Chapter Twenty-Six
Love Conquers Winter
The streets of Tycolm were a mess with the bodies of monsters and men alike. The people, feeling finally safe, began to inspect the remnants of the great and epic battle that had taken place in their city. Slowly, they came out one by one, looking around, worried another monster would leap out and end them. There were no monsters left though, and word began to spread through the city as people discussed the madness that had just befallen them.
“A Winter Hunter came, a Winter Hunter fought for us,” they said, trading gossip. At the front of the town, people found two bodies. One clad in black armed with useless steel, the other in a great Ursaling jacket laying next to two swords of bronze.
The people gathered around Cailean’s body and lifted him up, carrying him to the center of town. Their Winter Hunter, their defender. Even if the shadow had killed all they thought could oppose the havoc that had just befallen them, the Goddesses sent this brave champion to them in their most dire hour. The night was falling and candles were lit in vigil as the people gathered and honored their hero.
A young woman, who hadn’t let go of her children’s hands since the monsters attacked, began to chant an old song. The people around her began to chant as well as the sun sunk below the horizon and a night of peace came to the city of Tycolm.
As the people gathered, chanted through the night, and gave blessings to the Hunter, and to the goddesses for sending him. They laid flowers all around his body and wanted to give him a funeral service of honor.
As they collected around the Winter Hunter, another beast began to make its way out of the deep woods and into the city. This was not a beast of Winter though, this was not a beast who threatened anyone. This was a creature of Spring, one who this very Winter Hunter had come to defend in its most dire hour.
A young girl’s eyes went wide, she was the first to see it approaching the city square. A majestic white steed, its body perfect save for the long scar going across its side, it had a long white-golden horn coming from its head. The Unicorn. A creature of legend, unlike any monster or threat that had wanted to see this city fall to the ground with every resident dead.
The crowd turned and saw the stallion take a slow gait towards the city center, towards the Winter Hunter. The people stood aside and let it continue forward unimpeded.
The unicorn came to Cailean’s body, it leaned in and licked the wound on his side from the Dark Stalker’s dagger. The people just watched, they say to see a unicorn was a rare blessing, and to have one want to touch you was even more bountiful. Truly this Hunter was a hero of the highest order if he could earn the respect of a Unicorn’s reverence and care.
The great stallion nuzzled his nose against the winter hunter, slowly, the gash on his side began to heal as the mystical beast licked the wound. It lifted its head up to Cailean’s chin and pushed it up a bit, rubbing against it as the people watched. This was the first time any of the citizens had seen a Unicorn, they were thought to be so legendary that no man had seen one in generations.
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Slowly, the Winter Hunter began to stir, his wound from the dagger started to weave itself close. The people near the front of the crowd heard a groan coming from their deceased hero, suddenly, his eyes shot open and he took a deep breath, sitting up as he gasped.
Cailean’s vision was hazy, he tried to get his bearings and look around, the last thing he remembered was his hands on the Dark Stalker’s throat. He looked up and saw a great steed looking down on him, the moonlight causing its white-golden horn to shimmer in the darkness of night. His whole body was sore, he struggled to move, to push himself up and rise to his feet. He looked over and saw the crowd gasping and speechless at the holy resurrection of the great hero who defended them in their darkest hour. He looked at the stallion, reaching out with a cautious hand to rub its neck as he noticed the scar going along the side of its sternum.
“It’s you, from before,” he said, “Gwen had me save you,” Cailean patted the mystical horse, and felt him nuzzle against his shoulder.
“You saved me, you returned my favor, it’s true. I was dead, wasn’t I?” he asked.
The Unicorn neighed, “Gwen? Is Gwen safe? Do you know?” he asked as the stallion shook its head and gave a great whinny.
“Can you take me to her, can you take me to my spring?” Cailean asked.
The stallion gave a light neigh and bowed itself down, ready for Cailean to mount it, Cailean stood up and grabbed the horse's mane pulling himself on to mount him. He looked over the people, still in shock that a Unicorn had entered their city, and of all things it was said to be able to do, brought a dead man back to life.
“The Spring will come, that is the promise the Winter Hunters have made,” he said, nodding to the people as he held tight to the Unicorn’s silver mane. He tugged it and squeezed his legs, directing and leading the great mythical creature back through the crowd toward the northern end of the city.
“Goddess bless you Winter Hunter!” a young girl's voice called out.
“She already has!” Cailean called back as he held tight to the Unicorn’s mane and brought it to a gallop leaving the people of the city in shock and awe at what they had just witnessed.
The moon was on the east end of the sky as Cailean rode the galloping steed towards the casted shadow of the Severed mountains. He rode all night, the mythical beast below him seeming to have endless stamina as he traveled down the road, desperately searching for his beloved Gwendolyn.
Just as the sun began to crest behind him, in the orange light of dawn he saw her, on her horse, just at the foot of the mountain range.
“Gwen! Gwen!” he cried out as the great steed galloped.
Gwen turned to look over her shoulder and pulled her horse's reins, jumping off her saddle and running towards Cailean.
“Cailean!” she cried out.
“Gwen!” He pulled on the mane of the Unicorn to halt it, and leaped off its back, hitting the ground running as the two rushed across the beaten path towards each other.
In the coming dawn, the two lovers found each other and embraced, holding each other so tight.
“I prayed for you, I prayed to any damn goddess that would listen,” Gwen said, holding her hero so tightly.
He kissed her, wanting to hold his kiss for as long as he could, “I saw the Red Lady, and I said not today,” Cailean pulled Gwen closer and gave her another deep kiss, “Not while I have you to find, you are my spring Gwen, I don’t give a damn what season it is, it will always be spring if I have you in my life,” he kissed her again. All he wanted to do was kiss her, hold her. If he could hold that sun-kissed body close to him there was no cold that Winter could bring that he couldn’t overcome. The two held each other and looked to the east. The sun was just beginning to rise, bringing warmth to the snow-covered world.
“It’s warm,” Gwen smiled as she leaned to Cailean and felt so safe in his arms.
The two looked at the great sun rising over the sky and held each other as the night’s snow began to melt in daybreak’s grace.
Get ready, Robert C. Gemmell's smash hit novel "The Winter Hunter" has been optioned to be a hollywood movie. coming this Summer "The Winter Hunter" staring former Mouseketeer Zoe Fairchild as Gwen.
