Lord of Raven's Peak - Catherine Coulter [75]
All awoke the next morning to a flood of rain. Tempers flared quickly at the enforced inactivity, men yelled at each other, fights broke out, children fought and shrieked with as great enthusiasm as the men. Even the animals were surly, a small goat biting one of Thoragasson’s men on his ankle. It was Cleve who suggested to Merrik that Laren continue the story. “Aye,” he said, grinning at the man he trusted with his life, “let her weave her magic around them. It will keep heads on shoulders, and hands from around throats.”
“It will do nothing about the goat,” Merrik said, but agreed.
And so it was still before noonday, when everyone had finally fallen silent, that Laren began again.
“ . . . Rolf wandered deeper and deeper into the forest. The thick canopy of trees kept the sun from warming him. He knew he was searching for a beast to kill him, but none appeared. Aye, there were lynxes and rabbits, even braces of pheasants that lurched into the air when he came upon them suddenly, but nothing larger than a fox.
“The third day of his wandering, he came to the edge of a small meadow. It was the most beautiful meadow he’d ever seen and he knew he’d never seen it before, and he wondered at that, for he’d grown up here, hunted in this forest. Yet here was this beautiful meadow, carpeted with flowers of all colors, and the sun warmed his face and his body. Suddenly, as he stood there, wondering perhaps if his wits were failing him, he saw on the far side of the meadow a beautiful creature that looked like a small horse. It didn’t move, just stood there, sniffing the soft morning air, its thick white tail swishing. But somehow, Rolf knew the animal wasn’t the least afraid of him.
“The creature was ducking its head up and down, as if inviting Rolf to come closer. Rolf slowly walked toward the animal. He realized as he drew closer that it wasn’t a horse at all, or any other kind of animal he’d ever seen before. It turned to face him fully now, and he saw a horn growing upward in the middle of its forehead. And the horn was gold.
“He walked to the creature and slowly reached out his hand.
“The creature snorted, then stretched out his beautiful white head and laid his muzzle in Rolf’s palm.
“ ‘Who are you?’ Rolf asked, surprising himself that he would speak aloud to a creature.
“To his utter astonishment, the creature said softly, ‘I am a unicorn, Rolf, ah, but I am also more. You are weak from wandering about in the woods. Go back to your longhouse, then tomorrow return here.’
“The unicorn turned then, rearing onto its hind legs, its beautiful white mane and tail arching and flying, and galloped back into the depths of the forest. Rolf would swear he heard the voice calling to him, ‘Do not forget your weapons tomorrow, for ’tis dangerous in the forest.’
“Rolf went back to his longhouse, stunned that it took him only an hour to return. His brothers were relieved to see him and gave him good food and wine and ceased in their bedeviling of him. They clapped him on the back and told him how happy they were that he’d come back. He found himself telling them about the unicorn and describing it and its beautiful gold horn. He told them that the unicorn had spoken to him and told him to return to it on the morrow. Didn’t they think that curious? What did they think of this creature who had suddenly appeared to him?
“He then asked his brothers what they would do. Ragnor wondered if his brother had lost his wits and dreamed about this strange creature. He said only, ‘You said the horn was of gold?’
“And Rolf said, ‘Aye, ’twas of pure gold if my eyes weren’t deceiving me.’
“Both brothers fell silent, deep in their thoughts.”
Laren paused, then smiled toward Olaf Thoragasson. “If you were Rolf, my lord, what would you do about the unicorn?”
Olaf Thoragasson pounded his big fists on his thighs. “Why, I would kill the creature and cut away its golden horn. I would sell it to the richest prince in the world and