Fall in love in a weekwe get by

And thicken. When it became the size of an ordinary horse, it lost its transparency. In front of us on the surface of the lake stood a black horse with a shiny skin, a long white mane and tail, and lilac expressive eyes. Handsome! But if I didn’t know its true nature, I would never have guessed it!

He came ashore to us. He poked his muzzle into my face, as if sniffing. It was wet and smelled of the lake – water and mud, rotten wet leaves, fish and algae. But I heard his breathing. And, daring to touch, I felt something hot and alive under my fingers. Smooth fur, strong muscles underneath.

“You are beautiful,” I said sincerely. – God, I never would have thought that I could meet a real live kelpie! And even touch him. Something as fabulous and unreal as portals and… everything else. Although no. More impressive.

“A timely clarification,” Dougal noted. – Kels is touchy and proud. Compare it with some portals, even if only in superlatives…

Kels clinked his teeth in a very demonstrative manner. It was only then that I noticed that the teeth were not those of a horse at all. Fangs like those of a predator. Inopportunely I remembered that the kelpies from our legends are treacherous cannibals.

“No, I won’t ask you to take me for a ride,” I clung to Dougal tighter.

– In vain. It is educational and, perhaps, exciting. But Kels only rides those he likes and to whom he is accustomed. And even then after unbearably long persuasion. He believes that this is beneath his dignity. So it's still early for you.

– In the last few days, my life has been… educational and exciting. Even if… if it suddenly turns out that he and I have time to get used to each other. I'm afraid that it will take an unbearably long time to persuade both him and me.

Kels whinnied briefly, throwing up his head. My mane was smeared with wet coldness across my face. And… it was as if I was completely overwhelmed with the same cold, chilling disapproval.

– Was he offended? – I asked.

– He believes that any normal person, including you, should be eager to ride it. Yes, perhaps thirst is the most appropriate word. But he won’t give you a ride now, although he even slightly wants to – out of a sense of contradiction, no less. First you have to earn his sympathy and approval. How? Don't ask. He himself doesn’t yet know what useful and pleasant things he can get from you. In addition, you are not connected to the lands that he feeds with his power. – Dougal fell silent, but for some reason it seemed that this was not all. That right now he is listening to something that I cannot hear. – Yes, okay, I understand. And because you are not part of the family that he keeps. That is why he has to wait until I tongue-tied and incompletely translate into human what he could easily put into your head. But he is not going to communicate with strangers like that. This is also beneath his dignity.

– So… it means he is protecting your family? It happens?! Or is this a common thing for you?

– Not quite ordinary. Rather, we can say: this happens, although extremely rarely. We are used to thinking that we are lucky. To a certain degree. Kels has lived here for more than a thousand years. I suspect that he is a product of this lake and appeared at the same time as it. And my mother’s ancestors, who settled on these lands a long time ago, by some miracle, unrelated to magic in our understanding, managed to make friends with him. – Dougal interrupted again. – Okay, okay, not to make friends, but to appease.

Kelpie snorted, but this time I felt approval. Is this what I’m beginning to understand?

I again extended my hand to him and stroked the warm and lively horse’s muzzle. And, as if on a whim, she said:

– If everything works out… if I come back here again. Then… – If… then… how I would like to at least hope! Maybe I was just deluding myself? Anchors in the form of vows and promises, this is such an old trick, familiar to everyone. But why not, after all? – I really hope that we will become friends. And I promise you won’t have to persuade me to ride you. Only you.

Yes, the sea will probably be knee-deep to me! If… if it works out. Why don’t you have the courage to even mentally call a spade a spade? What if an incredible miracle happens and Dougal falls in love with me? A person who doesn't know how to fall in love? In two days? Even mentally it sounds too funny to believe. To maintain at least a shadow of hope.

Kelpie suddenly neighed, loudly and, it seemed, irritated. Demonstratively, there is no other way to say it, he turned his back towards us, splashed his front hooves into the water, managing to splash us with a fountain of water, and galloped across the lake.