The next morning, as Colm got up to start mucking out, he snuck a glance at the foal. The wings were still there! So, he was still going crazy. After he was done, he saw Emma come out of the house. She walked over to him and muttered in a low voice, "I need to talk to you. Alone."
"Um…okay," Colm said, raising an eyebrow.
"Then come on!" she said, began walking into the woods. Reluctantly, Colm followed. He glanced nervously about for the horse with the external veins he had seen yesterday, but saw nothing but trees and grass. Finally, Emma stopped in a clearing and sat down in the grass.
"So," began Emma, rather awkwardly. "I see you've found out Wings' secret."
"Wings' secret?" Colm asked, confused. "What are you-wait!" he squeaked. "You-you mean there actually are wings on Dowager's foal?!"
"Uh, yeah," Emma said frankly. "I put them there."
Colm stared blankly at her.
Emma sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to start from the beginning." And she did. Colm didn't say a word during the entire thing. He only stared, which made Emma a little nervous.
But when she was finished he said, "Em, you know that day you, er, found me in the woods, welllll, I saw this big black horse with something like external veins. If ran off when it saw me thought." He didn't bother mentioning that it had almost killed him in the process. "Do you think it has something to do with this 'North of North' thingy?"
"I don't know Colm," Emma said thoughtfully.
"C'mon, I'll show you were I found him," Colm said, getting up and stretching his cramped muscles.
Emma followed him, and soon they came to the stream.
"Well, I guess he isn't here," Colm said, secretly relieved.
"Look!" exclaimed Emma, her eyes widening. It was the horse! As they watched, it stepped nervously towards the stream, its ears flicking nervously. Both Emma and Colm quickly crouched down in the undergrowth.
"He's beautiful," Emma breathed.
"Beautiful?! Are you crazy?" Colm hissed.
At this, the horse's head shot up and it stepped backwards, snorting fearfully. Colm watched in surprise mixed with amazement as flames came out of the veins, and soot flew into the air.
"Whoa, boy," Colm said soothingly, straightening up and stepping towards the horse. "I guess you just don't like being surprised, eh boy?" To his surprise, the horse lowered its head and nodded. "Wait, you can understand me?" he asked in astonishment. The horse nodded again, spraying more soot into the air. Colm stepped forward once more. "I think I'll call you Soot," he said decisively. At this, Soot stepped forward towards him.
"Good Soot," Colm murmured. Despite what he had said earlier, he found himself admitting that Soot really was beautiful, with a chiseled face and delicately formed, but sturdy, legs.
"Well, we probably should be getting back now," Colm said, turning back to Emma. Soot snorted and stepped after him, spraying him with soot.
Emma giggled. "I think Soot wants to come home with you," she laughed.