The moment Tana laid eyes on the colt, she knew he was destined to be hers. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, with spindly wings, curious eyes, and the scruffy beginnings of a mane. One day, he would be majestic, soaring through endless skies with confidence and ease. But for now, like her, he was a child.
They could learn together.
'He's the one,' Tana told her father, who was smiling as if he had already known that would be her answer.
It was a Frelian tradition that on their eleventh birthday, members of the royal family received a present based on the combat style they wished to specialise in. After all, one never knew when a war would break out and they would need to take up arms.
Her brother had pushed for her to ask to become a cleric, no doubt to keep her from the frontlines, but her heart was set on learning the ways of a Pegasus Knight. She longed to fly among the clouds, the castle and its surrounds laid out like a tapestry beneath her.
Inching forward, she held out her hand and waited, forcing herself to stay as still as she could. She'd been preparing for this for months, and she wasn't going to ruin it with hastiness.
The colt watched her, his tail flicking gently.
'Easy,' her father murmured.
It felt like they stayed like that for an age — the colt with his tail flicking and Tana with her hand outstretched, her father waiting somewhere behind her.
Then, finally, the colt walked forward, one step after another, his gaze fixed on her. He stopped a few feet away and lowered his head to sniff her hand. Presumably deciding her scent was acceptable, he raised his head.
Tana reached out ever so slowly and stroked his soft neck. To her relief, he didn't start at her touch, instead seeming to settle into it. 'Hello there. Aren't you beautiful?'
A/N: Written in response to the June Monthly Drabble on Rough Trade (www dot roughtrade dot org).