Cailean awoke to chattering and an acorn bounced off her head and rolled beside her. She looked up and saw a gray squirrel trying desperately to drive her away but she jumped up and he darted up the tree and into his hole. She looked over at Ahura, who was still dozing. Her gaze held him for a long time. A difference about him settled inside her. She smiled and walked a ways until she got to a running river. Speckled trout lifted their shining backs above the water and rushed back under as her shadow fell across the river. Cailean kneeled down and cupped some of the cool water in her hands, washing her face and drinking deeply. She wiped her mouth and her eyes caught an image across the river staring back at her with curiosity. A horse so brilliantly white, it seemed the moon had made him itself. He turned his head and looked at her with a bold, black eye and tossed his head, sending his mane rippling over his beautifully arched neck. Cailean only dreamed of horses as this and she wondered if it were all a dream. She wanted to slap herself awake but she was too convinced that he was real and frightening him would send him into a flight of terror. He bowed his head to the water and took in deep breaths as if to drink but he was testing the water before he stepped and when the stallion was sure it was safe he plunged in and waded out until he stood in the middle of the river. Water swirled around his neat legs and nickered deeply and tossed his forelock out of his eye to take another look at her.

“Litador” a voice from behind her.

“He’s magnificent” she replied and gazed at the stallion’s handsome head that seemed to be sculpted. Cailean looked at Ahura and frowned wondering why the horse was not afraid of a werewolf but he smiled and looked towards him.

“We’re old friends” Ahura began “and he is scared of nothing” he grinned briefly and the stallion bobbed his head in acknowledgment, but as Litador had so suddenly appeared he disappeared with a rear and great splashing. She looked at Ahura and remembered now how she felt about him. He gazed back down at her and he suddenly blushed, looking away. She thought hard. Did he know she admired him more then he expected? She blushed furiously at the thought. Cailean thought of when they had first met. The dark past that he held and a great sorrow came over her. It had affected him in such a way that he had never been the same as before. She thought of her own secret, her power. To look into the past of others but why not the future? She stopped, looking up and saw Ahura gazing down at her in confusion but nodded seeming to understand.

“Don’t worry” he said.

“I am a Mindreader”

To be Continued….