Page 107 of Crystal Iris
Little dew drops, come down and wash my fears away
Let it fall, let it dry, let me say goodbye
Little shiny treasure, you hold more than you know
The secret to your power lies in the unknown”
“You think ‘little shiny treasure’ is the prism?”
He shrugs. “I wish she had told us about it—what they were, if we ever found them, to keep away.”
“You were only five, Hoyt, and your brother six.”
“Still.”
I let out a yawn.
“I’m sure you’re tired after last night.”
“Yeah, and work on the ranch starts early,” I say with a smile, taking our bowls inside.
“Night, firecracker.”
“Goodnight.”
I’m reaching out for the brush when Broc says, “I need your help with their teeth today.”
“Their teeth?”
“We need to check for sores, swellings, or pain around the mouth, throat, or along the jawline.”
I watch what he’s doing.
“Also, let me know if you smell foul breath or see any discharge from the mouth or nose,” he continues.
“Don’t they have a vet for this?” I ask, a little grossed out.
“Yes, but it’s my job to know when to call for the vet.”
I move like him, looking for anything unusual, something that could perhaps be an issue.
“Are you and Akira still talking?” I ask as I check Elmwood, probably the cutest foal there is.
“Kind of, more like me texting her and her ignoring me.”
“She can be… tough to get through. Keep trying.”
“See this”—he points to Lumberjack—“he’s kind of chewing slow, favoring one side of his mouth. I gotta really look in there.”
I watch as he expertly opens the horse’s mouth.
“I think one of his teeth is longer than the others, come see.”
I walk over.
“It happens sometimes—their teeth naturally wear down from chewing rough fibers.”
“Does it hurt him?”
