up wrapped in his robe.
Warm breath of the animal grazed my arm, and I turned.
“You are demanding, young lady.”
I rubbed her neck and was about to leave the stall, but she bumped my shoulder with her nose.
“Very well, then. But I can’t stay for much longer. You’re not the only horse here, you know? Your friends need hugs and dinner too.”
She was lovely. Dark brown, her mane almost black but not quite, her body sleek, built for speed, and her large eyes so honest and kind. I gave her a few more kisses on her nose while I petted her. When I slipped out of her stall, she tried to follow me, but I closed the gate quickly.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, Princess.”
The next one was Troll. I was convinced the horse was laughing at me. He snorted right into my ear and then whinnied when I winced, swearing him off.
“You clown. I got horse spit in my ear!”
He snorted again, and it truly did sound like human laughter.
“He told me you were kind. But all I have seen of you are mean jokes. How am I supposed to trust you, hm? You will throw me off just for the giggles.”
“He won’t. He might steal your hat, though.”
I spun around. Jona was leaning on the gate.
“I’m almost done.” I was taking too long, petting the animals and talking to them.
“Don’t worry, Rees. I’ll finish the rest. It’s almost six. You should return to the house. He’ll be back soon.”
“Six?” I’d spent the whole afternoon in the pastures and stables, and the time had flown by.
“Go. He doesn’t like waiting. I’ll see you tomorrow after breakfast?”
“Yes! Thank you.”
At first, the way everybody at the estate mentioned him sounded strange. Nobody ever used a name or an honorific. None of the hunters ever said “master.” They just said “he,” and everybody simply knew whom they meant just by the way they said it, with a certain reverence in their tone of voice. They showed respect and even affection whenever they referred to their employer.
Jona tilted her head and pointed at the gate. Grinning at her, I quickly left Troll’s stall. I hurried out of the yard and into the house, my chest warm with excitement. It had been a wonderful day. I loved the smell of hay and the hot feeling of an animal’s coat under my palm. Simply being with the horses filled me with happiness. He owned more than fifty beautiful beasts, among them ten young colts and seven old animals that spent their days lazing around in the meadows, enjoying their retirement. Each and every one of the horses had their specific likes and dislikes, talents and bad habits, and Jona knew them all. They were her family. Five other women worked in the stables, as did one young boy who never spoke and always looked at his feet when I passed him. I worried he might fear me because I was his master’s lover, but Jona told me he shied away from all men and rarely talked at all. I didn’t ask what had made the lad that way. Many of the hunters and others who worked for the Dark Rider had found a sanctuary after a troubled life. They were safe here, but they carried their scars with them.
In the main house, I was about to walk up the stairs, but the bowl of fruit on a small round table looked too tempting to pass. Hungry, I grabbed an apple. It would have to be enough until he and I ate dinner together later. The old cook, Ana, stood in the hallway to the kitchen and cast me an evil eye. She didn’t seem to like me much, and I suspected it was because she disapproved of her master’s dalliances. I bowed my head to greet her. Before I could make my escape again, she spoke up, startling me.
“You’re an early riser, young man. I asked Lillian this morning when to get you your breakfast, but she said you were already gone.” Her tone was sour. Was she afraid her master would reprimand her for neglecting me? That didn’t sound like him.
“Oh! I’m sorry. But don’t make breakfast for me, Ana. You must have enough work on your hands as it is.”
“You need food before you run out and about with the horses,” she said sternly, bracing her hands on her wide hips.
“Am I allowed to come by here in the mornings and make something myself?”
She frowned. “And