Wild Horses

We, well Ben, Tal, and Wuyi carried Enbarr back on a slab. Rupper stayed behind to tend to Cerberus for a while longer. After we returned to the cottage, Wuyi remembered that Kathy was on the beach so Kelly and I agreed to go with her to collect the girl.

I went mostly so I wasn’t alone with the married couple. Even a harmless joke to Ben about always listening to the wife got me a glare from Tal. Apparently just breathing was enough to annoy her now. Whatever. I needed to cool off so stayed quiet on the approach to the beach.

Of course, it wasn’t as simple as “find Kathy building a sandcastle, collect Kathy, go back’. She was missing and after Kelly and Wuyi spotted tracks, we landed in a field where I could smell pipesmoke and the most beautiful music was just out of range. Before me the air shimmered like a summer’s day and without a glance to Tal’s arrival (really? REALLY? For the love of the Ocean, hound me here too?!) I stepped forward onto a fairy ring dancing the night away and after the host greeted us; I really stepped forward onto the fairy ring to dance the night away.

I don’t recall anything but the music, Wuyi beside me, and the wisps swirling around until the music stopped and howls were cresting the ridge. Wuyi grabbed me and Kathy, Tal snatched up Kelly and we moved light lightning to get out of reach of Cerberus’ jaws. Behind us a lone brownie trapped near the dog just… started to toot on his bottle and it bloody worked! Cerberus fell, snoring, and the poor fairy was left there to just keep blowing.

At home, the fight over Kathy reared up again. Wuyi, Kelly, and I wanted to take Manannan up on his offer and raise her, like he did with me. Tal was against it, of course, Ben naturally sided with her, and Rupper went with them. Stalement. The usual.

Then Tal went and called me a whore. Well, to be fair, she called Wuyi a whore, and selfish and Wuyi isn’t either, but everyone in that room knew that those comments were directed more at me. So it escalated from there. I know the men tried to ease the tension but after Father mentioned that the curse on Ben would be lifted after a good amount of attempts, I couldn’t help myself.

I casually told Wuyi that now Tal would have to whore herself out to break the curse and that just set Tal off. I knew I had gone too far, but seeing her there crying on the floor… I couldn’t deal. I refused to deal with it. She made it seem like it was a betrayal against her, that it was all about her and it wasn’t! Does she think I enjoy being forced to seduce anyone who dazzles me with a damned smile? In a sense, it’d a forced arrangement, no matter if I go willingly. No, of course not. All she considers me is a damned whore.

I wasn’t going to end up destroying myself for her, or for anyone. I told her as much and walked out. I chose a mare for my father’s ritual and he performed it and…

I had four legs, a tail, and damn am I hot as a human. And as a horse. I gave my father the best horsey glare I could as he did the change for the others, Tal being suspicious. Why couldn’t she just accept anything? Wuyi gave me an odd look, and I figured it’d be best to avoid the others for the day. I explored my childhood on the island, splashed through rivers, raced over fields, outran a Kelpie stallion… and fell, exhausted and dreamt of Enbarr. When I awoke again, I was human. I was myself, and I knew that Enbarr’s majesty still flowed through my blood.

My first action was to find Father and talk. About everything. So I did. Maybe I’ll discuss that in another entry. Maybe. It’s still… hard to take in, and now I’m not sure if I’m even worthy of a new life. But I’ll try.