Devils And Unicorns

Chapter 18

The Highland Province was beautiful. At least, Florence thought so. Even for someone who had grown up in Marsh Crossing - a coastal oasis of greenery and flora at the edge of a barren desert - the Highland Province was a veritable Garden of Eden. As they travelled deeper into its belly, the landscape changed gradually from flat, dusty wasteland to green, hilly countryside. Trees began to rise on either side of the road, soon swelling into lush forests divided by ribbons of cool rivers and streams. The temperature fell, and as the evening progressed there was a noticeable chill in the air whenever they stopped for respite.

They stopped for the night in a forest clearing at the side of the track, taking the precaution of pushing a couple of sturdy rocks behind the rear tyres of the lorry to prevent it from rolling backwards down the shallow slope they had ascended. While Florence and Zac led the two horses around the glade, allowing them to stretch out their legs and crop at the grass, Charlie leant against the graffiti-strewn side of the vehicle and consulted his map with his usual meticulousness.

On the morning of their second full day of driving, the track passed out of the thick forest across lightly wooded hillside, and eventually onto empty grassland unpunctuated by trees or buildings. They had been travelling for approximately three or four hours but, having started out early, it was not even midday. Rocked by the gentle motion of the journey like a baby in its cradle, Florence had fallen asleep again after the rigours of holding onto a skittish Last Unicorn earlier that morning.

She was awoken abruptly when the ride became dramatically more violent and the back of the truck began to sway gently. As the engine whined down to a halt, a thunderous rumbling filled her ears and she was induced to sit up a little too suddenly; she almost lost her balance, and came close to falling from the seat on which she was precariously lying.

"Whoa..." she heard Zac cry as the truck finally came to a stop in the middle of the track, a cloud of dust gently rising up past the window from the wheels.

"What's going on?" she spluttered soporifically.

"Shit!" Charlie cursed from the driver's seat, and she turned to see him pound the steering wheel hard with both fists.

"What's happening?" she asked again.

"Blown a tyre." Charlie groaned, opening the door and jumping out of the cabin.

"Oh fantastic," Zac said sarcastically. "Just what we need."

"I hope there's a spare." Florence sighed, standing up to follow Charlie outside. "Charlie! Is there a spare?"

"Yeah, there's a spare," he called from the other side of the lorry. There was a clattering sound, and then the resonant ring of something metal striking the hard floor. "Hey, Flossie! Will you get those horses out of there, please?"

"Flo, Flo, Flo," Florence muttered to herself. "Zac, will you help me?"

"Hell..." Zac yawned as he appeared in the doorway. "It's bloody freezing out here."

"Hurry up," Florence said.

Following Zac and Dissent carefully down the ramp onto the stony track, Florence led Last Unicorn from his cubicle. Feeling his hooves touch real earth once more, he began to prance. Florence tightened her grip on his rein and did her best to hold him steady. She wished Martha was here: her friend and assistant excelled at handling the difficult young horse.

"Go on," she muttered at him through gritted teeth as she felt the strain through her arm muscles, doing her best to guide him after his companion. "Go with Dissent!"