Victim of Fate (12 page)

"Hold!" a guard called out when they reached
the final ramp. "The stables are at the gate; you'll need to leave
your mount there."

"This is no mount," Alto said while Winter
stomped his hoof. "This is Winter. He's a unicorn and I owe him my
life."

"No animals allowed in the jarl's hall, nor
left to roam free," the royal guard said.

"This is no animal," Alto protested.

Winter snorted in agreement.

"Our laws is laws," the guard on the other
side of the road said, backing up the first one.

"I won't leave him behind."

"Fine by us," the first guard said. "You'll
need to step off to the side so others can pass by, though."

Alto glowered at the guard. He turned to
Winter and was about to speak when the unicorn swung its head
around and pushed Alto forward a few steps. Alto stumbled and
turned, but only in time to catch Winter's horn in his side. The
painful poke made him step away even as his hand went to his side.
Alto stared at Winter, his mouth hanging open in surprise. The
unicorn nodded with his head towards the palatial hall ahead of
them.

"You want to wait here?"

Winter stomped the ground.

Alto shrugged. "All right." He turned back to
the guards. "Nobody lays one hand on him, understand? I'm a friend
of the jarl and Princess Patrina."

The first guard laughed but the second one
stared at the two of them. "Be quick about your business."

Alto nodded and walked past them stiffly. He
entered the hall and found himself at the end of a long procession
of people awaiting the jarl. Alto peered around, noting the
similarities to the smaller hall he'd been in to the north, and
then was startled when he saw Patrina sitting in a chair to her
father's right. She looked bored.

Alto stepped out of the line and tried to
catch her attention. He finally waved until a guard noticed and
stepped over to him. "Hey now, there's to be none of that; get in
line and wait your turn."

"I know Trina. I'm her friend!" Alto
said.

"All well and good, she'll excuse you for not
acting proper then." The guard pointed at the line.

Alto turned and saw that his place had been
taken; he'd have to start over. He scowled and glared at the guard.
"This is a mistake," he muttered.

"Alto? Is that you?"

Alto and the guard turned to see Patrina
walking around the tables towards him. Alto raised his hand again
and grinned, and then was shocked to see her pick up the skirts of
her green dress and run towards him. He was even more shocked when
she crashed into him and knocked him into the guard and then all of
them onto a pile on the ground.

When they sorted themselves out, Alto found
himself in the center of a circle of guards with Trina standing
opposite him. Her eyes glistened in the torchlight and her lips
were raised nearly to her ears. "It's good to see you," she managed
to say.

"Is that what you call it?" Alto winced at
the words that rolled out. "I mean, it's good to see you, too.
Really good! You look really good. I mean well, you look well."

Patrina giggled, which set Alto back. Trina
never giggled! Her smile faltered, prompting Alto to follow her
gaze to the dirty ribbon still tied about his wrist. It was
Aleena's ribbon and, judging by the color and the look on Trina's
face, the princess knew all too well what it was.

"What's this then?" Teorfyr's voice boomed as
he pushed through the circled guards. He stopped and appraised Alto
with a shrewd eye before he smiled and laughed. "Well met, Alto!
Took you long enough. My daughter's been pining away for
months."

Alto felt his legs weaken at Teorfyr's words.
Patrina was pining away for him? She'd missed him? He shifted his
gaze to Patrina and saw the bright red color of her cheeks. Did
that mean it was true or that her father had embarrassed her? Alto
hid back his groan and wished that Karthor or Namitus was at hand
to offer him some advice.

But he had no friends this time; he was
looking for them and alone. All he had was Winter, and the unicorn
was stuck outside. Alto gasped. Winter! Of course.

"Trina, you've got to see this!" Alto
stammered.

"What's this?" Teorfyr asked, confused by the
sudden topic change.

"My apologies, my lord," Alto said. "I've
something outside I want Trina to see. You're welcome, too, of
course!"

"Of course," Teorfyr chuckled.

Patrina smiled and stepped up to Alto, and
then waited. He stared at her, confused until she motioned for him
to lead the way. Alto led the way back out of the hall with his
cheeks bright enough to rival the torches.

"Winter, meet Patrina!" Alto cried out as
soon as they emerged from the hall.

The unicorn turned and looked at him, and
then shifted his gaze just enough to stare at Patrina. A soft
whicker escaped Winter's throat as Alto approached. Alto turned,
ready to say more, when he saw that Patrina had stopped in her
tracks and was staring with open eyes and mouth at the unicorn.

"Um, Trina, this is Winter; he's a friend of
mine. He saved my life in a forest far to the south, and then I
saved his." Alto paused and turned to look back at his friend. What
he saw shocked him into silence. Winter had extended one hoof and
curled the other so that it looked like it was kneeling before her.
The unicorn even dropped its head until its horn touched the
ground.

"You've brought my daughter a unicorn?"
Teorfyr said a moment later.

Alto watched, speechless, as Trina walked up
to Winter and rubbed its neck. Winter raised its head and nuzzled
it into her, making the princess laugh.

"I guess so," Alto answered the jarl even as
he felt an emptiness in his stomach.

"Alto, come here," Trina called out to him
without turning.

Alto walked over woodenly until he stood at
Trina's side. She turned and took his hand in hers, and then leaned
in and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I forgive you for taking so
long to get here."

Alto's spirits were buoyed at the thought of
a proper feast amongst the Kelgryn after days on the trail eating
cold rations and sleeping on the cold, hard ground. The aroma of
the food spread about the table before him was wonderful, but in
spite of the repast and camaraderie, he found his appetite missing.
Alto poked at his food and looked up when a silence fell about
him.

The Kelgryn were staring at him, waiting for
an answer to a question Alto had missed. "I'm sorry, I must be
tired from my journey," he managed.

Teorfyr chuckled. "I asked you to tell the
tale of how you tamed a fine beast such as the one you brought for
my daughter."

Alto forced a smile on his face instead of
the frown he wanted to share. "Winter's no simple beast," he said.
"I'd been driven apart from my friends in a forest by a horde of
twisted creatures. Animals that were joined with other animals in
unwholesome ways."

"Evil sorcery!" one of the Kelgryn said as he
smashed his fist into the table.

Alto nodded. "It was. We'd already fought our
way past wasps half as long as a man. The villagers called the
forest enchanted and they feared it. From what I saw, they had the
right of it."

"So what happened in this dark and scary
place?" Trina asked.

Alto paused to study her. She seemed
interested but her tone had enough of the cutting humor he
remembered to make him doubt her sincerity. Was she teasing him?
Didn't she believe it was as he'd said?

"Aye, where'd the unicorn come in?" Teorfyr
pressed with unmistakable curiosity.

"I'd wandered through the dark for hours,"
Alto answered him. "My friends had gone one way and I another,
separated by the beasts. I saw lights in a bog and was going to
head for them when I heard Winter behind me. He stopped me from
following after them and led me out of the forest."

"Wisps!" Teorfyr said while nodding. "I've
heard of such lights. Faerie creatures that lure men to their
deaths. You did well, leaving there."

Alto shrugged. "I was lucky that Winter found
me."

"And now you've brought him to Patrina."
Teorfyr nodded his approval. "Alto, you've done well for yourself.
You wield Kevard's Blade and you think of my daughter when a boon
befalls you. You've earned my permission to court her."

Alto heard a couple of gasps from around the
table, including his own. He wasn't concerned that Winter wasn't a
gift to be given away; he was wishing he had somewhere else to be.
Anywhere, really. He fought to keep the jarl's eyes locked with his
own so he wouldn't have to look at Patrina. What would she think of
this? She was too headstrong to just accept such an arrangement,
even if she did like him.

"Um, thank you, Jarl. I was wondering,
though, you see, my friends and I were separated and I've not seen
them for days. We were planning to come here and then head on. Have
you heard any word of them?"

"Friends that would leave you in a forest
filled with magic and darkness are no friends you should keep,"
Teorfyr advised.

Alto nodded. "I've thought long and hard on
that, but I know them to be noble and true. The way I was confused
and twisted about in the forest makes me believe there was more
magic involved than I first realized. If it can affect me, then
surely it may have done the same to them?"

"You think they are lost to the forest as
well?"

Alto frowned; he hadn't considered that. He
shook his head when he remembered what the farmer had told him.
"No, I've spoken with the villagers who saw them. They lost a horse
and they thought they lost me, but still planned to come here."

"I'd say you beat them here then," Teorfyr
said. "Stay and be my guest, Alto. As long as you like, you're more
than welcome here."

Alto nodded. "My thanks, Jarl. Seems I've no
horse to ride should I desire to leave anyhow!"

"While you're here, my horse is yours,"
Teorfyr said. "In fact, I think it might be a good idea for you to
accompany Patrina while she gets to know Winter."

Alto forced another fake smile on his face.
He glanced at Patrina and saw her face was tight with her own
forced expression. It seemed that whatever fondness they'd had for
each other had worn away already. It was just as well; Patrina was
a princess. Courting her was far too complicated. A girl like
Patrina deserved something special like a unicorn. Alto had far
simpler wants and needs in life.

* * * *

Alto leaned against the wooden fence and
watched as Winter stamped his foot into the ground. The unicorn
shook his head from side to side, telling Trina that he had no
interest in the saddle she held in her hands. The Kelgryn princess
turned to Alto and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Alto glanced at the nearby stables where Jarl
Teorfyr's horse was waiting for him. The stables were small by
Kingdom standards, with only the horses belonging to the royals and
respected visitors being allowed inside the walls. Bringing a
unicorn to the city had earned him the rank of respected visitor.
Now he was just the boy that had lost his friends. "You have to
ride him bareback. Winter doesn't like saddles."

"That's silly," Trina announced. "What about
barding? A blanket? Bit and bridle?"

"Good luck," Alto said.

"How am I supposed to guide him?"

"Don't ask me, ask him," Alto growled. He
glanced at the stables again and wondered if riding with Patrina
wasn't such a good idea after all.

Trina turned to glare at him again. "He's a
horse! He can't talk."

Winter whinnied, voicing his annoyance.

Alto scowled. "He's as much a horse as you
and I are goblins or elves."

Patrina's eyes narrowed before she turned
back to the unicorn. She set the saddle down and walked up to him.
"Is he right, can you understand me?"

Winter's head nodded once.

"This is crazy," Trina breathed. She let out
a short laugh. "Okay, so how do I ride you if you won't wear a
saddle?"

Winter turned and lowered himself just enough
so she could grab his mane and leap up onto the unicorn's back. She
screamed and slipped off the far side, falling and rolling away.
Alto couldn't stifle his laugh in time to stop Winter from swinging
his head around and fixing him with a baleful stare.

"Don't give me that look," Alto fired back at
the unicorn. "You knocked me on my arse a few times!"

"Wait, you rode him?" Trina said as she
climbed back to her feet. "I thought only maidens could ride a
unicorn?"

Alto threw his hands up in the air and turned
away. "Figure it out yourself!" he spat over his shoulder as he
walked away. Winter whickered behind him but Alto refused to look
back at him. He thought he'd had a friend in the unicorn. An
unusual friend, to be sure, but still a friend. They'd saved each
other's lives even and this was the thanks he got. Maybe it'd be
best if he went north and searched for the mines himself. His
friends would get word of him and catch up, especially since they
still had horses to ride.

Alto pulled up short when a flash of white
announced the arrival of Winter with Trina on his back. She shifted
to keep from slipping off from the abrupt stop and then grinned at
him. Her grin faltered when she saw the sour expression on his
face.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "I'm sorry if
I don't seem thankful; it just doesn't seem real yet."

"Oh, it's real," Alto muttered. He stared up
at her and shook his head. She had the setting sun behind her,
setting off beautiful red tints in her golden hair that was pulled
into twin braids down her back. He took a breath and forced his
gaze to Winter. The unicorn lowered his head and stepped forward,
earning a surprised hiss from Trina as her balance shifted. Winter
nuzzled his nose against Alto's chest and forced him back a step.
Alto gave up and scratched Winter's head.