They'd been travelling forever, or so it seemed. The landscape was beautiful; Emma knew she ought to appreciate it. It was far better than the bloody Lake District, where her dad insisted on taking her walking every summer on holiday. Whilst everyone else she knew, including her best friend Amber, were sunning themselves on a Spanish beach, she was dragged year after year to soggy northern England. No wonder her mum had divorced him.

She was so tired though, she thought, as Raanda continued trotting on. She'd expected him to be jolty, but it was actually very comfortable. She was still exhausted though, and knew she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

"Raanda," she said finally, gingerly. They hadn't said a word to each other in the whole time they'd been travelling, and the sun had moved right round in that time.

"Yes?" Raanda answered immediately, almost as though he was dying for someone to talk to.

"Could… could we stop for a bit?" she asked. "Only I'm so tired and thirsty…"

Raanda's trot instantly slowed down and within seconds he was ambling along like an old pony.

"Is it okay if I walk for a bit?" Emma checked.

"I was going to ask the same, actually," Raanda admitted. "Only my back you see…"

"Oh of course." Emma slid off quickly, landing with a bit of a bump, but stayed on her feet.

"Do you want to stop?" Raanda suddenly asked. "You do look tired."

Emma was about to shake her head when she noticed him looking longingly at a patch of thick green grass. "Why not? I could do with a sit down."

Raanda virtually nose-dived into the grass and began stuffing his face in a most ungraceful way. Emma sat down and stretched out, blinking in the afternoon sun. Even compared to London in the summer, it was hot here, and part of her wished she hadn't put on jeans that morning… but then again, how was she to know she'd end up here?

"I would offer you some," Raanda said finally, when he'd all but demolished the grass. "But you humans don't seem to like grass. Assuming you are human of course?"

"Of course!" Emma laughed. "What else would I be?"

Raanda chewed on a dandelion thoughtfully. "You could be anything. A witch, a troll, an overgrown dwarf, a dryad, a nymph…"

"A what?" Emma giggled. "What on earth is one of those?"

Raanda looked at her sharply. "You don't what a nymph is?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "Am I supposed to?"

Raanda swished his tail. "A nymph is a water spirit," he informed her, delighted to finally know more than someone else.

"Okay," Emma said slowly. "So what's a dryad?"

"A tree spirit," Raanda replied, chewing on some particularly tasty grass. "You've met some already today. Back at Lantern Waste."

"Those women!" Emma suddenly realised why they'd looked so willowy; they were willow spirits! "They were beautiful!"

"Well, they're not technically women," Raanda pointed out. "They just assume the form of women. But yes, they are beautiful."

They stayed silent for a while longer.

"So this king you're taking me to?" Emma said after a bit.

"The High King Peter," Raanda corrected her quickly.

"Yeah, him," Emma agreed. "Is he human? Or is he one of these spirits?"

"Oh he's human!" Raanda nodded excitedly. "Him and his brother and sisters! Human through and through… probably more human than you are!"

"What?" Emma exclaimed. "I'm as much human as they generally come. So how did they get here then?"

"No one's really sure," Raanda replied, as he scratched his leg with his teeth. Emma made sure to keep well back from his waving horn. "They just sort of… appeared one day… like you. A while back now, before I was born… my father remembers it."

"So they're old then?" Emma said.

"I wouldn't say so," Raanda replied. "I mean, it's hard to tell with you humans. You don't grow horns like we unicorns, or even beards like the dwarves."

"Will your horn get bigger then?" Emma stared at the already long horn in amazement.

"Oh yes!" Raanda nodded eagerly. "I'm only four years old. My father's is nearly twice as long!"

"Does that not get a bit… well, dangerous?" Emma asked.

"Only if you're silly with it, like I am, sometimes." Raanda looked a bit miserable then. "My mother says I should be more careful with it. My father says I wave my head around too much, like a horse. He says I'm a disgrace to unicorns."

"Oh that's horrid!" Emma exclaimed. "You poor thing!" Instinctively, she stood up and stroked his neck. "I think you're a lovely unicorn!"

"Really?" Raanda seemed to cheer up at this. "So I'm not the worst unicorn you've ever met?"

Emma hesitated. It wasn't technically lying so… "Of course you're not," she replied, scratching his shoulder gently. "Now, shall we get going again?"

It was dark by the time Raanda finally said, "We're nearly there." He twitched his neck where Emma was dozing. "Em… we're at Cair Paravel."

Emma lifted her head up. "Really? You're not joking are you?"

"Look for yourself," Raanda encouraged her.

Emma looked. The castle loomed in front of her, and even in the dark, she could see how stunning it was, with its tall turrets and huge windows. Looked pretty draughty though.

"Why are all the lights still on?" Emma asked. The castle was a hive of activity, even this late on in the day, when the sun had long been set.

They're waiting," Raanda replied.

For what?"

You."

What?" Emma nearly shrieked. "Why? What's so special about me?"

You're human," Raanda reminded her. "And you did just appear out of nowhere."

I suppose," Emma agreed. She absent-mindedly twisted Raanda's mane in her hand. He snorted indignantly. "Oh, sorry Raanda!"

Don't be nervous," Raanda said, even as his own ears went back anxiously. "They're nice people."

And that's why you're so petrified, right?" Emma teased him.

We are pretty late," Raanda said. "My father won't be happy. He was asked by the High King Peter himself to come and get you…"

So he sent you," Emma pointed out. "We came as fast as we could. So relax."

aanda trotted on for a bit more until they were at the gates to the castle. Then he stopped, fairly abruptly.

I think you better go on from here alone," he said warily, looking at the guards on the gate. "I really should be getting home."

Emma slipped off his back and stood next to him looking at the guards too. "Will they let me in?" she said in a quiet voice, suddenly nervous. She'd never even met her local MP back home, let alone royalty. And she was hardly dressed for the occasion.

"Of course." Raanda nodded. "They've been waiting for you long enough. Go on," he nudged her with his nose. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay. And be careful with that horn!" Emma reminded him as he trotted away. She swallowed her nerves and walked up to the gate as confidently as she could.