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Authors: Maurissa Guibord
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a toppled goblet and said more quietly, obviously struggling to control his temper, " How could Will just disappear without word, without trace?" His glance shot to Hugh, demanding answers.
"No one has seen him since we left for London," said Hugh wearily. "Everyone at Hartescross assumed he accompanied us." He pressed his knuckles against his tired eyes. He had not slept since returning from court. He had questioned every inhabitant of the castle, from the char sweep to the falconer, as to the whereabouts of his younger brother. Will was gone. As completely as if he had been spirited away.
"What of his horse?"
Hugh shook his head. "Gone."
"A fortnight, then?" The earl's fists tightened. "My son has been missing a fortnight while I have cooled my heels at court, waiting for King Henry to deign to see me?" He finished in a low mutter, "All to plead my case for my own bloody land."
"There is more," said Hugh.
The earl gave a curt nod for his elder son to go on.
"There's been talk in the village." Hugh's usually ruddy face was pale, and the circles beneath his eyes told of sleepless hours. "Talk of a beast. In the northern woods."
"What kind of beast?"
"A unicorn," answered Hugh softly.
The earl stared for a moment, then let out a dismissive cry. "Madness," he said. His expression registered something between disgust and despair.
Hugh hesitated. "Perhaps," he said. He paced before his father's massive oaken chair as if to wear a groove in the flagstones. Hugh's nature was one of action. He despised talk. He halted, and then, speaking in a curt monotone, said: "There's an old woman come to the village. A traveling weaver. She says she saw the unicorn at the edge of the northern wood. She followed it into the forest and saw it attack a young noble. The description she gave sounds like Will." He looked at his father with anguish. "I would say the old woman is raving, except that some of the villagers say they've seen it as well--a unicorn with a blood-tipped horn. And Will was ..." Hugh broke off and cleared his throat noisily. "He was going into the northern woods on the day we left." He lowered his head. "I might have stopped him. Or gone with him."
The earl rubbed a heavy hand over his eyes. He was a brusque man with a titan's temper. But his sons were as dear to him as his own breath. He looked at his elder son. "This is no fault of yours, Hugh. Gather a hunting party. Capture the beast. I will see it with my own eyes before I believe a word of this tale."
Hugh shook his head. "The crone says the unicorn cannot be captured by ordinary means. A trap must be set, and then the creature must be fettered with iron shackles."
"Trap? What kind of a trap?" the earl asked. His eyes brightened, seemingly despite himself, at the prospect of a challenging hunt.
"A virgin must be placed in its haunts," said Hugh.
"Then make it so," said the earl. "And if this is true, if there is such a beast," he went on in a commanding tone, "kill it, Hugh. With your own hands, kill it. It won't bring Will back to us, but such a thing must not be suffered to live. It's a danger to the village."
Hugh's breath was ragged with emotion, and wetness glittered in his eyes as he answered:
"I will destroy it."
Chapter 11
Tessa couldn't sleep.
No matter what shape she punched her pillow into, it wasn't comfortable, and every book she picked up she tossed aside. Her thoughts kept revolving around one idea: something was wrong .
Outside were the sounds of occasional cars passing, but the building was quiet. She was alone. Her father had called; he would be home a bit later. She'd heard music playing in the background as he spoke over the phone. "You're sure you're okay? I'm just around the corner, at Alicia's."
Tessa heard the carefulness in her father's voice, and the worry. "I'm fine, Dad," she'd said firmly. "And that thing I said this morning--I'm really sorry. It was stupid."
"The way you feel is never stupid, Tessa." He had paused as if
"No one has seen him since we left for London," said Hugh wearily. "Everyone at Hartescross assumed he accompanied us." He pressed his knuckles against his tired eyes. He had not slept since returning from court. He had questioned every inhabitant of the castle, from the char sweep to the falconer, as to the whereabouts of his younger brother. Will was gone. As completely as if he had been spirited away.
"What of his horse?"
Hugh shook his head. "Gone."
"A fortnight, then?" The earl's fists tightened. "My son has been missing a fortnight while I have cooled my heels at court, waiting for King Henry to deign to see me?" He finished in a low mutter, "All to plead my case for my own bloody land."
"There is more," said Hugh.
The earl gave a curt nod for his elder son to go on.
"There's been talk in the village." Hugh's usually ruddy face was pale, and the circles beneath his eyes told of sleepless hours. "Talk of a beast. In the northern woods."
"What kind of beast?"
"A unicorn," answered Hugh softly.
The earl stared for a moment, then let out a dismissive cry. "Madness," he said. His expression registered something between disgust and despair.
Hugh hesitated. "Perhaps," he said. He paced before his father's massive oaken chair as if to wear a groove in the flagstones. Hugh's nature was one of action. He despised talk. He halted, and then, speaking in a curt monotone, said: "There's an old woman come to the village. A traveling weaver. She says she saw the unicorn at the edge of the northern wood. She followed it into the forest and saw it attack a young noble. The description she gave sounds like Will." He looked at his father with anguish. "I would say the old woman is raving, except that some of the villagers say they've seen it as well--a unicorn with a blood-tipped horn. And Will was ..." Hugh broke off and cleared his throat noisily. "He was going into the northern woods on the day we left." He lowered his head. "I might have stopped him. Or gone with him."
The earl rubbed a heavy hand over his eyes. He was a brusque man with a titan's temper. But his sons were as dear to him as his own breath. He looked at his elder son. "This is no fault of yours, Hugh. Gather a hunting party. Capture the beast. I will see it with my own eyes before I believe a word of this tale."
Hugh shook his head. "The crone says the unicorn cannot be captured by ordinary means. A trap must be set, and then the creature must be fettered with iron shackles."
"Trap? What kind of a trap?" the earl asked. His eyes brightened, seemingly despite himself, at the prospect of a challenging hunt.
"A virgin must be placed in its haunts," said Hugh.
"Then make it so," said the earl. "And if this is true, if there is such a beast," he went on in a commanding tone, "kill it, Hugh. With your own hands, kill it. It won't bring Will back to us, but such a thing must not be suffered to live. It's a danger to the village."
Hugh's breath was ragged with emotion, and wetness glittered in his eyes as he answered:
"I will destroy it."
Chapter 11
Tessa couldn't sleep.
No matter what shape she punched her pillow into, it wasn't comfortable, and every book she picked up she tossed aside. Her thoughts kept revolving around one idea: something was wrong .
Outside were the sounds of occasional cars passing, but the building was quiet. She was alone. Her father had called; he would be home a bit later. She'd heard music playing in the background as he spoke over the phone. "You're sure you're okay? I'm just around the corner, at Alicia's."
Tessa heard the carefulness in her father's voice, and the worry. "I'm fine, Dad," she'd said firmly. "And that thing I said this morning--I'm really sorry. It was stupid."
"The way you feel is never stupid, Tessa." He had paused as if
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