A/N: Once again my inability to name things rears its ugly, awkward head.

Horse Talk
by Ace Ryn Knight

Cria's Great Fair
March 465

"Well lad, what do you think?" Onua Chamtong, horsemistress of the Queen's Riders, asked surveying her newly acquired herd of feisty ponies.

"They're a good lot," Tobeis Boon answered as he leaned against the topmost rail of the enclosure, "But you know that, you hand-picked 'em all."

"I do know," she acknowledged, giving him a wry smile, "I just like hearing it."

"Vain." He accused, playing into her teasing.

She gave his shoulder a firm shove, "I don't pay you to sass me boy."

The lanky fifteen year old turned wide eyes to her, a too-innocent smile at his lips. Sweetly he said, "You don't have to mistress, I gladly do it for free."

"I'd sooner live without such charity." Onua informed him.

He gave a heavy sigh, "If you insist."

"I'm afraid I must," then she gave a sigh of her own, "Look, lad, we're leaving tomorrow. If there's anything else you think we should see, now's the time for you to tell me."

He shifted guiltily, "I was meaning to talk to you about that,"

"Really?" Onua asked, watching the blonde boy blush.

"It's not anything bad." Tobe rushed to assure her, "I haven't been up to any mischief, I swear."

"That you have to promise such a thing is beyond worrying."

"Onua!" the boy protested, "I'm tryin' to be serious here."

The horsemistress grinned, "I'm sorry lad, I couldn't resist."

He gave her an exasperated look, his thin brows arched high over sky-blue eyes.

"Okay, okay," she conceded, "I'm listening. What is it?"

"I want to buy a horse."

Onua blinked. That wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. "You want to buy a horse? That's it?"

He nodded, "Tack too. But yes."

"You already have one in mind?"

Tobe's answering grin was almost blinding.

The K'miri sighed, "Show me."

Tobe brought her to a pen owned by a horse trader they'd visited their first day at the fair. The trader's stock had been greatly reduced since she'd been here last, she noted, as she sized up the remaining horses with a calculating eye. One in particular stood out from the rest, a tall, dark bay with four white feathered stockings and a white star between its eyes. "Let me guess, you want the big one."

"He's not that big," the boy protested softly, "He's shorter than my lady's mount. And he's not quite as heavy."

"Not quite a warhorse, is still almost a warhorse, lad."

Tobe shook his head, "He's too sweet for war, Onua."

"It's an awfully big investment," she cautioned, "A pony might be easier on your pocket."

"I don't want a pony," the teen argued, "And I can afford him. I worked all winter, I have the coin."

The housemistress' gaze narrowed at her assistant. The bay had come to their side of the corral to nicker happily at the blonde boy. "How much time have you been spending here?"

Tobe scratched the horse beneath the curve of its jaw as one might a cat, "Not a lot." He admitted, "I came by twice, asked if I could help some. I told 'im I had the horse gift."

"I don't need magic to know that's a lie." She told him.

"But it's the truth!"

Onua cast a glance at the horse as it lipped at the boy's windswept hair and arched one brow, expectantly.

"He's been in my range since we've been here," the boy acknowledged after a moment, "and, uh, that's not all. The merchant, he offered me a job. Said the horse was mine if I took it."

"Would you leave for him?" Onua asked, heart sinking.

Tobe's answer was immediate. "Yes."

She gave him a hard look and then shook her head. "No you wouldn't."

He wilted. "No, I wouldn't." he confessed, "It's just- I just want something of my own. Something I earned—something that didn't come from the crown's charity or my lady's or Daine's or yours. And I want him. More than anything I want him."

To underscore the boy's words the horse whinnied and nudged its head against his arm as if to say that he wanted Tobe too.

Then it turned its baleful gaze on the K'miri woman. In all her years she didn't think she'd ever seen a horse beg so convincingly before.

"Alright," the horsemistress sighed, reaching for her belt purse. "Let's go buy you a horse."

A/N: This and three other fics have been sitting half-finished on my computer for at least the last week. Whoops. Also this isn't exactly how I envisioned this playing out. It is what it is, I suppose. In any case, I'm calling it done for now.