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Josalin had much to think about as she drove home. Josalin was mute since birth. She had never been able to talk. Her vocal cords were fine, doctors said, but the connections for speaking in her brain had not developed. She longed to be able to speak. Being mute meant that you had to use sign language to communicate, even though you could understand what everyone was saying. Because of this, it was hard for her to make friends, and a boyfriend was almost out of the question. And the fact that Josalin was approaching 22 made it even worse. This was the age people were supposed to be married by, or at least have a significant other, she thought. All of the girls she had gone to school with were married, or were at least seeing someone. The only person who had taken the time to get to know Josalin, Marissa, was engaged to be married. Josalin sighed at her friend's life. Marissa seemed to have everything. A guy, a good job, a nice car, a lovely house. Josalin was still not sure how Marissa was so successful, while she was not. Josalin had often asked Marissa how she had managed it, and Marissa would always reply, "I'm just blessed."

If Josalin's vocal cords had worked, she would have made a hmph sound, but as it was all that came out was a huff. Josalin sighed and looked out her car window at the stars. If there was a god out there, why had he cursed her by depriving her of something that was almost essential to everyday life. She huffed again and put her eyes back on the road. Just in time to see a metal barrier. The kind that are supposed to keep a car from sliding off the road on a sharp turn on a hill. Of course, that only worked if you were turning, and Josalin was not. She screamed voicelessly as she crashed through the barrier. The impact caused her to slam into the steering column, and everything went black.

Josalin awoke to find herself lying on her back in a grassy field. She stretched lazily, not remembering yet what had happened the night before. When she realized it was grass under her and not a mattress, she sat up fast. She looked around. Her car was totaled. It lay in an almost unrecognizable heap at the bottom of the hill. Josalin blinked. How had she survived?! She could not remember escaping the vehicle before or during the crash. She inspected her body. There was not a scratch, bruise, or bump on her. Her clothes were singed and torn, but the skin underneath was not damaged in any way. Josalin was totally confused. The lacerations and burn marks on her clothes proved that she had indeed been in the car when it crashed, but her body showed no signs of damage. She stood up slowly, worried that she might actually be badly injured and not even know it. She shivered as the wind blew across her exposed skin. Her shirt had remained relatively unscathed, but her shorts were completely shredded. She was surprised they stayed on her slender hips. Then, her surprise turned to annoyance as her shredded shorts slid down her legs and landed in the grass, exposing her to the world. She quickly pulled them back up, and tied two of the shreds together. It was better than walking around half-naked, she thought. She looked up at the sky in frustration, then nearly fell back in amazement. The 'hill' was actually a large valley. She could just barely see the barrier she had crashed through at the top of the very steep incline. She sank to the ground. If anyone found the broken barrier, which she doubted since the road she had been traveling on was very remote, they would assume she was dead.

Which would be okay as long as they called for the police to investigate. But, Josalin knew that the chances of her being found were slim. More than likely whoever saw it would assume that someone else had already called to police and would simply drive by. Then, Josalin's mind came back to the question of how she had survived. There was no way she could be alive. Maybe she had died, she thought, and that was why she was not hurt. Perhaps if she looked inside her car she would find her dead self inside looking out at her. The thought turned Josalin's stomach, but she had to know. She walked slowly toward the car. The smell of gasoline and other car fluids filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes and leaned over what was left of the hood. Then, Josalin heard a loud boom. The world went dark, and pain soared through her body. She had the distinct feeling she was flying through the air, which was confirmed when she crashed back to the earth. Pain racked her body and mind. She could not see, she could not move, and she could not speak. She felt a wet trickle down her forehead and side. As the darkness started to envelope her mind, she paniced, then chuckled in her head.

I survived the crash only to be blown up by the very car I escaped from. she thought. She felt her consciousness slipping away as her lifeblood drained from her body. So, this is how it will end, she thought.

A new pain brought her back to her battered body. A bright light filled her mind. She cried voicelessly in pain as something different from her broken bones brought her agony. Just when she thought she would die of the pain, it stopped, as did all the pain from her injuries. Josalin lied still for a moment, not sure if she was dead or alive. She finally convinced herself to open her eyes. She was amazed at what she saw. A beautiful white horse was standing over her, its head close to her. She scrambled away from it. It looked at her curiously. It started slowly walking toward her. She tried to back up some more, but her back hit a tree. The horse walked right up to her, and bent its head down. That's when she noticed the horn. She had not noticed it before because of its dazzling color. It was so white that she had not noticed it against the bright sun behind the horse.

No, she thought, it's not a horse. It's a unicorn.

That realization brought Josalin unimaginable happiness. Unicorns are creatures of kindness and virtue, and their horns have healing properties. This unicorn must have pulled Josalin from the wreckage of her car the night before and healed her, just as it had only moments ago. Josalin stood up and approached the creature tentatively. It did not shy away or show any signs of fear. Josalin hugged the unicorn around the neck. It seemed to hug her back with its head. Its warmth seemed to calm her troubled mind. She clung to the unicorn's neck for several minutes before she stepped away. She smiled at it, and signed a thank you, even though she knew the creature could not understand her. Then, she turned away from it and started walking. She thought that perhaps if she followed the road then she would find a town sometime. Suddenly, she fell to the ground, a sharp pain in the sole of her foot disabling her. She heard a light gallope, and the unicorn was by her side again. It aimed its horn at her foot. The pain intensified for a second, then was gone. The thorn that had been in her foot fell to the ground. Josalin looked up at the unicorn with her shining green eyes. The unicorn looked down at Josalin, meeting her gaze. The unicorn's eyes were a brilliant gold. Josalin loved them. She realized that she loved this creature. She never wanted it to leave her again. But, she knew that was impossible. Unicorn's were supposed to be mythical, and she would not want to endanger one by taking it to a city anyway. Josalin stood up again. The unicorn continued to stare into her eyes. Josalin almost lept back. Although she had not actually heard a voice, the unicorn had spoken to her. It had not used words or images, Josalin simply knew what it was telling her. It was offering to give her a ride back to human civilization. Josalin wondered if she could communicate with the creature as well. She signed that she would love that, but the unicorn did not seem to understand. Josalin almost jumped again. The unicorn had told her to simply think what she wanted to tell him, and send it. Josalin was not sure she could do that. She thought thank you, a simple message, and tried to 'send' it, even though she had no idea how. The unicorn seemed to smile.

" Message received." it said. Although it was still not using words, Josalin understood the unicorn as if it was speaking english to her.

" Glad to hear..er..know that." she sent back. She could have sworn the unicorn chuckled.

" What is your name?" it asked her.

" I am Josalin." Josalin answered. " And you?"

" I have no name." the unicorn replied. " You may chose one for me, if you wish."

Josalin's smiled and blushed slightly. " I would be honored." she replied.

Josalin thought for a moment, then decided on a name. " I will call you Aura."

The unicorn snorted. " That does not sound like a male name."

Josalin's smile faded. " Oh, you are a male? I thought surely..."

" What?" asked the unicorn.

" Well, that someone as beautiful as you must be a girl."

The unicorn stamped its hoof. " Why? Are the male humans ugly?"

Josalin giggled, or at least did her best to. " No," she replied, " but they don't like to be called beautiful. I just assumed that someone beautiful must be female. I did not mean to be insulting."

" And you were not. But, I find it strange that males of your kind do not want to be beautiful. If they looked as beautiful as you, they would not have any trouble finding a mate."

Josalin blushed deep red. No one had ever told her she was beautiful. They had all been to preoccupied with her inability to speak to say anything about how she looked, she guessed.

" Have I upset you?" the unicorn asked.

" No, it's just that no one, not even a human, has ever called me beautiful. It was unexpected."

" So, your face turning red is a good sign?"

Josalin chuckled. " In this case, it is."

The corners of the unicorn's mouth turned up. He was smiling. " I'm glad to hear that." he said. " I was afraid I had insulted you."

Josalin chuckled again. " No, of course not." She smiled at the unicorn.

A long silence followed. Josalin shuffled nervously. The unicorn studied her intently, increasing her nervousness. Josalin was not sure why she was nervous. Perhaps it was that the unicorn had called her beautiful, or perhaps it was the unicorn's intense look. But Josalin figured it was all that had happened. She had been through quite an ordeal, met a unicorn, and become lost in the wilderness miles away from civilization. She sighed. The unicorn looked at her curiously.

" That sound makes me think something is wrong." the unicorn said.

Josalin smiled weakly. " You're right. We humans do make that sound when there is something wrong."

" What is it?" the unicorn asked.

Josalin sighed again. " It's just..." she started. She did not continue.

" Just what?" the unicorn asked. Josalin looked toward the ground. She did not want to tell this beautiful, kind creature that had shown her so much generosity that she wanted to go back to civilization. She was afraid she might hurt his feelings. She could not risk it. This creature had done so much for her. How could she tell it that she wanted to leave. The unicorn walked closer to her.

" You want to go back to the human-world, don't you?" the unicorn asked.

Josalin's eyes widened, then she turned away from the unicorn.

" It is okay." the unicorn said. " If I were trapped in the city, I would want to return to the wild."

Josalin turned back toward the unicorn, her eyes moist.

" I'm so happy you understand." Josalin said.

" Of course I do." The unicorn turned his head toward the setting sun. " I know what it is like to be alone."

Josalin was surprised by the feelings she had received with that message. She realized that his unicorn was alone in the world. It could have been wandering all alone for years. Her heart went out to the creature.

" How long have you been alone?" she asked.

A dark look came over the unicorn's face. It scared Josalin. She had only seen kindness and happiness in his eyes before this.

" ...to long." the unicorn said. The unicorn told Josalin his story in a matter of seconds. Tears filled Josalin's eyes. It had been so long since this unicorn had seen another of its kind that he had lost count of the years at fifty-seven. Throughout the years it had traveled almost all over the continent. Human barriers were no obstacle for him. With his intelligence and special powers he could pass any fence or wall in his way. Most he could jump over, but some he had to resort to magic to pass over. Any humans that saw him simply dismissed him as another horse, since his horn was shrouded in a magical aura, and was almost clear. A few times humans had tried to catch him, but with his magic and powerful body he easily outran all of them. After a few decades of this, he grew tired of it, and learned to use his powers to shroud his entire body from human site. Any time a natural predator had attacked him, he used only his physical defenses to fight, since no other creature he encountered had the power to kill him. But, this policy had earned him some painful injuries over the years.

One of the most memorable was from a bear attack. The unicorn had been sleeping in a open meadow. He was so sure that he was safe he had neglected to keep his guard up. The bear had snuck up on him and slashed him badly across the side. The unicorn had impaled the bear through the shoulder, then fled. Using his healing powers he had recovered from the injury quickly, as with all injuries he suffered. His longing for companionship had become almost unbearable. It had reached the point that he was contemplating taking his own life. He had been considering how to go about it when Josalin had plummeted down the mountain. Even at the brink of suicide, the unicorn could not control his desire to help. He had used his powers to get Josalin out of the mangled car, then had healed her. He had stayed near her until she had awakened, then had disappeared into the morning sun. He had not gone far when he had heard an explosion. He had rushed toward the sound to find the human he had pulled from the car laying on her back, seared and broken. He had healed her again. She had been frightened and tried to run, but the thorn had stopped her. He had healed her foot, then she had realized what he was.

A single tear fell from Josalin's eyes. " I'm so sorry." she said.

" For what?" the unicorn asked.

" Because you were alone for so long. I'm sorry for you. I wish there was something I could do to help, but I don't think I can."

That's not true, she thought. She knew exactly how she could help. By staying with this unicorn. By keeping him company. She knew that was what he had wanted when he had saved her. He had been hoping that if he saved her she would stay with him forever. Then he would never be alone again. But she also knew he would never ask her that. He cared so much for others that he would sacrifice his own life just to see that Josalin made it home. She knew nothing they would encounter could kill him, but if she went back to civilization, he would once again fall into despair. Josalin sighed, then looked up at the sky. It was getting late. The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon.

" Would you like to stay here for the night, or start walking toward the nearest human buildings?" the unicorn asked.

Josalin thought for a few minutes. " Well," she said, " there is still some daylight. I would like to start walking."

Josalin took a step and jumped in pain. She had stepped on a sharp rock. Although it had not pierced the skin, it still hurt. Josalin rubbed her foot tenderly.

" Perhaps I should carry you." the unicorn offered.

Josalin looked up at him. " That's very kind of you." she said with a smile. He bent down and she climbed on his back. His fur was amazingly soft, and felt wonderful against the bare skin of her legs. The unicorn set off at a trot, and Josalin almost fell off his back. He stopped.

" Are you alright?" he asked.

" Yes," Josalin said, " it's just that I have never ridden a horse...I mean unicorn before. And there are no reigns to hold on to."

" Well," said the unicorn, " you should use your legs to keep yourself from falling by squeezing them together around my stomach. And you can hang onto my mane if you need a hand hold."

A slight frown appeared on Josalin's face. " Won't that hurt?" she asked.

" As long as you do not fall off, you will not hurt me or you." the unicorn replied. " I doubt you have the strength in you legs to cause me any harm, and my mane will grow back if you pull any of it out."

" All the same, I think I will prefer to ride like this." Josalin wrapped her arms around the unicorn's neck and snuggled her face into his mane. She closed her eyes as a fragrance unlike any she had smelled before filled her nostrils. A smile spread across her face.

" Are you ready?" the unicorn asked.

" Yes, let's go."

Josalin opened her eyes and stretched lazily. She glanced around her, finding herself in the middle of a grassy meadow. She stood up, enjoying the feeling of the wind and the grass on her body. The wind caressed her naked flesh. She closed her eyes and just let the feeling it produced fill her mind. It felt so good. She looked around again. She could not see anything more that a few feet away from her. The moon seemed to be concentrating its gentle beams only on her. She looked up at the moon. It's beautiful, she thought. Then, she heard a whinny. She turned in the direction of the sound, smiled mischievously, then turned and sprinted in the other direction. She had run only a few steps when she heard the familiar clopping of hooves. She looked behind her and saw that a shining horn was rapidly catching her. She giggled, then ran faster. She had no sooner turned her head back than she saw the horn shining in front of her. She squeaked in surprised pleasure. She could not stop before she ran right into the unicorn. He nuzzled her back lovingly as she hugged him around the neck. She loved the way his fur felt on her naked body. It was so soft that she just sat there stroking the unicorn's fur and mane. She started at his neck and slowly worked her way all the way to his tail. He whinnied in pleasure at her gentle massage. She loved to massage him. He was so strong, yet completely harmless. She loved the feel of his powerful yet slender muscles.

Suddenly, he turned to where he was once again facing her. He looked into her enchanting brown eyes, then he nuzzled her neck. She closed her eyes, relishing his touch. His muzzle slowly descended, nuzzling as it went. It slowly passed her collar bone, then started to nuzzle her slender breast. A sigh of pleasure and contentment escaped her lips as the unicorn drew her succulent nipple into his mouth. His lips massaged her breast while his tongue worked her nipple until it was as hard as a rock. Josalin heard a voice in her mind, but she could not understand what it was saying, and she did not really care at the moment. The unicorn finished with her breast, and moved to the other, giving it the same tender treatment of the first. Josalin felt herself growing damp, eager for the climax of this painfully pleasurable process.

Once her second breast was in the same state as her first, the unicorn released it. Then, his head sank even lower. She felt his breath on her most intimate regions, and she spread her legs slightly in response. The voice in her head returned, more audible this time, but, in her current state, she still did not understand what it said. Then, her head flew back and she cried out in pleasure as the unicorn's tongue tasted her. He probed deeply into her, and she moaned in pleasure. Then, he withdrew his tongue. The voice in Josalin's head tried again to speak to her, but she had all but silenced it. The unicorn started working on Josalin's swollen clit, his lips and tongue giving it the same sensual treatment that they had given her breasts. Her breathing became a steady cry of pleasure as he suckled on her clit. Wave after wave of pleasure flowed through her body as he continued to work her. She could feel the pleasure building up inside her, threatening to erupt. She continued to moan and cry out in pleasure as he continued his diligent massaging of her swollen clit. She could hardly believe the feelings he could produce in her. He was not even human and he was better than anything she had even imagined. Her legs buckled as she neared climax. She grabbed hold of the unicorn's horn so she could remain standing, but her sudden weight on his head tore him away from her.

Surprised at the sudden disappearance of her pleasure, she let go of his horn and slowly fell to the ground. She landed on her back. In her current state the grass felt like thousands of tiny massagers. She supported herself on her elbows, the immediately fell back to the earth as her unicorn lover resumed his abruptly interrupted suckling. She had lost only a small foothold in the mountain that was her pleasure, and now she resumed her climb to the top. Her breathing again became a steady stream of pleasure-filled moans as she neared her release. The unicorn continued to work her with his tongue and lips. She was about to push toward him when it suddenly seemed like he had tried to inhale her. A massive wave of pleasure racked her already trembling body as her swollen clit was driven against his tongue, and she practically screamed as she exploded in pleasure. Her orgasm lasted for a several moments, so great was her heat. After it had subsided, she felt so good she just lied there in the grass. Then, she noticed her unicorn lover was fully erect. She gasped at the beauty of his member. It was at least a foot long, as big around as her wrist, and was so white she was almost blinded. The voice in her head screamed that this was not right, but she did not hear it. She turned over and stood on her hands and knees, waiting for the glorious rapture that awaited her. Her unicorn lover drew closer, his glowing rod within inches of her waiting hole. The voice in her head screamed again. NO!

Josalin sat straight up. NO! She screamed voicelessly. She looked around. She was clothed, and there was no grassy meadow, only hard ground. There was moonlight, and there was wind. In fact, the wind was rather cold, and she was hardly dressed at all, let alone for cool weather. She looked behind her and saw the sleeping form of the unicorn. She let out a sigh of combined relief and disappointment. It had all been a dream. But, it had seemed so real. She found herself wondering whether he was really as big as in her dream. She blinked, then looked down, shaking her head. She could not think like that about an animal!

...could she? She was glad that it had been a dream. The thought of being...taken advantage of by a horse...

She corrected herself. This was a unicorn. He was at least as intelligent as she was, if not more, and he was kind, considerate and eager to help her in any way he could. She smiled. It was not so terrible to think about being intimate with him, she decided, but it was quite impossible. It would greatly complicate things. Right now all that was going to happen was she was going home and he was going back to the wild.

At least that is what she told herself. But, the memory of his story flooded her, and she knew that if he did not gain a true friend and possibly a lover, he would lose his mind and take his life. Josalin looked over at the sleeping form of the unicorn. He was lying on his stomack, his legs folded beneath him and his head curled slightly to his left. She slowly crawled over to him, trying to be as quiet as possible. Which was not very quiet at all. In the silence of the night every twig snapping sounded like gunfire, and the small pebbles she was crawling on sounded like huge boulders falling down a mountain. She wondered how he was still asleep when she reached him. She sat beside him, and slowly reached out her arm. She ran her hand along his neck, his soft fur like a velvet coat. He was so warm, she wished she could wrap herself in him as if he were a blanket. But, as that was not possible, she was content to lie next to him. She snuggled up against his side and closed her eyes. A smile seemed to cross the unicorn's face as he closed his own eyes and they both fell back to sleep.

Josalin opened her eyes slowly. Her unicorn companion was nudging her gently on the shoulder. She looked over at him and smiled.

" Where you cold last night?" he asked.

" Yes." Josalin answered. " How did you know?"

" Other than the fact that you came over and got as close as you could to me, you were making strange noises just before you woke up. I figured-"

He stopped. Josalin turned away from him. He regarded her curiously.

" Your face has turned red again. Is something wrong?" he asked her.

She took a moment to answer. " I...it's nothing, just a bad dream I had. I thought you hadn't heard me since you were asleep."

" There is nothing to be ashamed about. A nightmare is a natural occurrence. Even I have them."

Josalin blushed again. " I...of course." she stammered. " After all, you and I are both intelligent. I guess it is a natural thing to have nightmares."

" Do you want to talk about it?"

Josalin's face turned an even deeper red. " No, I think it would be better for me to keep it to myself." she said.

The unicorn did not seem to like that answer, but he respected her wishes. Josalin breathed a sigh of relief. How could she even begin to tell this unicorn she had had a...a...sex dream about him! Josalin's eyes closed and her head hung. He was probably the purest creature on Earth, and she had had a sex dream about him! She shuddered. She must be one of the sickest people on Earth, she thought. How could she have such thoughts about a unicorn?! She heard footsteps, then felt the unicorn's muzzle under her chin. He lifted her face, and looked into her eyes. She smiled weakly.

" What is it?" he asked.

" Perhaps one day I will tell you," she responded with a sad smile, " but today is not that day."

The unicorn nodded slowly. " I understand. Perhaps we should continue toward your city. What was it called again?"

" How would that help?" she asked. " Do you know the names of human cities?"

" I am familiar with some. And I read the man-made trees that you humans place on the paths and before your cities."

" You can read?!"

" Yes." the unicorn said. " A very long time ago, a human was my friend. With his guidance, I learned to read the symbols you humans use in your writing. I was fascinate by your ability to make thoughts appear in a tangible form. I wanted to learn, but I did not have your fingers. I was able to scratch out barely legible messages in the dirt with my hooves, but never was I able to make the beautiful writings you humans make on that white material you call paper. And on paper, you can make your thoughts and theories available to all, rather than just those you meet as you travel."

Josalin smiled. " You're right. Books are amazing. They can take you to places you have never been and may never go."

" Books?" the unicorn asked.

" Yes." Josalin answered. " Books are collections of thoughts that we humans have written down."

" I see." the unicorn said. " I would love to read one of these books. They sound facinating."

" Well," Josalin said with a smile, " perhaps when we reach my city, I will bring you some books from my home."

The unicorn seemed to smile. " I can't wait." he said. " So, what is the name of your city?"

" It's called Forest Glen.." Josalin said. " I'm not sure, but I think it's about one hundred and thirty miles away."

" What?" the unicorn said, surprised. " What are you doing so far away from home?"

" Well, I was participating in a seminar for those who are deaf and mute." Josalin said. " I was teaching them a new method of sign language. The seminar location was very far away, but I was happy to do it. I love to be useful. It seems like I am always a burden to someone, but there I was the one providing the help."

" You are never a burden to me." the unicorn said. Josalin looked over at him. There had been so much emotion in his words. She smiled

" Thank you." she said, her eyes a little damp. " I'm glad you think that."

" Well," the unicorn said, " let us go."

Josalin nodded. " Yes, I am eager to get home."

Josalin climbed upon the unicorn's back, and they were off. Josalin could not believe how fast he was running. The ground was a blur of brown and green, and the trees were only momentary flashes of color.

The sun was sinking past the horizon when Josalin finally told her unicorn escort to stop. She had never ridden a horse before, and although this unicorn was not a horse, it was basically the same. She dismounted sorely and rubbed her aching backside. The unicorn watch in fascination as she massaged her rear. She had discarded her shredded shorts some time back, and her silky skin of her backside showed outside the scimpy panties. The unicorn thought it was one of the most gorgeous things he had ever seen. The way the dying sunlight and moonlight reflected off her exposed skin had an affect on him that he had only imagined before. He turned away just as she turned toward him. She had no idea of what he had been thinking.

" We shall stay here for the night." the unicorn said.

" Sounds good to me." Josalin replied. " Wonder where I should sleep..."

" It will be cold again." the unicorn said. " Perhaps it would be better if you slept close to me again."

Josalin smiled. " Of course."

Josalin awoke suddenly. She looked around. Nothing was out of the ordinary. She chuckled softly. Other than the fact that she was snuggled close to a supposedly mythical creature. She felt the call of nature, and walked over to a nearby bush. She was not sure why, but even though she was in open country away from any people, she still wanted to feel like she had some privacy at times like this. And, she did not want the unicorn to see her. She sighed. She had to think of something to call him other than unicorn. She tried to think of a name suitable for him, but none of the ones she came up with seemed to fit. As she finished, she was thinking that she may never decide on a name. Then, she heard it. A howl. What kind of animals lived around here? She looked around nervously, and walked back toward her unicorn friend. As she neared him, she saw what looked like eyes out in the darkness. Just then, the unicorn woke up. The wolves attack in that instant. They knew that the unicorn was the stronger of the two.

But, that should make them attack... was all Josalin was able to think before they hit her. She felt a huge weight hit her back, and she was knocked to the ground. She turned over just in time to see her attacker coming in for another attack. She held her arm up in self-defense, and then she screamed voicelessly in pain as the wolf's sharp teeth dug into her soft flesh. Blood started running down her arm, and the pain caused her vision to blur slightly. The wolf pulled her forward, and she cried out again. Then, it bit her in the stomach. She did not scream, for there was so much pain, and she had never had anything worse than a paper cut. She collapsed, tears streaming down her face from the pain. Her blood ran freely, and she felt a chill invading her mind and body. The wolf who had attacked her circled her slowly, savoring its catch. It licked its lips, and it growled menacingly.

So, this is how it ends. Josalin thought. I am food for wolves? Is that all I'm good for?

Memories of her life flashed before her. Her tough childhood growing up with a disability, her friend Marissa, her parents, ever loving and always encouraging. The seminar where she had worked with hundreds of other disabled people.

No, it can't end like this! Her mind screamed. I have so much to do! And what about the unicorn?! He needs me!

She tried to rise to her hands and knees. A voiceless cry of pain escaped her as her injured abdominal muscles tried to lift her, and her arm tried to support her. Neither succeeded, and she fell back to the earth. Her vision started to darken.

No... she thought. No...no...

The darkness closed in around her. She heard what sounded like a yelp from the wolf, and he flew over her, blood flowing from its chest. It stood up and ran away. Josalin saw a bright light, then a tremendous pain, then the darkness took her.

Josalin slowly opened her eyes. Blinding light caused her to squint.

Am I dead? She thought. Then, she saw a shadow in the light. She sighed, a wave of relief and happiness washing over her as the unicorn walked toward her.

" How are you feeling?" he asked. Josalin looked at herself. She felt her arm and stomach. The bites were gone. In fact, it was as if she had never been bitten. She tried to stand up, but a wave of fatigue held her fast to the ground.

" Please!" the unicorn said, urgently. " Do not try to stand! You lost a fair amount of blood last night. I can heal any wound, but I cannot replace what is lost."

Josalin gasped as her vision cleared. The right side of the unicorn was covered in blood, and he had multiple scratches and bites from his battle with the wolves.

" Are you alright?" she asked, worried. The unicorn looked confused.

" Your side," Josalin said, " it is red with blood."

The unicorn craned his neck so he could see, then let out a small whinny. " It must be yours. I did not take you anywhere, you were too badly hurt. I simply laid down beside you and kept you warm. I was only slightly harmed by the attack. I am much too nimble even for a full pack wolves to kill me. And my magic naturally heals any wounds I receive, though not at the same rate I can heal others."

Josalin smiled weakly. " I'm glad to know that you are alright. I would not have been able to live with it had you been hurt."

Josalin gasped. She had not meant to tell him that, but it had been what she was thinking, and it had intermingled with the message she had wanted to send. The unicorn snorted softly.

" I too would not have been able to live without you." the unicorn told her. The two stared at each other for a long while. Josalin looked away first, the memory of her dream still haunting her.

" So, what do we do now?" she asked. The unicorn turned his head toward the rising sun.

" I suppose you cannot walk on your own." he replied. " I will have to find you some food and water so you can regain your strength Stay here and rest. The wolves will not come back."

Josalin nodded uneasily. She was not so sure about the wolves, but she trusted the unicorn with her life. After all, he had saved her at least three times. She sighed contentedly and laid back down in the soft grass. It seemed like only minutes had passed when the unicorn returned, but when Josalin looked up the sun was high in the sky. The unicorn had a branch full of berries in his mouth. He walked over to Josalin and offered it to her. She smiled and took it from him. Then, she practically squealed in delight. The berries were rasberries, one of Josalin's favorite foods. She ate them hungrily. She had not eaten since she had met this unicorn, nor had she drank anything. The unicorn had anticipated her need and had located a nearby spring. After she had eaten, Josalin felt stronger. So, the unicorn took her to the spring. Josalin gasped when they arrived. The spring the unicorn had found poured into a huge lake. In the bright sunlight, the water shimmered and sparkled like a sea of jewels. The unicorn took Josalin to the spring and she dismounted. The water from the spring sparkled even more brightly than the lake. Josalin took a sip, and gasped in surprise and pleasure. The water from the spring was just as good, maybe even better than any bottled water she had tasted. She drank as much as she could hold, then settled down against a nearby bolder. Now that she had eaten and drank, her fatigue caught back up with her. Her eyes slowly closed, and she fell asleep. The unicorn was slightly confused. He always felt very energetic after a good meal. Why was she tired after eating and drinking? He dismissed it and laid down nearby. Since she would probably be out for a while, he decided to doze himself. He was still worn out from the battle with the wolves. He had never seen such a pack of wolves as the one that had attacked them. Most of the packs he encountered consisted of five to ten wolves, but this one had been at least fifteen strong. And, they had been unusually vicious. He dismissed it as nothing and closed his eyes.

The unicorn awoke several hours later. The sun had set, and the air was cool and moist. He looked over at his human companion. She was still sleeping soundly. He smiled at her. She looked so peaceful. She was curled up in a comfortable sleeping position, and there was a small smile on her face. He wondered if she slept so serenely in the human world. He knew that humans slept on mats called beds and lived in climate-controlled dwellings they called houses, as he had visited a few houses while he traveled around. The human dwellings had changed drastically over his lifetime. First, they had lived in crude houses made of hardened clay and straw. Then, some humans had declared themselves kings and had built massive fortresses. Many people then built houses that were larger and more sturdy than their primative counterparts, and the humans within wore gaudy clothing and false hair. Many years passed, and the humans fought each other, leading to improvements in weaponry and building methods. They continued to fight each other, and eventually discovered gunpowder, which allowed them to kill even more people with less effort. Then, the humans learned how to harness the power of electricity, which allowed them to build even more powerful killing machines. The humans had been killing each other for as long as the unicorn could remember.

But, nothing compared to the discovery of the powers of an atom. The day the humans had unleashed their terrible destruction on themselves. The unicorn, who was in tune with nature and the life force of all living things, had never felt such a loss of life. The humans destroyed not only themselves, but all the plants and animals within the area of the explosion. After that, the unicorn had decided not to go near humans again. If they could do this to each other, how much worse would they treat creatures they saw as less intelligent? As most humans had by this time forgotten what magic was, they no longer saw him as a unicorn. They simply saw a small white horse, which he reasoned left him as a target of their possible cruelty. He had felt it as human industry and hunting had snuffed out the lives of countless creatures. Some were completely removed from his consciousness. These, he knew had ceased to exist, the last of their kind killed. Both plants and animals suffered this fate as humans pursued wealth and prosperity. The unicorn could not understand why the humans had to reshaped the world to suit their needs, rather than adapting themselves to the world. Surely they realized that eventually they would destroy themselves and the planet. But, they had not. They continued to pillage and plunder the earth in search of wealth and power. And because they reproduced so quickly, they encroached on any land they had not already colonized. What had once been a free world had been transformed into territories, and the humans fiercely defended their territories. Since they coveted power and wealth, the suspected every other human of the same. This meant that any trespassing was viewed as a hostile act, and although the humans had established countries in which the people were relatively trusting of each other, each nation distrusted each other nation. Any humans that learned how to live with nature were massacred or converted by the "civilized" humans. The unicorn snorted. How could people who cause so much death and destruction just to improve their own lives consider themselves civilized? He looked over at Josalin.

She was different from what he had viewed humans to have become. She was kind, considerate, and did not complain about the adversity which life had handed her. She seemed almost at home here in the wild, even though she had unknowingly been involved in the destruction of countless habitats. Destruction is an integral part of human life, the unicorn decided. It happens so often that the humans think nothing of it. They build houses over open lands that once housed hundreds of animals. They bring in animals that suit their purpose and release them on the land, further destroying the ecosystem. And if the animals tried to co-exist with the humans, they were killed or captured. And, if any animal dared to hunt or kill a human, the humans responded with an enormously overprotective counterstrike which would decimate the numbers of the animal species to the point that they were almost completely wiped out. The tiger, the lion, the shark, the snake, all had killed humans, and all had become enemies of the entire human race. They were often killed without remorse or even thought. Although in recent years humans had started to embrace the ways of nature and had begun to forgive the animals that killed them, since they were usually just hungry or protecting their territories. But, humans continue reproduce and pave the earth with their concrete and asphalt. Still, they did not even realized the destruction they wrought simply by visiting an area. The unicorn had once been able to traverse the entire world without trouble. Now, he found fences, walls, and cities blocking him. He shuddered to think about what he knew was inevitable.

Josalin moved suddenly, stretching out on the soft ground. She rolled over and went still again, her breathing rhythmic and deep. The unicorn marveled at the way the moon-light lit up her skin. He was certain that this human was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. She could do many things he could not. She could stand on only two legs, and grasp things with her hands. Write fluid, readable letters. And, she could live among humans without any fear of being hunted or exterminated or captured. The unicorn heard Josalin moan softly, and her body shifted position slightly. She must be dreaming, he decided. He wondered if she was cold, since she had no fur and her human coverings were not adequate for this type of weather. He stood and walked over to her. He bent his head down and touched her leg gently with his muzzle. Her skin felt cold. He laid down beside her and curled himself around her. Soon, she responded to his presence and snuggled close to him. He noticed she was shivering. To him the air was only cool, but he realized to her bare skin it must be chilling. The unicorn rolled on his side so he could more effectively warm Josalin. He curled her up with him, and placed his neck under her head so she would not smother. She soon stopped shivering, and snuggled into him as if he were a blanket. The unicorn laid there for a few minutes to make sure that she had not been awakened, then he closed his eyes again.

A new smell filled the air, and the unicorn opened his eyes again. He looked around as best he could with his neck under Josalin's head, but saw nothing. He did not recognize the smell, and yet it seemed familiar. It was not a bad smell. In fact, he kind of liked it. He did not know why, but it awakened feelings within him that he had not felt in a long time. Since he could not investigate further without waking Josalin, he closed his eyes again. Josalin squirmed, apparently dreaming again. Her back was against the unicorn's chest, and he had wrapped himself around her, his legs against her curled ones. When she moved, her head slid off his neck, and one of her legs stretched out. It touched the unicorn in a most...personal location. He snorted in surprise. Since her head had moved, he decided to find the smell the had detected earlier.

He got up without waking her and started to track the scent. He walked several feet away from Josalin and closed his eyes. It was easier to smell when he closed his eyes. He started following the smell. He realized it seemed to be coming from behind him, and he turned around. He opened his eyes for a moment to make sure there were no obstacles in his way, then he closed them again and started to follow the scent. He walked forward a few feet, then the smell weakened. He moved his head around, trying to find where it was the most powerful. He found the trail and started moving again. He walked forward, having to lower his head to keep with the smell. Just as the smell was getting very strong, his snout bumped into something soft. He opened his eyes, and his head shot up. It was Josalin! He looked around, then walked around, making sure he was right. After he had walked a full circle, he stopped again. He looked down at Josalin. He started at her head and smelled his way down her body. He stopped when he reached her abdomen. He did not need to go any further. Josalin was the source of the smell. And, her breathing was more shallow. But, she only smelled this way when she slept. The unicorn had smelled it the first night, when she had come over and snuggled up to him. It had been strong, but it had faded after she had awakened. The night the wolves attacked, her smell had been the same as when he met her, but now that she had recovered, she smelled different again. He laid down beside her again, contemplating why she might smell different at night. He once again wrapped himself around her to keep her warm. He closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep himself.

Josalin awoke with a start. Her breath came in short bursts. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. She had had the dream again. Only this time, she had not awoken before...she did not finish her thought. She felt hot, and she knew that her panties must be soaked. Then, she realized there was soft fur touching her arm. A wave of fear and embarrassment took hold of her as she realized the unicorn had wrapped himself around her to warm her. She turned her head and found herself staring straight into the eyes of her unicorn companion. He was giving her a questioning look.

" Are you alright?" he asked her.

Josalin could not answer. Too many thoughts were swimming around in her head. How long had he been there? Had she made any noises while she was asleep? Then, an even more horrifying thought came to her. Had...had he...smelled her? She was so embarrassed that she stood up. She felt the dampness of her panties against her thigh. She was sure of it now. All animals have a much better sense of smell than humans, and even she could smell it. Tears of embarrassment filled her eye. She took several steps away from the unicorn, then collapsed. Her cheeks were burning. The unicorn stood up and walked toward her. She scrambled backward, and he stopped.

" Josalin, what is wrong?" She could feel the concern in his message. She wanted so badly to tell him what was wrong, but she was afraid of what he might think. It might horrify him, perhaps to the point that he simply took her to her city and left. That was the last thing she wanted. And, even worse, she wanted exactly what she had been dreaming about. But, how could she ask, or even make him aware of her desire without seeming like some kind of pervert?

" Josalin, what were you dreaming about? That must be what has upset you." Josalin's cheeks burned even more. And, to make matters worse, she was still excited from her dream. Her feminine scent swirled throughout the area. She turned away from the unicorn, to embarrassed to look at him.

" Josalin, no matter what it is, you can tell me."

What did he know?! She thought. How could she tell him that?! Tears of frustration and embarrassment flowed from her eyes. Embarrassment at having such thoughts and frustration at not being able to act on them. The unicorn appeared in front of her.

" Josalin, please, tell me." he said.

She turned her head away. " I...can't." was all she said.

" Josalin, nothing you can tell me would make me think less of you, or dislike you. Now, please, tell me what is wrong." the unicorn pleaded. He was very concerned. Josalin had never acted like this toward him. She looked up at him, and he saw the tears in her eyes. But, still, she would not answer.

" Josalin, this is the second time your scent has changed. The first was the night after I had found you. You would not tell me then, either. What could be so horrible that you would keep it inside despite the pain it is obviously causing you?"

Josalin looked into his eyes. " It's personal." she said.

The unicorn snorted derisively. " That is not good enough."

" Why not?!" she demanded. " That is always good enough for someone in my town!"

" I am not in your town. Beside, whatever it is you are keeping inside is going to drive you mad if it causes you to act like this. Please, Josalin, tell me..."

Josalin's mixture of embarrassment, frustration, and now anger at the unicorn insistent questioning exploded.

" I was dreaming of doing it with you!" she screamed. Although the term 'doing it' meant nothing to the unicorn, the thoughts they exchanged as part of their communication made it perfectly clear. The unicorn's breath caught in his throat. Josalin turned away again and started sobbing. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. This was the being that had saved her three times, had cared for her, had catered to her even. This was the creature that had carried her on his back. He was intelligent, and he now he knew exactly what she had been dreaming. She wanted to disappear. She wanted him to stop looking at her. She looked up at him, her vision blurry because of the tears. She expected to see a look of disgust or horror. Instead, she found one of understanding and sympathy.

" Josalin," he said, " Is that all that was troubling you?"

Is that all?! She thought. Isn't that bad enough?!

" You should not be embarrassed by these feelings." the unicorn said. " I am flattered that a creature as beautiful and kind as you would want me as a mate." Josalin was even more embarrased at the term mate. Then, her embarrassment started to ebb. Was that not what she wanted? Though she used a different term, after she thought about it, it was what she wanted. She wanted to remain with this unicorn for the rest of her life. She wanted to be his. Mate seemed like a savage term to her, but she realized that in the animal world there is no marrage. Two animals who like each other mate, and they are called mates. Some mate for life, she knew. And, she thought, since unicorns were so smart, they probably live much like a husband and wife. A slight sob escaped her as she calmed down. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from her. And, all of her fears were unfounded. The unicorn was happy to hear her thoughts.

" What...do you think...of me?" Josalin asked the unicorn. This time it was the unicorn's turn to be embarrassed. She almost thought she saw a tint of pink in the fur around his face.

" I...think you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen." he said. Josalin's face turned beet red again. " I must admit that I too have had some of these thoughts about you. About us. About how we might live in the wilds of the world together. About us running through grassy fields at night playing hide and go seek. About being able to sleep next to you every night, and wake up to your smiling face every morning."

Tears fell from Josalin's face again, but this time it was from joy, not anger or embarrassment. She had dreamed of someone saying something like that to her, but she had never thought it would actually happen. Josalin stood up, and slowly walked toward the unicorn. She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him gently on the nose. She was not ready to kiss an animal on the lips, even if he was a beautiful, intelligent animal. She then hugged him around the neck. He put his head over her shoulder and nuzzled her neck and back. Then, he felt a change in her. He backed away and looked into her face. She was sad this time.

" What's wrong? I thought I told you that I was not insulted or revolted." he said.

Josalin shook her head. " It's not that. It just...how can this work?"

The unicorn regarded at her with a questioning look. " What do you mean?"

" I mean," she said, " that I am a human, and you are a unicorn. I live in a city, you live in the wild."

" But," the unicorn said, " you have proven that you could live in the wild. You sleep on the ground, and you eat wild foods."

" But, I am only alive because of your help." she argued. " Without you I would have died before I had even really lived in the wild. And, what about the wolves. Don't you see? I would be a burden to you."

" I would endure such burden if it meant that you could stay with me." he said.

" But, I would not allow it." she said. " We humans cannot stand to be totally dependant on someone else. We want to be self-sufficient. We will accept help, but we want to be able to take care of ourselves. And besides that, I would not be able to stand being a burden to you. You have been so kind and helpful. I feel like I am taking advantage of you. I want to stay with you as much as you want me to stay, but I can't."

" I would teach you. I would teach you to survive." the unicorn pleaded.

" Stop." Josalin said. " It's no use trying to change my mind. Without proper equipment, I cannot stay with you."

The unicorn started to protest, but Josalin placed one finger over his mouth. Even though he did not speak anyway, he understood the gesture, and it stopped him from sending any telepathic messages.

Sadness seemed to cloud the unicorn's eyes. He looked toward the ground.

" Well," he said, " I suppose we should get moving then."

Josalin nodded. " Yes. I guess so."

Josalin climbed onto the unicorn's back, and he set off at a steady pace. They traveled in complete silence. Josalin could sense the hurt and anger the unicorn was feeling. He had said he loved her deeply, and she had told him she would not stay with him. She just hoped he would not do anything drastic. She found herself wishing she had never been saved. Then, this unicorn would not be having these troubles. But, then she remembered that it had been her presence that had saved him from himself. Now, she was going to leave him. She became very concerned for him. There seemed to be a darkness about him that had not been there before. Even his shining horn and shimmering coat seemed dimmer. She wished that there was a way for her to stay with him, but it was not possible. The only way she would have been able to stay with him was if she had been a unicorn. But, she was not. She sighed as the unicorn continued toward her town. They traveled for a full day before they reached it. The unicorn continued to provide Josalin with food and water, but he did not say anything the whole time. And, although Josalin was not sure, she could have sworn that his coat and horn continued to lose their brilliance. They stopped just outside the city limits, and Josalin dismounted. Josalin started to go into town, but then she remembered she was in tattered clothing. She was wearing practically nothing. The only clothing she had left was her panties, a shredded shirt, and her bra. And although that was enough to be sufficiently covered, she did not relish the prospect of traveling through town in nothing but lingerie. She looked at the unicorn. He did not meet her gaze.

" If it is alright with you, I would like to stay with you until nightfall."

" Whatever." the unicorn replied. There was no emotion in his reply. Just the one thought. That he did not care at all what she did. He walked toward a nearby stream and started drinking. Josalin felt like a knife had been driven through her heart. Never had anyone talked to her like that. She walked slowly over to him.

" Will you be alright when I am gone?" she asked.

" Sure." he answered, with the same lack of emotion. " I've survived hundreds of years without you."

Josalin felt like another knife had been thrust into her. Tears started to form in her eyes. She stifled them and sat down in the grass. The unicorn finished drinking and started to graze. Josalin looked over at him. He still had a large red area on his fur from her blood. The tears started to well up in her eyes again. After all they had been through together, this is how it would end. The unicorn would now hate her rather than loving her. She could hardly believe it. It had been so great being with him. But, she knew that she could not stay with him without...

" Um, unicorn?" she said. He looked over at her.

" You know that I want to stay with you, right?" she asked him. The unicorn snorted. " It's true. I want nothing more than to stay with you."

" Then, why are you going back to the human world?" he asked. " Humans, who destroy just to make their lives more comfortable."

Josalin blinked. " What?"

" That's right. I did not tell you why I had been alone other than the fact that unicorns seem to have disappeared. I could have made friends with humans before, but I could not stand to associate with such destructive beings. You were different. I thought I had finally found someone who could understand me, who shared my beliefs. But, I see I was wrong. You are just like all the other humans. You have no regard for nature or the feelings of others."

" How can you say that?!" Josalin said, angrily. " I've tried to help in any way I could! It's not my fault that humans have almost no natural defenses or instincts! You are the one that saved me! It's your fault you are feeling the way you are, not mine!"

" Are you saying I should have left you to die?" the unicorn asked.

Josalin started at his question. Was she? She thought for a long time.

" No." she finally answered. " I'm glad you saved me. These few days with you have been the best of my life. At least, until today. I have never met a kinder or more enchanting creature than you. I think I would have come to love you even if you had not had to save me..three times." The unicorn snorted as if he did not believe her.

" You think so?" he asked coldly. " I felt the disgust you felt when you told me that you had dreamt about me. You were not disgusted by the fact that you had dreamt about making love, rather that you had dreamt about making love to an animal. That thought seems to disturb you greatly. That is the real reason that you did not want to tell me, isn't it?"

" No! That wasn't it at all!" Josalin pleaded. " The truth was I didn't think a pure creature like you would understand. Unicorns, at least in our myths, are pinnacles of good and purity. I didn't think my thoughts we proper. That's why I didn't want to tell you. I could not stand the thought of you thinking I was some kind of sicko or something."

The unicorn looked at her questioningly. " I...don't understand." he said. His message showed a hint of emotion, the only she had felt from him since they had left the lake. She prayed he was coming back to her.

" What don't you understand?" she asked.

" Mating is a natural part of life. It is necessary to further a species. Why would I think it was strange to want to mate?"

Josalin smiled. " I guess it's because I'm human. We humans are usually obsessed with sex. It is considered improper to think about or dream about doing it with someone you are not involved with. At the time I first had my dream, we were only companions. And, I didn't think that you, being pure of mind and body, had even had such thoughts, much less had anyone think them about you. Not to mention that it is completely unacceptable to the human society to have intimate relations with an animal. Of course, I know you are more than just an animal, but I was concerned with what other people would think of it, I guess. What others think of you is very important to a human."

The unicorn stood still looking at Josalin for a long while. " That still does not change the fact that you are unwilling to stay with me."

" That's not true!" Josalin protested.

" Please, try not to lie to me. If you truly wanted to stay with me, you would find a way. I would not care if I had to carry you around for the rest of MY life, which will be considerable longer than yours. All you have to do is get some human supplies. New clothes, of course, and perhaps a blade so you could defend yourself. It would not be hard. But, you made it clear that staying here in the wild with me is not an option. Both of our fantasies are over. Go back to your city."

The unicorn turned away from her and her city, and started to walk away.

" Wait!" Josalin shouted. The unicorn stopped.

" I'm yours." she said. The unicorn turned his head toward her. Once again, the images they shared to communicate made her intention perfectly clear. The unicorn shook his head.

" I will not mate with you just so you can prove that you love me. I know that already. My problem is that you are not willing to stay with me."

" What about you?" she asked. He seemed confused.

" Me?" he asked.

" Yes, you. You have been telling me that I would not stay with you. Would you stay with me? Would you live in my city to be with me?"

The unicorn had not considered that. Would he be willing to live in a city to be with Josalin?

" ...No. I suppose I would not." the unicorn admitted. " I would not belong there."

Josalin crossed her arms. " Just like I don't belong out here." she said.

The unicorn turned back toward her. " Yes, just like you don't belong out here."

Josalin felt that the unicorn finally understood. He walked back over to her.

" Can we sleep together one more time?" she asked. " With you curled around me, and me huddled beside you?"

The unicorn seemed to smile. " I would be happy to oblige." They laid down in the grass. Josalin curled up, and the unicorn surrounded her with his body. She felt like she had come home. The unicorn felt like this was where he was supposed to be. They closed their eyes, enjoying the feel and smell of each other's bodies. Soon, the unicorn was snoozing peacefully. Josalin laid awake, watching the clouds float by. She knew that this might be the last time she would see this unicorn. After she went into the town, he would go his own way. With his speed he would be miles away in less than an hour. Suddenly, she got an idea. It was a crazy idea, and yet, it made sense. She could return to her city, gather some supplies, and return to him. Why hadn't she seen it before? It was so simple. The whole problem was she did not want to be a burden to him. But, with a little money and equipment, she would be just as capable to survive in the wild as he. She waited until nightfall, then she woke him.

" Um, would you mind getting me some food?" she asked.

" I would not mind at all." he replied happily. " Anything in particular?

" I would like some raspberries." she replied.

" Raspberries?" the unicorn asked. " It could take a while to find any."

" That's OK. I can wait."

The unicorn stood and trotted away to find some berries. Josalin waved as he went. As soon as he was a good distance away, she ran into town. She didn't care who saw her, she just ran. She went to her apartment, filled a duffle with fresh clothes, some soap and shampoo, and some food, changed her clothes, and jumped on her bicycle. She rode as fast as she could toward the nearest outdoor supply store. She bought a machete and a utility knife. She also bought a grooming kit for horses. She knew that the unicorn was not a horse, but she thought that the kit would work well for him. As she was about to leave the sporting goods store, she spotted the guns and rifles. She thought for a long while. But, she realized that while a gun would help her at first, she needed things that would last a long time. Bullets could only be used once. She went over to the bows. But, they were very expensive. She sighed, and made her purchase, packed it all in her duffle bag, and left. She rode back out to where she and the unicorn had stopped to rest. She sat down in the soft grass and waited.

Josalin sighed. She didn't know exactly how long it had been, but it seemed like an hour. And the unicorn had still not returned. She was beginning to get worried. She laughed slightly at herself. It was kind of silly to be worried about him. He had fought off an entire pack of wolves and received only slight scratches. All the same, she had thought that with his speed he would have been back by now. Actually, she thought he should have beaten her back. She decided there was nothing she could do but wait, so she laid down and closed her eyes.

She was awakened suddenly by the sound of galoping hooves. She leapt up, and saw the unicorn sprinting toward her. He was moving so fast she feared he would not be able to stop. But, he did, inches from her.

" GET ON!" he shouted in her mind. She did not even think. She simply picked up her bag and did as he commanded. Then, he was off again, and she was clinging to his mane for dear life. She wondered what was wrong, but the unicorn offered no explanation. He simply ran as fast as he could. Josalin finally got balanced enough to look behind them. At first she saw nothing but dimly lit land and stars. Then, a dark shadow passed in front of the moon. She was so stunned that she did not believe it at first. But, as the unicorn ran, the shadow grew larger and larger. Josalin did not know what it was, but something inside her told her that it must not catch them. She suddenly wished she had not packed so much. Then , the unicorn might be able to move even faster. But, as that was not the case, she kept watching the shadow move closer to them. Now she could see a definite form of some kind of winged creature. Although she did not know what to call it, she could clearly see the wings flapping rapidly, and the tail swishing behind it, and sharp claws on outstretched hands, and an eerie glow in its eyes. She suddenly realized that she could defend them. She started to get out her machete, but the unicorn told her to keep it hidden. She did as he said, but she could tell he was tiring.

" You can't keep this pace up forever!" she said.

" No, I cannot, but I can keep it up for a long while." he replied. " And, what happens to me is unimportant. You are the one who must live."

" What do you mean what happens to you is unimportant?!" she asked, shocked. " I didn't go and get all this stuff just to lose you! If we have to fight, then let's fight. Whatever that thing is, it won't take either of us easily."

" Believe me, fighting would be a waste of time." the unicorn said. " I thought those creatures were long dead, but I see I was wrong. They are unicorn hunters. Their dark powers can penetrate even my magic. They train their entire lives for the hunt. They know things about unicorns that even unicorns do not know."

" What is that thing, anyway?" Josalin asked.

" It is called a garuda. It's a type of griffin. But, these are evil creatures. One might call them the antithesis of a unicorn. Most unicorns who battle one do not live to tell the tale."

" That's awful!" Josalin exclaimed. " Why do they want to hurt unicorns in the first place?"

" They follow the call of the darkness, which hates the light, since it is so much more powerful. Garuda, therefor, hate any creature that lives in the light. But, they are weakened by the powerful rays of the sun, since it brightens their dark powers. Once human paladins fought them, to protect the unicorns and other creatures of the light. But, as time wore on magic became more scarce. And, the paladins no longer had to protect the light from the darkness. They balanced each other naturally. That is when the unicorns started to disappear. I do not know where they went, or why I did not go with them, but the creatures of darkness started to disappear as well, replaced by creatures that lived in both the light and the dark, devoid of magic. I suspect that the magical creatures of the world, as well as the ancient wizards and witches, left this dimension to escape those without magic, who naturally distrusted those who had the power of magic at their command. There were many cases of magical beings being hunted down and killed simply because their power frightened those without magic. Of course, that could be due to some magical beings who unleashed terrible destruction on the world simply because they could. I am sorry to say it was mostly humans who did this, for they are most susceptible to the intoxication of power."

" Wait." Josalin said. " You are telling me that all those stories of magic and wizards and such are actually true?!"

" Well, not all of them, I am sure." the unicorn said. " Humans also have a tendency to exaggerate and imagine."

Josalin chuckled. " Yes, I suppose we do. You know, you-"

Josalin did not get to finish her thought. She heard a loud scream, then she hit the ground hard. Her vision dimmed as the pain of her landing clouded her mind. She continued to hear screams and whinnies from the unicorn, and what sounded like growls and roars, probably from the garuda. Josalin lied still, stunned for a few moments, then she pulled herself to her feet. She drew out her machete, and looked toward the garuda and the unicorn. Her vision was still a bit foggy, but she was pretty sure she could tell which one was which. After all, the unicorn's horn still shone brightly. She ran toward them, trying to yell, but her handicap prevented any sound from forming. She waved frantically, and jumped about, trying to distract the terrible black creature attacking the unicorn. Josalin could see the unicorn's blood flowing from the wounds the clawed beast was inflicting on him. After it became obvious that her distraction was not working, she slashed at the garuda blindly. It let out a shriek of pain, and a dark liquid fell from its arm. Josalin slashed again, but this time her blade met sharp claws which easily deflected the blow. Then, Josalin cried out voicelessly.

The black creature yanked its claws from her stomach, and she fell to the ground, pain causing her legs to curl almost to her chest. But, she had bought the unicorn the time it needed. Josalin noticed a bright flash of light, then the garuda shrieked in pain. Josalin looked up despite the fire in her abdomen. The black creature seemed to be glowing. Josalin gasped. The unicorn's horn was buried so far into the garuda that she could not see it. The unicorn poured all he had into his horn, and the garuda shrieked before he disintegrated. Ash fell to the ground. The creature was vanquished. Josalin stood up shakily, still holding her stomach. Her blood flowed freely. She felt a slight feeling of deja vu, then sank back to her knees, the pain too much for her. The unicorn limped over to her, and aimed his horn at her stomach. Josalin's pain quickly subsided, and she opened her eyes. The unicorn smiled at her, then he started to sway. Josalin reached out to steady him, but he was too heavy for her. He collapsed, taking her with him. She fell on top of him, and felt a hot liquid on her chest. She stood up in horror, realizing it was the beautiful creature's blood. She pulled some of her clothes out of her bag, tore them into shreds, and made bandages as best she could. Realizing there was little she could do, she too collapsed in the grass, tears rolling down her face. Then, she realized there may be something else she could do for him.

She returned the favor he had done her, and cuddled close to him to keep him warm. She put as many clothes as she could on top of him, and the sleeping bag she had packed. Then, when she was finally convinced there was nothing else she could do for him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. She did not sleep, though she knew she should. She finally accepted that she was not going to get to sleep, and just started stroking his neck and mane. She smiled despite the situation. He was so handsome, and his fur was so soft. His mane was beautiful. It flowed like water all the way down his neck. Josalin laid there, simply trying to make him more comfortable in any way she could.

Josalin's eyes popped open. It was daylight. How did that happen? She realized she must have fallen asleep stroking the unicorn's neck. She slowly got up, and removed the bandages to examine his wounds. They were closed, but the bandages were soaked clean through, and there was a slight puddle on the ground. She discarded the bandages, replaced the remainder of the clothing in her bag, and put the sleeping bag back on the unicorn. His eyes opened slowly as she pulled the sleeping bag up to his shoulders. He smiled weakly.

" I did not know you had healing powers." he said.

Josalin laughed with relief. " Well, I don't have a horn, but I'm still good for some things. Perhaps I'll show you later."

Josalin purposely withheld her meaning from him. He had no idea what she meant. She giggled, in her own way, and sat down near his head. She started stroking his muzzle softly. He whinnied softly, her touch soothing him. Josalin reached out with her other hand and felt of his horn. He protested slightly. After all, a unicorn's horn is considered a very personal spot to unicorns. But, he only protested for a moment. He was not used to such contact, but he shook off his slight aversion, since it was the one he loved touching his horn. He started to get a little hot, as the touching of horns is just like a unicorn kiss. And Josalin, excited at being able to touch not only a unicorn, but the one she loved, in such a way, became a little hot herself. She moved from sitting by the unicorn to lying beside him. She moved as closely as she could to him, her body and mind going on instinct, since she had no experience in such matters as love. The unicorn felt her against him, and became a little self-conscious. He was beginning to get hard. It was his first time as well, since he had not yet reached the age of maturity when there were still unicorns around, and so had no experience himself. He did not know how she would react to seeing him, even though he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

The unicorn felt Josalin moving beside him. He turned his head to where he could see her, and his breath caught in his throat. She was down to her panties and bra. The unicorn had never seen such a beautiful thing as her shining skin. She moved closer still to him, her succulent breast pressing against his chest. She did not know if it would have the same affect on the unicorn as it would on a human guy, but it was all she knew how to do to show she was ready. She pulled herself forward so that her head was even with his, and she began to stroke his horn again. She could tell it affected him, and that was what she wanted. She knew that even though the unicorn had not said so, the thought of mating with a human was slightly unnerving to him, just as "mating" with a unicorn was to her. But, she wanted to get past that, to the real point: that they loved each other. And, she wanted to cement that love. Even though they did not say anything, both knew the others feelings and thoughts. The unicorn's eyes followed her body down from her eyes to her breasts to her feminine curves below. Josalin grabbed the unicorn's muzzle and moved her head closer to his. Somehow, even though she would not have minded, kissing him on the lips did not seem right. She knew somehow that his horn was important, and she placed her forehead against it. As soon as she made contact with it, a flood of energy flowed from his horn into her forehead, and from her forehead into his horn. She gasped as they formed a bond that went far beyond physical, or even mental, bonding. She felt like she had promised herself to him, and he to her. She knew now that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Her love for him was true, and she knew now that his love for her was stronger even than his will to live. Without her, he would not be complete, and without him, she would be lost. In that moment of contact, both Josalin and the unicorn shared all the knowledge they had. Josalin was overwhelmed by the shear amount of knowledge he possessed, and the unicorn was overcome with human emotions. They were stronger and so much more varied than unicorn emotions. The unicorn realized just how much he had hurt her when he had said those things to Josalin back at the stream.

A tear appeared in his eye, and he blinked, trying to hide it. Josalin caught him, and wiped the tear away with her fingers, her own eyes moist. The unicorn, now knowing what it was that humans did during their mating rituals, placed his muzzle against Josalin's cheek. He gently fondled her ear with his lips. Josalin let out a sigh of pure joy. She was finally home. She had found where she belonged. She had also learned of unicorn mating rituals, and she stroked the unicorn's face and horn lovingly. By now the unicorn was completely unsheathed, and Josalin was quite damp. The unicorn smelled her arousal, and moved his head toward her entrance. He gently gripped her panties with his lips, and pulled them down to her knees. Josalin helped him get them down the rest of the way, then lied back, supporting herself on her hands, to give him better access. She expected him to insert his swollen rod into her, but instead she felt his long tongue on her most intimate area. She sighed in pleasure as he licked her steaming womanhood. Then, he moved to the small nub just above her love entrance. He licked it at first, then he simply sucked it into his mouth. Josalin moaned voicelessly as his lips worked her furiously. It was just like her dream, she thought. She felt herself climbing higher and higher. She had never know such feelings before. She had practiced on herself plenty, but she had never realized such pleasure was possible.

The unicorn moved once again to her entrance, and she cried out as his tongue entered her. His tongue was twice as long as her fingers, and he plunged the whole thing inside her. He relished every drop of her feminine love, drinking it as if it were nectar. Josalin's breathing had become short, moan-filled bursts, and she felt herself nearing climax. The unicorn continued to lick her insides, and she continued to climb. She practically screamed as her pleasure reached its limits, and she exploded in climax. Her love flowed into the unicorn's mouth, and he drank it all, continuing to move his tongue inside her. Her orgasm lasted nearly a minute with him still pleasing her. Finally, it was over, and she fell back, the pleasure dying down slowly. He finally withdrew his tongue.

Then, he moved to her breasts. He aimed his horn at the clasp in front, and it popped open. Josalin gasped in surprise, then smiled. She sat up, and the unicorn began suckling on her. Although the feeling was different from the one she had just experienced, it was no less pleasurable. The unicorn made both of her nipples stand erect, then he pulled his head away. Josalin moved from a sitting position to her stomach. She moved toward the unicorn's rod. He whinnied softly as she took it into her hands and started massaging it gently. After massaging it for several moments, she moved even closer to it. She kissed it lovingly, then slowly sucked it into her mouth. She could only take a few inches into her mouth, but she made up for it by covering as much as she could with her hands. Then, she started moving back and forth rhythmically. The unicorn whinnied in pleasure as she did something to him that he had never even imagined. It felt wonderful to him, and he could hardly contain himself. Josalin kept moving back and forth, bringing him closer and closer to orgasm. She slowed down slightly, massaging his tip with her tongue every time she moved forward. The unicorn whinnied and snorted at the pleasure this girl was giving him. His head snapped back as he came, and his hot seed filled Josalin's mouth. Josalin was caught off guard when he came, and some of his seed escaped her mouth, trickling down her chin. She swallowed as much as she could, drinking it as if it were water. She was beginning to wonder if he would ever stop coming when he pulled himself out of her mouth. The last bit of his seed landed on her chest. She dabbed it with her fingers and licked it off, savoring every bit of it.

Then, the unicorn lowered his maleness toward her entrance. She smiled naughtily and lied back again. The unicorn went to his knees so he could reach her, then slowly started moving toward her. She stuck her hand out to help guide him as he approached. She expected him to plunge into her once he made contact, but once again she was wrong. He slowly inched his way in. It was almost torture the amount of pleasure he produced in her. Her head rolled one way, then the other, then her back arched. The unicorn started moving in and out of her slowly, then he gained speed as he learned how far he could go, and how fast. He was surprised to find he could enter her to the hilt of his rod, which was near a foot in length. He noticed she started to massage her breasts, and he leaned his head down and did it for her. With her hands free, Josalin reached up and stroked the unicorn's face and horn again. The unicorn seemed to enjoy this thoroughly, and she giggled at the feelings she was giving him. Then, her head shot back and her back arched as he drove especially deeply into her. She clung to his horn desperately, almost unable to hang on so strong was the feeling he was producing in her. She felt him growing harder as he prepared to fire his seed into her waiting hole. She was nearing climax again herself, and it was getting harder and harder to stay sitting up. His head snapped up again as he came, yanking his horn from her grasp. His maleness curled so strongly inside her and he seed warmed her so that she came with him. She cried out in pleasure as he filled her with his life-making seeds. He came for what seemed to Josalin like an hour, then he slowly shrank, withdrawing from her. His rod disappeared into its sheath, and Josalin laid on the ground, panting hard. The unicorn laid down beside her, nuzzling her neck and shoulder.

It took Josalin several minutes to recover from her ravishing. When she finally did, she rolled on her side and hugged the unicorn tightly. He rubbed her back with his muzzle, then he realized she had fallen asleep. He smiled and closed his own eyes. Finally, his life was worth something. Finally, he had a true love.