Diaval and I exchanged glances. “Males,” she said, like it explained everything.

Sighing, I got up before the horse could terrorize or be terrorized anymore. Reaching out with the flimsy, almost intangible power I possessed, I brushed softly against the horse’s mind. Calming thoughts, peaceful thoughts, fearless thoughts, I sent them all to the creature, breathing in and out as I felt its heart slow to match my pace. I walked toward it slowly, not looking it straight in the face like a predator would. One hand was outstretched as I got closer and closer until I touched the animal’s soft, velvety nose and grabbed the bridle there.

“Shh,” I hushed, rubbing the great beast’s neck. “It’s all right, it’s all right.”

Rose and Seppo approached me, thankfully slowly this time. “Thanks, Janneke.” Rose rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment. “You shouldn’t have bothered. We would’ve caught her eventually.”

Diaval gave a delicate snort from where she stood behind him. “Yeah, you definitely had that situation well under control.”

With that, I smiled. Oh, how it was nice to be friends with someone who actually managed to use and understand sarcasm daily. Both Seppo and Rosamund stared at her confused for a moment before understanding dawned on their faces.

“Must you do that?” Rose asked.

“Sarcasm is literally the only thing currently keeping me sane, so yes,” Diaval replied.

Keeping a hand on the horse’s bridle, I turned to give the two men a questioning look. “Do I want to know why you not only managed to let a horse escape the stables but were running after it like two madmen? Or will it cause me to go prematurely gray?” The horse huffed, like it, too, wanted to know what was going on in these guys’ heads.

“Oh, okay so,” Seppo started, eyes flickering around to make sure the courtyard was still empty. It was. Despite the stones inlaid in the ground and a few of the Permafrost-hardy plants growing, the courtyard lacked most everything that had been in it during the time of the previous Erlking. Instead of plotting goblins lurking in the shadows, it was an open and silent place.

Well, except for when two silly goblins chased a horse into it.

“Well, you know, my mom is pregnant again so we thought—”

“What?” Diaval interrupted, her eyebrows shooting up to nearly her hairline. “Again?”

“That’s what I said,” I commented.

Seppo glared at us. “Anyway, this horse got captured during a raid a little while back, and Rose and I’ve been trying to train it as a present.”

“I wasn’t aware newborns could ride horses,” Diaval said wryly.