He hadn't got much past the edge of the orchard when he heard the unicorn a-coming. It was moving so fast it sounded like a big wind blowing up. The rumble of its hooves was like summer thunder. -- Gail Haley, Mountain Jack Tales (1992) The unicorn turned, its head low, and started walking the path back down the mountain. Dersil watched it go, listened to its hooves on the rough stones. Tac, tactac, tac. There was a song in everything, Dersil knew that, but this song was the slow minor of life. There was no melody in those hoof beats, only monotone. No rhythm, only repetition. -- Mithandir, "The Grey Unicorn" (2005) He listened to the unicorn's hooves, but he did not turn to watch it go. -- Will Shetterly, Peter S. Beagle's Immortal Unicorn (1995)