Episode Thirty: Departures: Scene 26

“Come,” she said, finally, after a moment.

 

I didn’t like the idea of fae transport, and I was right not to. Three more of the scaled, fanged, and obviously carnivorous horses awaited, tacked up.

 

“Don’t worry,” I murmured to Kanesha.

 

“She didn’t give her word.”

 

That was a point. “I do ask for a promise on one thing. That we will be returned to this place unharmed. And with all of our possessions.” I added that because it was obvious we’d have to secure our swords to the saddles.

 

“Granted,” the Lady said, with a slight smile. “If you will promise in return that you will not try to sharpen your sword on me.”

 

I laughed. “Granted.”

 

It seemd a fair enough deal. I helped Kanesha into the saddle before I mounted. She held the reins awkwardly. I made a mental note to find her riding lessons. The consort…or at least girlfriend…of a goddess really should know how to ride.

 

But the Lady kept the pace slow, or slow for these horses, perhaps out of awareness and deference to Kanesha not knowing what she was doing.

 

I rode next to her, then murmured. “Should buy you riding lessons.”

 

“…might not be a bad idea. Just not on ones with fangs?”

 

“The ones we have have wings.”

 

“Or extra legs.”

 

I grinned. But I didn’t know of any fanged horses. Other than these guys. Who no doubt would carry us into a lake and drown us if they hadn’t been ordered not to. I wondered how intelligent they were.

 

But in surprisingly short time, we were at the outskirts of a very sleepy little town.

 

I didn’t feel anything wrong, and glanced at Kanesha. If it was an area effect thing, I hated to say or even think it, she would be our canary.

 

“This place does look like it should be filmed in black and white.”

 

I wasn’t sure what they saw. Motorcycles? Ordinary horses? But the Lady rode to the very center of the place, to a village green with a duck pond that had not one single duck in it. It looked almost British, I thought.

 

“Come out, Aidan!” she yelled.

 

Silence.

 

“Want me to be intimidating?” I asked her.

 

She gave me a feral grin. “I think you don’t need to do anything to be that.”

 

Kanesha’s horse didn’t want to stand still. “Quiet,” I murmured to it, which had some effect – maybe the horse was intimidated.

 

Then Aidan came stalking out of a nearby store. He did not look happy.

 

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