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Petra had spent no more than a week in the Golden Deer classroom before she was assigned to stable duty with the one person she hadn’t had the chance to get to know. Eager to make friends other than Claude, who’d extended the offer to join, in her new class, she’d already talked to all of her classmates more than once, except Marianne. Marianne was a shy, quiet girl who had said nothing more than “hello” on Petra’s first day in her new class. Though Petra sat next to her, she never said anything to Petra, and she didn’t ask questions in lecture. She took very disorganized notes and occasionally answered a whisper from her other seatmate, Hilda.
Petra didn’t mind taking care of horses. She especially loved the pegasi and wyverns. The Wind Spirit had been very kind to Brigid; there was a healthy population of wyverns, and pegasi roamed there in the wild, the result of explorers from Fódlan letting their pegasi loose on the islands centuries ago. When she was young, she had learned to fly on the pegasi kept in the royal stables. Flying was fun, and far less bumpy than riding a horse on the ground.
Petra arrived early so she could meet some of the horses and pegasi before any students or knights came. She was petting the mane of a pegasus that had taken a shine to her when she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned around to see Marianne, head bowed, eyes firmly fixed to the ground.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Marianne. I have just been petting this pegasus. Are you liking pegasi?”
“I like them. Even if I don’t always spend nearly as much time with them.”
“Are you spending much time with animals?”
“I don’t get to see this many animals at home. Of course, there were stables on my adoptive father’s estate, but he only owns one horse. She’s a little old, so she can be temperamental.”
“‘Temperamental’? I am not knowing this word. Is it similar to temperature?”
“No, I mean she gets angry. Like she has a temper.”
“Oh, a temper! I have understanding.” Petra nodded. “In Brigid, many pegasi are roaming freely. Sometimes they have tempers, because they are wild. But this one is tame, and she has much sweetness. I am liking her greatly.”
“She is sweet.” Marianne walked forward, lifting her head and stroking the animal along the underside of its neck. The pegasus, though she had been docile before, seemed almost to melt into Marianne’s touch. Petra’s heart was beating, like prey caught in a trap.
“She has fondness for you,” Petra said. “Is she—Does she have a name?”
“This is Marigold.”
“This name has much beauty. What is its meaning?”
“A marigold is a yellow flower. When nobles plant gardens, marigolds are used to keep deer away from the plants, because they don’t like the stench. I like flowers, but I don’t think I’m very good at gardening.”
She withdrew her hand from Marigold’s chin. “I’ve talked too much. I should probably leave you alone and go work with the horses.”
“No, not at all. I am wanting you by my side. You have a special talent. Um… a gift. Yes, a gift!”
“A gift?” Marianne met Petra’s eyes. Her eyes were deep brown—nearly the same shade as hers. But while Petra’s were bright and full of life, Marianne’s could only be described as sad.
Petra was a happy person by nature. When she was growing up, she had always been cheerful, optimistic, and eager to learn new things. Even after she had been taken hostage by the Empire, she had always tried to make the most of her unique situation, staying positive even when the pain of missing home hurt as much as a real injury.
But being around a person who was so sad and pessimistic made Petra only more determined to be as happy as she could. If Marianne couldn’t be happy, Petra could be the sunshine for both of them, at least until Marianne believed in herself.
“Yes,” Petra said, when she’d finally caught her breath. “Animals have great like for you. You are sensing their feelings. That is a thing I cannot do. Only you can.”
“Something only I can do…”
Marianne looked up at Marigold. It was only then that Petra noticed the mare had brown eyes. Whether they were sad or happy eyes, she couldn’t be sure. Only Marianne could tell that.