She was a few years younger than Sayo, and quite a bit taller. She walked to the stable next to Pony's; as Sayo, oblivious and feeding her horse a few bites of stolen sugar. The tall girl was taking care of the tall, scarred horse when the diminutive Sayo approached.
"You, girl," she snapped, her eyes smiling on slightly, her mouth in a cartoonish frown. "I want a word with ye. Your beastly horse has been tormenting my poor Pony!"
The girl eyed the huge, black horse. 'Pony'? The small part of her that observed things when her thoughts were elsewhere had assumed that the black was the destrier of some visiting knight when she had come in last night. Now, some tiny woman was ranting about Peachblossom bothering it? Just as, muddled, she prepared a response, Sayo interrupted.
"That beast has been cared for by hostlers for weeks, poor boys. Where have you been? Why did you inflict him on them? And my poor Pony has been an innocent victim of placement!"
A man, very tall, in the blue and silver of the King's Own walked into the stable, bemused.
"Who are you and why are you snapping at my squire?" he asked.
"Who are you and why don't you keep an eye on your squire, and not allow her to have this beast terrorizing the stable?" Sayo asked, with more spirit than grammatical correctness or clearness.
He laughed falsely. "I am Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, commander of the King's Own," he said.
"I am Sayo Madison, Shang Mouse," she said, and, as all Shang, help up in her fist in their salute, to show the Shang globe on her gloves. She realized too late that she wasn't wearing her gloves. Glancing at her bare arms, she drew herself up, and said "Take my word for it, ok?" and broke out laughing.
The tension broken, Raoul laughed for real, a deep, pleasant sound.
"And the girl with the 'beastly' horse is my Squire, Keladry of Mindelan."
"Hello," said Sayo politely, as if she hadn't just been haranguing her.
"I am sorry Peachblossom has been such a bother to your, uh, 'Pony'."
"Hmph," said Sayo, but her amusement and good humor was visible.
Sir Raoul eyed Sayo's horse. "Can you really mount him?" he inquired.
"I am tired of people asking me that," Sayo said peevishly. "Of course I can. He's a magnificent horse, once you get used to him, and we can't all be giants." The last comment was directed at both of them. Sayo flipped acrobatically onto her horse, and then flipped off to land in a handstand on the connecting wall between the two stalls. She walked off, with a little wave, leaving them in confused amusement, and with a definite feeling that they would see her again.
[Author;s notes: short little chapter, more coming, please review. I am going somewhere with this.]