[Horse-Maiden of the Shire]

Leofan stepped out of Mihtig's stall and walked away. Anwir stepped back again from the stallion's neck and eyed him nervously. When he had been younger, Anwir had been bitten savagely by a stallion just like this one, and his arm still bore the scar to prove it. But this horse was unlike that one; his eyes were kind and gentle. Anwir reached up a trembling hand and stroked Mihtig's velvety nose. The stallion nickered softly and nuzzled the boy's hand. Anwir smiled, confident now that the stallion wouldn't hurt him unless he had good reason to.

Anwir spied a brush lying on the floor of the stall and picked it up. As he started to brush Mihtig's silky coat, the stallion nickered his approval and tossed his mane. When Leofan came back to check on Anwir and Mihtig, he was pleased to see that the two were interacting beautifully.

"So, lad, have you been getting to know Mihtig?" asked Leofan. Anwir started and whirled around, panic on his face, until he saw that it was only Leofan. He relaxed and said, "Yes, sir. He's a very nice horse."

Leofan smiled and said, "Do you like horses, Anwir?" The boy smiled back and answered, "Yes, sir. Most of them are very nice, like Mihtig."

"Good," said Leofan. "Because now you are going to be learning about how to groom a horse properly. Listen closely, lad, and if you have any questions ask them, because if you don't know what you're doing you can get into a muck of trouble."

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Aleia stepped out of the stable into the sunny afternoon, leaving Anwir and Leofan to the horses. She stretched and yawned as she walked back towards the market; she hadn't gotten up very early but she was still tired. As she stepped back into the bustling market, she surveyed the scene with a smile. Her thoughts went back to Anwir, and she hoped that he kept his promise of stopping his thieving.