The Last Unicorn

The unicorn lives in a beautiful forest where it is always spring. She is very old and immortal, like all unicorns. She has been alone for a very long time. She can recall the last time she’s seen another unicorn, but she isn’t sure how long ago that was. Time is irrelevant to her. She enjoys watching the other animals of the forest live their lives, growing, having young, and dying; it’s interesting to her. 

One day, two hunters ride through the forest on horseback. The unicorn watches them, keeping out of sight as she listens to their conversation. The older hunter speculates that a unicorn lives in the forest because it’s always spring there. He wants to hunt elsewhere because they won’t find any game in a unicorn’s forest. The younger one believes all unicorns are gone because he’s never seen one. The older hunter hasn’t either, but his great grandmother once saw a unicorn and wept when she spoke of it. The hunters decide to go elsewhere to hunt. They speculate that the unicorns are gone because of how times have changed. As they leave, the older hunter calls out a warning to the unicorn to stay where she is because she is the last and the forest needs her protection.