Ernesto watched with curiosity the pare of mares who passed by him, grazing by the edge of the water as he waited for someone interested to come along that he could bother for a while. Don’t you dare go in there! The white-capped mare’s tone was harsh, her words reprimanding the other girl as if she were her mother – though she didn’t look old enough to be so. The perlino girl took no notice, however, and the other mare was left alone to turn towards him and come to the water. Ernesto wondered where her friend was off to in such a hurry, and against the advice of her companion, since she was headed in the direction from which he came, towards the Lagoon. He wondered if he might catch sight of her again on his way back, but for now he appeared to have found someone perfectly interesting to approach and he barely even had to move. With a snort that announced his approach, he made his way around the water’s edge to stand beside the stranger on dry land. The rumble of the waterfall nearby was comforting, a soft backing track to the pleasant autumn day, which left Ernesto’s ears flicking as his dark eyes slid over the mare’s body briefly. She was a pretty thing, the striking white of her sleek hindquarters melting into a lovely champagne colour. She smelt divine, too, but then so did every mare he passed on the Crossing at this time of year. He arched his neck, nostrils flaring and his dirty silver locks falling down across his face. “Hola hermoso,” he greeted with a crooked smile. He knew that the horses here spoke the common tongue, but there were some things that just felt so much better to express in his mother tongue. Even when he switched to the common tongue, the unusual lilt to his voice remained. “Who was that who left you here to enjoy the water all alone? A fool, if you ask me.” His tone was light and joking, his lips still curled in a playful grin. ernesto
heartbreak is savvy and love is a bitch |