Lex had been traveling with Aydin for nearly a fortnight when they came to the dense cluster of trees and he told her they must dismount their horses and continue on foot. The trees were tall and old, with moss and vines encasing their trunks. Under their shady branches the bright morning light turned into a perpetual twilight, bustling with bird calls and rustling undergrowth. 

“So we’re on foot from here,” Lex asked as she tightened the straps on her pack and slung it over her shoulders. 

Aydin nodded soberly, his usual chipper sarcasm gone. “This is a sacred place.” 

After assuring her that the horses would find their way home, he took her by the hand and led her into the woods. They followed a game trail, faintly visible in the dim light and the abundant growth. Their progress was slow as they stopped to watch a number of forest dwellers who came across their path. 

Squirrels the size of house cats chittered at them while their fluffy tails twitched in excitement. Birds danced in the branches while badgers and hedgehogs peeked out from under bushes and logs. In the early afternoon a spotted doe and her fawn stepped onto the path and swiveled large ears in their direction, stopping long enough for a ray of sunshine to shine down on them picturesquely before trotting off again into the trees. 

Lex awed at each animal they came across, and asked Aydin questions about the creatures and the forest in a low voice to avoid startling this quiet place. He matched her tone as he told her this particular wood belonged to a trio of sisters, nymphs born of the spring that filled a great pool at the center of the wood. Nymphs, he explained, were born with guardians who took on the form of an animal who protected the nymph and her surrounding area. The three sisters of this wood, Hyacinth, Aster, and Hosta, had fierce guardians who only let pilgrims pass through the woods if they were reverent and paid homage to the nymphs. 

“And what does one pay as homage to a nymph?” 

Aydin winked and gave her hand a light squeeze. As the evening set in and the sun dimmed, the forest darkened. On the path ahead, Aydin pointed out a white-gold light beginning to glow. As it grew, a form began to take shape and Lex’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the tapering spiral of the horn and the shimmering curtain of a mane on the towering equine.

The unicorn intercepted them, and Lex stood agape at the massive horse who moved through the woods without disturbing so much as a leaf or a blade of grass. 

The impish smile returned to Aydin’s face when he saw her reaction. He reached out to the unicorn and gave him a solid pat on the neck. “Good to see you again, Fledge.” Fledge tossed his head and let out a low snort as Aydin gestured towards his companion, “This is my friend, Lex.”