Excerpt:

Once he’d stretched out all four of the mare’s legs in turn and used the hoof pick on all four feet, he gave Belle a last pat to her flank and passed her a few sugar cubes before hugging her around the neck and exiting the stall.

Naomi wrinkled her nose and giggled a little, eyes lighting up in a way that made him relax a bit further. At least she wasn’t stiff about having to work with animals and do things she’d never had to do before. It would make things a lot easier in the long run if she were always this willing. Lysle’s head tilted and he grinned back at her.

“We have a little time. You wanna start your training now or wait til we get back?”
Naomi’s grin slid off, turning stony, as if she didn’t really want to go into that discussion, and Lysle wondered what he’d said.

“No… May we wait until we each return from the day’s activities? Would that be all right?” Her smile was back, but it obviously wasn’t the same one she’d just had a moment ago. He couldn’t quite place why but it didn’t really feel as though the expression had reached her eyes this time around and the discovery was mildly disturbing for someone who always smiled with his eyes and his mouth.

“All right. We can do that too.” After all, he needed to make her comfortable first. “And then I’ll teach you how to fly, all right? Belle and I will.”

The mare huffed as Lysle latched her gate shut and stepped back down the aisle. He heard the incredulity in her voice as she followed him. “You cannot fly, though. We are people and last I heard the gods have yet to grant normal people the ability to fly without shapeshifting.”

He shot her a grin over his shoulder. “You’ve obviously never heard what they say about horses and riding.”

One of her eyebrows rose as she trotted to keep up with him. Being a whole half a foot shorter than he was meant she had to work to keep up with him. “Oh? Care to enlighten me then?”

“Thou shalt fly without wings.” He grinned again and broke into a trot, running for his car. Naomi gave a shout as they exited the barn and took off after him, yelling about how unfair he was being. Lysle reveled in it, thinking this must be what having a sibling was like.