The Forest King

The deep forest at the edge of the village always seemed to glitter invitingly to Holly, especially at night. The way the crickets sang and the firebugs winked, it always made her want to go running through them, swift as a shadow, and dance among the moonbeams and the rustling creatures of the night. The elders had long forbid anyone from venturing any farther than eyesight of the great steeple of the church at the center of her tiny town, and the most the people gathered was downed wood for the fires and some rabbit or deer that ventured a little too close. Stories were told around the great fires in the evenings of creatures and monsters living in the deep woods that despised the touch of man in the world. Satyrs, great hulking men cursed by the magic of the world to live as beasts with no mind of their own wandered the woods, hunting for the taste of manflesh, and the warmth of a womans sex. The trees themselves, it was said, had great thick vines that could whip like cord and lash a being to it to be devoured by whatever predator wandered by. The Fairy, small winged creatures that looked like black-eyed children, were known for their voice, and to be called by a fairy was to be drawn to certain death. But none of the elders whispered more than a few words about the dreaded Unicorn.

A creature shaped as a horse, with powerful legs ending in cloven hooves, but the tail of a lion, and a sparkling horn growing from the center of its forehead. It was said the Unicorn was the strongest creature of the woods, and guardian of all who lay within it. The beast had an undying hatred for the men that burned its trees and killed its subjects, and would slay any that ventured into the leafy depths. Holly herself had seen the mutilated body of a neighbor the elders claimed was a victim of the unicorn. The boy had been very mean to Holly, always stealing her doll and ripping its limbs off, laughing as she tried to get it back, waving it over her head while she cried for him to stop hurting poor Lucille. She hadn't been sad to see him go, but the way he was killed... no one deserved a fate like that. The sight of his brains spilling onto the roots of the tree was the strongest deterrent to her flights of fancy about dancing through the forest.

Some days though... she wanted to anyways. Her mother had died when Holly was 12, almost 8 years ago now, and her father had married a horrible, controlling woman who hated Holly with a depth she never showed her husband. Her 2 boys were both older and bigger than Holly, and she was currently pregnant with her first child with her new husband. She wasn't due for a couple more months yet, but the pregnancy was hard on her and she was extra irritable and screamed at Holly every chance she could. Every chore fell to Holly, every floor that needed scrubbed, every meal to cook, even drawing baths for her older step-brothers. The looks and grins they gave her while she did those things made her feel exposed and judged. She knew what they wanted, but she wouldn't ever give them her flower. But the looks and groping never stopped.

Even now, on her way back from the well with a pair of buckets slung over her shoulders, her footsteps faltered, and she felt tears welling up. She hated it there, hated everything about the place. Her father was a farmer, gone from before sunup to well after sundown, and never saw the abuse she was put through. Her step-mom seemed to encourage it, forcing her into situations with her brothers that could end badly if she wasn't quick on her feet and even quicker with her wits. Some day, she knew, she wouldn't be able to avoid them. She came to a full stop, legs trembling at the thought. She knew that someday, unless she ran away or married herself off, her step-brothers would catch her finally, and steal her flower away. The one thing she had left for herself. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she promised herself she would end it right there if it ever happened. She refused to live in a world with everything taken from her.

She stepped forward once more, feeling confident, but as she turned the corner of the road that lead by the forest and up to her father's house, she heard a cruel chuckling. Her hair prickled, but before she could do anything, the yoke over her neck with the buckets swinging from them was pulled backwards, pulling her with them and causing her to stumble and fall with a cry. Her head hit the hard wooden yoke and she saw stars, and before she could clear her head a man was on her, his knee pressing into her stomach and a rag over and in her mouth, choking her and muffling any cries. The slice of moon made the streets darker than usual, but the laughter was well known to her. Her oldest step-brother James was laying on her now.

She recovered fairly quickly, and struggled to push him off. The knee in her stomach disappeared as he now straddled her, holding her hands and tying them above her while she kicked and screamed into the rag. Her hands secured, he slapped her across the face, hard. She gasped and went limp, stunned at the blow. Ever her absent father would notice such a mark, wouldn't he? How did James dare to do this? James chuckled, and got off, hauling her to a sitting position and tying her to a tree by her hands. His eyes drank her form in the little light from the stars, and she curled up, trying to hide herself from his eyes. The rag in her mouth tasted vile, and her wrists ached where the rough rope cut, but the shame of being looked at like she was nothing more than a toy hurt the most.

James reached out, and roughly pulled her legs down from where she curled them at her chest. She fought, kicking and writhing, but he slapped her again and she was still. James yanked her legs apart, gliding his hands up her thighs and under her dress to press against her cotton smallclothes. She cried out in denial, tears running down her cheeks, as James reached deeper and pulled them off of her completely. He reached up again, trailing his fingers up her thighs like he was trying to seduce her, but a sudden yell stopped him, and he yanked away. Holly's eyes flew open, and she saw another man running down the street towards them. The leap of hope her heart made vanished in an instant as she saw it was her other step-brother, Thomas, running towards them. The two men butted chests, circling like roosters ready to fight for a hen, and James made the first hit, punching Thomas in the face.

Well, trying to. He missed completely thanks to Thomas' duck and instead hit his shoulder, but in moments they were rolling on the ground tussling and trading blows. Holly realized it was her chance, and started working at the knots. James was never very clever, and his clumsy knots were strong but simple, and by the time James was standing in the street over a groaning Thomas, Holly had both hands free and was untying the knot around the rag stuffed into her mouth. She hesitated a moment when she was finally free, but the yell from James as he saw what she had done pushed her to act. She turned and fled into the forest.

The angry scream of James was like a bucket of cold water after a late night of cleaning, and her legs pumped as she ran deeper and deeper, leaves slapping her face, the night dew soaking her hair and clothes as she pushed as hard as she could, running like the Unicorn himself was chasing her, not willing to stop for anything. The rustle of discturbed creatures and the call of startled owls filled the night, and her heart beat in absolute terror of what she was doing. Running into the forest? Was she insane? Every crackle of fallen branch and hoot of alarm terrified her even more, pushing her legs harder and faster, until she could see nothing but what seemed like glowing yellow eyes around her. Soon enough her chest couldn't bring in enough air, and her vision narrowed, straining to bring her somewhere, anywhere, safe. A sudden rock made her stumble, and at her speed that stumble turned into an ungainly somersault, and before she could try to regain her balance her head cracked against a tree root and the world went completely black.

Whispers on the wind called to him, his forest and trees telling him something was amiss, something new was among the majestic oaks and yews he ruled. Darkest night was a time of slumber for him, but the calls of the trees and the spirits of the wind drew him into wakefulness. He stretched, long neck and legs reaching somewhat like a cat to relieve themselves of the cramping sleep always brought, and he shook his golden mane out and tasted the breeze. Something new indeed was among the trees, and they were not happy about it. A human had made its way into the woods somehow. Running fast, it seems. He snorted, telling the trees a single human wasn't worth disturbing his slumber, but they were insistent that a single human brought more, and when more came they would bring fire and steel and steal their children. The Unicorn shook out his mane, and set off at a steady trot for where the human seemed to have stopped.

It was a short amount of time before he came across her, crumbled at the base of a young elm. He stood deep in the shadows of the rising sun, watching carefully. The rising light illuminated her reddish-brown hair with flashes of brilliance, and he found himself admiring the curves of her hips and the rise of her breasts as they moved under the heavy cloth of her dress. He stepped closer, sniffing, trying to discern why she wasn't waking up with the sun glinting full on her face. That was when he saw the trickle of blood at her temple, and the unnatural angle of her arm, and knew she was in danger. Not entirely sure why he felt the need to save her, he none-the-less closed his eyes and dove deep into the magic of his core. Calling on his strength, he wove his magic into her, binding and straightening her arm, setting the break before instructing the trees to give him some properly straight and strong roots to use to splint it. Still using his magic, he tied the roots with vines, and explored the wound on her head.

The blow was nothing overly serious, thankfully, but he used his remaining strength to mend a tiny vessel and reduce the swelling before he was forced to let go. It had been so long since Allene... But his thoughts were interrupted by a groan and a gasp from the fallen human. She rolled onto her back, looking into the sky with bleary brown eyes, face streaked from her nights adventure with dirt and bits of plant. He froze, knowing what stories the humans told of him and his forest, not wanting to scare her away, but unable to speak.

She felt pain. Her arm, her wrists, her head, it all hurt. Waking up to a blue sky over head and birds chirping was disorienting, however, somehow relaxing. It took a few moments to remember what had happened last night, and her tears came anew. She was lost in the forest, forever. She knew it was only a matter of time before something found her and brought her to her end. She reached up to grip her hair, tears streaming away, but noticed something through them. Her hurting arm was bound in... vines? And was that a wooden splint? Did she break her arm? If so, who fixed it? Tears gone, she sat up and wildly looked around, hoping someone had found her and saved her, praying that she wasn't alone out here with the beasts. But she saw no sign of man, except the hole in the bushes she made when she went pushing through them late at night. Her heart slowed, and she looked about even more carefully, tracing through the shadows until she finally saw a figure that made her heart stop.

Pale white gleamed even in the deepest shadow, and the golden glint of its mane shown like the finest polished dinnerware at the Duke's table. Her heart dropped, knowing this couldn't be anything but the dreaded unicorn, and as it stepped forward into the sun between the trees, she tried to scramble backwards, but the pain in her arm caused her to cry out. Seeing no escape, she curled into a ball and prayed he would make her end quick and painless.

He smelled the fear on her, and the pain, and wished he could tell her to not fear, that she was safe, and that she never had to cry again. Something in him yearned for this human girl. He felt a connection with her that he hadn't felt since Allene so many many years ago. He stepped to her, careful with his hooves to not hurt her, and nickered against her cheek, his breath blowing her hair back and hopefully calming her fears. She smelled enchanting, like a deep summer meadow with a babbling brook and the nodding heads of thousands of wildflowers warmed in the sun. He was enchanted, just from the smell of her he knew she was going to be his. Lipping gently he tickled her cheek, before bending his head low and touching his deep blue horn to the center of her forehead. She gasped as she felt the touch of it, and then groaned in despair, thinking it was finally the end for her. A small flash of light, and her brow was marked with his symbol, a blue star burst. His magic struck to her core, ensuring none of the creatures of the woods would harm her. His mark in place, he pulled his head up and stepped back a few steps.

She remained where she was a few moments longer, unsure of what just happened, but eventually uncurled and looked up. The unicorn just stood there, watching her. His deep blue eyes matching his magnificent horn, and she suddenly realized he was the one who fixed her arm. A unicorn, unrelenting master of the woods and destroyer of humans had... healed her? Why? How? She couldn't think, just stared at the beast with wonder. It shook its head with a snort and turned away, walking slowly off into the forest again. She wanted to beg for it to stay, wanted to ask it why it had helped her, but it turned, and seemed to call for her to follow him. With shaking legs, she did.

Staying a few steps behind, they walked through the forest together. She had no way of knowing where he was leading her, no idea if she was being taken to some unspeakable end or just being returned to the human world. The walk was pleasant, and her boots made little dent in the springy undergrowth, but it wasn't long before she grew rather hungry. She hoped the walk would end soon, and end somewhere with a comfortable fire and a bowl full of stew, but the unicorn reached out with its long neck and started pulling berries from bushes as they walked along. She realized he was helping her find edible plants in these unfamiliar woods, and she gathered and ate a little of everything as they walked. Some of the fruits were familiar, like raspberries and blueberries, but others seemed strange, like a glowing golden one that tasted like spun sugar, or a cluster of purple and green striped ones that reminded her of apples and cinnamon. The magic of these woods must be causing all sorts of things to grow and change, she thought, popping another purple one in her mouth.

The sun rose higher and higher, but the shade from the trees made the walk cool and meditative. Birds chirped and sang around her from the tree tops, and butterflies flitted around like scraps of colored paper tossed on a breeze. She saw other shapes among the trees sometimes, a glimpse of rough brown fur, or the gleam of a horn in the sun. A doe and her fawn ran past not 10 feet away once, making Holly gasp in awe at the sight of the beautiful creatures running free. The unicorn tipped an ear backwards to make sure she was ok, but still they plodded on.

The sun was tipping just past it's apex when they finally came to wherever the unicorn was leading her, and stopped. She peered around him, and then carefully stepped forward, trying to not even touch the creature in case it changed its mind about her. Stepping into a large clearing, her gaze was drawn immediately to a large stone hut covered in vines. It had to have been abandoned for ages now, and she could see some of the walls had some holes in them, but the foundations were strong and it sat by a clear pool of water. The unicorn snorted, drawing her attention, and she locked eyes with him. He seemed to say she would be safe here, and before she could say another word he turned and galloped away, leaving her to explore the house and field.

Hours passed, in which she made the place clean and comfortable, sweeping the dead plant material out and fashioning herself a bed of soft grasses. Looking on the south side of the house she found what must have been an overgrown kitchen garden, and cutting through the wild vegetation that had been allowed to grow and reseed itself for who-knows-how long, she found some peas and carrots and a couple ears of corn to make a comfortable meal with. She started a small cooking fire in the hearth and crudely roasted the veggies on a stick over it. She resolved to find a nice flat rock and make herself a hearth the next day if she could. The water from the pool was cool and clear and the most refreshing drink she had ever tasted, but as the sun disappeared over the horizon she could only think of the unicorn. Her long walk and hard work had worn her out, and she climbed into her nest of grasses with him on her mind. She hoped to see him again soon, and drifted off to sleep.

The unicorn had thought of nothing but the little human as he galloped away from her new home. He had one thought in his mind; how to claim her as his forever. He had tried with Allene, but she was still so attached to her family she couldn't give him her soul like he desperately wanted. She had gone to be with them in the stars at the age of 65, leaving him alone once more in the woods. But now, this human might want him, might bare herself to him like no other had, and he knew he had to make her his. She had stolen his heart, and he was now on a quest to steal her soul.

Deeper and deeper into the dark woods he ran, following the markers he put there himself, deep into the High Woods where the air became thinner, and soon he was climbing a bare rocky path up and up into the biting, howling wind. This mountain was so remote from the lands of the humans, none had ever even seen its peak. As he climbed to its summit an hour later, he finally saw his goal. The low bushes stretched between rocks and deep into cracks, their mostly bare branches rattling in the heavy wind. But deep in the cracks of the rocks the blue light shone gently out. Reaching his muzzle in deep, he gently plucked a pair of twisted, glowing, blue, berries from the branch they grew on and laid them on the stone to inspect them. He sniffed, inhaling deeply the scent of magic incarnate, and picked them up in his teeth again before turning and trotting back down the mountain. He would stop for rest and a meal before long, but he longed to be with his human mate soon.

Morning came in the little cottage, and Holly awoke feeling refreshed and warm. Her arm seemed to have healed almost overnight, and she tested it for pain before gently unwrapping the vines and setting the splint aside. The unicorns magic must have accelerated the process, and she stretched, ready to face a new day in her new home. As she stepped out, she wondered at herself. Not even 2 days ago she would have been terrified of the thought of living here, but the way the unicorn treated her she was starting to doubt all the stories the villagers and elders told her of the woods. She looked down at her torn and soiled dress, and ran a hand through her snarled and matted hair and decided a bath would do her good. The pool of water looked inviting, and so she stripped her dress off and slipped into its pleasantly cool depths, shivering at the touch of the cold water. Her nipples hardened immediately, and the sensation as her hands brushed over them sent shivers down her spine as she waded up to her neck in the clear pond. She dipped her head under, wetting her hair, and tossed it back, laughing under the sun as she floated on her back in the clear pond. The sun soon dried the skin of her breasts and flat stomach and she shivered thinking of the unicorn.