Chapter One Hundred

Elenie and Ieaun had been travelling for some days on unicorn back following only the vague sense of direction which the spell gave Elenie.  The landscape hadn't changed much in that time, and they were already beginning to lose track of how long they had been going for as each day seemed to merge seamlessly into the next.   

As they rode along, their attention was caught by the sound of low growling and sharp barks in response.  Without prompting, Taliesen and Ceridwen turned and began trotting toward the noises.  Before long, a small clearing opened up beside them and they saw a red fox standing at bay in front of her cub, surrounded by a small pack of wolves who were slowly stalking closer as the fox tried frantically to warn them off and protect her cub. 

The two unicorns increased their pace while Ieaun reached for his wand and Elenie fumbled for her potions.  Taliesen and Ceridwen were quicker though, and unleashed  fearsome curses upon the nearest wolves. 

As red light glowed in the two unicorns' eyes and horns, the stricken wolves swiftly ran for their lives, their tails firmly between their legs!  Seeing that they were fleeing, Ieaun and Elenie dismounted and carefully approached the fox and her cub, intending to check that they were both ok. 

As Ieaun bent down to allow the fox to sniff his hand, Elenie made a slow circle, looking out for any more dangers before approaching the fox herself. 

As Elenie bent down, the fox looked up at her and barked sharply; "Thank you for driving those brutes off, they had already slain my other cubs and this one is the only one left.  If I can ever assist you in the future, be sure that I will do so."

As the two of them stared, stunned, she scampered off followed by her cub.

Ieaun turned to Elenie "A talking fox?"

"Well, we are in the fae lands, I wonder if she was a true fox or something else taking the shape of a fox?" 

As the afternoon was getting late, the two of them decided to set up camp next to the small pond the fox and her cub had been backed against.  Ieaun formed a small fire circle using stones from the pond while Elenie dragged a couple of tree stumps over for them to sit on. 

Once the fire was going well, they roasted fish and vegetables over it, watched over by the unicorns. 

As they ate, they talked quietly about many things before Ieaun asked "Do you think this pine forest will go on for much longer?  We seem to have been riding through it for an age."

"I don't know, I can feel a vague pull but I've no idea how far we have to go yet, nor any knowledge of this area.  All I can say is that so far there has been no change in the strength of the pull I sense, but whether that means anything I have no idea.  Have you been able to see anything yet?" 

Ieaun was quiet for some time, and Elenie was just beginning to wonder if he would answer when he said softly "Not much, I've seen fragments, but nothing clear and something's wrong with what I'm seeing - usually when we see something it's like watching a video play but at the moment it's more like peering through a thick fog and occasionally getting tiny glimpses before the fog obscures everything again.  I don't even know if the glimpses I'm seeing are related or if they are, in what way.  I have seen a building several times - it looks like a castle of some sort and I would recognise it if we come across it." 

They finished their meal in silence; Ieaun thinking over the fragmented visions he had received and Elenie pondering his words, before they let the fire die down and laid out their bedrolls to sleep. 

Ieaun woke with a start in the early morning, fragments of visions still playing behind his eyes.  Seeing that Elenie was still sleeping, he sat down beside the pond to brood over what he had seen.