Unicorn Fire

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Author's Note:

This story takes place after the events of the previously published story Hush. Reading that story is helpful for context but not required if you just want to read this one.

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I took a deep breath before stepping out from behind a tree and walking into the clearing.

As expected, the battalion was vigilant and noticed an outsider entering their encampment within moments. I'm sure it also helped that I happen to be easy to spot.

The initial reaction wasn't welcoming, but not hostile either, more curious. Everything seemed quiet. That ended when one soldier approached me with a spear.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? State your business."

I eyed the soldier confronting me. She had a face and body that reminded me of a mountain lion, except her fur was striped with black and white. She looked strong, ready to kill me on the spot if she had to. I heard a voice from behind her.

"Ifrit, stand down."

The source was another female, a merfolk. The feline soldier lowered her spear, but still seemed on guard.

"This clearing is being used as an encampment for The Peregrine Battalion of the Northern Kingdom," the merfolk said. "If you don't have any business with us we're going to have to ask you to leave."

I tried to stand tall and not let my apprehension show.

"I am fully aware of that, ma'am. I've come because I would like to join your battalion."

At this point a small group of soldiers had formed around us and I heard gasps and murmurs.

The merfolk cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you? What makes you so confident you can just walk up and ask to join?"

"I'm an excellent archer, ma'am," I said, taking my bow off my back. "Let me show you my skills."

She stared at me for a few moments before sighing.

"Very well. I'll see if Gerard's available. What's your name?"

"Wisteria, ma'am."

"How old are you, Wisteria?"

"I've been alive for nineteen summers."

"And what species are you, some kind of fae?"

I paused for a moment. I knew she was staring at me. I knew everyone was staring at me. There were so many things about me that were unlike any of them. They could have been looking at my light purple skin, or my sky-blue hair that had equine ears poking through. Perhaps it was my silver eyes, or my two hoofed feet.

But if I were to guess, I'd wager that most of them were looking at the long, white horn coming out of my head, that even in the daylight was clearly emitting a fiery glow.

"I'm not a fae, ma'am. I'm a unicorn."

*****

In some ways I had been preparing for this day my whole life.

Ever since I was a foal, I knew there was something different about me. Even though the only other unicorns I knew were my two parents, I wasn't much like them. My mother and father seemed content to roam the woods every day, gathering flowers and talking with the other creatures of the forest. They were suited to living a peaceful life.

I was nothing like that.

Growing up, what really excited me were the stories I'd heard about the knights and heroes of the cities on our continent. They battled enemies, saved lives, and defended their country. I wanted to live like that.

When I was young, I took up archery. I practiced day in and day out, sharpening my skills. I hoped that I could be a knight one day. My parents were supportive of my dream, but still worried about what would happen if I went out into the world alone.

My species is rare, but long ago was nearly hunted to extinction due to our horns. When severed, the horn would be shockingly valuable due to its beauty and magical properties. Soon there were hardly any of us left. Since then, unicorns had lived outside of civilization, weary of those in the cities that may wish them harm.

Truthfully, I was scared, too. That was a long time ago, and things had changed since then, but it still made the idea of leaving the forest frightening.

Then I learned about the Peregrine Battalion.

The Peregrine Battalion was a band of warriors in the Northern Kingdom, which my forest was in. Around a year ago, the battalion had been knighted and won an important conflict for their country. But these knights weren't beholden to the nobility. So many different species lived on our continent, but they were known to welcome those of all creeds, all species. Nobody would be turned away if they were willing to work hard.

It sounded perfect. If I wanted to be a hero, the Peregrine Battalion seemed to be a good place to start. But I wasn't sure if I was ready yet.

Several days ago, word had gotten out that the battalion would soon be deployed for a new mission, one to rescue prisoners of war in another country. And the path they would take to get there passed through my forest.

I wasn't sure if I would ever get an opportunity like this again. The only thing stopping me was my fear.

That morning I had a tearful goodbye with my parents. I hugged them both.

"I'll come back one day, I promise. And when I do, I'll be a hero."

My mother kissed my forehead.

"I know you will, Wisteria." She held out her hand. "Take this."

I looked and saw a flower in her hand, a wisteria blossom, to be exact. Apparently it was traditional to name unicorn children after a flower their skin color resembled. That was why my mother was named Verbena and my father Rhododendron.

I put it in my hair and smiled. Unicorns and flowers were always connected. As long as it was mine, the flower would never wilt.

"Don't ever forget who you are."

I nodded, eyes shining with tears. I turned to my father.

"This is goodbye for now, son." He ruffled my hair. "Live your life, but know that you'll always have a home to go back to."

"Of course."

I looked at them both. My skin was purple like theirs, but other than that there weren't too many similarities. Our hair colors, eye colors, and horse patterns were all different. My father's horn was in the center of his head and went straight out, but mine and my mother's were more to the side and at an angle. Still, anyone who looked at us could tell we were family.

"I love you both."

We hugged one more time before I left, trying not to look back.

That was early morning, and it was almost noon when I found the battalion. The female merfolk walked me to Gerard, who I remembered was a co-founder and the leader of Peregrine. He was talking with a lycanthrope when the merfolk spoke to him.

"Gerard, one of the forest dwellers has approached and asked to join us."

That got Gerard's attention immediately. He turned to look and his eyes widened when he saw me.

"Is that so? Well, that's certainly unexpected." He excused the lycan before approaching.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Wisteria. I'm an archer."

He turned to the merfolk.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You can go back to your post."

She left as well and it was just the two of us.

Gerard was rather plain-looking. I didn't recognize his species. Despite the situation, he looked me in the eye and smiled.

"Let's take a little walk, shall we?"

*****

Gerard showed me around the encampment, telling me about the battalion and what to expect if I joined. I saw the passion in his eyes when he talked. Peregrine was his family, and he would fight for it to his final breath.

"I'm a human, by the way. Some other species call us huma. But if you're going to join, you'll just call me Captain."

I nodded.

He asked the question I assumed had been at the back of his mind since he first saw me.

"A unicorn...I've heard that name before, but I don't know much about the species. Can you tell me a little more about your kind?"

"Of course. I suppose you can think of me as a forest spirit, though not really fae. I'm more like a faun or a centaur."

"I see. I would have assumed otherwise. We have an elf our medic team, and you have similar features to them."

"I've heard that before." I knew I had a delicate, androgynous face and body, similar to the elves and fae I had met. Still, the thought made me realize that there was probably another unspoken question here. "But unicorns aren't genderless like elves are. I'm male, just in case you're wondering."

Gerard gave a little sigh of relief. "Thank you for clarifying. It felt rude to ask."

I laughed lightly. For a moment I was worried he would get upset at me snickering at him, but he laughed along with me.

"Well, now that the formalities are done with, we can see what skills you have. You're an archer, correct?"

I nodded.

"Let's go to the archery range so you can show me some marksmanship."

The makeshift archery range in the encampment was an open area with several targets propped up or attached to trees. I had my own bow and arrows, the same that I had been practicing with my whole life.

"Impress me."

I nodded and took a deep breath before I began.

In a moment I examined the area and planned my route. I wanted to show off my speed and accuracy at the same time. Breaking into a run, I nocked three arrows at once, aimed, then fired. I knew from the noise that they all hit a target, though I didn't stop to see if it was in the center. Still running, I picked a target and fired five arrows in quick succession. They all landed in a cluster at the center.

To finish I looked around and saw a tree a fair distance away that had a knot in it. I took aim, paused for a heartbeat to check the wind, and fired. My last arrow sailed through the air and hit the knot, bouncing off.

After a moment I turned to see Gerard, looking stunned.

"That's incredible."

He walked around, looking at all the targets.

"You have remarkable aim. However," he grabbed an arrow and was able to pull it out of the target easily. "There isn't much power. If you want to use your skills against the enemy you'll need either more strength or sharper arrows. Still, you have a talent that shouldn't go to waste."

He walked up to me.

"I think you'd be a great fit for the battalion, Wisteria, but you'll have to pass one last test."

The huma held out his arms.

"Attack me."

I blinked a few times.

"Excuse me?"

"It's something all recruits that want to go into battle have to do. They need to have conviction or they won't stand a chance."

I stared at him some more.

"Is this some kind of test? Do I need to show my loyalty by refusing?"

"Absolutely not. I would never use such underhanded tactics. If you can land a decent hit, you'll be able to join. You don't need to hold back, either. We have a healer that can fix anything short of death. In fact..."

He looked around and saw a dullahan nearby. I had only heard stories of dullahan, headless creatures who ride horses and move silently through the night. This dullahan's head was floating slightly off his shoulders, emitting a faint red glow.

"Keir!"

The dullahan turned, his head moving slightly after his body.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Go get Hush, please. We may need him soon."

"Yes, sir."

He left and Gerard looked back at me expectantly.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

I swallowed. This was really happening. I needed to prove my worth.

I trained in archery because unicorns are more passive by nature. Long distance fighting seemed suited for me. I never even hunted with my arrows; my kind was herbivorous. But now I needed to show that I could hold my own in direct combat. Gerard was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than I was. But I couldn't back down. I had to try.

Experimentally I threw a punch and he dodged easily. I tried a few more times and he was able to block and evade me without any worry. I tried to knock him down with a kick and he not only dodged, but counterattacked, pushing my forehead with the palm of his hand. I fell to the ground.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Wisteria."

I got back up and kept trying, but no matter what I couldn't land a hit. It was humiliating. Was I really so weak? Before long I felt like I was on the verge of tears.

Desperately I punched with one arm, then the other. Gerard caught both of my hands and had me in his grip.

"Are you sure you have what it takes to join us?"

His voice wasn't mocking, he almost sounded like he was sorry for me. That made it all worse. I didn't want anyone's pity.

Suddenly, I had an idea that I had to act on immediately. It was something I'd never thought of doing, but now I didn't have much of a choice.

I leaned my head down and thrust forward, stabbing his chest with my horn.

I heard the sickening noise of punctured flesh. Gerard let out a puff of air, like the wind was pushed out of him.

Stepping back, I saw that the wound was leaking blood. My hands went over my mouth in shock.

"No, Gerard! I'm sorry, I was just—"

"Don't apologize. You did what you had to. And it worked. You got me."

He put his hand on his wound and winced.

"That's proof enough for me. Welcome to the Peregrine Battalion."

It was a bittersweet victory, but before I could process it I heard a twinkling noise, then a frantic whisper.

"Gerard!"

I turned and saw what looked like a small young fae. He ran up, though I registered that I didn't hear his footsteps, just the metal bell on his wrist.

"Lay down, quick!" He said, still in a whisper. Gerard complied and the fae knelt down at his side.

"We've found a new recruit, Hush. His name is Wisteria and he'll join the archer squadron. Take him to Luristan when you're done with me."

The fae started crying.

"Why do you have to be so reckless?"

Gerard reached out and cupped the boy's cheek.

"Because I know you'll always be there for me, Hush."

The fae, who must have been the healer named Hush Gerard had mentioned, smiled slightly before holding his hands over the huma and closing his eyes. Gerard fell asleep almost immediately. Then Hush surprised me by leaning down and giving the Captain a loving kiss on the lips.

After a moment he stood up and looked at me.

"You're Wisteria, right? Welcome to Peregrine. I'll take you to Luristan."

*****

Both Hush and I spent a good amount of time during our walk examining each other. He was a little bit shorter than I was, but his body was more toned and strong than mine. He could move completely silently, not even seeming to disturb the grass beneath his feet. He never talked, only whispered. Apparently, Hush was a fae that was half nymph and half will-o'-the-wisp, a forest spirit I always thought was mere legend.

I told him about myself and he seemed interested.

"I've never heard of unicorns before. But if Gerard trusts you, that's enough for me."

"By the way, I'm sorry about stabbing the Captain like that. I was desperate."

"Don't worry about it. The wound wasn't that deep. I used my power on him and he'll be better by sundown."

He was so casual about it that it made me suspect Gerard getting maimed was a regular occurrence. I also remember the intimacy that the fae and huma had displayed so openly.

"So, are you and the Captain...?"

"We're lovers. But I'm still a member of this battalion just like you. I don't have much authority around here."

We got to a tent and saw a group of soldiers. Some were having lunch and others were resting in their beds.

Hush went inside and came out with a soldier who I assumed to be a gryphon. His lower half was feline, like the female soldier named Ifrit I saw when I first arrived, but his top half was avian. He had golden feathers, talons, and sharp eyes.

"This is a new recruit," Hush explained. "His name is Wisteria and Gerard told me that he'll be in your squadron."

"Is that so?" His voice was gruff and deep. "Well, thank you for bringing him, Hush. I'll take it from here."

The wisp nodded and left.

The gryphon turned to me and suddenly I felt on edge. He was tall, muscular, rugged, and masculine. Everything I wasn't.

"You're an interesting one." He walked off.

"Come with me," he called over his shoulder. "You and I have a lot to talk about."

*****

Luristan the gryphon took me back to the archery range and told me to fire some arrows at the targets so he could learn my style as he told me about the battalion.

Apparently all soldiers in combat were part of five squadrons: swordfighters, lancers, riders, archers, and berserkers. Each squadron had its own leader who commanded it. He told me about some of the other squadron leaders. The swordfighters were led by a lycanthrope named Quintus. The riders were led by Keir, the dullahan I saw earlier.

Luristan had been commander of the archer squadron since the beginning. He told me about the expectations he had for all of his squadron members.

"You'll get a little bit of slack because you're new, but that won't last long. Be aware of that."

I nodded before firing another arrow. We continued talking until I had fired several dozen, hitting the centers of the targets with nearly every shot. Like before I demonstrated my ability to fire while running and my accuracy from a distance. If Luristan was impressed he didn't show it. He simply walked up to the targets, examining the stuck arrows. He pulled one out with two fingers.

"Accuracy is good, but power's a joke," he said, echoing Gerard's critique from earlier. "You're going to have to do more than hit your target to use your bow in battle."

He went into a nearby tent and walked out with the biggest, bulkiest bow I had ever seen in my life. It looked like it was taller and heavier than I was.

"Hitting your target is only half of being a good archer, Wisteria."

He notched a gigantic arrow and drew back. There were levers and pulleys on the bow that moved as he pulled the drawstring. His muscles rippled and I could sense the enormous tension the cord was under. He took his aim and fired.

The arrow made a loud whistle as it flew through the air, then it hit the perfect center of a target. But it didn't stop there. It continued flying, impaling the large tree the target was on and only stopping when the arrowhead had poked out on the other side.

My jaw dropped. Never in my life had I seen an archer so powerful.

He turned to face me again.

"If you want to use your bow to protect others, you'll have to incapacitate the enemy, even kill if necessary. You have a lot to learn."

He was right. My skillset seemed feeble, insignificant in comparison to the archer before me. But it didn't hurt as much as I expected. Instead, I felt a fire within me to be as strong as he was one day. I stood up straight and puffed out my chest.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, sir. I want to be a hero."

At last I saw the gryphon's mouth curl into a faint smile.

"You really are an interesting one, Wisteria."

He went back into the tent where he got his bow and came out with another contraption. It looked like a bow, but it was attached to a rod and had a hook on it.

"The first step in training for every member of my squadron is the same. This is a crossbow. It holds the drawstring in place to make aiming easier. Your task is to load and fire ten arrows in a row."

He handed it to me and I was shocked by how heavy it was. The drawstring was unbelievably thick, and the hook was so far back.

"That's your first order, soldier. You'll have to do it if you want to be in any combat situation. You're not allowed to ask for help, either. We're a team, but this first trial has to be done on your own."

I nodded.

"Yes, sir!"

He nodded back before walking away.

I looked at the crossbow. All I had to do was load and fire ten arrows.

The instant I pulled the drawstring I knew that it would be easier said than done. I pulled as hard as I possibly could, but couldn't even get the drawstring halfway to the hook.

After trying for a while I looked at the crossbow, panting from the exertion.