“So, when are you gonna give it up?” Mica murmured into her ear. His huge, muscular arm wrapped tightly around Nimue as he squeezed her buttock.

This was more than she could bear. Arising from her corner, she grabbed the knife of the customer closest to her and ran at Mica with it.

“Unhand her,” she screamed, holding the blade to his throat. “Now!”

Chortling, he pushed his chair back, bowling her over. The knife skittered across the floor to parts unknown. Picking her up by the throat, he slammed her against the wall.

“It’s funny; you defending your sister’s honor when you did nothing to defend your own.”

She knew what came next. His other hand was already reaching for his belt. She flailed at him with all her strength.

“I think she’s jealous!” he roared, turning to his friends.

She stuck her nails into his eye, digging in as hard as possible. It was just enough of a shock to make him let go. Pulling herself off the floor, she staggered to the counter, toward her sister’s waiting arms.

“What goes on here?”

Several of the town guards filled the doorway. Confusion seemed to completely envelope them.

“That lunatic attacked me for no reason!” Mica snarled, gesturing toward her.

The guards turned their attention toward Mica, gently prying his hand away from his injured eye.

“Liar!” Nimue spat back. “She was defending me from you!”

“Don’t be absurd. They’re both crazy, you know.”

“Crazy? Then explain this!” Nimue thrust her grease stained buttock forward for the guards inspection. “I didn’t just make that up, now did I?”

One of the guards leaned in for a closer look, then turned back to Mica.

“Certainly looks like your hand.”

“That’s impossible. I never laid a hand on her.”

“You’d swear to that?” the guard enquired.

“Of course.”

“All right then; I demand a trial by ordeal.” Nimue stated flatly.

The guard arched his eyebrows inquisitively.

“Are you sure that’s what you want? It seems a bit heavy handed.”

“How else am I to see justice?” she sneered.

“Then I’m going to have to take the three of you into custody.”

Mica shifted nervously for a moment.

“I don’t think that’s really necessary,” he muttered.

“I’m afraid so; unless one of you recants... ”

“All right; I recant.”

Nimue folded her arms across her chest smugly.

“I’m sure you gentlemen won’t mind escorting him out of here... as soon as he’s paid his bill.” The main body of guards quietly retreated toward the door, watching as Mica fished out a handful of coins and slammed them on the table.

“This isn’t over,” he snarled into her ear as he stalked past.

“Oh I think it is,” Nimue smiled as she pushed herself in between them. “I think it definitely is.”

He glowered at her as the guard gently led him out, followed by his pack of friends.

Her sister collapsed against the bar as the door slammed behind them. Nimue held her for a while as the tears streamed like mercury bleeding from her silver eyes.

“I’d better find that guys’ knife,” she sniffled. “I’m surprised he didn’t say anything while the guards were here.”

“No need,” the raspy voice interjected. “It has been returned.”

She turned to face the cloaked stranger as he pulled the hood back from his face. His ashen skin and startlingly pink eyes surprised her for a moment.

“It would have been a sin to waste such beautiful steel on such a filthy beast.”

She nodded, stifling her gasp. In the center of his forehead shimmered a star-shaped iridescent scar.

“You’ve seen it!” she exclaimed.

“Yes.”

“Tell me... tell me everything you know; please,” she led him to a chair by the fire.

“It was a long time ago, in the woods not far from here. It lives there still.”

“How did you come by it?”she pleaded.

“I was only a boy, just barely turned six at the time. I”d gotten lost in the forest, and we found each other.”

She listened intently to his story, digesting every word. It took her a long time to summon the language for her next question.

“Is it true that it only allows the... well, um..”

“Yes. Only the pure and chaste may touch it.”

“Oh.”

“Only they are capable of experiencing the divine grace that the unicorn bestows. All else is tainted; impure.”

She let her silence shroud her pain.

“But surely it might understand; if they had been forced...” Nimue offered.

“Circumstance is beyond its understanding. It does not make a decision as to who may approach it. Only the chaste may receive its blessing.”

Despair washed over her as she watched the flames reflect in the scar upon his forehead.

“Sometimes, it will reveal itself to them, but it is not the same...”

She nodded silently, a plan congealing in her head.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

Nimue’s constant questioning was starting to get on her nerves. “It’s the only way. Nimue, please... All you have to do is sit in the middle of the woods and sing – it will come to you.”

“But what if it doesn’t come? What if something else finds us?”

“If something else comes, we’ll kill it. And it will come. I promise you.”

They were fast approaching the middle of the forest now, their breath steaming like dragon smoke in the chilly morning mist. She could see the grey outline of the boulder in the center of the clearing, just as the albino had told them. Her pulse quickened; a lifetime of searching was finally coming to a conclusion. She would finally see the unicorn. True, she could not get its blessing, but at least her sister might...

She thought about that for a moment. Nimue, blessed in her place. She bent her head low, hoping the flash of jealousy wasn’t apparent. Why is it always Nimue? Why was she spared while I suffered in her place? She approached the rock, silently cursing Mica’s name. She could feel the nervous nausea creeping up from her stomach.

“Up you go, then,” she chirped to Nimue. “Do you want my cloak to sit on?”

Nimue shook her head and began climbing up the side of the rock. Settling herself atop it, she turned to her sister with one last question.

“What if it doesn’t like me?”

“How could it not?” she smiled. “Look, you know how it is – you are its ideal; I am not. It will like you. Now don’t worry; I’ll be right over there, just outside the grove.”

Nimue shot her a baleful look, then made herself comfortable on her perch.

She walked away, silently slipping into the forest. From behind the gnarled rowan tree she could see Nimue fidgeting with her knitting. It seemed like eternity would stretch out before her. Finally it appeared. The entire grove seemed to fill with the light reflecting off its gleaming white coat; its horn glittering. A sense of peace overcame her as she watched it approach Nimue. Slowly, she began to step forward from her hiding place into the clearing. The unicorn had almost reached the rock; yes, she sighed inwardly. This is elation. She turned her gaze up to Nimue, who sat in rapt attention. It sniffed her for a moment, then gingerly lowered its horn to Nimue’s forehead. She held her breath, awestruck. Suddenly Nimue drew her knitting needles up, stabbing like a picador into the unicorn’s throat. The horrifying whinny emanated from both of them at once as Nimue sat silently. Bolting toward it, she took the dying creature into her lap.

“It isn’t fair!” Nimue simpered.“It should have been you!”

She turned her eyes up to Nimue, stroking the unicorn.

“I did it for you,” Nimue sniffed, her voice cracking as she slid down from the rock.

She stroked the beast in silence, unable to look at Nimue any longer. A shudder of horror overcame her as its pink eyes rolled toward her, the pleading look stopping her heart just before they closed.

“Its yours now,“ Nimue sobbed, clutching her arms around herself.

With a choking sob, the girl with the silver eyes buried her face into the cold, blood-soaked fur.