Chương 29: Unwanted Attention

Andy had strong opinions about capes. He hadn't known he had strong opinions until there was a man standing next to Veronica wearing one. Capes were unnecessary, theatrical, and to Andy, proof that someone needed something to compensate for their lack of horn. His irritation grew as Veronica deferred to the man, whom she introduced but Andy pretended to be unable to understand his name as she told him. This man, accompanied by Veronica and four armed guards, arrived precisely at Veronica's usual time.

He was tall, pale, pudgy, and expensively dressed beneath the cape. His clothes, unlike Veronica's practical outfit, had the unblemished and fragile appearance of clothes meant for sitting, not anything worthwhile. Andy did not like this man. He especially did not like the velvet cape with encrusted jewels. He came into Andy's territory with an air of owning the place and simultaneously finding it disgusting.

He cleared his throat and began speaking slowly to Andy, in the tone someone takes when they think the person in front of them is either slow, or culturally beneath them.

"He-llo. I am Lord Fergus. Can…you.. Un-der-stand?" Auri sent the equivalent of an eyeroll from atop her rock before skirting off into the forest. Andy braced himself for a painful conversation and projected at Veronica, "Veronica who is this?" Veronica didn't respond. She kept her eyes averted, hands clasped behind her back, spine straight. The posture of a subordinate.

"I thought you said this beast could speak?" Lord Fergus addressed Veronica. Veronica responded immediately, "He can sir. His language is on par with a young child, but he understands." Andy's horn flared as confusion and irritation started turning into genuine anger.

"I understand you, Fergus. What do you want?" He replied.

"Lord Fergus," he corrected.

"I am your superior and you have been living on my land free of charge.

"What do you want, Fergus?" Andy replied again. Lord Fergus turned to Veronica, "I'm sure this is a language barrier, correct? You assured me he was manageable." Veronica nodded, assuring the Lord that Andy would indeed listen. Lord Fergus' eyes moved back to Andy and trained on his horn.

"Ahn-dee. My subordinate here tells me this is your name. Is that correct?" Andy looked back and forth between Veronica and Lord Fergus. His heart was sinking further and further as Veronica refused to look at him. His truth sense was being met with guilt and duty conflicting within her. Andy looked back to Fergus as he cleared his throat again, not used to waiting on responses from people.

"Yes. I am Andy."

"Perfect. It does understand." He took loud clacking steps with overly polished boots toward Andy and reached up to touch his horn. Andy moved his head.

"Do not touch me." He sent with anger. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Lord Fergus' hand closed on empty air and his expression flicked. Confidence turned to surprise which morphed into irritation. He took another step forward and reached out again.

"You cannot touch the horn. Veronica, tell him he cannot touch the horn." Andy projected his own anger giving way to fear.

"Listen here, beast." Fergus began.

"You belong to me. Your horn. This magic. Belongs to me. The sooner you accept that, the better it will be for everyone involved. I did not pay someone to find you and teach you to speak so that you could defy me." The hope Andy had been harboring, that Lord Fergus was just Veronica's boss who followed her today, vanished.

"He… paid you?" Andy asked Veronica. The lump in his throat and the pain was almost too much to bear. Veronica looked for permission before responding. Lord Fergus nodded, and she began, "Lord Fergus received reports of a magical frog in the area. However, when I found you instead, he called off the search. Since then I have been reporting your growth, and activities to the Lord. Now that you are fully grown he is ready to take you in." Thoughts, emotions, questions, betrayal, heart break.

There were too many emotions swirling inside Andy's head. His vision blurred and he took a step back to run, but the guards were surrounding him. He was unable to escape. The sky darkened. Thunder rumbled and an intensely bright lightning bolt lit up the now darkened clearing. Eyes. Golden and amber. At least a dozen pair looked out from the edge of the treeline. Each one emitted a low and terrifying growl.

"Ranger. Explain. You assured me there were only two companions."

"There were sir," she said, reaching for her knife at her belt. Each guard turned their backs to Andy assuming the threat from the woods outpaced the threat immediately (now) behind them. Wrong move. Andy kicked. The first two guards went flying. All twelve foxes ran into the clearing and Lord Fergus began shouting.

"Protect me, you imbeciles!" He grabbed Veronica and hid behind her like a shield.

"Ranger, get me out of here. We'll finish this tomorrow." Veronica hesitated, shooting another look over her shoulder at Andy. He didn't notice. Andy charged the third guard at the same time Auri charged the fourth. The four guards got to their feet, stumbling over themselves and each other as they ran to catch up with Veronica and Lord Fergus. Gustave sent from above the canopy, "Good show, Cloudy With A Chance Of Horn is a success."

When Gustave had confirmed their departure from the woods he released the storm and landed on his branch overlooking the clearing. Andy hadn't moved, hadn't said anything since the departure. Auri sat nearby, wordlessly. There wasn't much she could say. I told you so. Probably wouldn't help in this case. Neither would the usual suspects, ' It is what it is', 'Everything will be okay'. And the three party members sat in the clearing, saying nothing.

Until finally, after having carefully tucked each of his emotions into their respective containers in his mind Andy began, "The unicorn-to-be stands in the clearing while his unusual companions sit nearby. He was briefly taken aback by the pompous primate in the over-compensating frock. What this pompous Lord was unaware of, it seemed, was that he was far out-matched."" Why is he talking like that?" Gustave sent.

"Oh, this is his whole narration bit. Just roll with it." Auri said The too familiar nature documentary parody came back to the surface as Andy continued to narrate.

"The party had just executed one of their less practiced moves with precision, and most importantly, without communication. Lord Fergus made one more grave error." Andy paused.

"What's that?" Auri said with exasperation. In his normal voice Andy responded.

"He told us he was coming back." [SPECIES: HORSE (MAGICAL BEAST)] [PURITY AFFINITY: ACTIVE] [XP: 2469/?] [GALLOP EFFICIENCY: 71%] Andy, Gustave and Auri spent the afternoon next to Barnacle (they didn't want him to feel left out, and by them I mean Andy) planning what they would do the next day when Lord Fergus returned. Time to push forward.