A Beautiful Find

Tandaline walked in step with her brother. The packed earth beneath her feet was firm. On this path the soil had been worn smooth by many feet.

They were heading for their daily stroll in the forest. The warmth from Sydon’s hand on the small of her back brought familiar security, touched with a dollop of frustration. He had been her guide for a long time now.

With a slight flare of her nostrils, she could smell him. It was a wholesome scent of fresh earth, mulch, and the tiny insects that lived in the ground.

“You have been in the gardens.”

“It is my calling. When do I spend time elsewhere?” He laughed as he spoke.

While Tandaline had been referring to the vegetable gardens, which all the clan shared, the truth was his garden encompassed all the forest and the forest thrived.

“You will be very lucky indeed to meet a life companion among the carrots,” she chided.

Tandaline often wished her own calling was as valuable as Sydon’s. She was a healer of wild creatures. This sounded much more that it was. The animals would not or could not come to her within the village boundary. Nor could she go to them unless she had Sydon to guide her. Without the use of her sight, she was forced to stay close to home.

It was not her clan’s way to dwell on short-comings. She lived a good life. Children were her friends, the birds sung to her, and people were always dropping by to visit. She considered herself fortunate. She could feel the sunlight, hear the million voices of the forest, smell the scents, pleasing ones, like her brother, and otherwise, like illness. She could also touch and explore all kinds of textures.

Just occasionally, did she rail against her blindness. She wished she could see the forest Sydon spent so much time in, to walk the secret paths the wild animals made, and to find the little, hurt creatures.

“Is it true that a Blessing has been in our forest?” she asked Sydon.

“Yes. It’s true. I saw a hoof print. I was about to tell you.” He was smiling. Tandaline could hear the happiness in his voice.

Sydon moved his hand slightly downward. It was a signal for her to stop walking.

“The stream is tiny today. The rain in the hills has not filled it yet. One wide step and you will be across.”

Tandaline felt the water stroke her heel as she stretched her stride. Wet feet were not a problem. The siblings usually went barefoot. Sometimes, though, mud squelching up between her toes upset her sense of balance and caused her to miscalculate distances. Being unable to trust her environment was not enjoyable.

When they were firmly on the far bank of the stream, Sydon resumed his telling of the blessing. “I was not the only one. Some tail hairs were found as well. Plus, more prints by the north river. Oh, and the scent. I didn’t venture far enough to enjoy that. Those out hunting spoke of it. No doubt they will all be talking at dinner.”

The idea of hearing the tales was exciting but Tandaline was saddened. Her brother would not travel far enough away from her to experience the world.

“We would be the most Blessed clan ever, if a unicorn came to visit.” It was her nature to see possibilities.

She took a deep breath in, testing the air for scents, flavours, and temperature. The dampness from leaves rotting at the edge of the stream was strong. Some tree fungi had been snapped off, a dozen paces to her left. That created a delicate tang. Oh, a female rat had been by the water as well. It left a trail of urine. Everything she experienced was known and expected. She was confident to go further along the track.

Sydon was in a pensive mood. The length of his stride gave that away. Tandaline had no doubt it was some clan problem that would soon be resolved. Her brother was deeply involved in many aspects of the clan. She admired him for it. She allowed the silence the forest offered to soothe him and added no chatter to the day.

They wandered along. There was no need to hurry. Tandaline realised they were going deeper into the forest than was usual. She had been there before but not often. The path they were on led to another clan’s territory, many days travel away. They would have to turn back at some stage. Sydon did not like being out after nightfall. He felt he could not guide her safely in the dark.

Finally, far from their starting point, Sydon halted.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Tantalise turned to face her brother.  She reached out both hands. “Tell me, what is wrong?”

“A blight.  It is affecting, harming trees up at the start of the northern river. I want to check it myself but it will be a journey that takes many days.”

Fear of coping without her brother tumbled through Tandaline’s body. The siblings were rarely parted for anything more than a day.

But this journey was necessary. To fulfil his calling and duty, Sydon had to leave. She would not be a rock tying him down.

Nothing lasted forever, not even the ancient trees. Change came. While Tandaline was scared of not having her brother to rely on, there was something exciting about him going away.

“I will ask Grandmother if she can stay.”

A tiny rustle of fabric at shoulder height suggested Sydon was relaxing.

To further lighten the mood, she added, “Perhaps you will meet a partner in joy along the way.”

Sydon was easily old enough to find a mate. He just did not look. He always said he had too many responsibilities already.  Tandaline dreamed of him being able to trust that she, at least, would be taken care of.

Sydon snorted.  “You are such a romantic. Perhaps Grandmother can find a match for you.”

They walked a little further, simply because it felt good, now that Sydon had voiced his dilemma. They both knew they had to turn back soon.

Tandaline stopped walking again. “You are the best hope for those poor trees. They need you.”

She smiled and added, “I do not believe I have travelled so far on this path before.  It feels unknown.”

“I am sorry.  My problems should not dictate your day.”

Tandaline sniffed as she always did in new places. She then twisted. There was a new, exquisite, scent on the air. She had to track it. Some days she thought of herself as a hound, able to pick up the faintest scent and follow it.

“Tandaline?”

“Hush.”

There were only delicate traces of the scent. She needed to focus.  Any distraction and she could lose it.

There it was, fragile, like that of a baby; animal, like a deer; hazy, like a herb. She pivoted to the direction of the source. A twig snapped beneath her foot.

“There’s no path, not even an animal track,” Sydon explained.

Another drop of the mysterious perfume filled Tandaline’s nose. There was an elegant power within it which travelled into her lungs. Magic. Magic, both old and new. Breathing became a great pleasure and the power seemed to flow into her blood and through her entire body. She tingled.

Gratitude and compassion filled her. She had a rare gift, being able to experience scent. Her brother did not share this gift.

“It’s not far. I think, perhaps, only 50 paces.”

“Ah. We cannot go directly but there is a way.”

Sydon stepped close to Tandaline and placed his hand on her back. With a slight pressure from the heel of his palm, he instructed her to turn. The angle he put them on took them away from the most direct line to the scent-maker.

Tandaline longed to reverse and bash her way straight to the source but she had the sense to trust her brother. He knew the forest and all the little paths within.

They left the wide, often used walkway and started down a track made by creatures much smaller than themselves. Forest litter crunched underfoot, twigs slapped and poked at Tandaline’s shoulders. The scents of the forest were immediate, almost touching her face.

They could not walk side by side here. Sydon led the way. It was his task to push aside any obstacles. Tandaline walked right behind.  This time it was her who put her hand out, to rest on her brother’s back. This close to him, she could smell, in his sweat, the worry he was carrying.

A gasp of joy escaped her when she caught the animal scent again. They were closer to it, even though they had gone a long way around. Concern slipped in with the joy. The unique scent was singular. There were no others of its kind around. Another aroma was also tangled with the beautiful one. This she recognised, and knew all the forest predators knew it too. Fear.

“Please, Sydon, we must hurry. Something is wrong.”

Sydon did not reply with words but Tandaline felt a ripple across his skin. He was doing his best. His job was difficult, to move as directly as possible, to make as little noise as possible, and to keep his sister safe.

The dull rattle of some tall ferns told Tandaline they had reached a place where sunlight could pierce the canopy of trees.

“Oh sweet Earth!” Sydon exclaimed.

He stepped forward too rapidly for Tandaline to follow. She took one pace then stumbled. Her knees hit grassy dirt. She gave a squeak, more of surprise than pain.

Her mind filled. A scene like she had never imagined, unfolded. Information created a map. It was not visual, but a knowing of heights and depths. The terrain between her and the creature was uneven but no worse than what she had already covered.

Confidence flowed through her. She registered this strange information, and knew exactly where her brother was. He was unsure whether to approach the creature but it was no threat to him.

Tandaline felt differently. She was being called. She needed to get to the creature. She belonged with it. Or, it belonged with her. She stood up and ran forward.

“Tandaline,” Sydon whispered.

“What is it?” She asked as she bent down to touch.

She had the impression of an animal no larger than a cat.

“Tandaline, It’s a foal. I think it could be a unicorn foal.”

All the teaching she had ever received about the magical creatures inhabiting the earth rushed through Tandaline’s mind.

“Where is its Blessing?”

“Not here. I don’t know. Maybe they abandoned it.”

“But why?”

Her fingers met with hair as soft as cat fur yet with the same texture as horse hair. A flinch beneath her touch told her why the little foal was alone.

“She’s hurt.”

Tandaline was well used to using the sensitive pads of her fingertips to investigate injured animals.

“Tell me what she looks like, please.”

She’s shining. The sunlight makes her glow, like a pearl. Her mane and tail, they are a deep chestnut. The contrast is exquisite. There is a gold star on her forehead, where her horn will grow.” The delight in Sydon’s voice was beautiful music.

Then the pleasure left his voice. “Oh, no. Tandaline, I think it’s deformed. There are strange knobs just behind her withers.”

Tandaline stroked forward, seeking the abnormalities. She did not believe anything about this baby was deformed. A change in the texture of the filly’s coat told her she had reached the right place. This area felt like feathers.

Then a shock passed through her. She could feel, within her own frame, the entire filly’s body.

“Sydon, her leg,” she whispered urgently. “It is hurt. Her front, right leg.”

“I can’t see. Wait, yes.”

Tandaline waited. She felt the air chill as Sydon took in the gravity of the foal’s injury.

“The greatest healer in the forest won’t be able to fix this. The leg is beyond saving.” Now he spoke with deep sadness.

“She is little enough. I can stop the bleeding. I will take her home. She is in terrible pain but still strong in her spirit. We can teach her to walk on three legs.”

Tandaline scooped the filly up. Her brain was going at speed. Sydon was right. The filly’s leg could not be saved. The damaged part would need to be amputated. She could not do that. Would the clan healer be willing? Of course he would. No one would want to cause a unicorn to suffer.

The creature was weightless in her arms.

“Oh,” she said. “I think I have become a bat.”

“What do you mean, a bat? Here, let me take her. I’ll be careful.”

“She is so light, I can carry her.”

As she shifted the foal so they could both be more comfortable, Tandaline pondered how to explain what she was experiencing.

“It’s this baby. She is giving me so much information. My eyes still don’t see. I am still as blind as a bat.” She giggled. “But I know there is a rotting log just beside your foot.” She took a breath in. “And a stunted tree, there.” She nodded to her left. “We must have walked past it.”

Tandaline revelled in the freedom the little unicorn was giving her. With it in her arms, she no longer needed to be led everywhere. There was a price though, one she was happy to pay. All her healing gift was pouring into the filly, closing the terrible wound, dulling the pain.

While she was happier than she could remember, she sensed Sydon was uncomfortable.

“If this gift lasts, you will be free of the burden I have been.”

“You have never been a burden,” Sydon protested.

But they both knew the truth.

Tandaline smiled. “Those knobs on her back. You know what they are? Wings. Little wings that will grow with her horn. They will support her when she is too large for me to carry.”

Wonder filled Sydon’s voice as he asked, “Do you mean she will be able to guide you?”

“Yes, oh yes. While I am near her, I know my surroundings.

Tandaline’s smile broadened. “And, you my brother can safely leave me to go and save those trees.”

Sydon whistled as he walked in step with Tandaline. The unicorn relayed to her that he was swinging his arms, free of the necessity of guiding her.