To Catch a Unicorn [DragonSong]

[Juno]

"Right," he sighed, cautiously reaching out to pat at her neck like he might have a common horse, ruffling her mane gently before turning to join the others.

The brothers studied him briefly but barely glanced at the unicorn. "Ready then?" Lev asked with a bored yawn, gesturing at Bella.

"Yeah, should hurry back. We've been...gone a long while."

Raidin shrugged, pulling his pack onto his shoulder and righting himself to pick his way through the brush towards the main path that would lead them home. His brother followed easily enough but Nel's eyes lingered on the small unicorn again. The woman stumbled several times as she snuck looks at Bella with wide, obvious eyes.

Kynton glared at her lack of manners, not liking that she was doing that. Bella wasn't some performing animal and he didn't think she had done anything that warranted the staring.

Defensively he placed himself between the two, making it difficult for Nel to see the unicorn directly without being obvious about looking around him. It was enough to curb her interest for the moment and Kynton relaxed as he walked with them in relative peace.

The steady movement was enough to warm him a bit, enough at least to loosen the ties on his extra coat but he was still horribly overdressed for such weather.

[DragonSong]

At first the unicorn didn't seem to notice the young woman's interest, although she gradually began to pick up on the furtive glances. Her first reaction was to stare back, just as curious about the human female as Nel was about Bella.

After a while though she started to grow uncomfortable, not quite sure what she'd done to warrant that much attention. She was secretly a little relieved when Kynton stepped between them.

It was difficult for her to remember to keep quiet. She was just so curious, about their companions, the man they were taking her to, even this part of the forest. She'd never been so close to the edge before.

[Juno]

Kynton marched along automatically with the others for most of the day. It wasn't until early evening that he began to lag behind again like the previous night.

It was clear from the thinning brush and younger trees that they were nearing the outer edges of the forest, a welcome sight to his tired eyes. The place had its beauty but he was not eager to return to it again.

"How far would you say?" he called, though whether he meant until they stopped to rest or made it to Whitesands he had no idea.

"They'll probably go until sunset," Nel answered quietly, trying to peek around him at the small unicorn again. "And then...I don't know, how long did it take us? Two days? Shouldn't be very far at all.

"Good." It was better than good, it was wonderful. He couldn't wait to be rid of them, to never have to see these humans again. A small pang of guilt lingered in his heart, though, as he was uncertain what their employer intended for Bella's fate.

He found himself sneaking a few glances at her, frowning openly for her obvious innocence and trust.

[DragonSong]

Bella started to pick up her hooves a bit as they grew ever closer to the edge of the forest, almost prancing in excitement, though there was definitely a fair amount of nervous energy in her steps as well.

Feeling Nel's eyes on her again, she suddenly tossed her head and sprang forward with a musical whinny, cantering a few paces before circling around in front of the brothers before falling back to Kynton's side at a playful trot.

She kept silent, but her eyes sparkled excitedly and she kicked her heels up in an effort to rid herself of some of the energy.

[Juno]

The other humans watched her curiously, eyes following her every move as the small creature pranced about in her carefree glee.

Kynton tensed considerably for the display, paranoid that the others might see her for what she truly was. He watched her closely, eyes narrowed like a concerned father's more than anything. When she returned to his side, he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the silly mark of equine happiness, especially coming from a creature so small. Cautiously he reached to ruffle her forelock in praise, careful not to brush his hand against her horn.

He didn't say a word and neither did the others, but the brothers noted the way the unicorn stayed at his side without him having a hold on a lead as he had the previous day.

[DragonSong]

She gave another happy sound, a fluted nicker, as he ruffled her forelock and pressed into his touch lightly. Another of her kind might have taken offense to the familiar touch, but she found it quaint, soothing almost.

Bella was having a harder and harder time resisting the urge to speak, to ask questions about the world around her as she drew ever closer to leaving the forest for the first time.

[Juno]

"Not much longer," he encouraged quietly, shivering as a chill ran down his back.

He gave her a quick parting pat and ruffle of her mane before dropping his hand to his side again, aware of the eyes upon them and not wanting to encourage their staring. A part of him was proud of her for listening to him for so long, but he was worried about how long that could last with her.

Kynton let the others draw ahead slowly, allowing the growing dimness with the falling sun to make it a little less obvious that he was letting them pull ahead to give them a bit more privacy.

[DragonSong]

Bella waited until she thought it would be less likely for them to be overheard before she lowered her voice and murmured, "You're cold."

It was more an observation than a question and she pressed gently into his side. "Should we stop?" Why didn't his companions seem to notice his discomfort?

[Juno]

"Yeah...a bit." He frowned at that. The feeling was familiar but he was all but numb to the pain of it at that point. It was still odd to him that anyone would care about that, though.

"It's not too bad, I'll live," he promised, his eyes lingering on Nel's back for a moment but confident she could not hear them. "I'll stop when they stop. Shouldn't be too much longer. Unless you're tired?"

He actually smiled wryly at that, his eyes narrowing in playful scrutiny as he remembered how energetic she'd been.

[DragonSong]

The unicorn snorted and pawed at the ground. "I'm fine," she said with a prim little toss of her head. "I can go for days."

She dropped the playfulness and gave him another concerned look. "Are you sure you're alright? I could pretend to have a bad leg, if you don't want them to stop for you," she offered.

[Juno]

He made a sour face for the mere suggestion he lean upon feigned injury to get out of a bit of walking. "No, not necessary."

He sighed, rolling his shoulders to try and rid himself of some of the discomfort. It didn't help, of course. "Shouldn't be much longer."

The brothers seemed to finally take notice of the lagging pair. Lev watched them over his shoulder, eyeing the dark-haired man curiously. He couldn't hear what was being said but it seemed like he was speaking to the unicorn and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He'd gotten the impression Kynton was an odd one, but to be talking to an animal? That seemed a little too weird.

[DragonSong]

Bella huffed a breath but didn't push the issue. She pressed her nose into his side breifly, then pulled away to continue walking demurely beside him.

She caught Lev's look and suddenly felt herself tensing, though she didn't really know why. She shook herself as though trying to rid herself of a fly and ducked her head slightly.

"They're watching us," she mumbled to Kynton, not sure if he'd noticed.

[Juno]

He was surprised to hear that, his head snapping up to meet Lev's eyes. Automatically he narrowed his own sharply, surprised at how defensive he was feeling over being "caught".

"I can see that," he whispered, careful to not let his mouth move too much as he dropped eye contact.

Kynton did his best to look embarrassed, hopeful that he might be able to fool them into thinking he was just talking at her and not actually having a real conversation. After a few moments it seemed to start working, Lev turning with a huff to face forward to pull ahead of his brother. The others glanced back at them a few times but didn't seem nearly as interested in what was happening and were just as quick to leave them alone again.

Relaxing once their eyes were off of them Kynton rolled his shoulders and eyed her out of the corner of his eye, not realizing how tense he'd been through it all. "Sorry for the staring. We don't, um, see much of your kind around here. Or anywhere, really," he explained quietly, automatically reaching out to pat at her shoulders in apology.

[DragonSong]

"It's quite alright," Bella replied softly after a moment. "I've been doing some staring myself. You lot are the first humans I've ever seen with my own eyes."

She snorted softly and picked her way delicately around a few stones in the path, not wanting to pick one up in a hoof. "How do you know them?" she asked with a sidelong glance in his direction. "Forgive me if I'm too forward, but you do no let seem as...as much a part of their herd."

[Juno]

"Herd?" Kynton chuckled quietly at that, genuinely amused by her innocence. Of course a unicorn would call a group of humans only what she knew.

"No, I suppose we're not." After a moment to ponder their situation he continued, "I wouldn't really say I know them. I met them -the two men up there- at some tavern. Said they needed another man for....um, help. With finding you, I guess." It was as close to the truth he was willing to admit at least.

"But you're right," he sighed with a shrug. "We're not of the same...kind. Probably will never see each other again after this. Probably for the best."

[DragonSong]

"Hm." She glanced to the other humans, then back at him. "So...where is your herd then?" He must come from somewhere, right?

[Juno]

"I...don't really know," he mumbled uncomfortably, feeling a little awkward in that being the truth of it. He didn't know what family he had or might have had at one point, he'd been alone since he could really remember. As a child leaning upon friends was common but as an adult he really didn't have a place in life he felt he could call his own or call his homeland.

"I mostly stay in Serendipity," he decided. It was true enough at least, and maybe that would be enough to satisfy her curiosity about him. He hoped.

"It's close to here. Sort of...but it's a very big place."

[DragonSong]

"Serendipity." She sort of rolled the word around in her mouth. "It sounds like a sweet," she laughed quietly. "What's it like? Woods? Fields? Oh, are there lots of those human-den-things? Houses?"

[Juno]

Kynton gave a snort at her questions, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Well, sure. All of that. Somewhere, at least. It's a big place, lots of...well, everything. Just depends on where you go."

For a moment he pondered telling her a partial truth and didn't see the harm in her knowing. It wasn't like she was a prisoner. Not exactly, at least. "That's where we're going, actually. But...it's on the coast. Um, it's very...beach-y. You know, with sand. Not as forested as some other parts, but lots of water. But you can't drink it."

[DragonSong]

"Beach?" She pranced a few steps. "You mean...like the ocean?" Her eyes lit up excitedly and she gave a little whicker, then a half-hip forward. "I've never seen the ocean before!"

Evidentially quite keyed up now, the unicorn broke into a short canter before she circled back to trot happily at his side again, tossing her head and swishing her tail every once in a while.