Page 97 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

“Not Princess Horsey?” Perianproposed.

She made a face, looking a bit embarrassed. “Hey,” she protested. “I was four. You can’t expect me to be the most creative thinker at four.”

“Your clarity was excellent.”

She laughed. “You better be careful, or I’m going to nameyournext horse.”

Perian grinned. He could think of worse things than having Renny name one of his horses. Prince Horsey might be ridiculous, but the name had clearly been given with love.

“Princess,” Molun said after a few minutes.

Renny sighed, but then she nodded.

“Time to turn around,” she said reluctantly.

“Oh, is it that time already?” Perian said. “Goodness, that went fast.”

“When you’re having fun?” Renny proposed, a bit of a challenge.

“Of course I had fun,” he answered honestly.

“It wasn’t a gallop.”

“No,” he agreed. “But it didn’t need to be.”

As they turned around, however, Prince Horsey was a little more fractious.

Renny huffed a breath. “See?Hedoesn’t think this was a good enough ride.”

“It was a perfectly lovely ride,” Perian answered staunchly. “Prince Horsey just didn’t get much of a chance to show off, and you know he likes to do that.”

She smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Perian had definitely not meant to bring her down, and he hated the idea that his riding with her had contributed to that feeling.

“Do you really think he should get to show off?”

She perked up. “Of course.”

Perian considered. “Well, then, what if we ran circles around you all the way home?”

She sat straighter. “What?”

Perian nodded, pretty sure they could pull this off. “You keep walking home, just like you’re doing, and Prince Horsey and I will run circles around you. All of you, I mean.”

He gestured at the Warriors. He was pretty sure Prince Horsey could even do it just around Renny and Buttercup, but those turns would be much tighter, and he didn’t want to risk hurting her if he miscalculated.

“I’d like to see that,” Renny declared happily.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” one of the Warriors asked.

“Totally sure!” Perian said cheerfully and steered Prince Horsey out between the Warriors surrounding Renny.

“I don’t see any circles,” Renny called.

So Perian nudged Prince Horsey into a trot.

“Let’s show them what we’re made of, shall we?” he said.

Prince Horsey seemed to think that was an excellent idea. Perian sent him surging ahead at first, and Prince Horsey looked like he was just going to streak into the hills, but Perian nudged him and got him running back in the other direction after a moment. They streaked right past the group, and he heard Renny laughing. He turned Prince Horsey again, who snorted but obeyed anyway, and they passed Renny on the other side.

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