Chapter 2

Resilience

About two hours ago all the camp activity had died down and the five men had fallen asleep, some of them had a little help from the ale they had been drinking. There were no guards and the unicorn was tied to a tree near the leader of the group.

Her hooves were each tied by separate ropes that lead to the tree and her neck was tied with a rope to the tree also.

She was emaciated and her white fur was grungy gray with filth, but out of all this her horn gleamed and the stars that shone through the trees reflected off it.

Aragorn had been watching the camp for signs that the men had fallen asleep, and now he saw the opportunity to free the immortal beast.

So with that he carefully and quietly crept from his hiding place and slid down the trunk with the ease of an elf. He stalked across the camp watching every twig leaf, branch puddle, everything as the sounds of each thing flashed through his mind right before he would step into it.

He strode up to the unicorn; her eyes shimmered with hope as he looked upon her. "Shhhh." he warned as he silently pulled a hidden knife from it's sheath, the metal glimmered softly in the moonlight and bounced off the trees.

The young ranger watched a moment as she lay against the tree, a tear ran from her eyes and down her cheek and she closed her eyes as if awaiting the end.

Aragorn was shocked, he slowly and gently rubbed her head indicating that he would not harm her, She opened those beautiful sky blue eyes and looked at him, and as she did sorrow filled his heart.

He thought of it all, she was the last, the only living unicorn. She had most likely seen all her kin die, but not of mortality. Yet of murder. By his own kind, they had killed them all, that was why she feared him.

Without hesitation, he slid the sharp knife through the ropes that bound her, a quite slicing sound escaping as he did, he cut all the ropes until she was free of all the binds. He leaned down and whispered inaudibly in her ear, "Noro lim." and with that last word she rose slowly from the bed of needles and stared into the silver gray eyes that were bright with hope.

Aragorn smiled softly and ruffled her mane then waited for her to leave, "Noro lim." he urged once more. That was all the beast needed, with a graceful spring she pranced joyously out of the camp, her white form glittering silver in the faint moonlight.

"Namarie." Estel whispered before sheathing his knife.

The young ranger was caught off guard when a unmerciful pain lanced through his temples as the pommel of a sword connected with the side of his head. He was slammed to the ground gasping for air as it was driven out of his lungs.

"You Snake!" a angry voice yelled giving Aragorn's headache nothing easy to listen to. He winced as the jeers and howls of the men filled his pained mind. "You let it go!" A boot was angrily and heavily smashed against Estel's ribs and he could not help a soft cry of surprise and pain as the leader continued to unhesitantly beat him. "Why idiot?" The man cried as he kicked the young ranger again, this time in the thigh.

The leader stopped and looked menacingly into Aragorn's eyes, "You are a fool!"

"No, you are the fool." the young mortal shot back. "You idiots were killing her."

"Who?"

"Don't be blind! The last unicorn, you were killing her!"

"So what if I was, I would've gotten nice pay off that pretty coat of hers." Malanack, for that was the leaders name, began to grin. "But since she is gone, your pain will have to do."

He aimed another kick at Aragorn's stomach and let it fly, all the breath left the ranger and his lungs burned with a need for precious air, he gulped it back down once he was allowed and glared as best he could at Malanack.

"Get me some rope, we'll tie him to that tree over there." he pointed to a huge fir. "He's going to wish he'd never been here before I am through with him." A evil smile played on the man's face.