"No shit," she huffs, "It's this freaking Yeti suit! Can't hardly move in this thing." Brushing snow from her face with a scowl that's more adorable than intimidating.
She positions herself at Gullfax's shoulder once more, and I easily lift her into the saddle, settling her in. Erik enters behind me, his movements as silent and graceful as ever. I jump up and slide in behind Dani, while Erik takes his place behind me.
"Alright, handsome," Dani says, patting Gullfax's neck. "Show us what you've got."
Gullfax takes off across the snow, his hooves barely seeming to touch the ground. Dani grips his reins, a delighted squeal escaping her as I wrap my arms securely around her waist.
It's like riding a fucking roller coaster as Gullfax picks up speed, moving faster than I've ever experienced on horseback. And then, suddenly, we're airborne—the ground falling away beneath us as the stallion takes to the skies, a shimmering rainbow trail stretching out in his wake.
Danica
22
Holy. Shit.
If you'd told me a few months ago that I'd be riding a magical golden horse through actual air, I would've suggested a good therapist. Yet here I am, playing jockey on a mythological mount while defying every law of physics I learned in college.
The wind whips past us at speeds that should probably terrify me, but I'm too busy being awestruck to care that my face feels like it's being sandblasted by arctic air. Even through my frozen eyelashes, the view below is mind-blowing.
I risk a glance down and—wow. Just... wow. It's like someone draped a giant white blanket over the entire world. The snow stretches out in every direction, broken only by the occasional mountain peak or cluster of trees. From up here, it all looks so peaceful and serene.
It's like some crazy mash-up of Norse mythology andThe Neverending Story, minus the tragic horse-drowning-in-a-swamp scene (thank god). Though I've got to say, Falkor the luck dragon has nothing on our golden boy here. Gullfax is practically glowing with happiness, his powerful muscles moving beneath us with all the confidence of someone who regularly tells gravity to go screw itself.
Rhyland's arms band around my waist like steel cables, his chest pressed against my back as I grip Gullfax's reins. Gullfax moves with the fluid grace of liquid gold, each stride covering impossible distances as he literally runs on air. Through the Faerite stone, I can feel waves of pure joy radiating from him. He's finally getting to do his job again after who knows how long. There's something adorable about how proud he is to be carrying Rhyland—like he's come full circle, serving the son of his formerrider.
I never thought I'd say this, but galloping through the sky on a magical warhorse while my demigod vampire mate holds me close? Yeah, it's definitely going in my top ten most remarkable moments ever.
After what feels like an eternity of arctic torture (but is probably closer to an hour), the endless sea of white suddenly transforms into something that makes my brain short-circuit. The landscape below us explodes into a spectacular vista, and I forget how words work. Gullfax's giant hooves dance across invisible air, and through our connection, he proudly announces,"Ásgard."
And my god, if this isn't the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Sorry, Grand Canyon—you've officially been demoted to "mildly interesting hole in the ground" status.
As we soar through the air, he becomes my tour guide, pointing out sights that make my inner science nerd have an existential crisis.
"Those peaks before us,"he explains as we glide past mountains that pierce the sky like giants' teeth,"are older than time itself. Their snow never melts, blessed by the first frost giants."The mountains gleam with an inner light that is definitely not covered in any National Geographic episode I ever watched.
We bank left (andfuck, who knew a horse could corner like an F-16?), giving me a perfect view of what looks like rivers made of liquid crystal."The sacred waters,"Gullfax tells me, "flow with the essence of life itself. One drop can heal any wound, though few are deemed worthy to drink."
The forests below us shimmer with leaves that actually sparkle in the light, creating a natural light show that would put Times Square to shame."The ancient groves,"my golden guide explains,"where the first gods walked. The trees remember their footsteps still."Well, that explains the bling—these trees are literally older than dirt.
Meadows burst with flowers in colors that probably don't even have names in mortal language, their petals throwing off light like nature's own disco ball."The Fields of Forever,"Gullfax says with what I swear is a mental smirk."Where spring never ends and winter dares not tread."
"This is incredible," I whisper, though the wind probably steals my words. But Gullfax's answering whinny tells me he heard me just fine.
"Just wait,"he tells me, his mental voice tinged with mischief."You haven't seen anything yet."And without warning, he does a dive maneuver—like a roller coaster drop—that makes my stomach relocate somewhere near my throat.
Show-off.
I play translator for Rhyland, relaying highlights from Gullfax's guided tour while my Viking drinks in the view of his ancestral realm. Our bond allows me to feel his mix of awe and something more profound—like pieces of his heritage finally clicking into place.
When Gullfax finally touches down on actual solid ground (praise God), my thighs and ass immediately file a formal complaint. Holy hell—apparently, those horseback riding muscles are entirely different from my "running for my life" muscles.
"Ow." I groan, trying to rise with some semblance of grace and failing spectacularly. "I didn't think my ass could hurt this much after such a short trip."
Though considering it feels like we were galloping through Luminara's enchanted forests not long ago, you'd think I'd still have some horseback riding muscles in working order. Clearly, magical realm-hopping does nothing for maintaining one's equestrian fitness level.
Rhyland and Erik hop off like action heroes because, of course, they do. Meanwhile, I'm sitting up here contemplating if breaking both legs would be worth keeping my dignity. Thankfully, Gullfax seems to understand my human limitations and kneels like the gentleman stallion he is.
"Need a hand, shorty?" Rhyland's lips twitch with amusement as he reaches for me.
