Wednesday Briefs: Unicorn Quests Chapter 19

The map showed the mountain range. The town was nestled in its foothills. Did Maize expect us to backtrack over those infernal ridges and peak? I hoped not.

What was this map to? I knew from her information how to find the rough direction to head to find them. Of course I had to find my way back to my mate and young first. I glanced down the road.

Damn it. What to do? Continue on with my plan, keep the same course? I sighed. The first thing to do was get back to my family. I desperately needed to speak with Londe, and our bond was stretched too thin.

There. Decision made. I wouldn’t make one yet. I’d speak to my mate. Just then, a speck on the map floated off. What? I looked up. No, nothing coming from above me. It wasn’t some sort of debris from the tree.

Dots along the left edge of the map were moving. My breath caught and I watched, wide-eyed in shock.

I’d heard of imbued artifacts; tales of the magic being given to such things. It was well beyond anything I’d encountered before.

But who or what were the dots? I turned, facing the east. A square in the map twisted. So I was on there.

Did I want to go toward the other moving symbols? Or away from them? Damn it, this is where a little information would have come in handy. I sighed. Well, the first thing I needed to do was get back to Londe and the foals. Looking at the terrain around me, and then the map, I only wished it looked as easy and flat as it did on the paper.

There was some nasty brambles in the spaces under the trees. It would make walking tricky. Damn unstable two legs. I missed my body all the time.

I forged on, continuing the struggle until I broke out of the trees finally. The meadow lead down to a stream flanked by several large boulders. I could hear my mate’s mental patter as he quietly fussed at the foals.

“Stay still, stay quiet. No, I don’t know how long. Yes, we can move after your papa gets back. Soon.” I hope followed the last, the words so loud that I was surprised the foals couldn’t hear them even though Londe muttered them in his mind.

“I’m back,” I said, slipping out of the shadow of one of the large trees.

“Papa!” Marces cried. He rushed over to me, butting his head against my chest. “Did you get some food?”

“Weren’t you just eating?” I asked.

He batted his big eyes at me, like that would work. “Candy?” he asked hopefully.

“Not this time.” I hadn’t had time to get sweets at the shop. “I have good, nutritious food, supplies, and something special.” I patted Marces a few times on the neck.

“Can I see? Can I see it?”

“After your father has a few moment’s peace. There could be important messages; details we need to know immediately,” Londe said reprovingly.

‘Nothing like that.’ An image came to mind of the papers with my image.

“Then why are you in a different form?” He answered me by speaking aloud, his neck arched so he could look down on me. His horn glinted in the light.

I sighed. “Because there was something….”

Colete grimaced as she rose. “Do we need to go?” she asked faintly. Her eyes were red, her nostrils flaring.

“Not this second. While I may have been pursued, I do not think they will find my path easily.”

“Who is they?” Londe asked sharply. “Who is following us now? You just went for supplies. Tell me you paid for them!”

“Of course I did.” I was affronted by the very idea. “I wouldn’t steal from Beings, much less Maize.”

“Maize?” Colete asked. “You saw her?”

“Yes, and she gave me some medicine for you. Hold on.” I dug in the sack tucked against my back. “Here we go.” There was a metal can with an unguent inside. It smelled bitter, briny, but I trusted Maize. She wouldn’t harm a fly, not even merciless killers, to save her own life. She would not harm a young, much less a unicorn foal.

“Tell me if this hurts.” The wound were red, weeping, and hot to the touch. I grimaced, hoping the medicine would kick in and heal the worst before we made it to the meadow.

“Ahh,” she said. “It feels cool.” She wiggled, her skin twitching.”

“Where is my little friend?” Everyone else had greeted me. Where was the locus?

“Isn’t he with you?” Londe asked.

“No, of course not! Why would I take him with me?” I was aghast. Did Londe really think I took him. “I left him here, bundled up in my cloak. I rushed over to the pile of things by the fire, calling the locuse’s name.

“Where was he?” I’d faced a growing certainty that saving this young one would help us find out all the questions plaguing us.

Who had stolen my horn? Who wanted me dead? Londe out of the way? The young captured and taken away for an unknown Being. Londe, a non-fighting unicorn, allowed to leave the safety of the herd…

And how in the spirits did that map help me figure all that out?

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J Alan Veerkamp

Julie Lynn Hayes