Page 96 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
And with his last breath he drew mana and cast
A curse, on King Simon’s line.
Oh the moon shone that night
On the streets and the sight
Of the people who had read the signs.
But the prophecy swore
Of a future that bore
A curse on King Simon’s line
A curse on King Simon’s line.
CHAPTER 58
Donna’s Relationship Drama
Brownie
A gentle breeze played a stray curl across her cheek that tickled her nose. Brownie stretched, arms above her head, and sat up from her nap.
Rufus was deep in thought, his tail curled, his eyes scanning the distance.
Donna had wandered off into the trees, as she was wont to do.
“Thank you for keeping watch,” Brownie told the beastman.
“Anytime.” He turned to her with a strained smile, but then his ear twitched. Rufus’s eyes looked over her shoulder. “But don’t thank me just yet.”
A flash of white and a rustle in the bushes, and then a majestic unicorn stood with them in the field. If he, for Brownie immediately recognized this particular specimen of equine beauty, had traveled with the herd seen earlier, they were nowhere to be seen now.
“Brightstar.”
The white unicorn was recognizable by the golden star on his forehead below his shimmering golden horn and his singular golden sock on the front right leg. He dipped his head. She sensed in the same way she knew what Donna meant that he was greeting her. There was no way that she alone could outrun Brightstar, so she sent a silent apology to her bond before waving him forward.
“It is good to see you again.” Brownie extended her hand, and Brightstar butted against it with his head.
Rufus remained sitting. “Well met, Brightstar, heir to Goldenhoof.”
The unicorn rubbed his head against Brownie’s hand for a second longer before pulling away slightly to acknowledge the commander general. Then Brightstar stamped the ground once and eyed her questioningly.
“Donna isn’t here right now,” she let him know, at the same time sending a message about what was happening down her link to the mare.
Brightstar’s ears drooped. The unicorn swept his eyes across the meadow and peered into the tree line, but there was neither hide nor hair of Donna. He sighed, lowering himself to his knees and resting his head in the minstrel’s lap.
Brownie began administering pets.
Rufus raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him. Unicorn pets were almost as lovely as squishing his paw beanies—and she rarely got to hold Rufus’s hand long enough to satisfy her urges. With Brightstar, she could pet his coat as much as she wanted and bask in the rejuvenating aura of his magic. Brownie could feel the weariness of travel ebb away. Her right shoe stopped pinching, and her lower back twinge abated, and her dry lips softened.
She sighed with contentment, lavishing the unicorn with head scritches until her legs started to lose feeling.
Rufus just stared at Brightstar with a frown. Maybe he wasn’t a unicorn person.
Eventually, Brownie had to be the bearer of bad news, and save her legs. “Listen, Brightstar … I don’t think Donna is coming back, especially if she finds out you’re here. She wanted space, and she just isn’t ready to see you right now.”
