Fury: The Wind Unicorn (The Unicorn Tales Book 2) Read online

  Fury:

  The Wind Unicorn

  A novel by

  Bridget McGowan

  Copyright 2016 by Bridget McGowan

  Cover art by Jeffrey L. Price

  For Ava Unicorn, who inspired this novel.

  Chapter 1

  Teddy Lyndhurst sat in a tree reading a book. He would have liked to play with the other boys, but they were off playing baseball. He was always the last one picked, and if there was an odd number, he wouldn’t be picked at all. It was rare for anyone to invite him to play.

  He wasn’t that upset. He didn’t really like baseball. He didn’t like to admit it, but he preferred to sit in the tree reading.

  The distant sound of children playing faded from Teddy’s consciousness, and eventually faded from the neighborhood as clouds piled up and became darker. Teddy didn’t notice until the first drops of rain fell through the leaves and dripped onto the pages of his book. He closed it and looked at the ominous sky. As he skinned down the tree, thunder rumbled off in the distance.

  Teddy ran into the house just ahead of a downpour. The wind began to blow, and thunder cracked closer. A siren sounded. His mother hurried him into the storm cellar, closing the door behind them and locking it.

  The door rattled, and they could hear the howling and clatter outside. Teddy hated the sound. He hated living in a place where he had to worry about tornadoes, worry about coming out of the storm cellar to find everything he knew gone. Fortunately, so far, his house had never been in the direct path of a tornado. But someday it was bound to happen.

  Although the storm cellar was relatively small, the Lyndhursts had made the room as comfortable as the space allowed. An old sofa stood against one wall, with a chair and a small table adjacent to it. A battery powered lamp on the table kept the room from being completely dark. There were also candles and matches in a drawer of the table, in case the lamp failed. Behind the ladder that led into the cellar, was a box of bottled water and some snacks, in case they ever needed to stay there for an extended period. Beside the box were a few old games and some books. Opposite the sofa was a sleeping bag on the floor.

  Teddy climbed into the sleeping bag, covering his head to blot out the noise from outside.

  Suddenly, everything was quiet. Deadly quiet. His mother had been humming a song. She did that whenever she was upset and trying to appear calm. Even that had stopped. He pushed the cover back and looked around. The storm cellar was gone. His mother was gone. In place of what he knew was an open field, a blue sky and a slight breeze. He sat under a tree that would’ve been great to climb if he’d known where he was.

  “Mom?” he called, then called again a little louder. There was no reply.

  Teddy looked around him. This was nowhere he recognized. He was scared, but trying not to be.

  “You look lost,” said a voice behind him. He turned quickly, but saw only a horse grazing on some grass. He saw no signs of anyone. Teddy looked up into the trees, but no one was there, either.

  As the horse lifted his head, Teddy saw a long, twisted multicolored horn jutting out of its forehead. He rubbed his eyes. That couldn’t be. Unicorns didn’t exist.

  “What brings you here?” the unicorn asked. The creature’s lips didn’t move. He spoke directly into Teddy’s head.

  “I don’t know. I was in the storm cellar, waiting for the tornado to pass, and all of the sudden I was here. Where is here?

  “Ah, that’s what did it. This is the land of wind. Tell me, what is your name?”

  “Teddy Lyndhurst. What’s yours?”

  “Fury.”

  “Are you really a unicorn?”

  “I am. My mother was a horse, and my father was a unicorn.”

  “Was?”

  “He is no more. His life was long but it ended.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Life is that way. There can only be one unicorn in a land at a time. He died nobly.”

  “Are there more unicorns somewhere else?”

  “In other lands there are. I am the unicorn for this land.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I greet the visitors and introduce them to the land, the people and the way of life.”

  “But this is just a field.”

  “Come with me, and I will show you the rest.”

  “I don’t know how I got here.”

  “The storm in your home land brought you.”

  “Is my house destroyed?”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t answer that.”

  “How do I get back? My mother will worry.”

  “Time runs differently here. You will return at the proper time. Your mother most likely will not notice you’re gone. Meanwhile, why not see what we have to offer?”

  Teddy looked around, and seeing no way of getting back, decided he might as well have a look around. His mother had warned him about talking to strangers, but she’d never said he shouldn’t talk to a unicorn.

  Fury bowed down so Teddy could climb onto his back. Once the boy had mounted the unicorn, they raced off across the meadow. Teddy had never been on a horse before, so he worried that he’d fall. But Fury ran so evenly that all the boy had to do was hold onto Fury’s mane.

  As they moved quickly across the plain, Teddy began to see a town off in the distance. When they came closer, he noticed the buildings were different from those at home. The buildings were mainly stone. The small houses had thatched roofs.

  They approached the town and Teddy noticed a castle in the center of the town. The guards at the gate, seeing Fury, opened it and saluted Teddy as he and Fury went through.

  The town was designed in a circle around the castle. The main road led directly from the gate to the castle, and there was a drawbridge over a moat before the castle entrance. Although the houses had thatched roofs, he noticed some tile roofs of dark red. These were on buildings taller than the houses but shorter than the castle.

  Teddy had noticed before they entered the gate that there were horses, cows and pigs in the surrounding fields, with stone walls keeping the animals from running off. He didn’t see any crops, but thought perhaps they were on the other side so they wouldn’t be trampled by the animals.

  Fury walked sedately through the town. People looked up at Teddy and smiled as he passed. He had never seen so many people being friendly to a stranger before.

  As they approached the castle, the drawbridge lowered. Guards stood at attention, lining both sides of the drawbridge as Fury passed. When they arrived at the door, Fury stopped.

  “It is time for you to go in,” Fury said.

  “But – by myself?”

  “A unicorn, alas, cannot enter the castle.”

  “But – I don’t know what to do!”

  “Do not worry. They will guide you.”

  Teddy slid off Fury’s back. As he walked up the steps to the door, it opened, and a man wearing black boots, blue satin breeches and jacket and a loose white shirt stood before him. Only as the man bowed to him did Teddy notice the sword hanging at his side. Not knowing what else to do, Teddy bowed.

  “Greetings. Welcome to Blevny, the land of Breezes. What name do you go by?”

  “I’m Teddy.”

  “Teddy. Welcome. I am Landis.”

  Landis led the boy into the castle. Teddy’s mouth gaped open as he looked at the walls, which appeared to be made of crystal.

  They walked down a long hallway with pictures of battles between knights on the shimmering walls. Here and there, where they crossed another corridor, or where a small alcove had been built in the wall, stood a suit of armor. The black and white patterned floor was as shin
y as Landis’s boots.

  They arrived at huge carved wooden doors. Two guards stood at attention outside the doors, and as Teddy and Landis arrived, the guards opened the doors. They entered, and Landis whispered something to a man dressed the same way he was dressed, who stood just inside the doors. The new man held a tall staff, and now hit the floor three times with it. The many people standing, sitting or walking around the room stopped what they were doing and looked at the man with the staff.

  “Hear ye, hear ye, Lord Teddy has arrived.”

  There were some applause, and Teddy looked up at Landis in confusion.

  “Lord Teddy? I’m just a kid. I’m not a lord.”

  “But here you are.”

  “Where’s my mom?”

  “Right where you left her. Time passes differently in this world than in yours.”

  He led Teddy to the other end of the room, where several men and women sat at a large table. It looked like they were doing important business. All were dressed in clothes that were strange to Teddy. While he wore jeans and a T-shirt, these people wore silk and satin clothes in pale colors, trousers and fancy shoes, frilled shirts and jackets with tails. He had expected the women to wear huge, long dresses that laced up the back, but not one of the women wore a dress. Some wore boots instead of shoes. Most had shorter hair than Teddy’s. Everything else looked like what he’d read about the Middle Ages – knights, kings and queens, castles and armor. But the people didn’t quite fit his image.

  “Where are we?” he asked Landis as he lead him toward the table.

  “This is the kingdom of Blevny. The man in the green coat is King Eustace. The woman in the yellow coat is Queen Audra. They rule the kingdom.”

  “The women don’t wear dresses?”

  “That would not be practical, given the winds that often blow in from the coast.”

  “Ah, so this is Lord Teddy,” the king said.

  “Your highness, I don’t think I’m a lord,” Teddy said.

  “You are, indeed. All people who visit from the real world, as they call it, are lords or ladies. We highly respect them. Have you had a chance to see our land?”

  “Only a field and the outside of the castle,” Teddy replied.

  “Ah, then you must tour the realm with Fury. He knows all of the places that would be of interest to you.”

  Teddy looked troubled.

  “What is it?” the king asked.

  “Am I dead?”

  “Dead?” the king replied, amused, while those around him chuckled. “Why would you think that?”

  “I was with my mom and a tornado was coming. Then I was here.”

  “That is the way it happens. But no, you are alive, and in time you will return to your land.”

  “How long will I be here?”

  “We never know that. It may be days or weeks, but it is only minutes in your world. You will return exactly where you left.”

  “Have you been in my realm?”

  “I was born in your realm.”

  Teddy was astounded. He had many questions, but thought the king was busy and wouldn’t have time to answer. He looked around him and saw people politely waiting. He had interrupted the business of the day.

  Landis guided Teddy back to where Fury waited for him.

  “Thank you for visiting. If you are staying for a few days you will be invited to the solstice party.”

  “What’s that?” Teddy asked.

  “A celebration of summer. It is when the winds slow to breezes, and the weather is all you could desire.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be here. I don’t know how I got here or how I get back.”

  “You need not worry. You will return to your home at the appropriate time.”

  Fury awaited him on the far side of the drawbridge, and Teddy mounted him.

  “Aren’t you tired?” Teddy asked.

  “My needs have been seen to,” Fury replied. “I have rested while you met the king.”

  He trotted away from the castle and took the boy to a village not far away. There were several stone homes with thatched roofs, an inn and a blacksmith shop. They could hear the clanging of metal being hammered, although Teddy didn’t know what the sound was. When he asked, Fury took him to see.

  The boy dismounted and walked into the barnlike building. Heat met him as he entered, and he saw the low hot fire and a man working nearby.

  “Hello, young sir,” the blacksmith greeted Teddy.

  “Hello, sir,” Teddy replied. “I was curious what you were doing.”

  “I’m making a sword for the prince,” he said. “Prince Alexander is to become a knight of the realm and needs a good sword of his own.”

  “I’m Teddy. May I watch?”

  “Of course you may. I’m Raneesh.”

  Raneesh was as tall as Teddy’s father, but a huge, bulky man, the bulging muscles on his arms making them look as big as most men’s legs. His legs were powerful, but not as massive. Of course, it was difficult to tell, since long brown trousers covered them. He wore no shirt, so it was easy to see the massive muscles of his arms, chest and back. His body glistened with sweat, and Teddy wondered if his skin was really that smoky brown color, or if the dust from the floor of the forge and the smoke of the fire caused it. His hair was short and curly, and his eyes were a surprising pale blue.

  He explained his art to the boy as he worked. When he thrust the hot blade into a pail of water, it sizzled and steam rose to mingle with the smoke of the fire.

  “Does it take a very long time to make a sword?” Teddy asked.

  “Not so very long. A week or so.”

  “That sounds long for one sword.”

  “The blade itself must be layered for strength, and then the hilt must be finely crafted and overlaid with gold and gems. It isn’t something a machine spits out.”

  He handed the sword to Teddy. It was far heavier than he expected, and he could barely hold it up with two hands. The smith chuckled and took it back

  “You see how much strength a prince needs.”

  “I don’t think I’d ever be strong enough.”

  “You are young. When you are a man this will seem as nothing. And the prince has been practicing with gradually heavier swords since he was seven.”

  “I’m nine.”

  “The prince is seventeen. This sword will be a gift to mark his eighteenth birthday.”

  “You’re giving him a sword?”

  “I?” Raneesh asked, laughing. “Nay. I am not rich enough. The king is paying me to make it. This is how I earn my living, although I more often make horse shoes than swords.”

  “Will the prince fight in a battle?”

  “I hope not. We have had peace these many years. It is my hope our prince never needs to fight in battle.”

  This was strange to Teddy. He had read about knights, and they always had battles to fight and wars to win. What was the point in having a sword if you never got the chance to use it?

  “You must be tired after your journey,” Raneesh said. “I see Fury awaits you to take you to your abode.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The place you will stay.”

  “I don’t have a place to stay.”

  “Visitors from your land always have a place to stay. Stop by any time you wish to see how I make my wares.”

  How peculiar! Everyone knew who he was and where he had come from.

  Fury brought him to a house near the center of the town. A man about his father’s age came out to greet him.

  “You must be Teddy.”

  “I am, yes.”

  “I am Taurek. My wife, Hilda, is inside. We are honored to be chosen to show you hospitality. Come in, come in.”

  Taurek was a few inches shorter than Teddy’s father with strong muscles, shoulder-length blond hair and kind-looking brown eyes. He led the boy into their home.

  The house was simple, with wooden floors. The main room appeared to be living room, dining room and kitchen
in one. A fire burned on one side of the room in a fireplace big enough to walk into. Various pots hung on hooks just inside the fireplace. Dishes decorated the shelves on either side of it. In the center hung a huge cauldron, and whatever was cooking in it smelled delicious.

  In the center of the room stood a large wooden table with stools placed around it. At each end was a chair with arms. Having two chairs with arms showed their wealth.

  A door on the wall opposite the door to the outside was closed with a wooden bar keeping it in place. On the wall opposite the fireplace were two doors with latches.

  “That room is where Hilda and I sleep. The other is for you,” Taurek said.

  Hilda, who had been adding items to the cauldron, left her work and led Teddy to the room. She was a few inches shorter than Taurek, with a slender figure and long brown hair that she wore in several braids that crossed her head and formed fantastic shapes that kept it out of her way. Her large eyes were green, and she smiled frequently, like someone with a great secret. She was, perhaps, ten years younger than Teddy’s mother.

  Once Teddy was inside the room, Hilda told him she would let him freshen up, and she left him there.

  The room had a wooden bed heaped with blankets and pillows, a small table beside it containing a lantern, a wash basin, pitcher of water and a towel. On the wall adjacent to the bed was a window showing the growing darkness, and what looked like a mountain across a huge field from where they were.

  In a corner of the room was an old-fashioned wardrobe. Inside it were clothes that looked like they were Teddy’s size. There were brown boots, brown cloth trousers and a white shirt that laced halfway up the front instead of having buttons as well as a brown suede jacket. Beside these clothes hung a fancy velvet jacket and trousers in black and a formal white shirt. There was also a long black coat. He supposed those things were for fancy occasions.

  On the inside of the door to the wardrobe were a mirror and a shelf containing a comb and brush.

  Teddy looked at the clothes he was wearing. He’d been in and out of the tree all day before the storm, so his jeans and T-shirt were a bit dirty. He supposed it would be good manners to change into other clothes. He undressed and washed his face and hands, then dressed in the everyday clothes in the wardrobe. He decided to wear his sneakers instead of the boots.