Dmitri didn’t want to risk upsetting the Warstones, as the palomino was likely one of theirs. He would send her to the Warstone farm. If the palomino belonged somewhere else, the Warstones would know where to send her. Of course, there was the question of who would take the palomino. Dmitri needed to stay at the riding school to watch the Arabian. He wanted Theia to stay as well; he didn’t trust her around the palomino. She was clearly desperate to keep her.
As Dmitri brushed the pregnant mares, the answer came to him. His wife Ellany was a cousin to the Warstones. On top of that, she was with child, and he had been increasingly worried for her as unrest spilled throughout the land. He wanted Ellany to be safe at the Copperstone estate in Wind’s Grove.
Ellany strode into the stable. Dmitri smiled at her. Ellany was a Horse Witch herself, though untrained in horse husbandry, as her family didn’t believe in women taking on formal Horse Witch responsibilities.
“I was just thinking of you, my love,” Dmitri said. Ellany stroked the Arabian’s neck.
“Oh?”
“Yes.” Dmitri explained everything to Ellany: the mares’ appearance, their pregnancies, his theories about where they came from, and his plan. When he finished, Ellany looked at the Arabian carefully. She whinnied at the Arabian. The Arabian whickered in response.
“Her name is Sassy,” Ellany said.
“Then she must be Anya’s. Anya always wanted a fine horse named Sassy. What have you to say about my plan?”
“I was wanting to return home anyways,” Ellany drawled idly. She stroked her small baby bump. “The only witch in this area with experience in birth has solely attended horse births, after all. Will you follow behind me?”
“Once I know more about Anya, Sassy, and everything else, yes,” Dmitri promised. Ellany smiled.
“Not to worry. I understand that you have to make sure your sister is safe. Your parents will take care of me while we are apart.”
It only took a few hours for Ellany to gather everything needed for her journey. As a Horse Witch, she would be able to speed the palomino even more than a regular witch, getting to Wind’s Grove in a matter of days rather than weeks.
Ellany kissed Dmitri goodbye and mounted the palomino. The palomino and Sassy whinnied their goodbyes at each other, though Sassy was too quiet for Ellany to make out what she had called the palomino. Ellany dug her heels into the palomino’s side. As the palomino set off in a gallop, Ellany sent her magic into the Witch’s Pony. The surrounding countryside became a blur.
“Tell me, lovely,” Ellany neighed at the palomino. The palomino’s ears turned to face her. “What is your name?”