From roughly fifteen feet away, the unicorn stared at them. He held his head high, his coat glowed in the deepening dusk, and from the center of his forehead, his horn shone. There was no mistaking him for anything else.
“I just looked, and he was there,” Yula said. The unicorn seemed curious about the two women. She wondered if maybe all the virgin business was nonsense. He didn’t seem skittish. She cautiously approached the beast with her hand out. He bowed his head and pawed at the ground. She halted her approach.
“It’s okay, big guy. I won’t hurt you, just want to make some travel arrangements,” she said.
The unicorn backed away with his horn lowered toward her.
“Be careful, milady. Unicorns have gouged men in full armor. He will skewer you for sure if you’re not careful.” She thought Yula might have a point, or rather the unicorn had a point, a sharp point which was aimed at her. She put her hands up and backed off. The unicorn watched them start back across the plateau to the cottage. She glanced back frequently as they walked.
“Is he following us?” Yula asked.
“I think so. Maybe he’s hungry. Not a whole lot to eat up here.” The unicorn stayed well back but kept pace with the two women. She couldn’t wait to get Tavik out there to deal with him. They jogged back to the cottage in high spirits, but when they were close enough to see through the windows, they looked back, and the unicorn was gone.
She stomped her cold feet. “I knew that was too easy.”
“At least, we’re sure that unicorns do roam this plateau,” Yula offered.
“Yeah, you're right. Let’s go get warmed up.” They hustled into the warm cozy cottage.
Agatha stood over a pot bubbling in the fire. Naomi couldn't help reciting the famous lines. “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
“What?” Agatha asked looking up from the pot.
“Nothing.”
“Did you find anything?”
Both women nodded their heads, and their eyes danced. “It practically followed us home,” Yula gushed. Agatha made hushing motions as her eyes darted to Tavik. He stood by a window looking out. It was out the opposite direction of way they came. He cast them a bored look and turned back to the window. She studied him for a second. He didn’t seem any worse for wear after his isolation with Agatha. She had half expected to come back to find him singed and drowned.
“What’s that you’re cooking?” Yula asked walking over to the pot.
“Stew seemed like the perfect thing for a night like this.” Yula picked up the large wooden spoon sitting across the top and stirred the contents up. “Don’t worry. I didn’t put any carrots in it. Tavik watched me the whole time. Didn’t you?” He didn’t respond.
He was being super quiet. It was making her nervous. She sidled over to him. “Hey.”
He looked over at her. “Your cheeks are rosy.”
Reflectively, she put her fingers to her face to feel them. “Yeah, it’s getting really cold out there.”
“You should be careful. There are dangerous beasts in this area.”
“They seem to be everywhere,” she said a touch wryly.
He nodded and looked back out the window. She watched him for a few seconds more, and then wandered away. Maybe he just wanted some peace.
The women set the table for dinner and chatted amicably. The cottage had a palpable cozy feel to it. As they puttered around the room, Naomi smiled.
“It’s nice having company again,” Mr. Squibbles murmured to her from a shelf.
“Has Agatha been alone much?”
He nodded his head. “There were years where we didn't have a single soul grace our doorstep. It was a lonely time. We used to have visitors regularly, villagers who would need a charm or some scrying done, then they stopped coming.”
“Why?”
“He forbade it.”
Her eyes darted to Tavik and then back to Mr. Squibbles. “Why?” she whispered.
He dropped his head. “I shouldn’t say. It’s a bad business.”
She absorbed this information with concern. What could the bad blood be between the witch and the war lord? Was it only the Errilol business? The group settled around the table for dinner. Agatha ladled out the stew and passed the bowls around. Naomi once again sat beside Tavik to feed him. She stirred the stew and found herself making sure there were no carrots in the bowl. She loaded a spoon and brought it to his mouth while her other hand hovered underneath to catch any drips. He gave her a wry look and took the spoonful. She knew he was thinking about their switch in roles and how much she had protested it when she had been the one tied and fed, but then again, he wasn’t blindfolded.
Agatha was telling Yula about the finding spell. Once they were done with dinner, they would scrub out the pot, melt some snow, and use the plants they had gathered that afternoon. Naomi hoped the spell worked.
“You shouldn’t trust her. She only has her own interests at heart,” he said softly.
She had to swallow her mouthful of stew before she could answer. She loaded a spoon for him and kept her voice low to answer. “She’s the only one who seems to know how to get me home, and though ditching me at the castle for you to find, didn’t seem like the best move on my behalf, it has worked out all right, and she sent Mr. Squibbles to me and now I’m here. I think she can get me home.”
“How did you end up in Harold’s Pass?”
She knew she still couldn’t tell. She shook her head. “It was very bad luck.”
“Was it bad luck?”
She paused. She knew he meant to insinuate that Agatha had a hand in her arrival, which really was impossible, but was it really bad luck that had brought her there? She looked around the table. She liked and cared about Yula, Mr. Squibbles, and Agatha. She didn’t regret meeting them. She turned back to him. Weirdly, she didn’t regret meeting him either. Maybe it would be fairer to call it a fluke?
“What are you two whispering about?” Agatha asked.
She didn't know why, but she blushed. “Nothing important,” she answered. The witch gave them an appraising look, Yula hid her smile by taking a bite of stew, and Mr. Squibbles didn’t pay them any mind. The mouse was paws deep in broth and happily nibbling on a potato the size of himself.
Naomi cleared the table while Agatha set up for the spell with Yula’s help. Once the dishes were clean and put away, she took a seat by Tavik to let the other women work and because she wanted to ask him some more questions.
“Why did you forbid the villagers from going to Agatha?”
He had tilted his head down to hear her and kept it bent as he thought about his answer. She thought that he deliberated too long for his response to be completely truthful. “I didn’t want her causing trouble.”
She glanced at Agatha and smiled a little. “She's certainly capable of mischief, but she can help people too. Why prevent her from doing that?”
“Because she's not interested in helping anyone but herself.”
She really didn’t understand why he kept harping back to that. “How is helping me self-serving?”
He turned and looked at the witch bent over the once more bubbling pot. “It will become apparent soon enough.”
Her eyebrows scrunched together at his vague assurance. She decided to switch topics. “Tell me about this god of yours. Yula was really upset by your tattoo.”
He rolled his shoulders and stretched his back as he thought about his answer. She realized guiltily that his hands had been tied behind his back for over two days now. They were probably killing him if he could feel them at all. She rose from her seat and moved behind him. She began rubbing his shoulders like she had that first night. He released a grateful sigh and relaxed under her hands.
“Errilol is not openly worshiped any longer. He is a god of war but not a god of victory. He loves the strife and chaos of battle and the pain and despair of bloodshed. All of his temples have been destroyed or abandoned. People stopped worshiping him when they realized that he did not care about them. He only cares for conflict. He does not protect his devoted. He couldn't care less if they live or die.”
“Why would you swear yourself to him? He sounds more like a demon than a god.”
“Because unlike other gods, he makes himself known. He imbues me with his power so that I may kill my adversaries. Even if he doesn't care about me, he does answer me when I call on him. It is with his might that I have survived. Other gods promise salvation and refuge but do not always deliver. Errilol promises neither but is a reliable source of strength.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think the fact that he’s dependable is enough to sell him to me. The fact that he’s so eager to answer your prayers is scarier than not answering them.”
He shrugged under her hands. “I can’t justify my reasons any better than what I have said.”
“The fact that you would scrape your knee to that fiend is horrifying. Errilol is a god to stand against not with,” Agatha said, revealing that she'd been eavesdropping on their conversation.
Tavik stood up to face her. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he locked eyes with her. “Errilol made me the man I am.”
“I wouldn’t be so proud of the man I was if I were you. Having your people fear you and wonder if you were a fiend is not something to be proud of.”
He clenched his jaw, and Naomi hoped this didn’t go beyond a heated argument. “I became the man I needed to be.”
“And what need pray tell required you to become a barbarian who has slain hundreds of men and destroyed countless lives?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask my mother?”
Agatha’s eyes grew wide as her face thinned. She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “How dare you. I taught you to respect your fellow man and care about the people around you. How dare you insinuate that I prompted your descent into this madness!”
Naomi and Yula’s eyes caught each others in a wide stare. “She’s your mother?” Naomi said.
Agatha’s eyes didn’t leave Tavik’s angry face. “I have no son.”
He jerked as if hit. Naomi winced in sympathy. She crept from behind him over to Yula. “Did you know this?” she hissed to the other woman. Yula dumbly shook her head.
When Naomi looked again, she saw they had stepped toward each other to better shout at one another. Both were beyond angry. Tavik’s body was a mass of tense muscles while Agatha’s face was red, bordering on fuchsia.
“You can deny me all you want, but it was the only way to save the town!”
“No, it wasn’t! There are always other options. I was working on something!”
Tavik kicked the table. It slid across the room and banged the wall so hard a number of items fell off their hooks. Naomi and Yula backed further away from the two. “There wasn’t any time! The army was approaching!”
The witch crossed her arms and gave him a narrow look. “Well, where’s the army now?”
In a cold voice, he said, “Every solution has a price. You taught me that.”
Her back stiffened. “I also taught you that if the price is too high then you turn away!”
“THERE WASN'T ANYWHERE TO TURN! They would've razed the town, burned the forest, and drawn and quartered you! I was supposed to turn away from that!”
In response, she silently turned her back on him.
He let out a snarl of frustration and paced the floor like a caged animal. Naomi wanted to do something to help but didn't know what. She was still reeling from the realization that the two were mother and son. Tavik's eyes fell on her and flashed with anger.
“At least be honest with Naomi, and tell her your real plan.”
Agatha still kept her back to them. Naomi jumped in to try and explain again. “I told you we didn't plan this initially. It was a fluke that I came to Harold's Pass. If it weren't for your mother, some bastard soldier would've raped and killed me. She saved my life.”
“But what about leaving you at the castle as Lady Naomi? Was that just a fluke?”
“It was the safest option,” she said but even she wasn’t sure of that. It had seemed like a dirty trick at the time.
“She can change herself into a cat, and her house flies. Leaving you for me to find was the best she could do?”
She didn't have any answer. Her eyes turned to Agatha's back.
“She left you for me. Why do you think she did that?”
She had no idea. “Agatha?”
The witch shook her head and wouldn't turn around.
“She knew what would happen. She planned the whole thing.”
She had asked her about unicorns! But she would've had to have planned the whole thing in like an instant and who planned to kidnap her own son to catch a unicorn? But Tavik still didn't know about the unicorn part of the plan and that part made the whole thing especially convoluted. She had to choose her words carefully as she asked, “You're saying she planned to get us married, so we could kidnap you? Doesn't that seem kind of silly?”
He shook his head. “That wasn't the plan.”
“It sounds like the plan to me,” Mr. Squibbles said.
“You forgot one key thing. I'm her son. And what does every mother want for her son?”
She looked over to Mr. Squibbles for the answer, but it was Yula who spoke up. “Happiness. Every mother wants her son to be happy.”
“No, that's what a good mother wants. We're not talking about someone like you, Yula.”
That was a serious burn. She couldn't believe he'd just said that in front of his mother. She looked over at Agatha for her reaction. The witch was shaking her head with her hands on her hips. She slowly began to turn around. “I suppose I am a bad mother if one judges me by my son--a demon worshiper and war monger. Silly me for hoping I could change that.”
“And you thought that I'd abandon everything once I had a pretty wife to warm my bed?”
He thought she was pretty? That made her feel nice, though it was probably the wrong thing to be focusing on.
“I thought you might finally see the folly of your ways!”
“No, you expected me to fuck her.”
What!
“I really am an awful mother. Just look at my son.”
Tavik growled in frustration and stomped over to the door and put his head against the doorjamb. If he wanted to open it, he'd have to use his teeth.
Naomi cast her eyes to the familiar. He was looking back and forth between mother and son.
“Do you know what they're talking about?”
He shook his head.
Yula came over to join their huddle. “So she wanted you to sleep with him?”
“I don't know! She always stopped him when he was about to do anything before.”
“Well, she was in the room. What else was she going to do?” Mr. Squibbles said.
“So I was supposed to sleep with him?”
“Heck if I know anymore. Definitely won't get a unicorn if you do.”
Deciding to table the whole sex with Tavik question, she asked, “How do we smooth this over?”
“Trust me. You don’t want to get in the middle of that.”
“They won’t do anything to each other,” Yula said, but she didn’t sound too sure.
“Were you watching the same argument as me?” asked Mr. Squibbles.
Yula’s eyes darted between the mother and son. “Of course they wouldn’t hurt each other, they’re family.”
Mr. Squibbles snorted. “May I remind you that she kidnapped her own son. She wouldn’t think twice about cursing him if he made her mad enough. She probably has a few on the tip of her tongue right now.”
“Then maybe we should distract them from each other,” Naomi suggested. “Yula, you take Agatha. Mr. Squibbles help her. I’ll take Tavik.”
“Are you sure you can handle him?” he asked.
“Of course, he’s my husband.” She knew that didn’t mean anything, but someone had to go talk to him, and she was the best candidate.
He still stood at the door. His left eye was twitching, and he was grinding his teeth. He looked murderous. She didn’t want him to direct any of that anger her way. She liked all of her limbs just where they were. She crept to his side and waited for him to acknowledge her, but his eyes stayed firmly trained on the door's wood grain. She took her chances and stroked his arm. His eyes snapped down to her, and she cringed. He stepped back from the door, and she slipped in front of him. She was surprised when he stepped back in and bent his head to rest it on top of hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed his back in slow circles, hoping a little comfort would help.
“Hard to believe we’re family isn’t it?” he murmured into her ear.
She squeezed him before answering. “No, only people who love each other can get this mad at one another.”
“Yes, but how long do you think it takes for the anger to burn all the love away?”
“Has it burned all of your love away?”
He buried his face in the crook of her neck in answer. She ran a hand over his head gently. From across the room, soft sobs traveled to them. In response, he shuddered in her arms. God, they were tearing each other apart, she thought looking over his shoulder at Agatha. Yula was hugging her and patting her on the back as the witch’s shoulders shook.
Naomi braced herself against the door and slid down to sit. Tavik moved to the floor with her. She looked at his face and saw how ragged he still was. “Lie down,” she said softly. He grimaced and began to move away to do so, but she pulled him back and patted her lap. He laid his head down and snuggled into her stomach. She felt him sigh against her. She caressed his head and hoped he fell asleep. She watched Yula’s progress with Agatha. The witch was wiping her eyes and nodding at what Yula was saying. She glanced their way and saw Tavik stretched out on the floor with his head in her lap. She rolled her lips, her eyes watering again, and wandered over to the pot. Quietly, they went back to work on the spell. Naomi heard Yula softly protest that they could do this another night, but Agatha didn’t pay attention to her. Naomi dozed off as the two worked. She didn’t dream.
The next morning, Naomi didn’t want to wake up. She could feel pins and needles pricking her body in her unconscious state. She knew if she woke up those pins and needles would become knives stabbing her all over. Unfortunately, someone dropped a large metal pot which jolted her awake and straight into pain. She flailed about unsure what to clutch first. Her back, her head, her legs, even her eyelashes ached. It was a good thing Tavik’s head was no longer in her lap or else he would surely have been harmed by her spastic motions. She rubbed her eyes and looked around for him. He was seated at the table, giving her a sympathetic look. She waved and tried to stand. It took a bit of fumbling before she could gain her feet. Never sleep sitting up on a wooden floor again, she told herself. Yula apologized for startling her awake and offered her a hot pad for her muscles.
“Yes, please, thank you, you’re wonderful,” she croaked as she lowered herself into a chair. She wondered if her hair had turned gray overnight. She sounded eighty. Yula gave her a cloth bag full of hot uncooked rice and went back to bustling over breakfast. She sighed and pressed the hot pad into her lower back. She looked over at Tavik.
“You could use one of these too.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m used to sleeping on hard--” but before he could finish, Yula pushed him forward and dropped a hot pad behind him. When he leaned back, she saw his face relax in comfort. “—surfaces,” he said as he sighed.
Yula was a domestic dervish: she beat eggs, fried bacon, and baked bread. After watching her for ten minutes, Naomi felt tired enough to go back to sleep. Agatha and Mr. Squibbles weren’t around. When Yula swept by, she tugged her skirt to get her attention. “Where’s Agatha?” she mouthed. Yula indicated the door with her head and went back to work.
Naomi looked over at Tavik and studied him. He didn’t look as ragged as last night, but he still looked worn out. She bit her lip. After what she’d learned, it didn’t seem right to keep him tied up. Agatha was his mother for God’s sake. He wouldn’t attack his mother at least that was what she thought. She lurched up from her seat, her body screaming to return to the hot pad, and went behind his chair. She reached down to untie his hands. He grew completely still when he realized what she was doing. After the rope was undone, she raised her hands and massaged his shoulders and biceps. When she moved to go back to her seat, he jerked her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. She hugged him back dazedly.
“Thank you,” he breathed into her ear.
Her cheeks became very warm, and she ducked her head. “I probably should’ve done it sooner.”
When Yula saw that Tavik was no longer bound, she gave her a smile of approval and began setting out breakfast. Naomi unwound Tavik’s arms from her waist once the food was out. He let go of her reluctantly but pulled her chair closer to his and kept his arm across the back of it.
Finally Agatha returned from whatever she had been doing and stopped short at the sight of Tavik feeding himself. Naomi carefully watched the witch’s reaction. She hoped her decision wouldn’t upset her but couldn’t believe that a mother would rather see her son tied up than not. Agatha merely nodded curtly at them and took a seat across the table. Mr. Squibbles jumped off the witch’s arm to go to his own plate. Tavik and Agatha ate staring at their food. Yula and Naomi exchanged concerned glances as the tension persisted between the family members. She didn't know what to do. Agatha obviously hated the fact that he had devoted himself to Errilol. He seemed to think he had to do it to protect her and others from some danger in the past, but he was still devoted to the war god. She didn’t understand why he was still faithful to him. He’d admitted that Errilol was not a kind or just god. Why he hadn’t severed all ties with him was beyond her knowledge. She wanted to get a chance alone to ask him.
“Have you figured out why we've brought you here?” Agatha abruptly asked. Naomi jumped and dropped her fork. She looked to the witch in surprise. There was no glimmer of benevolence or even mischief in her eyes.
Tavik lifted his head from his plate to consider the question. He looked out the window at their location. “You seek to capture a unicorn.”
“And do you know why we want a unicorn?” Naomi got a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“Agatha,” she said softly.
Yula had also stilled and looked nervous. He looked at his mother for a moment. “You want a horn,” he said.
She snorted. “Well of course, but why do you think we desire a horn?”
Naomi stared at her wondering why the old woman wanted to ruin everything more. He looked over at her and noticed her pallor. He removed his arm from her chair and turned to look squarely at her. He wanted the answer to come from her. She bowed her head as she composed herself to answer. She had to steel herself to look back up into his eyes. “I need to find a unicorn to send me home.”
“I’ll take you on ship or wagon wherever you wish to go.”
She shook her head and bowed it again. “The only way I can go home is by unicorn. Please Tavik, help me.” He lifted her chin and brushed his thumb across her mouth.
“What if I don’t want to let you go?” he said.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She wasn’t sure what exactly was upsetting her. She knew she was supposed to go home. That was the plan from day one, but to have to ask him to help her made her feel awful. “Please,” she said.
He didn’t reply. Agatha slammed her utensils down. “You will help her whether you want to or not.” He turned dead eyes towards his mother. Naomi grabbed his jaw and turned his face back to her. She didn’t want them to fight, especially if it were over her.
“Tavik, it’s your decision,” she said. Agatha gasped, and Yula’s jaw dropped. Naomi, though, felt strangely calm.
Continue to Chapter 14.
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