Stardust

Going back in time, the star reaches the mountain pass, worried about the hungry, overworked unicorn. The star used to think the world looked nice—now, she hates it. Finally, she sees an inn ahead and hears the rain telling her to be careful. The unicorn refuses to approach, but a kind voice (Morwanneg) invites the star inside. Frightened, the unicorn follows Morwanneg into the stable, where Billy helps the star down and carries her into the inn. Morwanneg helps the star out of her wet clothes and draws her a hot bath. Surprisingly, the bath is pleasant. Morwanneg returns and asks how the star’s heart feels. Though the question is odd, the star answers truthfully that she’s happier now. Morwanneg touches the star’s chest and remarks on her “good strong heart.” 

The star is thrilled: people here are good. A while later, Morwanneg helps the star out of her bath, noting the topaz stone set in silver around the star’s waist. She helps the star to the table, which is set with a cleaver and a knife at the head. Just then, someone outside shouts for service. Morwanneg observes that the star isn’t going to leave any time soon with her broken leg. The star just thanks her for her hospitality.

Tristran is elated to see the inn. He unhitches the horses and settles them in the stables, where a white horse sleeps in the far stall. He can tell the star is nearby, and comforted by that thought, he offers to groom the horses. A girl brings him some wine a while later and sets it down on a box. The white horse begins to kick its stall, and Tristran says calming things to it as he decides what to say to the star. Just then, the white horse—the unicorn—breaks out of the stall and sticks its horn into the wine. The wine bubbles, and Tristran remembers how, in fairy tales, unicorns can identify poison. Panicked, Tristran pulls out the tree’s leaf and listens closely.

Inside, Morwanneg offers Primus wine, which he refuses. He asks her to send wine to the stable for Tristran and asks about accommodations. Then, he turns to the star and hears a commotion in the stables. He stares at the star and then says that she has the Power of Stormhold, the topaz stone. She tells him to ask for it so she can get rid of it, but Morwanneg scolds him. As Primus notices the knives and recognizes what they are, Tristran bursts in and says they tried to poison him. Morwanneg slits Primus’s throat. Morwanneg sends Billy and the maid to tackle Tristran, but the unicorn bursts into the inn and kills them both. Tristran crawls toward the fire, shaping the remainder of his candle in his hand.

The star crawls to join Tristran as the unicorn stabs Morwanneg in the shoulder. But before it can throw her down and stomp on her, Morwanneg stabs it in the eye, killing it. Morwanneg notices Tristran and the star by the fire and staggers toward them, muttering that the scared star’s heart will work fine. Tristran and the star stand, Tristran tells the star to walk, and he puts his hand in the fire. The candle lights and they walk forward, underground, through a desert, and finally onto a cloud.