Despite growing up in Montana, Avery was not a cowgirl. She did not take horseback lessons as a kid. She’d only been on a horse a handful of times, and the experience was unnerving. Sitting on such a powerful and temperamental animal never appealed to her. She preferred action sports where she did not depend on an animal to listen to her. Riding a bike, skiing, or even whitewater rafting sounded more fun than riding on a horse.
She was not about to ride a horse. She was preparing to ride anelk.An animal that shouldn’t be ridden by people. She hoped she would not be riding one with antlers.
The large fae named Jay led the way. He walked confidently toward a pen of elk. As he approached, they all looked up at him. He called to the elk, making a bugle sound with his lips. A few of the elk responded, bugling back to Jay. They seemed excited to see him approaching.
With a cheerful grin, Jay turned and looked at Avery. “What is the name of the realm you came from? Do humans ride elk in your realm?”
“I’m from Montana. It’s a state in the United States of America. We have wild elk, but nobody rides them. It would be impossible. Some people ride horses for fun, and a few for work, like ranching. I do neither.”
“I have heard of fae riding horses the way we ride elk. In Latiah, we domesticated elk over ten millennia ago, so our traditions with the elk were set long ago. What do you ride, if not elk or horses?” Jay asked with earnest curiosity.
“Well, we ride in cars. Do you have carriages here?” Maybe she should have lied and said she rode a horse. It would save her from having this tiresome conversation on what was already an exhausting day.
Kyla joined the conversation and responded before Jay had a chance. “Yes, we do. Is a car like a carriage?”
“Kind of, but they’re motorized, so humans drive them by turning a wheel and pushing on pedals to make the car stop and go. They can go very fast and allow us to travel quickly.”
“How interesting!” Jay responded as they approached the corral that held the elk. “These are all females. They’re gentler than males. Plus, it’s easier to learn to ride without the antlers in the way.”
Avery stood in front of a corral of twenty female elk. They were not like any elk she had ever encountered. They were huge. Most of the elk’s shoulders were above her head. They had strong, compact bodies. Their fur was in a variety of colors, from black to golden, like Avery’s hair. Some had soft brown eyes, while others had wild blue eyes and even green, cat-like eyes. She couldn’t believe these were the same species as the wild elk in America.
“They’re gorgeous! Elk in Montana don’t look like this. They are smaller and just brown,” Avery commented.
“Latians have bred elk for many things. From fierce war elk to gentle beauties fit for a princess, we pride ourselves in breeding the best elk in Aeritis. We also have moose that are just as striking. Although they are more temperamental,” Jay commented as he walked into the corraland harnessed a golden-furred elk. As he put the leather harness around her nose, he gave her an apple.
“This is Dandelion. She’s gentle and will be a good match for you. Many elk tend to have a mind of their own, but she will not lead you astray. She also gets along well with Savine’s bull elk, Jari. Would you like to lead her?” Jay asked as he walked Dandelion out of the corral. She followed him obediently and stopped when he gently touched her side.
“She’s beautiful. I’ll walk her around, but I don’t know how I could ride her all day. You said there were carriages here. Can I ride in one of those?”
“Let’s start with walking her and see what you think,” Jay said.
Avery took the leather lead and walked Dandelion into a field of shimmering grasses. She nuzzled Avery’s shoulder. It surprised her, but Jay was there with an apple slice for Dandelion. She looked around for Kyla, but she stayed behind, stroking the other elk in the corral.
“Elk are not complicated creatures,” Jay said as he stroked Dandelion’s thick yellow coat. “They want to be part of a herd, connected to their group. They want respect, and they will give you respect. Treat them harshly or distrust them, and they will do nothing for you. This is often why I prefer the company of elk. They are not trying to trick you or seek power over you, as many of the folk will do.”
“Do the folk want to trick one another?” Avery asked. She’d been here a week, yet she still knew little about the fae.
“Has Savine told you nothing of the ways of the folk?” Jay asked, intrigued.
“About your character? No. Although, after the vows you made, I understand you take some things very seriously,” Avery said as she continued to walk Dandelion through the fields. She felt strung outand exhausted, but pushed through as she walked the big, gold animal around.
“Folk rarely swear an oath to another. What Savine asked of us is unheard of, but so is finding a human on a mountain. That is why he showed us the mark. He wouldn’t take the risk of one of us glamouring you or hurting you,” Jay said as he walked beside Avery. He showed her a wide grin with white teeth. His easy and calm nature made her more comfortable around him than she expected.
“Does Savine not trust you and his council?” Avery asked.
Kyla walked up, shaking her head. “Savine has been betrayed more than once in his past. Unfortunately, the scars of his past make it difficult for him to trust anyone, even those closest to him. None of his council would ever betray his trust, yet he struggles to accept this every day.”
Avery’s heart ached a little at hearing this. She looked out across the plains to the mountains jutting up in front of her. He must have been through a lot in his life to not trust the people closest to him.
Jay nodded in agreement. “As for the glamour, fae can use their essence to glamour themselves, like covering stuff up, and sometimes they can glamour weaker fae. It’s a type of enchantment. For instance, Kyla has one on herself because her essence is often overwhelming for her. I’m sure since you’re human, you could be particularly susceptible to glamours. Like in the witch stories from childhood. Savine could have glamoured your memories away or put a glamour on you that would cause you to kill yourself or others.”
“That is terrifying. How will I keep from being glamoured then?” Avery asked.
“Avery, any fae can glamour you. How you prevent it from happening is to learn magic to protect yourself,” Kyla said as she reached a hand out and strokedDandelion.
“But that’s not possible. I’m not magical,” Avery stated. She stopped and patted Dandelion’s shoulders as she thought about these words.
“Savine believes otherwise,” Kyla said with a smirk. “I am inclined to agree with him. If you were any human woman who accidentally crossed a portal, the Goddess would not have kept you here.”
