"I won't let a debt go unpaid," he said firmly. "It's not how I was raised. What can I teach you in exchange?"
Her eyes widened as she remembered something she'd been speaking about with the other women at dinner. "I don't suppose you know how to ride a horse?"
He looked almost offended. "I can ride anything," he told her firmly. "I learned to ride from the Sidhe themselves."
"Then that's our trade," she said firmly, feeling a sense of satisfaction at having solved the problem. "I teach you human stuff — you teach me to ride. Deal?"
"Deal," he agreed, his eyes shining.
She extended a hand, and he took it, shaking it formally in the moonlight and inclining his head. His eyes seemed to be shining brighter, and she caught her breath as she felt a strange shifting in the air around them, for all the world like a breeze had stirred up in the moment of agreeing.
"What was that?"
"A promise is a magical thing," he said simply, as though he was explaining that rain fell from clouds. "Of course, our pledge stirred the air."
She felt a strange chill run down her spine. She'd just been making a promise to a friend… she hadn't expected to be entered into some magical binding contract. Still, she supposed it couldn't hurt… after all, they were both getting something out of this deal, right? She was looking forward to learning how to ride. Maybe Aelfred could even teach her how to get over her fear of horses. They were unpredictable and tricky… and hey, didn't they have that in common? She grinned to herself.
"Well, I'd better get to bed," she said softly, aware that there was an energy between them that was scaring her as much as it was thrilling her. "I'll see you in the morning?"
"I'll look forward to it, Melanie," he said softly, smiling at her. "I'm going to stay out here a little longer. The stars remind me of home."
She left him there, gazing up into the sky, and as she slipped through the great wooden doors, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Did he know, she wondered, that part of her promise had a lot more to do with finding an excuse to spend time with him than it did with feeling that he needed her help? Maybe. If he suspected her, he was being very polite about it… still, as she climbed the stairs, she couldn't help feeling a little worried that she'd embarrassed herself. She'd never been like this with men… never felt the need to chase them, to pursue them. The handful of semi-serious relationship she'd been in had always come to her… and had always been easy to dismiss when they began to interfere in her life in any way. This guy… this guy was different. She really wanted this guy.
And she hoped, as she slipped into her comfortable little room, that he wanted her too.
Chapter 13
The next day dawned bright and clear, and she sat up blearily from her bed, from another night of long, complex dreams about dancing with Aelfred in the Faerie world. Maybe it had been what he'd said about the passage of time being rather strange there, but the same had been true in her dream… she had never quite gotten a sense of what time it was in the dream, as though they'd been dancing through a perpetual twilight, a time that could have been night or day, perfectly balanced on the cusp between them. That was how she felt, she realized as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair, combing it out after what had clearly been a restless night of sleep. She was balanced on the cusp of two worlds… her own world, the future she'd come from and couldn't quite bring herself to leave behind, and this world that surrounded her, this strange new world that confused and delighted her by turns, this world that she couldn't quite accept as real.
Not yet, at any rate. Though it was getting harder and harder to believe that it could be some kind of dream or hallucination. Not with every mundane little detail she kept noticing — the wooden cups on her side table, the distant birdsong, the cool air that rushed in to embrace her when she pushed the door open and set off down the hall. Her stomach was growling. At least her appetite had come with her through the Burgh, she thought with a grin. Food would help her settle in, surely.
The dining hall was bustling already, despite the hour being very early, and she scanned the crowds, searching for Aelfred and waving good morning to the other women as she spotted them. It seemed that all of them sitting together last night had been only a semi-regular occurrence — she saw Elena and Nancy sitting together, but Anna was with her husband and children at the high table, there was no sign of Karen at all — had she and her husband returned to the village? — and when she saw Helen, she was chasing a recalcitrant-looking five-year-old boy around a table, watched over by an amused-looking man she vaguely recognized as her husband, the castle's harbormaster.
But then, as though he'd sensed she was searching for him, she felt a familiar presence come up beside her. Aelfred, his long blond hair shining in the morning light, a soft smile on his face as he presented himself. "Good morning," he said brightly. "See? I'm doing better with time already."
She couldn't help but laugh at that. "You've done well," she agreed, smiling. "How did you sleep?"
His face fell a little. "I — didn't," he admitted, frowning. "Is that something I should have…"
"Most people sleep at night, yes," she said, fighting the urge to laugh. "Oh, dear. Well, we'll get to that next. Are you hungry?"
The two of them served themselves some breakfast. There was an enormous spread to choose from, but she was drawn to great pots of oatmeal that were steaming at one end of the table — she ladled herself out a hearty spoonful and added honey and a little dash of what looked like fresh milk. Aelfred was following along, serving himself exactly what she was getting, and she resisted the urge to tease him for being a copy-cat. He was just trying to learn human ways, she told herself firmly, and making fun of him wouldn't help. How was he supposed to know what people ate for breakfast, when the concept of breakfast was entirely alien to him?
They sat down together and enjoyed their meals. The oatmeal was absolutely delicious — it was sweet and creamy, cooked to perfection, and there was something else about it that set it aside from what she usually had for breakfast, back in her little apartment… was it the lack of a microwave? she wondered with a grin.
Aelfred tilted his head. "What are you smiling at?"
"Oh, just comparing this to what I used to have for breakfast back home," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Turns out stuff cooked properly tastes better than stuff cooked in a microwave. Who knew?"
"I never cooked," Aelfred admitted with a frown. "Food just appeared. That doesn't happen here?"
"Definitely not," she said blankly. She might not have been completely familiar with farms and the like, but she knew that much. "There are kitchens through those doors," she said, nodding toward the far side of the hall. "That's where they cook everything."
"Fascinating," Aelfred said softly. "I mean, the Sidhe had servants, but … I suppose I didn't really know what they did with their time. They may well have been cooking."
A sheltered life, she thought with a smile. "Well, maybe you can learn some of that," she said with a smile. "Cooking's good fun, actually. Very peaceful. And healing, too."
That seemed to pique his interest. "Magic?"
She hesitated. "I don't know about magic. My dad used to make this soup whenever I got sick… he swore by it, said it had vitamins and stuff in it that were …" She sighed. "Look, he did use the word magic, but magic's not…" Well, she couldn't exactly tell this man who'd grown up in another world that magic wasn't real, could she? Not when she'd been brought here by time travel… "We don't know how to do magic, anyway. It's just… when something's cooked with love, it helps you feel better."
"Sounds like magic to me," Aelfred said with a shrug of his shoulders, taking another scoop of the oatmeal as he considered what she'd said. "The men — my cousins — they told me that most new arrivals to the castle get sick in the first few days, especially those who've come through the Burgh from somewhere else. Perhaps we'll have need of your father's soup."
She s
miled. "It was my mother's recipe, actually."
"Oh? But she didn't cook it for you?"
"She died," Melanie said, lowering her eyes. "When I was very small."
Unexpectedly, she felt him reach out and take her hands in his again, and she flushed a little, wondering what the other women would say if they saw the pair of them holding hands over breakfast… "I'm sorry, Melanie."
"It's okay," she said. She was used to this conversation. "I don't really remember her — I was six-months-old when she died, so it's not like it hurt —"
"It still hurt," Aelfred said firmly. "Losing a mother is always painful. The years the two of you could have had together were taken from you."
She nodded, taken aback by that way of looking at it. "I suppose so. It would have been nice to know her better. My dad told me stories, I guess, but…"
He smiled. "Stories are good. But making your own stories is better." He sighed. "I do miss my mother."
"We should find her." She frowned. "How long have you been gone, do you know? She'd be older, I suppose, but —"
"I spoke to the men about that," Aelfred said. "There's a woman in the village named Leah, they told me — she, too, is a Changeling just like me who was taken by the Sidhe as a young girl and returned. She should be able to help me figure out how long I've been gone."
"That's great," Melanie said with a smile.
"I was wondering — would you come with me, to visit her?" he asked, a slightly anxious look in those luminous silver eyes. "I'm worried I might embarrass myself. My manners…"
"Of course," she assured him, feeling a warm glow in her chest that he wanted to spend more time with her. "But I don't know how to ride —"
"I'll teach you first," he promised her. "I've sent word to Leah asking when would be a good time to visit, so we have a little time to teach you. If you'd like, we can get started today?"
"Sure," she said with a smile, a little dizzy. Just like that, they had a horse riding date. Her excitement at spending more time with Aelfred paled only a little when she thought about the prospect of trying to tame an enormous horse… she bit her lip, and felt Aelfred touch her shoulder, just gently.
"Are you alright? You seem worried."
"I'm a little nervous about horses," she said, shaking her head.
Aelfred nodded. "It's good to be nervous. They are terrifying creatures — wild and difficult. I'm shocked that the Castle manages to keep so many restrained in their stables."
She blinked, a little taken aback by what he was saying. It sounded like he was talking about lions, not horses — and from what she'd seen, the horses in the stables were less 'restrained' there and more contentedly munching on pails full of oats while they rested comfortably in their straw-filled stalls. "Are they really that savage?"
"Oh, yes. We'll have to tame one for you. A horse never takes more than one rider," he said darkly.
She frowned. "That definitely doesn't sound right."
He hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Is it possible," she asked after a pause, "that horses in the Fae are a little different to horses here?"
He looked thoughtful. "It is very possible. A good thought. Well, let's find out today, shall we? I've got just as much to learn about horses as you do, it seems," he said with a smile.
So, they finished their breakfast and headed out into the courtyard on a fact-finding mission. She had to admit, what he'd said about horses being wild beasts made her feel anxious… but as they headed across the courtyard, she saw a man riding out on a placid-looking black mare. Aelfred took a sharp breath in, reaching out across her body with one arm as though to protect her from the creature, which flicked them a vaguely curious look before continuing where its rider was steering it. But Aelfred looked flabbergasted.
"Sir," he called, starting forwards. The rider turned, frowning a little, and Melanie recognized him — Galen, Julia's husband, and a member of the Guard, from what his wife had told her. "Forgive me —"
"You must be Aelfred Grant," Galen said, raising an eyebrow as he reined the horse to an easy stop. "Galen Grant."
"Cousin!" Aelfred beamed up at him — but she could tell he was keeping a wary distance of the horse the man was riding. "Can I ask you how you tamed the beast you're riding? She is surprisingly calm."
"Tamed?" Galen frowned. "This mare's been at the Keep for years. She's always been this calm."
The mare raised her head a little, sniffing at the air, and Melanie, feeling brave, took a step closer to the horse. Curiously, she extended her snout, and Melanie reached out to let her sniff her hand. Aelfred made a worried sound in his throat — then his eyes widened in shock as Melanie stroked the horse's nose.
"Unbelievable," he breathed, moving a little closer himself.
"Donal did mention you were a strange one," Galen said, looking bemused as he sat atop the mare. "Do they not have horses beyond the Burgh?"
"Not like this," Aelfred said, wide-eyed as he reached one trembling hand out to touch the mare, who sniffed at him curiously. He shut his eyes before his shaking fingers brushed ever so lightly against her neck… then leapt back as though ready to be attacked. The horse huffed a little, surprised by the sudden movement, but clearly not bothered by it. Aelfred whooped in shock and delight, causing the horse's ears to flick. "Marvelous! Such peaceful beasts!"
"Aye, I suppose so. I'm off to the village," Galen said, his eyes flicking between the two of them. "Nice to meet you, Aelfred. And to see you again, Melanie." He hesitated. "Keep an eye on him, will you?"
And with that, he turned and urged the horse toward the gates. Aelfred watched him go… and Melanie watched Aelfred, full of amusement and affection at how utterly thrilled her friend seemed to be about horses.
"Well, I am surprised! I suppose it will be easier to teach you to ride than I thought," he said, turning back to her with a broad grin. And together, both of them clearly feeling more confident about the prospect, they headed into the stables together.
In the end, they spent the rest of the day just spending time around the horses — no actual riding took place. First they explored the stables thoroughly. Aelfred seemed shocked by the lack of what he referred to as 'safety equipment' in the stables — it seemed that Fae steeds needed to be handled with a lot more personal protection than regular Earth horses. Melanie began to suspect that Aelfred was messing with her the fourth time he scanned a stall for chains, but the look on his face was so earnest that she was forced to conclude he was serious. Well, that put away any lingering interest she might have had in visiting the Fae. If even the horses were that dangerous, she didn't want anything to do with the place.
There was an old chestnut gelding right in the back of the stables, and a groom directed them that way when Melanie asked if there was a horse they could just pet and spend some time with, shrugging his shoulders and indicating that that old horse had never bitten, kicked or thrown off a rider in his life. That sounded like a good start, she decided, leading an apprehensive Aelfred toward the gelding's stall. He was drowsing when they arrived, but when she made a soft clicking sound with her tongue, his ears pricked up and his eyes opened, and he took a few shuffling steps to stick his head out over the stall door, sending Aelfred skittering back toward the opposite side of the aisle, a little like a spooked horse himself.
"It's okay," Melanie promised. Despite her own fear of horses, it was surprising how comfortable she felt around them — especially with Aelfred reacting with such fear. Something about having someone with her that was more frightened than she was made her feel braver… as though she was being brave for Aelfred, not just for herself. And the chestnut gelding was an absolute sweetheart. He pressed his soft snout into her extended hand, his hot breath huffing across her fingertips as he sniffed her thoughtfully… and when she grew brave enough to stroke his nose, he lazily shut his eyes, clearly enjoying the caress. Slowly but surely, Aelfred crept closer and closer, his silver eyes wide with shock at how calm Melanie was around t
he horse.
"He's gentle," she promised him. "Look."
It took a few minutes for him to gather the courage, but soon enough, Aelfred reached out one hand and stroked the gelding. The chestnut horse's eyes flickered open and he looked at Aelfred thoughtfully, one ear flicking lazily as he seemed to work on deciding whether he was interested in more attention… yes, he seemed to decide, he was, and he shoved his snout into Aelfred's hand. The man stiffened — then continued to pet him, a wondering smile breaking out across his handsome face. "He's friendly!"
"Yeah, horses aren't that scary," Melanie said with a shrug. "I mean, they're very big, and I think they get spooked easily, but overall…"
"Overall, they're good friends," Aelfred said softly, that wondering smile still on his face as he stroked the gelding. "We ought to go for a ride!"
She hesitated at that, though. "Uh, maybe. Shouldn't we start with saddles?"
It was Aelfred's turn to look hesitant. "Right. I've seen those. And bridles, yes? The leather equipment humans put on horses to ride them? I'm afraid I don't know much about them," he said apologetically. "No Fae horse would allow such a thing to be placed upon him."
She was beginning to develop a second-hand phobia of these Fae horses. "So — how do you ride them? How do you guide them where to go, or hold onto them?"
"It's more a question of jumping on and hoping," Aelfred said with a shrug of his shoulders. "As for holding on… you grip with your knees."
She winced a little. Her legs were strong, but she didn't think they were that strong… "I think we should get a saddle first," she said firmly.
In the end, a nearby groom came forward — he'd been listening to their conversation with some amusement, and though he was fascinated by what Aelfred had said about Fae horses, he didn't seem to think any of it was true. He offered to teach them how to tack a horse up, though, in exchange for a few more stories of the Fae. Aelfred shook hands on it, and if the groom noticed the strange stirring of air around them, he didn't comment on it. And so, they spent the afternoon learning the pieces of a saddle and bridle, how to put them on a horse and take them off again… and the groom's favorite subject it seemed, how to maintain them. Tack maintenance seemed like an art form. There was oil to be rubbed into the leather to protect it from weather and wear, specific ways to hang a bridle, polish for the metal pieces to keep them shining and stop them rusting… by the time they'd gotten halfway through that particular lesson, she'd forgotten all about horses.
Trusted By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance Page 11