supplies. The price hurts, but it’ll be worth it. Besides,
240
Alan Dean Foster
Brungunt here said the girl had to act voluntarily or the
magic wouldn’t work.”
“That’s so,” the wolf agreed, nodding. “It is so told.”
“So it’s better all around this way,” Hathcar finished.
Silky stood waiting, counting away the minutes to allow
the unicorn’s friends time to ready their surprise. Then she
strolled out into the small clearing in front of the broken
old building. She was wearing her best dress. It clung to
her budding figure as she moved. Her mother had spent
fifteen minutes combing out the long auburn hair to make
certain her daughter looked her best. The old wolf had
insisted on it.
Two gold pieces. That would buy a lot of things for the
family, including candy. She determined to do exactly as
the cuscus ordered, even if he’d been lying to her about
the surprise he was planning. After all, the horned one was
nothing to her.
Still, she was trembling slightly at the prospect of
actually meeting a unicorn as she stepped out into the
silvery moonlight. There were many stories told about the
shy, solitary four-legs. They kept to themselves in the deep
forest, shunning civilization and intelligent company.
The ancient stones before her were silent. Should she
cry out? If she did, what could she say? “Here, unicorn”?
There was no one to advise her, since Hathcar had joined
the rest of his friends far back in the trees, out of sight and
scent. The old wolf had assured her she had only to
approach the ruins and the unicorn would come to her.