Maple ran swiftly... her barefeet catching only the hint of grass as the trees sped by her. She glanced over her shoulder. Three stallions chased after her, springing through the trees in blurs of movement. Kelpies were fast.
They gained on her. She cut a corner under a downed tree log and dipped out of their sight, long enough for her to transform into a tree. Her leaves shivered as her roots dug deep into the fertile soil. It had been nearly a month since her last Dryad prescience. The three handsome steeds burst out of the bushes into the clearing, stomping their hooves and snorting their nares.
They horses transformed into three handsome men with wide dark eyes. Mannerisms still somewhat horsey, the three glanced around at the mass of trees for her, barely attempting to catch their breath.
The leader, Prince Jakai leaned back against a black walnut tree, catching his breath between a laugh. "Maple!" He called out to her. "I know you're here." He scanned the trees, looking as though he'd be pawing the ground with his hooves if he was in his horse form.
His two companions and childhood friends loitered by, one doubled over catching his breath. "Man, she is fast for a non-kelpie." They laughed to each other. "She'll make you fine colts, your highness."
Jakai laughed. "That she will," he said to them before calling out to her again. "I will find you Maple. You'll be my bride, hear me. I will take you to my kingdom as my own. Your father already gave his consent. You are mine."
It took everything Maple had from rustling her branches in deep indignation. She thought to herself, 'Yeah you had your archers hold him at arrow point, you freaking horse, what else was he to do.'
Then again, she teetered towards the devil's advocat. Her father was a shrewd businessman, if the prince offered a large enough treasure, her dad AND mom would have handed her over to the River Kingdom's Kelpie prince in a heartbeat... no matter if the prince was known for eating humans, only leaving their livers behind...
But the prince was too stingy for that arrangement and found it better to terrorize her forest-born father into signing his recommendation for her hand to belong to the kelpie.
Maple refrained from shuddering. Oooo that river prince was worse than the goblin King.
The Kelpie Prince sniffed the trees one by one. Fortunately, for Maple there were hundreds of trees in the area. Unfortunately, the prince was determined to find her.
Kelpie laws were absolute: A male chooses his bride. He fights for her or demonstrates his power. He wins then she belonged to him and that was that.... Too bad the Kelpie prince, one whom had won the position through battle, had chosen her to be his bride.
Maple could feel the school nearby. If she just made it through the gate, then the school's barriers would keep the kelpie at bay.
She waited until the kelpie had turned their backs to her, then in a split of second transformed back into her elfin-dryad-self and ran for the gate.
The kelpie pursued, whinneying and nickering. She could see the gate, but crashed to the ground as the Kelpie prince tackled her to the ground.
He pinned her with a happy laugh. "One kiss, my love."
That was a true statement. One kiss sealed the marriage contract. He leaned towards her, eyes closed in a dopey happy expression.
She turned her face away, and scrambled for her satchel to grasp a slimy object inside it. She'd been saving this for an emergency.
She whipped the liver out and smacked him in the lips with it. Turning a shade of blue, he gagged and fell backwards, almost passing out.
She scurried to her feet in a dustball and dove through the gates. The magical barrier slamming down after her, allowing only those that were admitted through its barrier.
The other two stallions came to a dust spraying stop just before its edge. They stomped back and forth snorting and rearing.
Maple got up. Brushed herself off. Stuck out her tongue at the kelpie. "Two words, dorks: Glue factory." She left and went inside. |