Unicorns and Hippogriffs
Suddenly a group of centaur guards raced by them, leaving a cloud of dust un their wake. As they disappeared in the distance Jola heard them say, “The hippogriff stables are under attack, get Velocity and the warriors.” Uni had heard of hippogriffs, a rare breeding between griffins and horses, their front halves were of an eagle, rears of horses, with eagle wings too. They were temperamental creatures, always willing to peck their owners, but not very good in either attack or defence.
They backtracked back the way the guards had run from until eventually they saw the hippogriff pens, large covered pens, many had been smashed, and a group of minotaurs were busy chewing on the bones of a few that they had already killed, eating the meat raw as minotaurs never bothered to cook their meat, preferring it raw.
As Uni asked each of his herd to remain well out of reach, Jola could see something in his eyes that she rarely saw. Fear. She knew in her heart that his fear was not for himself, but for her and the children, and she offered to go with him. He refused instantly and said he would not be the cause of the death of his only love.
Lone, the new name of the young wolf given to him by Kasandra, walked along side him as he prepared to give his life for those he loved, and together they attacked, Uni holding the Assassin’s blade he had taken from the Dark Elf assassin, Lone baring his teeth in a challenge.
The minotaurs rose to their feet, charging without preparation, their roars of anger echoing through the pens. Within seconds one minotaur was dying on the ground, it’s body quivering as the poison ran through it. Lone darted quickly in and tore it’s throat out, completing the job that Uni had started.
Suddenly Jola was beside him, the black unicorn was defending her man, and she reared and brought her fore hooves down on one attacking minotaur, another drew the massive battle axe from his waistband, and with a mighty swing he cut Jola right down the middle.
Uni screamed, when Velocity arrived with he centaur warriors, he was slashing madly at the minotaurs, who were still attempting to kill him, and when the centaurs moved into the fight, his frenzy only increased, until Velocity himself had to stop him.
“She needs your help my friend.” He said, looking at the horribly mangled form of Jola, wondering if even a unicorn’s love would be enough?
Velocity could see the sweat dripping from Uni’s forehead, hear him telling the unconscious Jola not to leave him, and feel the emotions, the fear, the heartbreak from his friend, it brought the big chieftain to tears, he had to walk outside so he would not be seen. He was reminded of the death of his own mate, the dam of Melicity, who he still missed until this day, and he understood Uni’s feelings well.
The battle was long over and Velocity had brought Uni’s foals inside to help heal Jola. Many hours had passed before she regained consciousness, but almost two days more were needed until she was healed. Melicity had arrived and was helping, carrying the children away to sleep, when they collapsed from exhaustion. Uni refused to leave Jola’s side, not even to eat or drink, Melicity brought him water where he sat next to Jola, he looked so haggard to Melicity, so worn out, so dead inside, he had almost given up hope, she thought.
When Jola had come back to consciousness, the reached for Uni, grimacing as he pain tore through her body, asking just one thing, “Did I save you ma boo?”
Uni nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks, and told the first lie of his life, “Yes my love, yes you did save me. I would have died without your help,” Jola smiled, at peace that her help had been needed and collapsed unconscious again.
When at last her healing was successful Melissa entered the pen again to find Jola in human form, cradling Uni’s head in her lap, stroking his sweat soaked hair with a tenderness Melicity had never seen having been brought up without a mother in a warriors camp, but when she looked at her sire Velocity, Melicity could see in his face that it had not always been so. She could see a tenderness in him that she had never seen before, and instinctively knew that he had loved her mom just as much.
