Page 119 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
“What’s happening?” I asked Bronwynn for clarity. Usually hearing only one side of the conversation wasn’t this confusing.
“My horse,” Bronwynn scoffed, “gambled away the last of your gift oats and got herself enchanted with a rainbow mane by Cassandra Moon here.” The bard jutted a thumb at the black horse, who looked all together very pleased with herself.
“And she doesn’t want to change back?” I confirmed. After a quick glance, I spotted our wagon at the end of the hallway, in a small alley behind the stable. At this point, a stable hand noticed us and slithered up the hallway to come and help.
Bronwynn slumped. “She’s lost a bet. Of course she’ll have to keep the coat until the spell wears off. Still … it’s soshiny.”
I reached out and placed a palm on the bard’s shoulder just in time for the help to arrive.
“Hello, Minstrel Bronwynn!” The naga woman was wringing her hands in front of her chest. “I’m sorry about the mess. We caught the horses playing cards this morning, and we haveno ideawhen the changes happened.”
My hand slipped from Bronwynn’s shoulder.
“Cards?” the words slipped out of my mouth, incredulous.
“I haven’t seen Cassandra’s partner yet today”—the naga bowed low—“but as this happened at our inn, we are willing to try and undo the spell—”
“We’ll be fine.” Bronwynn waved off the stable hand. “I understand there wasn’t any ill intention, and Donna doesn’t seem to mind. Do you know how long it will last, exactly?”
“Ten hours, give or take.” the naga said with enough confidence I realized this probably wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. It wasn’t my place to interrupt, so I simply stood in support beside my bard. “The spell lasts half a day, and I caught them two hours ago … though I’m not sure how long they’d been playing.”
Donna leaned down and sniffed the latch on the stall door she’d been staying in. Suddenly, the latch was loose, and the door swung open, releasing the mare. She sent a fond farewell, or what I imagined was a fond farewell, to the black horse who’d caused all the mischief, and then walked over to us.
“I’ll bring up the wagon.” The naga nodded, as if horses magically opening their stalls were the norm around here, and slithered off to the back of the stable.
Bronwynn reached out and gripped her horse’s head, rubbing her hand on the mare’s long nose and marveling at the copious amounts of glitter that fell as she did so. Or at least, I marveled.
“I can’t bring youanywhere,” Bronwynn mumbled, and then set about grabbing Donna’s equipment and dressing the mare. A saddle, even though Donna barely needed it while she was pulling a wagon, and some things to help hitch her to said wagon. Bronwynn would know better than I about preparing a horse and wagon, so I grabbed our bags and brought them to load into the back.
We were set and ready to head to Vitol, the capital city overlooked by the Emerald Palace.
Within a few hours, we would be standing at Bronwynn’s family home and … I decided it was probably time to have that important conversation with my bard.
CHAPTER 72
Born for Greatness and Biting People
Brownie
Brownie’s beautiful, sparkling, gloriously foolish mare had on more than a few occasions gotten into trouble after meeting other intelligent horses like herself. If Brownie had known Cassandra was going to be lodging there, she might have planned better and moved the mare.
Or not.
Donna was a very sociable horse, with a need for adventure. She was also very popular, and Cassandra was all too happy to get up to mischief with Donna. No one was ever really hurt in their antics, though one time, Donna had somehow shaved a picture of a stoneskin wombat’s butt on Cassandra’s flank. Brownie didn’t even want toknowhow the mare had handled a pair of trimming scissors.
“Bronwynn.” Rufus’ smooth voice immediately had the bard focusing on her travel companion. He’d thrown an arm up on the backrest and casually turned to face her. Slake was having a catnap in the back of the wagon, and they’d just exited the city gates with little to no fuss.
“Yes?” She smiled across at the beastman general. For a bare instant, she wondered if she might just cancel visiting her family and go find a place in the city where she could spend some time petting Rufus instead. Or talking to him. Or going to a festival …
Rufus leaned closer, his golden eyes searching hers. “May I court you? Officially?”
Brownie burst into a huge smile. She felt the rise of excitement, uncertainty, hope, and more build as she positively yelled out, “Yes! Of course!”
Brownie let go of a small fear that had been secretly worrying her since that morning; that Rufus had left last night because he wasn’t interested after all and he wasn’t going to let her pet him again anytime soon.
Rufus didn’t even flinch at her shout. Brownie, self-conscious of her outburst, tried to calm down. “What type of courting?”
“Well … how much do you know of beastfolk customs?”
