Shala

Come.

Sit near the fire while I relate a story that happened many, many years ago, long before the present time.

It was a time now long forgotten. Some say a time before the world split apart and the underworld became lost in time.

It was a magic world filled with gnomes, elves,, dragons ,dwarves and of course fair maidens.

It is of one such maiden that this story is about. She was the daughter of the moon goddess and was so beautiful she was exiled by her jealous mother to live on earth as a mortal with limited magic.

The ancient storyteller's eyes seemed to glaze over as he began to remember the details of his story. He appeared to be lost in that long ago time. He said not a word as his mind retraced his life back through the past ages, back to those wondrous years.

Back to Shala!!

A large harvest moon hung suspended, almost touching the crest of the mountain. It's brilliance making the night as bright as day. The girl ran along the trail with the grace of a deer, her sheer white gown flowing behind her. Her tiny bare feet barely touched the ground as she ran.

As the terrain began to rise up before her she slowed to a walk, but continued forward with determined purpose. The moon outlined her slender, child like body through the gauzy material of her gown. Her long blond hair reflected the shimmering light of the golden orb.

Once or twice she stumbled over the rocky terrain, quickly regaining her balance to continue her urgent climb up the steep ridge. She glanced up at the moon, judging it's path across the sky and each time she increased her speed.

She must hurry!! The moon was climbing much too fast. The precious hours dwindling with each of her faltering steps

Almost without realizing it she was at the summit .She stopped, took a deep breath and walked to the edge of a cliff. She looked down at the valley that was her home. The home she was doomed to live in forever. Any dreams of her jealous mother relenting and receiving her back to their moon home had vanished long ago. She was doomed to live on earth and remain at her present age forever. She had found no way to break her mother’s spell.

Looking up, she raised her arms to the moon and began to sing. It was a song of praise to the moon goddess: A siren song of longing and passion. It was a plea to the Moon Goddess to grant her a few precious hours with her beloved/

AS she sang her siren song there came a soft muffled snort from the low bushes behind her. If she heard, she gave no indication, but continued singing her plaintive song, until the intruder was standing before her. The black unicorn bowed his head and knelt before her.

She stopped singing smiled and reached out to touch his golden horn. His body trembled at her touch. He indicated with a toss of his magnificent head that she should mount his back. When Her tiny hands were tangled in his luxurious mane, he leapt from the cliff to soar over the valley and into the distant range of mountains beyond the mist.

As they flew through the warm night air, she lay full length along his back. She could feel the tension mounting in him, the passion barely kept under control, His trembling increased as they neared their destination.

He landed softly in a grassy glade beside a small pool that sparkled and shimmered with a golden haze. She dismounted turned towards the moon and once again began her siren song as the unicorn walked into the pool. Deeper and deeper he waded in until he was completely immersed in the shining water.

The water swirled and boiled over him. The golden color changed to misty blue, purple, then a deep midnight black, before gradually changing back to the golden hue. He emerged from the depth of the pool, his mane now transformed into long shinny black hair. His man's body retained the muscular strength of the unicorn. He walked naked toward his love.

Shala had watched the transformation of her lover many times, yet each time she was awestruck by the magic that changed the unicorn into the man she loved.

He approached the girl from behind and placed his arms around her slender body. Holding her close, he whispered her name,

"Shala ".

"Jondar", she sighed against his chest. At last she was in his arms. It had been so long since their last meeting. The full moon didn't come often enough .The few hours of the full moon not nearly enough for the lovers. Tonight those hours would be even less. She had been late getting here and she must be back to the mountain crest before the moon set.

She lifted her face to receive his kiss. His body betrayed the pent up passion that was barely under control. With trembling arms he lifted her feather light weight and carried her to the den he called home. Gently he laid her on the fresh pine boughs. Branches of mountain laurel were placed around the bed he had prepared for his love. He picked up a garland of the flowers to circle her golden hair.

She lay before him, accepting his adoration. He tenderly reached out to untie the one knot that fastened her gown. Fabric so sheer it could have been woven from spider webs fell away, leaving her naked, unashamed before him .

"Your late," he said. "I was beginning to think you were not coming" There was no accusation in his voice. "Now our time is short. The full moon will wane soon and you must be gone from this valley before the moon sets." he knelt beside her, tracing the line of her face, fingers traced down her neck and shoulders to her breast. Reverently he cupped her breast in his hand and bent to kiss the nipple, teasing with his tongue until she moaned softly and pulled him to her.

They quickly claimed their love. There was no time for the usual foreplay they normally enjoyed.

He entered her gently, although she was fully aroused . As he entered her wetness he was over come with his desire for her. Throwing his caution aside, he took her with all the passion that had built up in him since the last full moon. With arms and legs wrapped around him she arched her body up to receive him more deeply. He gave no notice of the nails clawing deep welts in his back. They were aware only of the joining of their bodies, losing their own identities, becoming one. He captured her mouth in a long sensual kiss. He drank in her essence while his tongue played in and out in a mirror dance of their bodies.

Hot flames became a ragging inferno searing their souls as they rode the tide of their emotions to a tumultuous climax, leaving them spent, too drained of energy to move. They lay wrapped in each other's arms savoring these last few minutes of their time together.

The sound of a horn trumpeting roused them from their lethargy. It was the signal from the herd leader that the time had come for Shala to leave the valley of the Unicorn. Jondar must go to the magic pool and become once again the black unicorn and take Shala back to her own world until the next full moon.