کندرا

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kendra

Dolores McTagerty lived in ‘The Blackhouse’, where the sea crashed and the seagulls flew. It was a wild place. No one went there, not even the fishermen.

Uncle Fraser wanted to come with us, but we were determined to do this alone. He drove us to the grassy path which led to her croft.

‘Take her some raspberry jam,’ said uncle Fraser. ‘Tell her it’s from me.’

Ben and I followed the path to her gate, but when we knocked on the front door, no one answered.

‘Let’s go round to the back’ I said. Ben wasn’t so sure.

‘She may cast a spell,’ he said, but he came with me.

The back of the house was beautiful. There was some grass, then black rocks and then the white sandy beach.

An old lady stood by the rocks, a shawl about her head. She was surrounded by animals. Red rowan deer ate bread from her hands, birds flew near her and seal pups sat on the rocks calling to her with their husky voices. Near the grass, I saw puffins chattering to each other and red squirrels eating nuts.

The old woman spoke to us. ‘Stand quite still. Now move forward slowly.’

We did as she asked.

‘That’s right. Now come here, laddie.’

Ben moved to her right-hand side. She caught a young eagle in her hand and she put it on his arm. The bird looked at him.

‘Talk to him, laddie. Tell him how beautiful he is,’ said Dolores McTagerty.

‘Now you, lassie,’ she said to me. I moved to her left side. ‘You can give the deer some bread.’

The deer were not afraid, because the old woman was there. They took the bread from my hand.

‘That’s all for today,’ Dolores McTagerty said to the animals. The eagle flew into the air, the deer went off across the field and the seals returned to the sea. Mrs McTagerty looked at us.

‘Let’s go in and have a nice cup of hot chocolate.’

‘The Blackhouse’ was dark and oppressive from the outside, but inside it was light and cosy.

‘Mrs McTagerty, here is some raspberry jam for you.’ I said giving her the jar. ‘It’s from my Uncle Fraser.’

Dolores McTagerty thanked me for the jam, but as she took it she looked into my eyes.

‘Oh’ she said. ‘The tea leaves. The tea leaves said a girl will come.’ She took my hand and we sat down.

‘It’s her eyes,’ she said to Ben. ‘This girl’s got magic in her eyes.’

‘Has she’ said Ben. ‘We came to speak to you about the unicorn.’

Dolores McTagerty stared at us. ‘So it’s true,’ she whispered. ‘Kendra, the last unicorn, is back. The seals told me he was here.’

‘Mrs McTagerty,’ I said. ‘The unicorn helped us the other day when the mist came down. It led us back to the house. Uncle Fraser said that you know the legend.’

‘Oh yes, I know the legend. It’s your magic eyes that woke Kendra from his sleep and now he wants to help. The legend says that Kendra will come back, when he is really needed. You need him, lassie, don’t you?’

I nodded. ‘Yes’ I said softly.

‘Touch the unicorn and you can have whatever wish your heart desires.’

Dolores McTagerty took us to the door and she brushed my face with her hand. ‘Go, lassie, and find Kendra.’