Page 108 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

“I am,” he agreed. He gestured, smiling. “So are you.”

“I am?”

“Up you get,” Brannal instructed.

There was a suppressed excitement about him, and Perian just stared for a moment, a bit bemused. He eyed the horse that was definitely not a certain magnificent stallion.

“Are you trying to get me on Prince Horsey’s bad side?”

Brannal’s lips twitched up. “Why do you think I made sure to be ready for you out here? He doesn’t have to know.”

Perian shot him an unimpressed look. “He’ll know. He’s the smartest and most opinionated horse I’ve ever met.”

Brannal was eying him with amusement. “What if I promise to make it worth your while?”

Perian gazed back at him, at the twinkle in those dark eyes. Were they going off into the countryside to have sex? He still didn’t understand why they couldn’t bring Prince Horsey, but Perian could get behind the end goal.

So he made friends with the dappled mare, whose name was Lily, suggesting she probably hadn’t been named by Renny. He mounted up. Lily danced around a little, and Perian brought her smoothly under control. Whatever reason Brannal had for not bringing Prince Horsey, he had at least not stuck Perian with a mount who wasn’t a good match for him.

“Ready?” Brannal asked.

There was still something… playful about him, an expression on his face Perian wasn’t used to seeing.

“Ready,” he said cheerfully.

Whatever they were doing, Brannal was excited about it, and that was enough for him.

Brannal took the lead until they were out in the royal park, surrounded by the splendor of the summer afternoon.

“Race you!” he called out.

And then he put his heels to Warrior’s flanks and was gone. Even as Perian gaped at him, he nudged his mare into a gallop as well.

“You’re a cheating cheater who cheats!” he yelled, even though Brannal couldn’t hear him. (Perian also couldn’t blame him for getting his own back.)

Lily wasn’t as fast as Prince Horsey, but he hadn’t yet met a horse who could match him. She was still fast, and Perian leaned low and streaked after Brannal. She made up good ground, thundering along in Warrior’s wake.

He stroked her neck and focused on his target.

“You’re doing so good,” Perian told her. “Let’s show that cheater how we do things, all right?”

They rode and rode, galloping through the countryside, and even though Perian was losing this race, the ride was a joy.

He narrowed the distance between them by a good measure, but Perian was still behind when Brannal began to slow. They were soon side by side, and then they were walking again.

“You’re a cheater!” Perian exclaimed, but he was grinning too widely for it to seem like much of an insult.

Brannal was smiling too.

“And you’re always the best sort of challenge. Warrior needed to stretch his legs.”

Perian raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Oh, so that was allWarrior’s fault, was it?”

Brannal patted his stallion’s neck and cheerfully sacrificed him. “Entirely.”

Perian shook his head and tried to look disapproving.

He’d been so intent on catching up that he’d scarcely noticed when they’d moved from grass to an actual road. They’d gone north and west, where he and Prince Horsey didn’t ride as often. It wasn’t until the sun shone in his eyes that he realized just how low it was in the sky.

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