The Maiden of Moonfane Forge

Sitting astride Fae outside the front paddock gate, Lily turned in the saddle to wave goodbye to her mother and father. Then she clicked her tongue and tapped the panthegrunn’s sides gently with her heels, setting her to an easy pace up the footpath. Riding a panthegrunn was unlike riding a horse in practically every way that mattered. Fae was both powerful and agile, and could stop and start and change directions faster and with more force than any horse could. Not only did she move differently, but had different proportions than any normal animal. This meant one couldn’t sit atop her in quite the same way one would sit atop a horse. The saddle and stirrups had to be custom made to account for this, allowing Lily to ride Fae comfortably for long periods at both casual walking speeds and the exhilarating running speeds she was capable of. Upon having first trained the great panthegrunn to accept a saddle and carry a rider, Lily had had to train herself, too, to forget all she had known of riding horses and re-train her body to flow with Fae’s unique gait.

Fae’s tack included reins, but Lily seldomly used them. It was easier to grip Fae’s shaggy yak’s mane and direct her using gentle touches and words. When she walked slowly like this, Lily could even lean forward to fold her arms atop Fae’s broad head and rest her chin there. But Lily could sense that neither of them cared for a slow stroll this morning. She brushed her fingers through’s Fae’s thick hair and rubbed behind her ears.

“Poor panthegrunn,” she empathized. “All cooped up in that goat’s paddock for five whole days. It was better than your stall for that long, at least. But I know how you feel.” She leaned over the great animal’s head and kissed her there before scratching more at her mane and ears. “You want to stretch your legs, don’t you? Well then ...” Lily gripped Fae’s shaggy head tightly and tucked her legs closer to the great beast’s powerful body. “Go, girl,” she whispered and gave Fae a light heel tap.

The panthegrunn needed nothing more than that. Her great cat’s body sprang forward with all the strength and acceleration of a lioness springing to the chase. Her hooves pounded the dirt path while she chuffed great breathes of air in and out of her broad yak’s nose. Lily let out a whoop of joy, keeping her head tucked in close to Fae’s, and still the wind of their passing pulled Lily’s hair loose from its tail and made it stream wildly out behind her. They chewed up the path and then the main road to the East Gate. Only when they came in sight of town did Lily finally rein Fae in to a walking pace once more and direct her around the town, outside its Barrier, to where the stables were located near the South Gate.

When they were within sight of the stables, Lily deftly dismounted and took Fae’s reins to lead her in. At the same time, she spotted three riders approaching from the south road, all wearing the garrison’s black and silver—soldiers returning from a patrol. Lily shaded her eyes to watch them, and then smiled when she recognized the rider at the front.

Vetch would already easily have recognized Lily from a distance, for who else but she would be leading a panthegrunn into the stables. He waved and reined in before her, as did Neschi beside him, and a young blonde-haired soldier behind them that Lily didn’t recognize. She remembered Marigold telling her that the new soldier from the King’s Capital had arrived and decided this must be him. But her glances at him and Neschi were perfunctory. It was Vetch that drew her attention and caused the easy smile that now shaped her lips.

“Well, hello there, soldier boy,” she greeted Vetch, as he stepped down from the saddle. The two stood a couple feet apart, both holding the reins of their respective mounts. In all the years they had known one another, Lily could not remember a time when Vetch’s unruly hair didn’t look half-disheveled from a brisk ride, even when they were small children and he’d yet to sit a horse. It suited him, she’d always thought. It went well with his unpretentious smile. It also reminded her of how her own hair must look after her exhilarating ride back into town on Fae, and she dropped Fae’s reins so she could pull it back and tie it into a tail again.

But before Vetch had even a chance to respond to Lily’s greeting, the blonde soldier exclaimed, “What is that?” and slid down from his horse to cautiously approach Fae.

“Have you never seen a panthegrunn before?” chided Neschi playfully. She, too, dismounted and strode right up to the great beast. “Good morning, Fae,” she said in a singsong voice as she scratched Fae on the top of her head. Fae grunted her approval and nosed her head up into Neschi’s hand.

Wenzl stood in disbelief at a length out of the range of the panthegrunn’s impressive horns. His eyes flicked between the intimidating animal and Lily. Lily took pity on the boy.

“As Neschi said, she’s a panthegrunn. A kind of charge-beast.” When Wenzl only gawked, Lily added, “You can pet her if you’d like.”

The boy stepped up cautiously beside Neschi to rub Fae on the top of her head. Fae grunted and shifted on her heavy hooves, causing Wenzl to step back. Neschi laughed.

“Did I anger her?” Wenzl asked.

“More likely she’s being spoiled with all this attention,” said Lily.

“Where did you get her?”

Lily reached to scratch Fae behind the ear. “She was gifted to me as a calf by my Mage-Matron, who purchased her from a traveling merchant.”

“Mage-Matron? Then you’re ...” His eyes widened.

Vetch chose that moment to clear his throat. “Lily, this is Wenzl, our new man in the garrison. Wenzl, Lily.”

Lily realized then that before he had spoken, Vetch had been quietly staring at only her during the entire exchange. She felt her cheeks color. She spoke distractedly.

“Pleased to meet you, Wenzl.”

Wenzl’s wonder at seeing a near mythological animal in Fae was transferred instantly to Lily herself. “You’re Marigold’s apprentice?” he asked with no small amount of awe in his voice. “You’re a Barrier-Caster, then. Could you cast a Barrier now? Just a small one? I’ve never seen such a thing done, even in the capital.”

“Wenzl,” Vetch said. “Act like a soldier, man. I’m sorry, Lily.”

Lily shook her head quickly. “I-it’s okay, Vetch.” She smiled and looked to the new recruit. “Another time, perhaps, Wenzl. I woke from Slumber only this morning. Traditionally, an apprentice will do no Casting whatsoever for a full day after waking.”

Vetch waited but a beat to see how Wenzl would respond, but as he appeared to be tongue-tied, Vetch grinned. “Well, there’s your answer.” He grabbed the boy by the shirt collar, tugged him easily away from Fae, and gave him a good-natured shove back to the horses. “Walk your horse and put him up. And Neschi?” He held out his reins to the other soldier. She allowed herself a smirk, but took his meaning.

“Good seeing you, Lily. And you, Fae,” Neschi said, giving the big panthegrunn one last good scratch between the horns. She took the reins of both Vetch’s horse and her own and followed Wenzl away to the wing of the stables allotted to the garrison.

“Sorry about Wenzl,” Vetch said. “I think he’s still getting used to everything here.”

“It’s fine, Vetch, really.” Lily smiled self-consciously and loosened Fae’s saddle straps to give her hands something to do. “Are you off-duty now?”

Vetch made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a grumble. “Tragically, no. There’s a stomach ailment making its way through the barracks, so those of us who escaped it are pulling doubled shifts. Morning patrol followed by afternoon gate duty for me.” He moved in beside Lily and helped her pull Fae’s saddle off. Lily felt his shoulder brush hers, then watched as he hefted the heavy saddle. He led the way into the shade of the stables and she followed, leading Fae. Fae’s large stall was down at the other end of the long stable building, where she could have more space to herself and be apart from the horses.

“Shame,” Lily said. “We could have gone to the markets today.” She led Fae into her stall and removed her bridle, then went about shaking out fodder for her and filling her water bucket.

After hanging up the saddle, Vetch leaned over the stall wall and watched her. “There is nothing I’d wish to do more today than that, would that I could get out of gate duty.”

The words made Lily’s heart flutter, but it was his eyes on her that caused her traitorous cheeks to redden again. She couldn’t fathom why it did so often these days. How long had they known each other? And where was Fae’s hair brush? Had not she brought it into the stall with her?

As if reading her thoughts, Vetch took up the brush from its hook outside the stall and handed it across to her. “Tomorrow?” he suggested. “Or the day after? I’ll be owed some covered shifts after today.”

“I’ve more Barrier-Casting exercises tomorrow,” Lily said thoughtfully, beginning to brush out Fae’s shaggy head hair. “Which means a rest day after that. Mari will probably have me studying her notes on techniques and theories that next morning. But ...” She grinned at her lifelong friend over Fae’s head. It was his eyes. How his dark eyes seemed to gain more light when they looked at her.

“But? ...” he said.

“Uh,” she smiled to herself and returned to brushing Fae. “But I’m sure she’ll release me from that by midday. She usually does. We’ll go then.”

The man smiled the same familiar smile he had always done, even when he was a boy. But he was a man grown now, and looked one, and it made that familiar smile carry something much more significant to her.

“We’ll go then,” he confirmed brightly. Then, something in his peripheral caught his attention, for he turned his head and looked down the stable’s long hall. Lily leaned over the stall wall and followed his gaze. Neschi and Wenzl evidently had finished with the horses and were milling about conspicuously by the door. Vetch sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “We’ll go then,” he repeated.

Lily nodded happily, wondering where all her words had gone today. They stood looking into each other’s eyes for the length of a couple breaths, and then Vetch broke the spell by favoring her with one more smile and tapping his hand on the stall door, before he was off to rejoin his companions. Lily heard them joking and jostling on the way out of the stables. She let out a breath, and then quirked her mouth and shook her head at herself.

“Don’t laugh,” she told Fae, lifting the shaggy hair that hung down over the panthegrunn’s eyes and looking into them to make certain that there was no undue amusement hiding there. Fae grunted and nudged her snout up to lick Lily’s hand. Lily was the one who laughed then.

She finished caring for the great animal and then left her with a promise of another ride early in the morning before the morrow’s training with Marigold began. But Lily’s mind was already wandering to the day after that, with thoughts of early spring sunshine, and strolling the markets with a handsome soldier at her side.