Page 95 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

Perian was soon out in the stables getting Prince Horsey ready.

“Bit late today,” one of the stable hands said.

“Special ride," he answered with a smile.

Perian patted Prince Horsey on the neck. “You hear that? You need to be on your best behavior, and I promise, I’ll take you on a long ride later if you need it.”

Now that Perian thought about it, the sensible thing to have done would have been to have spent the last hour giving Prince Horsey a good run, andthencome to ride with Renny.

Perian rubbed the horse’s neck again.

“We’ll do that next time, all right? I don’t always have the best ideas straight off, but I get there eventually.”

Prince Horsey huffed at him, which Perian was pretty sure was his way of expressing how smart he thought his rider was.

Leading Prince Horsey out into the yard, Perian quickly mounted him, happy about the fact he didn’t need to use the mounting block anymore. Renny had happily relayed that her riding had been so successful she was actually allowed to mount up on her own now—even if people hovered while she did it.

Perian took Prince Horsey on a trot around the yard to help dispel some of the fidgets. And then the stables and yard were suddenly filled with Warriors and Mage Warriors.

Wow. Perian could see where Renny thought it was a bit ridiculous. But he just moved Prince Horsey over to the side and watched as everyone got mounted up. He waved at Renny when she arrived, and she beamed at him.

Her horse was brought out, and Perian could see it really was very docile-looking, though not deserving of all the scorn she’d heaped upon it.

Brannal wasn’t here today. Renny had said he didn’t come most times now, because her mother had calmed down, and he actually had more important things to do than watch Renny ride a horse. But Nisal and Molun were there today, along with a handful of others, so it seemed they were still hoping air could help if Renny fell.

And, Perian supposed, although he’d foolishly been imagining them blowing her back onto the horse, they probablycouldcushion her fall, if they reacted fast enough.

Plus, they were going out of the castle today, so the Warriors weren’t just for show.

Renny mounted up just fine on her own, despite the hovering, settling into the saddle comfortably and confirming with Molun and Nisal that she was ready.

Then Renny looked at Perian.

“You’re ready too,” she told him.

Yes, he was, but why was she telling him that?

Oh! He’d actually forgotten about Kee making the attempt to climb on Prince Horsey with him. Was Kee really sitting on the horse with him right now? He couldn’t feel anything—which he’d known, logically, but it was still a weird realization. Given the finite length of a horse’s back, it probably meant Kee was either pressed up right against him, or actually sittinginhim, which was an even weirder thought.

Prince Horsey hadn’t reacted as though anything had changed, either, though Renny and Kee had said that was the case. But Perian had apparently still hoped for… something.

But everything seemed just as it always did.

“Where are we riding to?” Perian asked.

She beamed at him. “Oh, we don’t go very far. Just out to the beginning of the hills and back. It’s not very exciting.”

“It sounds wonderful. Let’s go.”

It seemed to be at this point that everyone else realized Perian was coming along for this ride. There were some exchanges of looks between the Warriors, but no one actually said anything.

And then Molun said, “Oh, do we get companytoday?”

“You certainly do,” Perian said. “Quiet, well-mannered company.”

Molun snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Prince Horsey is very well-behaved,” Perian said with… perhaps not perfect truth.

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