The Last Unicorn Warrior

IV

Hades and I walk through the forest in calm silence. His blue eyes seem to roam through his thoughts. The more I stare at him, the harder it is to read him. "Watch out." He says, turning his head quickly to the right. Startled, I turn my head to the right and see his hand holding a branch. He throws it on the ground. "It almost hit you." He says. I stand there frozen.

"How did you see that?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "Good eyesight, I guess." He says, turning back around and walking. I walk behind him and watch him. He walks with some sort of confidence and dignity. His brown coat sways in the wind with grace.

"Can we trust this man?" Ulla says.

"He hasn't given us a reason not to," I say.

"What about the feeling you had when he touched your hand. You must have felt that for a reason." She says, sounding scared.

"Ulla, if he or his girlfriend give me a reason not to trust them, then I will leave immediately," I say. I feel her calming down.

"Okay." She softly says.

"We're here." I hear him say. I look at the small wooden cottage. Wooden columns help support the roof while a small sofa is placed on the patio. The house looks welcoming. We climb up the small steps, and I turn around to look at the sight of the forest. The tall pine trees are scattered about, and birds sing their songs. I feel at peace in this tranquil place. "Ursula? " I hear Hades' call.

"I'll be there in a second," I say, wanting to stay here and get lost in the beauty of the forest.

"Okay, I'll go tell Hazel you're here." He says. I nod already transfixed by the forest. I sit down on the steps and lazily put my head in my hand. I could hear hush voices from inside the house, and I know it's about me. I stand up and face the dark brown door. I should just thank him for the friendly invitation, but turn it down. Besides I can't stay in the same place for too long. Ulla agrees with my plan. The door opens, revealing a grinning Hades.

"Your bedroom is ready." He says. I look up at his eyes.

"I don't know if I should move in. I'm practically barging into your lives." I say. Hades steps out of the house and puts his large hands on my slender shoulders.

"It won't be a bother. We're delighted to have you in our lives." He gently says. "Plus, Hazel wants to meet you." He says, laughing. His hand grabs my wrist. "Come on." He flashes me a smile, and I can't help but feel welcomed. He leads me into the small cottage. Browns and tans decorate the house making the living room feel warm and cozy.

"Hello, I'm Hazel." I look at the woman walking towards me. Her brown bohemian dress complemented her tan skin. Her brown hair flowed down behind her softening her angular face. She smiles a warm smile and offers her hand. Bronze rings decorate her slim fingers. I timidly take her hand and shake it softly.

"Hello...I'm Ursula," I say. Her sharp hazel green eyes look into my eyes, giving me goosebumps. The feel of her hand on mine sent a shock to me. I let her hand go and look at her. There's something wrong with her. That feeling I got from Hades I got with her. I didn't notice it at first, but now I can sense something off about her.

"I'll show you to your room." I hear Hades' voice say. I feel a slight push of a hand on the small of my back, and I walk to where he's leading me. "I've noticed you don't have any other clothing, so later, Hazel will go and fetch you some." He says. I look down at my dress and see how dirty it has become. The hem is now brown due to the dirt of the forest. My white cape is also dirty, along with my white flats.

"Thank you," I say without looking at him. He removes his hand from my back and opens a door.

"You can thank me later. Here's your room." I look inside to see a small bedroom with a large glass window in the middle of the room that looks out to the forest. I walk into the room, slowly looking around. Small brown chests are on the left side of the room with a large full body mirror on the burgundy-colored wall. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The window I noticed can also double as a door. White chiffon curtains hang loosely. "Do you like your new room?" I hear him ask.

"It's beautiful. My favorite part of the room is these white curtains." I say, running my hands through the soft fabric. I hear him chuckle.

"Let me guess your favorite color is white?" He says. I move to the right of the room where a twin-sized bed is. I touch the soft and warm cotton brown blanket, and smile.

"Correct, but I can also tell both you and Hazel are quite fond of the color brown," I say, looking at his brown outfit. I notice he took off his brown coat and is left wearing a light brown knit sweater and dark brown trousers. He smiles, clearly amused.

"Hazel will leave you some clothing so that you can change out of those dirty clothes." He says. I nod. "The bathroom is across the hall, and at the end of the hall is the bedroom Hazel and I share...in case you need anything." He says. I nod thankfully. "I have to go to the market for dinner tonight, anything you don't like?" He asks.

"I dislike soups," I say. "Oh, and lettuce." I quickly add. Hades nods.

"I'll see you later." He waves and closes the door behind him. I sit down on the edge of the bed and untie my cape.

"There's something off about those two," Ulla says, finally making an appearance.

"I sensed that too." I bite my nail and think. "The problem is that I can't seem to be able to read Hades or Hazel. They are like puzzles to me. Usually, I can figure someone out." I say, get off the bed. I stand in front of the mirror and examine myself. My blonde hair is fuzzy and everywhere. My eyes are red due to the lack of sleep. My ivory skin is covered with a thin layer of dirt. My eyes don't have a light in them anymore. I have my father's blue eyes, but everything else is my mother: her blonde hair, her pear body shape, and fair skin. "Do you think they would be proud of me?" I ask.

"Why wouldn't they? You became a lovely woman." Ulla says, trying to cheer me up.

"But I'm living in a constant reminder of what happened that night, and constantly looking over my shoulder in fear he'll come to get me." A tear slides down my cheek.

"You can't give up now. We need to work harder in finding the firm." Ulla says, sounding determined. I nodded wiping my cheek. A soft knock gains my attention.

"Can I come in?" I hear a soft yet firm voice ask.

"Yeah," I call out. The door opens, and I see Hazel holding a pile of clothing. I notice the fabric is white. I watch her as she enters the room and places the dress on the bed.

"Here are some clothing for you to wear after you take a bath. There are clean undergarments that are new and one of my old dresses." She says. I glance at the pile of clothing them back at her. Her eyes are looking back at me.

"Thank you for this hospitality," I say. She smiles.

"You are very welcomed in this home." She says. "But you have to thank Hades. He felt a need to help you. He's a kind soul." She adds. "I'll leave you alone to get ready." She says. I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"Thank you for the clothing," I say. She walks to the door and looks at me.

"Stop thanking me, and hurry with the shower." She playfully states. I nod. She leaves the door open as she exits. I grab the clothing and enter the bathroom. The dark brown marble tile floor feels cold under my bare feet. The bathroom has a relaxing atmosphere with its combinations of tan and brown. I walk to the shower and turn the faucet on. As the water heats up, I unhook my dress. I watch it drop to the floor in a puddle. I enter the warm shower, and the feel of ecstasy took over my body. The dirt that was collecting on my skin slides off of me.

As I rub the remaining dirt off of me, I felt as if I was rubbing away the memories of that night. Suddenly I felt myself rubbing my forearm nub. The skin was bright red and throbbed. I drop the scrubber immediately. It hits the floor with a soft thud. I quickly turn off the shower and exit the shower. I wrap a brown towel around my wet body, and I look at my arm. The redness hasn't subdued, and the irritation was unbearable. I quickly get dressed in the clothing that Hazel gave me.

Slipping into the white linen dress, I notice the deep plunge of the dress. It stopped at the very top of the torso, and my back was exposed. The skirt was also too long for me. I blush furiously as I try to cover myself. Hazel is wearing a dress similar to this, but it's a dark brown, made of chiffon, and the skirt had a slit in it. She was so confident in it, but that's because her body is fit. I brush my wet hair out and exit the steamy bathroom. The redness of my face and arm were noticeable.