PART III - CHILD OF DREAMS

Shul’an and Celeste had set the unicorn’s body down, and with Jesca’s warning, the Major swiftly moved into action. She took position at the front of the group, ready to intercept anything, arms crossed and hands on her swords to draw them if needed.

“Nothing is triggering my Danger Sense,” Celeste said. “Any of you?”

The three Rangers looked at each other, before each shrugged. “Nothing here,” Callie replied for all three of them. Around the team, bird calls and insect noises continued as normal, seeming to indicate no imminent danger. The Rangers each activated their Eagle Eye skills, searching through the trees for whatever Jesca had sensed.

“There!” Shul’an called out, pointing. “I saw something flash behind those bushes.”

Slowly, almost soundlessly, the Major drew her swords and each of the Rangers tensed, prepared to call their bows if needed, but holding off using the charge if not.

Lhawni saw it first, gasping in surprise, before everyone else did the same. It walked hesitantly from behind the little stand of bushes, looking nervous and appearing ready to run.

“Is that…?” Callie whispered, her voice trailing off in pure awe.

Before them stood another unicorn, but this one was small, obviously a very young foal.

“It’s not charging us,” Ambria whispered.

Callie quickly zoomed in, as did the other Rangers. “There’s no blood on its face,” she said. “I don’t think it’s infected.” Then horror came to Callie’s face as she gasped, and she put her hand over her mouth. She looked over at the black body bag. “Oh my God! I … I think I killed its mother,” she whispered. “It must have been following us, or … following the body.”

Everyone looked at the wrapped unicorn, suddenly making the same connection.

“Oh no,” Pixyl said quietly as she fluttered back to the ground, a sense of horror appearing on her face.

Callie had no sense of horse sizes, let alone six-legged sort-of-horses, so had no idea how old the foal was. But it was definitely young. If it had been born in the spring, though, that would make it at most only a few months old. And she had killed its mother. Callie’s heart was breaking at the sight.

“What do we do? If that was it’s mother, it’s not likely to survive long,” Lhawni whispered, worry in her voice.

“We should help it,” Callie said in a return whisper to the group. Then, with more confidence, she added, “I dunno. Take it back with us or something. The camp can take care of it until it’s big enough.”

“That’s … not really what we do there,” Celeste pointed out. She had relaxed slightly, but was still holding both of her swords ready. “And we’d need to catch it, too. I’m sure it will run if anyone approaches.”

The unicorn foal threw its head, tiny horn glinting in the afternoon sunlight leaking through the tall trees. It wasn’t running, but it also wasn’t moving any closer, and was obviously nervous and confused.

“We need to help it,” Callie said again, with some firmer conviction this time. “I need to help it. I killed it’s mom! I have a responsibility.”

“Callie…” Celeste said, a warning in her voice.

“How do we catch it? Is anyone good with animals?” Ambria asked. Nobody responded.

“You know, the stories say a unicorn will always trust a virgin,” Lhawni helpfully pointed out with a laugh, shrugging.

“Well, we know Ambria’s out, then,” Pixyl snickered.

“Hey! I’ll let you know I have standards.”

“Standards? Like what?” Pixyl snorted, hands on her hips as she teased the Faun. “You slept with your p-p-patient!”

Ambria shrugged. “I won’t have sex with anyone I wouldn’t want to wake up and have breakfast with. It keeps me away from the creepy ones.”

Celeste slowly turned, a look of confused condemnation on her face, but then it softened as she processed what the Healer had said. “Actually, that’s a remarkably good standard to have. It would have saved me a few mistakes.”

“Me, too,” Lhawni added as she analyzed the guidance as well.

“See? I’m not a complete tramp,” Ambria snorted to Pixyl in mock indignation. “And he wasn’t my patient any longer, anyways.”

“How would a unicorn even know if someone is one?” Callie asked, pulling the topic back to the matter at hand.

“I don’t know,” Lhawni shrugged as she looked at the creature. “Magic I guess? Maybe Ambria smells spoiled or something.” She shot the Faun a teasing grin.

“Hey!” Ambria replied. “Not a complete tramp, remember?”

“So, what do we do?” Shul’an asked, wary and still watching the young unicorn closely. It hadn’t moved, and was using one hoof to tear at the forest floor with nervousness. It still wasn’t running, though.

Pixyl grabbed Callie’s arm and pulled her ear close. “Didn’t T-T-Tasi say you were a virgin?” she whispered.

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Callie shrugged. “This body is,” she whispered back. “I’m not, though.”

Pixyl shrugged back, leaving the idea hanging in the air.

“Since I have no idea if I am one,” Callie said out loud to the group, “I suppose I could try.”

“Hang on, let me rig up a lead,” Shul’an said, fishing in Jesca’s backpack for the length of rope.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” the Major mumbled. “I can’t believe I’m even letting you try! This is foolish and you’re going to get hurt, Callie.”

“My mission, remember?” Callie said, smirking. Then she added, “But be prepared to plug the hole if it spears me, Ambria.”

“Fine, but when it runs, we’re not going to chase it!” the Major grumbled.

It took only a few seconds for Shul’an to tie a loop in the rope that could serve as a lead, and they handed it to Callie.

Hesitantly, Callie took a few careful steps forward, holding a hand out like in that movie about taming dragons. She had no freaking idea what she was doing, or honestly even why she was doing it. For some reason, she had to try, though. Even if the unicorn just turned and ran, at least she could say she tried, right?

The foal actually took one, and then two, steps forward. It was breathing heavily, as if drawing in a scent. Callie took another careful step forward herself. “Hey girl? Are you a girl?” Callie bent sideways and looked. “It looks like you’re a girl. I’m here to help you.”

That was close enough, and the unicorn bolted to Callie’s left, bounding over a downed log before coming to a stop a dozen meters away, still nervously looking first at Callie, and then at the rest of the group.

“Well, I guess I’m a slut, too,” Callie giggled as she shrugged her shoulders, walking back to the group. “Any other thoughts?”

“I’m not a slut, either!” Ambria defended, but still laughing about it, before adding, “Mostly.”

“She’s still not running away. She might just follow us back,” Lhawni suggested.

“Even if she did, as soon as we get close, the other people will just spook her,” Celeste pointed out. “Callie, we should just go. We have to get back.”

Narrowing her eyes, Callie slowly turned a steely gaze to the officer. “We’ll figure something out! I owe her that for what I did,” she said slowly. Turning back to the rest of the group, Callie pleaded. “Ideas, people. We need ideas.”

“Shul’an, can you throw the rope over it?” Lhawni asked, thinking out loud.

“Not very likely. It’s too far and I’m not skilled with rope like that.”

“Ooo! How about a sleep spell?” Callie asked Ambria.

“I’d need to touch her for it to work, assuming it even would,” the Faun replied. “She’s probably resistant to magic. And someone would need to carry her, then.”

“Oh, right,” Callie grumbled.

“There’s no way she could get close, either. She’s spoiled, remember?” Pixyl pointed out, still ribbing the Faun.

With a sigh, Jesca simply held out her paw to Callie. “Give me the damn rope.”

“Huh? Why?”

The Cheetahkin gestured a second time, wagging her paw in a ‘gimme’ motion. “Just give me the rope. If Lhawni’s right, I’ll be able to get her. But I’m only trying once!”

Confused, Callie held the coil out to Jesca.

“Wait,” Ambria said, a look of realization on her face as she held up a finger. “Jesca, are you saying that you’re …”

The Beastkin growled in irritation, snatching the rope from Callie’s hand.

“Seriously?” Celeste asked in bewilderment. “You are?”

Jesca sighed heavily and started to walk towards the young unicorn, ignoring her friends’ questions. “Hey girl. We’re here to help,” she whispered. She held out her paw as Callie had done, making gentle cooing noises as she approached. “I’m no threat. That’s a good unicorn…”

The foal carefully considered Jesca, nostrils flaring. She stepped back once in nervousness.

“That’s right. I’m not going to hurt you,” Jesca said calmly. She looked down at the rope in her paw and tossed it aside. “See, nothing in my paws.” ,

The two looked at each other, the unicorn carefully took a tiny step forward, followed slowly by a second, while the rest of the team held their collective breaths. Jesca stopped moving, allowing the animal to come at her own comfort as she held her arm out like Callie had done. After what seemed like an eternity, the foal finally bumped her nose against Jesca’s outstretched paw. “There you go,” Jesca whispered, as she ran it along the unicorn’s cheek, scratching lightly behind her ear. “We will bring you somewhere safe, okay? Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

“My stars!” Major Celeste said in a gasp, jaw dropped completely open. “Did that actually just happen?”

Carefully, Jesca rubbed her paw down the unicorn’s neck. “Okay, let’s go home,” she said quietly, taking a step towards the rest of the group. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you.” Amazingly, the foal took the step with her, eyeing the others suspiciously, before she took a second step. Jesca continued forward, keeping herself between the foal and the others, picking up the rope as she walked by it.

Callie looked up at her friend and the unicorn that had apparently accepted her. “Seriously, Jesca? Never?”

“Never ever?” Lhawni asked, adding to the interrogation.

Jesca glared at them all, before turning back to the unicorn, clicking her tongue and making gentle sounds.

“I’d think you’d have males lined up wanting to court you,” Lhawni said, still confused. “I mean, let’s face it, you’re pretty damn starfire.”

“They keep wanting to,” Jesca sighed. Then she added, “Ick! Sex just sounds … sticky.” She made a shuddering gesture. The other ladies and Shul’an all looked at each other, forced to sort of concede that point.

“I guess giving Ambria some really good antler doesn’t count,” Callie pointed out, gesturing to the Faun, to which there were stifled giggles and a very embarrassed Combat Healer.

“Pay no attention to them,” Jesca cooed, petting the unicorn gently as she pretended to ignore the others. “They’re all just a bunch of trollops.”

Still somewhat stunned at everything that had transpired in the last ten minutes, they watched Jesca slowly walk off, the unicorn keeping pace with her.

“I don’t believe it,” Major Celeste said. “And I have no idea what to do with a youngling unicorn back at camp. We could put her in the stables, I suppose, and we have a Herdmaster in charge there.” Then she snorted in laughter. “But he has kids.”

Callie found herself dumbfounded, too, and a little selfishly disappointed. When Pixyl had reminded her that she was technically a virgin here, part of her expected to be able to approach the foal. Now, she actually felt a tiny bit jealous of Jesca. She was certainly glad they were providing help, at least that was the intention. But her mind had looked back again to those pre-teen years, where unicorns and their stories were cool and life was simple and her dad was still around. Plus, she had killed the foal’s mother, so shouldn’t she be the one helping?

“Callie?” Celeste said, bumping the Gnome’s shoulder.

“Huh? What?”

“I asked, ‘should we get going’.”

“Uh, yeah, let’s. Maybe keep the unicorn up front so she doesn’t have to see us carrying that?” Callie gestured towards the body bag.

As a group, the seven set forth again. Jesca in front, talking in a low and comforting voice, guiding the unicorn. The other six scrambled along behind, a respectful distance away.

Callie let her mind wander a bit, realizing just how unreal the entire day had become. It was supposed to be so simple. First, the Bunkerball game, and then afternoon tea with Pama and Fizzlebek, and then a hike to Tazrok’s lookout rock with Pixyl. Somehow, it had all become … this. Well, there was always next weekend, right?