Gilan brushed the last of the dust off Blaze's white face marking before smoothing her long black forelock straight. "Lovely girl," he crooned, pressing a kiss onto her soft pink nose. The mare gave a low, rumbling nicker as she gently bumped her head against him - Blaze loved affection, and she adored her rider who so quick to give it.

"You coddle that mare," Halt said with a shake of his head as he tied his bedroll onto Abelard's saddle. "You'll spoil her to death."

Gilan gave an indignant gasp even as he finger-combed a knot out of her mane. "Hush, Halt! You shouldn't insult a lady," he answered with mock sternness, giving Blaze a quick pat as he mounted. Halt rolled his eyes as he turned to get on Abelard.

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong. You don't see Abelard pinning his ears at me because I don't give him a second apple, hmm?"

"Because you do give him the second apple," Gilan muttered, before continuing in a louder voice, "Like I said, she's a fine lady. You have to treat her as one."

The mare nickered again at his words, an almost prance in her step. Halt shook his head again.

"Right. Well, you coddle her enough for the both of us," he replied. "Don't expect any nose kisses from me, Blaze," the older Ranger finished, giving the mare a warning look.

Blaze simply tossed her head and snorted. He says that like it's a bad thing. I'd much rather get nose kisses from you, anyway.

Gilan smiled briefly. "I'm sure she'll get over it," he assured his mentor.

Halt eyed the pair with suspicion and grumbled under his breath.

Mares.

"Gilan, come inside. You're not doing her any good when you're out on your feet."

The boy didn't even look up from where he sat slumped next to Blaze's downed form. "No."

The boy was gently stroking the horse's neck, his face taut with worry. The mare's liquid brown eyes were dull, her breathing heavy and shallow. Her hay was untouched, and she refused to even nibble at her oats no matter how much Gilan coaxed her.

"I want you to get some sleep," Halt said, firmer this time. "And you need to eat something." The older Ranger understood Gilan's reluctance to leave his sick horse... but the boy was worrying himself to distraction.

Stubborn as he was, Gilan shook his head in response. "I'll just sneak out again. We both know this." The boy finally raised pleading eyes to his teacher. "You'd be doing the same thing if it was Abelard. Please, Halt."

Halt sighed in defeat, recognizing the truth behind his apprentice's words. "Just tonight, and on the condition that you swear to eat what I bring you." The Ranger's tone made clear that he wasn't jesting.

Gilan nodded hastily in response, knowing to take what he was given. "I know. I promise."

When Halt returned with a bowl of potatoes and chopped venison, Gilan made a show of tucking into it. The boy then offered the grain pan to Blaze again, his face falling when the mare turned her head away in disinterest.

"That's alright. Maybe later," Gilan said, his troubled eyes betraying a voice that was seeping with forced cheerfulness.

Halt cleared his throat, feeling like he was interrupting. "Goodnight, then." Gilan gave an utterly weak smile in return, and as Halt walked back to the cabin, he knew he would be sleeping fitfully that night, worrying not only for the mare, but also for his apprentice.

However, when Halt entered the stables early the next morning, completely unable to sleep any longer... Blaze's grain pan was licked clean. The mare's face was still wan, but her eyes were brighter, her whole demeanor content as she curled her neck over the sleeping apprentice tucked against her side.

A faint smile touched Halt's lips as he reached down to smooth the mare's forelock. "Well, Blaze, I see you're feeling better."

The mare nickered. When Gilan didn't so much as stir, Halt decided that perhaps he would allow Gilan to sleep in today.

Just this once, of course.

Gilan gave a huff of frustration and ran a hand through his hair. As an apprentice, Halt had always been there to correct and mop up after any of Gilan's overlooked details or mishaps. As a newly graduated Ranger, however, with Halt a five day ride away... well, Gilan was on his own. "We have a problem," he said gloomily, raising a hand to gnaw at a thumbnail as he considered how to solve this newest development.

Blaze snorted and gave the closest thing a horse could have to a long suffering look. You have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps getting into them.

Gilan winced. "I'm working it out," he insisted, throwing his mare a hurt glance as he mounted. "Anyway, I have a plan."

Is it a good one? Blaze tossed her mane, seeming doubtful, and Gilan found himself, not for the first time, wishing that his horse had just a smidge more tact.

"I have a plan," he repeated, and Blaze gave a low rumble.

We're both going to die, aren't we.

"Don't be so dramatic," Gilan answered with some annoyance, giving Blaze's neck a light flick. Behave, the gesture seemed to say.

Blaze responded with a crowhop that had Gilan scrambling for mane and again acknowledging the fact that Blaze would forever get the last word.

Gilan glared furiously at the Tualaghi men in charge of the line of Araluen horses. Built differently from the Arridan mounts, the warriors were interested in all of their animals... but it was Blaze who had captured the majority of their attention. Selethen had told them that the Arridi people held mares in a higher regard than stallions, as they made better war horses. Much quieter than stallions, mares aided in the stealth factor that many raids called for.

And completely fascinated with his mare, the Tualaghi were.

One of the warriors reached out to stroke Blaze's long face marking. Normally, Gilan kept the strip a clean, shining white. Now, it was darkened with sweat and dirt from the sandstorm. The Tualaghi's grimy hands weren't going to help matters, the young Ranger thought bitterly as he watched, wanting nothing more than to tear Blaze away from reach.

Pinning her ears flat, Blaze snapped her teeth before the man's fingers made contact with her face. He just barely managed to withdraw his hand from the reach of her powerful jaw, but Gilan knew better - if Blaze had really wanted to grab the warrior, he would be missing a finger. It was a warning snap, Blaze's angry eyes clearly saying that she expected him to heed it.

The man's face flushed with anger, and he raised a hand again, clearly intending to smack the mare's face... when a call from a superior was heard. Giving Blaze a last angry look, he dropped his hand and left. Even in his anger at the horse, the warrior clearly knew better than to leave a higher officer waiting.

Gilan let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, his eyes narrowing as he watched the man leave. Committing the man's face to memory, the scum who had tried to hit his mare...

The young Ranger gave that peculiar smile again.

*The Bedouin people bred their Arabian horses (which the Arridi horses are based off of) to have speed, intelligence, and incredible endurance. They did value mares over stallions - a good war mare was very highly prized, indeed. Often, the mares were brought inside the family's tents during the night, not only to protect from the weather and predators, but also theft. Pedigrees were also traced through the female line.

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-TrustTheCloak