Custos Unicorium 1 ~Longe Aluid--Something Very Different~

Chapter Eight: The Familliar and the New

"Hey!" Hayden's cheery voice called to me as I approached him and Koriun. "Haven't seen you alot for a long time! Especially not this early!" 

I smiled. The sun was only starting to beat down its now summer heat on my black hair. I'd been on a lot of tracking missions in the past few weeks. As spring had turned to summer Josephine had called on us more and more, with less and less information. It was getting on every one's nerves. I usually only got to see Hayden and Koriun for a few hours around dusk. It was nice to be here now.  

"What's the day time like again?" I teased, squinting my eyes up at the sun. Hayden laughed. 

"You haven't really forgotten us have you?" If I didn't know Hayden so well, I'd have thought he was serious. 

"Of course not. Has the unicorn forgotten how to speak?" I asked, casting a teasing glance toward Koriun, who hadn't said anything yet. 

"Ha, ha, nope, I'm still literate," he said, neither me nor Hayden catching that literacy was reading. Most likely because both of us were illiterate. Ironic, huh? 

"So what's on for today?" I asked.  

"Koriun could use some more of that Seal," Hayden suggested. 

Koriun snorted at the thought. "Didn't you have some surprise for us today?" Koriun asked, avoiding Hayden's question. 

"I was not avoiding that!" Hayden blurted. 

I laughed. "Sure you weren't you little creep." I looked back at the sun. "We'd have time to do both," I said, "Hayden goes to get the Seal, and I'll meet you guys there?" 

They agreed to my suggestion and I set off. I had completely forgotten I was going to bring my mate, Allistair Marcor--Allistair for short-- to meet Hayden and Koriun today. It didn't take me long to get to his house in the forest. Allistair was a forest peoples who didn't live in the village. I hadn't brought Howl from her stall at the haven. Allistair wouldn't have liked that too much. He was afraid of riding.  

"Hey Regina," Allistair's smooth voice flooded into my ears as I approached his house. 

"Hey boy," I smiled as I climbed the stairs to hug him. He was taller than I, and looked oddly so. He was very skinny, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong. His dusted blond-brown hair fell almost to his shoulders in a messy array. My mate's eyes were something between blue and brown. 

"Why don't you come inside for some fun before we go meet your friends," Allistair suggested. 

I smiled. His idea sounded so nice. "Once we get back we can. The point of meeting them is being able to see them though." By means of trial and timing, we'd discovered over the weeks that us non-virgins could only not see unicorns for twenty-four hours after mating. The details beyond that were still fuzzy though. 

"Awww, come on," he pleaded, wrapping his arms around me. 

"No," I pulled away, but latched around his arm. "Come with me now, we have a long walk before we get to where we're meeting them." 

"Okay," Allistair sighed. 

When we got to the clearing it was just past full sun. The sun was just starting its journey back down the sky. 

"It sounds like a horse," Allistair commented as we heard Koriun's neighing through the trees. The spring was just ahead of us. As we pushed our way through the layer of trees I heard my mate gasp. The place was beautiful. 

"Hayden! Koriun!" I called, and they appeared from the clearing. "This is Allistair Marcor, or just Allistair. He is my mate. 

"Hello," Koriun greeted politely, but his voice sounded suddenly guarded. 

"Hi Al," was all Hayden said. 

"What's wrong with you guys?" I asked quizzically. 

"Ah, nothing," Hayden lightened his voice, and I didn't miss him elbowing Koriun. 

"It really is nice to meet you," the unicorn said, "can I go back to the water now?" 

"Yeah, go," I sighed. He leapt off with a joyful neigh. 

"What's with him?" Allistair asked. 

"Hayden had to put a protector Seal on his horn today," I explained, and nodded to Hayden, urging him to make conversation. 

"Koriun hates the Seal, but he loves this place for some reason. Every time we have to put the Seal on he makes us come here for the day." Hayden was trying to sound normal, and he did, but I could sense that the key word there was trying. 

"Come on!" I said, refusing to let random tension ruin the day, "Let's sit down." 

The males eyed each other warily, but followed. I plopped down in the springy summer grass, and Allistair next to me. He wrapped his arms around my stomach. Hayden sat lazily, near me, but out of Allistair's reach. They might not have known it, but their body language clearly showed an all-out territorial war. 

I rested my head against Allistair's chest and tried to induce friendly chat between him and Hayden. As the sun continued to fall to the point it was just above the trees, my efforts were to no avail. 

"Hey Koriun!" I called, my exasperation obvious, "mind if we come swimming with you?" 

"I guess not," the unicorn neighed. 

"Come on then!" I said to Allistair and Hayden. Grudgingly they got up. I unlaced the sleeves and most of the legs from my clothes. They were medium length anyways, and very light leather to start, but I'd made them removable in case I needed more mobility. Right now I figured it would mean less drying time. My sleeves hardly existed anymore, and my legs didn't anywhere near go halfway to my knee. 

I pretended not to notice Allistair's half-glare, half-smile as Hayden's eyes went wide. They followed me as I went toward the spring. 

"Who's in first?" I asked, turning around, but apparently I was. My turn met Allistair's outstretched arms as he pushed me into the pool. I came up growling. 

"Sorry!" Allistair laughed as he jumped in next to me. Hayden followed by a split second. After Allistair drug me through the pool by my middle, I escaped before Hayden got the idea to latch onto my legs and start a literal tug of war over me. 

As we swam around the sun sank lower still. By the time Koriun got out of the water and shook himself off Allistair was lounging by the edge of the pool, and I was floating around anyways. We were ready to go.  

Hayden took one last dive off the top of the rock before leaving the pool. 

"Nice to meet you, Al," Hayden was still cheery as usual, I was too tired to care if he really meant it or not.  

"You too Hayden," Allistair said, "Koriun as well." 

"Yes very nice," Koriun let out a tiny snort. 

"See you tomorrow Hayden! Koriun, maybe not," I smiled and turned to leave with Allistair before they could reply.