**DAPHNE**
“Where’s Dionie?” I ask, feeling comfortable enough now to use my voice. Turning back to Petra and the thick umbrella of greenery ahead.
Petra slows, then with a tug of her fingers, removes her cloak to lay over Rose’s back. “Probably to distract Hayden’s henchmen. Or else to fetch a couple of horses from the river.”
My eyes widen. “Why would he fetch horses from the river? I mean - how-”
“We should stop for a while and rest. I know it might not seem like it but we are traveling uphill, and the climb is only going to get steeper and more tiring. We should eat and wait to see if Dionie will catch up before traveling further.”
I nod to her and pull off my cloak to lay on a thick root possessing the natural construct of a garden seat. I don’t mention to her that her long braid is now shining gold in the sunlight and every shade of brown has now bled from her eyes, leaving them a kinetic blue. And, her ears, they are slightly pointed at the tips. She’s lovely.
Truly, I know what she is, and the fact is a bubbling joy inside of me.
I don’t want her to snap at me or have a nervous breakdown. So, I will continue to pretend as if I do not see. Whatever I say to her now, might sound accusatory.
But now it all makes more sense.
No, I think I’ll wait to interrogate her when Dionie is present as well. But there’s no harm in a few questions about...other things.
We sit amongst the trees listening to birds ring out their morning song, while drinking water from a canteen and chomping down on a couple of oatcakes. Watching Petra chew with her eyes narrowed and thoughtful, I decide to jump right in.
“Do you believe in faeries?” I ask, noting the sudden tension in her body and the way her hand stills at her lips.
Taking the last bite of her oatcake, she stands. “Yes,” she says simply. “You know I do.”
I nod, smiling at her from my perch. “Your much more beautiful today.”
For a moment, she appears confused, and whatever she was planning to say is interrupted by the sound of horses coming our way.
“Down,” she says pushing me into the high grass and dropping over me. The wind wooshes from my lungs and I’m gifted a mouthful of green as we lay there.
She begins to chant breathlessly in a language I do not recognize. Her skin begins to shimmer and heat as my heartbeat quickens.
The hoofbeats become louder and slow as they approach. Rose neighs happily and I try and push up to take a peek at who has graced our presence.
All the while evergreen guardians seem to smile down upon me, and I have the sudden urge to smile back at them.
A whisper sounds in my head.
*Fear not child, we shall protect you.*
The trees seemed to sway in two different directions. Like they are dancing. Like...they are happy.
I speak to Petra, “It is alright. Get up. The forest is calm.”
“What?” Petra hisses, but she lifts herself off me to fall into a sitting position and give me the seediest stare a sweet looking girl could ever muster.
“Ladies,” Dionie’s voice sounds. He leaps down from a blood red horse, the likes of which I have never seen, and I am instantly in love with the creature.
He is holding the reigns of two horses. They are exactly the same size and somewhat remind me of chess pieces on a board of red and black as opposed to the traditional white.
Dionie smiles at me, his eyes are back to normal, despite that they are more yellow than brown, and I sputter a choked hello.
“We have food,” he says reaching for my lips to pull a long strand of grass from my mouth. “No need to eat the grass.
I smack at him playfully and reach for the horse he came in riding. I want to touch her; I need to feel the dazzling fire of her coat.
“Careful!” Dionie snaps. “Trielle does not like people. Especially humans.”
I catch his eye for a quick moment, allowing the side reference to ‘humans’ to pass without notice. I add it to the list of oddities I will address once we arrive at the cottage.
I slow my reach as Trielle, faces me. Frowning, I start to pull my hand back, but Trielle has other plans. She dives her nose into my palm and I giggle, granting her access to both hands as I run my fingers through her long red mane.
Her whinnies of happiness soothe me as I press my cheek to hers, ignoring the gasps at my back. “What?” I say to no one in particular as I lovingly feed Trielle the remainder of my oatcake.
“I told you she was special,” Petra says smoothly.
“Amazing.” Dionie says.
“What type of horse is she? I’ve never in all my life envisioned such a beautiful animal.”
“The twin to this one here. The black one is called Delago and that’s his sister Trielle the Red. They are Shadow Steed.”
“Really, Dionie?” Petra says, rolling her eyes.
“Shadow Steed,” I repeat, nuzzling Trielle’s face with my own.
“They are from Ash’s stables,” Dionie explains.
My head jerks up at the mention of Ash. “Did you see him? Where is he?”
Dionie sighs, “He will meet us shortly.” Then, eyeing Trielle from his stance next to Petra he says, “I assume you’ll be riding her?”
I laugh, “If she’ll let me, but I’ve never ridden before.”
“Ah,” Dionie says. “I suppose I could ride with you or-”
“-I will ride with her,” Petra snaps. “Are you trying to lose your head?”
“Right,” Dionie coughs. “Anyway, we ought to get moving. With the horses we should arrive at the cottage by supper.”
It is then that Trielle does something the others seem to think amazing.
She kneels.
She lowers her front legs so that I might have a seat on her saddle.
Glancing back at Petra and Dionie as I climb on - their wide eyes cause me to freeze.
“Would you look at that,” Dionie exclaims. “She’s chosen you.”
“Chosen me?” I question.
Petra grins. “When a Shadow Steed kneels like that, she is saying, I belong to you. And, you belong to me."
Dionie nods. “Petra will ride with me. She cannot ride with you. You’re going to have to just trust Trielle and hold on for dear life.”
“W-what?” I yelp as Trielle stands with me astride her. I’m barely hanging on and have to adjust myself to keep from toppling off.
Petra smirks at me as Dionie lifts her onto Delago’s back. “Because now that Trielle’s chosen you, she’ll not let anyone else on her back.” She giggles as Dionie leaps up behind her. Looking at me again, she adds, “Not even Ash.”