Araman

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   The small, young female washed her hands in the pool of icy water she had dug out earlier that day. Raliena had arrived in Attashar sooner than she had expected. Avoiding the main roads to the Kingdom meant that she had been able to travel directly to Attashar, cutting a good quarter off the journey.

Now, she was forced to wait in this secluded part of the woods until sunrise, when it would be easier to enter Attashar castle unnoticed and disguised as a servant.

A well groomed, strong brown horse stuck its head next to hers curiously then wedged his large muzzle into the pool and lapped up the remaining water.

Raliena tusked and patted the horse on the neck, who breathed out heavily in answer before walking back to where Raliena had set down the saddle and bags.

A cold breeze rushed past her still body as Raliena thought carefully about what she had come to Attashar to do.

Only a month ago she had been named Araman.

This had made it very difficult for her to get out of Verxia, the Kingdom where she lived, without being noticed.

Araman were as important as the King himself, if not more, due to the spiritual sensitivity that surrounded them. It was an honour if King Baynil of Verxia saw you fit to become one; a fact that had made it impossible for Raliena to refuse the post.

It was one of Verxia's oldest traditions. Every new knight to the King's court was expected to slay a Unisayan and take its horn as a trophy.

Unisayan were ancient creatures said to be part of the Earth itself. They resembled large horses but were always white with silver manes and hooves like clear crystal. Their main distinguishing feature, and a valuable prize, was the horn that protruded proudly from their heads, ever pointing towards the heavens.

Araman acted as the bait on such hunts, they accompanied the new knights to Canah forest, where Unisayan were known to live. These seemingly intelligent creatures were drawn to their death by 'pure' maidens and unnecessarily slaughtered for their horns.

A simple trinket brought by the death of something so pure and beautiful.

Raliena was against the tradition; which is why she still couldn't explain why she had travelled all the way to Attashar to save the very man who was to perform the deed in less than a month.

Drying her hands on her dress and running them through her long curled hair, Raliena also breathed out heavily and joined Fahge under a canopy of leaves; to keep out the sharp winter breeze.

She had been riding hard for three days to get to Attashar and both horse and rider were exhausted.

Fahge collapsed his heavy body against the trunk of a large oak and settled his head on the grass, keeping his big brown eyes focused on Raliena and the bag she was rummaging through.

The General Kassen of Attashar was to be Raliena's first call of duty in an attempt to join the two kingdoms - Verxia and Attashar – together in an alliance. The Knighting ceremony was to be a show of good will before the formal treaty. Attashar did not share in the same tradition and Unisayan had not been found to travel as far North as the Kingdom.

Rumours had quickly spread across the villages and towns that King Baynil wished to name the General his heir to Verxia, once the alliance was settled. Not having any sons, since the Queen and her child had both died during the birth, left the King without a successor and the General was said to be close to the royal family in Attashar.

So news of an illness striking the General, only weeks before the alliance was to be made, had put both kingdoms under strain as each were eager to finalise the treaty between them.