Gift of the Unicorn

2. The Wolf’s Cave

Randel heard the door fling open, but he — she? Was she really a woman now? — had closed his eyes and started flailing around. He could feel people grab him and hold him down, but didn’t give up. If it took all his might, Randel would wake up from this nightmare.

Eventually he… she gave up and started to cry. Someone let go of her and Randel curled up into a ball. After a moment, she started to sob.

Randel’s breath caught in her throat, and she looked up to see two people. One was a woman with big owl eyes and blemished skin that he recognized as Aldith, the local witch. The other was a large man with a crooked nose and a curly brown beard: the village chief Hann. Randel gulped, then sat up, clutching the blanket to cover her bare chest.

“Is he okay?” Hann asked.

“I can check,” Aldith replied.

She brought up her hands and let them hover over Randel, then seemed to slide into a trance as she began muttering.

Someone new asked, “Is he awake?”

Randel groaned. Morris and several other guys, along with Rohesia, were standing in the doorway and watching her. Even the witch’s freckle-covered assistant was there. They could all see Randel, and she was ashamed to be seen in this state.

“How do you feel, Randel?” Hann asked.

“A little sick,” Randel admitted.

“Aldith is going to fix you real quick.”

“Thank you… father,” she muttered.

Before the conversation could continue, Aldith shook her head and opened her big eyes again.

“He’s physically stable, just ill,” Aldith declared, “His body must have been weakened by the transformation. He’ll be okay once the fever works its way out of his system.”

“Can’t you make medicine to help him?” Hann demanded.

Aldith nodded, stopping to think for a moment.

“I should have something by tomorrow,” she decided, “Stace and I will need to collect fresh ingredients.”

“Make sure you have it by then,” Hann told her. Then turning to Randel he said, “You’ll stay here until you’re better and back to normal.”

Randel just nodded, afraid to speak up against her father.

“So he… she’s… they’re going to be okay, right?” Rohesia asked.

“Certainly,” Aldith assured them.

Randel could see her friends physically relax. Aldith gestured for Stace to follow her and they left together. Some of the guys also left, but Morris and Rohesia stayed behind.

“Don’t worry, Randel,” Morris said, “The witch is a little crazy, but she knows her stuff and she’s going to get you back to normal quickly.”

“Trust me, we’ll miss you,” Rohesia said, “Our hunts aren’t going to be nearly as successful without you. I need you, kid.”

Hann waved them away, and the two slipped out, leaving Randel alone with her father. He started talking to her, but Randel’s eyes were heavy. She felt like the world was spinning. Aldith had been right: she was still pretty sick.

“Can I have a shirt?” she murmured.

Her father answered, but Randel had already closed her eyes. She grunted in reply and fell back against the straw pillow. In a moment, she was unconscious again.

By the next day, Randel felt well enough to get out to bed and walk around the room, bracing herself against the table to help her stand up. She was wearing a plain cotton shirt with her loose-fitting pants now, and in the mirror she looked like a child wearing clothes that were too big for her. Randel didn’t want to leave her room out of fear of running into her father again. But eventually her growling stomach convinced Randel to step out into the hallway and head to the kitchen.

The cook was already there, slaving over the hot stove, but promised to prepare her something real quick and bid her to sit down. There was a small wooden table in the kitchen that the staff usually ate at, and Randel had often eaten with them growing up. The rest of the room was awash with the smell of dried herbs and cooking meat that must have soaked into the woodwork of the room over time.

“Thank you,” she muttered to the cook when he placed her food down in front of her.

It was just soup, but the meal gave Randel a lot of strength. And she’d need that, too. She was only halfway through the meal when Hann entered the kitchen and started talking to the cook. Even though Hann normally ate in his private dining room, he sat down with a plate of venison across from Randel.

Hann looked like a wolf. It wasn’t just the hair. At every moment, he was intimidating, almost predatory. Randel couldn’t bring herself to look at him most of the time. Talking to him was simply impossible. How could you really be on equal terms with somebody as domineering as Hann?

“You need to get back to bed when you’re done,” he growled.

“I’d like to get some fresh air,” Randel whispered.

“It’s not safe for you to go outside until Aldith can fix whatever is wrong with you. You’ll understand once your fever breaks and you can think clearly again.”

Randel nodded, and chanced a glance up at her father. Hann was starting right at her. His brow was furled, and it was clear that he was having a difficult time accepting what was right in front of him. It was hard for Randel too, and the feeling of being caged didn’t help.

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“You’ll get through this,” Hann insisted, “And then you’ll be back on the path you were walking.”

She kept nodding. It was easier to just agree. Hann didn’t need to know that she had no idea what it was she was supposed to be chasing after. It would just disappoint him. Worse, it might make him upset.

“I think I’m full,” Randel said, pushing the bowl away from her, “Do you want this?”

Hann watched her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

Randel continued, “I’m going back to bed.”

“Good. Get some sleep. You shouldn’t be walking around until you’re better.”

“Alright, father.”

When she got to her room, Randel considered latching the door like she used to do growing up. But if she got real sick again, nobody would be able to get in to help her. She’d have to leave it unlocked.

Randel curled up in bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. Then she started to cry. Why was she such a coward? All she had to do was look him in the eye and speak firmly. What was wrong with her?

Her sleep was restless, and Randel couldn’t stop tossing and turning. Sometimes she’d wake up, but her fever was so bad that she could barely see. At one point, Randel thought she saw her father standing over her and let out a terrified squeak.

Eventually, she found rest. When Randel properly awoke again, she was covered in sweat. Her breathing was labored. She was hungry again. After another short meal, the cook brought her back to her room so she could return to bed. Randel was grateful for the help.

Finally, Aldith returned.

“Drink this,” she said, bringing a potion to Randel’s lips.

Randel drank greedily, downing the whole potion in just a few gulps.

“You should start to feel better by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, owl lady,” Randel muttered.

When she realized what she’d said, Randel felt her face burn. But she could swear that she heard Aldith chuckle a little bit. Aldith laid Randel down and pulled the blankets over her so she could finish sleeping.

When Randel stirred again, she was alone, but there were noises nearby. She didn’t feel any better. Not much time must have passed. Randel strained her ears, trying to pick up the muffled sounds from the other room.

“I need answers, witch!”

That would be her father.

“I’ve tried to explain to you, Hann, understanding magic takes time. Stace has gathered the story from Randel’s colleagues, and I’m fairly confident I know what happened. But I still need to consult some old references to be certain. Surely some patience is worth being certain that your child will be okay?”

“He’ll be okay when you have a solution to how he looks. Remember that you swore an oath to serve this village. You had better be able to live up to the promises you made.”

“Hann, I have been serving this village for most of my life. I’ve never been known to disappoint.”

“See to it that you don’t start.”

Randel felt her face burning again. Why couldn’t she be like that? Aldith had no problem standing up to Hann no matter how aggressive he got with her. How did someone get that kind of confidence?

At that point, the door opened and the freckled woman entered.

“Hello, Randel. My name is Stace. I’m Aldith’s assistant.”

Randel grunted weakly in reply. Stace pulled up a wooden stool and sat down next to Randel’s bed. For a moment, they just stared at each other.

“You’re going to be okay,” Stace said, “Aldith knows what she’s doing, and you’ll be back to your normal self in no time.”

“I hope so,” Randel mumbled, “No offense, but I’m not cut out for being a woman.”

“No offense taken. It’s not for everybody. Hopefully your fever will break by tonight or tomorrow. Do you feel any better?”

“Just a little,” Randel admitted, “Thank you. That really does help. I’m glad at least one person cares about me.”

“I’m sure your friends care about you very deeply,” Stace said, standing up, “I need to go, but I’ll be back tomorrow. We should know for certain what’s going on by then.”

Randel tried to smile, but only ended up yawning.

The sound of the door opening again woke Randel from her restless sleep. There was a window in the room, and when Randel woke up it was clearly getting close to dusk. She yawned and pulled herself into a sitting position to see who had come.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Morris asked softly.

It was almost comical watching such a large guy like Morris try to sit down on the small wooden stool. Once he finally got himself balanced, Morris flashed Randel a small smile. It made her feel warmer than she already was.

“I feel a lot better now, thank you,” she replied, “The fever is almost gone.”

“And do they know why you’re all… woman?” Morris asked.

“Not yet. But I’ve got my suspicions,” Randel admitted, “It can’t be a coincidence that I encountered a unicorn the exact same day.”

“It would be the weirdest coincidence,” Morris agreed, “But then, this whole situation is weird.”

Randel frowned and bowed her head.

“Hey, no! That’s not what I meant.” Morris placed one of his large, rough hands on Randel’s shoulder. “No matter how weird this situation gets, I’m going to be here for you. We’re best friends, right?”

Randel really hoped that she was already red from the fever, because she was blushing hard now.

“Thank you,” she said again, “This is weird for me too.”

“It would be weird for anybody.”

“I’m so glad I have you.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Randel.”

Morris liked women, didn’t he? Randel had always assumed so, based on the things he said. Did he think she was attractive like this? Not that it mattered: she couldn’t stay like this. But in another life, could they have actually been together?

“Morris, I… do you…?” She sighed. “Thank you, for everything. I feel so lucky to have a friend like you.”

“Glad to be appreciated,” Morris said, finally removing his hand from her shoulder, “When you get back, you’re going to have to make up for being gone. I can’t do all your hunting in addition to my own, you know.”

“Sorry. I guess as far as plans to get out of work go, this one got a little out of hand.”

“Just a little.”

Both of them started laughing. The new laugh was so foreign in Randel’s ears, and it highlighted just how different she really was. She frowned and curled up a little.

“I can’t wait to get back to being myself,” she muttered.

“We’re every bit as impatient,” Morris joked, pushing her lightly.

Randel couldn’t help but grin.

Morris continued, “Um… it’s getting late.”

“You have to go…”

“Sorry about that.” Morris shrugged, “I need to sleep.”

“Please come back,” Randel begged, “I can’t bear the thought of being stuck here alone.”

“I promise I’ll be back. If I don’t make it back in time, tell me what the witch says is wrong with you.”

“Oh, I don’t know if anyone can figure out what’s wrong with me,” Randel replied, sticking her tongue out, “But I’m sure she’ll know why I transformed.”

Morris laughed and hauled himself off of the little stool.

“I’ll see you later,” he said.

Randel stayed in her bedroom for the rest of the night and next day. Her fever had finally broken, but she was afraid to step out and get something to eat in case she ran into her father again.

When Aldith returned, she brought a large book and her freckle-covered assistant with her. Morris had also showed up; he was grinning, but fidgeting nervously. Hann also squeezed into the room to watch what happened, which made Randel’s heart sink.

“Alright,” Aldith said, flipping through pages until she landed on one in particular, “This is actually fairly simple, though a bit obscure. I’d never heard of this actually happening, but knowing that a unicorn was involved did help narrow things down quite a bit.”

“Get to the point,” Hann growled.

“According to the grimoire, unicorn blood contains magical properties that aren’t fully understood. But since unicorns are symbols of femininity and fertility, it’s not unheard of for unicorn blood to magically transform someone to embody those traits. Women and men alike become more feminine, fertile, a little younger in some cases. Randel looks a little younger than he did, in fact.”

“How do we fix it?” Hann asked brusquely.

“I don’t know yet.”

Hann snorted.

“The important thing is that there is no danger to the town. Stace, can I speak to you outside for a moment?”

Stace nodded and the two left Randel alone with his father and Morris.

“Well, at least now I know for sure,” Randel muttered, feeling herself tear up, “But what am I supposed to do now? She doesn’t know how to fix me…”

“Randel,” Morris said, kneeling down beside the bed, “She’ll figure it out. The witch is smart, I promise. You’ll get through this. We all believe that.”

Randel’s heart fluttered a little bit, and she nodded.

“Thank you. That really does help.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Then a loud shout from the other room caught their attention.

“No way! I’m not going to become a pariah for him!”

The arguing continued, but in hushed tones so that nobody in the room could make out what they were saying.

“Guess they don’t get along as well as we do,” Morris said quietly.

Randel giggled, but caught sight of her father glaring at her and stopped.

After another minute, Aldith and her assistant returned. Stace looked annoyed and refused to look at anyone else in the room. Aldith also looked a little upset, but composed herself quickly.

Addressing Randel, she said, “You need to get out of bed and back to your normal life. Since you’re unused to going through life as a woman, Stace has agreed to escort you around town for a week or so until you’ve adjusted.”

“I really don’t—”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Hann insisted, cutting Randel off.

“He can’t stay in here forever, and it might take a week or two to figure out how to return him to his old form.”

Hann snorted and folded his arms, but said no more.

Aldith turned to Randel again and asked, “Is this acceptable to you?”

“I guess…” Randel squirmed a little. “I’d definitely appreciate the help.”

Eventually, everyone left and Randel was alone again. It was kind of a relief. It sucked that she was still going to have to stay in the Grand Hall for the next few weeks. She certainly couldn’t go back to her bunkhouse where all the other guys were. Sleeping soundly in a room full of guys while she looked like this would be awkward.

Randel was trying to cope with the thought of living with her father again when she heard a knock on the door. She pushed her tousled brown hair out of her eyes and sat up straight. Her visitor turned out to be Rohesia.

“Hello Randel,” she said quietly, “How do you feel?”

“A lot better,” she admitted, “Not used to being a woman, yet, but apparently I’ll have time to adjust before I can be turned back.”

Rohesia nodded, forcing herself to smile. She sat down on the small wooden stool and said, “Just don’t get soft on me, okay?”

“No danger of that happening, Ro.”

But she looked down at her hands. They were soft. Randel had lost all the callouses she used to have. It was like she was fresh and new.

Rohesia continued, “Since you don’t know how long it will take to return you to normal, how about I give you some extra training in the mornings? You’ll need to get used to how differently your body moves now. Maybe we’ll even get you back into the forest before you actually get back to normal.”

“That would be great,” Randel agreed, “It would give me something to do, at least. And a reason to get away from my father now that I’m stuck here.”

“Stuck here?” Rohesia asked, “Why don’t you come stay with me?”

Randel blinked.

“With you?” she asked.

“Yeah. I live alone. We can set up a small bed for you in the front room. I wouldn’t mind and you’d be close.”

Randel could feel herself tearing up.

“I… thank you. Thank you so much.”

Rohesia smiled awkwardly.

“No crying, okay?” she said.

“Right. Sorry. I’ll keep it under control, I promise.”

Rohesia chuckled.

“You’re stronger than you realize, Randel,” she said, “I believe that you have what it takes to get through this, as strange as the situation is. And once you’re back to normal, we can start talking about you taking over leadership of the squad.”

Randel beamed.

“Are you serious?” she asked, sitting up straighter, “Do you really mean that?”

“You have the most potential out of anyone on that squad,” Rohesia insisted, “And you know how to be a leader. All you need is a chance to prove yourself. If not for this, I was about to offer you the chance to lead the squad for this week to see how well you did.”

“Thank you!” Randel cried, closing her eyes to quell the tears, “This means so much to me, Ro.”

“You need something to do with your life,” she replied, “Unless you’ve reconsidered taking your father’s mantle when he gives it up?”

“Hell no!” Randel cried, then winced, “Sorry. It’s just… you know how I feel about the idea of leading the entire town. A squad of hunters: that’s more appropriate for someone like me.”

Rohesia chuckled.

“You seem like you know what you want after all,” she mused, then stood up, “I hope to see you moved in by tonight. We can start practicing tomorrow.”