Tears of mirth slid down her cheeks. “I just can’t stop picturing you on that horse’s back,” she blurted out betweengiggles. “You’re bigger than she is! You ought to carry her through the Barren Lands!”
“Find another travel companion, then.” I crossed my arms across my chest and tilted my head in mock outrage.
She just flapped her hand at me. “You have to admit, it’s funny.”
“It’s not that funny,” I grumbled.
The man returned from behind the barn, dragging a wooden monstrosity behind him. He huffed and heaved with the effort, but the thing slowly rolled in our direction.
It was… I supposed it could be considered a carriage. It looked more like a giant covered wheelbarrow.
It was large—large enough to fit three smaller folk if they squeezed in tightly—and it sat on four sturdy iron wheels. It was vaguely square in shape. Old holes had clearly been patched with whatever scrap wood was lying around. Four wooden stakes held up a makeshift roof. The man hastily pulled a sheet off it—it was certainly in storage for alongtime.
It was hideous. An absolute monstrosity.
“What is that?” Kizzi asked, her laughter reigniting. “A cottage on wheels? Don’t let Redd see it, he’ll drop dead.”
“It’s a carriage,” the man said defensively. “It’s perfect! You two can sit inside with your gear, and the horse can pull it. And the horse’s back won’t snap in two. Everybody wins!” His grin was tight and pleading.
“Well…” I said. “It’s not gorgeous but I guess it does solve our problems.”
Kizzi nodded in agreement. “They’re not going to let us into the other towns, it’s so ugly. I love it. It’s perfect, we’ll take it.”
The man sighed in relief. “Five silvers, please.”
I choked. “Five? For that hunk of junk?”
“It’s a rare carriage…”
Kizzi tossed me an admonishing glare and presented the man with a handful of coins. “Thank you very much for your help. We will return it before Hallow’s Eve.”
The fae man collected the silvers and then scurried away without another word—scrambling to harness the scrawny horse and get it hooked up to the carriage.
This was going to be a long, slow trip…
The thought didn’t bother me as much as it should have.
I held an arm out in a grand gesture. “After you, my lady.”
Kizzi snorted and rolled her eyes, but she stepped up to the carriage door without complaint, yanking it open and tossing her bag inside. She immediately grabbed the bag and frantically peeked inside, sighed quietly, and then tucked it gently into the corner.
Then she hiked up her skirts and climbed deftly into the carriage. I yanked my gaze away when I caught a glimpse of a smooth, exposed thigh.
I allowed myself two deep breaths. And then I followed her, tossing my bag beside hers on the floor of the carriage. She stuck out a booted foot to prevent our bags from smashing together. The stablemaster beckoned me forward and briefly instructed me on how to control the horse from the carriage. The mechanics were roughly the same as riding horseback, but if the horse decided to go rogue, we were screwed. There would be no stopping it.
“It should be fine,” the man assured halfheartedly. “Have a safe journey!”
I gritted my teeth and patted the man on the shoulder. “Thanks! Wait! Does the horse have a name?”
“It’s Daisy.” He saluted me and hurried away without another word.
“Let’s go, captain!” Kizzi called from the carriage. “Let’s see how fast this baby goes!”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Let’s just try to focus on crossing the Barren Lands in one piece.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re no fun.”
CHAPTER 17
