what are you doing here?

[small_magics]

Isibel has never seen an odder collection of fauna. She has not traveled extensively, but she is sure that creatures of this size - lizards as heavy as ten elves together, beavers eight and nine feet long, turtles with shells the size of small houses - are not customary. Yet the island is riddled with them.

The creatures have no particular fear of elves, but nor do they seek them, and none of her party have been attacked; she feels safe enough traveling through the forest on her own, stepping lightly, looking for the sweep of the treeline and any springs that might be useful for settlers if elves settle here. Besides, she is a student of the small magics, some of which may be cast quite rapidly if there is need; she could frighten away an animal that took too much interest in her. The ribbons tied around each of her knees and ankles (blending seamlessly with the rest of her travel outfit) are some of her finest small magic, guiding her steps so that she may place her feet as elves ought to be able to and bring no embarrassment to her House. They don't make her truly graceful, but she can walk, and care will do the rest.

She's deep into the forested part of the Unknown Island when she starts finding statues. Old statues. The trees have grown up around them, it looks like, they've been here that long; they're worn and weathered and have lichen growing on them.

And they're all of unicorns.

The oldest sculptures are none too skillful, but as she proceeds inward towards the center of the island, they become newer and better and it's plain to see that they're not of unicorns, but a unicorn. A unicorn with a broken horn; this is not, it soon becomes apparent, random damage to early statues. Someone has carved a specific unicorn, dozens - hundreds? thousands? - of times. And the art has been made with such intense love, and the newest of the statues are so delicately done that they look almost like real unicorns, with all the magic that implies, though they hold still and are on closer inspection all still carved from stone.

Someone loved this unicorn, and lived on this island, and made a thousand statues of her, and now the place is inhabited only by giant animals that certainly could have done no such thing. Isibel wonders what happened to the sculptor. To the unicorn, too.

On she walks.

Comments

[endragoned]

"Not if I don't want them to."

[small_magics]

"Oh! You can turn us invisible," Isibel smiles. "Yes. I would love to fly."

[endragoned]

He beams, and holds out a hand to her, and leads her to a place not far away where he has room to take off.

And then he scoops her up and holds her gently but securely in his arms, and wraps magic around them both that makes them seem as insubstantial as wisps of smoke to the eye, and he flies.

[small_magics]

Isibel beams, and laughs, and looks down unafraid at the scenery below them.

[endragoned]

"I want to have done this before," he murmurs. "I like that it makes you happy."

[small_magics]

"It's wonderful," beams Isibel. "I didn't think of it either until you suggested it."

[endragoned]

"I like my island," he adds, soaring over it in lazy circles. "I'm - I don't know the word. I like that I made it this way."

[small_magics]

"You're proud of it," Isibel suggests. "You worked hard on it and now it's how you like it."

[endragoned]

"I'm proud of it," he agrees. "It's very beautiful. And it gives me and my love good things to eat."

[small_magics]

"Having many elves living here will change it," sighs Isibel.

[endragoned]

"I made it give elves good things to eat, too," he says. "I made the blue fruit for you."

[small_magics]

"We all enjoy the blue fruit. It's delicious."

[endragoned]

"I'm glad!" he says. "It's good for you to eat."

[small_magics]

"Thank you for making it. And thank you for taking me flying."

[endragoned]

He laughs.

"Tell me when you want to go down," he says. "Land. Tell me when you want to land."

[small_magics]

"It might not be for a while," laughs Isibel. "Of course you can land whenever you like."

[endragoned]

"I won't be tired," he says. "You'll need to sleep before I get tired."

[small_magics]

She grins, and goes on watching the scenery and turning her face into the breeze.