Rocky peaks hemmed the valleys Thomas rode through with Nectan and Domech as they made their way to Nectan’s home at Loch Earn. Many valleys held swift streams that sparkled like diamonds as they tumbled over their stony beds. The air was fresh and cool, pine-scented and full of birdsong. Even Missy’s steps seemed lighter under the springtime sun. Thomas revelled in the landscape’s beauty, enhanced as it was through his embrace of his Fey nature. The sweet thrum of power was a soothing balm to his tattered emotions, blunting the force of Domech’s glares and the discomfort of days in the saddle. As much as Nectan"s tutelage on being a Fey wore on him, the openness to his Fey nature had some benefits, too.
But the danger they faced always lurked. On the first day, as they rode along a path
