Love and Other Magical Adventures

twenty

We finished setting up our camp and ate some trail mix and jerky, putting a pot of dried lentils on the fire to cook. Grim had dried some of the previous night's boar, and that went into the soup with spices and some herbs Sylvie found at the creek's bank. The water in the land tasted fresher, invigorating somehow.

Ameretat didn't waste time getting to the good part. I once met both of your mothers, she told me and Grim.

Our expressions must have been comical, we were that surprised.

She nodded, amused. Feebur purred from his perch on top of her mane. It was many years ago, prior to your births. My daughter and I had...a disagreement about an excursion upon which she desired to embark, and she left The Forest in anger. Ameretat shook her head with a small sigh. Unfortunately it is often folly to journey beyond our sacred woodland, and before I could locate her she was attacked by a manticore. It stung her with its scorpion tail, though she was fortuitous to have Questers intervene and slay the foul beast.

I was sitting on a log and Sylvie had seated herself in front of me, leaning against my legs. I'd been playing with her hair while listening, and now she reached back to pull the tie from her ponytail, which I took to mean she didn't mind.

When word of the attack reached me I rushed to help her, only to find her in the company of two dragons and two humans.

We both gasped as she shared the memory with us mentally. A smaller, lavender Unicorn with black mane and tail were laughing with Grim's mother in dragon form, her bonded human, and my mother with her dragon partner.

Ameretat read my mind. Just so. And your mother had already healed my child, and were keeping her company as they knew my arrival was imminent. I invited them back and they spent the night here in The Forest, quite near the place we occupy at this moment.

Grim and I looked at each other wistfully. We had little emotional connection to our parents, having grown up without them, and anything we learned about them was treasured.

No doubt this omniscient being knew this. I also offered them a wish, if I could grant it; my magic is primeval, and knows few bounds. I offer you three the same. I am not able to change the past, or matters of life and death, she added gently. I provide suggestions for wishes as well, should you so desire.

We put that amazing information on hold, because above all we wanted to hear more about our mothers. "What did they wish for?" I asked what we were both wondering.

She addressed me first. Your mother's healing magic was as strong as yours, and she had a great deal of trouble commanding it. You are much more adept at controlling it, and have clearly worked hard to reach such a point at so young an age. She paused to let this sink in. You have quite a bit of extra discipline, which can make a difference.

"She has worked very hard, almost too hard," Grimmer agreed proudly. There had indeed been many nights I'd spent in meditation and training rather than bed. But I was determined to master some sort of command over it. 

I had to.

Sylvie reached up to squeeze my hand momentarily. "She's amazing," she added softly, pride in her aura too.

"C'mon," I said, touched and pleased. "Quit it." I resumed braiding her hair.

There is no question about that, the Unicorn said indulgently. Your mother wished for a trinket to help channel the wild magic so that she could better assist others, and I was able to fashion her a ring. As magic is of course no small thing to manage, the ring could not give her complete reign over it. Instead it brought her to approximately the same level of control you have presently achieved through your diligence and dedication.