Part 13 (1/2)

CHAPTER 9.

The Unicorn Prince's Horn GEORGE LEFT LETHWITCH ON on foot. On his way out of town, he pa.s.sed a group of men who were talking about the robbery of the Old Mercantile the night before. He smirked. That was a nice piece of handiwork. This town is full of chumps. They never saw me coming.

For the rest of that Peak and through the night, George moved at a slow jog or a fast walk, rekindling his torch with many strips of tattered cloth. He knew he had to hurry and only stopped to eat or pee on a tree. He thought about the lovely Athena, wondering if his little Abbie would approve. He had never allowed a woman near his daughter, but his heart said Athena could be the first. He wondered how long it would take to get back to his little girl. Abbie, I can't wait for you to meet her. I know you'll like her. Athena is special, he thought, his heart beaming. Daddy will be home soon.

There was no shortage of trees along the route. He had followed the Cripple River north and would continue until he reached the river's source-the Pool of Sorrow. To the west of the river, the Enchanted Forest covered a sizable area, and at various points, the tree line paralleled the river's edge. During the day, the forest looked foreboding, and light struggled to find its way through the twisted branches. He had no desire to go near it.

George was beginning to feel exhausted due to the pace of his trek. The weight of his pack hampered his mobility, and if it had not been for his determination and fear of the forest, he would have been forced to stop long ago.

He heard many strange noises coming from the forest throughout the night. The screams of frightened animals, and the responses from more aggressive predators filled the air. The adrenaline produced by his fear was what kept him moving.

When morning arrived, the noises stopped. This was his chance to get some rest. He looked at his watch. He had been moving at a steady pace for almost 16 hours, and his body was shutting down. He lowered to the ground, rubbed his cramping muscles, grabbed a quick snack from his pack, and then laid his head on his stolen backpack for a nap.

He set the alarm on his Rolex for eight hours and looked over the map Jason had given him. Some of the townsfolk said the journey was a solid two-day walk if he stopped to rest at night. He smiled. He had been pressing hard almost the entire time. He was now within a few hours of the pool and would arrive before dark. He could only hope the Pool of Sorrow would be far less frightening than the foreboding forest.

George adjusted the backpack under his head and used his old, Gucci s.h.i.+rt to cover himself. As he fell asleep, he listened to the sounds of the cascading river and thought about his adventure. He dreamed of Athena and his baby girl as they spent their moments together. It was a lovely vision. Abbie flew back and forth as they pushed her on her favorite swing.

Angels Village Sam and Shalee's Room When Sam woke, Shalee was sitting next to him on the bed rubbing his back. He rolled over, stretched and then sat up with a big smile. Shalee's beauty was stunning, and for the moment, all he thought about was her. The fighter, teacher, doctor, genius, and wannabe lover, brushed his hand across her face. ”h.e.l.lo.”

Mosley had been sitting at the base of the bed waiting for Sam to wake. When the wolf saw him stir, he jumped up and plopped down across his legs. Both humans smiled, and the mood in the room felt lighthearted and peaceful.

”Thanks for watching over me, you guys. You look beautiful, Shalee. Do you like your outfit?”

Shalee grinned and then pulled the cloth away from her waist. ”It's kind of cute. I need to take it in a notch or two and add a dash of me to it, but I should be able to salvage this world's attempt at acceptable fas.h.i.+on. I do like the...” She paused and looked at the wolf. ”Mosley, what did you call this headpiece again?”

”It's called a gashal.”

”Yes, a gashal.” She looked back at Sam. ”I like the way it lays on my head. The little gems are fab.”

Sam chuckled. ”You were given a beautiful dress, and all I received was a leather outfit. How fair was that?”

”But you pull it off nicely,” Shalee complimented.

”I suppose,” Sam shrugged.

Mosley broke into the conversation. ”I was wondering when you would wake. I was starting to worry that Ba.s.sorine's command to sleep was too much. We haven't left this den except to eat. You slept like a bear through all of yesterday and the night.”

At that, Sam rose from the bed. The sound of Ba.s.sorine's name brought back everything the G.o.d had told him. He stood at the window and thought as he looked out at the world of Luvelles which hung above the horizon.

After a fair series of moments, Shalee spoke up. ”You've gotten awfully quiet on us.”

Sam did not respond. Instead, he reviewed everything he heard the morning before. Accessing his photographic memory, he mentally listed each point of his conversation with Ba.s.sorine.

Sam remained motionless for quite a while before Shalee walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. ”Are you okay, Sam?”

Realizing he was being rude, he responded, ”I'm sorry. Something is bothering me. I feel as if I'm missing something important. I can't put my finger on it, but I know it involves Ba.s.sorine.”

Shalee caressed his back. ”I'm sure you'll think of it. It'll come to you. Just relax. You can always ask Ba.s.sorine about it later.”

Sam turned to face Shalee. ”I'm sure you're right.” He pulled her close and, for the first moment since their arrival, he made an advance. If she was to be his mate, why not get started? ”I think you're stunning.”

Shalee was shocked by the compliment, but could not keep from smiling. The only thing she could think to do was give him a hug and a soft pat on the back. ”Why, thank you, Sam.”

”You pat?” Sam admonished. ”My friends pat when they hug me. I pat when I hug my buddies. I pat my grandma. Let me show you how to hug someone you're interested in.”

With that, he grabbed her arms and pulled her close. He held her for a long series of moments that seemed short lived and enjoyed the fact she did not pull away. ”Now that's how you hug someone you find attractive,” Sam instructed, releasing her.

Shalee grinned and scanned Sam's body from head to toe. ”Well now ... who said I find you attractive?” she responded in her thickest accent. She turned, grabbed her staff, and then left the room, smiling as she exited.

”Ow! That had to sting,” Mosley chided as he looked at Sam. ”You might want to see if you have any fur left on your haunches. She took a bite out of them.”

As Sam stared at the door, Mosley continued. ”I must admit, it was a nice effort. If I was human, I would've tried that myself. I saw a different side of Shalee while you slept. She cried a lot, understandably, considering what she has lost. She misses her family and a special girl cub named Chanice. She spoke of a den that she built on your world and how it suited her taste more than this establishment.

”She understands humor, something I'm thankful for, considering the fit she threw on the griffin's platform. We laughed about many things. I think she finds the idea of marking my territory and our swine having three nostrils entertaining.”

Sam was still mulling over his rejection and failed to hear the wolf's attempt at humor. ”That backfired,” he muttered. ”I could've sworn that would've worked. I must not be her type.”

”Don't be so quick to judge, Sam.”

”Why?”

”Because my wife rejected me on nine occasions before she kept this old night terror wolf. She kept gnawing at my fur, telling me I was not clean enough. I never did understand why she liked to bathe so much. It's not wolf-like.”

”Okay, okay. Hold on a moment. You have a wife? Since when do wolves get married? Do all animals get hitched on this world?”

”Not normally. Perhaps I should clarify. My wife died many seasons ago ... 100, to be exact. When she did, I was lost. It took many seasons to stop feeling the pain her death caused my heart.

” I met her on the bridge at Angels Crossing. She was traveling with a group while guiding them to the city of Champions. On that day, I happened to be heading in their direction with a cure for a disease spreading throughout the caves of the Bear Clan.

”Her name was Luvera, and she was, by my kind's standards, a perfect creature. Her coat, eyes, fangs, body, and tail ... oh, that tail was exceptional in any wolf's eyes. I would give anything to have her back. I miss the warmth we created in our secret den.”

”She sounds amazing, Mosley. What else can you tell me about her?”

The wolf smiled. ”Luvera lived in service to a G.o.d known as Keylom, and she was blessed because of it. We had many things in common. We spoke every language of both man and beast. On that first meeting, we talked for 4 Peaks before we had to go our separate ways. I was destined to be with her. I wanted her to have my cubs. Ba.s.sorine was the one who made our union possible.”

Mosley held his head high as he spoke. ”Ba.s.sorine found ways for us to be with each other. We traveled together doing the work of the deities we served. After three seasons, we asked if we could adopt the tradition of marriage common to the humans of this world and make it our own. As I've said, I asked her on nine occasions before she said yes, but I had to agree to bathe on every third Peak before she would say her vows. It was awful, but a price worth paying to be near her. I was with Luvera for more than 300 seasons before she pa.s.sed. I cherished her with all my being, and I can still remember our last hunt.”

Sam stood in amazement. ”300 seasons! That's a long time. I mean, that's a lot of seasons. Where I'm from, men would've considered that h.e.l.l. Being attached to someone for so long must require a lot of patience. I imagine it would be wonderful to find someone you love so completely that you would be willing to spend an eternity together. I hope I can find such a love someday.”

Sam grabbed a chair from the table and took a seat. ”So ... this Keylom is the G.o.d your wife served. How did she die?”

Mosley's head drooped. His green eyes swelled as his ears fell. He wept for a considerable amount of moments before he was able to gather his thoughts. ”I've never spoken of this to anyone other than Ba.s.sorine.” A tear fell to the floor. ”I tell you now only because I feel comfortable with you, but I don't wish to dwell on it once spoken. Luvera did serve Keylom, and she served with loyalty. He's a giving G.o.d, worthy of her service, but it was her dedication to him that ended her life.”

”Really? How?”

Tears blurred Mosley's vision as he continued. ”A demon-jaguar named Kepler ended her. He's known as the lord of all the giant cats on Southern Grayham. Kepler uses fear to rule his feline subjects, no matter what G.o.d they serve. He preys on the weak, and he has the ability to control the spirits of dead men, making them serve his will. He can also move within the shadows, even the smallest of shadows, without detection. It is for these reasons, along with his size, that he dominates the world of cats and rules their territories.”

Sam swallowed. ”He sounds like the perfect nightmare. Even sitting here I worry about crossing his path.”