Hello, and welcome to the 21st chapter of "The Peculiar Pair". We do hope you enjoy reading our little fanfic. Reviews would be much appreciated.
- Aloof Avenger #2
The first time I entered the forest three weeks after summer break was confusing, last year the forest had become a safe haven, somewhere I knew I would find comfort but this year... It was strange, the quiet whispers of the forest spirit no longer pulled my playfully deeper into the forest, now it seemed to push me away, towards the castle. The entire place had transformed, it was quieter, darker, and more sinister. It felt like it was in mourning and I didn't know for what.
I wandered slowly trying to ignore the signs telling me to leave.
"Hello, Rowan, Kylifa?" I called out almost desperately the names of my centaur and fairy friends. I started running to the river where I had first felt the forest spirits influence and when I was almost there I tripped over something that in my panic I hadn't seen. I slowly got up, dusting myself off and turned around. A white hoof was sticking out of a patch of thorny bushes, anxiety and fear suddenly curled into a knot in my stomach, there was only one creature with a coat so white. Hesitantly I stepped forward and when the hoof didn't twitch I lunged, giving no regards to my own pain as the thorns cut me and I started to bleed as I ripped the bushes apart.
"No no nO NO NO!" I collapsed to my knees and a strange keening noise that I couldn't stop came out of my throat. A unicorn, small and young lay dead and covered in dirt and silvery blood, its throat ripped out.
I shakingly removed my outer robe and laid it over the creatures body, then lifted the head and let it lay in my lap as I sobbed over it. I don't know how long I stayed there, but I was shaken out of my tears when a hand grabbed my shoulder. I jerked and looked up to see Firenze, a relatively young centaur and several other of the herd watching me solemnly.
"W-why did this happen, who... I-I?" I couldn't speak a full sentence and as I looked at them I noticed it was completely dark, and freezing. I was probably hypothermic but at this point I couldn't bring myself to care. Bane, stared for a long while up into the stars that their culture placed so much meaning in and then sighed sadly.
"There is something here, it is unnatural, something we have not seen before. It hunts the most pure of creatures for reasons most dark. We cannot stop it and yet the stars speak of a future that will bring misery if it is not stopped." He paused and stared at me to try to pass on the seriousness of what he was speaking. " You are a friend to all in this forest, and you are a member of our herd, but the forest that you cherish is no longer safe for you young foal, and while we can try to protect you, I must insist you stay within the castle where you are safer, for mars shines bright this season, and that can only bring trouble."
I was gathered into the arms of another centaur and quickly bundled in a blanket as they carried me to the edges of the forest. I was in shock, or maybe the cold had finally registered in my mind for I didn't protest being treated like a child, and when I stumbled up to the castle alone and clutching the blanket like a lifeline I headed to the kitchens instead of to the common rooms and sat by the large fireplace there all night, numbly accepting the hot chocolates and warming potions being pressed into my hands by the elves who swarmed worriedly around me.
"Emma!" I called to the girl who was making her way to breakfast the next morning and wasn't surprised when she looked at me with shock in her eyes, I did look rather awful, I no doubt had a cold from spending a good part of the night on the forest floor, not to mention the bags under my eyes, missing outer robe, and pale scratched face.
"Steph, are you alright? What's happened you look like you got run over!"
"Emma, I-I there... I went to the forest, please can we go to the kitchens? I need somewhere private to talk to you," I didn't wait for her consent and dragged her back to my spot in the kitchens ignoring the looks I was getting on the way there.
"Alright we're here now what the fudge happened to you in the forest, I thought you were safe there?"
I swallowed heavily and ran a hand through my hair, rather absentmindedly pulling out a leaf.
"Emma, in the forest I found.." I paused and pushed my hand angrily against my eyes to keep the fresh tears at bay "I found a dead unicorn... it was so little and o-oh god it's throat... something new is in the forest, the centaurs are afraid of it, and it's hunting the unicorns".