The sun had just started to peek over the horizon, sending its light and warmth to slowly creep over the large forest. Pre-dawn dew gradually dissolved into a wispy blanket of mist, carried through the shadowy woodland on a light breeze. An eerie silence pervaded the air, broken only by the heavy trotting of a pair of men on horseback.
The younger of the two glanced around nervously, a chill running down his spine in spite of the warm weather. “This place is giving me the creeps,” he muttered, pulling his jacket tighter around his shoulders.
His companion looked over with a bushy eyebrow raised, “Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little fog, Alec.”
“I never said that,” the young man snapped, his dark brown eyes narrowing at the other man. “It’s just… You’ve heard the stories, Joseph. What the other hunters are saying.”
Joseph rolled his eyes, “You actually believe that superstitious nonsense? A demon in the woods? A ghost lady that lures men to their deaths? Give me a break. It’s all a bunch of hogwash, and you know it.”
“All right! Doesn’t mean it’s not creepy,” Alec remarked, jumping when a rabbit suddenly darted out from a nearby bush and raced off through the mist.
The older man laughed, turning his horse when they reached a wide river and following it upstream. “You’re such a coward. I mean, we’ve been hunting dozens of times. How is this any different?”
“We’ve only hunted deer and bears, for one thing. For another, something just doesn’t feel right about this place,” he responded, making sure his crossbow was within easy reach.
“Just remember why we’re here,” Joseph said, digging into one of the saddlebags and producing a silver, cone-shaped object. He held it up right in front of Alec’s face. “See this? This horn sells for two hundred gold coins in the market. A stallion’s horn will get twice that. Not to mention, the hair sells for fifteen coins an ounce, and their tails alone give at least a pound.”
Alec sighed heavily as he stared at the object in the other man’s hand, watching as it glittered slightly even in the dim lighting. “I get the idea.”
The other man smirked and tucked the horn away again. “Good, now stay quiet. We’re going to be rich by the end of the month,” he said, a greedy smile spreading over his face.
Still feeling uneasy, Alec remained quiet as they continued to travel through the silent forest. An hour passed before they finally saw a break in the trees. Several yards away, the woods gave way to a large meadow where the river opened into a pond, fed by a tall, narrow waterfall at the far end.
Gathered close to the water was a herd of at least two dozen unicorns of all different colors.
Joseph grinned and dismounted before tying his horse’s reins to a nearby tree branch. “All right, just move slowly and stay quiet.”
Alec nodded, unloading his crossbow and putting the strap around his shoulder before testing the sights.
The older man did the same, grabbing his quiver with extra bolts inside. “Let’s go,” he said, starting toward the tree line at a slow pace, making as little noise as possible. The younger man followed and once they reached the edge of the trees, they crouched down behind some thick shrubs.
They peered cautiously over the bush, watching the herd just a few yards away. Most of the animals were mares, but two or three were stallions, their larger, golden horns clearly distinguishable from the females’ silver ones.
“Good thing the wind is coming from the east, they don’t even know we’re here,” Alec whispered excitedly, his initial wariness all but forgotten.
YOU ARE READING
The Unicorn Guardian
FantasyWhen unicorns are being hunted down and slaughtered for their horns and hair, a spirit takes it upon herself to protect them by becoming one of them.
