Her father started shaking his head, "You've fallen in love with him."
Forest felt her ears get hot, but her mother cut in, "Don't feel bad, it's just that you should know that nothing will come of it, and when he dies, you will feel even worse then you do now."
"But I thought maybe," she began, but her father shushed her.
"You know better," he said, "No one can take away your immortality and make you human."
Forest felt like crying, but before she could her mother started again, "Don't feel too bad, I can tell he cares about you too. Maybe more then he thinks, but it is hard to tell. He has some sort of shield about him."
"Like I said before, you should have known better," her father said, "but what is done is done. I suppose that you might as well stay with him until he dies. He couldn't live for more then fifty years, if that, but you must promise to come back right after."
"But don't let any of the other unicorns see you, they might not see it that way," her mother said, "so off with you."
Devin watched Forest walking back from out of the trees. She seemed much happier now, and walked with more of a spring along with a small sense of urgency.
"Let's leave, now," Forest said.
Devin frowned, and said, "Why have you had such a change in your mood? What did they tell you?"
"The told me what I wanted to hear but didn't expect."
He knew that there must be more to her story, but was avoiding it. He briefly thought about pressing the matter, but decided against it. She probably had her reasons for not telling him, and they were probably well founded.
"Alright," he said.
As soon as he was in the saddle, she bolted off.
Devin felt the tingle again. It was stronger this time, and he knew what it meant. Every time he felt it he felt his muscles give a tense shudder at some unfelt northern breeze.
"Someone's watching us," Forest said unexpectedly.
Devin thought about what she said, and found that it didn't surprise him. "I know."
She stopped, then started walking again. "You do? For how long?"
"Almost a day now."
She stopped again, this time her voice was barley above a whisper, "How? I couldn't feel the magic until a few minutes ago, how did you feel it before me?"
Devin grumbled under his breath about crazy wizard, and then said, "I truly don't know. I just feel like I'm being watched, that's all."
Forest seemed to be ready to say something, and then snapped her mouth shut and continued on down the trail. Devin realized that he hadn't seen anyone on the trail, which he found strange since they were nearing the town. He should have seen at least some sort of farmer, or messenger by now, but the road was empty.
He looked around and felt his eyes sweep over a person. He shook his head, and tried it again with the same effect. Nothing was there, but he felt the presence of at least two men when he looked at that spot. There was a ringing, and he realized that he had unconsciously drawn his sword
. The air seamed to shimmer, and then he was flying through the air and the sword was ripped from his hand. He felt his back hit a tree, and then he was held there. Someone was standing in front of him. When he tried to reach out, his arms felt like they were being crushed. The pain sent his mind reeling.
The man threw back his head and laughed when he saw Devin trying to move, "You have no idea how much time you have saved me!"
Devin tried to talk, but he couldn't move anything. The man seemed to know what he was going to ask.
"I really must thank you for bringing me the amulet and a unicorn's horn. I think a quick death should be an ample reward."
The other man stood over Forest who looked unconscious, and said, "You want me to get the horn off now or later?"
The first man grabbed the phoenix medallion, ripped it from the chain and threw it to the other man while he answered, "Let's wait, I think it needs to be freshly cut, and if it doesn't, then it won't matter." Then he turned close to Devin and whispered savagely, "It would seem that your father died for nothing."
Devin felt the barrier on his mouth shatter, "What do you mean?"
The first man paled a bit, but then said with a hiss, "I'm the one that killed him, to get this."
The anger rose up again, like in the spiral tower, only it was stronger now, and seemed more potent. "What did you say?"
The man laughed again, and talked in a slow demeaning voice, "I said that I killed him, is that so hard to understand? It shouldn't b-."
The entire invisible barrier gave way with an earsplitting crack throwing the first man back across the field and cracked his head on a log. The other man was dazed for a second, but came quickly back to his senses and attacked. When he raised his sword to strike, Devin's mind snapped at him and sent a wave of dense air to shatter the man's arm, sending him to his knees.
Devin lifted the man's head from the wound to meat his gaze, "Why did you want the medallion?"
The man's voice choked with panic, making him stammer as he answered, "W-We weren't going to use it, honest. We were getting it for her, I swear!"
Devin's voice was barley above a threatening whisper when he asked his next question, "Use it for what, and give it to who?"
The man swallowed, "I-I don't know what she wanted it for, and if I tell you her name, she'll kill me!"
"If you don't tell me, I will."
The man broke into a sweat and started to answer, "She called her self, her self…" his voice trailed off, and his body began to shutter, then he fell to the ground.
Devin picked up the medallion, and without thinking, crushed it. Someone wanted it for a good reason, so he wanted it to be destroyed. He stood still, with the wrath draining out of him, leaving behind only aches, when he heard something.
