Disclaimer : While I fully admit that I do not own them, I have temporarily borrowed them for the purposes of my creative endeavour.

They found the horse grazing silently by the stream. Its head rose gracefully up from the meal of new spring grass to observe them approaching with caution. Nostrils flaring allowed their scent to be caught and deeming the humans to be unthreatening, the horse resumed its grazing.

“Beautiful fella.” Whispered the teenaged boy.

“It’s a girl horse, silly…can’t you tell?” Whispered back the girl of a similar age.

“Well, I didn’t look there immediately.” He retorted quietly.

They reached the horse and noted how it seemed at ease with their presence.

The boy reached down and grabbed the fallen reins as the girl started to gently pat the horse’s chestnut-coloured neck.

“She needs a good brushing…looking at her mane.” The girl softly pulled some burrs out of the golden hair. “But other than that, she looks to be in good shape.”

The boy frowned, looking down at his palms where the loose leather reins rested.

“Then where did this blood come from?” He asked.

“What blood?” The girl questioned, turning to look at him.

He held up his hands, showing her the blood transferring from the leather to his flesh.

Her eyes widened.