A playful smirk twitched at the corner of Ernesto’s lips as he watched the way she stamped her feet and heard the mischief in her tone of voice. A willing playmate he had found then, or so it seemed. His day was looking better by the minute.

“Ah, but, señorita,” he replied swiftly, tilting his head at her with a twinkle in his dark eyes. “Sometimes we find the best things when we aren’t even looking for them.”

He turned his head to gaze at their surroundings as she did the same. A mud pit? Perhaps that was how it appeared to those unfamiliar with the Lagoon. Ernesto had long since grown used to it, and he had grown to appreciate the humid land. Besides, the actual Lagoon itself was rather beautiful, or so Ernesto thought anyway.

When he turned back to the young mare she had begun to continue her wandering, and without hesitation he took up stride beside her, allowing her to choose the direction their feet took.

“I prefer to think of it as a mud kingdom, si no te importa,” he continued, glancing at her dark face beside him. “It could be yours too if you wished it.”

He flashed a grin that let her know he was joking – if only partly.

“What brings you here then, miss…? If you are not looking for me that is.”

ernesto
heartbreak is savvy and love is a bitch