Odrin led his speckled steed away from the shop stall to the stable at the side of the inn. A large, stone tub rested near the edge of the stables, filled nearly to the brim with brackish-looking water. She’d never seen such a large object of solid stone before. She idly wondered if this had been one of the many uses for the boulders that had tumbled from the cliff and given the village its namesake. Rather than break the rocks down or roll the large boulders away, the citizens had chipped and chiseled them into functional fixtures throughout the town. While it had been innovative of the residents to find ways to use the rocks, their presence disconcerted her. Amaris wondered how often the cliff sloughed off its unwanted boulders onto the town below, and she itched with restlessness to get going.

“Are we leaving after this?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t be so eager to get going if you knew what awaited you.”

If she didn’t stop thinking about the mountain, she was going to drive herself mad. Instead, she turned her attention to Odrin and his mount. Amaris rested a hand on its dappled neck, stroking it gently beneath her fingertips while it drank its fill.

“What do you call your horse?” she asked.

His eyebrows raised as he made a face to indicate this wasn’t something that had crossed his mind. He gave the horse two quick pats on its side while he examined it.

“I don’t rightly know. I took him as payment about four weeks back when a bishop couldn’t settle his contribution.”

“He owed you a debt? Are you a mercenary?”

Odrin laughed. “Hardly. We aren’t swords-for-hire, girl. You’ll learn soon enough.”

“So, this is not your horse?”

A smile still crinkled the lines of his face as he petted the beast. “Well, he is now, isn’t he?”

She continued to stroke the docile gelding’s neck. It didn’t seem to notice her existence while it kept its nose close to the water, lips gently parted while it drank. “Shouldn’t we give your creature a name? Aren’t horses meant to be like family?”

Odrin entertained the idea, asking, “What would you call it?”

“Maybe Cloud would suit him.”

“That’s a terrible name for a horse,” Odrin said dismissively. He adjusted the saddle, letting the beast know they’d be moving soon. Water dripped from its nose as it raised its head from the trough.

She shook her head and continued stroking the creature. “You’re right; that doesn’t suit him. Hmm… He’s not majestic enough to be a Twilight. I feel like Whisper would displease him.”

“Does he have feelings about the process?” Odrin asked somewhat dryly.

As if in answer, the horse flared its nostrils.

Amaris inclined her head at that, listening to the horse. “Are you a Ghost?”

“You’re not good at this.”