Question Quest Part 4

"Of course I am! What about you?"

"I'm-I'm fifteen too."

She glanced hard at me. "You're that old?"

"Of course I am," I echoed weakly in the face of her disbelief.

"Oh, you're a gnome," she said.

"No, I'm human. Just gnomelike."

"Oh. I'm sorry." But she didn't seem sorry, she seemed doubtful. She didn't want to question my word, so she was stuck in an awkward mode. I understood exactly how it was.

After a bit, she looked around. "Is there any water near here? I mean a lake or river, so we can clean up? You have dirt on you, and I must be a total sight."

"I pa.s.sed a river a way back. But you wouldn't want to clean up with me there."

"Of course I would!" she said in her emphatic female way. "Or have I delayed your schedule too much already?''

"Schedule?"

"You are going somewhere, aren't you? And you'd be just about there now, if it wasn't for me and Horn-tense?"

"Oh. No. I was just going away from the Gap Village, nowhere in particular."

"The what village?"

"The Gap. You know, the chasm."

"No, I don't know! What chasm?"

Then I remembered: there was a Forget Spell on the Gap Chasm. I lived right beside it, so was immune, or so I then believed, but she was from elsewhere, so hadn't heard of it or had forgotten it if she had. That was the nature of the ancient spell. It was pointless to tell her much about it, because she would only forget it again. "Just a big crevice. It doesn't matter. My village doesn't matter either. It's just sort of there. I want to go somewhere more interesting."

"Well, where I came from is just as dull! Our village in on the bank of the Sane Jaunts River, and the only interesting things there are the dragons, and they're dangerous. Don't I know! That flying dragon almost got us. I thought we were beyond their territory, and relaxed, but evidently not."

"Nowhere in Xanth is beyond their territory," I said. "I thought maybe there would be fewer of them the way I was going."

"Are you kidding? It's Dragons Galore country!"

I was dismayed. "I guess I'm going the wrong way, then."

"Well, then, turn about and go with me. I'm not going anywhere either, just away from home."

"You want to travel with me?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, you did help me, and you seem harmless. I have found that traveling alone isn't much fun, and it's sometimes dangerous. If Horntense hadn't managed to spear that dragon with her horn before it got us, we could both be dead now. And you seem to know so much. I mean, you got the boneset plant and the pies and all. You're a real blessing to a girl in distress!"

I couldn't help it: I was getting to like MareAnn. I couldn't believe she was only my age, but why should she lie? It was true she was bossy, but less so than I was used to, and it really wasn't bothering me much now. "Well, if you want to," I agreed, trying to make it sound somewhat more reluctant than it was. In those inexperienced days I cared what others thought of me.

"I will summon you a unicorn," she said brightly. She put her fingers into her mouth and made a piercing whistle.

"But-"

In a long moment, there was the sound of galloping hoofs. Then a unicorn stallion appeared.

"Help me stand," MareAnn said.

I put my hands on her shoulders awkwardly and tried to lift her, but it didn't work. Then she reached up with her arms and I took her hands and pulled, and she came up smoothly. She winced as her bad ankle took weight, and leaned on me. She was taller than I, and fuller in the chest and hips, but not actually heavier because her waist was smaller.

The unicorn slowed to a walk as he burst into the glade. He approached our party cautiously. I watched him with similar caution; if a unicorn horn could spear a dragon, it could do the same to me. "Uland, this is Humfrey," MareAnn said. "Humfrey, this is Uland Unicorn. He will be your steed for now."

"But I don't know how to ride a unicorn-or anything else!" I protested.

"Oh, you don't need to know how. Unicorns are magic. Uland will teach you."

I remained dubious. "The-the river isn't far. Why don't we just walk?" But as I spoke I realized that that wouldn't do for her. "Or maybe you should ride Uland, and Horntense and I will walk."

"Yes, I suppose that is better," MareAnn agreed. "Help me up, then; he's too tall for me to mount readily."

Again I was somewhat at a loss. How was I supposed to put her up on the steed? Heave up on her hips?

"Like this, silly," she said. She bent her left leg at the knee. "Lift on this."

Feeling hopeless, I took hold of her leg, avoiding the injured ankle. I lifted-and she heaved and suddenly swung up on the unicorn's back. She had somehow braced against me and done it, and I hadn't quite seen it happen.

She looked down at me and laughed. "You don't have much experience, for sure!"

"Well, I never claimed to," I said, nettled.

She was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry, Humfrey. You just looked so startled it was comical. Please, I don't want to offend you. You are helping me a lot. I like you."

This time I felt myself blushing. She had apologized to me, complimented me, and said she liked me. That was a bigger dose of positive expression than I had ever had from a girl before.

She must have noticed, but she didn't comment. That was a relief. My sister would have baited me unmercifully, trying to make me blush worse, and probably succeeding.

I set off down the path toward the river I had pa.s.sed. Horntense limped along behind me.

"I wish I knew where there was a healing spring," I said. "You and Horntense could certainly use it."

"A what?" MareAnn asked.

"A healing spring. Our village elder has a vial of healing elixir which he traded for last year, and when someone is injured, we use a drop of that. But those who know where such springs are keep it secret."

"Why?"

"So they can make gouging trade deals with others."

"That's disgusting!"

I turned to face her. "That's the way it is. But if I knew where one is, I could get some elixir and make you and Horntense better."

"Say, I'll bet the unicorns know!" MareAnn exclaimed. "They can't tell us, of course, but maybe Uland would take you there."

"But-" I said, and at the same time the unicorn stallion snorted.

"Now stop that, both of you!" MareAnn said severely. She had the typically femalish talent for spot severity. "You don't want to ride, Humfrey, and Uland doesn't want to show you where the spring is. But we can work this out."

"He knows where it is?"

"Yes. Didn't you see Uland twitch his ear yes when I mentioned it? But unicorns don't share secrets with our kind, for which I can't blame them."

I hadn't seen. I would have to learn the equine signals! "Maybe we could give Uland a bottle, and-" But I saw that it wouldn't work. The unicorn had no way to hold the bottle.

"Look, Uland," MareAnn said. "It would really be a big help to Horntense and me if we could get some of that healing elixir. We're both in pain, even if we don't make a big thing of it. Suppose Humfrey swears never to reveal to anyone else where the spring is; would you take him then?"

Uland flicked his tail.

"He wants to know whether you are to be trusted," she translated.

"Well, I don't know," I said. "I mean, yes, I keep my word, but I don't know how he would know that."

"He can tell. But it's dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"When a unicorn tests someone, it's pa.s.s or fail. You either pa.s.s, or you're dead."

I was dismayed. "I don't want to die! Suppose he makes a mistake?"

"Unicorns don't make that kind of mistake. So if you agree to be tested-"

I gulped. "Well, all right. But I hope he knows what he's doing!"

MareAnn slid down off the unicorn's back. She hopped to Horntense and braced against her. "Okay, Uland."

The stallion advanced on me. I stood my ground, not at all bravely. He lowered his horn so that it bore directly on my chest. With one shake of his head he could stab me through the heart!

"Now make your statement," MareAnn said.

"My what?"

"Your agreement not to reveal the location of the spring to any other person."

Oh. "I will not tell or show any other person where the healing spring you take me to is," I said, somewhat awkwardly.

Uland thrust his head forward. The horn plunged through my heart.

Then it was out-and I stood there, feeling nothing. Except a burgeoning dose of panic. But it was too late for that. I was done for so fast I had never felt it.

"Uh-" I said, even more awkwardly than before. I made ready to collapse with whatever dignity I could muster.

"You're not hurt," MareAnn said.

I stared down at myself. There was no wound, no blood. "But-"

"You spoke the truth," MareAnn said. "If you had lied, that horn would have felt solid to you. Only truth blunts it."

Now I understood. Weak-kneed, I resolved never to depart from the truth in anything.

"Get on Uland," MareAnn said. "He says it isn't far. We'll wait here."

"But I don't know how!" There was another truth.

She hobbled over. "Bend your leg at the knee."

I stood beside the unicorn and bent my left leg, as she had. She took hold of it. "Now throw your right leg over as I heave."

She heaved, and I lifted my right leg up and over the back of the unicorn. Suddenly I was up there, precariously perched. Her hold had been like a ladder, lifting me up. Now I understood how she had mounted with my help. It wasn't magic, but it was so neat a trick that it might as well have been. "Uh, thanks," I said.

"You're welcome," she said, and smiled up at me.

I felt dizzy. She was so lovely when she did that!

Then Uland was moving. Hastily I grabbed a handful of his mane and hung on. That seemed to be what was required.

I was riding, to my amazement. The unicorn was running like the wind, and this was no cliche; his feet seemed to be striking on air, and he was going right through the forest as the wind does; I saw leaves flutter with our pa.s.sage. Yet it was perfectly smooth on his back; I might as well have been on a boat on a fairly calm lake.

My fear of riding was quickly becoming pleasure. But I suspected that it would not be like this on a less magical animal. "This is fun, thank you," I said.

Uland wiggled an ear. That meant yes. I wasn't guessing; I found that I really did understand his signals, now that I was riding him. That was surely magic. I had not realized before just how wonderful unicorns were.

Soon we came to a small pond in another glade. It did not look special, but the foliage near it was quite healthy.

Uland stopped, and I dismounted by putting my right leg back over and sliding off on my stomach. MareAnn had done it more elegantly on her backside. Well, I was a beginner, and she had a better backside than I did.

I fished two bottles from my pack, the only ones available. I was sorry they weren't larger; this water would be invaluable. But I would not use it to trade anyway; all I needed was enough for MareAnn and Horntense.

I knelt to dip the first. The bank under my knee gave way, and I tumbled face-first into the pond. The bottles flew from my hand. Realizing what this would mean, I made a desperate grab in air and caught one before I submerged.

The spring was deep. I sank down, down, taking in a mouthful inadvertently. Then I remembered to try to swim, and paddled my way back up.

My head broke the surface, and I choked and gasped. But I had the bottle, and it was full. I pulled myself out, dripping, then fished for the stopper.

My eye fell on Uland. He was shaking with equine laughter. I had to laugh too. I must have looked pretty foolish. I still did, really, for my clothing was dripping and my hair was matted across my face. How clumsy could a gnome like me get?

I put the sealed bottle into my wet knapsack. Then I approached the unicorn. He was still too tall for me to mount from the ground, and MareAnn wasn't here to boost me with her nice little hands. "Maybe if you moved next to a rock," I suggested.

He hooked his nose in the signal for jump.