“Ouch!” Trish said, “these shrubs are really poky.” The group of shrubs blushed, but since they couldn’t change color, the blushing remained internal.

“Yee-haw!” Magnolia DuMont shrieked. “It’s a horse! A talking horse at that. Don’t that just beat all?”

“That horn looks dangerous,”R-Thrrr said. “I’d advise we run screaming, just to be safe.”

“Naw,” Magnolia said. “This horse won’t bite, I’ll betcha. Do you bite, horse?”

Trish smiled. “I’m not really a horse. I’m a unicorn. Hence the horn. Don’t worry, robot. It’s harmless. And no, I don’t bite. I was just knocked off course and had to make an emergency landing.”

“Just the same, I’ll be cowering behind these shrubs,” R-Thrrr said. The shrubs, a little annoyed by the cowardly robot, bristled. This they could do, but changed nothing of their countenance.

“Off course, huh? Where you headed?” Magnolia asked.

“You know, I’m not entirely sure. I had to leave my last home unexpectedly, so I’ve got no specific plans. Maybe Seattle?”

Magnolia laughed. “Don’t that just beat all? I had to leave my home as well. So did the robot, R-Thrrr over there. We don’t rightly know where we’s headed either.”

Trish laughed as well. “This is too much of a coincidence. Why don’t we all travel together. Three heads are better than one, right?”

“Yee-haw! I do love me that idea. Name’s Magnolia. You can call me Maggie.”

“Thanks, Maggie. I’m Trish. So now where to?”

“Someplace safe and secluded,” R-Thrrr whimpered.

“Someplace full of excitement!” Magnolia said.

“Why don’t we just head east,” Trish said, “and see what we see.”

And that’s exactly what they did.