Shadow of the Unicorn

Chapter 2

It was an awful journey and any other man would have long since frozen to death or starved upon the way, but ever did the small party press onwards through raging blizzards, freezing temperatures, and scant rations. On clear days, Helve would vanish as was his wont, returning at dusk to huddle beside their meager fire, never saying where he had been or why. He said nothing more to them than he had at the first about the Council, their fate, or his own tragedy, and said nothing more than absolutely necessary about anything else than their journey required. He glowered at them in silent fury when their spirits remained buoyant despite the horrid conditions, their uncertain destiny, and his continued ire. But at last the interminable journey came to an end, at no place in particular, at least that Baye could discern. For snowy plains ran off in every direction to the horizon, broken only by great upthrustings of rock that dotted the endless plain like so many half buried bones.

Helve stood before them, triumphant, and suddenly melted into a great white hawk that circled once with a piercing cry and then vanished into the distance. The trio exchanged an astonished look but stood as still as the rocky crags about them, awaiting whatever was to come. Some hours passed and as the sun stood at its peak, the thud of many hooves and a great snuffling and snorting announced the advent of some great mass of arctic beasts. A herd of musk oxen soon hemmed in the three, great horns and keen eyes focused inward. Helve hovered on the outskirts, still a hawk in form, but suddenly he became a small dragon in midair, swooping in to pick Jace from his saddle and depositing him ungently atop one of the great rocky projections. He darted back just as quickly, landing in the center of the group, a man once more.

Said he with a grand gesture, "how does it feel to have one of your young ones stolen, imperiled, and likely never to be seen again?"

Baye shook his head with a frown, "what are you, what have we to do with any of this?"

Helve said with a sneer, "we are the Akoni and you are on trial for kidnapping."

Baye gaped and Adan's eyes went wide, said Baye at last, "you had best explain."

Helve said with a smirk, "of course you are too simple to understand any of this, but I shall do my best to explain. I will even use small words to enhance your comprehension. We are a race of shape-shifters, native to these frozen wastes, our usual guise is that of what you mortals call the Snow Falcon. Some of your Kings take great pleasure in the art of falconry and think our children the birds best suited to their tastes. My son was stolen in just such a manner and lost forever in the southlands. You will be held accountable for his loss and your entire race might well suffer for it."

Baye shook his head, "how can we be held accountable for such a grievous crime when we are neither the perpetrators nor knew anything of your race? We would happily seek your missing child and find those who are truly guilty, but how can they be held accountable when they thought it a mere bird they had stolen? You must make your race known to mankind if this practice is to stop."

The greatest of the musk oxen declared grudgingly, "he speaks sense, but we cannot allow our people to become known to yours lest disaster result. If this is the price we must pay to maintain our secret, then so be it, but I fear we cannot allow you to return to the southlands and betray us."

Helve burst out, "then no one is to be held accountable for this grievous insult? The race of men will continue to prey upon us? How can such a filthy kindred be allowed to continue upon the face of the earth? This is why I tried to take matters into my own hands, for I knew the Council would not give me justice!"

The great ox turned a perplexed eye upon Baye, "what does he mean?"

Baye said grimly, "he tried to trick a green dragon into studying the intricacies of the dark arts, but the creature wisely discerned that such arcane studies were not within his purview."