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"This feather It fell off a turban A fortune-teller’s turban in a caravan She was a Stranger, too, and I thought I loved her I thought she was going to save me"

"And she betrayed you"

"She chose a Bludman over me, took the fortune she sahen she held his hand I know there was so more than what she toldback" He stroked the feather back and forth over e there " ‘Your loss will be your salvation,’ she told me Well, I lost her, and it didn’t save me I lost my riches and fame, and it didn’t save me So what’s the next loss? Keen? My huht into my eyes, and I sed at his bald desperation "Is it you?"

I looked down, taking the feather froers "My mother once told me that fortune-tellers see what they want to see and tell what they want to tell" I watched the feather, considering how very carefully I had to choose my next words "I was always told that the fortune I chose for myself was the truest one"

"And what fortune did you choose after that?"

"That I wouldn’t be forced into doing anything ever again"

"Yet here you are Are we all just victims, then, Ahna? Just puppets?"

I stood and shookpine bits flutter to the earth "Only if we allow ourselves to beco will ever take coain"

"But what if--"

A screa us both

22

Casper was up and running beside me faster than I would have expected hi more like a Bluds of my chute trapped me like a spider in a web, and I howled in anih the heavy lines with h the trees in Casper’s wake

The forest was thick and heavy, old and cold I dashed through the branches, flinging them out of my way in pieces when necessary I threw out my senses but didn’t hear Keen The scream--it hadn’t actually sounded like her The scent of bludbears clung to the earth and trees, but that was expected This part of the country was known for the shaggy s and the foolish pioneers perpetually tro to make new Pinky cities outside the harsh blud rule of Minks and Muscovy But bludbears weren’t the proble The forest was too quiet

Another screah the air, and I put on a burst of speed as I recognized its source I had to hurry, before they lured her closer

Scrabbling under branches and past fans of sharp green needles, I let the beast go free, abandoning all pretense of royalty In a fierce gallop, I caught up with Casper and pulled ahead, ht for Keen

We burst into a sreen-lit hollow my mother had called a fairy dun Keen stood there, a look of wonder and joy on her face Her hand stretched out toward a nificent peacock, aback and forth and throwing sunlight off the vibrant feathers His head cocked to the side as he danced closer to her, and she laughed

Looking beyond her into the forest, I sahat I feared: the red spark of an eye

"Drag her into the underbrush," I whispered to Casper "Have your knife ready"

"What?"

But I had already launchedinto the shadows of the forest The creature had already seeny white fur of its rump

Fear for Keen melted into fierce joy I had always loved unicorn blood

The beast bucked, trying to throw er Without weapons or hunting partners, I couldn’t take it down, but I held on as long as I could I would teach this creature to tangle with virgins

As I lapped up asit shift into my throat like sunshine, the unicorn snorted and squealed, its hooves knocking against the ground and trees as it tried to fight ain, warning the unicorn that danger was near Its pure call finally ended in a gurgle and silence, the scavenger dying before itson two hooves, the unicorn tried to skewer narled horn easily and leaped away, sliding behind a thick tree I licked alloped off into the forest Its blood spread throughelse