Good, I’m glad there were no bells. He disliked loud bells for some reason. And rabbits, if they stood in his path.
Shall we take a ride to a farm this eve? Slow, easy, just you and me.
Apples at the end?
Yes, my friend, apples at the end.
I miss the brush in your hand.
He gave me a soft nudge with his shoulder. I took his head between my hands, resting my brow to his, and let my love for him flow into his thoughts. This horse and I had been through much together. And while he had an aversion to church bells and hares, his affection for me was evident. Being a horse, he could not put that into flowery words, but knowing he missed my brush on his sides touched me deeply.
You are my dearest friend, Hasulett.
Beiro love.
We stood brow to brow for a long moment, the chuff of his warm breath filling my heart before I pressed a kiss to his smoky muzzle and then stepped back.
“We must leave or we will be late. Pasil dislikes me being late.” I sighed aloud, giving the gray gelding a gentle scratch under his ear before feeding him another tart apple slice.
We rode out shortly after the apples were gone, the well-packed bailey quiet now aside from the pens of animals kept for slaughter. I felt their fear of being in a strange place. It was hard not to leap down to free them. I had done so on my first day in Avolire. The emotions of the beasts were so overwhelming to me that I flung open the gates, weeping as I did so, and watched the panic ensue. Sheep, goats, two calves, four hogs, and several geese ran wild. I had been taken aside by Kenton once the majority of the animals had been rounded up. That was my first lesson in how to set up blocks inside my mind to filter the steady voices of so many beasts.
It was still hard, several seasons later, to ride past those pens. Understanding most here in Melowynn ate the meat of the creatures I spoke with helped little at times. Danubia, in her wisdom, explained that the natural order must be respected. So while we who worshipped her chose not to partake in consuming meat, many of the animals of the woods did. Like the wolf consumes the stag, many elves—and the other races—do as well, as they require meat for sustenance. The cycles of life, death, and rebirth are sacred. She says while druids choose to forgo eating meat, it is not the only choice, and we who are deeply connected to the flora and fauna should always try to lead others to understand that intention is of great import. We should not judge those who differ from us. We should gently lead them to understanding that every creature that gives its life should be treated with respect and gratitude for the life given. She tells us to seek out personal harmony and understanding with those who do not walk the same path as we druids do.
That was not always an easy commandment to follow. Most days, it was nigh impossible. Yet, we tried and tried and wouldcontinue trying. Change, as the king has said, does not come in a flood but in a steady drip which slowly changes the course of great waterways. Dripping is tedious to be sure, especially when the drips seem to be hitting rock-hard skulls.
Musing about the hard-headedness of thousands as we rode, I found myself outside the city limits with the gentle sea winds at my back. The farmlands that fed the castle exploded into being as soon as one rode through the city gates. Verdant fields of wheat, corn, and vegetables lined the wide dirt road. Orchards with trees heavy with fruit stood under the new moon, branches bowed with apples, pears, peaches, and the fat plums I so loved. Round hives of bees were everywhere. The final scouts returning home with pollen sacs full to bursting. I loved the sounds of the world and the scents. Honey on the breeze, the rustle of leaves, the soft clops of hooves on hard dirt. I stopped briefly to pluck some wildflowers as a gift. Purple bells, white tatted lace posies, and a spattering of bright yellow bee balm.
“Thank you for the color you bless us with,” I whispered as I tucked the flowers under my armpit to mount. As I did not have the gift to speak with plants, I could not say if the flowers felt pain or anguish. I hoped not. Back in the saddle once more, I tapped my horse mentally instead of using my heels to his sides.
Hasulett was content, his emotions calm, his thoughts random. He, too, smelled the honey from the hives as we passed. We both heard the bark of a dog far away, the low of cattle, and the soft blats of sheep. The night began to creep in as we made our way to the old farm that sat by a small, round pond. Soft chirps of frogs at the edge of the pond greeted us. I pulled up at the gate, taking in the farm. A rather large house with new thatching, windows warm with the glow of the hearth. That made me think of the dwarves I would ride out with tomorrow. They had mentioned several of their gods, but I knew little of any of them. Perhaps that was something we couldteach each other on the long trek ahead. Perhaps if they knew of Danubia, they would be less prone to teasing elves.
“There is always hope when there is knowledge shared says Beirich,” I whispered to the frogs and crickets. The front door of the farmhouse opened, light spilling out onto a tidy yard with a large garden in rich bloom. A tiny shape flew out of the doorway, wings beating madly as Tezen streaked over my horse’s head to greet me. He snapped at the pixie, thinking it was a blow fly.
“I’m no fly, you great gray nag,” Tezen yelled and grabbed my nose to bestow a kiss to it. “Ha! Right on the freckle! My aim is true!”
“There are many dots on my nose, so your skills at aiming your kisses are not quite proven,” I teased as she released my nose to hover before me like a jade hummingbird. “Why are you here?”
She lighted on my shoulder as we slowly rode closer to the tiny stables. “Well, I thought you might need a little help here tonight. You know. Seeing them sucking on each other’s faces when you had a hot streak for Pasil might be hard. I can keep you occupied when they get too lovey-dovey. Also, I brought some fire brandy from the sacred vats of the Grommveldir brewers that Smuta gave me.”
“Smuta?” I asked, eager to hear when and where the pixie and the dwarf had met up, when two shapes filled the doorway. Pasil and Teryn, hand-in-hand, called out a greeting to us.
“Smuta. She of the hefty titties,” Tezen giggled wickedly before a young stable boy emerged from the small barn. Slipping to the ground, I handed the reins to the sleepy elven lad, patted his head, and made my way to the front door.
“Come in, come in! Dinner is ready, and thanks to Tezen, we have an after-dinner drink that will melt the curls off your stones,” Teryn called out as we approached.
“I brought flowers for the table,” I awkwardly said, holding the bouquet out to Teryn. The flower stems were bent, and a few petals had fallen off during the ride, but the ambassador seemed joyous.
“Oh, I love the deep purple spikes! Come in, please. Let us feast while the food is still warm and the wine is chilled.” Teryn grinned and eased free of the handhold he had with Pasil to rush into the house with the flowers pressed to his soft blue robes.
“He does love the purple spikes,” Pasil wistfully said before dropping an arm around my shoulders. He jerked me into his side, laughing at Tezen, who was cussing him out for his big, heavy arm on her tiny head. “My apologies. Perhaps we should crack the wax on the fire brandy to ease the ache in your head?”
Pasil gave me a sideways hug. It felt nice, lacking though now I knew it was an embrace of friendship and not a clinch of deep affection as I had imagined our hugs to be. A knot in my breast flared to life. My friend was happy. I had to focus on that. Tezen gave me a queer look and then flew up to face us both.
“I was assured the fire brandy would not ease any aches but create new ones so sip in moderation,” Tezen answered, grabbing me by the lobe which held the white pearl. “Come on, whatever Teryn is setting out smells amazing. I’ve not eaten anything all day. Well, nothing that fills up a gut,” the pixie said with a dirty wink of a black eye.
Off she went to the dining room. Pasil and I exchanged looks. “It is good to have my friends here for a meal. I was so eager to have you meet Teryn. He is…quite special to me.”
I forced a smile. “He seems pleasant.”
