of you messing things up if I find one.”

  As Helios turned and stalked away, I tried to summon a clever retort. Instead, I threw my hands in the air and returned to our horses.

  * * *

  The sun had risen high in the sky, and Helios still hadn’t returned.

  “What is taking him so long?” Lex frowned and threw a small rock into the river. “I don’t trust that man. What if he’s left us behind?”

  “He wouldn’t do that,” I said, although I didn’t quite believe my own words.

  “Should we try to find him? Maybe he’s been hurt!” Lex looked almost hopeful.

  “I doubt that.”

  “That’s a shame.” Lex wrinkled his nose. “I’m so bored. I’d rather be riding or walking aimlessly than sitting here waiting like this. Besides, I’m starving.”

  “That I can agree with. I’ll go check the traps.” I shouldered my hunting pack and picked up my spear. “You wait here for Helios to return, I’ll be back shortly.”

  “That’s not fair! You get to go off and hunt while I wait around even longer?”

  “Then here.” I pushed the spear toward him with an innocent smile. “You can get lunch.”

  Lex eyed the weapon, leaning away from it. “Never mind. I’ll wait here.”

&n
bsp; “Suit yourself.” I walked down the riverbank toward where we’d seen the hoof print and entered the forest. Once I was under the blanket of trees, I felt a sense of calm settle over me. I felt free, free from Lex’s complaining, free from Helios’ judging eyes and condescending words, free from thinking about the weight of failure riding on my shoulders.

  Luckily, two of our traps had been successful, and before long I had two large hares strung over my shoulder. I was on my way back to Lex and our horses when I got the uneasy feeling I’d lost my sense of direction. Relying on Helios so much had made me careless.

  I just have to find the river. I checked the position of the sun and adjusted my direction. I followed what I thought looked like a familiar path, relieved when I heard rushing water. But as the sound grew nearer, I knew something was wrong. Too gentle to be a river. Moments later a small stream came into view. My shoulders slumped. Perhaps the stream is running from the river. I looked to my left. Or perhaps it’s running to it. I looked to my right. And froze.

  My eyes had to be deceiving me. I blinked once. Twice. But no matter how I tried to clear my vision, there was no denying what I saw downstream. There stood a large, white unicorn, staring at me with unblinking eyes the color of chestnuts. It was the most beautiful yet terrifying thing I had ever seen in my life. I could do nothing more than stare, too afraid to move, too afraid to startle it, too afraid I was dreaming.

  My legs began to tremble. I slowly leaned forward, shifted my stance, and winced as a twig snapped under my foot. I held my breath as I waited for the unicorn to dart away. However, it continued to look at me, and then lowered its head to drink in the stream. Sweat beaded at my neck, and my muscles quivered with excitement. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, the moment I was starting to doubt would ever happen. I’d found a unicorn. Not even Helios had managed to do that!

  The spear felt suddenly heavy in my hand, and I remembered what I was supposed to do next. Lift. Throw. Kill. The thought made my stomach churn as I imagined throwing the spear into the beautiful creature’s hide.