The mood was tense as Jess and Mike made their way to the nearest Padfoot village. The words from the elf had stung. Jess knew that she shouldn’t be taking out her frustration by dealing Mike the silent treatment but at the same time… If he’d just answered my question the first time that I asked it…

She sighed as she continued to plod behind him. They hadn’t exchanged a word for most of the journey and the faint gnawing sensation of guilt was beginning to make itself known.

She steeled herself, aiming to sound less glum or accusatory than she felt. “How far is it to the Padfoot village?”

“Not far.”

Come on big guy, you can do better than that when I’m trying to offer an olive branch.

“Thank you for helping with the negotiations,” Jess added. “I wouldn’t have known where to start.”

Her efforts were rewarded with silence, and she trudged steadily on, unsure of how to break through the wall that Mike had erected between them. Though uncomfortably quiet, the rugged landscape tempted her attention away from her sulking companion. The trees were giving way to rough outcrops of jagged rocks. The ground was uneven, but the path they took avoided the steeper climbs in the area, winding gently around the bases of the hills. Jess couldn’t have been more thankful. Her hobnail boots were sturdy, but mountainous terrain required footwear with more generous amounts of ankle support. Uneven sprigs of powder-blue flowers that looked similar to forget-me-nots swayed on long slender stalks. Their frilled leaves trailed like silk scarves as they danced in the afternoon sun. She made a mental note to gather some on their way back.

“Ye like ‘em?”

The gruff words startled Jess. She hadn’t realised he’d stopped, much less that he’d turned and was watching her. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rising.

“I was just thinking that they’d look nice that’s all,” she explained.

“They already look nice?” he questioned, looking confused.

“I mean in a vase or something,” Jess said. “They match the country cottage-chic thing that you have going on.”

“I don’t follow ye.”

“Your home. You’ve got all the beautiful, delicate lace stuff and everything’s so neat and fresh. I just thought some pretty flowers might compliment it,” she explained before giving a little shrug.

The compliment seemed to appease him, though Jess struggled to read his mood. He seemed almost embarrassed, like a young girl that isn’t used to receiving compliments. Perhaps he was. Jess wouldn’t consider herself an expert in minotaur customs, but it struck her as odd that such a large, heavily muscled being would take such pride in daintiness. But who was she to judge?

Risking sounding like a broken record, she switched the subject. “How far now to the Padfoot village?” Her spirits lifted when she saw that Mike smiled at that.

“We’ll be there within the hour,” he said. “Faster if ye stop dawdling.”

“You have the longest legs ever, Mike! How am I supposed to keep up with your pace.?”

He chuckled heartily. “Ye’re the clever one. Ye’ll think of something.”

The rest of their journey was decidedly more pleasant. Jess would frequently point out different shrubs or flowers that she didn’t recognise, and Mike would name the few that he knew. Precious few that they were.

After a brief scrabble down a path widely covered in fallen scree, they came across a cobbled road that seemed to materialise out of the moss and lichen covered hillside.

“Just a stone’s throw now,” said Mike, leading the way.

More than one stone, thought Jess as she looked back at the rubble, before hurrying after him. The idea of a nice hot bath hung tantalisingly in her mind, reminding her of glorious days when she would come home and lay in luxurious, bubbling bliss. I wonder how much a big copper bathtub would set me back by.

White tendrils of smoke could be seen lilting upwards from further down the road. Proof that their destination was indeed close at hand. As they drew closer, stone cottages with thatch roofs became visible. The wide, squat structures looked sturdy enough to take on the worst of the weather and Jess wondered how bad things could get out here when it wasn’t a bright summers day.

On top of this, the reactions of the Padfoot and the Elfs could not have been more different. Where the Elfs had been as frosty at best, members of the Padfoot had already begun to lean out of doors and children were running out into the streets to watch their approach. At least, Jess assumed that they were children. The diminutive size of the Elfs had been unexpected after the height of the cave druidess.

“A few rules before we get any closer,” Mike said quietly.

Jess nodded. “Right.”

“First,” he said, “Don’t stroke their fur without permission.”

“Obviously,” replied Jess, screwing up her face. “I’m not a bloody idiot.”

“Second,” he continued. “Don’t tell ‘em that any of the kids can join the school. Make it clear that ye only want students who are wanting to learn.”

“Alright. That I can do,” she agreed.

“Third,” Mike said, before shooting her a pensive look. “Ye’ve no tail so that’s a blessing but try not to leave ye fingers unguarded.”

“Unguarded?”

“I weren’t joking when I said their kids could be bitey,” Mike said, before shrugging apologetically. “It’s just a stage the pups go through.”

Right. This should be interesting then, Jess thought as she followed in Mike’s footsteps. As they got nearer, Jess was able to make out the villagers more clearly. She could understand where the idea that they were half human/half animal came from.

Young children ran around the squat buildings, barely dressed. Their naked torsos appeared to be human in appearance, though some had hair, or fur, that ran from the nape of their necks down along their spines. The ends of these trails of fur disappeared under the short loincloths that they wore around their hips and occasionally a tail would peek out from beneath.

A small part of Jess worried that the lack of clothing was to allow more movement than relating to temperature. It wasn’t warm enough to need to strip down, and as the children streaked through the open spaces, there seemed to be no way of slowing them down.

The village hosted a menagerie of animal-like beings. Their human-like faces sported a mixture of whiskers, fuzzy cheeks reminiscent of beards and all manner of animalistic ears.

As they approached, a portly fellow with wide, grey, triangular ears approached. Unlike the children, he was more modestly dressed, sporting a loose waistcoat and three-quarter length bottoms that hung loosely below his knees. A wooden pipe had seemed to hang from the depths of a thick salt-and-pepper moustache was raised in greeting.

“Evening, Mike. Long time, no see,” he called out warmly.

“Colin,” Mike replied nodding his head in greeting.

“So, who died?” Colin joked, flashing Jess a conspiratorial wink.

“I can’t come out to visit an old friend?”

“Old friend?” Colin exclaimed with a grin. “What was it you called me last time? A cheating hound, was it?”

“Then ye shouldn’t cheat at cards then, should ye?” Mike retorted.

The good-natured banter between the two of them put Jess in a brighter mood, despite Mike’s earlier warnings about the children’s apparent wildness. They seemed harmless enough. Many of them had gathered and were attempting to hide their blatant spying by crouching behind shrubs and peeking from around the corners of houses. Their pointed ears and whiskered flickered incessantly.

“Who’s the fair maiden?” Colin asked.

Jess offered a hand to shake. “Jessica Harper, Sir. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Sir, eh! Now there’s a fine thing.” Colin took her hand in his own and grinned. “My Hetty will like you. That she will.”

“Where is Hetty?” Mike asked as he looked over Colin’s shoulder with ease.

“She’s out gathering. She’ll be back by dusk if you’re staying that long?” Colin replied.

Mike’s nostrils flared in distaste. “I shouldn’t think so. The trail back isn’t so easy in the dark.”

“Then what is it that brings you both out here to our humble nook?” Colin asked before puffing on his pipe.

“That’s actually my doing,” said Jess. “I came to ask if any of the families in your village would be interested in enrolling their children in my school.”

“Yes,” replied Colin without hesitation.

His abrupt acceptance was enough that Jess found herself stumbling over her words. “Well, I assume that you will discuss it with them. They’ll want to know the details. Costs as well.”

“How many will you take?” Colin asked.

“She’s only taking five,” Mike answered while Jess stood silent and flustered.

“We can pay for more,” insisted Colin. “Give the sprats an hour in the woods and they’ll sniff out enough truffles to pay their own way.”

“Five,” Mike repeated. “No more.”

Sensing that the minotaur would not compromise, Colin shifted his bargaining techniques to Jess. “We’ll pay more if you take extra.”

“You haven’t even asked what I’m charging yet,” Jess said, eyes wide.

“It’s inconsequential,” Colin assured her.

“Just five,” she insisted. If he’s this desperate to send them. I daren’t take any more.