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Theron heard the unicorn chuckle, but as she glanced back at Arril, her chuckle fell flat. You must leave this place. Head south until you are out on the plains. If you try to pass through the mountains you will most likely perish, and you will certainly lengthen your journey.

With that she trotted away.

Theron did not see her again until after he and Draco had had an argument about the unicorn. Arril didn't seem to like the idea of following any strange beast even though Theron had a lot of questions to ask her. It seemed like a lost cause to argue about any way, until Theron was out collecting dead branches for firewood by himself.

She was suddenly there again when he looked up. I have been watching you, she said warmly. I know that you have many questions for me. Your companion knows nothing of this place. You are not brothers, you are not even friends. Leave him.

(lol hopefully that is acceptable. let me know if it is not since I auto'd both characters)

( xd well, it's your character! But we needed some excuse to separate them)

If it didn't look magical enough before, now she seemed to glow with pleasure. I can show you the destruction a dragon can leave. It is not far from here. Would you like that? she asked sweetly once he had fallen in step with her. She was careful to walk through the wider spaces of the forest so that they might walk side by side. Words mean little by themselves, after all.

(yeah, I know what you mean, and he's pretty clueless as to what's about to happen too)

My name is Emerith, she replied in a motherly voice. Stay close to me now, for there may be hungry beasts. Once Theron was standing by her neck, she started off deeper into the woods and towards the peaks of the mountains (west). Because Theron was slower than her, there was plenty of time to lay out for him what he was about to see.

Not even a week ago, there was a peaceful mining operation up in these mountains. Of course it was not perfect. Nothing that humans build is perfect. She paused, gathering in his reaction while hoping for blind acceptance. But the slaves were fed well and the women helped keep the wild animals away. Then one day a dragon came in human form, and she spoke to the slaves that lived the furtherest away from their masters. She put a rebellious spark into them, a spark of murder that did not discriminate between adults and helpless children. They designed to attack their masters, and on the day of the surprise attack, more of the dragon kind were there.

Here she paused again to turn to him with sad eyes. The rebellious slaves thought that the dragons were there to help them. But the dragons were on nobodies' side, and slaughtered both men and women alike. If it were not for my kind, none would have survived.

Emerith had told the story slowly, so that by the time she got to the end, Theron could smell decay up ahead. The unicorn stopped walking. We could not bury the dead because we had the survivors to take care of. Are you sure that you want to see?

They can be good when they want to be, she answered darkly, when it gets them something. But when they destroy... They do their best to leave nothing. If it had not been for my people, every one would have died.

Emerith turned slowly until she was facing Theron. For a creature with four legs, this was not a simple task in the middle of a wood. If you do not need to see it with your own eyes, I will not push you to. Things cannot be unseen, and there is work to do any way. I will show you the survivors, and I will ask you for a favor.

Walk with me, you poor thing, she cooed as she led him away. You see, we have a few survivors, but they are all so young. They can't stay here with us. We were trying to figure out how to get them back to their own people, and then you came along. Do you think you could take them back to Feretris?

The oldest is ten, she chided, and they are all in quite a shock from what they have seen. Twelve years makes you a man, and word of this event must reach Feretris, for they know not the danger that they are in.

She turned her head to get a better view of him. Do not think that I send you back into slavery. We will send you with a charm. When your task is done, you can live with us, or go wherever else you wish.

We'll give you a charm, she repeated. It works to protect you, to calm the emotions of others, without them even realizing it. Have some imagination, boy. You can go back as a foreigner, or a high-ranking slave that needs to return to his compound once your mission is complete. You know the capital city, so we need your help returning these children to their kin, and bringing this news to your politicians.