It did not escape the stallion of the sun and clouds that the mare averted her eyes after his question. He had not meant to upset her and felt a pang of worry until she responded to his compliment with a smile, one he was determined to turn into a grin and perhaps someday laughter. Şahin was as affable and goodnatured as they came (provided he was stimulated enough) but one of his faults was how much he cared for others. Lately it seemed as if his need for company made him believe he was capable and even worthy of solving the problems of others. That, he’d learned in his fourteen years of life, was something that was not always true.

Her reciprocal comment made him smile warmly at her, and he fell into step beside the golden mare as she began walking the beach. She’d said something he hadn’t quite caught over the sound of the ocean at his back, and he tried to unscramble the syllables he had picked up in his mind before he gave up and asked for clarification. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that last bit,” he said, and tipped his head toward her to hear better when she next spoke.

Şahin moved closer and bumped her gently with his shoulder to alter their path so that the two horses headed inland and left the beach behind. Most shorelines all looked the same: ocean, sand, some littered with driftwood and other detritus. Paradise was a little more interesting near the silly looking palm trees that offered shade. He liked the fuzzy brown things that grew on them. They were fun to kick around. “You didn’t live here before, did you?” he asked, his dark eyes already scanning the ground for a dropped coconut to play with. “I myself just came here recently, although I’ve been on the Islands for a couple of years now.” He pressed his lips together and blew out a short breath in amusement. “I spent most of my time on the Crossing, actually. Almost never came out to the territories on the others islands.”