Promise

Promise?

Jack could tell his mentor, the Gump, was upset. The elf's delicate hand was curled around the pommel of the short sword he was never seen without, and by now the knuckles had become as white as the snows that whirled outside. A tiny wrinkle only Jack could see had formed between the elf's brows, and a deep sorrow had crept into Gump's eyes. By the time Jack was finished with his tale, the elf's hand upon the sword was visibly trembling, but with rage or grief Jack did not know. He squirmed uncomfortably beneath Gump's troubled stare and looked away as his face grew hot with shame. He heard the Gump's slow and deliberate steps across the wooden floors, and cringed when a shock of icy wind briefly assailed him as the door opened and closed with a shudder.

Brown Tom detached himself from the shadowy walls and when Jack looked up at him, he was relieved to see a warm smile on the old elf's face.
" Here, lad, drink this," Brown Tom said softly as he revealed a small flask from the numerous folds of his jacket. " Eases the pain, it will, me best batch o' Elderberry Wyne."

The liquid scented of plump berries ripening in the sun and tasted sweet and pure as spring rain. A cozy warmth began to spread throughout Jack's cold limbs and the constant pain in his arm became a dull throb, much to his relief. Jack swallowed a few more gulps before reluctantly handing back the flask, and glanced about the small room. Nell was seated by the fire and watching intently with her hands shoved into the pockets of her apron. Standing against the walls were three more elves Jack recognized, a haggard looking elf named Thistledown and the twins, Screwball and Oddball. Perched delicately upon the foot of his bed was Oona, a fair skinned fairy whose wings twitched nervously behind her.

" Now don't ye fret about Gump, me lad," Brown Tom said as Jack raised his worried eyes to the door. " He won't stay mad for long, 'specially out there."

" I've never seen him like that before," Jack observed quietly.

" With the death of the unicorn, Darkness has declared war. Again," Thistledown said suddenly and received an uneasy glance from Brown Tom. The squat old elf stomped to Jack's bedside and his beady black eyes stared coldly at him from within a wrinkled, hairy face.

" You had no clue what the Unicorns were holdin' back, do ya?" Thistledown barked in a gruff voice. " Thought it real nice to show 'em off to yer lady friend, not knowin' the blood price—"

" Enough," Brown Tom snapped as he glared at the ancient elf. " Jack knows what he done and he don't need ya spittin' it in his face!"

Thistledown regarded the two coolly in silent anger, then whirled on his heel and followed Gump out through the door, slamming it behind him. The ensuing silence threatened to smother Jack who burned with unanswered questions.

" I know about Darkness, but only what Gump told me," he said to Brown Tom. " What was Thistle talking about?"

" Was a long time ago, lad, when we elves were a wee bit younger, and Gump wasn't the elf ye know. Darkness 'n his kind ruled the land, until the Unicorns came about 'n locked his kind away wit their own souls." Brown Tom's eyes clouded at the memories and he shook his head sadly. "Lost many a good elf those days, we did."

" So the Unicorns are like keys that—"

"—Hold the monsters at bay. Darkness wants the land as it was, and the bastard'll get his wish if he kills the other one."

Jack's stomach gave a sickening lurch as fear gripped his heart. He was speechless as the elf's words seeped into his mind and he sunk back among the pillows in defeat. It was nearly overwhelming.

Suddenly, the door flew open with a bang and Gump stepped into the small cottage amid a flurry of snow and cold. " The sun is rising," he announced in a relieved and strangely detached voice.

Jack sat up again as the small room erupted into cheer. Nell clasped her hands hopefully as Brown Tom and the twins shouted with joy. Oona squealed with delight and rushed out the door on bare feet to see for herself.

Jack turned to Brown Tom who was grinning wildly. " What does that mean?"
"Means there's hope, lad!" Brown Tom answered merrily. " The Unicorn still lives!"
Jack's face split into a grin at the news and waned when Gump approached his bedside. Something dark and troubling clouded the elf's eyes and he stared at Jack unseeing, as if reliving a nightmare only he could see. But when Gump blinked his eyes, the darkness had gone and he smiled briefly.

" Get up, Jack, as this may be the last time the sun rises."
" You sure it's a good idea for him to come with us, Gump?" Oddball questioned and cast a warning glance at the boy's bandaged arm. " The cold'll bother that arm, it will."

Gump opened his mouth to reply but Jack answered in a determined voice. " I'm going with you anyway. The least I can do for my mistake, and besides, Lily's out there…somewhere."

"Ah, well said, Jack!" Brown Tom clapped the boy on the shoulder then stood up. " Sooner we leave, the better."

Oddball looked at Jack's arm again but said nothing as the boy slowly eased himself out of bed. Nell hurried to his side and draped a heavy fur cloak about his shoulders. She fixed him with a warm and searching gaze as she reached into her apron pockets.

" Before she left," Nell began in a soft voice, " Lily gave me this ring to give you to keep. 'Tis a vow to love ye forever, Jack, a promise of the heart." She pulled out a leather necklace on which hung a gold ring encrusted with small rubies.

His heart fluttering wildly in his chest, Jack bowed his head reverently as Nell slipped the necklace onto his neck. "Thank you, Nell." He then turned to Gump and took a deep breath. " I'm ready."

Outside, the snow had stopped falling, and the sun was a warm welcome to Jack. Oona stood not far from the cottage with her back towards the small group, her translucent wings sparkling in the sunlight. Gump marched through the glittering snow and stood beside her.

" It's time for us to go now, Oona," Gump said tenderly.
Oona watched the sunrise for a bit longer and spoke without looking at him, and her blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. " The light's weakening, Gump," she squeaked as she turned to him and sniffed. " I don't like this cold, dead world. It frightens me."

"Don't be frightened, little one," Gump said reassuringly and gently pulled the small fairy into a protective embrace. " Remember, I will always keep you safe. Always…"

Simple Conversation

The sun was nothing but an orange sphere that hung halfway in the sky, despite it being dawn. Storm clouds hovered nearby and threatened to blot out the sun, and the sky was an angry red. On the outskirts of the forest, the sun's light was too weak to penetrate the hazy mist that shrouded the Great Tree, let alone shine on the putrid swamp the massive oak sat in. In this part of the land, the night was eternal.

The Great Tree was a sight unto itself. Only the top half was above ground, yet its branches snaked out in all directions. The rest of the tree was locked in the earth, its roots planted firmly in the underworld, where the Lord of Darkness plotted and longed for freedom.

In the bowels of the world, Darkness brooded once more. He was seated before a great fireplace and stared unseeing into the dancing flames. He sensed the changing of the world, of what the unicorn's death had brought. Yet he was not pleased. He wanted more. He wanted…her.

" Father," Darkness intoned, " the fate of the world is in my grasp. The Binding grows weak, and when the black moon rises, our brethren shall walk the earth once more. But this girl—this beautiful girl—distracts me. It has been an eternity since I felt such desire. What am I to do?"

The flames before the dark lord roared in response and with it, a voice that came snarling into existence. " She fascinates you because her soul is pure. She remembers the world as it was. Make her forget…make her one of usss…"

Darkness half rose from his throne, his voice thick with desire. " I'll take her then."

"Fool!" The flames leapt higher and burned with unseen anger. " You must charm her…win her. Then, she will be yoursss…"

Lily awoke with a startled gasp and sat up. She was in a large four poster bed beneath silky black sheets that clung to her damp skin. The air was warm and smelled of earth after a summer's rain. Lily slid out of bed cautiously, her bare feet touching cold stone, and stood upon shaky legs.

The chamber was well lit with tall candelabras and a majestic fireplace before the bed. Several tapestries hung from the walls depicting demonic creatures warring with beings of light, and numerous marble statuettes posed elegantly on their pedestals about the room. Twin statues of wolves with twisting horns flanked the fireplace, their jaws open in a horrific grin. Lily stared at the wolves as fear crept along her spine, and whirled around with a fearful yelp when the twin doors silently swung open.

A breath of warm air greeted Lily's face, and shadows flickered along the far wall outside of her chamber. She waited a moment longer and then stepped cautiously onto the threshold, and stared down the winding steps that led away from her chamber. There was no one except herself, and with her heart pounding she began to descend. Not far behind her, the double doors of the chamber closed as if by unseen hands, and Lily knew there was no going back.

The steps were made of stone and were pleasantly warm beneath Lily's feet. The walls were hard packed earth and embedded with thick crawling roots. The further Lily crept down the steps, the brighter it became until she reached the last steps and stood at the threshold of a magnificent dining hall.

Flames crackled and danced in a fireplace as high as Lily was tall, if not more, and fat marble pillars spiraled upwards into the darkness. Scattered throughout the hall were marble and stone statues of winged beings and snarling monsters. The hall looked of something from a dream, ethereal and dark in its beauty.
"I trust you slept well."

With a shriek, Lily whirled around and stared into the dark glittering eyes of Drake, the hunter she had met in the forest. His gaze steadily bore down on her as she steadily backed away from him, and her mind frantically tried to remember what happened. His face. There was something sinister about his face…

" This is my home," Drake explained upon seeing the confusion on Lily's face. " And I bid you welcome."

Lily frowned and shook her head as she struggled to recall those last moments before she blacked out, filled with a sense of urgency. " No. This—This isn't right. The unicorns. We were—"

"Looking for them, yes," Drake continued with a dismissive flip of his hand as he brushed past her. " Well, one of them at least. However, the wintry cold and exhaustion proved too much for you and you collapsed. The palace was too far to take you there, so I brought you to my home instead."

Drake paused and half turned to the princess with a slightly amused look. "Are you going to just stand there, or have supper with me?"

"There's no time for this," Lily snapped impatiently. " I need to find the last unicorn, before that—that thing kills it!"

" If it eases your mind, the unicorn is here," Drake said coolly, ignoring her outburst. "The mare is kept safely in the lower chambers."

"What? You're lying. How could it be here?" Lily demanded, unsettled by Drake's cool detachment. "If you speak the truth, then show me where the unicorn is."

" I will," Drake replied as he approached a long dinner table burdened with food. " Once you sit and have supper with me. You must be starving."

The thought of food faded Lily's anger, and her stomach cramped and growled at the feast laid out upon the table. " Why won't you show me the unicorn now?"

" Why can't we just sit and have simple conversation?" Drake picked up a silver pitcher, and poured its dark liquid contents into a glass goblet. "Then I will take you to see the mare." He held out the goblet, offering it to her with eternal patience.

Lily hesitated before crossing the hall, and under Drake's watchful gaze, gingerly took the goblet from him hand. "I have nothing to talk about," she muttered.

"Of course you do," Drake assured her in a low voice. "Whatever you like to discuss. Now sit and share your thoughts with me." He quickly turned and settled into a regal chair before Lily could reply, watching her expectantly.

Not knowing what else to do, Lily stood beside an elaborately carved chair on the other end of the table. It was massive in its appearance, black and ominous looking. She lowered herself into the chair and sipped from her goblet while Drake watched in silent triumph.