Unicorns and Griffins
Chenny and her new merman had to dive below the surface as the griffins attacked, they were vulnerable to their attack themselves, and exposed in the open water, and Chenny’s song did not work against non human creatures, but he had taken Uni as close to the door as she could.
Jola, caught in the open had to change back to unicorn form to defend herself and Uni. She warned the children to wait under the cover of the trees until they got a clear chance to run for the safety of the still open door, and then suddenly the trees themselves began to attack the griffons, branches whipped and stung until the griffins flew away in distaste.
Then Jola was amazed as from each tree stepped a woman, or at least they looked like women, their skin was bark, their hair was fine twigs, and their clothes were leaves from the trees they lived in, but it was their voices that really made her eyes open, they were as soft as Uni’s, but they sounded like a breeze blowing through the leaves, and when they came together, they sang, in a harmony that made her cry, it was so beautiful that even Chenny lifted herself from the water to listen, and clap wildly when they had finished.
Chenny spoke to Jola, “They are tree wives, dryads, they need your help, and in return they will help Uni.”
“What can they offer?” She asked Chenny with so much hope, love and need in her voice, that a tear rolled down Chenny’s cheek, “and what do they ask for it?”
Chenny’s voice, although normally smooth and beautiful, sounded broken and raspy with the emotions running through her as she said, “Dryads are the greatest natural healers the world has known, they are reputed to be better healers than the unicorns once were using magic, with herbs and plants. In return they ask only manure, as unicorn manure is the greatest known fertilizer, and it will cure the ills of their beloved trees.”
Jola agreed in an instant, called her children to her and explained what they needed to do so the dryads would save Uni’s life. The children agreed immediately and left piles of manure around the roots of the trees, and then, when no one was looking, Jola left her own donation.
All of the dryads were so excited by the amount and quality of their gift, that while some went on a search for necessary medical plants, the others all began to sing, with even Chenny adding her own beautiful voice to theirs, and, even surprising to Chenny, so did her merman add his deep and wonderful voice to theirs.
One dryad left the group and looked at Sheen’s deformed leg, she said something to Chenny , and Chenny explained that this dryad thought she could straighten the twisted bones, but she was not sure.
Jola was so excited, even Uni could not cure a birth deformity, and she could almost feel his excitement when she told him what the dryad might be able to do.
One by one the dryads arrived back, their arms filled with rare herbs and leaves, all of them, except the one who had looked at Sheen, began work on the terrible wound in Uni’s stomach, and the last worked on Sheen’s leg, she wrapped leaves around it, wet them, and then going to her tree, she cut deep into its trunk, collecting each drop of the sap, but the tears were rolling down her face afterwards, obviously this had been a very painful for her to do.
She carefully poured the sap over the leaves on Sheen’s leg, and asking the merman for help to help with the now softened bones, she had him pull hard, until the bones were once again straight, then she told Sheen to sit still until the bones had hardened again.
Under the trees work continued on Uni, Jola watched with worry in her eyes as they packed leaves and ointments against his devastated body, while all the time Uni lay unconscious.
It was there that the griffons again attacked, Chenny and the merman disappeared under the water, the trees started to shake, as if in anger, the dryad who had helped Sheen stood in front of him with her arms out wide, Jola knew it was an attempt to save her patient, so did Sheen, he stood to his feet, and charged the swooping griffon, his horn was too small to gore, but Uni had taught him to head butt, he put his head down and ran as fast as he could, while the griffon was watching the dryad it intended to attack, and when he hit, the shock threw him off his feet, and knocked the griffon from the sky.
Jola was fighting the other griffon, its lion rear end attempting to claw her with its claws, it’s eagle head and talons tried to claw and bite her, its great eagle wings tried to buffet her from her feet, but she held strong, and suddenly rearing she kicked with her forefeet killing it, amidst a flurry of feathers and fur.
They stayed with Chenny and the dryads for many days until Uni was fit to stand, during that time the dryads had made her a new dress from leaves, she thought it was so very beautiful, Chenny and the children began to sing together at night, and firm friendships were made, that would last a lifetime.
When Uni was able to stand he left a pile a manure as high as a man beside the tree that had given its sap for Sheen. He kissed Chenny and hugged her for a whole minute, and with tears, they all went home once more, to a quiet and lonely house.
