B – Blood

If you are just starting to read this, you might first want to go back to the beginning of this story – A – The Adventure Begins. https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4967

At the beginning of this story, seven folktale characters looking for an adventure are directed to find a unicorn. Their first stop was to ask a lion for help. He agrees.

(Part 2 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

B – Blood

Finding a unicorn is not a simple task. The lion, having encountered only one before, is leading our troupe of seven to the last place that he had encountered it. 

“How is it that you know where this unicorn is?” asked Jack.

“The lion stopped, turned toward Jack, and said, “I was hungry and thought I saw a horse. It had its head down grazing. I was about to leap upon it to have my dinner when it picked up its head and turned towards me. I realized immediately that this was no horse but a unicorn. I know enough about unicorns to know that they are endangered and magical, so I decided it would be better not to harm it.”

“Did you befriend it?” asked the little Billy Goat Gruff.

“Let’s just say, we agreed to co-exist,” replied the lion, “I don’t make friends with other species.”

The lion turned and continued to lead them forward. He was following a certain path through the woods when he suddenly veered off the path into an unknown, to our travelers, section of the forest. There was no clear path. It was covered with all sorts of fallen trees and brambles. 

They hadn’t gotten very far when the lion stopped. He looked around, then at the ground, then lifted his head and let out a terrifying roar. Everyone quickly backstepped and crouched down. 

Looking down at the ground where she crouched, Gretel noticed some golden mane hair and what appeared to be blood. 

The lion roared once more. There was no response.

The Teeny-tiny woman whispered to Pinocchio, “Something has happened to the unicorn.”

The Big Billy Goat Gruff stepped boldly up to the lion and asked, “What has happened here?”

The lion, seeking some composure, turned to all and said, “Someone has forcefully taken the unicorn away. For what purpose, I do not know. Your task has ended, as there is no trail to follow. I can be of no help, so I shall go back to my lair.”

This time, it was Jack who spoke up. “You can’t let that unicorn be taken. You, yourself, said it was both magical and endangered. Would you want someone to give up on you if you were in that position? Would you want to be extinguished, and there be no more lions left alive? We trusted you to help us find a unicorn. We hold you to that trust. You will take us to it. There are eight of us, together we can figure this all out.”

Just then, Pinocchio stepped forward. He looked the lion straight in the eye and said, “You are not afraid. You are a leader. So lead and stop pretending.” 

The lion was about to refute what Pinocchio had asserted when he noticed that Pinocchio’s nose began to grow again. The lion thought what Pinocchio said must be true. He took a deep breath and let out another roar. This one was much bolder than the other two roars. 

No one backed up and crouched this time. This time, they all stood firm, with determined looks on their faces. 

With the lion in the lead, they followed the train of blood and went deeper into the woods, in the hopes that the unicorn was still alive and that they, together, could rescue it. 

To be Continued in:  C – Catch Me If You Can