The Crucible Campaign

6: Beast Mage

.^^ Hildegard and Gunnar ^^

— Caroline —

I watched the raven disappear into a shadow, and grinned. "Okay, this world is growing on me. I mean, I miss my horses, but magic!"

Hildegard laughed. "Indeed... speaking of horses, come, meet mine!" She opened a panel of the windows, and stepped out over pure air, a hundred feet over the ground.

Cassidy reached her first, pulling her back, and Teagan laughed in sync with his mother, his glowing eyes seeing something we didn't. Then I remembered, we hadn't gone up. We'd walked, Level with the ground, from the entrance to here.

"I appreciate your effort, my dear Cassidy, but I am fine. The ground is right... here!" She hopped out, and landed two feet down, on what looked like a cloud.

I followed, and as soon as I left the door, I could see the large garden all around, full of low grass and tiny bubbling streams. The wall of the Fort loomed a few hundred feet off, but there was plenty of room. The sun was just barely cresting the wall, as it was early in the morning, and it illuminated a horse paddock, off to one side.

It was currently empty, until Hilde snapped her fingers, and a giant white Clydesdale stepped through a curtain of purple energy, like with the Storm Dog. It nuzzled up against her, and she giggled. "Yes I know, Gunnar, you want to run. But first, meet my child, Teagan! He is here, now!" She gestured at my husband, who was holding back so many emotions, seeing his mother again after so long.

The horse trotted over, and sniffed him, then nodded, butting his head up against Teagan's chest gently, then sniffing Cassidy and I, doing the same, one by one. 'Horse-Heart, welcome to my Herd.' a Deep voice echoed out from the horse, in my mind.

I flinched, and then gently blew in his nostrils, as I had with all my foals, and scratched his chin carefully, aware of my new strength.

He huffed back, in my face, and I surprised myself by memorizing the scent. 'Let us run, Master, the Wind calls!' He laughed, and nudged his nose under Hilde's rump, tossing her onto his back and darting off as fast as lightning, faster than any horse had a right to be.

She laughed and held on, sitting on his back like she was born there, as he sprinted and leapt over every type of obstacle in the garden and the paddock, and I sighed, hugging Teagan.

He turned and buried his face in my chest, squeezing me tightly. "I know, darling." I patted his hair slowly, and sat down on a bench, as Cassidy leaned against the open fence of the paddock, engaging in conversation with Hilde to keep her occupied for a few minutes, while he got it all out of his system.

Eventually, he sniffed, and wiped his face on my shirt, making me raise my eyebrow at him. "You better now, babe?" I asked softly.

He nodded, and laid his head back in my chest. "Yes... but you are very comfy, still, which is a relief." His voice was muffled, but I caught the mischievous tone attached to it that I adored.

I grinned and hugged him tighter, groping his butt unashamedly. "Is that so? Maybe tonight I'll try some new stuff on you, then, hmm?"

He blushed all the way to the tips of his pointed ears, and didn't respond, his bravery done for now.

"That's what I thought, darling. Now stand up, let's get this all finished, yes?" I nodded, and kissed him sweetly, standing us up and straightening his clothes.

A dwarf man poked his head out into the garden, through a different window than the one we'd come through. "Lady Skøll? You sent for me?" He called out.