Chapter Nine
E L Y S I
Tahir had no idea what to expect, but was surprised to see a world as familiar as the one he left. There were no monsters popping out from behind trees, no scary creatures lurking about ready to devour young children. He heard no menacing growls. An occasional glance over his shoulder revealed nothing but a dense oasis of trees and grasses and all the usual sights and sounds within.
Oraden’s cloven hooves struck and bounced off the sand like hail on the rooftops of his village. He bounded over fallen trees without breaking stride and dashed around thickets without slowing. Tahir held tightly to Oraden’s mane. He leaned forward over the unicorn’s neck to avoid being hit in the head by low branches, unable to control the grin on his face and excitement in his eyes. Never had he felt so alive.
Oraden abruptly stopped. “You can get off now. I don’t want my parents to know you were riding me.”
Tahir obediently dismounted. He looked back and saw the faint path they’d just taken simply disappear, as if the woods parted to allow Oraden through, then closed behind them.
“Come on, we still have to hurry,” Oraden said.
“Where are we?”
“It’s called Elysi.”
“Is this where you live?”
“This is part of my home,” Oraden explained. “We actually live in the meadow right over there, but the surrounding woods are home to us as well.”
“Where is the meadow?”
“Straight ahead.”
“Where?” Tahir stood confused.
“You will see it in a few minutes.”
“Do you see it now, or do you just know it’s there?”
“I know it’s there because I can see it. Don’t worry; you'll start seeing a lot of things if you stay here long enough.”
“Like what?”
“Like all kinds of stuff.”
“Tell me, Oraden. I want to know!” Tahir jumped in front of Oraden and pleaded.
“I can’t tell you. All I know is that things will be revealed to you in time. Now don’t ask me anything else about it.”
“Will your parents be angry with you for bringing me here?”
“I don’t think so. We take pride in helping those who are in need, alone, helpless, or in danger. When I found you, you were…well, you were all of those things.”
“Do you think they will like me?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” Oraden gave Tahir a look that clearly showed his impatience. “My mother likes all animals. It might take my father a while to get used to you.”
“Will we…?”
“Tahir!”
“What?” he asked in an innocent little boy’s kind of way.
“No more questions. Just remember, don’t tell them that I was on the other side of the river, and don’t mention that I let you ride on my back.”
“I won’t say anything about it. But will we eat when we get there?”
“Of course you can eat.” Oraden laughed. “Why wouldn’t you?”
“I just thought maybe we might have missed dinner.”
“I don’t know what dinner is, but you can eat whenever you want. As soon as you meet my parents, we'll find something. We don’t have time right now, we’re almost there.”
Tahir followed along thinking about how different things were since he met Oraden. He was accustomed to eating meals with his parents at certain times of the day; but that life was all gone. England would be even more different. He’d have to learn to adapt. For now, he figured he should learn as much as he could from Oraden.
“Look, Tahir, there’s my mother!”
Tahir looked in the direction Oraden pointed to with his horn.
“Where? I don’t see anything.”
“Right over there. Come on!” Oraden broke into a gallop.
Tahir chased after him toward ‘nothing’; he didn’t see anyone anywhere. He ran as fast as he could to keep up with the unicorn, but stopped short when Oraden came to halt. He watched the unicorn prance in circles. Tahir couldn’t hear his words, but he could see that Oraden was excitedly talking and laughing. Keeping his distance, Tahir continued to watch as Oraden played with his make-believe friend, mother, or whomever he thought it was. Tahir’s stomach knotted as he realized he allowed himself to be talked into going home with a crazy unicorn.
“Tahir! Come on over here and meet my mother!” Oraden shouted.
For a moment, Tahir couldn’t move. He really didn’t want to go any closer, but this was his friend and he didn’t want to be rude. He took a few hesitant steps. As he slowly approached, the air around Oraden began to ripple; slowly, another unicorn materialized right next to Oraden. Tahir stopped and watched the two of them staring back at him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Oraden wasn’t crazy after all. Maybe I am the crazy one, he thought.
“Come on Tahir, what’s the matter with you?”
Tahir looked around to see if anything else suddenly materialized around him. Seeing nothing, he walked over to meet Oraden’s mother.
“Mother, this is my friend, Tahir.”
“Hello, Tahir. I am Diamond. It’s nice to meet you,” she said with an apprehensive smile.
“Hello, Ma’am.”
“Can he stay with us, Mother? Please?”
“Oraden, I’m sure his parents would have something to say about that.”
“I, I…” Tahir didn’t know what to say. He stared at the ground as images of his mother buried in rubble flooded his mind. He could feel his head getting hot and tears forming in his eyes. He blinked them away. He swore that he wouldn’t cry anymore, especially not now. Not in front of Oraden.
“Tahir’s home was destroyed a few days ago and his parents were killed.” Oraden whispered in her ear.
“You poor, poor child. Were you injured?” Tahir shook his head ‘no’. Although she didn’t have much experience with human anatomy, she still gave him a brief inspection. He was dirty, perhaps a bit on the thin side, but as far as she could tell he seemed to be healthy. She nuzzled his face and gave his cheek a lick. Her fuzzy nose tickled his skin; she was glad to see him smile.
“Don’t worry Tahir,” Diamond cooed. “You are perfectly safe here in Elysi. This will be your home for as long as you like.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.” Tahir hesitantly reached out to pet her soft coat.
“Please, just call me Diamond,” she led the youngsters toward the meadow. “Come, tell me all about your adventure while we look for your father.”
Tahir followed along as Oraden talked nonstop about how he met his new friend. Tahir wasn’t listening; he already knew the story. He tried to push away the sadness and focus on the beauty that was to be his new home. He suddenly found himself standing in a meadow; it wasn’t there a minute ago, and now it was.
Dense woods surrounded the meadow. Trees bore fruit of all kinds. Small shrubbery and wild flowers made way, opening a path through the meadow. Tahir was amazed at how this much beauty could be hidden in the middle of the desert. He assumed animals would be drawn to such fertile land, but he saw none. The setting sun bathed everything in a warm glow. Small lights danced beneath the treetops. It was so peaceful.
One by one, small animals appeared as if from thin air. First, butterflies and bees, followed by birds, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and weasels. They took no notice of him as they went about their business. Life in Elysi slowly materialized before his eyes.
He thought he might’ve seen a unicorn; it was only a glimpse, but he was fairly certain one of the graceful creatures was there. Occasionally he saw the grass dance before him as though one galloped past. He staggered back to get out its way, not sure if it could see him. Then he saw ghostly silhouettes. Some were gathered in groups of three or four, some ran at play; others stood all alone: watching. One by one they sprang to life before him—no longer illusions or ghosts, but living, breathing, majestic creatures with obvious intelligence and kindness in their faces. The unicorns were the
only animals that seemed to be aware of him. He knew that Oraden and his mother could see all of this at once, but for him, it was quite thrilling and slightly frightening.
He didn’t sense any danger; but not knowing what might reveal itself next was a bit unsettling. All of the animals seemed to be friends with each other. Rabbits romped with squirrels, birds fluttered at play with jackalopes, deer pounced at chipmunks. It was a wonderful sight.
“This is amazing, Oraden!” he blurted, unable to contain his excitement.
“What is?” Oraden asked.
“All of this. It’s wonderful. Can all of the animals talk?”
“Of course they can talk,” Oraden laughed.
“Oraden, it’s not nice to laugh at someone’s question.” Diamond scolded.
“But why would he think animals couldn’t talk?”
“Because he is human. Tahir,” she said, motioning for him to walk next to her, “It is true, all animals can talk. Typically, humans are not able to understand their languages.”
“Then why can I talk to you?” he asked.
“That’s a good question. One I’m afraid I can’t answer.”
“They all seem to get along with each other. Will they be afraid of me?”
“Of course not, unless you give them a reason to. In this oasis we all live harmoniously. We respect one another, and share the woods, meadow, and river that is Elysi and all its bounties. No one is superior; no one holds dominion over another; therefore, there is nothing to fear. The few predators that hunt in the woods surrounding Elysi rarely venture within our borders.”
Tahir understood. Still, there were so many questions he wanted to ask.
“The longer you stay here, the more you will understand. As I said, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. Oraden, I think you should introduce Tahir to some of the other unicorns.”
“I don’t want to,” Oraden stamped the ground. “They don’t like me and they won’t like Tahir either.”
“You don’t know that. Besides, they do like you. They just don’t understand you that’s all; neither do I, come to think of it. If Tahir is going to stay here, he needs to meet all the animals, starting with the unicorns.”
“Fine. Come on, Tahir. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Oraden kicked the ground as he dragged himself toward the group of young unicorns.
“I’m going to have a talk with your father. Bring Tahir around when you’re finished.”
Diamond watched the two walk toward a group of young unicorns gathered at the edge of the stream. She was well aware that the other colts didn’t like Oraden. It made her sad to see all of the other juvenile unicorns playing together while her son was left to entertain himself. They had no choice but to allow Oraden to do his exploring alone.
“Why don’t they like you?” Tahir asked as they trudged toward the waiting unicorns.
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I think Roddy’s okay, but she’s afraid to be around me too much because she thinks the others will be mad at her. That’s Roddy over there; we’ll talk to her first.”
Tahir couldn’t see how Oraden could tell one from the other. They were all about the same size; all had a thick, pointed horn in the center of their heads. Unlike Oraden, each wore a dark reddish-brown coat with faint spots. The one Oraden called Roddy anxiously watched them approach and separated herself from the others so as to be the first to greet them.
“Hi, Roddy.” Oraden grumbled.
“Hi, Oraden. Where have you been this time?” Roddy never took her eyes from the newcomer.
“Just out exploring again. This is Tahir. He’s going to be staying for a while.”
“Hi,” Tahir smiled nervously.
“Hi, Tahir,” her voice was warm and welcoming.
“I still don’t understand why you are always going off all alone, Oraden. It’s dangerous out there, you know.”
“Not if you’re careful,” Oraden mumbled, watching the other unicorns from the corner of his eye.
“I hope one day you will take me with you so I can see what keeps you away from home so much.”
Oraden snorted, disregarding yet another of her attempts to persuade him to take her with him on one of his adventures.
Roddy ignored him and the other unicorns sneering behind her. “Are you on an adventure too, Tahir?”
“Sort of. I was on my way to England when I met Oraden.”
“Are you still going to England?”
“Yes, but I’m not in any hurry. I’ll stay here for a while, and then I'll be on my way.”
“I suppose you’ll be taking Oraden with you huh? Where is England anyway?”
“It’s far away from here. It’s where…”
“Why all the questions Roddy?” Oraden interrupted.
“I don’t know,” Roddy pawed at the ground. “Just asking, that’s all.”
“Well, don’t.” Oraden turned his attention to the five unicorns studying him from afar. He knew it was only a matter of time before they started trouble.
Tahir scratched his arm nervously. It wasn’t difficult to sense the tension between Oraden and the others. Oraden’s muscles were taut, the hairs on his back stood on end, his nostrils flared, and he never took his eyes from the biggest of the group. Tahir had no idea who was the trouble-maker. Roddy seemed pleasant enough, yet Oraden was quite short with her. In his limited amount of time with Oraden, Tahir already learned that his new friend wasn’t the most patient of creatures; he could be quite rude at times. Still, he was fun, playful and adventurous. Surely his shortcomings were not the cause of all this animosity.
Tahir peered over Oraden’s back to study the others. Even from a distance, he could see their unfriendly demeanors. For Roddy, this stand-off was normal; she was well acquainted with their small feud. She leaned over to Tahir and pointed out each unicorn with her horn, telling their names, ending with the biggest, meanest-looking one of them all: Kodah.
“If they like you, they can be the best of friends,” Roddy explained, sensing Tahir’s apprehension.
“But if they don’t like you, they’re a bunch of bullies,” Oraden added.
The herd was on the move. They swaggered toward Roddy and the two outsiders with their tails and noses high.
“You should try harder to get along with them, Oraden. They’re really not that bad.”
“You can say that because they like you,” Oraden’s horn glowed a soft tint of red. “I’ve never done anything to any of them.”
Kodah and the others circled Oraden and Tahir, inspecting the strange new creature.
“Why did you bring this two-footer here?” Kodah sneered. “He doesn’t belong here any more than you do. Take him back where you found him and stay there, both of you!”
The other unicorns neighed and stomped in agreement.
“This is my friend and he can stay as long as he wants to,” Oraden shouted back.
“Funny how you have to go beyond the meadow to find a friend huh, Oraden?” the other unicorns snickered.
“Come on guys, cut it out. Let’s not fight in front of Tahir,” Roddy pleaded.
“I’m not afraid of Kodah; if he wants a fight, fine with me.” Oraden glared at Kodah.
“Oh? And I suppose your little two-footed friend is going to help you, right?” Kodah mocked, shooting Tahir an unmistakable look of disgust.
The other unicorns laughed as they circled around Tahir. He hadn’t been in many fights, but he’d never backed away from one either. This situation was a little different: How does one fight a unicorn? Oraden was his friend and was taking up for him; he couldn’t let Oraden fight all five of them alone. He wondered whose side Roddy would take.
“I don’t need any help to whip a coward like you!” Oraden’s horn glowed brighter and brighter until it looked like the hot metal in a blacksmith’s forge.
“Who are you calling a coward?” Kodah stepped closer, glaring at Oraden.
“You!” Oraden stood his ground. “Too sc
ared to ever leave the meadow. Coward!”
Kodah charged without warning, but Oraden was ready for him. Roddy nudged Tahir out of the way as Kodah’s friends crowded in, yelling and cheering him on. Oraden and Kodah, both on hind legs, furiously kicked and pawed, aiming to damage the others’ precious horn. As the source of their magic, a broken horn would cause serious emotional and physical challenges. Although strong, and often used as a weapon in battle, a powerful well-placed kick could break it.
The two hammered each other with their hooves, their coats foaming with sweat. The cheers of the bystanders fomented their rage. Louder and louder the cheers grew as Kodah and Oraden’s frenzied kicks battered each others’ small bodies and sent blood streaming down their legs. So enthralled by the ruckus, none of them noticed the tall, scarred unicorn barreling toward them.
“Oraden! Kodah! Stop it immediately!” Oraden’s father pushed himself between the two opponents. His horn glowed and his nostrils flared. “What’s this all about?” he glared at Oraden first, then over at Kodah. Their panting could be heard in the silence. “I will have no more of this fighting! Do you understand?”
“Kodah started it!” Oraden tried to explain.
“I don’t care who started it. Enough is enough! Go find a way to occupy yourselves without hurting each other. Go. Now!”
The unicorns hurried away; they got off easy this time, and hopefully, Ramah wouldn’t tell their parents. Oraden and Tahir tried to sneak away as well, but were quickly caught.
“Not you two. You’re coming with me.”
Tahir tried to read Oraden’s face for any fear or concern, but he realized he hadn’t had enough experience with Oraden—or unicorns in general, for that matter—to be able to read facial expressions.
Ramah lead them away from the meadow. He stopped under an apricot tree, reached up and snatched one into his mouth. Tahir’s stomach rumbled as he watched Ramah bite into the succulent fruit. But apprehension won out over his hunger and he decided it best not to ask for one. Oraden was silent, sulking with his head and tail low.
Tahir could definitely see the differences between the unicorns in the meadow and Oraden’s father. Ramah was larger and much more muscular. His mane was thick and coarse. The dark eyes peeking from behind his bangs were pools of wisdom. Instead of the same reddish-brown of all the other unicorns, he had a grey, almost white, shaggy coat. He actually seemed poorly suited for the desert heat and sand. He also lacked the faint spots of the younger unicorns. So far, Tahir had not seen another with a black coat like Oraden’s.
Ramah took his time eating the fruit. He wanted a few minutes to study this human boy. He had the dark skin typical of other humans he observed in the past. His hair was dark, wiry, and short. His almond-shaped brown eyes shifted nervously back and forth as he fidgeted. He was very thin and looked vulnerable standing on only two legs. Ramah often wondered how humans managed to move around without falling over. Like Oraden, his muscles weren’t fully developed. His eyes communicated curiosity and excitement but, unlike Oraden’s, they harbored great sadness. His face lacked the mane Ramah had seen on adult men; he was definitely still a child. Ramah guessed they were probably about the same age.
But, no matter how youthful and innocent-looking he was, the situation did not set well with Ramah. How could Diamond welcome a human into their midst? Why risk the danger? She knew well the wickedness of humans, the threat they posed to unicorns and particularly to their son. What was done was done. Supposedly the boy was alone, and as a child he likely posed little threat. Hopefully, her compassion would not be their undoing.
“So, you’re the human boy. I am Ramah, Oraden’s father. Not a very nice way for us to meet, is it?”
“No, Sir.”
“I suppose we have Oraden to blame for that.” he gave Oraden one of those looks that said, ‘Keep your mouth shut and maybe I’ll let you off easy’. Oraden obeyed the unspoken command. He kept his head down and kicked at the dirt and grass. “I have been told Tahir, that you have lost your mother and father?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I am sorry to hear that. As Diamond said, you are welcome here as long as you choose to stay. And I’m sure you will have much better days ahead than this one.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Oraden!” he called in a stern tone, jarring Oraden from his preoccupation with the ground. “It is your responsibility to make sure Tahir has everything he needs. Stay together, play together, and teach him our ways. And please, stay away from Kodah. One of these days you may really end up hurting each other.”
“Yes, Sir,” Oraden said, still avoiding eye contact.
“Go. And stay out of trouble.”
“Let’s go to the stream Tahir. I’m thirsty.” Oraden was elated to have escaped punishment. He hurried away, getting out of sight before Ramah changed his mind.
“Can I have an apricot?” Tahir asked before following.
“Sure,” Ramah found the question rather odd. “Take as many as you want, I guess.”
Tahir snatched three apricots from the tree. He stuffed two in his pocket before running to catch up with Oraden.
Ramah shook his head. He watched them run to the stream and then continued grazing on the sweet grass. By the time Diamond found him, his anger had long since subsided. She greeted him by rubbing her nose against his cheek.
“Have you met Tahir yet?” she asked her mate.
“Sure have. Right after I broke up a fight between Oraden and Kodah.”
“Oh fairies! Were either of them injured”?
“No. But sooner or later Oraden will meet his match.”
“What were they fighting about this time?”
“I’d guess it had something to do with that boy. Why did you agree to let him stay here? He’s causing trouble already.”
“Ramah, how can you say that? Oraden’s been fighting since before he was born. Remember how he used to kick me as if I were holding him hostage?”
Ramah laughed at the memory of those days. “You are right about that, but I still don’t like it. Oraden finds enough trouble without the help of an outsider.”
“That’s my point. He’s never been able to get along with the other colts. This human boy may be just what Oraden needs to keep him out of trouble.”
“You really believe that?”
“I believe we should give them a chance. I know you worry about him. I worry too. He’s so different from the others; maybe he just needs a different kind of companion. Besides, it was Nayani who welcomed him first. Within minutes of setting foot in the meadow, he could see all there is to see here. We should trust her.”
“Have it your way Diamond, but I’m going to keep a close eye on that boy, and I suggest you do the same.”