Get to Know You #42

Who is the first person you go to when you need comfort? Definitely my wife.
What is one thing you are constantly losing? Patience with telemarketers. I hate when they call. Fisher Investments keeps calling, but I was pretty mean the last time, so hopefully, they stopped.
What is the one thing you could never learn how to do, no matter how hard you tried? Play guitar. I can’t even get the instrument in tune.



2

“I was hoping I would catch you before you set off for the next village. My name’s Elyssa, by the way, and I was sent to find you.”

“Mm, hello Elyssa. My, I must say your timing is quite excellent. I was just about to set off for the next village as you came in. So here I am! You’ve found me!”

“Yes, I can see that,” she says as she gazes at his big bushy eyebrows.

“Who did you say sent you?”

“Oh, I didn’t, but since you insist, I’ll tell you anyway. The unicorn sent me.”

The wizard looks at the girl, grabs a stool, slowly sits down and stares at her for a moment. “Mm. Come! Sit with me. You did say, unicorn?”

Elyssa climbs onto a nearby stool. “I said, the unicorn, actually. You know what I said so don’t ask me which unicorn because you already know there was only ever one in this land. You also know I have been sent to request something from you.”

“Yes, yes, of course you’re absolutely right, but how can this be? I became the shepherd of Geo when the unicorn lay dying many years ago. She told me to take her horn before burying her and to keep it safe because one day it would be needed.” He pauses.

“She also said that one day someone would come and ask me for it and I was to not question the request and simply hand it over in good faith.”

“Yet now you seem doubtful, why is that?” responds Elyssa.

“I do not doubt the unicorn’s wisdom, my child, and of course I will do her final bidding. It’s just that this was spoken to me so many years ago and you are but a child. How can this be?”

“This is why, dear wizard, she said to hand it over in good faith.” Elyssa touches the wizard’s hand and smiles up at him, her bright eyes look directly into his.

The wizard asks Elyssa to accompany him. As they leave the inn, he automatically wants to head for the next village, but Elyssa points to the road from whence he came, and he realises that they need to go back to his home.

“There is no use in going to the villages,” Elyssa says. “They are all empty. You must first fulfil the unicorn’s request and then head for the last mountain range.”

The wizard thinks about the days he will be set back and is about to object but thinks better of it. There is no way around it. He has to give the unicorn’s horn to the girl. He had made an oath and was bound by it. So, he heads back to his home where the unicorn’s horn hangs over the fireplace.

The wizard has never travelled with a companion before and finds it quite interesting. Elyssa seems to have a natural knack for talking and soon he finds that there isn’t much need for asking questions. She seems to know exactly what he wants to ask and explains things in a very simple but beautiful manner, mixed with exclamations about the clouds, trees or mountains as they pass them by.

Many a time the wizard’s bushy eyebrows rise as he nods his understanding. There are lots of “Mms” and “Ahs” along the way as he wonders at her simple yet very effective approach of explaining about the most complex manner of things.

Due to the fine weather and pleasant conversation, the days seem short, and they make good pace. They make only a few stops along the way each day to eat, rest, and refresh. In no time at all, or so it seems to the wizard, though it is the eve of the third day, they find themselves entering his hut.

“I’ll put the kettle on and make us some tea.” Elyssa makes her way straight into the kitchen as she says it. Another “Mm” escapes from the wizard as he notices that Elyssa doesn’t need to ask directions to the kitchen.

She’s a strange creature, he thinks to himself. He sits down in his rocking chair by the fire and taps his staff on the floor before he stands it beside the fireplace. As he taps his staff, a small rocking chair appears opposite him and a table in front of it.

Before long Elyssa comes out of the kitchen with a tray laden full of crackers, cheese, grapes, biscuits and cakes. She places it on the table and goes back into the kitchen. She returns with another tray holding a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug and two mugs, which she also places on the table. Soon, they are comfortably seated beside the fire, drinking tea and munching on biscuits.

After several minutes Elyssa says, “This is really nice!”

“Mm,” the wizard responds as he withdraws his cup from his mouth.   They continue eating and drinking until both have had their fill and sit quietly for a moment as they smile at each other.

Elyssa looks up at the fireplace. The wizard follows her gaze. “Ah,” he says. “Yes, that’s the unicorn’s horn.” He reaches up, takes it from above the fireplace and hands it to her. She turns it over in her hands; caresses it as she looks with distant eyes. She then closes her eyes and lets out a small sigh before hanging it around her neck.

The wizard studies her. Something in her manner tells him that she has seen the horn before, even touched it before. He notices the distance in her eyes and almost catches the glimmer of a reserved tear just before she closes them.

“Well, it’s getting late, I suppose we should get some sleep,” he says cheerfully. “We have a much longer journey ahead of us and, much yet to discuss.”

He goes into his bedroom briefly and comes back with hands and arms full of pillows and blankets so high that they hide his face. He drops them in front of Elyssa.

She laughs at him as he straightens his beard and then puts the pillows and blankets together as a makeshift bed on the floor in front of the fireplace. She lies upon the pillows, pulls a blanket over her and smiles up at the wizard.

“Mm. Goodnight,” the wizard says. Seeing that she is happy with her bed, he heads for his own. “Goodnight!” she echoes as he enters his room.

The following morning, the wizard rises to find Elyssa already gone, along with the unicorn’s horn. He picks up the blankets and pillows and puts them away. “She’s a strange creature,” he mutters to himself. “Pleasant and beautiful! Ah, but very strange.”

I will be posting Chapter 3 soon. Meanwhile, the full work can be downloaded from the following venues:



Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple Books

Books2Read

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i gave blood and it was enuff.

Very interesting – I’m with you on number one – for number two, I lose my cups of tea! And for number three – roller skating.

My angel
My glasses
Cartwheel