Title: The Road South
Author: Sam
Series: Choices Freely Stolen 03 / ?
Rating: M: language and future chapters
Setting: Autumn 1992: The Realm of Dungeons & Dragons
Summary: A fledgling unicorn, injured Champions, and a confused party. What a way to start a journey.
Feedback: Please? I love comments.
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The unicorn looked at Uni with his dark eyes, confusion and fear emanating from his trembling body. He opened his mouth then closed it and finally settled for bobbing his head in misery.
"Oh, Eric," moaned Sheila.
Hank frowned and in a steady voice claimed, "We leave in one hour, Gang. Now we've got four cures to get." He gave his friend a sympathetic look then headed into the main healing tent in search of their weapons, Bobby following.
Uni reached over slowly and touched Eric's velvety nose, fingers just below the sapphire and silver chainmail around the horn on his forehead. The unicorn seemed uncertain at the touch, but he remained standing there. His dark eyes, wide in hesitant fear, met Uni's and he finally shut them, lowering his head with a soft whisper of chain links in what looked very much like defeat.
"Come on, Uni. Eric," Diana said, her voice steady if gentle. The Acrobat picked up Eric's pack, hesitated, then turned to Ayisha. "We'll need to repack for him." She turned as the princess nodded, picking up the dropped net and following the Acrobat towards the supply wagons.
Presto approached Eric and put a hand on his friend's forehead on the armor near the gold and ebony horn. "That was brave, Eric," he said as softly as Diana had spoken, "taking the hit for Uni without your shield. You saved her life." He moved his fingers under the protective barding on Eric's neck and stroked once, lightly, as Eric opened his eyes to watch the Magician warily.
The red-haired Elf nodded, burying her face in Eric's neck, ignoring the metal; she was trembling as much as he was. If she'd become a unicorn from Kelek's spell, her neck would have been too large for that loop of vine. The realization of just how close to death she'd been made Uni's head spin. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she began to fall.
Eric let out a sharp whinny as Presto leapt to catch Uni, picking her up in his arms. Sheila and Terri hurried to help him, but Presto seemed quite able to lift the petite Elf without aid. The Magician turned to the former Cavalier and frowned at the shock in Eric's rolling eyes. "Hey! Don't you pass out, Eric! I can't catch you!"
In answer, Eric shook his head, mane flying in raven-dark ripples. His eyes showed less panic, less confusion, though Eric still seemed uncertain. He stamped his right front hoof in a surprised reaction when Bobby walked over with club and shield.
Uni was coming around but remained in Presto's arms for the moment, and Bobby looked confused by the sight. "Uh," the Barbarian looked over at Eric then behind him at Hank, who followed with bow and javelin. "What do we do with Eric's shield?" Bobby turned back to Eric who gave the teen an unreadable stare.
The group paused to think and finally Uni looked at Presto. "Let me down?" He complied and she walked over to Bobby, still a bit unsteady. "I'll carry it. Once Airk's cured, we'll give it back." She reached for the Griffon Shield.
Bobby nodded, unsure how else to react, handing the shield to his former pet.
Suddenly, Terri shook her head and whispered, "this is wrong." Bobby and Uni turned to her while the others looked surprised. Terri, sounding troubled, said, "I saw Eric with this unicorn. He even had his shield."
The Barbarian frowned and glanced around the camp as if for answers. He saw Lorne walking with Avah between howdahs and looked relieved. Bobby nodded his head in that direction. "Maybe you saw Lorne? From behind they kind of look alike. I got them mixed up just this morning before breakfast."
Terri looked towards Lorne, studying him, then shook her head, adamantly. "No, it wasn't Lorne. The build's wrong. Eric's thinner and shorter by a couple of inches." She turned to Eric, studying his equine form. "Well, at least he was," she added, frowning.
Eric let out a snort.
Looking hopeful, Presto asked, "was that a laugh, Eric?"
The unicorn rolled his eyes and looked at his friend but didn't give any indication of an answer. Instead, he restlessly dug at the ground with his right front hoof. When his friends merely stared at him, he swung his head sideways with a soft rattle of chainmail, knocking Presto into Uni.
Presto grabbed Uni's arms, but the former unicorn began to laugh, even though she sounded close to tears. "What?" Presto asked, desperately wishing he could understand Eric now. He wondered if Varla or Kosar could pick up on the former Cavalier's thoughts.
"I think Airk wants to start the quest now." Uni smiled tremulously and reached over to touch Eric's nose.
The unicorn settled his restless movements and bobbed his head in return. Then, slowly, as if he was afraid of displaying any awkwardness, Eric bent his head low and touched the tip of his horn to Uni's hand. He lifted his head to gaze at her solemnly.
She looked down, studying the hand and the alicorn it gripped. A heartbeat passed. Then another. Suddenly she laughed and held up the silver alicorn. "I can use this to talk to Airk." She smiled proudly at Eric and he bobbed his head enthusiastically, letting out a soft nicker. As if embarrassed, Eric shut up just as quickly, eyes meeting Uni's, miserable. She stroked his nose consolingly.
Hank stepped over as he transferred the javelin into the same hand that held his bow. He placed a hand lightly on Eric's metal-covered withers. "Well, if no one's got a problem, let's leave now."
"Wait," Ayisha ran forward, followed by Diana, both carrying saddlebags. Diana smiled at Eric's look of sheer indignation: there was no other word to describe the haughty look in his fine brown-black eyes and the stiffening in his gold-flecked cream body. Ayisha reached over and grabbed Eric's barding near the neck. "You'll need supplies and, like it or not, My Brother, this is the best way for you to carry them." She began strapping on the bags. "Eric, were you aware you are wearing a saddle to go with your barding?"
Eric's eyes widened in shock again and he tried to turn his head to get a look at the equipment his armor had apparently been changed into. He caught a glimpse of a crimson saddle blanket and metallic-sapphire-colored leather saddle worked with silver embroidery. He turned his head and curled his lip, but didn't make a sound.
Hank grabbed the chainmail covering the back and sides of the unicorn's neck and tugged, drawing Eric's immediate attention. "Hey, Buddy, we won't make you carry a rider unless you have to." The Ranger and the unicorn stared into one another's eyes for a long moment, some unspoken message relayed between them. Finally, as Hank let Eric go, Eric bobbed his head in agreement.
Ayisha folded the net and slipped it into one of Eric's bags. "Remember, Eric, equines are not meat eaters." When he turned uncertain eyes on her, she added, "you'll need to get used to the idea that your body is made to process grains, grass, and soft leaves. Let Uni guide you as to which are edible." At the misery in the former human's eyes, the princess stroked the exposed underside of his neck. "You will make a fine unicorn, My Brother. May your journey back to yourself be quick and peaceful." She patted him again then stepped back, right into Presto's arms.
Turning, Ayisha threw her arms around Presto, unaware or uncaring of the surprised reactions of those around them. Presto hugged her tightly to him. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "we'll come home as soon as we can, Ayisha." She nodded and they clung to each other for another long moment before Presto pulled away and stepped back. He turned to Hank and nodded his readiness.
The rest of the Champions took leave of the travelers as quickly as they could and soon the eight were on their journey, hindered by Eric's cautious, stumbling movements as he tried to get used to walking on four long legs. His balance was off and he looked graceless and awkward. No one laughed as they took the south road away from the valley. They knew that Eric's uncertain movements could endanger them all.
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As they moved further south, the road became easier. The dry, hot baked earth gradually smoothed into undulating grasslands strewn lightly with trees and bushes. The wind picked up as the time passed and grey clouds began to build on the horizon, though far enough away not to seem an immediate threat.
Disinclined to talk and so they moved in silence, Eric and Uni in the front with Hank and Sheila in the rear. The Ranger felt this was best so Eric could be helped if he stumbled.
Perhaps an hour had passed when Sheila reached over and captured Hank's hand. "I'm worried, Hank." She looked at him.
He glanced at her then nodded, but asked "about what?" There were so many things wrong, such potential for disaster, he wasn't sure which troubled her more - - or if it was everything combined.
Sheila sighed. "About Eric and Uni. I know they were a - - problem couple before, but now?"
The Ranger shrugged since there was nothing he could do for the star-crossed pair. "We'll worry about curing them both first. We can deal with the emotional repercussions later." He gently squeezed her hand, offering a small smile. "Besides, being a unicorn might teach Eric a thing or two."
"Yeah," chimed in Bobby from right in front of them. "Like how to chow on grass and take a du. . ."
"Bobby!" Sheila hissed, flushing.
Her brother grinned unrepentantly at her and hefted his club to his shoulder. "Well, he will."
"I don't care. Poor Eric!" she glared at the teen.
Ahead of Bobby, Presto glanced over his shoulder with a frown. "For a kid nearly grown, you sure haven't got manners, Bobby."
The blond youth flushed but had to grin at Diana's quip of, "that's why he's the Barbarian." She walked with certainty next to Presto, right in front of Terri.
"Can it, Guys. No picking on each other this early in the quest." Hank sounded more teasing than stern.
"Well, how about answers then?" asked Terri. "I'd like to know what happened to everyone after Bobby came home."
As the others hadn't had time to discuss their separations no one protested. Even Eric perked up at the idea. The six humans moved up to spread on either side of Uni and Eric so they could talk, and the next several hours passed quickly.
'Catch up' came to a halt when Hank said, "I think we're going to get soaked."
"And it's getting pretty dark," Sheila added, gesturing to the setting suns.
The Champions looked around for the first time in hours. The grasslands had given way to thick, springy marshland on either side of a compact rocky path picking its way further into the bog. The questionable route looked hazardous at best. The clouds had continued building until they loomed low and close, threatening a strong storm in the very near future.
"Uh, Guys?" Terri gestured to a cloaked figure standing to the side near a shelf of stable ground, apparently watching them. It stood about five foot nine inches, swathed in a dark grey hooded cloak, and leaned on a five foot wooden staff.
Uni stepped closer to Eric, restlessly adjusting the golden shield she carried on her left arm. Frowning, she looked at Hank, avoiding the figure. "If we don't continue, we'll have to backtrack into the storm some ways to find shelter. But we don't know how big the swamp is or the trail through it." She eyed the deepening dusk and the rapidly approaching storm clouds, a sheet of grey angling down in a torrent of rain.
The figure turned as if to look at the horizon then turned back and began to approach.
"I think he's coming closer," Presto's soft tenor sounded worried.
Eric restlessly pawed the ground, watching the cloaked figure distrustfully. He began to move to block Uni with his body, but Uni put a steady hand on his armored neck. "We don't have to speak to him," she said in a low voice.
Hank looked at his friends then stepped forward, cutting off the stranger before he could get to the others. "Hello. Is there something we can do for you?"
The cloaked figure stopped, leaning on his staff for a long silent moment. Finally, slowly, the stranger reached up and pulled the hood down, revealing a long fall of blonde spiral curls and thick lashed blue eyes in a round-cheeked, pixie-like face. She didn't smile, but the unknown woman wasn't frowning either. "Much Dara do you."
"And what would that be?" Diana stepped forward, a friendly smile on her face though her eyes were wary.
The woman looked towards Diana and nodded, offering her first smile, lighting her face. "You storm cave."
Nodding his head slightly, Hank asked, "how large is that swamp? We need to get past it."
She tilted her head, eyeing the dark clouds laced with bright flashes. Her smile dropped away as she looked at Hank. "Possible hour good." She turned her smile on Diana once more. "Cave fast."
Realizing the woman was responding better to her, Diana stepped beyond Hank and smiled again at the stranger. "Do you know someone who can get us through the marsh safely?" She felt Hank step back and silently approved the Ranger's understanding.
Fingering her staff, the woman turned her eyes to the rocky path into the bog. She looked at the Acrobat and smiled again. "Dara guide. Most straight on stone." She looked beyond Diana to her companions, her eyes running over each member and ending on Uni and Eric, though none of the Champions were clearly visible in the growing darkness. "Not good rain dark."
Uni spoke up from behind Hank. "Straight? We can do that," she sounded unhappy, distant, drawing Hank and Diana's attention.
Having learned about Uni and Eric's relative isolation from much contact over the last few years, Hank thought he could understand the former unicorn's reluctance to trust any stranger. But they could use this woman's help. He softly said, "Uni, we can use a guide."
The woman looked back at Hank, frowning. "Make pay?"
"We don't have money," Presto said, stepping forward.
The frown grew, and the woman stepped back once, watching the Magician warily. "Most straight. Fast. Storm now." She tugged her hood up and turned, hurrying off towards a copse of pines.
"Wait," Diana called, frowning. She began to run after the woman but stopped at Hank's hand on her shoulder.
"We should go." He let go of the Acrobat and turned towards the dark path. "If we're lucky, we can stay in front of that storm." He gestured behind them but walked forward toward the stones. After only a couple of steps, Eric and Uni passed him to take the lead; Hank let them, falling to the rear once more.
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A half hour of fighting driving wind and cold pelting rain had the Champions drenched and muddy. Presto had loaned his robe to Diana, as she'd been the least dressed of the group, but no one was truly less soaked or miserable than the others.
The stone path had been fairly discernible until full night fell. Now, they warily followed in single file, Eric still picking his way in the lead. His held his head down as he carefully watched the mud and occasional large stone in front of his feet.
"Eric?" Sheila shouted to be heard above the roaring storm. "What's that?"
Looking up, the unicorn narrowed his eyes to try to clarify the slowly bobbing lights ahead. There were two of them, at about waist height on a human, moving at a steady pace, like someone walking. The lights were almost directly ahead, slightly to the left of where Eric headed. Stopping, the former Cavalier turned his head to look at those behind him. He curled his lip slightly and offered a soft whinny.
Uni turned and looked at the others. "Do we pick our own path or follow the lights?" She sounded doubtful but didn't explain what made her uncertain.
Bobby wiped a hand down his face, trying to brush the pelting water from his eyes. "Is it people or a house?"
"I - - I'm not sure, Bobby," Uni looked back at the lights with a shiver.
"We don't want to wander off the path." Hank advised. "Eric, are the lights on the stone path?"
The unicorn looked back to the bobbing waist-high lights and looked back at the Ranger. He curled his lip again and blew out, pawing his right front hoof.
Holding up her silver alicorn, Uni closed her eyes and concentrated. It began to glow with a soft metallic gleam. Eric's eyes fell on the former unicorn and he stared intently at her. Finally, the Elf turned back to Hank. "The lights aren't straight ahead, but they could be on the path. It has turned briefly before." She shook her head. "I say we go our own way."
Bobby shook his head, blond hair plastered to his head in freezing strands. "I saw we follow the lights, Uni. Those people can help us." He shuddered and looked straight at the woman who had once been his pet unicorn. "I know you've been alone for years with only Eric, but you've gotta learn to trust again sometime, Uni."
She opened her mouth, eyes widening, then shut it again, turning forward. She shook her head, the long red mass hanging wetly about her slender figure. "Whatever you say, Bobby." Her tone was soft, almost inaudible, though Presto, right behind her, heard.
The Magician turned and spoke to Bobby. "She said you choose."
Narrowing blue eyes, Bobby nodded and gestured towards the lights. "Then let's go ask for help. We'll freeze if we stay out here much longer. And Eric might slip and break a leg."
Flattening his ears back against his head, Eric shook his head and let out a sharp, short whinny. He didn't look back but merely turned his not-so-steady steps towards the bobbing lights. After only three steps, the error became quite evident as Eric began to sink fast, his front legs sliding down the slick stones and into the sucking bog. His greater weight pulled him down and he thrashed, screaming in terror.
"Airk!" Uni jumped forward, trying to grab for him and wishing his armor had included reins or a lead rope. "Airk!"
A bright light temporarily exploded high over the scene as Hank let loose an arrow into the sky. The bobbing lights had vanished as if they'd never been: will-o-wisps to lure travelers to a watery demise. He lit the sky again as Presto pulled off his hat, trying to think of a spell, and Sheila began going through her pack, looking for rope.
A dark figure darted past the group and slopped into the mire next to the flailing unicorn. Her hood had come off in her mad dash, revealing the reluctant stranger of earlier - - obviously she'd been following them since they entered the swamp. Now, she ripped the long rope belt from her waist and tossed part over Eric's neck, catching it and pulling his head towards her.
"Whoa! Easy big fella!" She moved out of the thrashing range of Eric's hooves and horn; he was too scared at the rapid sinking to register that he was being helped. The woman tugged again.
Uni jumped to her side and began to help her with the improvised lead. "Airk! Stop fighting us." She yelped, a braying sound, as Eric swung his head and dragged her closer to the deeper mire. Uni let go and scrambled back onto the dubious safety of the path. She gripped the alicorn in both hands and willed her unicorn magic to reach beyond his fear.
Suddenly, a glowing rope shot out and around Eric's neck, circling tightly, but not choking. Hank called out, "help pull him free!" He began tugging his energy arrow-rope one handed.
Sheila, Diana, and Terri joined in. Presto gave up on his spell and joined in, as well, tucking his hat into his waistband instinctively from long years of hiding it. With a groan, Bobby dropped his club to the path and surged into the muck to help the stranger with her rope lead. Uni mentally reached soothingly to her longtime companion.
'Airk. Stop fighting. We are helping. Calm down. I'm here, Airk.'
Slowly, Eric seemed to register their efforts and Uni's thoughts, and he stopped fighting them. He tried to help them pull him from the mire, pulling at his feet and leaning into their tugging ropes. Long moments passed.
With a sucking reluctance, the swamp gave up its prey and Eric nearly toppled his rescuers as he came free. He'd been struggling so hard, he nearly overshot the path and landed in the other side of the bog, but caught himself in time. With a loud whinny, he shook his head, pulling the rope lead from the hands of Bobby and the stranger; Hank's energy rope dissipated.
Bobby scooped up his club as Hank wrapped an arm over his painful chest wounds, reopened once more in their efforts. Sheila's bandages were bedraggled and dirty.
"Follow Dara." The woman's voice was gruff, her glare pure annoyance, as she turned to lead them the rest of the way from the storm-tossed swamp; they fell in behind her, Eric and Uni right behind, with Bobby limping heavily, and Hank once more in the rear. She ignored the return of the bobbing lights, staying on the hard-to-see path. With one hand, she gestured to the dancing globes and grunted "death trick light."
"Tell me about it," moaned Presto, earning a wary glance from the stranger and a poke of warning from Diana. He shut up, remembering that this woman seemed to dislike men. He certainly didn't want to wind up stranded again.
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Continued in Chapter Four: Reluctant Help