arrows protruding from his hide. The unicorn was prone in the trail and Jenneva knelt beside him. Tanya soon knelt alongside Jenneva and drew her knife. As Tanya worked to cut the arrows from the flesh, Jenneva magically calmed the unicorn and placed herbs in his mouth.
"Does Alex feel like you do?" Tanya asked softly. "Does he think I love him?"
Jenneva chuckled softly and smiled, "Alex does not know what to make of you. It took several years for Alex to realize that I loved him when everyone else already knew. While Alex is perceptive in many areas, love is not one of them. He sees your actions and emotions as irrational and illogical. The way you act confuses him."
Tanya placed her hand over the wounds one at a time and invoked a spell that would speed the healing of the scarred flesh. She looked up as she heard Arik and Tedi approaching. She watched as the boys got closer. Tedi walked with a boastful swagger while Arik strode confidently, observing everything around him. She tried to overlay the image of Alex in the approaching group and came up with the vision of a stride that was wary, hiding his tenseness under the façade of a calm carefree posture. She suddenly realized that much could be learned about a person by simple observation and vowed to begin a study of people and their emotions. She would also accept Jenneva's suggestion to hide her emotions. Whatever her feelings were for other people, Tanya had to learn to hide them.
"It is going to be quite a task to burn all of these goblin bodies," Tedi stated as they stopped next to Jenneva.
"Talk to Larastrides, Arik," suggested Jenneva. "Perhaps the unicorns can help transport the bodies to the clearing before Tice. We certainly do not want to attract predators closer to the garrison. The bodies must be disposed of."
"Are there many dead and wounded among the unicorns?" questioned Tanya.
"Much less than we expected," answered Arik. "The unicorns have proven to be deadly warriors. The goblins never really had a chance. I think we can bind groups of goblin bodies together, and the unicorns can pull them into the clearing."
"It would take days to gather the wood for such large fires," complained Tedi. "Can't we just let them rot?"
"Who knows what diseases we might allow to spread," frowned Jenneva. "Just heap the bodies into large piles in the clearing. We will create magical fires to consume them."
Tanya rose and proceeded to the next wounded unicorn and Jenneva followed. Arik and Tedi searched for Larastrides and managed to help organize the unicorns into teams for dragging the goblin bodies to the clearing. The task of transporting the bodies lasted throughout the day and the sun was setting when Jenneva started igniting the fires. The men from Tice helped to collect the goblins and managed to strip the bodies of anything useable. As the western sky glowed orange with the setting sun, the Alcea Rangers gathered around the campfire on the edge of the clearing.
"I am exhausted," sighed Tedi. "It was more work to take care of the bodies than it was to kill them."
"Be glad you are around to complain about the task," instructed Alex. "It could easily have gone the other way if the goblins had detected what we were doing."
"The people of Tice sure were happy," commented Arik. "They opened their homes to us, so we could clean up after the battle. Do you think the goblins will attack again?"
"Hard to tell," puzzled Alex. "I suspect that they expected to wipe Tice off the map with this attack. Their losses were enormous and the few who escaped may not be believed when they try to explain how they lost. The Tice garrison will have to remain vigilant."
"I will ask Larastrides to maintain contact with the garrison," suggested Arik. "If the goblins threaten Tice again, they will know to contact the unicorns."
"A good idea," nodded Jenneva, "but they will not have the magical diversion next time."
"What about our use of magic?" questioned Tanya. "Won't it alert
"Does Alex feel like you do?" Tanya asked softly. "Does he think I love him?"
Jenneva chuckled softly and smiled, "Alex does not know what to make of you. It took several years for Alex to realize that I loved him when everyone else already knew. While Alex is perceptive in many areas, love is not one of them. He sees your actions and emotions as irrational and illogical. The way you act confuses him."
Tanya placed her hand over the wounds one at a time and invoked a spell that would speed the healing of the scarred flesh. She looked up as she heard Arik and Tedi approaching. She watched as the boys got closer. Tedi walked with a boastful swagger while Arik strode confidently, observing everything around him. She tried to overlay the image of Alex in the approaching group and came up with the vision of a stride that was wary, hiding his tenseness under the façade of a calm carefree posture. She suddenly realized that much could be learned about a person by simple observation and vowed to begin a study of people and their emotions. She would also accept Jenneva's suggestion to hide her emotions. Whatever her feelings were for other people, Tanya had to learn to hide them.
"It is going to be quite a task to burn all of these goblin bodies," Tedi stated as they stopped next to Jenneva.
"Talk to Larastrides, Arik," suggested Jenneva. "Perhaps the unicorns can help transport the bodies to the clearing before Tice. We certainly do not want to attract predators closer to the garrison. The bodies must be disposed of."
"Are there many dead and wounded among the unicorns?" questioned Tanya.
"Much less than we expected," answered Arik. "The unicorns have proven to be deadly warriors. The goblins never really had a chance. I think we can bind groups of goblin bodies together, and the unicorns can pull them into the clearing."
"It would take days to gather the wood for such large fires," complained Tedi. "Can't we just let them rot?"
"Who knows what diseases we might allow to spread," frowned Jenneva. "Just heap the bodies into large piles in the clearing. We will create magical fires to consume them."
Tanya rose and proceeded to the next wounded unicorn and Jenneva followed. Arik and Tedi searched for Larastrides and managed to help organize the unicorns into teams for dragging the goblin bodies to the clearing. The task of transporting the bodies lasted throughout the day and the sun was setting when Jenneva started igniting the fires. The men from Tice helped to collect the goblins and managed to strip the bodies of anything useable. As the western sky glowed orange with the setting sun, the Alcea Rangers gathered around the campfire on the edge of the clearing.
"I am exhausted," sighed Tedi. "It was more work to take care of the bodies than it was to kill them."
"Be glad you are around to complain about the task," instructed Alex. "It could easily have gone the other way if the goblins had detected what we were doing."
"The people of Tice sure were happy," commented Arik. "They opened their homes to us, so we could clean up after the battle. Do you think the goblins will attack again?"
"Hard to tell," puzzled Alex. "I suspect that they expected to wipe Tice off the map with this attack. Their losses were enormous and the few who escaped may not be believed when they try to explain how they lost. The Tice garrison will have to remain vigilant."
"I will ask Larastrides to maintain contact with the garrison," suggested Arik. "If the goblins threaten Tice again, they will know to contact the unicorns."
"A good idea," nodded Jenneva, "but they will not have the magical diversion next time."
"What about our use of magic?" questioned Tanya. "Won't it alert
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