Unicorn Charm (book)

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The Unicorn Charm
by Kaylasara Goldenmoon

"The Gods brought you to us, Kayla."

The words still ring in my ears, today: My Human mother's
 words said to help ease the sting of finding I was not Human
 myself.  An Elf in a Human world, I had struggled for
 understanding.  Always, my mother would tell me I had been a
 gift, to my parents, from the Gods.  It seemed only natural
 then to find myself in awe of the clerics of our village.
The ones who could speak to these Gods that had blessed me
 with my family, my brothers... but who, it seemed had cursed
 me with an Elven body.   I wanted to know all that they knew.
 There were so many questions left unanswered.

I would find myself emulating their every move, hoping beyond
hope that I would hear the words I could only imagine they
heard.  Of course, I knew that the Gods had big booming
voices and if I was close enough I would hear them, too.  I
 would see them in the chapel, every morning, heads bowed in
 prayer.  I had always thought, "If I am here and I stay
 quiet, they will talk to me, too !"  After all, the priests
 and priestesses just had to be sure they stayed quiet and
 still.  Who, I thought, would want to interrupt a God if He
 or She had a mind to speak?

Of course, as every child, I had chores.  My father and
brothers tended to the fields and to the household repairs.
Mine was the task of watching over our animals.  Though
looking over four chickens and a cow was hardly a job, I took
 my responsibilities seriously.  Certainly, I believed, the
 Gods watch me do my tasks as well.

As I milked the cow, one morning, I heard a voice!

"She hears you, lost one."

So softly, I thought I had imagined it.  I searched the entire
 barn.  Looking frantically for one of my prankster brothers.
I was certain it was them, for they had never understood my
quiet nature.  I grew more and more angry as I didn't find
them.  I was sure that I knew every spot in this barn.

"She hears you lost one."

In frantic tears now, sure that my brothers were tormenting
me, yet finding them nowhere.  I sat and cried.  How could
they be so mean?  "Boys !"  I harumphed, deciding not to let
them bother me.  I finished my tasks and took the pail of
milk.  Petting the cow once more before I left and thanking
her for her gift to my family.

"She hears you, lost one."

I would have sworn the cow said it... But it simply could not
be.

Quickly, I brought the milk in to my mother and excused
myself, running all the way to the chapel.  A talking cow!
Surely I must be mad!  Fervently I prayed, falling to my
knees in that chapel.  I didn't want to be thought crazy.
Surely I had done something wrong!  Tears streamed down my
face as I begged for forgiveness.

A kind elderly cleric found me there, doing nothing but
kneeling down, to pray at my side.  Soon the tears had
stopped.  The warmth and love flowed from this woman.  Her
strength found its way to my heart and soul.  Her prayers,
spoken at a whisper, seemed a balm to my imagined madness.
Many hours later, still on my knees, silence finally came to
my spirit.

"Thank you, holy one."  I spoke with as much reverence as I
 could find.

"Tell me child, what is it that troubles you so?  What brings
you to this chapel time and time again?  Yes," she seemed to
chuckle at me, "Yes, we have seen you here, child.  For years
now you are here as Hodierna sends the sun to break her way
into the sky to bless us once again."

Her warmth again surrounded me.  I found myself telling her of
my life.  My Human parents adopting an abandoned baby not
desired by her own people.  A loving family and the terrible
shock of finding they were not mine.  Of the Elves who had
cast me out for crimes my Elven father had committed against
my Elven mother.  The only comfort outside the home of my
adoptive parents here, hoping beyond hope to hear the Gods.
All too soon I found myself speaking of the very madness that
had driven me here.

"A talking cow, you say?"

She smiled, not knowing at all just how silly I felt.
Standing quietly, she offered me her hand, the unicorn
embroidered upon her robe beautiful in the sunlight.  I
stretched my hand to hers and stood.  Quickly, so quickly I
would have sworn, almost, that we had not moved at all, we
were in a back alcove of our chapel.   The highest of priests
in our village stood looking down at me, a soft smile on his
face.

"Father."  The elderly woman spoke now.

"Father, it would seem that Berengaria has sent to us one who
needs no longer be lost."

It was that very week that I was moved in to the elderly
 woman's chambers to begin my training.  I learned of
 Berengaria and her love of children once lost.  Lessons and
 more lessons were taught to me.  I could not get enough!
 "Teach me more" my heart cried each morning as the sun rose.
 Ellinyn, my mentor, she who had found me, so patient.  I was
 to find that it was believed that Berengaria had sent me to
 Ellinyn, to assist me upon my path.  I learned the ways of
 the Gods and of the Clerics.  The prayers, the offers of
 devotion, these became my life and for the first time I was
 alive!

The morning prayer brought me peace in ways that none other
would.  I felt a closeness to the morning unmatched by
anything else.  There was a joy that sang out in me at each
sunrise.

"She is the bringer of the dawn... of the light and of life."

Ellinyn spoke softly to me.

"It is she who watches the crops, it is she who granted us
life and who guides my steps, Kayla."

I listened carefully.  I knew this, I thought to myself.  My
training had taught me all of the Gods and Goddesses.  She is
getting old, I also thought.  It had been many years now
 since I fist came to the chapel.

"Kayla."  She held both of my hands in hers now.

"She sent Berengaria to bring you to her.  To bring you to
 me."

Tears welled up in eyes that I had only seen smile.  Ellinyn
took from her neck a charm, one I had never seen her remove.
It was a small silver Unicorn.  Silently, she placed the
necklace around my neck and kissed a cheek, saying nothing
more, she turned and left the room.  Completely overwhelmed,
I again wandered to the chapel that had become my home.

Kneeling to pray, there was a joy that I had never felt there,
in the chapel.  There, in my heart.  I prayed to She who
brings light and life.  To Hodierna.

Suddenly, I awoke in my bed.

"Kayla, honey, time to get up."

It was my mother...  I was in my parents house.  I struggled
 for the right words.  How could this be?  Where were my books,
 my bed in Ellinyn's cottage?  Where was Ellinyn?  I panicked.
Quickly I rose and dressed.  What was happening?

"I thought you were going to sleep all day!"  My mother
announced.  My brothers and father already eating breakfast.

A dream?  How?  It had been my life!  Suddenly depressed, I
sat to eat as well.  It was then it caught my eye.

A small silver unicorn charm hung from a chain around my neck.

A knock from the door, I darted quickly to answer it.

"She hears you, lost one."  Ellinyn said.