The Legacy

by Liana Brittain

Tamsyn sat on a soft, dry cushion of moss at the base of the Rowan tree. She wept softly, her face gently cradled in her delicate hands. Sorrow pervaded every fibre of her being. Light shone through the grove, broken here and there by the dense canopy of leaves, creating a dappled effect across the carpet of green at her feet. The eerie glow of the crescent moon danced all around her as a gentle zephyr played amongst the branches above.

Abandoned and alone, she grieved for all that might have been. Alliances had been shattered with the murder of the king. Her home confiscated, her family destroyed, Tamsyn and a handful of women folk had miraculously escaped. Separated from these women in the chase that ensued, she had wandered aimlessly through the bush for hours. Finally, exhausted, she has collapsed in a broken heap at the foot of this tree. Tamsyn was all too keenly aware that the chances of her surviving the night alone in the forest were very poor. Wild animals, thieves, or knights filled with the bloodlust of today’s battle, would show no mercy when they discovered her. She was totally defenceless, without even a cloak to keep her from the elements. Death stalked her fragile form. Her fate was inevitable.

A woman of the nobility, gently raised and schooled, Tamsyn knew not what to do. There was no hope. Gradually, the tears subsided and a warmth crept over her, as she slowly slipped into the welcome oblivion of sleep. Serenely, she drifted as Mother Earth provided a respite from the horrors of the day.

When she awoke, it was full night and the moon was almost directly overhead. As her swollen eyes opened, a huge shape appeared, looming over her. Startled, she cried out raising her hands to protect herself from the attack that must surely follow. Panic gripped her heart so fiercely that it ached with pain. Her breath was reduced to shallow rasps which burned her lungs. She was numb with raw terror. A horse! Her mind screamed out it’s warning, as she braced herself for the crushing blows about to come.

She remained rigid, frozen in time, but all she felt was the warm, moist breath of the beast upon her out stretched hand. A soft snort and whinny accompanied the gentle nudge that pressed against her palm. Not a horse, she realized as she beheld the single twisted horn protruding from its forehead. Could this be a fabled unicorn?

She felt a soft probing of her mind as the creature caressed her with its thoughts. She was aware of its words as it reached out to comfort her. It beckoned her to trust, to come to a safe haven.