Vatta waved us off the next morning with our packs filled with fresh supplies and bellies full of fried eggs and bacon. Belis seemed much calmer for her time spent with the other witch and we walked in companionable silence for a while, occasionally stopping to snatch an apple from one of the trees that grew wild in the woods. The chill of the morning burned off after a while and I wrapped my cloak up and stowed it in my pack.
The rest had done me good and Vatta had taught Belis a handful of cantrips, including one to heal blisters. I was pleased to be moving more easily again, even if I was still slower than my companion.
Eventually the trees thinned out and then stopped entirely. We followed Vatta’s directions and took a footpath to the south. At the end of the road I saw a long wooden house, surrounded by pens. Horses grazed in the fields. As we approached the house I saw a young woman lunging a horse on a rope as it cantered in wide circles around her.
She paused when she saw us and glanced back up to the house. Belis bowed politely towards her. The woman gave a long, low whistle and waved an arm towards us. A pair of shaggy hounds ran over, stopping a few yards away. Clearly we were not to go any further.
I crouched down and held out my hands to the dogs. One ofthem made to come closer but his fellow snapped at him and he fell back in line. I stood again, disappointed but understanding. The sight of the dogs had sent a wave of longing through me for my own hounds. I wanted to run my hands through their fur and bury my face in their scruff.
We waited in the sun. A second figure emerged from the house and headed towards the dogs. He calmed them then beckoned us closer. The farmer was broad-shouldered and tall enough to look Belis in the eye. She explained that we had been staying with Vatta and had come to trade for horses and he visibly relaxed.
“The lady sends a few of you my way every year or so. I don’t sell my horses lightly, but I can probably spare a couple. A favour from the lady is worth a year of good luck. Follow me.”
He waved back at the young woman, and she started lunging the horse again. The farmer led us to a low-set barn, split into stables.
“If you’ve had dealings with the lady Vatta then you’ll be keeping off the main roads,” he said, sizing Belis and me up. “Nothing flashy or expensive-looking. You want reliability. Have you ridden before?”
Belis nodded. I gave a weak smile. I had ridden often and well on the fae horses of the Wild Hunt whenever I visited them, great stomping beasts who could run faster than the wind. I doubted my human muscles would have retained those memories, though. I decided to hedge my answer, not wanting to jump in over my head.
“A little, mainly mules or donkeys,” I said.
The farmer laughed. “This will be an upgrade, then.” He unlatched the nearest stall and clicked his tongue. A sturdy-looking pony trotted out, his coat a burnished bay with three white socks.
“This for you, then.” The farmer patted the pony on the rump. “His name’s Weasel. As for you…” He glanced at Belis thoughtfully then walked up to the end of the barn. He returned a minute later leading the scruffiest gelding I had ever seen. Itstood about thirteen hands, with a long, tattered mane and tail. I eyed it dubiously. The farmer caught my expression.
“Yes, I know, but there’s nothing wrong with him, he just likes looking that way. I can’t tell you how many hours my daughter has spent grooming him, brushing his mane and polishing his coat. He’ll just go off and roll in the mud. He’s a good horse, though, and eye-catching is not what you want on the roads these days.”
Belis stepped forward and offered her hand to the horse to smell, before stroking his nose. She checked him over with an expert eye. The muscles in his legs and shoulders were strong beneath the dust.
“What’s his name?” she asked the farmer, finally turning back.
“Carrot,” he said, a little abashed. “My daughter named him. He’s got a chestnut tinge to him under the grime. We don’t go in for fancy names around here.”
He wiped his hands on an apron.
“I suppose you’ll be wanting some tack for them, too? And we didn’t discuss how you’ll be paying for these horses.”
He endeavoured to loom over us and seemed surprised that Belis was the same height. Belis opened her pack and fished around. She withdrew a handful of golden coins and held them out to the farmer.
“I recommend you rub the faces off before you try and use them,” she said, dropping them into his outstretched hands.
He picked one up and bit it, inspecting the toothmarks in the soft gold.
“Well, that’ll more than cover it, and my silence, too. Thanks for the tip. I take it this face isn’t popular among our new overlords?”
“They’re looking for me. It’d be better for you if they never know I was here.”
The farmer scratched his head. “I reckon so. Don’t tell me any more, then. Lady Vatta’s got a firm grip on these parts, but you don’t want to push your luck.”
He held out his hand for Belis to shake, then headed off back to the house. Carrot nosed into the open pack and I closed it before he could snaffle the last of the apples. He gave me a doleful look and I relented and fished one out for him. He ate it from my palm and I stroked his soft nose. It wasn’t quite as good as having a dog, but his animal smell and obvious love of treats made me feel a little better.
Riding was exactly as uncomfortable as I had feared, but Weasel was a quick little thing and Carrot could be enticed into some speed with the rankest bribery. We made excellent time and reached the banks of the Severn before nightfall. I remembered Vatta’s words and tried hard not to complain too much when we finally slid out of the saddle. I had thought I’d identified all the muscles in my legs that could possibly give me pain but a day on horseback proved me wrong.
Belis found a boatman willing to transport us across the river and I led the horses down to the waterside, hobbling and trying not to slip in the mud. The river was a muddy-brown in the greyness of the day, a far cry from the silver snake I had seen in the moonlight from Vatta’s balcony last night. When we had boarded and the boatman had begun to punt us across, I turned and waved back towards the woods.
“What are you doing?” Belis asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Vatta might be able to see us. I want her to know we’re safe!” I nudged her. “Wave!”
