Every day, Şahin grew a little more certain that Conquistador’s brother was not coming to take the palomino colt away.

The Nez Perce strode through the dew-riddled grasses of Paradise, blinking against the shimmering of the wet grass under the bright new sun, and considered his new second in command. Conquistador was young, quite young, but he was intelligent and Şahin was confident he could eventually coax boldness from the boy. He snorted and flicked his ears to the sides in brief amusement. He would be a good second-in-command.

The wet grass was cold against Şahin’s hocks and he was thinking about how good the sun would feel once the morning lengthened toward afternoon when he saw Dia standing under the shade of a group of palm trees. There was a shadow at her side, a bright-dark foal standing on new legs. Şahin’s ears pricked forward and he sped up unconsciously to a trot as he approached the pair.

“Dia! And who’s this, come to walk with us at last?” He reached out to press his nose against the mare’s neck before lowering his head to investigate the foal— a colt. Şahin exhaled on the foal’s hindquarters to get his attention and laughed at their son’s windmilling tail. From the moment he set eyes on Dia and the foal, Şahin had not stopped smiling.