Prince of Time

Chapter Twenty-Five - The Secret Place

“Where are we going?” Maple panted, scrambling over rocks. “This place doesn’t look friendly.”

“It isn’t,” Haliwen called back, from high above them. “Keep moving.”

That afternoon, Haliwen, Maple and Ane had separated from the rest. They now climbed a scarcely-existing path up the mountain, clambering over boulders and occasionally having to pull themselves up cliffs or the loose heaps left by landslips.

 The terrain was unforgiving, short of vegetation and rough underfoot. Maple got the distinct impression that the landscape was trying to throw her out. She wasn’t wanted wherever she was going. She wondered where that could be.

“The sun is setting,” Ane panted, hauling herself up to the next tiny area of level ground. “We should find somewhere to stop.”

“We’re only about ten minutes away,” Haliwen glanced at the sky. “I think we’d be best to continue.”

Maple groaned. “Continue to where? Why all the secrecy?”

Haliwen just laughed and bounded up the next slope, easy as a mountain goat. She had been born on these inhospitable slopes and took to them naturally. Maple, on the other hand, was more familiar with beaches and forest and gentle hills. Walking was an effort here.

“Stop!” Haliwen raised a hand, halting them where they stood. “Sssh. Listen to me now.”

They listened.

“There’s a plateau above this. It’s a secret place, one only Teliwen and I know about. Don’t do anything unexpected. Don’t move. Don’t startle anyone. It’s important.”

Maple and Ane exchanged worried glances.

“Now,” Haliwen took a deep breath. “Follow me. Slowly!”

Carefully, Haliwen eased herself up the sheer drop above them, standing on tiptoe to loop her forearms over the edge. With a quiet grunt of effort, she pulled herself up and out of sight. With a nervous look at Ane, Maple followed.

  To her surprise, her arms were met with grass. She pulled herself up and it was as if she was in another world. The thin blades in front of her face were greener than any she had seen.

“Stand up,” Haliwen hissed. “And stay still.”

Maple pulled herself to her feet as Ane scrambled up beside her. She looked out across the plateau and her jaw dropped. It took all her self-control to remain still and silent. Of all the possibilities that had occurred to her, this hadn’t even made the list.

 The plateau was a meadow. A vast, impossible meadow of lush grass and a scattering of flowers. Over on the other side, where the grey rock rose up again, was the dark entrance to a cave.

 But that could be ignored for the sake of the herd of animals grazing the meadow. They were unicorns. Not unicorns like Maple had ever seen, but unicorns nonetheless.

 They were taller than those in Merdia, wider at the shoulders. Their horns stood longer, the setting sun reflecting off them with terrifying brightness: gold, silver and bronze. Their glossy coats ranged in colour, something Maple had never even heard of before.

“Oh!” Ane gasped. “A secret place!”

“Sssh,” Haliwen whispered. “They hate intruders.”

But Ane wasn’t listening. She walked forward as confidently as Maple had seen her in the unicorn compound back home, humming quietly in the back of her throat. Heads rose and turned to look at her from all directions.