Page 107 of An Archer's Redemption

Keelan appeared in the opening to the stables, reins in hand, with Dittler nipping at his shoulder and whinnying each time Keelan tried to shoo his bites away.

I grinned at the pair.

“Looks like you two learned to get along.”

“If you count me getting nipped every five seconds as getting along, then sure.” He chuckled and pushed the horse’s toothy snout away again.

At the sound of my voice, Dittler’s ears shot forward, and his head snapped up. He began dancing on his front legs and surprised Keelan by yanking the lead out of his hand with a quick tug. Within seconds, the massive stallion had kneeled on his front knees before me, his snout nuzzling against my chest.

I laughed and stroked the horse’s ears in exactly the spot I knew could make him weak.

He let out a gruff snort—something akin to what a thousand-pound cat might do when given a good scratch.

“My baby boy,” I said, pressing my cheek against his forelock.

The powerful-beast-turned-helpless-puppy dared not move; he breathed and snorted as his mistress praised and stroked him. After a few peaceful moments, he pulled back and eyed me.

“What is it, boy?”

He snorted and stamped once, then resumed staring at me.

“My Gift is not working. I cannot see your thoughts in my mind.”

He snorted and stomped again.

Keelan stepped up beside me, careful not to startle the stallion. “I think he senses something’s off but doesn’t know what it is or why you’re not understanding him.”

Dittler leaned toward Keelan and nudged his arm with his muzzle, then nickered and bobbed his head.

“Did he just agree with you?” I asked in amazement.

Keelan laughed. “Jealous? I’m pretty sure we bonded on this trip.”

On cue, Dittler lunged forward and nipped Keelan’s coat.

“I see how you boys bonded.” I laughed. “And I think you are right. He has always been more perceptive than people think. Part of it is being a Cretian—everyone knows they are thesmartest of horse breeds—but there is magic at work here, too. It might not be a Gift exactly, but he has shown me many times over how much he understands.”

That earned me another nuzzle.

“Traitor!” Keelan quipped. “Nip me but nuzzle her.”

Dittler turned and nipped Keelan again.

Both of us laughed, and I thought I heard Dittler snorting a little too merrily himself.

Then Dittler let out a deep-throated roar of alarm.

All at once, the peaceful night turned into a blur of motion.

The sound of another horse’s hooves on the cobbles clanked through the yard, and a mottled gray steed broke through the darkness from around the stables, headed straight for me.

I screamed as Keelan pulled me to the side as the horse reared and missed, nearly striking my head with its front hooves.

“Get back inside!” Keelan yelled as he ducked away from the horse’s angry teeth.

I turned to run, but my gown and shoes were made for dinners, not sprints, and I sprawled face-first across the cobbles a few paces away.

At the sound of my cry, the gray horse turned from Keelan and charged for my prone body.

---