"Stanley, slow down, we're getting close," I said softly, pulling back on Stanley's reins lightly. Stanley slowed down from a trot to a walk with a whiney of disappointment.

"Sorry but in town I have to walk you, not you carry me," I said, clicking my tongue for Stanley to stop. I slid off Stanley's back, wrapping the reins in a knot at the base of his shoulders; I took hold of the bridle near Stanley's mouth and started walking, close to Stanley as we started to swim in the crowds of the city. The city was loud and noisy with the excitement of the Festival of Fools starting just in a few hours; I pulled Stanley aside to tighten the knot on my coin bag so no one would try ripping it from me. People who were poor and lived on the streets in Notre Dame would sometimes do the unthinkable to get what they needed, that's why I am smart enough to keep what I have with me.

"Maybe staying on your back would have been a better idea, I can hardly see!" I exclaimed, Stanley nudging my calf to coax me on.

"Alright, alright, you win, just help me up" I said playfully, stopping off to an empty part of the street where I could get back on Stanley. I threw my arms over Stanley's back and jumped, Stanley's nose nudging at my foot to help me get on. I slid my leg over and laid on Stanley's back for a few moments, breathing the air that had escaped my lungs while trying to get back on Stanley.

"You know, sometimes I wonder why I had to choose a mighty horse such as you…oh that's right, because you were the most spirited colt I had ever seen" I laughed, unknotting the reins and clicking my tongue for Stanley to start walking. I saw a few other people riding their horses around town as I got to the square where the festival was held. Music was playing somewhere off to one of the side streets that I had to go see, Stanley followed my ears to where the music was playing and we saw five gypsies, a man and four women. There was a goat too! The girls were excellent dancers, so was the goat, the man played flute well but there was something about the fourth gypsy woman that was comforting for some reason. It was her eyes, or the way she played tambourine, or maybe just the air around her that instantly made me feel calm. I untied my coin bag and took out a few coins then, with one hand, tied the bag close and walked Stanley closer to the one gypsy, making it look like I was just shifting my horse. As the music began to stop and the girls were taking a break, I tapped on the gypsy woman's shoulder gently.

"Ma'am?" I asked, shifting my other leg so I sat on Stanley sideways so I could face her.

"Yes?" she answered, turning to look up at me.

I smiled before holding out my hand, "my name is Alean, I wanted to complement you on how you play very well, what is your name?" I asked, looking down at her.

"Esmeralda, it is nice to meet you Alean and thank you for your complement" Esmeralda said, smiling and shaking my hand gently. I smiled back then went to pull my hand away but Esmeralda held it gently, flipping my hand over so my palm faced up, her warm, slightly longer hand outlining my slightly smaller, little less tanner hand.

"You have a kind heart, your very creative, free spirited and you have a long, happy life ahead of you" Esmeralda said, following the lines along my palm, tickling my hand a little.

I smiled shyly before pulling my hand away this time, looking into Esmeralda's turquoise green eyes, "thank you, oh! Here, I was going to give this to you" I said, remembering the few coins in my right hand.

"What is it?" Esmeralda asked, looking at my hands, trying to figure out what it was I held it my hands.

"Give me your hand silly" I said, laughing. Esmeralda held out her hand to me gently and I slid my hand into hers, dropping the coins into her palm before moving my hand away from hers. Esmeralda smiled softly before looking up into my eyes and nodding softly.

"God bless you, my palm reading was true, you do have a kind heart to gypsies" Esmeralda said kindly. I felt something was about to go wrong when a little boy whistled above our heads and the other gypsies were gone in a flash.

"Hop on, grab your goat and lets go" I said, looking down at Esmeralda, she nodded, scooping Djali up before handing him to me and jumping onto Stanley behind me. I slid my leg back over to Stanley's other side and clicked Stanley into a quick walk, just in time to get away from a pair of officers that were coming to stop Esmeralda.

"How did you see that coming?" Esmeralda asked, she had grabbed Djali back before Stanley took off from the officers and was petting him to keep him calm.

"I don't know, I just felt like something bad was going to happen so I had you hop on" I turned my head slightly so I could look at Esmeralda from the corner of my eye, "why?" I asked.

"Curious, does this happen to you more often then once?" Esmeralda asked, looking up at me.

"Yes, but usually I get an image in my head first" I said, stopping Stanley as we got back to the center of town.

"Hm, interesting" Esmeralda said thoughtfully, having me hold Djali as she slid off of Stanley back onto the ground, she petted Stanley's flank for a moment then took Djali back into her arms and set him on he ground beside her.

"Well, I'll see you at the show then" Esmeralda said before saying goodbye and turning in the direction of the tents for the performers in the festival, I waved at her before I turned Stanley in the direction of the market where the food was.