Chapter Text
She was out tracking the first time she saw it.
Word around the village said there was a wounded deer in the forest- injured by a predator or accident, none could be sure. Winter had descended upon the valley with a ferocious quickness and intensity that caught many off guard, including the animals which tended to pick up on those sudden shifts first. The poor thing had been left behind by its herd when the weather turned colder and the thick snow from the mountains began covering the fields. It struggled to walk and was slowly wasting away, though it continued to make efforts to feed and care for itself. It simply couldn’t make the trek south to seek a kinder climate. With the reports persisting for three days, Narita Brian had been asked to track down the deer and provide it with mercy, then bury the body in the snow until the weather warmed and it could be properly interred. A resilient spirit was to be respected and honored, regardless of who or what bore it.
She took only her bow and knife, wanting to keep her equipment load light to better move in the thick snow. Tracking the deer would be easy and, if necessary, she would use her bow to deliver a swift death if she couldn’t close the distance easily enough. A creature that had survived the sudden onset of winter and continued fighting deserved more care and decorum than a slow, agonizing death.
The winter’s wind bit deep into her jacket, sinking into her bones as her ears and tail constantly twitched to ward off the chill. Snow crunched beneath her boots as she relied mostly on muscle memory and limited light to traverse the forests around her home village, seeking any sign of the wounded deer. The new moon was nearly upon them which meant the predators of the forest would become bolder, secure in the darkness covering their hunts, and easy prey being so close to the village’s fields and herds worried the farmers their livestock may be next on the menu. Brian preferred to let the forest sort itself out and intervened only when absolutely necessary but prolonging agony and endangering the livestock demanded she do something.
The howl of wolves snapped her attention to the northwest, listening intently to the otherwise deathly silent forest. It was the direction away from the village but one of the mountain packs straying this close to the edge of the grazing fields worried her. Brian took off, running through the forest while straining her ears for any indication that wolves or the deer were nearby.
And that’s when she came across it.
The deer was on the ground, curled in on itself, head up and watching its monstrous protector, a massive creature with a coat so dark a brown as to appear black and gleaming hooves lashing out in front as it reared upon its hindlegs, crimson eyes wide and flashing dangerously as the beast attempted to drive off the circling wolves. It stood twice Brian’s height easily until it dropped back down, throwing its head forward while lifting up its hindlegs and kicking out, catching a wolf and sending it flying. It made a noise like a shrieking wind, large white teeth flashing as it tried to bite at another wolf, brown mane whipping around.
Brian understood what the creature was… but she couldn’t believe it was real. A horse- monsters of legend that were said to be part uma and mostly beast, a creature lacking remorse that would kill with vicious kicks and bites, supposedly a divine curse from the heavens to punish a wicked uma. Her family had stories about such creatures; hunting them had earned the Narita clan the traditional role of hunters and protectors of the village. But one hadn’t been recorded in five generations. Brian had thought they were just old stories, misremembered rampaging bulls or diseased deer. Horses weren’t real.
But here one stood, fighting back the wolves while… protecting the injured deer?
Brian pulled an arrow from her quiver and notched it, taking aim at one of the larger wolves waiting its turn to lunge at the horse. She didn’t want to kill it- the wolves served a vital purpose in their territory- but she couldn’t let them become emboldened by bringing down such a fearsome foe. She drew her bow to half strength and loosed the arrow, sending the projectile glancing off the wolf’s head and nicking its ear.
Alerted to the new threat by the painful yelps, the pack immediately abandoned their hunt, saving themselves and running off to hunt another night.
The wind blew as only Brian and the horse were left staring each other down.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said. Horses were dangerous creatures and she couldn’t be certain she’d survive with just her bow and knife. Avoiding confrontation was in her best interest. “Easy.”
The horse exhaled, a long stream of steam bleeding from its nostrils as it turned its head to nose at the deer. It didn’t seem particularly keen on moving… but also didn’t seem to regard the horse as a threat. Perhaps it had been exhausted by the wolves before the horse intervened. Brian took a step closer and the horse turned, stamping its hooves- as if to threaten her.
“Easy,” she said again, diverting her attention long enough to ascertain the severity of the deer’s injury. It didn’t look like a predator’s strike and the skin was mending… but she’d need to take a closer look. She took a few more steps and the horse let out that shrieking noise but she didn’t back down. If the beast wished to harm her, it would’ve by now. Instead, Brian took the risk and knelt down beside the deer. A doe- and a young one by the look of it. Probably fell while coming down the mountain- the long, jagged line was healing but there was a festering point that looked infected. “Hmmm. Need medicine.”
While her initial task was to provide a merciful death to the deer, the injury didn’t look so terrible as to mean it would die; it was simply in too much pain to make long treks. With it being a young doe, there was a chance that it could recover and return to its herd come spring. There was a chance… but not if left on its own.
Brian reached out and set her hand on the doe, which didn’t react to her touch. It was tired and either unwilling or unable to flee. It looked… almost resigned.
It reminded her too much of how Hayahide looked when they were young and she’d gotten injured. The village healer mentioned it was possible she’d be unable to run again and, for a brief time, Hayahide believed it, too. Brian would never forget that look.
But her sister hadn’t given up.
“You’ve come this far,” she said, setting her bow aside and digging her arms beneath the doe’s body. “You can’t give up now.”
Lifting the doe up to rest across her shoulders, Brian grabbed her bow and pushed herself to her feet, bearing the weight as well as she could. She turned, half expecting the horse to have either disappeared back into legend or rearing back to attack her. Instead, crimson eyes watched her closely, mane gently swaying in the night wind. Even when not holding its head high or rearing up onto its hindlegs, the horse’s shoulder still came to Brian’s eye level.
Brian took a few staggering steps to return to her home, adjusting to the weight of the doe she carried. The horse pranced in place, as if to warn her against dropping the wounded animal. It made her wonder if the horse wasn’t a monster at all and instead some manner of forest spirit, called out of slumber by the deer’s plight and the strange weather. Perhaps horses weren’t hunted to extinction but rather the village stopped growing and the restless forest spirits opted to allow coexistence.
She trudged her way through the forest to the edges of the fields, the heavy clomping of the beast behind her following every step, almost as if the horse was escorting her away from the monster’s domain. The steps only stopped when she left the treeline and Brian turned, noting the way the horse had lifted its head, ears so much like hers canting towards the buildings in the distance. The beast stomped once, as if demanding an explanation.
“It won’t survive out here,” she said. “In the barn, it will survive the winter and grow strong enough to leave in the spring.”
Another long exhale through massive nostrils… but the horse lowered its head and then turned, retreating back into the forest.
Brian watched it go for a moment, then continued on her mission.
She was a little surprised the doe didn’t struggle throughout the whole trek. Brian was able to shoulder her way into one of the barns and find an open stall, setting it down amongst the warm hay and letting out a heavy breath, rolling her neck and shoulders to release some of the tension. She collected a pail to pour some water into the trough and set some more hay in the stall for the doe to eat.
She closed up the barn and went home, throwing a look back to the forest and wondering if she’d somehow imagined the whole thing, then resolved to ask Hayahide about it in the morning.
“A horse?” Golden eyes a hue away from her own flashed towards her, holding equal parts intrigue and doubt. “One hasn’t been seen in generations. They were erased- according to the records.”
“I’ve hunted these woods my whole life,” she replied firmly. “I’ve never seen a creature like the one last night. It was a horse.”
“Hush,” her sister said, the stallion shaking her head and nudging her glasses back up her nose. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just… difficult to believe. And ominous. Winter comes on so strongly and so quickly… and a horse appears… it’s possibly pure coincidence but we shouldn’t worry anyone with this information until we know for certain.”
“Is it possible that it’s a forest spirit?” They walked along the road from their family estate to the village proper, seeking breakfast at the inn. Hayahide usually would cook meals between her research and running their clan but she’d wanted a break for the day. “The way it defended the doe…”
“Wolves are creatures of the forest, too,” Hayahide pointed out. “It’s natural for a predator to seek an easy meal. Why would a forest spirit intervene?”
“The same reason I did; to keep the wolves well away from the village.” Her gaze went to the trees in the distance, slowly coming alive with the weak, early morning light of sunrise. “Horses were plentiful in the era of the village being established. We stopped expanding into the forest and the horses disappeared. They could be connected.”
“I see some wisdom in the theory… but I’m afraid it would take more information to come to a solid conclusion.”
“I don’t have plans on provoking it to get that information,” she said. “If I’m the only one who saw it, I have no reason to hunt it. It hasn’t caused any problems.” Her tail swished behind her. “We could race to the inn.”
“Subtle.” Hayahide sighed. “Not yet.”
Brian groaned. “When?”
“The Equinox Festival, of course,” Hayahide replied. “One would think you’d have grown past this. We’re not foals anymore; we have responsibilities, Brian.”
She remained silent, not particularly thrilled about the reminder. She was honorbound to be the village’s protector and first hunter, patrolling the forests surrounding their lands to keep threats at bay. She attended to her duties as hunting was one of her favorite activities and running through the forest sublimated her desire to race but it annoyed her that no one else seemed keen on racing outside of festival days. While everyone retained that strong urge into adulthood, most others put their responsibilities and duties ahead of their urge to race, waiting until festival days to indulge. Not Brian- though it had been years since anyone ran against her, always too busy or too worried about being caught, if not outright unable to pretend to keep up. Part of growing up was mastering one’s impulse to run but Brian’s hunger for racing had never dulled.
Once upon a time, her big sister would’ve indulged her.
They arrived at the inn where the majority of the village gathered for meals, stepping inside to find nearly every seat filled- which was unusual for this time of the morning. Usually, most folks who used the early morning hours to work would eat and head out immediately, eager to get their days finished so they could rest after. For some reason, they were sitting and eating still, leaving Hayahide and Brian nowhere to sit, except-
“Ah, Brian, Hayahide!” Symboli Rudolf waved a hand from her table. “Come join me!”
“Do we have to?” Brian grumbled, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to turn down the nanushi without being rude. She liked Rudolf- they’d raced at festivals in the past and she respected the stallion’s strength as a runner- but sometimes she just talked too much.
Plus, she was an idiot.
Rudolf laughed. “Ah, bright as the morning sun! I expect nothing less from our resident shadow.”
“Don’t play your word games with me,” she replied, sitting down and sighing. “You know I don’t like them.”
“Brian, the list of things you like is worryingly short,” the stallion replied gently, the pale blue gem that adorned her right ear glinting alongside the bit of fine gold detailing in her clothing. For as long as the village had stood, a Symboli had acted as the village’s head, ensuring harmony and making the difficult decisions when called for- an unenviable position. Rudolf had done an admirable job thus far, though she had her… eccentricities. “You were out late last night.”
“You wanted me to find the deer. I did.”
“I’m well aware; I toured the barns this morning to ensure the animals were safe through the night. Imagine my surprise when a sweet little doe poked its head out as I walked past a previously empty stall.” Rudolf chuckled, tilting her head. “I also saw its wound. It appears to be healing, but...”
“There’s an infection. I was going to talk to the apothecary to see if she can make some medicine.” Brian’s golden gaze swept around the room. “I thought she’d be here by now…”
“Ah, yes, Mistress Groove is working on some poultices I requested. Something about the process requires her to work in the morning; I’d advise waiting until noon before seeking her out.” Rudolf’s pleasant smile always seemed to hide something, magenta eyes laughing at the secrets they hid. “I should see if it’s possible to take some of this delicious food to her. It would be a shame if she missed such a special meal.”
Brian chuffed. “What’s special about it? It’s edible for once?”
“Brian,” Hayahide chided through gritted teeth.
“Ungrateful whelp.” Brian’s ear twisted towards the old mare innkeeper as she shuffled closer, bearing a tray filled with bowls of miso soup. “Go make your own food, oh mighty hunter, and try not to choke on the raw meat this time!”
She rolled her eyes as bowls of miso were set in front of her, Hayahide, and Rudolf. “It was one time.”
“And it nearly killed you,” Hayahide said, taking the mare’s side. She lifted her bowl to her lips while ignoring her sister’s glare, ears perking as she swallowed. “Oh, my. This is especially delicious. My compliments, Lady Weiss.”
Black Weiss shook her head, her mane going gray in her old age, setting one hand on her hip while the other tucked the tray under her arm, ears drooping. “My soup hasn’t gotten that reaction in years. I’ll pass it along.”
“To whom?” Rudolf leaned forward, hand on her chin. “Last I checked, Lady Weiss, you wouldn’t let anyone into your kitchen.”
“Dunno. Some spry filly passing through without a crown to her name. But, she’s willing to work for her board, and she seems to be a competent cook.”
“A traveller?” Rudolf appeared even more intrigued. “Fascinating. We don’t get many visitors. Could you bring her here?”
“The village is big enough, Rudolf,” Brian said and raised her own bowl to her lips, fully expecting the usual bland flavor to be slightly improved. That wasn’t the case. Surprised by how flavorful the soup was, Brian stopped, let the taste settle on her tongue, and then drank more. While she reluctantly ate the innkeeper’s food normally, the soup was on par with Hayahide’s though possessing a vastly different flavor profile. It tasted different but in an amazingly unique way. She drank more, pleased at how the soup’s warmth settled in her stomach and spread through her, invigorating her. “This is surprisingly good.”
“Wow, what a compliment.” The new voice made Brian look up. Beside the innkeeper stood a mare about Brian’s height with tanned skin and a crooked grin that showed off a single peeking fang. A red and black cloth wrapped around her left ear bore the northern style and the mare’s dark mane shifted between brown and black in the early light and reached well past her waist despite being tied back from cooking. She wore an apron and cloth to hold back her bangs but they slipped out slightly, giving her the look of one who’d worked hard in the kitchen but still had more work to do. But none of those features were as captivating to Brian as her crimson eyes that twinkled with her smile. “Do your legs run as well as your mouth does?”
Brian straightened up. “Are you challenging me to a race?”
Hayahide sighed.
“Yeah! You and me, one-on-one! Once I’m done cooking-”
“And cleaning!” Black Weiss nagged. “Don’t you go skipping on work, young filly!”
Brian’s ears laid back against her skill, shooting a glare at the older mare. “Don’t insult her. I’ll do the dishes.”
Rudolf laughed. “The mighty Narita Brian volunteering for work… almost as surprising as her complimenting food lacking meat. Now, I’ve seen everything!”
“What’s your name?” Brian didn’t care about Hayahide’s exasperation or Rudolf’s teasing. She needed to know more about this strange traveller with eyes like a horse and a desire to race.
“Hishi Amazon,” she replied, a fire in her eyes. “And you must be Narita Brian, eh? I look forward to seeing you run. Make sure you eat up. I don’t want any excuses when you’re eating my dust for dessert.”
Despite her suspicions, Brian couldn’t help but smile at the fiery words.
“You were out in the woods late last night, Brian,” Rudolf said, as ever butting in where she wasn’t needed. “And I doubt you led that doe back to the barn. You had to have carried it- are you sure you didn’t strain yourself?”
“I carried a deer, that’s all.” She shrugged. “It was nothing.” She could feel Hayahide beside her shift. It didn’t sit well with her sister to directly lie to the nanushi but they’d agreed that there was nothing worth reporting just yet. No sense in causing Rudolf to worry or letting the news spread. “I’m more than fit enough to race.”
“Happy to hear it,” Hishi Amazon replied. “Now, eat up. I’ve still got some cooking to do.”
Brian nodded, intent on finishing her breakfast quickly so she could help clear the dishes.
It had been far too long since she’d last had someone to run against.
True to her word, Brian finished her breakfast and went into the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves and starting on the piles of dishes. Despite Rudolf’s teasing, Brian was more than willing to get work done if it existed. She just hated tasks that seemed endless or pointless. Cleaning up the morning dishes so she could get a willing race partner fell into neither category.
And from the corner of her eye, she watched Hishi Amazon’s movements. The mare was energetic and enthusiastic about cooking but nothing seemed ‘off’ about her motions. She appeared like any ordinary uma- but the legends warned that most horses were exactly that before succumbing to the wicked curse. It could also be a coincidence; perhaps the horse she encountered the evening before was from the north and chasing this uma for some reason.
“Where are you going?”
“Going?” The mare paused in her work to look over at Brian.
“You’re travelling. This wasn’t your original destination.” Brian shrugged while dunking a freshly scrubbed pot into water. “Not much here draws tourists.”
“I was just… heading south. No particular destination,” the mare replied, returning to her task. The last of the villagers had come to eat breakfast, word spreading quickly about the abnormally delicious food being served as Weiss chased out those with full bellies. “I usually go a different route but the winter came on so suddenly that it changed my plans.”
“Usually?”
“The winter wind isn’t good for my health.” A careless shrug. “I’ve been going south for years now to avoid getting sick during the colder months. I leave when the birds do and come back around the same time. This year’s different; I never really paid attention to the roads I took, just followed the birds, so I ended up a bit… lost.”
Brian grunted. “So, that’s why you cook well. You feed yourself while travelling.”
“I also just like to cook!” Hishi Amazon laughed. She seemed at ease with the line of questioning- and, if she travelled every year as she said, she would be acclimated to being questioned by strangers. “I have a big family.”
“And none of them come with you?”
“Nah. I move faster alone and there’s no reason to disrupt their lives.”
“It can be dangerous in the forest alone, though, or on the road.”
“Oh, is the mighty village hunter scared of the woods?”
“Tch. Forget it.” Brian set aside the pot to dry and looked over the diminished pile. “How much more are you cooking?”
“This is the last of it. Ah, just need one more thing.”
Brian was elbow deep in the water, rinsing out a bowl, when she smelled the delicious scent of cooking meat. Her head whipped to the side to see a few long, thin slices of pork fat sizzling. “What’s that for?”
“It’s pretty common back home to have a bit of meat with breakfast but I get the feeling it’s not normal here.”
“Tch. It’s not but it should be. Meat is good, any kind. It shouldn’t be restricted to specific meals.”
Hishi Amazon laughed, clear and bright. “Spoken like a true carnivore! But, you need to eat your vegetables, too. A balanced diet keeps you fighting fit!” After cooking the meats, the mare set them on a plate and began guttering the flame on the stove. “Here.”
“Hmmm?”
“C’mon, carnivore.” The mare urged. “Give it a try.”
Brian didn’t need further prompting, snatching up one of the strips of meat and eating it. It was both chewy and crispy in turn and the hot fat and grease over her tongue was satisfying. “This is good.”
“Your friend said you liked meat, so I figure that should tide you over to lunch, yeah?”
Brian snagged another piece. “You could’ve made more.”
“Ah ah, you had enough for breakfast!” Hishi Amazon chided, taking over the dishes Brian had abandoned to eat the meat. “You have to balance things out. I’ll make some for your breakfast tomorrow if you beat me, though.” She winked. “If you needed some incentive to give it your all.”
Brian didn’t, of course, but she liked the teasing. “This is going to be embarrassing for you when I win, you know.”
“Ha!” The mare threw her head back. “I like your confidence! But you’ve never raced someone like me before! You better be ready, Narita Brian!”
She ate the last piece and chewed it while returning to the dishes, the two of them working side-by-side to finish them. When she swallowed, Brian carefully posed her question. “Breakfast tomorrow- you’re sticking around that long?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Just gonna spend a day or two resting before I head south again. The air’s still too cold here.”
“But you want to race?”
“It’s not so cold that I can’t kick your butt,” she said nonchalantly, flashing that one fanged smile. “But if you wanna back out, that’s okay. I’ll let you.”
“Not a chance.” Brian didn’t like meeting new umas. She barely liked talking to Rudolf and she liked Rudolf. But this was… different. “May I call you Amazon?”
“I prefer Hishiama, usually.” She shrugged. “It makes more sense to me.”
“Huh.”
The mare laughed. “I come from farther north than you’re thinking. Amazon is my crown name- but I’ve spent enough time down south that I’m used to umas calling me Amazon.”
Brian straightened at that. “You’ve travelled a long way, then.”
“Yeah, and I’ve got further to go. But…” Those crimson eyes darted her way. “I’m glad I stopped here. Even if I destroy you, it’ll be fun to race again.”
Brian chuckled. “At least I’ll be able to return the favor.”
“Oh?”
She smiled. “I’m going to make you eat those words.”
Once the dishes were finished and put away, Brian and Hishiama went out- with a promise that the mare would return to start on the midday meal prep soon. Brian chose to set the road towards the Narita estate as their racetrack, as it was well maintained but seldom used outside of her family. The two of them settled into stances side-by-side, agreeing to start on Hishiama’s count of three.
The moment they were in motion, Brian felt alive.
She didn’t understand how anyone could ignore this. The pounding of her feet against the ground, the burning in her muscles, the sensation of someone charging at her back- she loved this. Running, racing, she lived for it, craved it, but so many times before she’d been able to run freely and left her opponents in the dust. That’s why she thought most umas were content to restrict racing to festival days. Not every uma was a racer at heart, and not every racer was on her level; Rudolf had beaten her, sure, but the illustrious nanushi had yet to know to defeat. Most others Brian defeated resigned themselves to never winning a race, to not running again, and she hated that they gave up so easily. She couldn’t imagine it, willingly leaving behind this sensation.
And most tried to outpace her early, only to be hunted down and surpassed. Not Hishiama; she trailed behind, charging after the stallion’s shadow. Almost as if hunting her.
As they crested the last hill before the Narita estate’s main house, they both leaned into the homestretch, pouring everything they had into it. She could feel Hishiama just behind her- the wild beating of her heart, the roaring fire of a worthy challenger- but Brian kept ahead just barely. As she said she would, she won, and slowed down in tandem with the mare with the thrilling rush of a good run thundering through her veins.
“You beat me!” Hishiama breathlessly shouted, frustration coloring her tone. “You actually won!”
Brian held her head high. “How do those words taste?”
She regretted the words the moment they left her lips. It was rare for her to lose a race. Every time she won, it marked the last time those she faced would race. Most in the village wouldn’t even bother running with her on festival days; only Hayahide, Rudolf, and Mistress Air Groove the apothecary would face off against her. Everyone else… hated racing her. Because she ran better. Because she wanted to keep running. Because she didn’t care about winning but did anyway. And this time would be no diff-
“Argh!” Hishiama stamped one foot. “I almost had you!” Blazing crimson eyes landed on her, the fire in her voice sending heat down the stallion’s spine. “Next time, I’ll win for sure!”
“... next time?”
“Yeah!” Hishiama jerked her chin. “What, you thought I’d let this slide? I demand a rematch! Tomorrow, same time! One-on-one!”
Brian nodded numbly. “Okay. Rematch.”
The mare nodded resolutely, then turned on heel and started heading back to the village. “And don’t you go around gloating or I’ll smack you somethin’ awful!”
She watched Hishiama go, until the mare was over the hill, and then she went inside, shrugging out of her coat and only then noting the layer of sweat that had built up during the race. She hoped it wouldn’t adversely affect the mare; the last thing she wanted was for their race to be postponed because Hishiama couldn’t breathe well. Come to think of it, perhaps Mistress Groove would be able to make something to help with that.
“Ah, you’ve finally returned,” Hayahide said, sitting at her kotatsu and reviewing various reports. “Come, sit with me. I’d rather you not spend today sulking and I want to hear more about this horse you encountered.”
Brian slipped on her house shoes and set her heavier boots aside, then went to sit beside the kotatsu. “What makes you think I’d be sulking?”
Her sister’s gaze snapped up, genuinely surprised as she looked at Brian over the invisible edge of her glasses. “... you usually do when you’ve beaten someone and they’ve sworn off racing you again. Did you lose?”
“No.”
“Did she swear off racing you again?”
“No. She wants a rematch.”
Hayahide rolled her eyes. “So she shares your immaturity, wonderful.” Despite the slight sarcasm, the stallion was smiling ever so softly. “It seems you two are a match yourselves.”
“... what if we are?” Brian hadn’t thought about it much before. She had her duties to fill her time and few in the village held her respect. Of the mares she might consider, precious few would return her interest. Although both of them were refusing to acknowledge it, Mistress Groove and Rudolf were smitten with each other, and the illustrious Lady Ramonu would sooner kill a stallion than let one near her, though outsiders would typically find that out the hard way. Vodka and Scarlett were a bit on the younger side and obsessed with each other, though neither seemed keen on admitting it. There was Dober, another Mejiro mare, but she was even less cordial with stallions- and she was one of Mistress Groove’s favorites besides. Anyone wishing to court the mare’s interest would need to gain Mistress Groove’s approval first. “Do you think she’d stay if I asked?”
“Brian, you’ve hardly known her a few hours!”
“So? Marriages have been arranged for less.”
“Are you saying you want to marry her?”
“... I wouldn’t object.”
“She must’ve made quite the impression during your race.” Hayahide put a knuckle to her chin. “What else about her catches your interest?”
“She’s fearless. Strong willed. Fiery.” Brian nodded. “Also, I think she’s the horse.”
Hayahide opened her mouth, blinked several times, and then closed her mouth. Then, she tried again. “I beg your pardon.”
“She has the same eyes. I think she’s the horse.”
“That is quite a heavy accusation to lay on someone with hardly any evidence to back it up.” Hayahide then shook her head and sighed. “But I trust your instincts... though, it means she could be dangerous.”
“If she wanted us dead, we would be. She cooked our food. She could’ve poisoned us and killed the entire village before anyone had suspicions.” Brian shrugged. “Maybe the legends are wrong. No one ever talked to a horse before they transformed. Maybe it’s temporary or involuntary.”
“Don’t let your infatuation cloud your judgment. She could be a threat to the village.”
“She’s not. I felt it when we raced; she’s genuine. She said she goes south for the winter because the cold makes her sick. Perhaps becoming a horse is a curse brought on by the weather.” Brian shrugged. “Either way, nothing she’d done or said makes me think she’s a threat to the village.”
Hayahide turned her attention back to her reports. “Time will tell, I suppose. How long does she plan on staying?”
“One or two days.”
“It may be worthwhile to go hunting again tonight.” The stallion’s brows knit together. “I would like to see a horse for myself… maybe then, I could understand your perspective.”
Brian nodded, then got to her feet. “Then I’m taking a nap. Wake me for lunch.”
As she left, she briefly entertained the idea that she was wrong about Hishiama.
Then she remembered that fanged smile and dismissed the thought entirely.