It was still dark as Lilly loaded up her little, boxy car with the farm's bountiful offerings. She had tossed and turned all night long after Yorik abruptly changed the subject and left right when she thought they were going to make a breakthrough in their relationship. She really didn’t know what to think now. Since she wasn’t sleeping anyway, Lilly figured she should probably just get ready for the market today.
Wooden crates of freshly laid eggs nestled among the glossy, dark green zucchinis and plump tomatoes—Tom's contribution to the day's bounty. Next to them, Lilly carefully placed her new offerings: brushes with soft bristles made of Snow's discarded unicorn hair, thin but strong rope spun from the same, and a variety of goat milk products.
The morning was still young as Lilly drove the loaded car down the familiar path to the bustling Thornwood Farmer’s Market. The quaint town square was already buzzing with activity, colorful stalls lining the streets. The air was heavy with the tantalizing aroma of fresh produce and baked goods, melding harmoniously with the lively chatter of vendors and patrons alike.
Today, Lilly was early enough to secure a prime spot in the heart of the marketplace instead of the one near the outskirts she usually inhabited. Lilly began setting up her stand. The unicorn hair brushes, gleaming in the sunlight, caught the eyes of early customers, their interest piqued. Beside them, the goat milk products were neatly arranged; fragrant bars of soap were piled next to creamy cheese rounds and bottles of rich, fresh milk.
Her stand was soon surrounded by intrigued patrons. Lilly cheerfully engaged with each, offering samples of her cheese, talking about the benefits of unicorn hair brushes, explaining how Tom's tomatoes were the tastiest they'd ever find.
One by one, customers lined up, drawn in by the novelty of her magical offerings and the undeniable quality of her mundane ones. The hours passed in a happy blur of transactions and friendly conversation. She began to run out of the byproducts she brought from her magical farm animals and had to start turning customers away, promising to bring more on her next trip.
Before she knew it, Lilly looked around at the nearly empty crates and felt a thrill of joy. She had made a larger profit today than any other single day of her life. It confirmed she had made the right choice moving out here, and she felt like she was finally headed in the right direction. She was a successful farmer.
After loading the crates into her car, Lilly decided to do a little shopping of her own with her bulging bag of coins. Enjoying the bag’s unusual weight, she ambled through the bustling market, her eyes alighting on various stalls and their offerings. The aroma of fresh bread wafted through the air, mingling with the savory scent of roasted nuts. She paused at a stall displaying an array of vibrant flowers, but her gaze was drawn to a commotion further down the lane.
"Stay back!" a gruff voice bellowed, and Lilly could see a muscular minotaur struggling to restrain a black unicorn. The magnificent creature reared up, flaring its nostrils and snorting angrily.
Lilly gaped. It was the very same unicorn that she had admired the first time she had visited the market. Then, he had looked stunningly healthy and strong, with a vibrant black coat so dark it would be impossible to see on a moonless night. Now, smudges of mud made his coat looked speckled, and a wound grazed his belly right where spurs would hit. He looked dirty and wild.
"Such a shame," muttered the minotaur, his brow furrowed in frustration. "He was meant for the king of Stoneboro but bucked his son and broke the boy's arm. Now, he's nothing more than a nuisance."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Lilly couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the wild beast. She remembered being drawn into his eyes the first time she spotted him; and despite his aggression, she sensed a hidden depth to the creature.
"Would you consider selling him?" she asked hesitantly, her heart racing at the thought of acquiring such a rare specimen for her expanding collection of magical creatures.
"Ha! If you can afford him," the minotaur scoffed, giving her a once-over. "But no one else seems to want this demon beast. Make me an offer."
Her fingers tightened around the purse containing her hard-earned profit. With a determined glint in her eye, Lilly boldly held up her leather money bag containing every last penny she had, even though it would leave her with little more than her homegrown vegetables and chicken eggs for sustenance. “This is all I have.”
"Deal," the minotaur grunted. He swiftly grabbed the bag with one hand while shoving the lead into her hands with the other. "At least, I won’t have to sell the beast off for parts now. Take him away from here." The minotaur stalked off without even a backward glance.
As soon as she grasped the rope, the black unicorn yanked and strained against her hold, nearly pulling her off balance. It bared its teeth, snapping at her as she struggled to maintain control.
"Hey!" shouted a nearby vendor as the unicorn's thrashing tail knocked over a stack of pottery. Shards of vibrant ceramic scattered across the ground; and Lilly winced, feeling the weight of the angry glares directed her way.
Lilly tried to control the unicorn as she spoke. “I’m so sorry! I’ll pay for those…I just don’t have any money at the moment. Would you like to come back to my farm for some complimentary tomatoes? Or I can bring money next time.”
The older man shook his head as he rushed to protect the rest of his wares. He spoke in a rough voice. “Don’t worry about it. Just get that demon animal out of here before he breaks anything else!”
What have I gotten myself into? she wondered, her heart heavy with doubt. Was it worth every penny of her life's savings to bring such chaos upon herself?
Luckily, the unicorn’s panic subsided to a normal irritability by the time they made it out of the farmer’s market. Lilly looked mournfully at her car that sat abandoned not far beyond the bustling market square. She had no choice but to leave it behind; the black unicorn was far too irritable to ride or even attempt to transport any other way. With a sigh of resignation, Lilly began the arduous trek home, gripping the lead tightly as she guided the unwilling creature.
"Come on, boy," she coaxed gently, sweat beading on her brow. "We've got a long way to go."
The sun beat down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the dusty path. Four hours later, Lilly's feet were raw and blistered, her throat parched like cracked earth. She spared herself a moment to lean against a tree, catching her breath and marveling at how the unicorn had finally begun to walk beside her without fighting. But there was no time to waste; her farm was still miles away.
"Almost there," she whispered, more to herself than the animal beside her.
As they approached the barn, Astra, Nova, and Snow watched her and the newcomer from the paddock where they were grazing. Feather tried to run up and greet her; but when the unicorn reared up, Lilly shooed the griffy away, afraid she would get hurt. Lilly felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that this new addition would require all her attention—at least for a while.
"Stay back, girls," she warned, her voice soft but firm. "I need to get him settled first."
The black unicorn snorted and pawed the ground, sensing the presence of its new barn mates. Lilly hurriedly led him into his own pen, one that opened to a private corral. As she fastened the latch, a wave of relief washed over her.
"Welcome home," she murmured, tentatively stroking the unicorn's muzzle. To her surprise, he allowed the contact, his dark eyes meeting hers with a flicker of curiosity.
She went about feeding and watering the new unicorn with practiced efficiency, her mind already racing with plans to rehabilitate and integrate him into her farm. But as she filled the trough with water, her thoughts strayed back to the abandoned car at the market.
"Ugh," she groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I still need to go back for that."
The black unicorn snorted, tossing his head. Lilly couldn't help but smile, despite the mounting challenges before her. "We've got our work cut out for us, don't we?"