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Carefully, so as not to frighten it, I approached it. A soft whinny gave off an unfamiliar warmth in my now chilled body. I got so close to it that the breath from its nostrils tickled my skin.
Slowly, I stretched out my hand. A smile that reflected the happiness inside me appeared on my face. Honest and pure joy. A feeling that had been forgotten and whose rediscovery made my heart beat faster.
I gently placed my hand on its soft muzzle, which pressed into the palm of my hand. I took this as an invitation to cuddle it, so I buried one hand in its flowing mane while the other repeatedly caressed its nostrils.
"You like that, don't you, beautiful?" I whispered, almost bursting with bliss. The unicorn closed its eyes briefly, clearly enjoying the moment. Then it nudged my hand one last time with its snout before stepping back.
Its gaze slid over my face and lingered on my injured cheek. The wound was throbbing, and I knew there was bound to be an infection. So much mud and dirt couldn't have been good.
A light flowed through the horn, making it glow and sparkle. My mouth opened in amazement, but I couldn't say a word. It was so magical, so beautiful.
Suddenly, the animal stepped towards me and stretched its horn towards my face. I remained motionless on the spot, staring wide-eyed and struck dumb at the glowing tip that was inexorably approaching me. Before I could react in any way, it was already on the wound on my cheek. The glow intensified while a pleasant tingling sensation wetted my skin. All too quickly, the unicorn retreated again, leaving me with a loneliness I had always ignored.
I ran a fingertip over the area where the horn had touched. The wound had disappeared, and soft, smooth skin was the only thing I could feel.
"Thank you," I stammered in surprise, but the animal had already turned towards Hecate and placed its horn on the middle of her upper body, just below her breastbone.
Once again, a glow lit up our small circle. Like a flash of lightning, this glow ran through the goddess's entire body until she shone in unison with the horn.
Hecate's eyelids fluttered, and before the unicorn retreated, she opened her silver eyes. She took a deep breath, almost as if she had been struggling for air the whole time.
Freed from my torpor, I rushed towards her and helped her to sit up. She looked at me in astonishment.
"You're alive?" she asked with doubt in her voice.
"We're alive," I replied, grinning. "But come on now. We have to get to the beach quickly before those monsters return," I reminded her of the lurking danger.
She rose with a groan and swayed as soon as she stood on her feet. For the first time since I had known her, her feet touched the ground as she slowly put one foot in front of the other.
Hesitantly, I stepped closer and held out my hand to her. Although her pride forbade her from accepting my support as we walked, we had no other choice.
An inner conflict flared up in her silver irises as she looked at my outstretched hand. There was too much at stake to let pride prevail over reason now.
Apparently, Hecate came to the same conclusion. Clenching her jaw, she grabbed my hand, and before she could change her mind, I shoved my shoulder under her arm so she could brace herself.
"We have to go that way." With her free hand, she pointed in the direction from which the unicorn had come a few minutes ago. The animal walked elegantly beside me and observed its surroundings. Hecate also looked over at the magical creature.
"Unicorns rarely come to anyone's aid," she explained, looking up into the sky.
"Glauxa asked the beings of this world to save us, but even she never expected a unicorn to provide it."
"Glauxa? Is that your owl?" I asked in surprise and pulled her further in the direction she had pointed. To my relief, both animals followed us.
"Yes, she is one of my soul pets," she replied thoughtfully.
"Is she dead too? Is it just her soul that we can see?" I wanted to know.
"Glauxa is neither dead nor really alive. She is connected to my soul. She is not made of flesh and blood, but her physical appearance is still lifelike." She looked at me with a smile. "I once saved her life. Out of gratitude, she bound her soul to me. She is a very clever creature. She has been with me ever since and never leaves my side."
In amazement, I looked up at the sky, where the large animal was circling directly above us. "Then why have I been able to see it now?"
"As a soul animal, she can merge with me. We become one."
A noise from the bushes to my right interrupted our conversation, and the unicorn nudged me lightly with its soft snout, urging me to keep going. We increased our pace, and I could feel Hecate getting steadier on her feet by the minute. Fortunately, she quickly regained her strength because she had to create a portal for us.
"Do you think you can form a portal on the beach?" I asked.
"Yes, I'll be fit again by then." Nervously, she looked around. "We need to speed up. They're coming."
