Dalez laughed as her handsomely dappled gray stallion tugged on a strand of her glossy reddish-brown hair.
"Stop that Freithan, you silly wherry," she said, shoving him back. "You badly need to be brushed after that roll in the dirt and I can't do anything with you eating my hair. Stand still like a good boy and I'll give you some fruit when I've finished."
Snorting in agreement of the offer, he backed up and stayed peacable until she was done. Being of good Sapphire Weyr breeding stock, he understood more than would the average runner and readily accepted any offered treats. When the redfruit was given to him for his good behavior he gobbled it down quickly so as not to drop any of the delicious fruit on the ground.
He was one of the few creatures she could confide everything in, along with Lex and Gremmy. No human had ever held that privilage, not since she had been six turns old. Being a very independent child in a crowded hold, she had learned to fend for herself and her younger siblings early on. She had longed for a companion she could share secrets with and who would talk back, give her their own |
