The Kelpie's Curse (book #1 in the Kelpie's Entrapment trilogy)

Prologue

Dedicated to Angel Teachout

Fearchar, Scotland 1550

 The night air was cold and the night itself was black, the only illumination coming from the few torches held by the trembling townspeople. They all knew to fear the inky blackness of night but it was not the night that they feared now. It was the creature that stood before them, just out of reach of the torches' light.

"Bide back, beast!" one brave or stupid man - the rest of the gathered party weren't quite sure - commanded as he stepped forward. "We have nae quarrel wi' ye an' ye have nae right tae be here."

The stallion threw his head back and laughed.

Any of the villagers who had doubted that this was, in fact, the Kelpie that had terrorized them for so long did not doubt any longer. They all knew to spot it by its ever dripping mane, of course, but that laugh. It sounded almost human and coming from such an animal it just wasn't natural.

"I have come fer what was trysted," the Kelpie said simply, but the villagers could hear the underlying threat. If he did not get what he wanted there would be consequences.

Undeterred by the threat the reckless man spoke up again. "We owe ye naethin', ye monst-"

"Aaron, dinnae anger it."

"Dae ye expect me tae reason wi' it?" Aaron snapped at his wife, without looking away from the Kelpie.

"Oh, fer th' love of th' Almighty," Marta MacClambroch muttered as she stepped forward away from her husband. "Th' lassie ye seek is nae here. She fled wi' her folk just this morn. Nae one here knows where they might have gone."

The Kelpie laughed again but there was no humor in it. "Ye will regret this," he promised. "If I ever smell a lass wi' Irish blood within yer midst, I will nae stop huntin' ye until I am given what is rightfully mine. Nae-one will be safe from my wrath, be they man, woman or bairn. This I promise ye!"

The villagers of Fearchar held their breath as the Kelpie ran from them, and disappeared into the night.