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It had been years since Silver had seen anyone this deep into the forest. It had been even longer since she saw a human male so close. She froze when she saw him, his black hair held back with a piece of ribbon, a small traveling pack on his back, and a look of both fear and anger upon his face. Silver had taken a trip to the small pond not too far from the small shack she lived near, collecting water in a small green jug, the rim chipped from age and constant use. Tense, not a muscle moved. No wind blew to disturb her fine white mane, nor cause her ears to twitch. Her eyes, with long silver eyelashes dared not blink, for these human males were quick on their feet, and full of deceit. She was angry, for someone dared the deep forest not to swallow him or her up, or cause a terrible illness. But there was also fear behind those calm, placid blue eyes.
The sound of the trickling water seemed to attract the angry traveler. He paused, and he stayed still. He looked to his left, peering intensely into the darkening wood. The sun was already beginning to get sleepy, stretching its hands out along the sky in pink streaks. He saw nothing but an old log, and bushes that held a type of berry, colored bright pink, and in an odd shape. Almost that of a triangle with rounded edges, and what seemed to be a hump placed randomly on every berry’s face. Trees with brilliant green, red, and yellow foliage filled his gaze, and a cool autumn breeze zipped through the leaves, causing a few to flutter to the ground. He shook his head, a few wisps of midnight black hair falling loose, and clinging to his cheeks due to perspiration. It was tough, hiking through the forest with such terrible boots, in even worse shape then he.
As he turned his head to the right, he saw a flash of white, which caused him to turn his whole body. There was a small pond hidden behind small saplings, a cobweb with a nasty looking spider amidst the leaves. Fallen leaves floated on the water’s surface, and a few had sunk, and were quite visible through the crystal fluid. It couldn’t be more then a few feet deep, with an assortment of water creatures resting at the bottom. He could see fish slipping and gliding through the water almost as easily, if not more easily, then the birds flying overhead. The other side of the pond, which wasn’t more then twenty paces away, was neatly lined with pine trees, their needles a shade of green he hadn’t seen since he was a child, and able to pick out the Christmas tree with his father for the first time ever, in the forest. Of course, both his father and town were many hours away.
Silver had darted out of site as soon as the male began to look her way. The jug was hanging by the handle, the handle between her front teeth, slightly yellowed from age and time. It was a tricky thing, time, often fickle to understand. She watched him as he observed the surroundings, taking particular intense interest in the water, his green eyes lighting up as the flip of a fish caused a disturbance in the sheet of water. Without any warning, he gave a short shout of relief as he jumped through the trees (causing the spider to fall off her web) and removed his pack and shirt in one movement. There was a large scar running across his torso, beginning at his left shoulder then running at an angle to his right hip. Along the way, jagged marks were seen. Silver thought it must have been the most painful thing to receive, such a mark. When his boots were gone, and his pants too, he jumped into the water with nothing but what God had graced him with, causing a large splash.
Silver averted her eyes and gazed at the ground until the splashing stopped, and peace returned once again. When she looked up, he was sitting in the water, his head tilted back towards the sky with his eyes closed. He smiled, and sighed happily.
“What’s going on?” a young girl said, with such long hair in an intense color of silver that could rival her unicorn friend’s mane. Serenity was her name, and such a beauty she had turned into. With nothing but fruits and herbs, fresh air, and clean water, she hadn’t been sick more then a day in her life. She brushed her bangs out of her face, revealing a quarter moon on her forehead that in contrast to her deep purple eyes, seemed to fade to a gentle shade of violet.
In a hurry, Silver placed the jug on the ground, and herded Serenity back a few steps.
“Danger?” Serenity asked, after placing her hand on Silver’s forehead to read her thoughts. “I don’t see any danger. There hasn’t been a foul creature in these woods since that pack of wolves passed by, and I was only a toddler then!”
Serenity gently pushed past Silver, and parted the lower branches of the pine trees. Sitting in the pond was another human. Her eyes opened wide with surprise and she covered her mouth with a hand. The branch her hand deserted snapped back, causing quite the rustling. Silver grabbed the back of Serenity’s dress she had found near the entrance to the forest, and snapped her back.
“Who’s there?” A voice from the pond rose out. There was rapid, frantic splashing as Silver urged Serenity onto her back, but Serenity was so interested and curious in this creature that she barely felt Silver’s nudges before it was too late. A face broke through the needles, and Silver immediately ducked her head down low and slipped between Serenity’s legs to nock her onto her back. Serenity shrieked with astonishment at what her oldest friend and guardian achieved as she was taken away from the pond. The jug was smashed beneath Silver’s rampant feet as they retreated.
“Wait!” The man cried out, running after them, now in his pants and boots, his pants plastered to his wet legs, his feet slipping uncomfortably in his now damp boots.
Silver panicked, as she realized she was leading the male straight to their small shack. It was too late to turn around or veer off, when the shack came into view. It was just that, a shack; a single room with low, rickety shelves. The roof always leaked, and it was constantly chilly when the cold night air crept in through split boards and pieces of small saplings that died. There was one window, currently covered by a curtain of woven dandelions and colorful leaves, and the door was off center, leaving a small gap by the top. It sat amidst the tallest trees in the forest, always in the shade except for very early in the morning when the sun was low enough to cut through the trees, weaving its way, almost as if it wanted to bathe this pale girl’s house in light. Serenity got off Silver as fast as she could, now convinced he was dangerous, and fled into the shack, closing the door softly behind her, and standing with her back against it. Silver fled to hide behind the shack.
Very puzzled, he stared at the shack as he slowed to halt only feet from the door. He could see a pair of dirty, pale feet at the back of the door, the hem of a red dress flirting with her ankles. It was almost too much to take- something out of a fairytale! A beautiful woman riding a horse! Almost like a princess would. She was so terribly thin, and pale, it seemed that she was ill, but she seemed healthy enough. He scratched his head as he walked to the door, and gently rapped upon it. His heart fluttered nervously for the first time since his first day on the lines of war, and again on the second, the third, and the thirtieth. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t answer, but was when she opened the door just a crack to see who was on the other side. This piece of rotting wood kept them from seeing each other, and for once, she was glad it was there. She always cursed it when it was hot, and the air humid and unpitying. Funny how things happen like that.
“Who are you?” she mumbled shyly, her eye looking him over from toe to head. Smooth fingers with chipped nails curled around the door.
“It doesn’t matter who I am! What is your name?”
“I’m Ser-”
Silver came darting out from behind the shack, her head bent down, a sharp white horn no longer than seven inches came jutting towards the man. He leapt back as Silver stood protectively in front of the door, hiding the girl from his view. His heart skipped a beat at the realization that it was a unicorn, and not just a horse. Then he understood that those fairy tale stories told around campfires were true: there really was a maiden living in the woods with a unicorn as her protector. He could hardly believe it, he was standing in front of the fabled shack, and in front of the legendary Maid of the Woods, the one who was supposed to have been abandoned because of the power she was supposed to have flowing through her being.
Smoothly, and calmly, he neared the unicorn, his arm out, and his hand tentatively reaching for the animal’s head. Silver reared back on her hind legs, kicking viciously as he tried to near.
“Easy!” he called out, taking a step back, then nearing again once she was on all four hoofs.
“Silver!” the girl said with a disapproving look. The door was flung open, and she stood on the thresh hold, hands on her hips. Silver turned to look at her, and the girl came to her, and placed a hand gently on her neck. After a few quiet seconds, the girl shook her head, and then nodded. He watched in silence, as they seemed to have a conversation between themselves. This whole concept of silent talk made him shiver.
“I’m Serenity,” she said suddenly, catching him by surprise as he kicked the mud off his boots on a large rock. “You’re here to take me back, aren’t you?”
“T-take you back?”
”Aren’t you the man who was said to retrieve me when it was time?”
He had no clue what was going on, or what she was talking about, but he knew that he had the chance to bring her home with him, and maybe make Serenity his wife. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to those mysterious eyes.
“I might be,” he said, gazing off into the forest almost as if the trees would give an answer. “Does anyone know their destiny?”
She stared at him, her face expressionless. And then she smiled warmly. “I will go with you. You can bring me back. I’m ready.”
His heart leapt. She was willing to come back with him when he hadn’t even posed the question?
“You will stay here for the night, as it’ll be dark soon. Silver will take you to get your things.” She gracefully slid back into the shack and closed the door as an angry unicorn came face to face with him. She grunted moodily before trotting off in the direction of the pond.
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