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Angelina followed Warbel through the forest. At first, the path was easy; wide and level, with few turns to make the going difficult.
But soon enough the trail rose, trending uphill, and the land grew rocky, the vegetation sparse. Warbel perched in a tall oak on a riverbank. “Better drink here. It will be your last chance for a while.”
She took the bird’s advice and drank deeply. “Now what?”
Warbel ruffled her wings. “Now we cross.”
Angelina looked at the water. The river was thirty yards across here. Some of it looked calm enough, but there were also wide swathes of swift current and bubbling white water curling around jagged rocks and fallen logs. Pretty to picnic beside, but not a swimmer’s paradise.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish I was, but the closest bridges are three days' travel in either direction,” Warbel said. “Ogres guard both of them, which I don’t think you’re ready for. Here, the river is shallow most of the way. Follow my directions and you won’t even have to swim.”
The unicorn stared doubtfully at the river. None of it looked shallow. The calm parts looked deep enough to swallow her whole, and the frothy bits looked violent enough to beat her to death against the rocks. There had to be a better way across.
“I can run pretty fast. Maybe one of the bridges would be easier?”
“You’ve forgotten the ogres. I heard that unicorn steak is a favorite of theirs. But sure, we can try to get past them if you want.”
“I thought ogres could only hunt during the night. All the stories say they turn to stone if they let sunlight hit them,” Angelina said.
“It’s trolls you’re thinking of. Ogres do fine in the sun, though I’ll admit, they like the dark better for hunting. That much is true.”
“Oh.” Angelina didn’t know what to say to that. Fighting an ogre did not seem to be a good way to spend an afternoon, though, so she took Warbel’s advice. “All right. We’ll cross here then, if you think that’s best.”
“Wise choice. Now listen, I know the way across, but rivers are changeable, so watch your step as you follow. It shouldn’t get much more than chest deep, but you never know.”
Angelina’s belly tightened with nerves. “Are you sure about this?” she asked.
“Not really, but we don’t have many other options.” Warbel flitted out over the water. With a few wingbeats, he was across the river and back again. “It looks the same. Follow me.”
Angelina stepped into the river and sucked in a shocked breath as the icy water curled around her fetlocks. But Warbel was right, it wasn’t deep. The unicorn moved out with more confidence, place her hooves carefully as the little stones on the river bottom tended to roll under them.
“Easy does it. I know it’s cold, but take your time.” Warbel flitted overhead, looped back and zoomed close to the surface, checking the depth as best she could, and leading Angelina around darker patches that hinted at deeper water.
“Screeee.” The call echoed through the trees, bouncing off the water to shiver its way along Angelina’s spine.
A flash of brown feathers tore through the air, sending Warbel tumbling toward the river.
“Warbel!” Angelina cried. Surging through the water, she reached the stunned little bird before she could sink. The girl inside the unicorn had never wished more for hands. She dipped into the frigid water, putting her shoulder under the wren and raising up to lift her out. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“Hawk,” Warbel sputtered. “Leave me. He’ll be back.”
Indignant, Angelina stomped her hoof, though the effect was ruined since it was under water, dampening both the view and the sound. “I will not leave you!”
“Screee!” the hawk screamed again. Angelina looked up to see it circling for another attack.
“Quick, climb into my mane. I’ll make a run for it.”
“You can’t. There are three pits ahead. Fall into one and you’ll probably drown.”
“I won’t. Mom taught us all to swim when we were tiny. I’ll be fine. Now, hold on.”
“This isn’t the local public pool!” Warbel protested, but she was already winding herself up in Angelina’s mane, her tiny claws clinging to the long, damp strands.
Angelina struck out as fast as her hooves could wade. The hawk screeched overhead, and the unicorn glanced up. A loose stone turned under her hoof, and she stumbled sideways toward dark water.
“That’s too deep, Angelina! Go the other way!” Warbel cried. But it was too late. The loose riverbed slipped out from under her churning hooves and Angelina slid toward the deep water.
Scrambling, Angelina regained her balance, but now the water was up to her neck. “Warbel, are you all right?”
A choking cough rasped in her right ear. “Dandy. I told you there were pits ahead.”
“One down, two to go.” Angelina tried to joke, but her heart was beating fast. That had been close.
“Tell you what,” Warbel said. “I’ll watch out for the hawk; you watch out for the pits.”
“Deal,” Angelina said, and slogged toward the shallower water. Overhead, the hawk screamed again, but the unicorn kept her eyes on the water, carefully avoiding the next pit of deep water.
“We’re almost there, Warbel.” Angelina heard the hawk and risked a quick look up. It was diving!
She ran, veering right to avoid the final pit, her hooves splashing through the shallow water. Huge wings beat against her neck, and she heard Warbel’s shrill cry next to her ear. Angelina spun around, smacking the hawk with her neck and sending it tumbling through the air.
The water under her hooves was only an inch deep now. She pawed it angrily, raking the pebbles into straight rows. “Leave my friend alone,” she warned.
The hawk righted itself, flapping to gain height and then plunged toward her, its talons reaching for Warbel.
Angelina lowered her horn, and the hawk back flapped, veering off at the last second. He landed on a nearby branch to glare at them.
“I said, leave her alone.” Angelina stood tall and proud, her horn glinting in the sun.
The hawk preened his feathers, glancing at Angelina and Warbel every few seconds. Angelina guessed it was to see if they were still watching him. Finally, he launched himself out of the tree and flew away, but Angelina didn’t trust him not to come back.
“Stay where you are for a while, Warbel,” she said. “I don’t want you to be that hawk’s lunch.”
“Not something I was looking forward to either,” Warbel replied, and perched on top of Angelina’s head, right next to her horn.
After that, the trail twisted like the back of a snake, splitting around boulders and threading along narrow ledges that circled the face of the mountain. Once, it dropped off a sheer cliff face, and they had to backtrack, taking the steeper path they’d decided against before because it looked too difficult. No matter what, the path always trended upward.
Warbel was so light that carrying her was like carrying air, and Angelina didn’t mind. But the path was long and treacherous. Several times, Angelina scraped her legs on boulders and cracked her hooves against rocks. By the time they reached a cave near the top of the mountain, both she and Warbel were exhausted. But the air was cool and the sky a deep, cobalt blue. Stars shone down, coating everything in their benevolent silver light.
“Is this where the berries grow?” Angelina asked.
“No. The Great Tree grows at the very top of the mountain, and there’s one other thing the list doesn’t mention,” Warbel said.
Something in the wren’s tone sent a shiver rushing along Angelina’s spine. “What?” she asked softly.
“The tree grows in the garden of the Eagle Queen. You’ll have to get past her to gather the berries. And she doesn’t like visitors.”
Angelina sighed. “Fantastic.”
