The Witch with No Name(199)

The dogs’ song shifted, and I looked at the graying walls of the tent. I had to go. “Come on, Red,” I coaxed, and she obediently took the bit, noisily moving it around until it felt right.

“You’re late,” Jenks said, helping enormously, and I led the horse over to the mounting box. I normally didn’t need one, but I normally didn’t ride wearing twenty pounds of lace. Red didn’t like it, and she shied.

“Hold still,” I muttered as I swung my leg over. Red squealed, and I pulled her in tight, bashing my chest against her as I lurched on. We spun in a tight circle, and breathless, we came to a halt.

There in the flickering light of the gas lamps was Trent. He was sitting atop Tulpa, a bemused expression on his face as he took in my hair, the mane of it going everywhere. “I thought you were going to wear it up?” he said, and I flushed.

“Jumoke’s kids hid Ray’s cap, and I gave her mine,” I said, thinking he looked fantastic in his father-of-the-bride finery. My God, Ellasbeth would be kicking herself tonight.

“Quen decided to stick with Al to keep him from going out of bounds,” Trent said, gesturing for me to hurry up. “It’s just us on the hill, and you’re making us late.”

“So I heard,” I muttered, meaning about three different things. My pulse quickened as the horns sounded again, closer even as the dogs’ singing became faint. Tradition said the bride and groom were to come in with the groom’s parents and the bride’s protector. It was only after the vows were spoken that the bride’s parents joined them. I thought the ceremony uncannily like the pixy’s tradition of stealing the bride when there wasn’t enough dowry.

“I don’t think we can make the hill, but we can hide at the edges of the glen,” he said, and I nodded, bringing Red around and heading for the back door. My heart was pounding, and I thought it silly that he could still do this to me. He was a little wider across the shoulders with maturity, and the first hints of silver were in his hair, but you had to look close. The stress of maintaining his species-friendly industries was taking its toll, but he’d made his way back from almost nothing even with me beside him. It felt good.

“Rache, if you’ve got this, I gotta go,” Jenks said, and he darted off before I could raise my hand in acknowledgment.

Tulpa bobbed his head as we came alongside, and Red gave him a look to behave. The stallion was ancient by horse standards, the father of five of her offspring.

“Ah, you haven’t seen my cap, have you?” Trent said, and I realized my being late wasn’t why he’d come back down.

Leaning across the horses, I gave him a kiss, pulling his cap out of his back pocket at the same time. “Want me to pin it to you?” I said saucily as I put it into his hand.

Trent blinked at it, then leaned forward to hold the fluttering drapery out of our way. “I had it all the time?” he muttered, then dropped it on his head, looking heartstoppingly charming.

I took a clean breath of the sunset-gloomed air, bringing Red back under my tight control when she tensed, wanting to run and leave the noisy throng. It was sunset, and I stifled another shiver when the approaching party called and the assembled guests answered them with their own horns, guiding the wedding party in. The faultless sky had shaded to black in the east, pink and blue in the west. Birds took flight at the noise, and I settled more firmly on Red. Maybe the elves had something here.

“I’m glad you’re with me,” Trent said as he pointed out a sheltered spot where we could watch from under the trees and still be unobtrusive. “I don’t know if I’m coming or going today.”

Beaming, I shifted a strand of hair from his eyes as the horses walked to the edge of the glen. We’d been noticed, but everyone was focused on the empty space between the chairs and the river where the ceremony would take place. “I’m happy for you. I know this means a lot. That Ray have a traditional elf wedding, I mean.”

The rims of his ears reddened, and he gave me a sidelong look. “It’s that obvious, is it?”

I angled Red closer and let my head drop against his shoulder. It was awkward, but I made Red stay there for at least a few paces. He was happy, and that made me happy. If not for that dumb tradition about ruling elves needing to marry someone fertile, he might have had a wedding himself, chased his bride down among the trees, defended her against her parents, and triumphantly brought her home to his family. But it didn’t matter. I had everything I could ever want.

“Look, they’re coming,” he whispered, and I followed his gaze to the far end of the glen where Keric and Ray rode in on Ray’s black stallion, the shaggy monster high-stepping and excitable. They looked beautiful, waving at the assembled people when they stood and cheered. Behind them came Quen, Al as the huntsman, and Keric’s parents, the two looking proud and tearful. I knew how they felt.