Well, Jaskier was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a magical creature that could strip that lovely fur like a coat and turn into a gorgeous woman--or rather a gorgeous man--but the description of a Kelpie had been interesting enough to distract him from his disappointment. Geralt meandered around the horse, poking and prodding, and Jaskier petted the long thin shapes of its face. It seemed content to let him, which was delightful.

"Oh, come now Geralt, it wouldn't skin people and eat them, it's a music lover," Jaskier defended in a tone that was only conversational if one were talking with a toddler. "Isn't that right? No, you're far too pretty to lurk in water all day. It would ruin your lovely mane."

Geralt petted it, checked its teeth and generally fussed about until the horse butted him in the chest. Then, to the surprise of no one but the consternation of Jaskier, he objected. The bard gave him a flat look and settled his hands on his hips.

They had been searching for a day and a half and, thus far, this was the clear front-runner.

"Geralt, if I can climb the mountain on foot, in my very nice shoes, this creature can surely bound up it like a mountain goat," Jaskier says, "and besides, this one likes my music! Would you rather I pick one that gets upset and runs off when I start playing? How well will that horse handle shrieking--oh--I don't know--harpies if we come across them?"