After leaving Majida, Alan and Hannah travelled west, crossing several kingdoms before reaching the coast of Scotland. The weather grew colder as they approached the Highlands. Mountains rose beyond the mist, and rivers cut through the green valleys.
They eventually arrived at a port town where fishing boats remained tied to the harbor. The people were afraid to approach the water after sunset.
Alan asked a fisherman what had happened.
"A Kelpie lives in the nearby waters," the man replied. "It takes anyone foolish enough to approach it."
He explained that the creature usually appeared as a beautiful horse standing beside a river or lake. Its coat looked wet even in dry weather, and its mane seemed to move without wind. Anyone who touched it might find their hands stuck to its skin. The Kelpie would then drag its victim into the water and drown them.
Sometimes it appeared as a handsome man, luring people towards the shore.
"Is there a way to defeat it?" Hannah asked.
The fisherman nodded reluctantly.
"An old legend says that the Kelpie can be controlled by its bridle. Whoever manages to take possession of it may command the creature. But no one has ever been able to hold it long enough."
Alan looked towards the water.
"Then we shall have to try."
They learned where the Kelpie was most often seen and prepared a trap. Hannah would walk along the shore while Alan waited nearby, hidden behind a group of rocks.
The plan was dangerous, but Hannah insisted on taking part.
"If it appears as a man, I can keep it occupied while you approach."
"And if it attacks you?"
"Then you had better be quick."
Alan did not like the plan, but there was no time to argue.
Hannah walked along the shore. The water was unusually calm, and the only sound was the occasional cry of a seabird.
Nearly an hour passed.
Then the surface exploded.
A handsome man emerged from the water. Seaweed clung to his hair, and his eyes shone with an unnatural brightness.
"Are you lost?" he asked Hannah.
"No," she replied. "I am looking for someone."
The stranger smiled.
"Perhaps I can help you."
He stepped closer.
Alan sprang from behind the rocks and seized him from behind. The creature roared and twisted violently. Its human form began to collapse, revealing a powerful black horse with a long mane and glowing eyes.
The Kelpie kicked and dragged Alan towards the water.
Alan struggled to hold on. His injured arm ached, and the creature was far stronger than an ordinary horse.
Hannah rushed forward and grabbed a loose strap hanging from the creature's neck.
"Alan! The bridle!"
The Kelpie reared, throwing Alan onto the sand. Hannah was almost swept into the water, but Alan caught her by the wrist.
The creature charged again.
Alan rolled beneath its neck and managed to seize the bridle. The moment his hand closed around it, the Kelpie stopped.
Its glowing eyes dimmed.
For a long moment, neither moved.
Then the creature lowered its head.
Alan stepped back cautiously.
"Do you understand me?"
The Kelpie nodded.
"Why do you hunt people?"
The creature's expression changed. It looked towards the water and gave a low, sorrowful sound. Alan realised that it had been bound to the shore by an old enchantment. It had not known freedom beyond the water and had treated every approaching human as a threat or a potential companion.
"You do not have to remain here," Alan said. "Come with us. Help us on our journey, and you will no longer be alone."
The Kelpie approached him.
Alan placed the bridle around its head again, not as a chain but as a symbol of their agreement.
The creature accepted him as its master.
The fishermen watched from the harbour as Alan and Hannah returned with the Kelpie. Some were frightened, while others cheered. The creature had terrorised their town for years, and now it was leaving.
Alan mounted the Kelpie.
"From this day forward, you shall travel with us. You will be our companion, not our prisoner."
The Kelpie neighed and shook its mane.
Hannah mounted the black steed, and the three travelled inland towards Loch Ness.
For the first time in a long while, Alan had gained something without killing the creature he encountered.