Chapter Text
Catrin was a typical mannish female, a minx, some 30 Elven hands at the shoulder. A young mannish female who had never given birth was termed a minx; a mannish female, who had dropped a brat, was termed a momsie.
Saddled, bitted, and bridled, she carried Dai, an Elf, whose diminutive size, delicate features, and pointy ears contrasted sharply with his mount’s much larger mannish size, coarser mannish features, and rounded ears. She stood almost twice his normal Elven height, though no one might doubt who commanded and who obeyed.
She wore only her tack. The thick red hair on her head was swept back in two heavy braids. Otherwise, her body was completely depilated to facilitate good hygiene. Her nose was ringed and her throat was collared. She wore her security harness. Her arms were cuffed at the wrist and again above the elbow. The upper arm cuffs were linked by a strong cord that passed behind her back; her wrists were secured to her collar. The harness limited her use of her hands and arms but permitted the back-and-forth motion that the two-legged mount needed for balance. A bridle held her bit in place and bound her considerable strength to her smaller rider’s will.
She was clean and well fed. Good behavior was rewarded with a certain kindness and affection.
She had made friends though with the other mounts. Tesni, a powerful momsy occupied the next stall and Catrin took great comfort from her company. Tesni and Catrin had the same thick red hair. They chatted frequently in cautious whispers when no Elf was around. Tesni had had as almost many years in the stable as eighteen year old Catrin had years. Tesni was Emyr’s personal property and the mounts’ acknowledged leader. Emyr was the owner of the stable. Catrin felt a special bond with the older momsie.
Catrin spent long hours alone in her stall. Over time, she brooded less and less about her life prior to her capture. Born in a man town, she had never known her mother. She was eighteen and serving the mannish Elders when Dai had captured her. Once she had resigned herself to her new life in the stable, boredom had become her greatest foe. Catrin loved to escape the confines of her narrow stall in the dimly lit stable and run free under the open sky, even with an Elf in her saddle. It was as close as she came to freedom.
Dai had one more chore before he headed home. He rode to Reece's market on the outskirts of Atylwyth. He slipped from Catin's saddle and secured her reins to the rail. Dai headed inside the shop. The bell on the door clanged when the door opened and swung closed.
Catrin stood at the rail and waited. She had learned patience during her captivity. She heard the traffic on the street behind her, Elves riding their mannish mounts or Elves driving buggies or wagons pulled by men. On occasion, a whip snapped, a man yowled, and Catrin winced. She had felt the lash herself. Secured to the rail, she could not turn to see them.
Catrin studied the building before her. Through the large front window, she saw Dai speaking with another Elf behind a counter. Catrin saw a fenced yard beside the building. The fence stood twice the height of an Elf.
Suddenly, a man's head and shoulders loomed above the fence and startled Catrin. He looked to be a male, larger than a brocket, a fully grown buck. He called out to her quite plaintively and caused her real distress.
He was naked and knew his fate. Catrin found a certain unexpected comfort in her well-maintained tack.
What can I do? Bitted, she could not speak. She answered him with her sad eyes. Look at me, bridled, bitted, and harnessed, tied to the rail. What can I do?
The bell jangled and the door swung open. Dai emerged with a package wrapped in white paper.
The buck shrieked. Dai paused and turned to glance at him briefly. Dai shook his pointy-eared Elvin head. Most butchers bought their meat at the abattoir. Only a few offered freshly killed. Of those, most kept their living animals hidden away. crated and inside. Reece was an exception. He allowed his livestock a few hours in the sun and fresh air. Neighbors complained at the noise and bother. His shop was now located at the edge of town. Well, it made Ofa happy.
Dai turned back to Catrin. He smiled and said something soothing.
While men might be taught a few simple commands in the Elvin tongue, no man could master the Elven language. Elves knew that men communicated among themselves. However, Elvin scholars debated whether mannish vocalizations comprise a true language.
Dai secured the package to her saddle, freed her from the rail and mounted. A pull on her reins turned her from the rail and a jab of his spurs set her trotting down the street. Dai looked forward to seeing Ofa. She would make of feast of the roast and sausages he purchased. Ofa's skills in the kitchen were not the only reasons he loved her.
Catrin was glad to leave the howling buck behind her.