The Unicorn Hunter (18 page)

‘What about those two?' said Aengus Óg, pointing at Roisin and Danny, his dark eyes hooded. ‘No one needs them, do they? They don't seem to be worth arguing about.'

Maddy looked quickly at her cousins and their pale and frightened faces. ‘I do,' she said. ‘I need them.'

‘Why?' asked the Summer King, his voice casual as he dropped his reins and pulled a wicked-looking dagger from his tunic. He began to clean his nails with its tip. ‘I think they would make magnificent hunting. It's been a while since we hunted mortals.'

The other Tuatha laughed at this, their voices sweet and fragile in the cool air. They looked at Danny and Roisin with that hungry expression Maddy was beginning to dread.

‘Because she's the brains and he's the brawn,' she said. It was the only reason she could think of under this much pressure. ‘I'm not going anywhere without them,' she added.

‘Another condition?' asked Meabh. ‘Doesn't your little brain overheat thinking them all up?' She looked Roisin and Danny up and down. ‘Will you be very upset if we kill them?'

‘YES!' they all three shouted at the same time.

‘It seems this little pup is hard to control already,' said Sorcha, a ghost of a smile hovering about her lips.

Meabh frowned at her and then looked down at Maddy. ‘Take them then. They will pass through with you unharmed by any faerie, you have my word.' She clicked her fingers at her escort. ‘Horses!'

Three of Meabh's Tuatha dismounted and led their white horses over to the children. Their saddles and bridles were simply leather, but they were beautifully engraved with Celtic patterns.

‘You also have an escort of your own, to see you safely to the lands of the Coranied,' said Meabh. ‘Volunteers, no less.'

Maddy peered through the legs of her enormous white horse and saw a familiar figure gliding through the Tuatha – a huge black wolf.

‘Fenris!' she squealed. She dropped the reins and dodged around the horse's legs to fling herself at him, George barking excitedly as he bounced in her wake, but she stopped short as the wolf sat down and puffed up his chest.

‘Please don't hug me,' said Fenris. ‘I'm not a dog.'

‘I don't mind getting those hugs,' said a silvery grey wolf as it padded toward her. His eyes sparkled with mischief and his tongue lolled over his teeth in a way that made it look as if he could be laughing.

‘Nero!' cried Maddy, flinging her arms around his thick ruff and hugging him hard. George jumped up
and down on the spot, trying to lick and bite Nero's jaw at the same time. The wolf watched him for a moment and then put one huge paw over the little terrier's head and pinned him to the ground.

‘He's very sweet, but it is
so
annoying when he does that,' he said to no one in particular.

‘Hello, Nero,' said Danny a little warily. He had met Nero once before and it hadn't gone well.

‘Hello, pup,' said Nero cheerfully. ‘Did I leave any scars?'

‘I've got a couple,' said Danny.

‘That makes us friends then,' said Nero, wagging his tail. ‘I've a couple from stopping you getting your head ripped off.'

Danny grinned.

‘Hello, Fenris,' said Roisin. ‘Where is Nitaina?'

‘At the den, with our pups and the rest of the pack,' said Fenris. ‘This isn't the kind of hunt I would want my young ones at.'

‘And is it OK if you come with us?' said Maddy with a sidelong glance at Liadan. Technically the wolf pack were allies of the Winter Court and they had been promised dire punishment for helping Maddy the last time she had gone through the mound. But Liadan gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

‘They are free to go with you and protect my interests,'
she said, although Maddy noticed that both Fenris and Nero went stiff at the sound of her voice and did not look at the Winter Queen. ‘But there is another who would also go with you, with my blessing.'

Maddy watched in horror as the Winter Queen's escort parted to let Fachtna through. The dark faerie strode forward to stand beside her queen.

She looked at Liadan in disbelief. ‘Do I really need to have this conversation again?' she asked. ‘I'm not going anywhere with her. I'll be dead before we're out of sight.'

Liadan hissed with rage. ‘You have accused me, Feral Child, of one of the worst crimes known to our kind – namely, raising my hand against a unicorn. My captain and the wolves go with you to make sure that not only do you complete the task entrusted to you but you do not try, in any way, to implicate me in this crime or falsify evidence against me. Fachtna is my witness.'

‘I wouldn't do something like that!' said Maddy.

‘Your hatred for our kind is overwhelming,' said Liadan, fidgeting with her reins as her mount began to sidle and dance on its clawed feet, the creature unnerved by her anger. ‘It leaks from every pore in you; I can taste it in my mouth. I would be a fool to take the word of a filthy, lying mortal.' She looked at the
other monarchs. ‘I
demand
that my captain accompany her!'

‘Finn mac Cumhaill will not be tempted out of the Shadowlands so she must go to him. It's a dangerous journey and she needs a champion,' said Niamh.

‘For once, Aengus, your charming wife is right,' said Meabh.

‘We're not going with
her
!' said Danny.

‘Well, unless any of my fellow monarchs can spare a warrior or two …' Meabh trailed off into silence.

‘Out of the question,' said Nuada. ‘I need all my warriors about me in such uncertain times.'

‘As do we,' said Aengus Óg. ‘This mortal could fail miserably and then the rest of her kind will be upon us as soon as the barrier between their world and ours is gone.'

‘Alas,' said Meabh, smiling down at Maddy like a cat that has just swallowed a whole mouse, still wriggling, ‘I too need all the able-bodied faeries in my court by my side. In such troubled times it is wise to conserve your strength.'

Maddy ground her teeth in frustration. She knew exactly what was going on. The Tuatha monarchs were hedging their bets, waiting to see if she failed. Anything could happen over the next couple of days and they were arming their war bands, testing their strength and
looking to see if they could make a grab for power. Even when faced with an annihilating war, they still could not see further than their own ambitions and petty squabbles.

‘You are fortunate that the Winter Queen can spare her captain,' said Meabh. Liadan inclined her head graciously, her cold-blasted eyes giving nothing away. Fachtna bared her filed teeth at Maddy in a parody of a smile.

‘Yeah, right.' Maddy snorted.

‘You do not understand, you rude, wilful mortal,' snapped Sorcha. ‘You are a subject of the Autumn Court. The four courts are at peace, and for Fachtna to harm you in any way would be an act of war.' Sorcha threw a look at Meabh. ‘Honestly, how can you deal with such treacherous creatures? Every word from her lips is an insult.'

‘She has to promise not to hurt me or my cousins,' said Maddy. ‘She has to promise not to touch us or do anything that could result in us being harmed by another. She has to protect us, all of us – Fenris, Nero and George as well – as if we were her own.'

Aengus Óg raised a black eyebrow. ‘Quite hysterical, isn't it? I cannot believe this is the new Hound.'

Meabh sighed. ‘Swear it, Fachtna, or we will be here all day.'

Fachtna looked at Liadan, who gave a slight nod. She looked at Meabh, put a hand on her heart and bowed. ‘I so swear, Fachtna of the Winter Court, not to harm the mortal of the Autumn Court or her kin while on this hunt.'

‘I'd feel better if she had stopped at “kin”,' said Roisin.

‘Come, child, don't be greedy,' said Meabh. ‘I really do think it's the best you can ask for, considering the history between you. Besides, it will be good for you to get to know each other. You have so much in common.'

‘What's that supposed to mean?' demanded Maddy.

Meabh just smiled her slow, irritating smile. ‘It's not really my place to say. Perhaps Fachtna will tell you herself one day.'

Maddy looked at Fachtna and waited for her to say something, but the dark faerie just looked back at her, her face as still as stone. ‘Fine. But if she's coming with us then I want a sword.'

‘A sword?' asked Meabh.

‘A big one, same as hers,' said Maddy, pointing at the long blade that hung against Fachtna's thigh.

The Tuatha laughed but Meabh snapped her fingers and another warrior stepped forward to unbuckle his weapon.

‘Do you even know how to use one?' asked Nuada.

‘Yeah, you stick the pointy end in the bad guy,' said Maddy. She tried to buckle the belt around her waist but even on the last hole it still fell around her skinny hips. Maddy blushed and ignored the mocking laughter of the faeries as she tied the leather belt in a big knot around her stomach. The sword was heavy and she felt as if she was leaning to one side. It also smacked awkwardly against her leg when she took a couple of steps toward her horse.

‘Um, I'm not much of a rider,' said Danny. ‘Can't we just walk?'

‘Time is short and you will never keep up with Fachtna if you walk,' said Meabh. ‘Besides, these are faerie horses. They can see in your mind where you want to go and they will take you there. They never drop their riders.'

Unless someone asks them to
, thought Maddy. She looked up the vertical sides of her horse. Even the stirrup seemed like a long, long way away. ‘How are we supposed to get on them?' she asked.

‘Give me strength,' muttered Meabh as the other Tuatha sniggered. She snapped her fingers again and the warrior who had given Maddy his sword stepped forward, lifted the saddle flap and unbuckled the stirrup leather, lengthening it until the stirrup hung somewhere around her thigh rather than dangling above her
head. Maddy put her foot in it and gripped the leather, climbing hand over hand until she could reach the saddle with her fingers and then pull herself up until her stomach was flat on the seat of the saddle. She clenched her teeth and groaned as her bruised ribs grated, but managed to swing her leg over and sit upright, sweating from the pain while her stomach muscles cramped. The Tuatha shortened the stirrup leather again so she could reach the stirrup from the saddle. Horse-mad Roisin had already climbed aboard and was grinning from ear to ear at the chance to ride, while Danny was already beginning to look travel-sick. Maddy looked down. The ground was a long, long way away. George looked up at her and whined.

‘Do me a favour,' she said to the Tuatha. ‘Hand him up to the other girl.'

The Tuatha looked down at George, distaste curdling his expression. ‘Can he not run alongside you?'

‘His legs are about six inches long so I think he'll have trouble keeping up, don't you?' said Maddy.

‘Just do as she says,' snapped Sorcha. ‘She probably won't go anywhere without
him
either and time is wasting.'

Maddy wasn't impressed at the way the Tuatha picked George up by the scuff of the neck and held him at arm's length like he had the plague, but the little terrier didn't
seem to care. He wagged his tail so hard it was a blur as he was passed into Roisin's arms and she kissed him on the top of his head and zipped him into her jacket.

Meabh turned Embarr closer to Maddy's mount and passed something over to her. ‘For Bran,' she said. ‘So she can pick up the scent.'

Maddy looked down at her hand to see a small piece of the unicorn mare's mane glittering in her palm.

‘For you,' said Meabh, pressing a walnut into her hand.

‘I don't really like nuts,' said Maddy.

Meabh rolled her eyes. ‘It's not for eating, you stupid girl. Crack it open when the time comes and you will find a net inside, a soul catcher. My storm hags have worked with me for days and nights weaving spells into the net that will trap the split soul and keep it in the form it has chosen to take. You didn't think you would catch it by throwing a rope around its neck, did you?'

Maddy had not thought that far ahead but she didn't want to embarrass herself by saying so.

‘There is no more time to waste,' warned Meabh. ‘Ride as hard as you can for the Shadowlands and find mac Cumhaill. For all we know the split soul is already tracking the unicorn mare, and we need Bran on the hunter's trail if we want to have a hope of avoiding an eternal winter and the end of days. Remember the
consequences for faerie and mortal alike if you fail. Remember your loved ones are depending on you, even if they do not know it.'

With those grim words, Meabh pulled Embarr's head about and galloped across the meadow to her pavilion, her fellow monarchs and their escorts cantering in her wake, their banners fluttering in the evening sunshine.

Maddy had no idea who the faerie horses were getting their instructions from, but they took off after Fachtna, who was no more than a blur in front of them. Maddy stood up in the stirrups to avoid the feeling of being smacked on the bum with the saddle as her horse galloped along and twined her fingers in its thick blond mane. She clutched the reins in one hand but didn't bother getting a tight grip – she doubted the horse would obey her, no matter how hard she pulled on them.

The wind roared past her ears, making her eyes tear, and the only sound she could distinguish over it was the beat of the horse's hoofs, a sound that reverberated through her body. It was cold and lonely, crouched on the horse's back with the wind whipping away every word that left her lips before it could reach the ears of Danny and Roisin. Maddy sincerely hoped they were
not going to gallop the whole way, because her body was already aching with the strain of keeping her balance.

Even so, they could not have been riding long when Danny started to pull up his horse. The animal shook its head and fidgeted at the bit as it fought to keep up with its stable mates. The determination of the whole ride began to break up as Danny's horse communicated its distress to the others and Maddy felt her own horse falter beneath her and saw Fenris and Nero's smooth bounding strides begin to break and become uncertain as they looked back at the struggling horses.