Tiffany Dunn - If I Should Never Find You

Melissa walked into the front hall, meeting Terry's gaze long enough to notice the dark circles under her eyes. "No," she admitted, sighing. "What about you? Are you all right?"

Terry nodded, her normally smooth skin creased with lines. "I suppose I wasn't used to sleeping on such a soft bed all of a sudden. My muscles are stiff."

"Me too. I had a major charley horse this morning." She walked over and linked her arm through Terry's. "No more medieval dress?"

The older woman laughed a little. "No, not for me. Or you either, I see."

"I feel more comfortable in these jeans. They washed them, although I don't know how they got dry in time. Did you get all the other stuff when you woke up, too? The hairbrush and cloak and all that?"

"Yes. It's very kind of the princess."

"Very kind. Speaking of which," Melissa pulled her arm away and looked around them, but the hall was empty. "I wonder how she slept."

"Good question. Why don't you ask him?" Terry inclined her head and when Melissa turned, she saw Wendell striding down the hall towards them. Her heart sped up when he smiled at her.

His smile faltered as got nearer, his eyes scanning their faces. "Are you well?" he asked.

Melissa wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. "Yes. We're just sore."

"I see."

She looked down at Sport, unsure what to say. The cat yawned lazily at her feet.

Terry placed a gentle hand on each of their shoulders. "The beds were nice, though. We were wondering how Princess Aileen's was?"

"I'm not sure," he said, his eyes never leaving Melissa's. "A servant came to my room this morning and told me to come here to meet you. I assume she will be joining us shortly."

"As perceptive as always, Wendell." They all turned to see Aileen gliding into the room. Her silent steps made Melissa nervous. "Good morning all." Her soft eyes flickered over them, and the pleasant smile she was wearing dropped away. "I fear you did not sleep as well as I?"

"The rooms were fine," Melissa said. She forced herself to relax, her arms hanging at her sides. "The real question is, how did you sleep?"

The smile returned to Aileen's face, bright and cheerful. The Princess took a step closer, taking Melissa's hands in her own. "It was wonderful," she whispered. "You have saved me."

"Oh...well..." she glanced at their hands, and then to the floor. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"No, it was. And I must repay you." She dropped Melissa's hands and turned slightly, her dress crinkling as she gestured at a silent guard. The man, dressed in crisp brown and green, strode forward and held out a small box, no more than two inches square. Aileen took it and he bowed sharply before returning to his post. Melissa watched the small ceremony expectantly. "In return for what you've done, I want to give you this." She held out the jewelry box.

"What? No, really, I can't take that." Melissa frowned, pushing it back towards the other woman. She lowered her voice. "Please. In exchange for what you've already done for us."

Aileen's eyes widened slightly, and a smile ghosted across her face. "You must have it. It will help you in your quest."

"Our quest?" Wendell jerked, looking as though he would take the box himself, although he held back. "What is it?"

"She must open it to find out."

Melissa felt everyone staring at her, and she sighed, taking the box. It felt empty. "All right," she muttered, slowly lifting the lid. Inside, nestled in a bed of rich brown satin, lay a perfectly round pea. For a long, quiet moment she stared at it, having no idea what to say.

"It's the pea that my grandmother slept on," Aileen explained. "It is magical."

"Oh." Melissa showed it to her companions, who looked equally perplexed.

Aileen laughed, and produced a piece of paper from the sleeve of her dress. "Here, read this."

"May I?" Wendell asked, reaching for the paper. Melissa nodded, and he took it, clearing his throat before he began to read.

Hold this pea in your palm,
Wait for it to grow warm.
When it burns your tender flesh,
That is when you pass the test.

Beware the knowledge that you seek,
True answers are not for the meek.
Beware the words that you hear,
True answers oft bring only fear.

If you do as you're told,
This pea will lead you -- but not to gold.
Not to money, nor to power,
But to light in your darkest hour.

They looked at each other uncertainly.

"There is a glade about a half day's ride from here. Rumor has it a wise oracle lives there, and that this pea is the way to contact him. I thought you might use it to find out what happened to the mirror."

"Aileen, we can't," Wendell protested. "This belongs to your family."

"Yes, and I'm giving it to Melissa."

Melissa shut the box, carefully. "Then I accept, but I will return it to you when we're done."

The princess smiled, and her words were gentle. "It will disappear once it's used."

"Then I certainly can't take it!"

"You must. My family has tried many times to use it, and the pea has never grown warm. I believe it is your destiny to use it. You have saved my line, Melissa," she added firmly. "Please."

She glanced to Wendell, and then to Terry, but they both shrugged, leaving the decision to her. Taking Aileen's family heirloom seemed impossible -- except they needed it so much. They had to find the mirror to get home. Not that the Nine Kingdoms aren't wonderful. If complicated, she thought. Melissa tried to search Wendell's eyes for an answer, but he wouldn't hold her gaze. It was the fact that he needed the mirror that decided it for her. "Thank you, your Highness. If it doesn't work for us either, then we'll return it."

Wendell exhaled softly, looking relieved.

Aileen smiled, clasping her hands tightly in front of her. "Wonderful. You must be off then. I have provided a carriage for you, with food enough for two days travel. It is not as ornate as what you're used to, Wendell, but I think perhaps that is best." He nodded eagerly. "You had breakfast already?" They all nodded. "Wonderful," she repeated, covering Melissa's hands with her own. "I hope we meet again," she said softly. Melissa saw only sincerity in the other woman's beautiful features.

"I hope so too," she said.

Still smiling, Aileen hugged Wendell and Teresa, and then stepped away. "Safe journey."

The four hurried out, Sport trotting alongside Melissa. When she paused at the door to look back, Princess Aileen was gone.

The carriage rattled as they sped down the dirt road, passing travelers making their morning journeys. No one paid much attention to the green and brown carriage, other than to get out of its way. The sky was faintly overcast, but it was going to be another warm day. Teresa had her head leaning against the wall, her eyes closed, moving with each jerk and jump of the seats. Next to her, Wendell was staring out the window, watching the outskirts of Peatown rush by.

Melissa ran her fingers over Sport's soft fur, and he nestled further into her lap, purring loudly. She smiled a little, until she saw the small box sitting next to her. It bounced with the rest of them, but seemed to project a protective aura that kept it from sliding anywhere. Cautiously, she picked it up, flipping open the lid again.

The little pea sat, perfectly still, in its bed in the box. They had been traveling for a couple of hours, everyone consumed with their own thoughts and concerns. She wanted to talk to Wendell, but knew it would be impossible with Terry there. Instead, she had concentrated on what to ask the oracle when they got near the glade.

"Any change?" Wendell whispered.

She shook her head. "I haven't picked it up, though. I'm afraid to."

He shrugged, looking back out the window.

"When we get to the glade, I'll do it. Just not now."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

One of Terry's eyes popped open. "Will you two please stop fussing?"

Melissa had a sudden urge to stick her tongue out at them both, but closed the box and set it next to her instead. She knew Terry was right -- they'd been picking at each other off and on for the morning's trip. Little, stupid things that had passed by in the days before. She suspected it wasn't just the lack of sleep that was bothering all of them.

"So have you heard of this oracle before?"

Wendell shifted in his seat, glancing at her briefly. "No, actually."

"Isn't that kind of unusual?"

"I don't know everything that happens in my kingdom, Melissa."

She imitated his earlier shrug.

"It's a huge kingdom. We've been traveling for several days and have covered only a small part."

"I didn't say anything," she said.

"Honestly," Terry sat up, glaring at both of them. "What is it going to take to get you two to just leave well enough alone?"

Wendell grimaced, looking guilty. "I apologize," he said.

Melissa sat back in her bouncing seat, folding her arms across her chest. Terry kept glaring at her, until she broke under the pressure. "Me too," she muttered.

Terry sighed heavily. "Honestly," she repeated.

They continued on in silence after that, until the carriage began to slow, approaching the edge of a thick forest. Poking his head out the window, Wendell shouted something up to the driver and then pulled his head back in. "We're here," he announced.

Melissa bit her tongue to hold back a retort, instead shaking Sport a little to wake him up. He meowed loudly, but moved anyway, settling into the corner with a dirty look.

Several minutes later, the three of them were wandering through the forest, leaving Sport sleeping soundly in the carriage. The driver had eagerly agreed to stay with the carriage, and Melissa had noticed the way he distastefully eyed the forest. The trees were large and leafy, hazy light seeping through the branches. Birds of all kinds flitted about, chirping madly at the disturbance. The trio had to pick a haphazard path amongst the trunks, Wendell assuring them he could lead them out again.

Melissa clutched the tiny pea in her hand, hardly feeling it at all, wondering if she could tell when it grew warm. It didn't help that they both kept asking her every few feet.

"You're sure?" Terry pressed, pausing to look back at her.

She rolled her eyes and shoved her palm out at the older woman. "Do you want to hold it?"

"Maybe if we turned into the forest more," Wendell said, scanning the surroundings. "I think it's this way."

"You think? What happened to 'I know exactly where I'm going'?" Melissa asked.

Wendell ignored her, and she followed him without further comment. Just let me know when this works, she prayed silently.

Ten minutes later, sweaty and cranky, her palm started to sting. Concentrating on it, she realized that the pea was growing warm.

"Oh God," she gasped, suddenly afraid. "You guys, it's warm."

They both stopped and rushed back to her, everyone staring at her open palm. The pea sat there, the same calm green.

"Are you sure?" Wendell said in a hushed voice.

She darted a look at him, but he was oblivious. "Yes, I'm positive. Come on, let's keep moving."

After another ten minutes of stops and starts as the pea wavered from cool to warm, they finally figured out the path and were following it as straight as they could. Without warning, the pea started to burn, and it felt like she was holding a hot coal.

Stifling a scream, Melissa clenched her hand tightly shut to keep herself from dropping it, and the warmth spread out, dissipating for the moment. Wendell and Terry pressed on in front of her, unaware. A few short feet later, the heat intensified and her skin started to sizzle.

She screamed then, and Wendell and Terry both spun around, their eyes wide.

"It's burning," Melissa moaned, clenching her fisted hand at the wrist.

Wendell rushed to her side, gesturing helplessly. "You have to hold on to it," he pleaded, his voice cracking.

Melissa's eyes filled with tears as the pea grew more intensely hot. She expected it to burn a hole straight through her hand. "I can't," she pleaded.

"You have to."

Terry clenched her own fists and watched them. "Open your hand, Missy," she whispered.

She tried, but the pain had seized her muscles. "I can't." Her whole hand felt on fire, the pain shooting up into her forearm, bending her elbow. Melissa dropped to one knee as the heat blossomed, engulfing her entire arm.

Wendell knelt next to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Drop it," he ordered her. She looked into his eyes and was surprised to see they were wet.

"No." She shook her head fiercely. "No! This is the test," she gasped.

"Melissa drop it. It's not this important!"

"No!" She moaned with the pain, holding onto consciousness.

Something moved behind Wendell, and a low voice washed over them like rain, saying: "It is all right." And the pain was gone with the words.

Melissa exhaled sharply, her body jerking forward into Wendell's arms. He held her close while the last tingling spasms of pain left her, her muscles relaxing. She felt herself crying, unable to stop the tears.

Wendell murmured softly in her ear, unimportant words that soothed the fear. Finally, she stopped crying, and wiped her eyes dry on her sleeve. "Thank you," she mouthed. He smiled and they helped each other stand.

When they turned, a shadow materialized in front of them, and all three inhaled sharply.

Before them was a unicorn -- though it was nothing like the images Melissa had dreamed of as a child. This one was huge, and not entirely equine. It had the head and body of a horse, but its hind legs looked like they belonged to a deer, and its tail was that of a lion. Even more remarkable to her was that though its body was white, as she expected, its head was blood red, and it had sharp blue eyes. The horn that spiraled to a razor point was dark black, sucking light into it. The unicorn's beard hung almost to its knees, and it brushed it back and forth as it looked at them. Instead of the rounded curves of children's unicorns, this one's lines were angular and edgy. It looked like it would hurt to pet it. "Well met," it said. It's mellow voice made up for the sharpness of its looks.

Melissa took a small step forward. "Hello."

"You summoned me?"

She blinked, and remembered the pea. "Yes, I guess I did. Who ... are you?"

"I am Inesh. The oracle." He, the voice was distinctly male, brushed his beard across his knees again. "Who are you?"

"Melissa. This is Teresa, and King Wendell."

The blue eyes flickered over each of them, resting longer on Wendell. "King of the Fourth Kingdom. Welcome."

Wendell cleared his throat, bowing respectfully. "Thank you, my lord."

"Just Inesh," the unicorn said, his voice amused. His mouth didn't move, but the words felt like they were being spoken. Melissa peered around, wondering if this was like the 'Wizard of Oz.'

"Is something wrong?"

She whipped her head back to face him, her cheeks reddening. "Oh. No."

Inesh seemed to smile, although she wasn't sure how she knew that.

"Oracle," Wendell said gently, "we need your help."

"I know," he said.

"You know about the lost mirror then?"

"Yes."

"How can we get it back?"

The unicorn snorted, shaking his whole body. The three took a step back, startled by the movement. "That is not how I work, King Wendell. I know what is, and I will tell you what you most need to know. The answers are of my choosing, not yours."

Wendell's shoulders drooped. "Surely the mirror is more important to us--"

"I decide that. Your needs are not what you think. Any of you." He eyed them, and Melissa saw sadness deep within his gaze. "You must be sure you are prepared to hear the truth. Many have been destroyed by what I told them. That is why I am here, in this glade. I grew weary of hurting others."

Silence draped across them, heavy with the unicorn's words.

"Can I ask you a question?" Melissa asked.

Inesh nodded his large head. "I may not answer it, though."

"That's okay. Why is your horn black?"

He looked surprised, tilting his head to the side. He was silent for a long time, and she thought that he wouldn't answer her. Finally, he spoke. "We are born with horns of white, and as we age, they turn to purest ivory. When we have lived long enough, dispensing the truth, seeing the pain, they turn black. I am very old." She felt the crushing weight of his sorrow, and looked away, struggling to breathe evenly.

Wendell touched her arm. "We must know," he said.

Melissa nodded, staring at her feet. "You're right." She forced herself to look into Inesh's eyes. What horrors has he known? she wondered. "Tell us."

Inesh sighed, stamping his forefoot three times. "These truths I will tell. My words are light in the darkness of ignorance. This is what you must know:

"Teresa. Soul Ravager wants the mirror to get at Wendell. Soul Ravager wants Wendell to get revenge. She is the woman Melissa's grandfather once loved." Melissa frowned and looked at Terry, in time to see her face go completely white.

"Terry? What does he mean? What's--"

"Melissa." The horn point swung to face her, and she felt pierced by it, her heart filled with dread. Whatever he was about to say, she was certain she didn't want to know. "To kill Soul Ravager, you must return home. Your answer lies in your past. Teresa knows who you really are."

"What?" She choked on the disbelief, facing Terry. "What is he talking about?"

"No," the older woman moaned. "Please, don't do this."

Inesh stamped his foot and the ground shook. "You are not who you think, Melissa Dukavski. You are the grandchild of the man who loved the mermaid. You are from the Nine Kingdoms."