Chapter 3
835words
She hovered nervously at Lilith's doorway for several minutes before finally gathering the courage to enter, cradling a tiny unicorn in her arms.
Lilith couldn't hide her shock. Unicorns had become incredibly rare in this age—let alone baby unicorns willing to bond with humans.
"Miss Lilith," Ella's voice quavered, "please help Tilly. She's been circling my wardrobe for two days straight, refusing food and water. Is she ill?"
Lilith considered this, then took out her crystal ball and sent a message to the group for consultation.
Lilith: Anyone know why a unicorn would obsessively circle a wardrobe?
[Avatar: An angry orange flame] Pip: Hungry. Wants to smash it for kindling.
[Avatar: A majestic pine tree] Eldrin: Perhaps she contemplates the cosmic threads of space-time's tapestry.
[Avatar: A teary-eyed wolf cub] Rufus: Check behind the wardrobe! My favorite chew stick fell between Eric's bed and the wall once. Took forever to find it. Maybe she lost a toy back there?
Rufus's explanation seemed the most plausible.
Lilith sent another message through the crystal ball.
"Tilly, what are you searching for?"
[Avatar: A unicorn with spread wings]: Fluffy! Danger!
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Who's Fluffy?"
[Avatar: A unicorn with spread wings]: Round eyes. Soft fur.
Lilith nodded to herself. Almost certainly a stuffed toy wedged somewhere unreachable.
She looked up at Ella, who was anxiously twisting her fingers together, eyes wide with hope.
"She's searching for something extremely important to her," Lilith explained simply.
"Something important?" Ella's brow furrowed in confusion. "But there's nothing in that wardrobe except my best dresses."
"Did you ever give her a toy called 'Fluffy'?"
Ella froze, her eyes widening dramatically as her mouth fell open.
"Fluffy… h-how do you know that name?! Oh my god! So that's what she's been looking for!"
Realization dawned on her face as she became suddenly animated, practically bouncing with urgency.
"I need to go home and find it! Right now!"
Ella nearly bolted for the door, but stopped abruptly and spun around, rushing to Lilith's shelves and pointing frantically at several items.
"I'll take this, and this, and that calming flower essence! Poor Tilly must have been beside herself with worry—I'll take them all!"
Ella scattered a handful of gold coins on the counter, snatched up her purchases, and dashed home.
Not even pausing to remove her muddy boots, she charged straight to the massive wardrobe. With a grunt of effort and an ear-splitting "creeeeeak," she shoved the heavy piece of furniture aside.
Dust billowed up in clouds.
And there, in the shadowy corner behind the wardrobe, lay a small object.
A dust-covered stuffed unicorn, crudely sewn, with one button eye dangling by a thread—a pitiful sight indeed.
This was Tilly's beloved Fluffy.
Tilly, who had been anxiously pacing, suddenly went still.
She approached cautiously, then gently nudged the filthy toy with her horn.
Then she pressed her cheek against it, nuzzling tenderly while making a sound somewhere between a contented purr and a relieved whimper.
Ella covered her mouth with both hands, trying desperately not to sob aloud as tears streamed down her face.
With trembling fingers, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Lilith.
Ella: "We found Fluffy! Thank you so much! She won't let go of it now—not even for a second!"
From that day forward, the Woodland Emporium had its most devoted customer.
Ella told everyone about the mysterious abilities of the new shopkeeper at the edge of the village. Soon, Lilith's business was booming.
A few days later, the shop door burst open with a resounding BANG!
An orange streak of light zoomed in and landed squarely on the counter—it was Pip.
Behind him swarmed dozens of buzzing sprites, like a living, swirling nebula of color that instantly filled the tiny shop.
"Boss!" Pip planted his hands on his hips, puffed out his tiny chest, and adopted his most authoritative tone. "I've brought the crew to support your business! Break out the good stuff—milk, butterbeer, honey cakes… The works!"
Lilith leaned against the counter, eyeing the rowdy little "customers" who'd clearly come to freeload, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.
Without a word, she turned and gathered items from her shelves: fresh milk, golden honey, a plate of steaming mini-cakes, and even a tiny wooden keg of foaming butterbeer.
The sprites erupted in raucous cheers and descended upon the treats like a swarm of locusts.
Lilith's gaze drifted past her noisy patrons to the doorway.
The line of waiting customers stretched all the way to the village entrance, around the corner, and nearly out of sight.
There stood a goblin with wilting mushrooms sprouting from its head, wringing its hands anxiously.
Next to it waited a raven with damaged wings it couldn't mend.
Even old Eldrin the pine had sent a wood sprite representative, standing solemnly in line, presumably to consult about his recent excessive leaf-shedding problem.
Business was booming beyond her wildest expectations.
