She started brushing Phillip with short flicks of her wrist, dislodging loose hairs, dander, and dried mud. She had to admit, the animal was far less dirty than his stablemates, as though someone had already groomed him.So, then why am I doing this all again?She cocked a brow in Slaide’s direction.
“Something the matter, sweets?” he crooned.
“You groomed him already.” Not a question.
His eyes widened, and then he uncrossed his arms, placing his fists on his hips. “So, what if I did? I wanted to see something.”
“Well, are you satisfied? I was under the impression you had some important business to get to today. I see no reason to groom Phillip twice, even if he is a total sweetheart. You could learn a thing or two from him, you know.”
“It’sunofficialbusiness. Nonetheless, we should get going, yes.” He nodded to the stall next to Phillip’s, where a fat flaxen pony was crunching on grain. It had a thick, black and white double-layered mane that stood on end in a permanent bad hair day. A black dorsal stripe ran down the center of its back to the base of its tail, which was as multicolored as the mane. The lower half of its legs were black, like tall socks, and its neck was obnoxiously thick. Hazel thought it was clearly a cart-pony or pack-pony.
“Him?” she asked Slaide. “He’s so… stout.”
“Her,you mean. And yes. That’s Nanna.” Hearing her name, Nanna lifted her head and snorted, ears pinned.
That’s a mare, alright.
“Hey now. Knock it off, you old nag. Your boyfriend likes her, so lighten up.” He pulled something out of his pocket and offered it to her. She accepted the treat greedily. “Nanna puts on a big show, but she’s actually a loving old soul. That’s not to say she won’t bite you in the ass sometime today just to make a point, but it’s part of the fun with her.” He winked.
Hazel moved to the front of Nanna’s stall and the old mare turned away from her, leaving Hazel to stare at the pony’s rump. Behind her, Slaide chuckled under his breath. “One more thing,” Slaide said as Hazel prepared to mount Nanna. “Do not run.” His voice dipped dangerously low. “If you run, Iwillcatch you. And while I’ll thoroughly enjoy what comes next, I won’tbe happy about deviating from my plans to chase you down. Understood?”
Her throat bobbed in response. She nodded her agreement, ducking her head behind Nanna to hide the blush creeping into her cheeks.
Oh, today is going to be eventful indeed.
Slaide and Hazelmade their way down a heavily trodden path which Slaide had said would lead them to the Kingswood, a sprawling woodland in the Wilds butting up to the Border on the eastern side of the kingdom. The Kingswood was vast, Slaide informed her, indicating they likely wouldn’t cross its entirety on this trip, but would need to see where the day took them. To Hazel, that sounded promising, and not in a good way.
As they entered the Kingswood, Hazel thought it was one of the most beautiful forests she’d seen. Due to its proximity to the Border and the magic beyond, the Kingswood was lusher than those back home. Tall, white birch trees towered toward the heavens, and the forest floor was a mix of lush moss and dark, fertile soil. Mushrooms and other fungi littered the underbrush, and new growth, well, it actually existed here. Hazel imagined that this must be how all forests looked, once upon a time.
“So,” Slaide began, “Phillip has taken a liking to you.”
Hazel wasn’t sure why this was something to comment on. In her experience, if you treated an animal with the respect it deserved and paid attention to its body language, it wasn’t terribly difficult to get along. Though, she’d always had aneasy relationship with most horses. Even the difficult ones. She shrugged. “He seems easy enough to get along with.”
“Phillip has never let anyone touch him except me. Until you came along.”
“Seriously?” She whirled on him from Nanna’s back. Nanna didn’t appreciate the movement and huffed her disapproval.
“Seriously. He has a sad history. One where he was overworked and abused. And because of that history, I am the only one he has ever trusted. He’s bitten, kicked, maimed, and damn near killed people for trying to do what you did today. Most horses take issue with him as well. The only stablemate he puts up with is Nanna. He picked a fight with her once, when they were first introduced. And boy did she put him in his place. They’ve been inseparable ever since.” He smiled at the memory, then frowned. “Magnus despises him, though, and once threatened to have him carved up for the royal hounds. Needless to say, he’s never madethatthreat again.”
“Wait. Were you trying to get me killed?” Her eyes bugged.
Slaide laughed. “No. I told you. I wanted to see something. And I was mostly confident he wasn’t going to act out. After all, he did let you on his back once already.”
“Yes—with you. Who’s to say he would have allowed that if you weren’t also there? He could have turned on me today, and you didn’t bother telling me.”
“I seem to recall you riding him by yourself last night without issue,” he reminded her. “Look, Hazel. This animal has a way with people. It’s as though he can read someone’s true intentions… maybe even see their soul. Animals do have a sense for those things, you know. And after all he went through, I would say he’s especially attuned to the intentions of those around him.”
“Are you certain? He likesyou,and I’m fairly sure ‘good intentions’ are not associated with your name.”
“I saved him, remember? I earned his trust. And besides, have you ever considered that my intentions and my actions are two totally different things?” He rode ahead of them slightly and looked over his shoulder.
“Maybe you should be less of an asshole every now and then, if you want to make your intentions clear,” Hazel retorted.
“Or, maybeyouneed to stop taking things at face value all the time.”
Hazel pulled back on Nanna’s reins softly, momentarily stopping them. She watched the swaying of Phillip’s steps and the swishing of his long black tail. How Slaide sat lightly on the horse’s back, despite his size. And how the two worked synchronously, one body instead of two. Her hand found the locket, and she worked it between her fingers as she watched them.
She clicked her tongue at Nanna and the pony got moving again, trotting briefly to catch up with her friend.
