Popping a troll nose into my mouth, I exhaled a contented sigh and then made my way to the dock. There, the ships creaked against their moorings in the harbor. Vessels came and went between the islands of our kingdom. While the islands offered plenty of opportunities for trading, what I loved most about our lands were the magical creatures. I seized any excuse to sail away to study them, whether it was the uni-seals of Eld Island or the winged reindeer of Frost Isle.
A familiar warm presence at my side announced Smoke’s arrival. I patted his head. “And what mischief have you been up to?”
He shook himself, his black fur momentarily sparking with embers.
Turning, I spotted a lanky Sylvan elf, his clothing drastically ill-suited for Frostfjord’smildsummer weather. He clutched a scroll in one hand and the bindings on his cloak in the other. He hurried down the boardwalk, his gaze set on the great hall.
“Good sir,” I called out, “welcome to Frostfjord. You are a stranger here, I think.”
The man laughed through chattering teeth. “That obvious? I rarely venture this far north, even in summer, such as I find it here.”
I chuckled, then looked the man over. “You’re a messenger?”
“Yes, I’ve come with a message for King Ramr Runeheart, sent from a village called Moonshine Hollow.”
“As luck would have it, I’m Prince Bjorn. I can deliver your message to my father,” I said, extending my hand to take the scroll, which he passed to me. “Do you have time to join me for a drink?” I offered, gesturing to the nearby alehouse. “Our spiced mead is excellent for warming you from the inside out, and I’d love to hear about your journey.”
“Thank you, but I should go before my ship departs for Greenspire. My sister wishes me home for Midsummer. Many salutations to your father, Prince Bjorn,” he said, then hurried toward his ship.
I’d barely unrolled the scroll and started reading when a familiar voice piped up behind me. “What’s that?” Asa asked.
Pulling the candy from my pocket, I handed her the peppermint bites. “A message from a southern city asking for help with their unicorns. Some odd ailment has affected theirherds,” I said as I scanned the author’s elegant handwriting. Asa read over my shoulder, standing on her tiptoes to see better.
Apparently, the unicorns of Moonshine Hollow had fallen ill, their magic becoming chaotic in ways that had the elders deeply concerned. They’d consulted their local dryad, who had no luck in determining what was wrong. So, they’d turned to us. Rune elves and unicorns had an ancient history together. The unicorn even graced the royal house of Frostfjord’s emblem.
While my family shared a passing interest in the creatures, I was the family unicorn enthusiast. My tutor and my father’s Master of Horse, Keldor Runeson, had indulged my passion, teaching me everything there was to know about them.
I looked down at Smoke, my mind already churning.
“I know that look,” Asa said. “That’s yourI’ve just found an escapelook.”
“Hmm,” I mused.
Asa grinned. “Mother sent me to tell you that she knows you are trying to hide and that it is not becoming of a prince. She also always wants you to speak to Ingri’s father,” she said as she studied my face. “But…but maybe I got sidetracked on the way to find you. I was distracted by a particularly interesting…door knob.” Asa smirked and then handed me the peppermint bites. “You’re going to need these more than me, I think.”
“I just need enough time to pack and leave a note explaining that I’ve gone to Moonshine Hollow on a very princely quest. When they find out I’m gone, maybe you could argue that yourleastfavorite brother needs time away to consider the future. Oh, and suggest that maybe they should absolutelynotsend someone after me.”
“I might be persuaded…for a price.”
“A price? You won’t help just because you love me?”
Asa grinned mischievously at me.
“All right. Name it.”
“A caticorn.”
“A…what?”
“In the Summerlands, they have these adorable little caticorns. They’re nothing like our forest cats, who I’m pretty sure are tiny trolls in disguise. The promise of a cute, fluffy caticorn might help me cope with my least favorite brother’s absenceandconvince me to convince our motherthat you should be left alone. You know I can be very persuasive.”
“Blackmail,” I said with a grin. “But I’ll see to it.” I gave my sister a soft smile. “I feel like I’m drowning, Asa. Ingri… I can’t imagine a more unhappy life. When she looks at me, all she sees are gold coins. I need to get away where I’m not recognized and justbefor a little while.”
“How are you going to pull this off? Everyone’s going to be all ‘Prince Bjorn this’ and ‘my prince’ that.”
I looked down at the letter. “Not if I’m BjornRuneson, Master of Horse. I’ll book passage south on a visiting ship where I’ll go unrecognized. I’ll tell the elders of Moonshine Hollow that I was sent by the king.”
Asa gave me a soft smile and then hugged me tight. “Be careful,” she whispered in my ear.
