Page 32 of Forging Bonds: Part Two

“We need to get you out of here as quickly as possible. I have no idea if any of them called for help supernaturally or not, or if there are more on the way. I don’t want to risk it,” I look over the trap on its leg as it watches me curiously. It must be magic dampening in some way and that’s why the unicorn hasn’t used any magic. I revert back to talking it through everything that I’m doing in the hopes that it’s reassuring the unicorn and not making it think that I am absolutely insane. “The question is how am I going to get you out withoutcausing you unnecessary pain? Because let’s face it, I’m pretty sure that I only thought that it was moving earlier and it actually wasn’t.”

The unicorn huffs, and seems like it’s saying your guess is as good as mine. The voices mutter, but they don’t seem to be saying anything of any significance, they’re just there in the background. So it’s no good hoping that they might help me, or even speak like they did when I asked them about my parents or when I was in the cell.

I spend longer than I would like staring at the trap digging into the unicorn’s leg, before it finally clicks.

Asael.

He is wickedly sharp and if anything can cut through the metal of the trap, it’s going to be him. Especially since the metal most likely has magical properties to it which means that anything else that I try probably won’t work. I do need to make sure that I explain my plan clearly and carefully to the unicorn because the last thing that I want to do is to freak it out and make it injure itself or me. If I break the trap and it spooks him, his first reaction is going to be for him to attack. Which, to be honest, I would probably react the same way if I were in its position.

I keep calling it a him, but I have no idea if that’s true and I’m not about to check.

Turning my attention away from the trap, I look back at the unicorn, “Okay, so I’ve had an idea, and I really don’t want you to panic so I’m going to explain it to you,” I begin to explain, and it tilts its head to the side as if it’s listening to me. I carry on explaining my idea as quickly as I can, “As you probably saw, I have an enchanted sword, and I think that the only chance that I have to get this fucking bear trap off you is to use him to cut through the enchanted metal of the trap. At least that’s the plan, I have no idea if it will work or not, but I think that it’s our best shot.”

I look at the unicorn expectantly, and it hesitantly nods its head once.

Trying to smile reassuringly, I call Asael to me and then speak to him, so he hopefully knows what I’m asking of him.

“Alright, Az, I need you to cut through the metal of the trap.” I study it for a second and then point, “I think here should release the mechanism. If it doesn’t, then we’re going to have to cut it closer to the unicorn’s leg, and I really don’t want to do that if we can help it. Understood?” Asael buzzes in my hand, and I smile. Looking back at the unicorn, I add, “I’m going to cut the mechanism of the trap now. If it does free you, try to move really carefully and allow yourself enough time to heal at least a little bit before you get up and leave, it’s in there really deep.”

I hope that the unicorn has understood me because it just risks hurting itself more and prolonging its time to get to safety if it tries to leave immediately. I really don’t want to waste any more time than I already have, so I crouch down near the trap, but not too close, and work on the mechanism of the trap with Asael. It sparks as his magic interferes with the magic that is blocking the unicorns and probably strengthening the trap itself as well, but thankfully, the unicorn doesn’t react and panic.

A huge amount of relief courses through me when the trap springs open and the unicorn stays where it is. Working quickly, I cut a slice of fabric off my shirt and then send Asael away again, after I have thanked him.

“I know that you probably don’t need this, but we don’t want any of that blood getting anywhere, and being used for nefarious reasons, or anyone using it to locate you with a spell or even follow you. So I’m going to wrap the wounds, I’m really sorry if this hurts you,” I explain, and then quickly get to work wrapping the wound.

Once that’s done, I head to the river, moving around the bodies of the men I killed, and I thoroughly wash any sign of the unicorn blood off me. I then spend far longer than I would have liked to searching around for a leaf that’s sturdy enough and big enough so that I can carry a decent amount ofwater in it. Once I’ve finally found one, I turn back around and see the unicorn standing up and watching me closely, to be honest, I’m really surprised that it didn’t immediately take off as soon as it realized that it could stand, but as I get a closer look I realize that it is keeping the majority of its weight off the bad leg, so maybe it can’t quite move yet.

I smile, “I’m glad you’re up. I’m just going to clean the blood off the trap and off the ground. For the same reasons that I bandaged your leg.”

It watches me closely as I do exactly what I told it that I was going to do, and I have to assume that it’s watching me to make sure that I don’t take any of its blood for myself. I have absolutely no desire to take any, it’s not mine to take. It’s as simple as that. Once I’m done and I make sure that there’s absolutely no trace of the unicorn, I stand there and frown at the trap left behind. I washed it, but I’m not sure whether there would be anything minute left behind, like trace evidence or something that someone would be able to use in a spell to trace the unicorn.

Especially since this is a Choosing task, so I’m being watched and someone is going to recognize this place, they just are, and the temptation will be too strong for many supes. They won’t do what I’m doing, and most will want to see if the unicorn is still here, or if they can find some trace of it that would allow them to track it. There are a lot of desperate people out there, and desperate people do desperate and dangerous things.

Chapter Twelve

Neith

The average supernatural would not be able to track and trap a unicorn. They aren’t cute and fluffy, they aren’t docile creatures like most human lore portrays them to be, I know that much.

If they were easy to catch after all, then they would most likely be extinct by now, and not just rare and sought after.

All of these thoughts rush through my mind in a matter of seconds, and helps me come to the conclusion that I would rather be safe than sorry. Especially in this situation, and because of that, I bend down and pick up the heavy remains of the bear trap-looking thing and then hoist it down to the river. The whole time that I’m doing this, the unicorn watches me with what I can only describe as a perplexed look. I would explain to it what I’m doing, but in a moment's time, it’s going to be pretty self-explanatory anyway.

Plus, I am kind of hoping that it stays around for a little bit longer just because it’s a fucking unicorn and is most likely the only one that I will ever see in my lifetime. Even if I get extra years as a supernatural. I am actually really surprised that it has stuck around for this long, and I’m worried that if I speak to it to explain, then it will remember that it’s still here when it doesn’t need to be and run away.

Refocusing on my task and not thoughts of the unicorn running away from me, I put the broken pieces down by the edge of the river. It’s really fucking deep and is moving really quickly. Which means that it will be pretty difficult for anyone to get to the bottom of it to fish these pieces out, and that by the time that they do, there will be no usable evidence on the pieces of the bear trap anyway.

Just as I’m about to throw the first piece into the fast-flowing water, a thought occurs to me.

Shit.

This is a Supernatural Realm, and there are most likely water supernaturals of some kind in the river, and they may be able to get something off the trap before it disappears.

I am aware that I am overthinking this.

Placing the piece back down, I get another one of those big leaves and gather some more water, bringing it back and completely drowning the pieces of the bear trap, and hopefully washing off any trace evidence. I then pick the pieces up one by one since they’re really fucking heavy, and then throw them as hard as I can into the river, watching them sink out of sight. When the last one has disappeared, I turn around and I have to admit that I am once again pretty fucking surprised that the unicorn is still there.

“I think I have gotten rid of any trace of you now,” I tell it since it’s actually here. “You can go now, it’s still not safe here. I have absolutely no trace ofyou on me either, so you don’t need to worry about me taking something that doesn’t belong to me.” I turn in a slow circle to show it.

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