Oh, how that tail flipped with joy! It sent sparks dancing into the room. Neverwhere ate them one at a time, savouring them like the finest delicacy. His mane shook and his whole body shuddered in pleasure before taking another with the same gentle action. After the third mushroom he licked her hand to get the last taste, making her giggle wordlessly. Seeing the two friends together — Bridget and her horse — made him realize how very hard it must have been for her to be rejected from this life, this world. There were things here he couldn’t give her in the outside world. The intelligence in the eyes of this animal said it was more than a mere beast of burden. He was a pet, a friend, and possibly more. Bryan had no idea whether Fae steeds were sentient, but he wouldn’t be at all surprised if Neverwhere started spouting poetry for Bridget’s pleasure.

Bridget motioned for him to offer more of the mushrooms to the horse. If he really did get tipsy, he didn’t want to give the animal too many, but it was a fairly large horse, so it should be able to manage a few more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another of the tiny, fragrant treats. «Would you like another, Neverwhere?»

Bryan reached his arm forwards slowly, his hand still closed into a fist. He liked his fingers a little too well not to be cautious. The horse eyed his closed fist with distrust but looked back to Bridget who nodded and smiled. The horse snuffled the fist, the breath feeling as hot as the air from a furnace. Then it started moving its lips, trying to get the fist to open. The tail was moving again, showering Bryan in golden sparkles that made him laugh. Finally he opened his hand and the horse ate the mushrooms, just as carefully as it had with Bridget.

As he pulled back his hand, the bright eyes of the horse followed, hoping for another taste. Bryan was quite sure that Neverwhere would have leaped forwards and torn the jacket from his body if he thought there were more mushrooms hidden. He heard a thumping sound and realized Bridget was trying to get his attention. She was mouthing a single word, and he was having a difficult time understanding. It was short, just one syllable, but didn’t match any word he could think of. She seemed to realize that and spoke more words, glancing from him to the horse and back.

Oh! She wanted him to ask the horse if it would take them. Frankly, he was fairly certain they’d already lost the race. How could Elwich and the Queen not have already arrived by now? This had taken too long, but it was hard to deny Bridget any delay she wished.

But there was no harm in asking, nor in trying to complete the quest. He faced the horse and, just in case it could be insulted as other fae could, he offered a short bow of his head as an introduction. «Neverwhere, would you be so kind as to carry Bridget and I to the cave where the crown stars grow? We would gladly share more mushrooms as a reward.»

Bryan glanced at his wife and she gave him a tiny nod with a smile that said he’d asked well. The horse stepped back from the fence and seemed to contemplate the question. It looked from Bridget to Bryan and back again before nodding its head three times and letting out a shrieking whinny.

But before Bryan could open the gate, the horse disappeared in a puff of smoke — just as the other horses had. Was it a trick? Were they being punished for rejecting the horses offered? Fear filled the pit of his stomach and even Bridget looked worried. Her eyes filled with tears and she mouthed, I’m sorry, over and over.

«’Twasn’t your fault, lass,» he said quietly, and pulled her into his arms. «We’ll just have to do our best.» Perhaps they were meant to walk after all. If they died, then so be it. They’d do so together.

She buried her face in his neck. He could feel her cool tears wet his shirt as her body shook with soundless sobs. «No matter, love. Don’t you think on it at all. If I must carry you the whole way, then I will, and to the devil with their rules and their contest.»

Three

Let no food nor water pass your lips or they will own your soul. The sun beat down on them like noon in the desert. Bryan’s tongue felt three times the size and he could barely swallow from the effort and the heat. Did her warning mean only in the sithen? On foot, they would die without water. It could be days before they reached the cave at the peak of the mountain. «Can we drink nothing at all, Bridey? We won’t make it without moisture of some kind.»

She chewed at her lip, like she always did when she thought, and looked around the lush greenery. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she motioned him to the left. He went where she bid and came to the edge of a large red and green fern. The leaves were broader than his chest. Nail was the word she mouthed and he pulled one of the two nails he’d kept from the construction site from his jacket pocket. He was surprised he’d been left with them, but perhaps this was all part of the King’s plan. Slow them, and then help them. He wondered if Elwich and the Queen were enduring the same sort of trials. Did their horse disappear from under them in mid-flight? He would have imagined they should already be there and have won if their horse was still able to travel.

Bridget broke off one of the thick fern fronds then indicated that he should use the rusty nail to puncture the leaf so they could drink from the plant.

The moment he stabbed the end of the nail into the frond it began to leak green fluid. After a few moments, the fluid changed to the clearest water and Bridget opened her mouth for a drink. Bryan couldn’t have imagined it possible to love her more, but every moment that passed she proved she was smart and capable, all wrapped in a package of such beauty he could weep each time he saw her.

The flow of water seemed to go on far longer than it should have considering the size of the frond, but she seemed satisfied and he felt no odd sensation that he might be falling under a spell. He carefully plucked the nail from the plant and the water immediately stopped. It withered and died in mere seconds.

As he took Bridge’s hand again, they heard the thunder of hooves. It seemed to come from everywhere at once and he couldn’t decide where to move to get out of the way of the herd of animals that sounded ready to trample them.

Neverwhere appeared in a burst of tawny light. He bore a saddle made for two on his back. Bryan eagerly stepped towards the horse, but just as he reached for the reins, they were jerked from his grasp and the stallion disappeared again. Bridey’s coppery eyes flashed with the same anger he felt. «So, he hopes to taunt us, does he?» He raised his face to the cloudless blue sky. «You’ll not humiliate us, Highness. We require no animal to win this contest and your efforts only embolden us more.»

Bridget nodded firmly, echoing his statement with her movements. But they hadn’t taken more than a handful of steps before Neverwhere appeared once more. This time, it was clear the horse would not disappear so easily. It fought against whatever magic tried to snatch it away, kicking and thrashing as its reins were pulled into a sparkle of gold-white magic. But with a final throw of his massive head, it roared in anger and landed on the ground with such force that two trees were torn from the ground, narrowly missing Bryan and Bridget. If they hadn’t moved quickly, the contest would likely have ended at that moment.

The horse shook his head, eyes flashing with the same fire that flew from his mane and tail. He looked around suspiciously, as though expecting to be pulled from them once again, but remained in place. Finally, he snorted, flipped his head in a very self-satisfied manner and trotted over to where Bryan and Bridget were standing. Neverwhere snickered softly and nuzzled Bryan’s jacket pocket. He couldn’t help but smile. «You really can’t get enough of these, can you?»

Two mushrooms disappeared into the horse’s mouth before an audible sigh and a bluster of lips. When the horse’s eyes opened again, he turned to the side and offered the saddle to them. While Bryan was leery and feared the horse being taken from them again, the King had promised they could ride. He would have to take him at his word, for woe be to the fae, even the King, that went back on his word.

After making certain Bridget was secure in the saddle, he threw a leg over the steed and commanded firmly, «To the cave of the crown stars, Neverwhere. Be off with ye.»

The world dissolved into light and motion such that he’d never experienced before. He loved to ride fast on his motorcycle, but nothing could compare to the stomach-churning roller coaster that was a fae flying steed.

«Isn’t it wonderful? Can you see why I love this horse?» Bridey’s voice from behind him made him turn so suddenly he was dizzy.

«You can talk!»

She smiled and then laughed. «Why do you think I insisted on Neverwhere? He’s nearly completely resistant to magic. It’s why he’s untrainable.»

The landscape slipped by, but Bridget seemed completely at ease with it, even though the back of the motorcycle had always made her nauseous. She nudged him with her chin and motioned down. The ground was so far down and moving so fast that his stomach lurched with vertigo. «Look, Deathknell is below, with loose reins and no rider. I was surprised Elwich chose him. He’s fast, but never did like the Queen. I’ll wager he threw them.» Sure enough, a black horse with fiery blue mane was pawing the air below them, headed back to where they started.

«Of course, he could simply have dropped them off at the cave which means they’re about to win.»