“Me? Busy? Oh, sweet star-mare, I have all the time this morning for you,” he said, and relished the way the words fell so easily from his tongue. He and Dia were amicable and intimate, but there was very little romance in his relationship with her, and Xina— well. Şahin often felt she’d rather kick him than speak to him, most days. There was no outlet for his flirtatious nature, and maybe that had been part of his problem for so long: Şahin loved to compliment others, but beyond the casual pride in the strength and character of the mares he lived with (yes, even Xina, whose strong-willed stubbornness stemmed from a deep desire to protect those she loved at whatever cost) there had been no one to lavish his attentions on.

With Sylvia, it was easy, because she was beautiful and because she wasn’t a permanent part of his herd. Şahin was free to say whatever he liked to the mare —all sincere things, of course— and not have to worry about how it might affect the dynamic of the herd or his relationship with her. This was only their second meeting, after all, and while they were comfortable with one another the stallion was immensely confident that their relationship was strictly platonic. Thus reassured, he didn’t feel there was any reason to watch his tongue.

“Come on,” he said as he turned, and led her to the tall hill he had just described. “Stand here,” he directed one they’d arrived, and pawed at a flat patch of earth that was more dirt than grass. Şahin had spent a lot of time standing here, and it showed. He backed up to give her room to comply. “Then look toward the ocean. Tell me you don’t feel like you’re in the water,” he said, head high as he challenged her to prove him wrong. It was a little vertigo-inducing at first, or at least it had been for him, but that was part of the thrill. He pressed his toes against the earth and watched her face, eager to soak up her reactions.