The Storm
Ceraphina had prepared herself for the task at hand. She had painted many protective runes upon her skin to protect her from evil, what ever it may be. Evil came in all manner of forms and it could summon itself of its own accord, attracted to the energy she would be using tonight. Evil spirits could try to steal the power away.
Upon her face she bore the markings of he power of earth, fire, and water; the elements she would call upon to help her. She mixed soil with water into a thick white paste, dipped three fingers of either hand and smeared three lines on either side of her face. She started at her cheeks then trailed down her neck, coming together and ending near her heart. Next, she burned freshly cut wood and sage and burned them in a fire, gathered the ashes, and smeared the blackness across her forehead.
She made sure her arms were covered in all her metal bangles she owned. The metal helped to strengthen her power to conduct energies.
The gypsy dressed as an earth mother would, adorning her hair with bits of feathers, twigs, leaves, and even flowers, creating a wild heathen headdress. Her breasts were wrapped tightly and securely, leaving her stomach, shoulders, and most of her back uncovered by fabric. Her golden skin was instead covered with tattoos of runes and spells. The inks were of blood red, oily black, and new ones of bright turquoise. Around her waist was a simple wrapped skirt with a belt laden with talismans and totems. Each was different and made from different earthly materials that served a simple purpose: to protect and magnify. Her feet were bare to be closer to the earth.
Inside, Ceraphina felt ever inch a warrior ready for battle.
In the woods she prepared an earthen mound of purified earth. To prepare the alter she cleared the surrounding area of all debris and blessed the ground as she went. She whispered prayers to the surrounding trees to serve as protectors during the up coming ceremony painted protective runes upon the bark for good measure.
One the sun vanished from the horizon she summoned Ildrianna and her companions to the woods to join her for the ritual.
"Step into the clearing." She commanded to the trio, her voice unwavering.
Dria wrapped a hand around a piece of Ocean's mane and stepped into the dimly lit clearing. She was bit uneasy.
"In or out?" Ceraphina asked as he approached Logen, her hazel eyes made bright and fierce from the ash that outlined them.
Logen breathed deep as he took it all in. He had to hand it to Ceraphina, she looked positively ethereal and completely wild. The clearing was scantily lit with lanterns that were tied to tree. The trees themselves were painted intricately with runes. There was nothing in the clearing except an altar. On the ground was something Logen had never seen before, but he could only describe it as a carved geometric design. He took in Ceraphina's appearance once more and snorted, he almost believed she would do what she said she could.
He answered her question by stepping into the clearing with his arms crossed over his chest.
Logen expected her to make some snide comment about the gesture but she merely nodded solemnly and walked towards the queen and her bonded.
"When the moon reveals itself from the cloud cover the ceremony will begin. I will try." She said quietly.
Ildrianna nodded, stroking Ocean's mane.
"There are still a few things we need to do to prepare. First, is the cleansing." Reaching for her belt and she pulled away a pouch and loosened the drawstrings. With a light hand she pinched out some salt and approached the altar, recited a quick and murmured prayer and dashed it quickly.
Logen gaped. Salt wasn't something you just threw on the ground! He even thought tossing salt over our shoulder to prevent evil spirits, witches, or the devil from following you was preposterous.
"Salt is like gold, you know." He bit out.
"Salt," Ceraphina said loudly and with authority, "Is a purifier." She began walking carefully around the altar, making sure to not step on and blur the lines of the design on the ground. She began reciting prayers and tossing salt everywhere she stepped.
Her mouth never stopped moving, never stopped murmuring.
"What is this drawing on the ground?" Logen found himself asking.
His question remained unanswered for some time. It was clear that Ceraphina would not cease her mantra until her task was done. Her singular focus was astounding and impressive, something that was not lost on Dria nor on Logen. He was finding himself begrudgingly respect the little gypsy.
"It is a mandala." She finally answered. When both Logen and Dria gave her a quizzical look she elaborated. "It is a sacred symbol with four gates." She pulled Dria to one point in the design with Ocean ushered to stand opposite of her. "North and south," She murmured. She gestured for Logen to stand where she was, then walked to stand opposite of him. "East and west."
Logen found that the altar was now in the middle of them all.
"It establishes a sacred space and charts the stars." She spoke me ominously as she said, "It also is a spiritual portal."
Logen began to actually decipher some celestial patterns within the geometric design and to his astonishment he could see a star chart and planetary orbits. He looked swiftly up at the starry sky and could see her accuracy. He looked back at Ceraphina and realized how much effort she had put into this and how smart she really was.
"It's nearly time. Ildrianna, Ocean, please remain standing. Logen, kneel before the altar as I am." She instructed tersely.
Logen slowly complied.
"Please present the shattered acorna."
Ildrianna stepped towards the altar and unwrapped Ocean's shattered horn for Ceraphina who carefully picked up each piece and set it in sequence on the altar. Dria stepped back to her place and waited on baited breath for what the gypsy would do next.
"I need something of yours, my lady."
Dria started, "What do you mean?"
"Something that is yours an yours alone. Something that you can offer Ocean for the sake of your bond." Ceraphina spoke solemnly.
Ildrianna didn't know what she had to offer and she began to fidget with her hair. Suddenly she understood and asked Ceraphina if she could borrow her dirk.
The gypsy complied and Dria quickly severed a lock of hair from her head before Logen could protest. Ceraphina nodded slowly as Dria approached the altar again and placed her hair with Ocean's horn. Before she would withdraw her hand, Ceraphina snared her wrist with unforgiving force. She pilfered her dirk back and pricked the tip of Dria's index finger, striking like a cobra.
"Ouch!" Dria cried, more surprised than anything else, the pain was sharp but fleeting.
"You said 'twould be no blood sacrifice!" Logen roared, stepping towards Dria protectively.
"Quiet!" Ceraphina snarled, raising a hand to stop Logen's advance. "Stay where you are, highlander. You cannot break the mandala!" She stared him down into compliance before returning her gaze to the drop of oozing blood on Dria's fingertip. She snatched the severed lock of hair and wrapped the finger as if it were a bandage and kept firm hold on Ildrianna's wrist.
"Her blood is magic. It is old. It is power. Her blood allows her to rule and gives her the right to a unicorn as a bond pair. It is more of a symbol than a blood sacrifice." She unwrapped Dria's finger and told her to return to her spot once more. Ceraphina lit some dried sage and wafted the vapors towards her being and then stilled and waited.
"What are you waiting for?" Logen spat.
"The moon. Remember: Do as I say. Do not leave you designated spot; you are the gatekeeper for that direction. Do not interrupt me. Do not talk to me. Do not talk to each other. And do not talk to anything else." Ceraphina eyed them all, her face full of warning. "It only encourages them."
"What do you mean?" Dria asked, nervous.
"You might see things, you might not. Spirits may come to speak to you, ignore them. Even if thy scare you, remember, you belong here and they do not."
Logen snorted in derision.
"Once the ritual begins it cannot be stopped, so get comfortable. And don't be afraid."
Abruptly, Ceraphina lit the lock of hair on fire and tossed it on top of the glowing acorna and placed the burning sage in front of her.
She began chanting.
It was in a language that Logen couldn't comprehend yet it sent chills shivering down his spine. The gypsy closed her eyes and raised her hands above her head as she chanted. Words flowed from her lips without pause, not even for breath. She was almost guttural in her voice at times while others her voice was low and deep, filled with mystery. She weaved her arms about her, bowing her head, arching her back, almost as if she were dancing.
Suddenly speaking Gaelic, Ceraphina spoke roughly; the voice seemed almost layered. "I summon the powers of earth, the cradle. I summon the powers of fire, the destroyer. I summon the powers of water, the healer."
She growled low in her throat and reached for a fistful of dirt, throwing it down upon the altar with force and fervor. She was suddenly on her knees as she threw her arms out before her and began leaning back slowly so that her head now touched the ground behind her, all the while chanting incessantly. She curled upon herself, fisted her hands, and then theatrically opened her palms as fire erupted in her hands.
Dria gasped as she watched Ceraphina throw the fire from her hands and on the altar where it danced merrily without fuel. Captivated, she watched as the fire was then doused by water.
Logen had to hand it to the cinnamon haired gypsy. She definitely knew how to put on a show. He wasn't impressed thus far.
He didn't know that he was about to eat his words when Ceraphina suddenly contorted in pain, rose to her knees once more, screamed out her mantra as she threw her head back then froze. Silence rang through out the clearing and in that stillness Ceraphina bowed her head. In that exact moment all the lanterns went out without any help from wind.
Even though it was summer and the temperature was barely comfortable with the heat and slight humidity, Logen's breath came out white and ghostly from the sudden frigidness.
Ceraphina threw her hands up towards the sky and the brilliant light of the moon burst through the darkness. It was a waxing moon, almost a half moon but its light was unusually bright. For the first time since the ceremony began, Ceraphina opened her eyes. What Logen saw disturbed him to the core.
Ceraphina's eyes were milky white and bright as the stars but they were vacant, lifeless, and sightless holes that no longer saw the world around them, as she knew it. She was in that spiritual place that she feared more than death; she was in the Fade.
She continued to chant, once again speaking a strange language.
Logen felt the hair on his neck and arms rise and a sickness churned in the pit of his stomach. He was finding it difficult to breathe properly.
What ever Ceraphina was saying, it was making the acorna shards sparkle, and the soft light spread though the mandala, igniting the entire design in silver light.
Dria wanted to cry out to Logen as she tore her gaze from the happenings around them to what lay beyond the forest. There she saw dark shapes slithering about in the darkness. Eyes burned brightly as they stared back at her. A sallow, yellow fog creeped along the ground. The amber flood encompassed the clearing but did no infringe.
She wondered if Logen could see the beings as she could.
Logen, on the other hand, could only feel them. Around him he did not see the sickly fog, he couldn't see the shifting spirits, but he could feel that he was being watched. He could feel the icy grip of death. He was extremely uncomfortable.
He looked over towards Dria to see how she was faring but she was as pale as a sheet, her mouth agape slightly as she silently uttered his name.
But he could do nothing for her, according to Ceraphina.
"Logen, hold out your Kiss and touch the acorna." The gypsy's raspy voice demanded, she then resumed her mantras.
Logen tentatively held out his left hand and with his palm he touched the dead acorna gingerly. He suddenly found Ceraphina's hand slammed down on top of his, her face a breatha way from his, her strange eyes searing straight through him.
In that instant a thick curtain was ripped away from his vision and he could see what Ceraphina was seeing. The world around him took on a tinted hue of yellow and gray. The light was artificial. Everything around him was the same as in the clearing but the trees were ghostly white and translucent. The ground beneath him was tarnished gold but the mandala blazed blue. He found himself alone, if you weren't counting all the faceless people surrounding him. He looked for Dria but found she vanished along with her mount.
"Do not look at them." Spoke a voice.
Logen snapped his head toward the source of the whimsical voice and found that Ceraphina was sitting next to him. Her eyes were still strange but her tattoos glowed brightly. She looked even fiercer than before.
His gaze drifted back to the faceless crowd around them.
"You're giving them power." She spoke again.
He opened his mouth to speak but the sound was stolen from him by a presence sitting on the other side of him.
Look at me. Commanded a sinister voice.
Logen froze; instead he looked at Ceraphina who was glaring at the creature that had joined them.
"You don't belong here." She told it savagely.
In that voice Logen heard and felt all the protectiveness within her being. Here in this other world, Ceraphina didn't hold a drop of animosity or cattiness towards Logen as she might normally would. Here she was forceful and strong in an entirely different way.
Neither does he, writhed the creature. It looked carefully at the witchy gypsy and snarled, the sound of which reverberated through the clearing, nearly sending Logen into convulsions. He is not protected. To prove it, the creature gripped his arm severely.
"He is under my protection." Ceraphina growled back. "He isn't yours."
Then who's is he?
Logen swallowed, trying to clear the growing lump in his throat. He thought it would soon suffocate him.
"He's mine." She stated possessively. She wrapped a hand around his forearm and squeezed and suddenly Logen could fill his lung more easily.
The creature lunged toward Logen and stopped just a breath away, its face nearly touching Logen's. Its putrid breath rushed over Logen's skin, making its crawl in disgust. Its eyes bore straight into Logen's skull and he suddenly had the most intense headache he had ever experienced.
LOOK AT ME! The creature bellowed.
Logen closed his eyes tightly and when he opened them he suddenly found himself back in reality, kneeling in front of the altar with his hands resting neatly on his thighs. He looked about him wildly. The lanterns were lit once more, the mandala had somehow disappeared, and the feeling of dread that had crept over the entire scene had vanished.
What was left was a relatively benign night that was suddenly alive with sounds of the night.
Ocean had not moved from his spot, neither had Ildrianna who appeared to have gained some of her color back. He looked across the altar at Ceraphina who had bowed her head, arms outstretched, her entire body trembling. She was covered in sweat. When she raised her head her eyes had returned to normal.
"It is done." She whispered, exhaustion taking the best of her as she collapsed.
Logen bolted up to his feet to gather the young woman up. Dria, on the other hand, rushed to the altar and picked up the revived acorna shard.
"It worked…" She said, awed. "It really worked!" She clutched the piece close and joined Ocean, showing him the success. Then she very quickly and swiftly sealed the horn, gathered up the rest of the pieces, and bundled them back up for safe keeping.
"I think she passed out." Logen concluded. He gripped his arm, the one the creature had touched, and found that it was covered in a burning bruise. The imprint left behind reminded him of claws. He inhaled sharply at that.
So it had been real.
"I can't believe she did it." Was all Dria could say. She approached Ceraphina and grabbed her canteen of water that she had brought with her for the ceremony. She opened it and poured a bit on her hand, then flicked it at the gypsy's face.
The droplets worked and Ceraphina slowly blinked her eyes and came back into consciousness. She looked about her with jerky movements, taking in her surroundings. She sighed in relief when she found she was no longer within the spiritual realm.
"It worked, Ceraphina, you did it! You were amazing!" Dria exclaimed in adulation.
She gypsy smiled weakly, "I knew it would."
Ceraphina seemed to realize that Logen was cradling her almost tenderly. She tried to lean forward but couldn't without his help. She glanced down at his arms and quickly grabbed for the bruised one.
"You did good." She told him seriously.
He merely stared in return, trying not to wince as she touched the mark.
"What happened?" He finally asked.
"You were approached by a demon." She told him simply. Ceraphina made to stand and found the action difficult.
"That thing was a demon?" He asked incredulously.
"You saw a demon?" Dria asked, just as shocked. She never saw such things. Just the ghostly outlines of spirits, putrid fog, and piercing glowing eyes.
"You didn't?" Logen asked, bewildered. Dria shook her head negatively and explained all she saw.
"I told you, you might see something, and you might not. There is no guarantee that you'll see the same thing. The demon wanted to stow away inside you, its how they can interact with the world. You weren't protected by runes like me, so it went after you." She leaned heavily against Logen as they began to walk from the clearing. "If you had looked at it, things would have ended… Differently."
"What do you mean?" Logen found himself asking. He readily accepted that Ceraphina was no charlatan.
"When the demon touched you, I knew it would try to corrupt you. I banished your form from the Fade. Then the demon attacked me." She stopped and looked down at herself. Her golden skin that flushed hotly against her hips revealed a downward stroke claw mark. The result was a set of new scars that blazed white against her skin. The protective rune that used to be there had been carved away from her body. "Before I could banish it from the mandala, it used it to send out a message. I don't know what it was or to who it was, but it managed it."
Both Logen and Dria were a bit muddled with that information.
"Does that mean anything to you?" Ceraphina asked.
Dria shook her head. Logen rolled his eyes.
Rhalluan sat in utter silence before the closed portal of the Gap. Around him were torches and campfires and slight whispers coming from the hand full of men he had brought with him to eventually cross over to the Other Side.
The first problem was finding the Gap. It had a nasty habit of migrating throughout the mountain range to which it was bound to, so it was usually never in the same place twice in a person's lifetime.
The second problem was opening it, which was something that could currently wait.
The third problem was locating the world that the princess had escaped to. As he gazed into the Gap he could glimpse that there were multiple worlds and dimensions. As he understood it, there were an infinite number of possibilities that he had to sift through. Once he located the world she inhabited there was the added problem of synching up to that world. Time could be an issue.
To achieve all this; Rhalluan enlisted the aid of Ciaran. The bitch was more than willing to oblige. She oozed from his back and disappeared within the ether. Once there she found a demon to aid her in searching for the world that the Prince of Darkness needed.
So he waited for a possible response, meditating.
Archon Ciaran danced about in the ether, running through the spiritual realm. She searched for Rhalluan in places that he couldn't go, all the while enlisting the help of spirits and demons to aid in the quest.
The shadow unicorn ran through the mists on phantom hooves, never making a sound. She never tired. That was a thing of the mind, a symptom of possessing a physical body. She hadn't had one of those in centuries and learned to move beyond the restraints a body posed.
She stopped in her search when she felt a presence approach her. Wheeling about, Ciaran viciously attacked the interloper.
Please! I come with news! The demon moaned.
Ciaran gnashed her teeth together and whipped her gnarled horn about her menacingly.
"Out with it!" She bellowed.
Rhalluan was disturbed from his meditation by the malevolent voice of Ciaran as she told the prince she had found the world he was looking for.
As often as Dria could she would ride out of the city of Inverness to meet with Ceraphina on the outskirts so that they may talk and visit with each other. She frequented her because Logen refused to look at her or even speak to her. And if he did he would either be full of anger and resentment or so despondent and forlorn— something that Dria couldn't stand for long. Every time she reached out to him he refused to bridge the gap and patch their friendship together.
She just didn't know what to do about the situation so she ran from it.
As for Ceraphina, she did not mind the company and she found herself looking forward to the exchange. She had never been one to keep much company with others— she instead longed for solitude and study. She claimed to be a jack of all trades yet a master at none; one didn't claim that kind of title by acting as a chatty Cathy. But because of that she didn't realize how lonely she had become, and she had built up armor around herself through a rather rough personality. She took advantage of people, stole, lied, cheated— she was the very thing that Logen had accused her of.
Yet Ildrianna seemed to be able to look past all that, exuding all the patience and grace that was her station. They spoke as if they had known each other all their lives. Dria was grateful for the connection with magic, and Ceraphina was thrilled at the prospect of seeing a unicorn. She treated Ocean with the up most respect, bowing before him before she reached out to stroke his muzzle and brush his mane. She privately spoke to the creature, giving him all her hopes and dreams of the future, and the stallion always seemed to understand.
For the two young women, they seemed to act as balms for the other.
"So this ritual, tell me more about it." Dria asked again, fascinated, trying to understand what she saw that night.
Ceraphina smiled. "Nature has its own healing properties. I have called upon the elements of fire, water, as well as earth, and use their energies to fuel the acorna. Basically, the plan was to store energy within the object. By doing this it will have its own pulse and revive the horn."
Dria remained silent for a moment before she asked yet another question that worried her. "Can you fuse the pieces together? Do you know any spell or ritual—" But she was cut short.
"There is nothing that I know of that can heal a unicorn's horn. The ritual I used was already bent as far as it could go in regards to the entire ordeal. I am sorry, my lady, but I do not know of any way of accomplishing what you ask." At this, Ceraphina seemed truly upset. Her catlike hazel eyes were downcast and solemn.
Later that evening Dria caught up with Logen as he was heading to his brother's forge.
"Logen! Please wait!" She ran after him, panting from the sudden exertion.
The highlander paused but did not answer her.
"I have a question to ask you, about Ocean's horn." She continued.
"Speak then." He prodded, entirely standoffish.
"Well I was wondering, since Ceraphina cannot fuse Ocean's horn back together," At the mention of her name Logen turned away from her, "I was wondering if maybe Drustan could forge it right again."
"Do no' be ridiculous, lady." He scoffed at the very idea.
Hurt, Dria hitched her hands onto her hips in frustration. "And why would that be so ridiculous?" She exclaimed hotly.
"My brother hasna seen such materials 'fore; he wouldna kin what to do with such things." His brogue was incredibly thick, making him difficult for Dria to understand; she knew that he did this on purpose.
Dria hung her head. It was a long shot, and she knew what the most likely answer was to be; yet she still hoped that Drustan could achieve the impossible. But Logen didn't have to be so malicious towards her about the idea.
"Why are you acting so cold to me?" Her bravery suddenly blustered a bit, but once she said those words she felt herself wilt under his scathing stare.
Logen took a deep breath, looking away from the object of his torturous existence. "Are you not 'appy 'ere?" He asked instead. He touched the bandage over his demon-touch gingerly. The skin was still intensely sensitive to pain.
Dria was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"You're not happy 'ere, are you?"
Dria found it hard to keep eye contact. His sorrow ate away at her through her core. He frowned when she could no longer look at him.
"It's not what you think..." She drifted off.
"Then pray tell, lady, what 'tis you would 'ave me think!" He growled impatiently.
"Why are you so angry with me?" She burst out.
"Because! I feel as though I'm losin' you. The more pieces you find the further away you become!" He shouted into the night. Inside the forge his brother faltered as he brought down a hammering blow to his anvil, nearly taking out his thumb in the process. He glanced outside and saw that his little brother was having a verbal show down with the noblewoman. Though he wanted to interfere he did not, and instead provided more noise to give them the illusion of privacy.
"That's absurd..." She mumbled. "I'm standing right here."
"What is that gypsy to you? She could be feedin' you a fool's tale yet you're eatin' it up like a starved dog." He raged on.
Dria bristled at that. "I am not a dog!" She screeched.
"What 'tis that you want, Dria?"
The way he kept firing off questions, each more complicated than the last, Dria found it hard to keep up.
"I told you what I want. I want to restore Ocean back to his former glory. That's what this entire trip is about, Logen, this is why I'm here!"
"And then what, Dria? What will you do when you've accomplished that?"
Dria found it hard to give him a straight answer. She mumbled out many different possibilities but none of them were the ones that Logen wanted to hear.
"You're not sayin' anythin', Dria." He barked.
She glared at him, her eyes watering.
"What 'bout this place 'tis so horrible? No servants? No jewels? What?" He bellowed.
That broke the last straw. "I cannot stand it here!"
Logen's eyes widened.
"I cannot stand to live in a place that feels so dead inside. I cannot live in a place that has no unicorns. Where animals cannot speak. Where, when I look upon the night sky, I see a dead moon staring back at me! I can't live in a place without magic!" At that she began to sob.
"It's like an ache, I can feel it in my bones. This place— it's not right! Something is horribly wrong with this place and everyone in it. If they cannot believe in unicorns, if they can weave tapestries of slaying unicorns…" She remembered her first tour of the markets of Inverness. "This place is sick, I feel it dying all around me and I cannot stand the feeling!"
Tears sparkled in her eyes as they left twin trails down her face. She quickly wiped them away, too angry and hurt to give herself up to the action.
"I can't hear the trees. I can't feel the sun. Everything is so silent— they have no voices!" She shrieked.
Logen backed away from her, the look in his eyes telling her that she was crazy.
"How can I explain to you something that you can never understand unless you've seen it? Felt it? Heard it as I have?"
Logen remained silent.
She looked at him with clear disappointment in her eyes. "How can you understand me?"
At that, Logen was at a loss for words. It seemed like for the first time he was seeing Dria clearly. Standing there in the waxing moonlight, her eyes so clear in the darkness. They were like a light unto themselves, burning brightly like stars. They were unnatural. Standing there, she seemed so... Out of place. It wasn't her station that set her apart, as he had understood it before.
He had noticed the oddness before but he had always attributed it towards her being a noblewoman. But seeing her now, looking at her objectively as he suddenly was; it was clear that was not the case. Something was just strange... Down right wrong about her, something no one would ever truly understand nor acknowledge even to themselves.
They were the same, yet she was so very different. There was something about her, something more that he was lacking.
She suddenly shivered, wracking her whole body. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms she spoke again, this time more quietly. "This place is changing me, Logen, and not for the better. I'm finding it harder and harder to remember my homeland, the forests of Balinor. I cannot remember the faces of the Royal unicorns." She looked back towards the stables where Ocean slept.
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke brokenly, "I cannot remember what Ocean used to look like."
Logen made to move towards her, to comfort her. But the lady was repulsed by his approach.
"I'm losing myself Logen. And if Ceraphina is a way to get part of Ocean back and myself then she means everything to me. It's not about the servants; it's not about the jewels! For you to claim so after knowing me for this long is insulting." Her royal fervor was back within her voice, holding powerful cadence, making the hammer within the forge falter again. "And if you think that you are losing me it is only because you-" She pointed accusingly at his person, "Are the one pushing me away!"
With that said they were silent, standoffish, and rigid. But before Logen could say anything more Dria dismissed herself without so much as a good bye.
The highlander wanted to kick himself for missing the opportunity to speak more to the woman and as he turned to enter the forge and stopped.
"You made a real mess outta this one." Came Drustan's smooth Gaelic.
"You were listenin'?" Logen spat back, bitterly.
"She's right, ye ken. Ye are pushin' 'er away."
"I ken but I canna help it."
"You're angry. Turnin' it loose upon 'er willna 'elp the situation."
"I donna ken what else to do! Every time I see her she makes me feel outta control! Like I'm five again." Logen threw his hands up into the air.
"I think ye jealous of the gypsy. I think ye love the girl." Drustan mused.
"Ye donna ken what you're talkin' 'bout!" Logen raged.
Drustan merely shrugged and returned to the interior of his forge. "Then why are ye here?"
That was a good question. He had wanted to speak with his brother about his problem but now he wasn't so sure since he had been listening in on the conversation. He suddenly felt self-conscious.
"It sounds to me that the lady needs 'elp. Ye should 'elp 'er." Drustan said simply, throwing a bar of iron into a pit of fire.
"I am afraid." Logen whispered softly.
Drustan quirked an eyebrow, "Of what?"
"Of losin' her."
Drustan poked at the coals, enticing the flames to dance higher and hotter. "Da told me once that love was like a falcon. When ye find a wild one, ye 'ave to entice her to stay. Keep her close and be completely open with her, make her trust ye with everythin' you 'ave. So that when she flies away she will come back to you."
"What do birds 'ave to do with anythin'?" Logen fumed. He didn't see the correlation.
Drustan inhaled deeply, trying not to lose his patience. His brother could be dense at times. "Because ye 'ave to understand that sometimes the falcon doesna come back."
Logen remained quiet, fidgeting with a few of Drstuan's work tools. He didn't like what his brother was getting at. He didn't like what his brother was trying to tell him.
"He said that sometimes you 'ave to let what ye love go because ye love them. That sometimes ye 'ave to do things that are best for them." The blacksmith began pulling the iron from the fire and placed it firmly on the anvil and began to strike it, molding the shape into what was needed. The metal mallet rang loudly into the night as Drustan began to carefully meld the metal into a U shape.
Logen watched as his brother began to make a horseshoe. He waited until his brother placed the item back into the fire before he spoke again.
"The gypsy used cards to tell Dria's future. She said that she would be leaving soon."
"Did ye expect her to stay forever?" Drustan snorted.
"And why couldna she?" Logen retorted.
"'Tis as the lady said, she doesna belong here. Canna ye tell?"
He was beginning to think himself an utter foo
The stay in Inverness was at an end and Logen and his father had to say good-bye Drustan and the city. Drustan hugged his brother fiercely before telling him everything would work out in its own way and time. Logen merely nodded and told his brother he loved him and that he would see him soon.
The time spent in Inverness had been very lucrative for Artair. He had sold all his prized horses, which had put him in a good mood. He didn't really understand what was going on with Dria and Ceraphina, but he said that if the gypsy wanted to follow the lady then she would have to keep up on her own.
Ceraphina packed up her necessary belongings and was quick to follow the departing family.
Logen's father tried to ask his son about the tension between him and Dria but Logen remained tight lipped about the situation. So the wagon ride back was rather… quiet…
It was several days on the road and the full moon had come once again, and with it Dria's nerves.
She remembered her dream with Atalanta so she was anxious about returning soon. What would she find once she returned home? Dria looked over her shoulder at Ceraphina who was sitting in the back of Artair's wagon. The wagon was laden with good the family needed. Ceraphina was snoozing, still not fully recovered from the night when she restored Ocean's piece of dead acorna. She still feared the demon attack and kept analyzing the entire exchange over and over. She still couldn't conclude anything.
She looked at Logen who still remained as sour as ever. She was giving up on the entire exchange. She was getting tired with the entire traveling part of the trip, actually. No one seemed willing to break the silence. Poor Artair seemed to be caught in the middle. Ceraphina was in no way completely cordial with Logen. Even though he protected his very soul in the Fade from a demon and even though he had carried her, bridal style, all the way to her tent and made sure she was all right—they still couldn't be completely civil with each other.
Dria rubbed Ocean's withers. He seemed as nervous as she was. He pranced a bit on the tips of his toes, which got Calwel riled up, which made the wagon horse a bit jittery.
Dria tried to console her mount, but she new better. If he was upset it was for a reason, she just wished she knew what this feeling was. She thought about asking Ceraphina, but the poor gypsy was fast asleep.
"What wrong with Ocean?" Logen finally asked. He pulled back on Calwel's reins to fall in line with the indigo stallion.
"I don't know…" She murmured. She looked at Logen, a bit shy. He still wore a bandage over his arm from the demon-touch. She wished it would heal soon. She didn't like to see him wince anytime it was jarred.
"Do you…" She began, but stopped herself.
"What?" He asked quietly. He was determined to be civil with Dria today; he wanted to patch things up.
"I've got an uneasy feeling." She told him, tugging at her hair.
Logen sighed, he had to admit—"I do too."
Dria smiled halfheartedly at him, which he weakly returned. The young queen looked up at the evening sky. It was tinted with hues of gold and reds. Higher in the sky she could see the beginning tints of blues and purples, and there behind the clouds a full moon arched gracefully across the sky.
Then something spooked the young horse pulling the wagon, causing it to lunge forward awkwardly along the rutted rode.
"Whoa there." Artair immediately pulled on the reins to try to slow the steed.
The actions nearly made Ceraphina fall off the wagon; only through the sensation of falling did she manage to wake up in time to latch on to the railings.
"What's going on?" She asked, bewildered.
"The horse spooked." Artair answered, trying to calm the animal but it was proving rather difficult.
Dria looked up from checking on Ceraphina to the road ahead when all the color drained from her face.
Ahead on the road she saw a black rider sitting upon an equally black unicorn.
"It can't be." It was a barely audible whisper.
She reached for Logen's sleeve, suddenly frantic. "Logen, do you see that?" She asked, pointing up the road.
Logen squinted, trying to keep Calwel steady. He scowled. It appeared to be a black unicorn rearing up with its rider in the middle of the road. But that couldn't be true.
Dria judged the look on his face to mean that yes, he was seeing what she was seeing.
"What is that?" Roared Artair as his horse spooked again, veering off the road as the air before them began to crackle and his, bellowing darkness.
All the horses, except Ocean, panicked.
Dria's blood ran cold.
The Gap was coming to life right before her very eyes and caught in the crossfire was Logen and his dear father. She didn't want them hurt or in danger because of her. The portal between this world and hers was fully open and instead of celestial unicorns racing out to come to her rescue, a tiny herd of shadow unicorns burst forth.
"Logen!" Ildrianna screamed in terror, he was in the path of an on coming shadow unicorn.
At the sight of the Gap opening, Calwel panicked and reared up in fear. Reflexively, Logen leaned up in the saddle, letting the reins go loose. But it was too late; he could see he was in a collision course with a barreling, out of control, galloping black stallion and rider. Before he knew it, Calwel was thrown to the ground by the crashing force of the two steeds. The old chestnut fell backwards, nearly landing on his rider but he managed to twist his body so that he managed to only pin his master's leg.
Logen had to breath knocked out of him as he hit the ground, then pain seared through his leg at have a 1200-pound horse land on top of it.
Ocean remained stalwart, trumpeting a clarion call of defiance and war as the five shadow unicorns emerged from the Gap. He charged to Logen's protection, shielding both horse and rider as they flailed on the ground. The last unicorn to emerge from the Gap was none other than the Prince of Darkness himself.
He laughed out right as they manage to easily ambush Ildrianna and her escort. Honestly, this was too easy.
"So, little princess," Rhalluan sneered, "This is where you have been hiding." Harbinger half reared and pounded the earth restlessly with his iron hooves. The obstinate creature had spotted the deformed Indigo and relayed his observations to his rider.
"You no longer have a unicorn." He smiled with malice, incredibly amused and a bit disturbed by Ocean's malady. So unicorns could survive without their horns. The prince never knew because he never suffered a unicorn he harvested to live, it was in a way his sense of mercy.
"You're wrong!" Ildrianna shouted, fear and angry spiking her adrenalin. Ocean spun around and kicked out at a shadow unicorn that crept too close.
Logen managed to squirm is leg from under Calwel's struggling form. Above him, he coul see that the bandits around him were armed. He struggled for a moment to free his sword from Calwel's saddle and finally managed to draw his Claymore. Standing on unsteady feet, he brandished his sword, issuing a battle cry.
He immediately drew the attention of the dark prince. The look on his face was burned into Dria's mind for eternity; it was jealousy.
"So you found yourself your own knight, a prince to be your king." He seethed. He too drew his sword.
"Such a pitiful choice, my Dria. I'll teach you to choose wiser!" Rhalluan slammed his heels into Harbinger's sides. The awful beast leapt forward and roared, barring its teeth.
"Logen!" Dria screamed, scared for his life.
But Ceraphina had managed to join the fray and threw her dirk wildly. It managed to hit its target and Harbinger shrieked in pain as he felt a blade sink easily into the flesh of his shoulder—giving time for Ocean to intercede. The indigo stallion rushed Harbinger mush like what happened to Calwel.
You'll pay for that, bitch! Screamed Harbinger as he felt to the ground in anguish. Rhalluan deftly rolled from his bonded and continued his charge against Logen, sword drawn, ready to deliver a mighty blow.
Logen raised his claymore and met the prince in battle.
The difference in swords amazed the prince. He had never encountered such a heavy blade before, and he soon discovered it was two sided as he parried away Logen's counter strike. Rhalluan's blade, on the other hand, was only sharpened on one side and was considerably shorter and lighter, and therefore more agile.
Logen and Rhalluan went toe to toe in an all out sword combat. He didn't know it, but he assumed that this raging man before him was Rhalluan, the man who still captured Dria's heart. If it was true, he wanted to lock her away for the rest of her life for she was a bampot! How could she feel anything toward this lethal monster?
Dria watched the two dance about during their sword play. Rhalluan was just as she remembered. Tall, lithe, his build was compact compared to Logen's. Logen was every inch the highland warrior. His broad shoulders and arms bulged like bands of iron as he wielded his claymore. He was as tall as Rhalluan. He was as fierce as Rhalluan. She had no idea Logen had so much talent with a sword.
"Dria!" Came Ceraphina's yelp. Two shadow riders had cornered the gypsy with swords drawn against her. She only had her small collection of dirks, and she had no intention of throwing them away like she had at the black unicorn. By the gods themselves, she had wounded a unicorn! The first time she had seen not one but five unicorns and she threw a dagger at one. Heaven help her!
Without even thinking about it, Dria threw up her hands and focused on the shadow riders. Ocean reared up and pawed the sky as he felt an energy build up between himself and his rider. In an instant that energy was released and hurled itself at the two unsuspecting shadow riders—they were knocked off their feet.
Ceraphina didn't waste any time as she quickly descended upon the pair and swiftly slit their throats. She looked up to see Dria crumple almost lifelessly on Ocean's back from the exertion.
Ceraphina needed to get close to the woman and fast, but the gypsy within her wouldn't allow her to just leave the dead bodies unmolested. She quickly went through their pockets and grabbed anything that might be of use. To finish off her lifting spree she kicked the hand of a lifeless rider and stole his sword from his limp fingertips.
She vaulted towards Ocean and took a hold of Dria's ankle and shook the woman awake. "You've got the be alert, my lady!"
Dria looked over at the Gap. They needed to go through! She looked at the blurring scene around her. Ceraphina was snarling at anything that came close to Ocean's side, she swung her sword wildly. Logen and Rhalluan were still locked in a battle of skill and will. One shadow unicorn rider sifted through the shadows but couldn't find a way in to strike; Ceraphina's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw it do that.
The other shadow unicorn and rider and Harbinger were nowhere to be seen. Her heart went out to Artair; she hoped he was safe and unhurt.
"What do we do?" The gypsy asked.
"We need to get through the Gap." Dria answered, she steadied Ocean's body, stroking his neck and withers. His knees were bent and gathered underneath him as if ready to spring to fulfill any command Dria had. He remained cautious. He had no horn to defend himself, to defend his bonded. He would not risk her in battle so he was attentive to her body language and shifts of body weight. Her silent cued would direct him.
Rhalluan parried off another heavy blow of Logen's claymore. His stamina was flagging. He never expected for his sword arm to last so long. Dria's little guard wasn't so little, and he wasn't so weak, and he wasn't so fearful of his opponent.
The dark prince wanted to tear Logen apart. The animalistic part of Rhalluan wanted blood. He was incensed that he found Dria under his protection and he would prove how poor her choice was. He didn't expect the surge of jealousy to hit him so hard and mercilessly. There was no reason to expect Dria to understand the hurt he felt when he saw Logen rise, sword in hand, ready to due battle to defend what was not his!
The memory flashed through his mind quick as lightning—a little girl had asked him to be her king, so long as she couldn't find one for herself. A little girl had placed a crown of flowers upon his head and not the filth that began to fight desperately in front of him.
Rage surged up through his veins and when their swords became frozen in a test of strength, Rhalluan snarled aloud and used his free hand to punch Logen right in the face.
The attack caught Logen completely off guard and he stumbled backwards. His cheek and jaw had been struck and his eyes watered reflexively, blurring his vision. He suddenly found himself on the ground as the pommel of Rhalluan sword came down sharply on his head, the prince then kicked as he fell.
"She's not yours!" Rhalluan roared in his fury.
"Logen!" Dria screamed in terror, she would not watch him get cut down.
"Look how poorly you chose, Dria." Rhalluan called out mockingly. "He could never protect you, not from me." He pointed his sword as Logen struggled to regain his feet. "And you would have a woman defend you?" He gestured toward Ceraphina.
"I stopped you before." The gypsy hissed, brandishing her sword and dirk at him for emphasis.
"Merely hampered." The prince returned, amused. He finally looked about him and found that two of his men were dead and his mount was nowhere to be seen, obviously off licking his wounds and injured pride.
"Good enough to steal two lives away." Ceraphina nodded toward the lifeless corpses.
"And good enough to distract you!"
Logen had rose and lunged at Rhalluan's back, striking down the prince just as brutally at Rhalluan had attacked him. The two men began grappling with each other.
Dria held out her hand, "Come!" She commanded in her most royal voice.
Ceraphina looked up and slowly grasped the woman's hand and before she knew it she was sitting in front of the queen astride Ocean's back.
"What are you doing?" She was shocked.
"Take the reins." Dria threw the reins in at Ceraphina's hands.
"What am I doing?" Ceraphina asked, bewildered.
Dria tapped on Ocean's sides and urged him towards Logen and Rhalluan. "Fly, Ocean!"
Ocean lunged forward. Ceraphina held on for dear life as Dria leaned over to the side so that she was perpendicular to Ocean's side.
"What are you doing?" Screamed Ceraphina.
"Just keep him steady!"
Rhalluan was just kicked in the stomach by the highlander. In a hand-to-hand combat the prince had to admit that perhaps Logen had the upper hand. The boy knew how to throw back a punch.
Logen wanted nothing more than pummel the guy. All he needed to blow off some steam was a good old fashion brawl; Rhalluan was offering that and more. He rose to his feet and wiped away the blood from his busted lip.
"Get up!" He roared.
Rhalluan rolled away before rising to his feet. He spat blood from his mouth and smiled. He hadn't gotten this kind of fight in so long.
"She told me how weak you were, she had forgotten about you." Logen laughed, catching his breath.
Rhalluan's face turned icy at that. "You are nothing. You are less than nothing." He retorted back.
"I am everything." Logen grinned before lunging at the prince, slamming his forearm against his chest.
"You think you're worthy of a queen? Don't make me laugh!" Rhalluan bellowed, drawing forth a dagger from within the olds of his riding cloak. Quick as a snake, Rhalluan slashed at Logen's exposed flesh, drawing blood.
Logen jumped back, back pedaling towards his sword now that the fight had evolved back into a sword fight. A queen? Dria? No, she was just a highborn noblewoman. She had never mentioned anything about becoming a queen.
"You didn't know, did you?" Rhalluan exclaimed gleefully, full of spite. "You aren't worthy!"
Logen cursed in Gaelic and lunged for his sword as Rhalluan lunged for his throat.
"Rhal!" Dria shouted, gaining the prince's attention almost immediately. Ceraphina spurred Ocean onward and held on tightly, hoping the stallion knew what it was doing as it ran between the opposing men. Dria reached out and snatched Logen's arm just as he retrieved his claymore and swept him off his feet. Ocean carried the two women and dragged the struggling highlander with relative ease as he switched leads and bended toward the spiraling portal of the Gap.
Logen struggled for all he was worth. He couldn't get his feet underneath him as the stallion raced on.
"Let me go!" He managed to ground of painfully. He though his arm would be ripped from his socket. Dria had managed to grab a hold off his demon-touched arm, which throbbed harshly. Not to mention his other arm sported a slash wound, which bled freely, soaking his hand. He held onto his sword for dear life.
"Let me go!" Logen shrieked, but the voice was stolen from him as suddenly a wave of icy wind and darkness flooded over him. All around him was bitch blackness. All he could make out was a shimmering blue light that blazed next to him. He found that he couldn't breathe. In a desperate attempt to draw breath he let go of Dria's hand and rolled away.
Next thing he knew he was rolling down hill on a patch of rocky earth and silken grass, then crashed into a tree. He stumbled to his feet, but only managed to fall back over again. It took him two more attempts before he used the tree for leverage. He was dizzy and confused. He looked about him, how had they gotten on a mountain?
He looked about him wildly. Everything around him was bright and sweet, and full of life. It was as if he had somehow stepped into an over saturated painting! The greens and grays and browns and blues nearly blinded him with their vibrancy.
"Dria?" He called out, his voice sounded lost and small. He looked up; the sun was at its zenith.
That wasn't right.
"Dria…" He called again, he felt like a lost little boy.
Last he checked the sun had almost set.
"Get on." Came a silvery voice. Logen looked up and saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Before him was a dappled green unicorn with a horn translucent like quartz with a dazzling white diamond gem that glinted brightly in the noon sun. The unicorn's hide changed in value. Her front was lighter than her back, with an almost leopard smattering print of dapples. Her main and tail was like a gray sage, and in some placed gleamed silver. She was the most splendid creature she had ever seen.
He suddenly realized he wasn't home anymore.
Ok, wow. I know this has taken forever but it's a 23-page update. I rewrote this chapter so many times that I had to leave it alone because of how disgusted I was with it. The muses had abandoned me, and as I struggled to force them to work with me it seemed like everything I wrote was not right. So, now I'm back on track. Summer is here, and although I've got summer school I do plan to devote time to writing. I've missed it.
Also I'm having trouble with , fancy that.
Best wishes to everyone. Please read and review.
BVR