Rykka (Beastborne: Book 1)

Part 22: Honeymoon

Song: Feeling Whitney - Post Malone

Althira's threat had been effective and the trio did not see the boy as they ate their breakfast and left the inn. Lynsias had reluctantly said they should purchase mounts to shorten the rest of their travels. The storm rolling in from the mountain looked foreboding and Lithias and Althira agreed they'd need to make better time to out run it. She wondered what the horses would think of Aakine and Othanis as they neared the stables on the edge of town. There were only a few horses milling around in the pasture outside but Lithias noted that most were young and seemed strong. It was only the slightest relief to her pounding head when she reached out mentally and formed a bond with each of them.

All of the horses answered the unspoken call and walked over to the fence to great them as they approached the barn. Her eyes locked on one of the only older horses in the group as they approached. He wasn't anything spectacular, tall but an average dusty gold color that was common in horses from the plains. What made him stand out to her was the strength of the bond he had formed with her. Whether he showed it or not, she was convinced he was at least partially magkin blood. The two of them seemed to gravitate to each other as she reached the fence. Her gloved hand made contact with his forehead as the two met. He nickered softly as she ran her hands through the patch of dust colored mane that hung between his eyes.

Althira joined her, reaching out to stroke his main. "He's strong, clearly a fighter judging by those scars. I'd wager he was wild caught." She said as she gestured to the scarring on his legs and chest. Lithias nodded, she could feel the wildness in his mind. "I agree." She said quietly. "Well, you two ladies would be winners in that bet. Found Wolf here just a few miles south of here in a valley. Wild as wild could be." Lithias had to fight hard not to make eye contact with the man who appeared out of the barn beside him, instead she tried hard to keep her eyes on the horse while the others greeted him. "Is he for sale?" Lynsias asked. The man responded quickly, almost too quickly. "Sure is, only problem is you gotta take Cub with him too."

Lithias was about to ask who 'Cub' was when a new presence joined her mind. She opened the connection to feel an animal approaching at rapid speeds. She looked to her right, deeper in the pasture, just in time to see a rather disgruntled looking beast come charging up the hill. She felt a large grin begin to form on her face as she began to recognize the form of the angry magkin running up the hill. The little Strya seemed very disgruntled judging by his long ears that were pinned flat against his head. Strya were often mistaken for a small donkey but the little devils were quick to correct anyone who came to close by flashing it's long canines. They were also shaggier than donkeys and she'd only ever seen them with dark coloration.

She thought the one that had joined them, Cub, looked rather cute despite his nasty attitude. He was solid black and had two lighter grey rings around his eyes that almost made him look like he was wearing goggles. He hissed at her as he got close but she couldn't help but reach out and offer her hand anyway. "You are just the cutest." She cooed as the beast snapped angrily at her fingers causing her to pull them back. It hissed again and turned it's back on her as it nuzzled into the flank of his much larger friend. Lithias heard the man from before laugh in astonishment. "You've got to a braver man than I, never heard someone call the monster 'cute' before." The man said, she looked over to see he was looking at Lynsias in apparent sympathy. It took Lithias a minute to realize he was referring to her as his partner while Althira snickered beside her.

It was clear he assumed the same thing as the others about her relationship with the couple. That was nice given their plan for her disguise. She'd heard that other countries were less open to the notion of polyamory. Lynsias looked over at her as she narrowed her eyes at him playfully. She could see the amusement in his eyes, those being the only feature exposed. "Funny, all I hear is people calling that monster cute." He looked over at Althira who was petting another horse that had been brave enough to approach despite the Strya that growled at him. Althira looked up at him with big eyes. "She is cute." She said defensively, gesturing to Lithias. Lithias herself snickered as the man from before laughed. "I see, you're the bravest man I ever met with those two."