by J. B. Miller
A shiver coursed through me and my belly tingled. No, I thought. No... No… No… No… I was not going to feel attraction for my kidnapper. What was wrong with me? Some sort of weird Stockholm syndrome? I mentally shook myself and began to question him.
"What do you mean I'm tied to you?" I asked. A golden brow arched when he looked down at me.
"Exactly that," Cernunnos smiled. Oh, man that was so scary. I've seen sharks that had kinder grins. "When you thanked me, you indebted yourself to me, Dia. That was a much worse mistake than eating Fae food." He leaned so close we were nose to nose. The brown had come back to his eyes but they still radiated power in their swirling chocolate depths.
"You are now tied to me as deeply as you are to the Puck. It is in a different way but all the same," he smirked. "It's for eternity," Cernunnos finished.
"What," I squealed and tried to shoot off the bed. I banged my forehead against his and fell back seeing stars. Damn it, that freaking hurt.
Rubbing the spot, I glared at him. The stupid horned bastard just looked at me bemused. Note to self—do not headbutt guys with horns. Their heads are extra hard. Cernunnos shimmered again and those antlers of his disappeared.
"Better," he asked.
"No," I grumbled. "If you want to make it better, send me home. Why are you doing this? I'm nothing to you." I tried to reason with him. "You already said it was not a just Hunt so you have no right to keep me. Shouldn’t you be a good little god and send me on my way. Robin will pick me up and we can all look back on this one day and have a good laugh."
Cernunnos's face darkened with anger and he crowded me back into the bed. He pushed me until I lay flat on my back with a muscled arm on either side of my head. He leaned down so close our lips were nearly touching and his breath grazed my cheek.
"Listen well, little godling," he purred. "I don’t care that you mated the Puck, godling, or wolf. It will inconvenience me to deal with them, that’s all. As of this moment, you belong to me." I whimpered. I know it's not brave but I was scared to death. "Don’t worry," he continued. "I'm not going to hurt you. You will regain your strength and then you will train with the Hunt, Dianthe. We will find you a mount and you will ride. Until this situation is resolved to my satisfaction, you belong to me—body and soul. I give you my word," he cupped my face again with one hand, lowering his body until we were flush together. “I will find the deceiver and deal with them. Until then," he paused, "welcome to the family." Cernunnos then shocked me even more when he kissed my forehead, soothing away the mark where we had bumped heads.
With more grace than I would ever have, Cernunnos stood and strolled out of the room. I sat there for a few moments, staring at the door he had just left through and wondering what the hell had just happened. It's silly how you can stare blindly at the walls for ages. But that’s what I did. I just sat on the bed looking blankly at the door Cernunnos walked through, my mind blessedly empty for several minutes.
It wasn’t until said door began to open that I snapped out of it. I sat up straighter in the bed with apprehension stringing my limbs tight. When a wiry nose poked around the corner followed by the wagging body of my new doggy pal, Caomhnóir, I visibly relaxed.
He looked around sheepishly before coming over to the bed and laying his great shaggy head on my lap. A paw joined his head and he whined. "It's okay, boy, I don’t blame you. I was being stupid." My fingers rubbed gently between his eyes and he closed them on a huff. "How did they find me when I passed out, boy?” It was a lucky thing I guess. Otherwise, I would have been a Dia snack for the local wildlife.
"He called the Hunt to you, Dia," Brónach's voice carried to me as she entered the room. "If he had not, I do not think we would have made it to you in time. He is a very loyal hound." She smiled sadly. "To you that is. The lord was not impressed the Cú tried to take you back to Earth. He did however, understand. That is why your guardian has not been punished."
Brónach played with the ends of her hair twirling it nervously around her fingers. The braids from the day I'd met her had been released and curls poured down her back in waves of browns and red. She truly was breathtaking.
For some reason she didn’t want to meet my gaze. Brónach kept her eyes averted and concentrated on her fingers, playing with a single curl of hair. I watched her for a moment before becoming fed up. "What is wrong," I demanded. She startled a moment then her liquid gaze met mine.
"I am so sorry, Dia. I failed you. You were put into my care and I did not even notice that your needs were not being met. You have treated me as a friend and this is how I repay you. I am deeply ashamed by this disgrace," Brónach finished her eyes once more down cast.
"What are you talking about?" I was totally confused now. "You didn’t do anything wrong. I was the numpty who didn’t eat or drink because I was afraid of being stuck in Faery. Look," I told her seriously reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Shyly she glanced at my face, a glimmer of hope sparkling in her eyes. "I'm stuck here by the sounds of things. For the short term anyway. What do you say we start over? Brónach, I'm Dia. I don’t have any friends here other than the dog," I raised a brow at Caomhnóir who took offense at being called a dog. He let out a snort before turning around laying down with his back to me.
"Okay, maybe not the Hound of the Hunt at the moment either," he huffed before I carried on, "Anyway, I'm in need of a friend and I was kinda hoping you would like the job?"
"You are offering me friendship, lady?" Brónach's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, I am. Do you want to be my friend?" Suddenly I felt like a seven-year-old trying to make friends at a new school. I guess some things were universal.
Brónach watched me intently for several moments. She took several deep breaths, closed her eyes, and swallowed deeply before opening them again. Wetness glistened in her liquid orbs. Oh man, I thought. Is she going to cry? What did I do wrong this time? I couldn’t win.
I was trying to think of a way to comfort her and make up for my faux pas when I was taken off guard when she launched herself at me. Brónach wrapped both arms around me and followed me down on the bed. We ended up in a tangle of limbs and hair. She was talking a mile a minute and in her native accent, it was hard to understand her. It was musical and harsh at the same time.
"Oh, Dianthe," she exclaimed. "You are such a treasure. I cannot recall the last time someone has offered me simple friendship with no ties. Thank you so much, my friend. I will not shame you, I promise," she laughed. I was further shocked when she grabbed my face and kissed me, pure joy shining in her eyes.
We never heard the door open but the loud "Ahem," caught both of our attention. "Well," Cernunnos rubbed a hand over his mouth to hide his grin. He was leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe with his legs crossed, one arm folded across his chest, and the other rubbing his chin as he watched us.
"This is unexpected but not unwelcomed." His grin turned into a full-blown smile. "Brónach, I can see that you have properly welcomed Dianthe into our family. I will leave you two girls to your amusements. Dia," he took on a serious expression, "rest today, tomorrow you begin training to ride with us. Brónach, I will put her into your care as the two of you have already formed a bond. Do you both understand?"
We nodded mutely and watched in amazement as the Lord of the Hunt laughed and walked out the door. Brónach and I stared at each other before giggles overtook us. "Oh my God," I gasped. "Did he think you and I were getting it on?"
Brónach laughed aloud, "Yes, indeed, Dia. He thought," she paused, "what is the expression? Oh yes, I was getting freaky with you." Her eyebrows waggled before throwing a sultry look my way.
"I don’t know you that well," I squealed.
"Not yet," she agreed. We kept straight faces for about two seconds before we cracked and collapsed on the bed laughing like schoolgirls. Caomhnóir just raised his head, looked at us is disgust, and curled up to sleep and let the pups play.
Chapter Seven
D
ia
The next morning found me in the clearing with Brónach, waiting nervously while the Hunt milled about. They were cleaning tack and brushing down horses. Well the only reason I knew that much was because Brónach had explained to me the daily care for a horse. I didn’t need to know about collecting poo from the fields to use as fertilizer for crops. Nor did I want to hear how you had to brush them, clean their hooves, check every nook and cranny, and feed them every day.
Did no one notice I was a city girl? I don’t think I had ever touched a horse until Cernunnos grabbed me and tossed me up on his monster. I had never even had a goldfish for crying out loud. Seriously, they really couldn’t expect me to ride one of these things, could they?
"Um, Brónach," I looked at her nervously. "He really doesn't expect me to ride one of those does he?" I waved in the general direction of the things in question. Sure they were pretty to look at in a scary-it-could-kill-me kind of way. Have I mentioned I'm really really uncomfortable around creatures of the equine variety?
Brónach glanced at me absently while she searched the meadow. "It will be fine, Dia. You are just unsure at the moment. Once you have gained your confidence, I am sure you will be an excellent rider.”
Yeah, I wasn’t too sure about that one, I thought grumpily. Before I complain anymore, Brónach's expression changed. She became more alert and stood straighter and at attention. "Lord Cernunnos comes, Dia, and he has a mount for you." She looked at me speculatively. "It is not the one I would have thought to give you."
Crap, that did not sound good. I peered around looking for Cernunnos. "Does he have his horns on today, Bro'?" I asked.
"What," she choked out, "did you call me and did you really ask if our lord had his horns on?"
Laughing at the shocked expression covering her face, I replied, "Yeah, does he have them? He can make them come and go as he pleases so I never know if they're gonna be there or not. I think it may be like a mood thing. You know, if he's happy or angry." I leaned over and whispered in her ear to see what reaction the next bit would get, "Do you think they get bigger when he's horny? You know, like his penis? If it's down to emotion the size of them," I told her logically, "it could be like an erection thing. His antlers get bigger the bigger he gets. What do you think?"
The absolute look of horror on her face was my first clue. The dead silence all around me the second. Brónach stood pale and still almost like a deer caught in high beams. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath.
"He heard that, didn’t he?" I guessed. A soft whinny came from my left and I turned to see a smirking Lord of the Hunt about ten feet away. Putting on an innocent smile, I ignored the horse and looked at Cernunnos. "Hey, Keir, how's it going? What's the plan for today," I asked nonchalantly.
"Today you are going to meet your new mount and learn to sit him," he smiled devilishly as he walked closer. When he was only a foot away and my eyes were glued to the giant horse in front of me, he leaned close and whispered in my ear.
"Beautiful girl, if you are curious about the size of my endowments, you need only ask."
He stood straight once more and took on a serious look. My cheeks were blushing bright red, but it was as if he had never made the remark.
"Dianthe, let me introduce you to your steed. This is Nightmare. He is brother to my own Dorchadas. He is a good steed and will help you in your lessons. Learn each other and become partners because like your Cú," he motioned to Caomhnóir, "wherever you go, so too shall he."
"Nightmare," I tested the name on my tongue. Something didn’t ring true about that name. I looked the beast overtaking in the details. His massive shoulders rose above my head. His coat was a dappled color. Brónach had told me that it was called buckskin. He had a beautiful mane that flowed down over his shoulder in coarse waves. Nightmare had eyes that matched mine. I stared into them and saw the intelligence there. He was the first thing I had ever seen with eyes the same color as mine.
Breaking away from him, I turned to Cernunnos. "Nightmare," I raised a brow. "That does not sound right. Why does he have an English name?" A wicker met my question. Cernunnos glanced over his shoulder before replying.
"He wanted you to be able to call him easily. It is his name, but in Gaelic, it is Tromluí. Do not argue, Dia. It is his choice and he honors you with it.
I knew when to back up. "Okay," I bravely stepped up to Nightmare. "Hi, I'm Dia," I said softly. I was really afraid. If he stepped on me, I would go squish like a bug. "It's nice to meet you, boy. Ummm, I'm not very good at this. I've never been on a horse until I met him." I pointed at Cernunnos. If horses could laugh, Nightmare would be rolling right now. He lowered that massive head and snuffled my neck, gently lipping my collar.
It tickled and I laughed, relaxing me more than I thought possible. "Stop it, you big brute," I giggled. My hand went up to stroke his strong jaw. His hair was smoother than I thought it would be. The color hard to describe but I understood why they called it buckskin. It had those golden tan depths to it that most deer did. He had a deep black stripe down his back that matched his mane and tail and black markings on all four legs. The twelve-year-old girl in me squealed at the thought of my own beautiful horse. The twenty-year-old woman still had some reservations.
I turned again to Brónach. At this point in time, I trusted her the most. "What do I do now?" I asked. She smiled tenderly at me.
"You tack him up and mount him, Dia."
I looked back at him and replied, "Yeah, easy for you to say, at least you know what you're doing." Brónach sighed but held out her hand for the lead rope.
"Come on, I will show you."
*****
Cernunnos
It was like watching children. In a way she was. Dianthe was only twenty years old. No more than a babe in our world. Her eyes were open in wonderment as Brónach took her through the routine of brushing her Nightmare down and tacking him up. Her trepidation showed but Nightmare was very patient and understood she was a complete novice.
He was a stallion and not a novice ride. However, he had a good heart and the soul of a warrior. He would protect her when I was not there to. I watched as Dia tightened the girth and stood lost on how to mount the large beast. He stood over sixteen hands high and without a mounting block she would struggle.
Brónach talked her through the process and cupped her hands. I had the urge to go and lift her up onto his back but knew she would have to do this on her own. There would come a time she would be able to mount him from the ground. It would not help her to sit her on him now.
I tried to hide the smile hovering at my lips when she squealed and grappled for the reigns as Brónach gave her a leg up. Once she was in the saddle holding on for dear life, she peered around her, waiting for something to happen. Once she realized she was upright in the saddle, a sense of pure delight overtook her. I watched as she sat straighter and pride filled her at her accomplishment. The girl was endearing if trifling at times.
I could not hold back the chuckle when Nightmare took a careful step and she shrieked, grabbing the reigns and his mane for dear life. Dia still managed to glare at me while wrapping her arms around Nightmare’s neck. It was so comical I had to turn away before I embarrassed her more than she already was.
"Cernunnos," she yelled. "I know you're laughing at me. I will get you back! You have to sleep some time you know." The noise of her screams annoyed Nightmare enough that his ears went back and he turned his head to nip at her.
"Damn it," she swore. "That freaking hurt. Okay I get it, owwww," she quieted, rubbing her thigh while she sat up in the saddle again. "Sorry," she said softly. "I didn’t mean to hurt your ears. Will you forgive me if I promise not to yell at his greatness while I'm on your back from now on?"
I noticed she hadn’t promised not to yell at me at all. It was enough for Nightmare though and he whinnied his forgiveness.
The girl did not even realize she had threatened a god. She glared at me once more before putting all her concentrat
ion on what Brónach was teaching her. What was I going to do with her?
*****
Dia
"I'm on a horse. Oh God, I'm on a freaking real life horse, Brónach. By myself, oh man this is so freaking cool," I laughed. I was scared but exhilarated at the same time. I had never been on a horse by myself before. He was so big that it seemed I was miles up. I turned my head to glance at Brónach. "I'm riding a horse!"
"You are sitting on Nightmare, Dia. You are hardly riding him," she smiled indulgently. "Shall we see if you can stay on if he's moving?"
"What," I began. "No wait, I'm not ready for that. This is huge right here. Haven’t you ever heard of baby steps, Bró?" She wouldn’t listen to me though.
"You will be fine, Dia. Hold the reins as you were shown and grip with your legs. Nightmare will do all the work today, will you not?" she turned to the horse.
He nodded his head, nearly pulling the reins loose from my grip. Nightmare turned to me and flicked his ears as if saying "Ready?" Ummm, that would be no. Unfortunately, he took that decision away and began to move. The first careful steps nearly unseated me. Why did it look so easy on TV? You see those guys jump on their mighty steeds and gallop away. Did they glue their bums in? That was definitely false advertising.
I tightened my legs and turned my grasp on the reins into a death grip. "Okay, boy, we can do this. Just don’t let me fall, agreed?" Nightmare rolled his eyes at me as if saying "Lighten up, silly human" and carefully began to walk in a large circle.
After several minutes of not landing on the hard hard ground, I loosened up my hold on the reign. "Hey, Brónach," I shouted. "I'm riding a horse. How cool am I?" Yeah, I could do this, I thought. Watch out world, here comes Dia, a mighty rider of the wild hunt.
Brónach called back with an eyebrow raised. "Excellent, Dia, now all you have to do is lead your mount and not allow him to lead you."
