Disclaimer: It's the same as before. Thanks for reading. OH, this
part gets a little tense but please still want to read the next part.
Things start to change!
It seemed that Akor had ran for hours. His neck was covered in a sweaty foam. Twice I tried to get off so he may rest but both times he refused. I know not if we were being followed by the hand or its minions. All I knew was that it would attack Balinor.
"Akor I must warn the princess. It is worse than I would have ever though. Akor, my heart, do you know who's hand that was? That was Enteri's hand! Oh Akor, how has he escaped?"
"I know not milady! Please speak no more. I believe we are almost out. I must..." Akor stumbled. Never in my life have I seen or been on him when he stumbled. Akor did not stumble on even the most rockiest of terrain.
Down I fell. The air turned from a cold nothing to soft grass. We had landed in a field. Akor was next to me looking relieved and confused.
"Milady what just happened? Are we in Balinor?"
"I don't know Akor. I haven't the faintest clue."
Slowly I looked around. It was no longer night but a couple hours after dawn. "Perhaps we should..." I turned my head to Akor. He was favoring his right leg. "Akor! You're hurt." He had a gash running from his neck down to his lower shoulder. I couldn't tell how deep it was but it looked to be four inches wide and infected. I took some healing salve out of my pocket. Gingerly I touched Akor's wound. He bellowed in pain, throwing his head up and down. But he did not move out of reach.
"Oh Akor, I'm so sorry. Can you walk at all?"
"A distance, lady. Not much more."
I took off the bags from his back; the majority of them were ripped and torn. To food inside them no longer any good.
"Come Akor," I cooed. I would have to coax him as far as he could go before we rest. Wishing I had my sword, I slowly began to lead the way.
Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´
Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´
That afternoon we stopped three or four times before we reached the forest beyond the field. Akor's shoulder steadily began to look worse. I wished a million times that we would find help and no trouble.
"Akor, you should stay here and rest. I'll go ahead and see if there is a village, okay?"
"No milady. We don't know this land. What more you have no means of protection yourself. No Irene, stay here!"
I looked at Akor completely shocked. Only twice before had he called me by my name. Both times were because I was in danger. Now he simply seemed angry.
"Akor, why not? What's wrong?"
Akor turned his elegant head shamefully away from me. "Irene, milady, I've been to Balinor before. It was a time when darkness was over this land. The Shifter had taken the royal family hostage. He captured unicorns from the Celestial Valley, turned them into his minions. Their bright coats were turned to a black worse than the abyss. They forgot their former lives. He also went after the herd that lived in the mountain valley fled to Balinor. They were turned out of Balinor because of their dark coats. Their dark greens, blues, and purple were mistaken for black. The leader, Ramti called with all the magic he had to summon a fellow unicorn to take them to safety."
Akor paused and slowly looked at me. His eyes were full of pain and remorse. "I was one of the three unicorns from Thain to hear the cry. We met at the Abyss on this night of Shifters moon. We didn't know this at the time and plunged into the Abyss to ome to our cousins needs. In the Abyss we lost one. Once out of the mist only an emerald green mare and myself were left to help them. We got to the herd with no troubles, and the majority made it through the Abyss to safety. There was one mare and her foal left to go. My companion led them through the Abyss and I was about to follow when the shifters force surrounded me."
Akor's eyes became cold and full of hatred. "I fought for three days against them. When I was about to fall the stallions of the Mountain Herd came again through the Abyss and fought their way to me and back. They saved my life that day. I never saw them again, but I hear that they may never be able to cross the Abyss to their homeland again. And Balinor cannot be beautiful or happy to me. I am sorry lady, but I feel no love for Balinor."
I slowly nodded my head. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to Akor like this. Slowly I sat down in the knee high grass. I looked around for something to fiddle with. There was an uneasy tension in the air.
It seemed like we sat there for hours. A fly came annoyingly close to Akor's wound. He flinched away from it and let out a groan.
"Excuse me, what's the matter? You've been sitting here quite a long time."
I turned my head around to find out who had spoken."
"Um, lady. I'm down here."
I quickly looked down. Sitting hear my legs was a rather elegant black hare with periwinkle blue eyes.
"I am sorry. I did not notice you." I tried to smile, but too much was on my mind.
"Quite alright, wot. I noticed yon great black beast way before you lady."
Akor snorted. "I'm dark indigo little one. Calling me black is an insult."
"Beggin' your pardon then, wot wot. Lt.Tammo Buck Legs at your service marm!"
Tam tried an over elegant salute and fell onto his head.
"You silly hare! Tam you don't have to look all fancy for us." I said laughing. Akor shook his head in amusement.
Tam looked humiliated. His once straight ears drooped down in front of his eyes. "Yes lady, well I'll just be going now." Tam slowly started to walk away.
"Lt.! Come here. I need you to run to the nearest town and bring a healer and help. No don't look at me like that. I can tell you're a runner so run!"
I'm not sure if Tam had realized that it was me who was talking and not Akor. Akor looked at me as he bellowed with laughter. I smiled. That was the first time I had ever spoken in that way.
"I need you to run," Akor mocked. He tried to keep his laugher out of his voice. That just made me laugh harder than I had been."
It seemed that Akor had ran for hours. His neck was covered in a sweaty foam. Twice I tried to get off so he may rest but both times he refused. I know not if we were being followed by the hand or its minions. All I knew was that it would attack Balinor.
"Akor I must warn the princess. It is worse than I would have ever though. Akor, my heart, do you know who's hand that was? That was Enteri's hand! Oh Akor, how has he escaped?"
"I know not milady! Please speak no more. I believe we are almost out. I must..." Akor stumbled. Never in my life have I seen or been on him when he stumbled. Akor did not stumble on even the most rockiest of terrain.
Down I fell. The air turned from a cold nothing to soft grass. We had landed in a field. Akor was next to me looking relieved and confused.
"Milady what just happened? Are we in Balinor?"
"I don't know Akor. I haven't the faintest clue."
Slowly I looked around. It was no longer night but a couple hours after dawn. "Perhaps we should..." I turned my head to Akor. He was favoring his right leg. "Akor! You're hurt." He had a gash running from his neck down to his lower shoulder. I couldn't tell how deep it was but it looked to be four inches wide and infected. I took some healing salve out of my pocket. Gingerly I touched Akor's wound. He bellowed in pain, throwing his head up and down. But he did not move out of reach.
"Oh Akor, I'm so sorry. Can you walk at all?"
"A distance, lady. Not much more."
I took off the bags from his back; the majority of them were ripped and torn. To food inside them no longer any good.
"Come Akor," I cooed. I would have to coax him as far as he could go before we rest. Wishing I had my sword, I slowly began to lead the way.
Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´
Û´Û´Û´ Û´Û´Û´
That afternoon we stopped three or four times before we reached the forest beyond the field. Akor's shoulder steadily began to look worse. I wished a million times that we would find help and no trouble.
"Akor, you should stay here and rest. I'll go ahead and see if there is a village, okay?"
"No milady. We don't know this land. What more you have no means of protection yourself. No Irene, stay here!"
I looked at Akor completely shocked. Only twice before had he called me by my name. Both times were because I was in danger. Now he simply seemed angry.
"Akor, why not? What's wrong?"
Akor turned his elegant head shamefully away from me. "Irene, milady, I've been to Balinor before. It was a time when darkness was over this land. The Shifter had taken the royal family hostage. He captured unicorns from the Celestial Valley, turned them into his minions. Their bright coats were turned to a black worse than the abyss. They forgot their former lives. He also went after the herd that lived in the mountain valley fled to Balinor. They were turned out of Balinor because of their dark coats. Their dark greens, blues, and purple were mistaken for black. The leader, Ramti called with all the magic he had to summon a fellow unicorn to take them to safety."
Akor paused and slowly looked at me. His eyes were full of pain and remorse. "I was one of the three unicorns from Thain to hear the cry. We met at the Abyss on this night of Shifters moon. We didn't know this at the time and plunged into the Abyss to ome to our cousins needs. In the Abyss we lost one. Once out of the mist only an emerald green mare and myself were left to help them. We got to the herd with no troubles, and the majority made it through the Abyss to safety. There was one mare and her foal left to go. My companion led them through the Abyss and I was about to follow when the shifters force surrounded me."
Akor's eyes became cold and full of hatred. "I fought for three days against them. When I was about to fall the stallions of the Mountain Herd came again through the Abyss and fought their way to me and back. They saved my life that day. I never saw them again, but I hear that they may never be able to cross the Abyss to their homeland again. And Balinor cannot be beautiful or happy to me. I am sorry lady, but I feel no love for Balinor."
I slowly nodded my head. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to Akor like this. Slowly I sat down in the knee high grass. I looked around for something to fiddle with. There was an uneasy tension in the air.
It seemed like we sat there for hours. A fly came annoyingly close to Akor's wound. He flinched away from it and let out a groan.
"Excuse me, what's the matter? You've been sitting here quite a long time."
I turned my head around to find out who had spoken."
"Um, lady. I'm down here."
I quickly looked down. Sitting hear my legs was a rather elegant black hare with periwinkle blue eyes.
"I am sorry. I did not notice you." I tried to smile, but too much was on my mind.
"Quite alright, wot. I noticed yon great black beast way before you lady."
Akor snorted. "I'm dark indigo little one. Calling me black is an insult."
"Beggin' your pardon then, wot wot. Lt.Tammo Buck Legs at your service marm!"
Tam tried an over elegant salute and fell onto his head.
"You silly hare! Tam you don't have to look all fancy for us." I said laughing. Akor shook his head in amusement.
Tam looked humiliated. His once straight ears drooped down in front of his eyes. "Yes lady, well I'll just be going now." Tam slowly started to walk away.
"Lt.! Come here. I need you to run to the nearest town and bring a healer and help. No don't look at me like that. I can tell you're a runner so run!"
I'm not sure if Tam had realized that it was me who was talking and not Akor. Akor looked at me as he bellowed with laughter. I smiled. That was the first time I had ever spoken in that way.
"I need you to run," Akor mocked. He tried to keep his laugher out of his voice. That just made me laugh harder than I had been."