The Lutin Chronicles
Chapter 3
The Goblin and the Unicorn

Urik muttered under his breath as he and Captain Kayrok rode along the winding forest trail, but it was purely for show. Despite the dismal environment and the chilly air, he was glad to get out into the wild. It had been a little more than a year since the Omega company had been posted to this gods-forsaken area and given the impossible task of digging a passage into the southlands. And while Kayrok had built himself a nice little kingdom which was becoming rather comfortable, it was good to get away for a spell. He and the captain were here in search of berries. If they could cultivate a crop of berries, it would give them serious trading power with nearby villages. The gnurls especially were very fond of berries, and they had much to offer in the way of tools and weapons. Already they had found some pillberries, which were renowned for their healing properties, as well as the interesting side effect of causing the growth of tails. There were also cranberries, raspberries and strawberries, but what Kayrok had really been hoping for was the coveted chotaberry. With its decadent bittersweet flavor and ability to stimulate the pleasure centers, the chotaberry would fetch a very high price.

"It must be lmost time for lunch." said Kayrok, looking up into a cloudy sky where the sun was barely visible through the dank canopy of leaves. There's a grassy clearing up ahead where we can let the ponies graze while we eat." After dismountng, Kayrok opened a saddlebag. He took out two pieces of smoked ham along with two slices of giant bread and a couple of flasks of cider. There were also several chunks of cheese and a small amount of apple cake. It paid to have chefs in the company. With a word of thanks to whatever god might be smiling on them today, the two dug in.

"The bread tastes a bit bony." said Urik as he chewed thoughtfully.

"Aye." replied Kayrok. "But it's the bones that make it giant bread. It's good for you. Full of calcium."

"So Sir, if I may ask, why did you come out on this mission? You could just as easily sent Sytet or Splin. Either one would be able to find berries easily."

"Call it Captan's privilege." said Kayrok. "I wanted to get away from the camp and stretch my legs for a while. And to tell the truth, the longer it takes, the better."

"But we're only provisioned for a day-long trip."

"Our mission is to pick berries. We won't starve. Besides, you can find your own meals once the night falls, I'm sure."

"If I may be frank, Sir, I really don't want to be away from the camp when the curse hits. There's no guarantee that I shan't become a creature with more instinct than intellect."

Kayrok smiled. "In the past year, you have been a tiger, a polar bear, a dsplacer beast, a manticore, a rhinosceros, a red panda, a condor and a cobra. Not once have you ever moved to harm me."

"I wish I had your confidence, Sir."

Kayrok was about to say something when he was distracted by a glint of red flashing among the waving tree branches. "What's this?" he asked, going to investgate. Urik followed. His mount looked up, quizzically.

"You stay here, Micho." Urik told the pony. Obedently, Micho returned to grazing.

Beyond the dge of the clearing, Kayrok and Urik stepped into a large stand of trees laden with red, speckled fruit the size of coconuts. "These are incredible." said the captain."

"What are they?" asked Urik.

"Strawcherries. They're part strawberry, part cherry. But I've never seen them this big." Experimentaly, he bit into one. His eyes closed as his brain routed all power to the taste buds. He smiled a broad, green smile as red juice dribbled down his chin. Urik followed suit. He neary deemed this a mistake, for he thought at any moment he might fall to the ground writhing in ecstacy. He thought that he might have even heard angels singing at some point.

"Pick as many as you can fit into a saddlebag." Kayrok ordered. Urik would say that because he found it desirable to obey his captain, nothing out of his mouth ever constituted an order. Today was no exception. Both lutins set to work picking strawcherries until they could carry no more.

Urik was headed back to the clearing with both his arms and face full of fruit when he heard a voice. "Who is there?" it demanded harshly.

Urik swallowed. "Um, you first."

Out from among the trees stepped the biggest, meanest cyclops Urik had ever seen. He was clothed in a skin that appeared to be both feline and goat hair with a snakeskin belt. In his left hand, he carried a club as bigger than a grown lutin. He fixed his single sea-green eye on Urik and his brow furled in contempt. "Lutins!" he bellowed. "Thieving little goblins! How dare you raid my garden?" The cyclops advanced, his club swinging. Urik ducked, dropping fruit everywhere. He reached for his sword, but the weapon was so puny next to the cyclops' club it would be of little use. The cyclops brought his club down on top of the sword and slammed it to the ground, bending it into a crescent. Urik dodged artfully, but could not avoid the weapon forever. It slammed nt his chest, sending him flying across the clearing. He landed in a heap near the ponies. Micho, who was untethered, spooked and fled. Kayrok's pony pulled against his reins, terrified of the on-eyed nightmare closing on him.

"HEY!" shouted Kayrok as he stepped into the clearing, sword drawn and at the ready. "Leave hm alone. I gave the order to pick the fruit. If you want to pick on someone, pick on me."

The cyclops was happy to oblige. Club at the ready, he strode toward the lutin commander. Then suddenly, he stopped. "It's you!" he said, his voice carrying a note of awe. The club fell to the ground as the cyclops dropped to one knee. "Captain." he said, bowing his head.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." said Kayrok, face covered in a confusd expression, sword still pointed at the bowing cyclops.

"My name is Disappointment." said the cyclops.

"An odd name, to be sure."

"My parents were not the most nurturing couple. It is not a name to boast in, but it is mine. And I am destined to die in your service, Captain."

In a short while, the lutin and the cyclops were sitting together in the clearing chatting as if they were old friends. Urik had been cleaned up, his wounds dressed and laid on a bedroll to make him comfortable until he came to. "Tell me, Disappointment... May I call you Point?"

"If it pleases you."

"Point, why do you say you'll die in my service?"

"Cyclopses have a unique ability." said Point. "In exchange for giving us only one eye, the powers that be gave us the ability to see into the future."

"So you're like a seer?"

"Not exactly. We can only foresee one thing, at that is our own death."

"That hardly seems like a fair trade-off."

"For most of us, it is like a sword dangling over our heads. It poisons our lives, fillng us with a sense of despair and pointlessness. That is why so many cyclopses have followed the path of evil. They are constantly reminded that life is but a fleeting breath, so they seek instant gratification in the present."

"I knew some cyclopses." said Kayrok. "They took ther own lives in what might have been the most decicive battle of the war. I think I understand, now. They knew they would die in the battle, so they met death on their own terms."

"They knew they would die at their own hands. So they gave in to their fate and took their lives. The event was a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"I see. Will you tell me about yours? You said you die in my service?"

"If it were any other man, I would refuse. But because it is you, I will revisit my death." As he stared off into the distance, the pupil of his eye dilated. It is a dark night. I am surrounded by forest. A fire blazes nearby. You are with me. It is cold and we are alone, and afraid. I know that I am about to die, and I am bracing myself for my demise. You are not willing to let death come for me, but I know there is no choice in the matter. A pair of eyes shine in the forest. A beast approaches us. You step in front of me, to protect me, but I sweep you out of the way. I yell at you to run. The beast leaps at me, and in a moment, I am bleeding to death. As darkness takes me, my last thought is one of satisfaction, knowing that I died so that my captain, for whom my heart overflows with love and loyalty, could live."

Kayrok was amazed. "That's... very detailed." he noted.

"I have watched these events many times, mystified as to who this stranger could be for whom I would lay down my life."

"And you recognized me as the man from your vision."

"A fortunate circumstance, for I might otherwise have killed you."

"I dare say you would have."

Urik groaned as he began to come to. Kayrok went to him, guiding him back into wakefulness. "That's it." he said. "Take a deep breath. Do you know where you are?"

"I was in the woods last I remember. I was fighting a monster. Did I win?"

"Not exactly."

Urik jumped at the sight of the cyclops. "Captain!" he cried. "Run! He's here!"

"Easy, old friend. Urik, this is Point. Point, Urik."

"Pleasure." said Point.

"Wait... You tried to kill me. And now you're friendly? What gives?"

"It's a long story." said Kayrok. "Can you sit up?"

Urik propped himself up on one elbow. "Micho!" he exclamed. "Where is Micho?"

"I'm afraid he took off. It's unlikely we'll find him, I'm afrad."

"I have to find him." declared Urik, struggling to his feet.

"You're in no condition to go wandering about in the woods. It's just a pony. We'll get you another."

"He's not just a pony. Micho is my baby."

"I understand he was special to you."

"No, Sir. You don't understand. I meant that literally. Micho is my son."

A light dawned. Micho had always seemed unusually intelligent, as if he understood lutin speech. Now Kayrok understood it was because he had lutin blood. Urik must have conceived him on one of the nights when he had been transformed into an equine. "Wait." he said. "That would mean he's less than a year old. How can he be fully grown?"

"It's a long story, and one for another time. Sir, I have to find my son." Kayrok regarded Urik for a moment, then dismissed him with a lift of his head. Urik shot away.

Point looked curiously at Kayrok. "His son... is his horse?"

"Urik was bitten by a werewolf." Kayrok explained, sitting down. "They tried to cure him, but they only had partial success. Now, when night falls, he turns into anythng BUT a wolf."

"That has to be inconvenient."

"Quite."

"My home is a short walk from here." said Point. "Perhaps you would like to join me there for dinner?"

"Thank you. But I ought to remain here so that Urik may find us again."

It seemed wrong to Point to just leave, so he sat down on the grass and waited.

Urik was seldom afraid for himself. For Micho, however, he was quite scared. Who knew what dangers lurked out here for a lost and frightened pony? Micho meant more to him than anyone. As he thought about why, his memory wandered back to that fateful day.

* * *

Angu and Urik had been scouting to the East of Camp Dimtorch. They had discovered a village of gnomes. First contact had not gone well. The lutins soon found themselves pinned down behind a fallen tree as the gnomes hurled eldritch blasts at them.

"It was the dress, wasn't it?" Angu joked in an attempt to make the situation seem less dire. "I knew I should have worn the blue one today! Who knew they disliked green so much?"

"I'm afraid it's the green of our skin they dislike." said Urik. "Although that will only be a problem for one of us, soon."

"What do you mean?"

"The sun is going down. I won't be a lutin much longer."

"Let's hope for something good, then. Perhaps a gnome-eating leopard."

As the sun set beneath the hills, Urik did chage. Shucking his tunic and boots, he let the transformation wash over him. His chocolate brown hair turned grey and became a flowing mane. Hands and feet became hooves. Falling to all fours, he grew. He became a pony, and one who was two big to hide. Urik reared and neighed as a magic missile struck his flank. A second struck the side of his neck. Urik was frightened. He was a pony, now, and did what any pony would do. He ran. Magic blasts hit him again and again as he made his escape, but adrenaline allowed him to ignore the pain. Urik ran. He ran and ran until he couldn't run any more. It wasn't until exhaustion forced him to stop that he realized how badly he was bleeding. The pony collapsed as darkness swept over him.

Urik awoke to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. A mare stood over him, mane flowing in the breeze. She was slender and tall, with pure white fur. A horn adorned her forehead. Urik could only gaze in amazement at this staggeringly beautiful unicorn mare.

"Ssh." she told him. "Lay still. You were very badly wounded." Lowering her head, she touched him in several places. The burns, scratches and cuts healed one by one, their sting subsiding into nothing. Urik rose to his hooves and stood staring in amazement at this bizarre unicorn mare. "My name is Mara." she told him. Urik was still confused. He didn't really understand what she was saying, but he knew that a unicorn should not be speaking this language. For that matter, a unicorn shouldn't even be in the northlands at all.

* * *

A disturbing smell brought Urik back to the here and now. A predator had come this way. A reptile. And a large one. Urik examined the ground. There was a hoofprint going his way. Good. That meant he was on the same path as Micho. A large reptilian footprint was going the other way. Also good. Whatever made the print was unlikely to be following either him or his son. Urik continued his search, his mind wandering back to that night.

* * *

Urik and Mara stood before a river, gazing out at the moonlit water. It was good to be here with her. Urik had never felt more safe and calm. After many long minutes, the unicorn spoke. "I know what you are." she said. "You're a lutin."

Though her words made no sense to his equine brain, Urik got the gist of it. She knew his secret. Somehow, he was okay with this.

"I used to be a medic." she continued. "I notice things. Your eyes are those of a goblin. Your skin is tinged green. You bear all the signs of a werebeast."

Urik lowered his head, wondering what Mara was going to do.

"I was once a Hipocci scout." she said. "I lived at Metamor Keep."

Urik knew those words. He gave an alarmed nicker.

"We are resistant to magic. The curse takes longer to transform us, but when it does, we suffer more changes than usual. I was changed into a unicorn, and I cannot change back."

Urik detected the note of sadness in Mara's voice. He moved closer and touched her neck with his head, comfortingly.

"But there is more. I was also changed into a foal. The change was so severe that I could not function. A charm was fashioned for me. In my right ear is a ring. It carries an aging spell which acts against my curse."

Urik was understanding more and more. He looked at her ear and nodded.

"But the charm is too strong. It lets me remain a young adult, but it was beginning to affect those around me. I was watching my friends turn grey all around me. I had to leave the keep to spare them. I've had a lonely existence ever since."

Urik looked around, then back at Mara with an unspoken question.

"Why did I come here? Actually, I went south. But the funniest thing started to happen. You see, I teleport in my sleep."

Urik gave a laughing whinny.

"It's all the same to me. A forest is a forest. My unicorn magic protects me from predators as easily here as in the south."

* * *

Back in the present, Urik was getting tired. He leaned against a rock to rest for a moment. The tracks on the road showed that Micho had stopped running here. Good. But there was no way to tell how long ago he had been here or how much further he had gone. The afternoon was passing. The lutin only hoped that he might find his pony before nightfall. He walked on, remembering as he went.

"Good morning." said Mara as sunlight flooded Urik's eyes. He rose slowly, making sure not to frighten the unicorn. "Do you remember me?" she asked.

"I do." he replied. "You're Mara. A keeper. My name is Urik. I am a member of the lutin army. And although you and I should be battling to the death right now, I bear you no ill will, my lady.

"It pleases me to know you, Urik. So what now?"

"Last night... I fell very much in love with you, Mara. But I cannot stay."

"I know. You are a lutin, and I am a keeper."

"That has nothing to do with it." Mara perked her ears as he said this. "We have been told all of our lives that the Keepers are evil, that they seek to hoard all good things from the southlands and keep the north in perpetual poverty. We're told that they eat babies and murder for sport, and that they are perpetually full of bloodlust. But I see none of that in you. You showed me only kindness."

"We have heard the same thing about you." Mara replied.

"And over the past year I've begun to wonder if that isn't a little justified."

"You're not like other lutins."

"You don't know the half of it. That's one of the reasons I must leave. I'm not a were-pony, you see."

"You're not?"

"I change into something different every night. Tomorrow night, for all we know, I could become a leopard and try to eat you. Or a snake and poison you."

"I see."

"But I must also return to my company. I have my duty to attend to."

"There is also my charm." said Mara. "You cannot remain with me, or you would age and die."

"I wish it could be otherwise, but we must part ways. As soon as I have my bearings, I must return to my camp."

Mara nodded sadly. "There's something you should know before you go." She turned her head past her shoulder and indicated her belly, which was already significantly enlarged. "You have a child." she told him.

Urik fell onto his butt from surprise.

* * *

Point glanced nervously out at the woods while helping to gather stones for a fire pit.

"What's bugging you, friend?" asked Kayrok.

"I'm just a little... concerned. Night will be falling, soon. Your friend changes into random animals at night. The conditions are right for my vision to be fulfilled this very night."

"You think Urik may attack us?"

"Who can say?"

"I can. You have nothing to fear from him."

Point decided to take the Captain's word, but he could not keep himself from glancing out into the woods.

* * *

Mara had not exagerated about her charm. What kept her a functioning adult caused time to pass alarmingly fast for others. The foal in her womb was growing a month older for every hour that passed. She would likely deliver by evening. But that was not Urik's concern. He had to get back to Camp Dimtorch. Still, he took much longer than needed to figure out his location. Evening saw him still there, watching as Mara went into labor and delivered her foal. It was a colt. Satisfied that both would be all right, Urik set out for home. The soldier felt very strange. He had already become a father many times over. This was certainly not the first time he'd had sex as an animal. Most of the foals back at Camp Dimtorch were his children. Not to mention a large number of rabbits, kittens, deer, mice and so on. But he'd never felt this way about any of them. Half of him was beaming about his newborn son. Half was mourning the loss of both the colt and Mara. Urik had managed to find his way to the road, but was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't realize the sun was going down. He went to remove his clothes when he realized he was still naked from yesterday. Watching his hand, he waited to see what he would become. Hopefully, it would be something that would facilitate a quicker return to camp. The fingers flowed together, the skin becoming smooth and grey. "Oh no." he said in horror. "Not that. Anything but that."

Mara nuzzled little Micho as he nursed. He was a beautiful colt, and her heart was full of love for him. Suddenly, there was a scream. It wasn't a human scream, but a strange, animal scream. It sounded like... Mara's eyes went wide with horror. She knew what happened, and that Urik would die if she did not help him quickly. Moving as quickly as she dared while allowing Micho to keep up, the unicorn went down the forest road in search of her lover. She found him laying helplessly in the middle of the road in the form of a porpoise.

* * *

"Why did I have to think about that right now?" Urik asked himself. He had become used to the nightly transformations, but there was always the possibility of changing into something helpless with no one there to look after him. As the sun went down, he found himself chanting "Please, not a dolphin. Please, not a dolphin." He was relieved when his nails lengthened into five sharp claws. To whatever god had heard his prayer, Urik uttered a "Thank you!" as he shucked off his clothing. Dropping to all fours, he continued his search, and continued remembering.

* * *

It had taken nearly an hour just to get Urik up onto her back. He was becoming dangerously dehydrated already, and Mara knew that if they didn't reach the river soon, he could easily die. She prayed the entire way, and when they reached the river, she bucked him in unceremoniously. Urik immediately felt better, and chirped and squeaked his appreciation. Mara smiled. She lay down and spent the night with her colt and her colt's father.

In the morning, Urik was there beside them, his green skin wet and naked. He looked like a drowned lizard. But while he might look pathetic, he felt truly happy. He kissed the unicorn on the nose and smiled. She smiled back. "It's not safe for you to be alone." she said. "Let me escort you to your home."

"I'd like that."

"And Urik, when you reach your home, I want you to keep Micho."

"Keep him? But..."

"Urik, he can't stay with me. No one can stay with me. He would grow old and die within months. You must take him."

Urik nodded his understanding, mixed emotions overflowing his heart.

* * *

A wolf's howl broke through the night air. "That's not Urik, is it?" asked Point.

"No. A wolf is the one thing Urik can't become."

Point tried to relax as he chewed on his turkey leg. "How is it?" he asked the captain.

"These carunkles are very tasty." Kayrok replied.

"These what?"

"Carunkles. The flappy bit."

"I suppose that's the nice thing about eating with lutins." said the cyclops. "Nothing goes to waste."

"Wait until you meet Splim." said Kayrok. "He can cook so well, you wouldn't know you were eaing the very bones unless you asked."

"You're joking."

"He once fed a keelbone to Zin and Zan. They argued for two days over whether it was trout or perch. If I hadn't..." Kayrok shot to his feet. There was something at the edge of the clearing. A pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared, staring straight at the men.

"Captain, run." whispered Point.

"No." replied Kayrok, stepping in front of the cyclops. "You're not going to die tonight."

Point pushed the lutin back with a sweep of his arm. "Run!" he shouted.

The beast advanced. It was a cheetah, and in its mouth it held a set of reins. The reins were attached to a pony. "It's just Urik." said Kayrok. "And look, he's found Micho!" Urik walked up and nuzzled his captain affectionately. Kayrok pet the cat's head, then tied Micho's reins to a tree, next to his own, pony. "No more running off. Okay?" he asked. Micho lowered his head, embarassed. "it's okay, boy." said Kayrok. "I know you were scared."

Urik bristled. Looking in Point's direction, he growled, hackles raised. Point backed away slowly. Perhaps his vision was about to come true after all. "Point!" shouted Kayrok. "Behind you!" Point whirled around just in time to see a mass of scales and claws leap at him. He couldn't even tell what it was that attacked him. He was on the ground, covered in blood, bracing himself to die when he suddenly realized that the blood was not his own. The creature lay still on his chest with Kayrok's sword through its heart. Pushing it off, Point righted himself. "What is that thing?" he asked as he stared at the monstrous beast.

"They call it a raptor." said Kayrok. "They're supposed to be extinct, but I've heard stories about them roaming the wilderness. They say it's the result of magic pollution."

Point was shaking. "I need to clean up." he said. "Why don't we go to my place for the night."

* * *

Urik dreamed as he lay in front of Point's fireplace. He remembered the day Mara returned him to the camp. He was wearing a loincloth made of a giant leaf and some vines. He looked horrible and smelled worse. Mipo the clean freak would surely have kittens if he saw Urik in this state. Mara, on the other hand, was as still as pure and beautiful as ever. Between them was Micho, wearing a bridle made of vines. The words which were spoken didn't make any sense to the dreaming cat's brain. Nevertheless, he knew what they meant. They were words of sorrow and joy and love. The unicorn went her way and the lutin returned to his home, greeted by the cheers of his lutin brothers who were overjoyed to have him back from the dead.

* * *

The lutins of Camp Dimtorch cheered once again as Kayrok and Urik returned in triumph. The Captain was proud to introduce his new personal servant, Disappointment, and made it clear that anyone calling him by his true name would be severely reprimanded. "We have chotaberries!" Urik announced. He'd found them that morning when he'd gone to retrieve his clothing. They were few, but once cultivated, they would be worth a fortune. "We also have enough lizard meat with us to feast for a week."

"I'll get started on it." said Splim, cracking his knuckles.

Urik led his son into the barn. He placed him in his stall, gave him fresh hay and kissed him on the head, then went out to the stream to wash up.

* * *

Several days had passed since Urik had returned from the berry-picking mission. He'd been keeping to himself since then, thinking about Mara and wishing he could see her again. Outside, it was still dark, with sunrise about an hour away. Urik was a bull this morning, and having only grass in his stomach, was feeling rather hungry. He thought he might make his way to the restaurant at Mountainshade and see about having raptor raost for breakfast if any remained. It didn't seem too appealing now, but he knew it would once he returned to his normal shape. He took a pack containing his clothes in his mouth and set off.

As he predicted, the sun had come up and changed Urik back into a lutin along the way. Clothed in his usual blue tunic and boots, the soldier stepped around the bend in the road and into Mountainshade. He was amazed by what he saw, for around the town, there were orchards of strawcherry trees laden with fruit. Around their bases grew chotaberry bushes whose berries gave off an aroma not unlike coffee and chocolate. But it had been mere days since he and the others had returned with their find. How was this possible?

At the far end of the feild, he saw her standing. It was Mara, mane flowing in the wind and glistening in the morning sun. Urik ran. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him and threw his arms around her neck. "Oh, Mara!" he said breathlessly. "I thought I would never see you again!" He kissed her on her nose and held her head against his cheek.

"I missed you so much." said Mara, who lifted her head to kiss the lutin gently on the lips. "I couldn't stay away forever."

"Did you do that?" asked Urik, pointing to the trees.

"Yes." Mara replied. "My age charm. I found a use for it. Wherever I tarry seeds grow into full grown plants. I know how much you're looking forward to a good crop, so I thought I'd give you a little help."

Urik embraced Mara again. "Don't go." he begged. "Stay here."

"You know I can't." Mara sighed sadly. "A few days with me and you'll lose a year of your life."

Urik stood and held the unicorn as long as he dared. Then, both happy to have seen her and sad to have to go, he made his way back to Mountainshade.

Good morning, Urik." said Ruku from behind a plate heaped with scrambled eggs. Urik never ceased to marvel at how Mayor-General Ruku could possibly eat so much and stay so thin. Next to him sat Rugi, the thurge, who, being deaf, greeted Urik with a slurred "Goomoauinguwigk!"

"Hey, there, handsome." said a waitress. Her name was Feather. Her skin was a light yellow-green and she wore a dress of sunny orange. She had been a member of Pythonus' harem before Mountainshade was liberated, and was very much enjoying being a working woman instead.

"Good morning, Feather. I'll have a raptor steak and eggs, please. And a couple of strawcherries on the side."

"You got it, sugar." Feather sauntered back to the kitchen to place the order.

"You look down." Ruku observed. "Is something wrong, Urik?"

Urik fumbled mentally, searching for a way to explain. He finally decided just to say "You'll think it's weird."

"I'm a 56 pound lutin general. I'm eating breakfast in a restaurant. I'm sitting next to a deaf thurge. I'm talking to a werewolf who turned into anything but a wolf. I think I can handle weird."

Urik laughed a bit and proceded to tell the whole story. Even the fact that Mara had been a keeper. Ruku listened carefully and nodded occasionally. Rugi watched Urik's lips with rapt fascination. Finally, Ruku asked "Why don't you wear a youth charm?"

Urik was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, what?"

"A youth charm." He turned to Rugi and made some hand gestures. The thurge responded with some of his own. "Rugi says he can make as many as you need. We can give one to everyone to wear if they get close to Mara. He says they're really simple to make." Rugi made a few more gestures. "He also says he can give you something to turn you into a unicorn. You won't have the magic, but you'll have the form."

Urik stood up and cheered aloud.

* * *

Mara enjoyed standing in the stable and nuzzling Micho. The pony had been given a charm in his ear which only activated in Mara's presence. The rest of the camp wore similar charms. Some rings, some studs, some pins. Everyone wore one today.

"Are you ready?" asked Urik as he walked up to the coral dressed in a fine white pair of pants and shirt.

"I suppose so." replied Mara. "Though it would seem a little less silly if you were in your unicorn form."

Urik took an enchanted silver necklace from his pocket. "I could put this on." he said. "But unlike you, I can't speak in animal form."

"And you do need to speak." Mara agreed. "All right. Let's go."

Urik opened the gate for Mara. Barga stood nearby with a crown made to look like summer flowers. She placed it on the unicorn's head and walked with her into the courtyard where all the Lutins were gathered. Barga joined the crowd while Urik and Mara walked up to stand before Kayrok.

"My fellow Lutins" Kayrok addressed. "Not to mention dwarves, cyclopses, and all other life forms who have entered into our circle of friendship, it pleases me to be the commander of what many would call the strangest company in the lutin army. But over time, we have come to understand how wonderful strange can be. We have risen above what others consider normal and become something better. And so it pleases me all the more to present to you what may be the strangest couple in Lutin history. North and south, magic and antimagic, lutin and keeper, they who were once enemies, now joined in spirit. Urik of the Toothgrass tribe, do you take this unicorn to be your wife?"

"I do."

"And Mara of Hipocc, do you take this lutin to be your husband?"

"I do."

"I then proclaim you to be husband and wife."

If anyone thought it was wrong for a goblin to kiss a unicorn, they were not in attendance that day. Camp Dimtorch was awash with cheers as Urik and Mara sealed their union with a passionate kiss that put all others to shame.