They were all up early the next morning. It was another half days ride into the Canah before they reached the Unisayan grounds. They crossed the river at a wooden bridge, concealed by a few trees, which Kassen had not noticed before.
Raliena appeared much brighter since his suggestion of healing the Unisayan but as they neared the grounds she found herself remembering when she had last been there and dwelled on the amount of Unisayan that had lost their lives needlessly.
They stopped just after midday and ate a small meal before Araman and General were to venture into the forest alone and return with their prize.
Once she had finished her meal, Raliena went into her tent to change into the traditional clothes of an Araman.
Kassen’s mouth dropped open when she stepped from the tent again, now dressed in purple silk, laced with gold detail around her chest and cut up the hem of the skirt which flowed neatly around her. Her off the shoulder sleeves were also gold lace and hung down her sides.
Kassen had never seen her look so regal and judging by the stares of the other men, neither had they. Derio was nudging Kassen in the side as if he hadn’t seen the beautiful creature that stepped into camp. He hit him away in frustration and smiled at Raliena.
The Araman ignored their stares and wrapped the golden cloak around her shoulders and put her hood up.
She smiled back at Kassen.
“Shall we?” She said and started walking into the forest.
Kassen got to his feet, suddenly feeling conscious of how travelled he looked in his clothes and made to follow.
“If you are not back by the time the sun sets I am coming to find you, General.” Dergen muttered before Kassen could leave, grabbing his arm roughly.
“It is not I she should be concerned about.” Kassen retorted, pulling his arm from Dergen’s grasp and walking away to find Raliena. He was not sure how he had refrained from punching the Advisor.
Kassen caught up with Raliena and they strolled beside each other in silence for a while.
“It is not far.” Raliena said, breaking the growing tension.
“We are not here to kill the Unisayan, Raliena. You can trust me.”
“I know.” She replied smiling at him, then was silent again.
Finally, they came to a halt a few trees away from a small clearing. A fallen tree was almost waiting for the Araman to be seated.
“Stay upwind and wait till I have hold of the horn, then the Unisayan will be paralyzed. Strike just as I let go.” Raliena looked up sadly at Kassen’s sympathetic expression.
“Stay with me while I heal it, please.” These last words were a request to him. She did not want to be alone in the forest if she found she could not save it.
“Of course.” Kassen replied, concerned for her.
After a while he left to find a tree to hide behind and Raliena was alone, ready to face again the place where she had seen a Unisayan murdered and gained her unusual ability.
The ground beneath Raliena crunched as she paced slowly into the clearing. She kept her head bowed and tried to still her heart that raced faster with each step she took. This was what she was meant to do, what was expected of her for the fate of the Kingdom. Why was it so hard for her?
She closed her eyes when she reached the fallen tree she planned to sit on and breathed deeply, thinking of nothing other than the smell of the trees and sound of birds calling, as if trying to calm her confused spirit.
Raliena sat slowly and gripped the bark of the tree either side of her.
“For the Kingdom.” She whispered to herself, trying to justify the injustice she was about to commit.
A faint sound behind her made her open her eyes. Something was approaching through the forest behind her, but it was so faint that she worried turning round would scare it away.
She kept still and saw a shadow of white appear from the corner of her eye. She breathed out slowly and turned her head to look at the creature.
Raliena took an intake of breath at the sight of the beautiful animal before her. She stared in wonder as it snorted and walked closer with curiosity. Its glossy coat looked almost silver in the soft light of the morning and its mane shimmered with each gentle movement of its strong and agile body. The Unisayan was a little bigger than a horse but much more refined, like it knew how every stamp of its crystal like hooves would affect the balance of the forest.
The Araman’s breathing was steady and even; everything seemed to slow down in the presence of the Unisayan. Even it took slow, graceful steps as it bent down on its front legs where Raliena sat so their blue eyes met. Then, without hesitation, it bowed to her, presenting its horn.
Raliena found herself moving her hand up to the creatures head and caressing its neck. It was so smooth and flowing, like touching warm water. Her hand followed the line of its muzzle and up the centre to the base of its horn. Raliena hesitated a moment, thinking it would flee but it stayed stock still, its deep blue eyes fixed on the Araman; waiting.
Reaching out with strangely steady hands, she delicately wrapped her fingers around the horn; it was unexpectedly cool to the touch but as smooth as the creature’s mane, as if made from tiny fibres of silk.
The Araman and Unisayan closed their eyes in unison and Raliena gasped at the sensation that rushed through her. It was like bathing in pure sunlight, she could almost see it glowing around her and opened her eyes to see her hands glowing where they touched the horn, then it spread out across the horn down to the base and up to the tip. As the glowing subsided, the once solid horn was now clear crystal. Light refracted through it and onto the grass and trees around them in white dancing glitter.
The connection between them seemed to expand and Raliena felt something awaken within her, something she had always known but had never acknowledged. The power in her very soul bloomed and while it was akin to the Unisayan, it was entirely her own. It had not been the Unisayan’s blood that had given her this healing ability; it had only been the catalyst that unlocked a gift that was already inside her.
Raliena stared in awe around her then back into the eyes of the Unisayan.
Found you. A voice that was Raliena’s whispered in her head but it was not her thoughts that spoke them. Come...
Before she had time to make sense of the request, a shadow over the Unisayan shoulder alerted her that they were not alone and Kassen stepped out from behind a tree.
He was hesitant but his eyes were determined and in his hand was the short sword that would break the bond between the Araman and the Unisayan.
Suddenly, all her thoughts collected together and she released the Unisayan’s horn, returning it to its original colour, the lights retreating with it.
Unthinkingly, Raliena pulled the dagger from her boot, just as Kassen began his advance towards the unafraid creature, arm poised and ready in the air to complete the alliance.
The General was not expecting a dagger to fly with precision at the loose fabric beneath his arm, with such force that it yanked him back into the tree and stuck him there.
He dropped his own long dagger and attempted to release himself. When he looked up Raliena was stood in front of him, her eyes full of longing.
Then, she placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him passionately, leaving him confused and wanting when she pulled away and mounted the Unisayan which turned toward the forest and disappeared.