Darin gave what she was a respectful nod, “Thank you for the reminder.” She put the cup back down, “I’ll be going now.”

With that she left the tavern. She didn’t like having her back to Mark and his partners. She couldn’t very well walk out backwards though. If there was alcohol in that drink Darin would be waking up with a headache. She didn’t drink for a reason; that reason being that she was the lightweight champion back home. Even the other girls could drink more than she did. Darin hated the fact that she hadn’t recognized the taste. She imagined it was because it was a different recipe. She would have to be on guard in the future.

Once outside the tavern she looked around for a moment to see if she could spot the stable. That was something she could do. She could spot a stable out of any building as long as it was in her line a sight. Once she saw it, she made her way over there. She may not have been used to riding, but she could take care of a horse. She had to know how to do that. She had been a farmer before that all had started.

She was almost there when she found herself stopping to stare at the horse in a fenced off pasture. This was not a horse meant for riding. This was a plow horse. He was beautiful. It was easy to see that his gender; he was clearly a stallion. HE must be in the pasture for breeding reasons. It was almost the season for that. He would make a fine sire. Darin inveterately got closer to the fence. He wasn’t colored for show. He was a dusky tan with darker brown splotches and only one white sock on his left hind leg. His mane was a tangled mess. He didn’t prance; he was too big for that. Instead he marched around the field; surveying his domain the way Darin looked at her fields at the beginning of planting season. This was his land. He needed to decide how to use it best. He wasn’t traditionally a fine-looking horse, but the young farm girl could see the power in his muscles. As such, he was simply gorgeous.

Darin whispered to the wind, “You’re spectacular.”

The voice near her caused her to jump, “Isn’t he? Too bad he’s got a nasty temper.”

Darin turned to see a regular man. He looked like a farmer, like she had been, like she was supposed to be. His skin was tan and wrinkled from working the field all his life. He had kind eyes and a hunched back. More importantly he gave her a very different feeling than Mark had. Darin felt not urge to run in terror.

So, she asked, “Is that why he’s not stabled?”

The man nodded, “We can work him with a plow, but when’s he’s not working he’s mean to everyone. If he were human, I would just call him anti-social. He’s a hard working. He just doesn’t like people.”

The horse must have smelt the apples the farmer had because he had come over to investigate. However, instead of going to the human he knew, he snuffed at Darin’s hair. She let out a shriek of laughter. This horse could literally crush her, but he was just wondering about the person he had never meet before. It was nice in a way. The farmer held out one of the apples to Darin with a smile on his face.

Darin laughed again, “Thank you.” Then she held out the treat, “There you go.”

The horse snatched the apple from her hand without using teeth. As Darin felt safe enough to reach out and stroke his flank. He allowed it as he pressed his nose against her chest. Darin knew he was looking for more apples. She laughed at his seeking. He wasn’t hurting her at all.

The farmer stared in amazement, “Well I’ll be. He seems to like you lad.”

Darin was sure it had nothing to do with her specifically, “I’m new and apples are good.” She asked, “What’s his name?”

The answer was simple, “Talbot. It doesn’t mean much. I just thought it was a good name for a horse.”

Darin had acquired another apple, “Sometimes those are the best names. Aren’t they Talbot?”

The horse whinnied in response as he ate the second apple. He truly was magnificent.

Meanwhile Mark was answering Ridahne’s question, “We’re just traveling Astra. We’re looking for this new Gardener. Any adventurer with a lick of sense is looking for them. Nothing like this has ever happened in Astra. Everyone once to be the one to go down in history as having help them. We just came over to chit chat with you because it can be lonesome on the road.” He smirked, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He clearly thought he had the upper hand. It was three against one after all, and to an outside party it might look like the Elf was the aggressor. After all she had drawn her weapon first. Sometimes it didn’t matter who won the fight. All that mattered was who the locals had wanted to win the fight. He was hoping that it would be him. He was human after all and had been nothing but charming. This Elf didn’t seem to know that meaning of the word.

He continued, “Your boy seems a little jumpy. You don’t think he’s hiding something, do you?”

That was the other question. Did this elf know that her apprentice had some connection to The Gardener? Mark didn’t think the lad had The Seed. The Seed had to be in the care of someone who knew how to take care of it. That boy didn’t seem to know his left from his right and seemed much to soft. Mark was half tempted to say he was actually a girl, but that seemed unlikely. Girls didn’t leave home unless they were warriors.

In the end though it didn’t matter. He had more friends waiting to take the boy captive as soon as he was alone. He would be made to talk about what he knew. Mark had ways of making everyone talk, and this boy would be easy to break.