NaNoWriMo 2005: 15354 Words

Celwyn watched Lord Talwyr and the two priests ride out from the Temple walls from the window of Fianna's chamber high in a tower of the Temple. The girl seemed to prefer it there, whether because it brought her closer to the gods or lifted her farther away from the cruelty of men she did not know. Perhaps it was both.

One or two other men had left through the gate this night after the events in the courtyard as well. She wondered whether they were acting of their own volition or under Lord Maddeg's orders. They looked like large men, which made her suspect the latter. She did not worry about Talwyr. He was old, true, but he was powerful, and everyone was afraid of him. Fear could be a greater weapon than any amount of physical strength. And if these men did not fear Talwyr now, the wizard had ways of seeing to it that, having met with him once, they would experience a sudden change of heart. He did not like to resort to these methods, but the Gods knew that he had done it before. So Celwyn was not worried about him. She told herself that over and over. Of course she was not worried about him.

It was the young priests she should be worried about; the didn't know what they were getting into. None of them did, but at least Celwyn and Talwyr knew that they didn't know. These two probably thought that they did. Oh, well. It was probably all for the best. They needed all the allies they could get now.

Fianna stirred on the narrow bed pushed up against the opposite wall. Celwyn went to sit beside her. It was always hard for Fianna, after awaking from one of her visions. Celwyn and many of the priestesses of the Temple knew the feeling firsthand-- a little different for everyone, true, but it was always akin to waking up the morning after having drunk too much-- but Fianna had never been particularly strong, and so the effects were harder on her. Only to be expected, Celwyn thought darkly, after what they'd done to her as a child.

The young woman called Fianna opened her eyes and blinked hard, orienting herself to her surroundings. "Did I do it?" she asked weakly. It was always her first question after waking up after a Speaking; Celwyn appreciated its directness, even if it was not the most intelligent think to ask under the circumstances.

"Yes, dear, you did very well," Celwyn answered soothingly.

Fianna smiled a little, and closed her eyes again. "What did I say?" Celwyn told her. Sometimes she worried that one day the girl would utter something horribly dire and would panic or fall into despair when it was repeated back to her, but so far this had not happened. It was as though she had lost the capacity to fear. Even now, her only response was to furrow her brow a little and say, "Was anyone very upset?"

"No, not very."

"Lord Maddeg must have been angry."

This gave Celwyn some pause. "Why do you think that, lamb?"

"I don't know. It just seems like... he must have been angry."

Celwyn sighed. All too often she got answers like this from Fianna-- not really answers, only a sort of bewildered puzzlement. "He was. He was quite angry. I had a bit of an argument with him."

Suddenly Fianna gasped and sat up straight. "Is she all right? Where has she gone?"

The high priestess was now completely taken aback. "Who? Where has who gone?"

"The girl, the child-- the child-- he beat her, he was going to kill her--"

Just as if she'd been there, Celwyn thought. Just as if I'd told her. What I wouldn't give to understand this girl...

"Shhh." Celwyn lowered her back down to the bed and tried to soothe her frantic cries. "She's safe. Lord Talwyr's bringing her back right now."

"She's gone!" Fianna sobbed. "She's gone, she's gone..."

"Listen to me, Fianna!" Celwyn said, forcefully enough to get the girl's attention. She felt that her nerves were about to snap, and only partly because of how frustrating it was to hold a conversation with Fianna. "Do you know where Pearl is? Can you tell me where she is, Fianna?"

The younger woman took some time to pull herself together. "Trees," she answered finally. "She's in the trees-- the wood. I think."

"All right." So Pearl was safe, for now. That was all that mattered. "It will be all right. Lord Talwyr will find her soon." She said it as much for her own benefit as for Fianna's, but at last the girl appeared to be calming down.

"The Gods will care for her," she said. "The Gods will not let her come to harm. They will guide her steps; I'm sure they will."

"That's right," Celwyn agreed. She hesitated before going on. Perhaps now was not the best time... but if not now, when? It was possible that she would not have another chance. "Fianna... I may have to leave soon. Would you come with me, if I do?"

"Leave the Temple?" Fianna asked. Celwyn nodded, and she was silent for a moment. "I don't think I could leave the Temple, Lady Celwyn," she said finally. "I'm sorry."
Celwyn only nodded again, without surprise. Fianna had been tortured here, and starved, and at last been lifted up and shown kindness and mercy and shut away in her little tower. The Temple was the only home she'd ever had. When all one knows is a cage, the world outside is as frightening and unreal as the land of the Gods.

***
Pearl wandered through the forest alone. The trees loomed up on either side of her like menacing giants, blocking out the thin moonlight. There were sounds in the forest, too, that made her jump at nearly ever step-- animal sounds, and other, unidentifiable noises that could have been made by anything. Pearl tried to make herself as small as possible so that maybe whatever was out there would not find her and tear her to shreds.

She might have turned back to the Temple if she wasn't as certain of death there as she was here. Neither place even offered an easier death than the other. Besides, she wouldn't have been able to find her way back to the Temple now if she'd wanted to.

It did occur to her, at this point, to wonder exactly where she'd thought she was going. There was no place that would shelter her, she had no friends or family that she knew of to take her in. She'd always dreamed of flying away from the Temple like the birds-- that would certainly have been faster and less scary than going on foot. And somehow, she admitted, she'd always imagined herself finding her mother somewhere and living happily ever after. Except her mother was dead, and nobody cared about her, and she was all alone and afraid, and nobody was going to come and hold her until morning.

Feeling more despair than she'd ever known before, Pearl curled up on the ground. She would not cry, she told herself. She was going to be brave, no matter what. She would sit here and wait, even if she had to wait for morning by herself. Or wait to die. What was it Talwyr had said?

Sometimes the greatest magic of all is simply to be still and wait for we know not what. Sometimes all it needs is to go forth into a place we may not know. That is my first lesson to you, Pearl.

Well, she had certainly gone forth into a place she did not know. And she was quite sure she didn't know what she was waiting for. I must be on the right track, after all.

As the wind blew though the trees, making more mysterious noises, the thought was not very comforting.

Suddenly, out of the jumble of noises sounding in the depths of the forest, Pearl heard one she recognized. It was hoofbeats. She tensed, too afraid to move. They had found her. They were going to drag her back to the Temple where Lord Maddeg would finish what he had started. And, because of her attempt at escape, he would probably make it hurt more. She hid her eyes in her hands.

The hoofbeats came closer, and she could hear the sounds of branches being bent and broken by a passing creature. Maybe, she hoped wildly, they would not see her. She was very small, after all. Maybe--

The hoofbeats stopped right before her. She could hear the sound of a horse snorting and pawing the ground.

She didn't hear a rider. Nobody shouting at her. Nobody cursing her. No one reached down to grab her up off the ground. Slowly, Pearl looked up.

It was the unicorn.

Its white-gold radiance lit up the forest, made all the more brilliant in its contrast to the deep nighttime darkness. Looking at it, Pearl forgot everything. She forgot that she was tired and cold and afraid and alone. She wasn't alone anymore. Nor was she afraid. Smiling, she reached out and caressed the unicorn's soft coat. He seemed to like the touch, for he bowed his head low and closed his eyes contentedly.

He tossed his magnificent head and then lowered himself onto his front knees. All at once, Pearl understood that he wanted her to-- or was giving her permission to-- ride him. The little girl climbed onto the unicorn's back and clutched his fine, soft mane between her fingers as he raised himself and took of into the night.

They rode more swiftly than the wind-- or, at least, it seemed so to little Pearl. The unicorn had no trouble weaving in between the trees, and once he knew that Pearl was comfortable he broke into a gallop. Trees blurred and startled woodland creatures leapt out of the way as they went. The girl laughed at the exhilarating feeling. And best of all, the luminous creature of magic broke of the darkness she so hated and surrounded her in light.

Pearl did not know how long they rode like that. At one point she thought they might have passed other riders, but they went past to quickly for her to be sure. It could have been one hour later or several that she felt her head begin to droop and her eyes close as exhaustion overcame her. She fought it for a while, afraid that she would fall, but finally she decided that the unicorn would not let that happen and drifted off into the most blissful, contented sleep she could remember.

She awoke some time later to find that they had stopped. There might have been a little light now in the sky as Pearl slid sleepily from the unicorn's back onto the forest floor. The great creature lay down beside her in the leaves and, leaning against his soft side, she was quickly asleep again.


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