Guess what? I've gotten fourteen reviews!!! ::jumps for joy squealing with delight:: Fourteen, Fourteen! Who's good? I'm good!!! ::blushes and brushes off clothing:: Oh...you're still watching, aren't you? Hehe... ::sheepish grin:: oh well...Umm...Here's the third chapter...

Everyone who reviewed:

SirPuma: ::huggles:: Thank you...I'll keep that compliment in my heart forever. ::watches Puma screeching:: Aww...I'm sorry. Did the wittle baby not like the big bad cliffie? ::evil grin::

KelDomForever: Thank you! I'm posting...I'm posting...

Lioness Fury: Thank you! I kinda don't understand what you mean by too you please explain? I really /do/ like obeying comments, I just...well, have to understand them first. I know a lot of people who prefer Alanna, but, well, Kel is my favorite, so, well, I'm gonna write this story from her point. Sorry.

Lady Knight Wolfy: You're so kind! (I love your stories!!!) Ummm...thanks a whole lot. About the complaining thing...sorry. I know a lot of people don't like it... Go Kel/Dom! ::cheers::

Local Tree Sprite: Hehehe...the cliffie...I'm continuing thanks to my lovely reviewers out there...hope you continue to like my plot...

Lady Angelique of mysiqu: Thank you so much! I'm trying to update as quickly as possible...

Yamani: I like my plot twists! (mwahahaha!!! The power! The power!!!) They make me feel special...

Keladry of Masbolle: Yeah...I hate cliffies, but...hehe...I always endure them from other writers, so why can't I have a little fun with mine? ::evil cackle::

::Cries with happiness:: Thank you /so/ much to all of you who reviewed! Please review more? Please????

Disclaimer: ::stares into space for twenty minutes without blinking:: OKAY, I ADMIT IT!!! I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!! ::sigh:: I'm glad to get that off my chest... ::looks at watch:: Okay! I talked, can we /please/ get on with life now???

Without further ado...

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Chapter Three: A Maiden

Kel's hazel eyes were wide with fright. She glanced back at her friends, frozen with weapons raised. All of them had their eyes focused on her, their eyes cheering her on. She glanced at Dom. His mouth was opened wide in mid-shout, but his eyes were both staring at her. She saw something in them, a blur of some emotion that made her go all shaky.

She turned away from Dom. The emotion she had seen in his bright blue eyes had just given her more resolve. With a silent prayer to the goddess, she turned once more to face her foes.

Once more she raised her glaive, holding it in position for battle. She could see the droplets of blood on the unicorn's chins, they were so close...she could see the flecks of black in their scarlet eyes, each individual hair in their manes...she could even smell their breath, and over- powering stench of rotting meat and newly-spilled blood.

About ten paces in front of her they stopped walking. The leader unicorn stared her in the eyes, just waiting for her to look away. Kel did not.

I can beat you, she thought harshly, at least when it comes to wills...I can wait. You can tear me to pieces, but I can beat you when it comes to strength of will!

The hum of magic increased in Kel's ears, buzzing endlessly. A brown-red mist covered Kel's glaive.

The weapon in Kel's hands suddenly increased in weight...it felt as if something was pulling it into the ground, pulling, pulling...

Kel finally let go of the glaive. Looking up she thought fiercly, So this is why you kept me unfrozen? You just wanted to be entertained...

Her thoughts trailed off as the leader immortal walked up to her and stopped a foot away from her. Its horn glinted with deadly purpose. Kel looked up at it with hardly-concealed terror...this was the end. But then she remembered the look in Dom's eyes. That glint of something. That gave her strength. She wouldn't die weeping on the ground—she would die a warrior!

But then something unexpected happened...a billow of fog the color of moss surrounded all of the immortals. Unlike the fog that had enveloped her glaive, which had the feeling of pain and suffering, this cloud had a feeling of peace and life...of hope. It swirled around each unicorn like a small whirlwind.

Behind the magical screen of mist something was happening to the unicorns...Jagged teeth became rounded and smooth, just for the use of cropping grass. The coats that had been shaggy and yellow became silky and pure white. All blood clotted on the coats of the immortals disappeared. The horns which adorned the brows of the immortals and before had been used only as weapons, now developed a pearly glow. The eyes that had before been blood-colored now became the lightest moss-green.

With a faint breeze the unicorn's shroud blew away to reveal whole new creatures. These were no longer blood-thirsty killers, but gentle beasts representing peace and nature.

Kel gasped with wonder, and her comrades would have gasped also if it weren't for the fact that they were frozen in place.

The leader unicorn looked into Kel's eyes and she had a feeling of complete harmony inside. The immortal took the final step closer to Kel and placed the tip of its shimmering horn on her forehead. It closed its eyes, as if expressing respect. All of the unicorns behind the leader bowed their heads, then went to their knees in submission.

A whisper went through Kel's head as she gazed at the magnificent beasts in wonder. It reminded her of wolves howling in pack song, and of the wind that swept the barren desert. Of men and women everywhere cheering, and at the same time the wailing of every mourning soul ever to set foot on the earth. It took all of Kel's training to keep herself from clapping her hands over her ears. The whispering voice simply stated, You have tamed them. Now what will you do with them?

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Neal could only watch helplessly as the beasts approached his best friend. The magic held him tightly as he tried with every ounce of his being to move. He cared about Kel like a younger sister—heck! He cared about Kel more than his own sister her age! But no matter how much he struggled, his body would not move at all; his fingers didn't twitch, his lips didn't even quiver.

He could now see her struggling with her own weapon. Magic was pulling it away from her. Scoundrels! He thought wildly, they are playing with her like a cat does with its prey! Bloody cowards! They wouldn't stand a chance if they weren't using magic on Kel! She could even give a dragon a healthy fight!!!

He watched with horror as Kel tried to stare down the leader who had approached her, now within striking range. A small trill of something beautiful went through Neal's head. A dark green mist veiled the unicorns. When the shroud was shredded by a brisk breeze, the monsters had been transformed into beautiful, majestic creatures.

He stared in awe as the leader placed its shining horn on Kel's forehead. The other immortals bowed to her, keeping their heads down in upmost respect.

Realization struck Neal, hard. Relief swamped him so quickly that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry...but seeing that he was frozen, he couldn't really do either.

He had read about immortals in many books. Among these, he had read about the unicorn. Not the flesh-eating kind, but rather, the normal, beautiful kind, like these that were now before Kel.

One of the largest myths dealing with the unicorn was that a maiden could tame them—a maiden could call upon them at any time, and they would come. Apparently it didn't matter if a unicorn was flesh-eating or not, for when they were tamed they were changed back to normal.

It took a maiden to tame the unicorns of GreenRidge. And one had tamed them. Keladry of Mindelan had tamed them. Not as a knight, or as a warrior, but as herself. As the maiden she was.

And theeerrreee'sss chapter three!

I hope you like it! This is why it mattered that the immortals attacking the village were flesh-eating unicorns and not hurroks or something. Please review!!! Next chapter at twenty reviews!

Fanta